the lower half

I was invited to make another presentation about the Manitoulin Circle Project yesterday. This time the presentation was for the regional United Church clergy who were meeting in Espanola, about an hour's drive from my home. I had seven minutes, as other people were also presenting.

Very briefly then, the circle project is the creation of four large meditation panels using hand stitch. They are designed to hang in the sanctuary of the Little Current United Church. They are liturgical pieces and use the gentle colours of Christian faith. White and gold for celebration and holiness. Green for ordinary days.

A circle of women come together to stitch on these panels every Thursday. The four large panels each have a large circle within a large square. They measure between 90 and 100 inches across.
The archetype of the circle is an old and important symbol for all of us. It’s one of the first shapes that Carl Jung believes is in our unconscious. The circle symbolizes perfection.
It symbolizes eternity and completion.
There is no beginning or end with a circle. In my research I learned that when a horizontal line divides a circle, the lower half is like the ark and represents water, while the upper half is like the rainbow or heaven or sometimes called the upper water. I found this idea of representing water very inspiring.
Pictured is the third panel of the project, "Precious Water".