Lisímaco Henao

Gold Museum, Bogota, Colombia

The seated Shaman, in an introversion state,
acknowledges the visible and the invisible forces that give movement to life,
enters in contact with different worlds above, below, and deep.
Closely attached to nature,
he perceives that he is also nature,
and shall not stand above her
except to marvel contemplating her magnificence,
to descend from there to pay her tribute of respect
in his inner process of development.

The apprentice of Shaman also adopts this position
with arms connecting knees to form a container
in which to keep his master’s lessons.

The apprentice himself becomes recipient
uterus waiting to be fertilized
with wisdom.
He has been isolated from his community so that, free of distractions,
will receive the collective ancestral spirits.
The image of the seated Shaman
alludes to the possibility of perceiving
the nature that lives within us,
that brings us together, that dreams us
synthesizing the images of analyst and patient, teacher and apprentice.

Images that alternate themselves
in every human being
along the process of individuation,
throughout life