The Art of Divination
Curatorial Statement
The harvest season offers us time to pause and consider what we have cultivated from the previous season of growth. The Art of Divination showcases the talents of selected artists’ interpretations and inspiration found within the symbolism of oracle cards and tarot’s major and minor arcana. Arcana derives from the word arcane or secret and the art in this exhibition reveals and celebrates hidden knowledge shared by each artist and invites the viewer to contemplate esoteric knowledge as it pertains to one’s fate or fortune.
Stephanie Dayes - Curator
I am an emerging artist and Witch living in Tkaronto. Threads of my creative and spiritual practices found a home in WITCHfest North in 2017, and I assist with festival administration, event organization, social media, and curatorial programming for our gallery exhibitions and virtual show.
I have worked in the field of adult education for 20 years in BC and Ontario, and am currently both staff and student at OCAD University. I am interested in textiles, books, installation art and curatorial processes. My own creative practice explores concepts of structure, cycles, in/visibility, connection, loss, senses, and earth-based spirituality in both 2D and 3D forms.
I am a member of the Dark Moon Coven and gratefully continue to develop my spiritual and artistic practice under the mentorship of Monica Bodirsky.
Instagram: @stephifty
The Artists
Esther Rabinovich
Esther Rabinovitch is a mixed media artist based out of Stouffville, Ontario. After graduating from the University of Windsor in 2012, she was temporarily, physically disabled and had to explore new ways to create abundance in her life while moving through a Dark Night of the Soul. Esther now creates card decks, books, and wearable treasures to uplift, soothe, and empower anyone going through difficult transitions. She makes her work primarily from her bedroom, trusting that the Universe loves creativity and will always guide the right people to her doorstep.
As my professional website is currently in the process of being built, please find my works at
Ivanka Haney
Ivanka Haney is an interdisciplinary filmmaker and artist residing in Tkaronto. Her works draw from her Ukrainian heritage, including practices passed on from her family’s roots in the Carpathian Mountains.
Kimberly Dewing
Kimberley Dewing is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist-witch. Crafter of fanciful resin art, illustrated guides to local flora, and short poetry zines. Her work is most inspired by connection to the spirit of place through plant-life and memories.
Jane Estelle Trombley
Jane Estelle Trombley (JET), b.1965 d.2013, draws the body of her inspiration from her knowledge and love of symbolism, mythology, story and archetypes. The late mythologist Joseph Campbell, in his book ‘Hero With A Thousand Faces’ said that “Myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human manifestation…” It is in this secret spiritual and dreamlike world that she envisions the images and archetypes that unveil themselves to her. She sees art as a form of self exploration. Each image and poem is a personal map to the psyche of the artist. Using watercolour as her primary medium, she surprises the viewer with the intricate details and vibrancy of colours achieved in her art.
https://jetarts.wordpress.com/
Artwork supplied by Allan Harrison
Lisa Cristinzo
My pronouns are they/them, she/her.
I identify as a queer cis-gendered female settler of European ancestry, a first generation Canadian, with Roman and Celtic roots. I acknowledge the traditional territory of the many diverse First Nations people who live here and that I reside on stolen land. I am committed to dismantling systems of oppression and challenging socializations created by a patriarchal, white, capitalist society.
I identify as a Witch and practice earth-based spirituality with a group of people of various genders, identities, ages and abilities guided by coven mentor Monica Bodirsky.
My work as an artist investigates the byproducts of humanity and their mythic significance, through large-scale paintings that traverse natural history, climate hazards, consumerism and magic. I have an BFA in drawing and painting from OCADU and was recently accepted into the fall 2020 MFA program at York University. Since 2007, I’ve managed a number of arts programs and facilities at various community cultural hubs across the city through my work with Toronto Artscape Inc, including Artscape Gibraltar Point, an artist residency and event space on Toronto Island.
Instagram: @lisacristinzopainting, @beasta555
www.Lisacristinzo.com
Lisa East
Lisa East is an artist, researcher, photographer and witch based in Toronto with a long-term interest in grassroots and community-based archival practices. She uses analog and digital processes in representational and experimental photography, collage, documentary film, and installation work. Her passion for equity and representation has led her to engage with lens-based media as a tool to shift perception.
With a background in Gender and Equity studies, her current focus as an MFA candidate in Documentary Media is on the visual representation and oral histories of contemporary Witch practitioners. She is currently working on a documentary film about Toronto witch, Wiccan, pagan and earth-based spiritual practitioner experience during COVID-19; and the second edition of her photo book 'Transformation' depicting WITCHfest North 2019, a month-long, diverse, and inclusive arts and culture festival located in Toronto. She is a member of Toronto's Dark Moon Coven, founded by Monica Bodirsky, and has been an organizing volunteer for WITCHfest North since 2017.
Lydia Knox
Lydia Knox, a priestess and witch residing in the Bruce Peninsula, has been painting professionally for over 25 years. Her new body of work focuses more on the school of magical realism, where she is painting the archangels of the quarters, and has started the journey of painting the tarot, one card at a time.
Margaret Gissing
Margaret Gissing is an emerging multidisciplinary fine artist and illustrator. She enjoys exploring the connections between spiritual, scientific, and philosophical ways of thinking through her art, with an interest in myths, legends, and fantasy story telling. A graduate from the University of Waterloo Fine Arts program, her more recent work explores the practice of persona-creation in live-action game settings, and art as an intentional spiritual, therapeutic practice.
Instagram: @me_margo_g
Natalie Very B.
Natalie Very B. is a Polish-Canadian illustrator, muralist, educator, and art therapist in training. She is passionate about facilitating art workshops with strong focus on the therapeutic aspect of creative expression. Her large scale murals depict modern female empowerment and can be found all across the city of Toronto. She makes art with the goal of changing preconceived notions of feminism and promoting self-love and body positivity in the world.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/natalieveryb
@natalieveryb
Rowena Katigbak
Rowena Katigbak is a Toronto-based witch and maker who loves to celebrate magic in everyday life. In addition to her creative practice, she is a professional tarot reader and incorporates a syncretized form of traditional Austronesian / Hawaiian shell casting which honours her Austronesian ancestral roots. She believes strongly in empowerment through creativity and divination.
While Rowena is best known for her fluid encaustic abstractions which explore the connection between spirituality and the environment, she delights in exploring other media and disciplines. She sees the beauty in imperfection and repurposes materials and collected ephemera in unconventional ways as part of her practice. Her current forays explore connections within and honour her ancestral roots. Rowena seeks to develop a deeper understanding and embodiment of spirituality in her everyday life; to imbue greater meaning within her works; and to foster greater ties within the community while creating space to raise awareness of environmental, marginalization & equity issues.
IG: @wabisabimami
FB: Rowena Katigbak - Rowenwood Studios
Shelley Carter
Shelley Carter is an eclectic witch. Her practice utilizes plants and herbs, crystals, runes, tarot cards, witch crafts, charms, candles, poppets, the elements, colours, altar building and art.
As a community oriented witch, she teaches the basic tenets of modern witchcraft through Practical Magick classes in her community. She has also presented about tarot and witchery in China and New York.
Now retired, Shelley worked as an Occupational Therapist / Psychotherapist for 40 years. She specialized in individual psychotherapy and the use of projective art tools. This fit very nicely with her tarot practice.
Shelley coordinated the creation of a collaborative tarot deck, the Elora Tarot, in her community of artists. The deck features two of her pieces. She has also submitted work for collaborative tarot decks created by others.
A few years ago, Shelley created the Elora Tarot Festival, an annual, weekend event. She also co-coordinates the annual Yule Celebration and Walk in her beloved village of Elora, Ontario.
Sue Todd
Sue Todd is an award-winning Toronto based illustrator and associate of the Ontario College of Art, now OCAD U. Sue has created art for clients all over North America and the UK. Her illustrations have appeared in many books and magazines, on posters, t-shirts, a TV commercial, games and a bus. Her technique is linocut with digital colour allowing Sue to enjoy the best of two worlds, digital and hand-crafted. Sue has illustrated many children’s books and is currently writing and illustrating her own stories.
Wilma Van Den Boomen
My name is Wilma Van Den Boomen and I am a Professional Tarot Reader, Yoga Instructor, Hekataeon Witch and passionate Tribalstyle Bellydancer. I am also a mother of 3 and student of magick and mystery. I love the connection that is made with clients and the insight and help that I can provide through tarot and spellcasting. I am also starkly honest and forthright and think humour is a brilliant coping mechanism. Consequently I offer tarot consultations with a large heaping dose of irreverent humour and deep compassion, and spell castings for Love, Money & Hex Magick.
Monica Bodirsky
I am a settler on turtle Island living in Tkaronto, born to immigrant parents of Northern and Eastern European heritage with family from Sweden down through the Jeseniky and Carpathian mountain ranges south to the village of Bodir in Iran. My pronouns are she/her, they/them.
As an artist, author, and Practitioner of Esoteric Arts I reclaim the word Witch in a contemporary context while paying homage to the familial witching arts I inherited. I am the founder and Program Director of the WITCHfest North Arts and Culture Festival and also the creator of the Shadowland Tarot Deck and Book(Schiffer Books), self-published House of Shadows Lenormand (5th edition forthcoming) and Lucky Lenormand oracles. I also offer individual and group spiritual mentorship, tarot readings, am sessional faculty at OCADU, art and design university and am a graphic designer and illustrator. I was the History Program Coordinator at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (2002 - 2007), played bass and sang in a band called Death and Taxes, studied herbalism, have had work shown in many galleries, and was a panelist representing pagans and the goddess at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in 2018. Equity, spirituality, creativity, the environment and community are integrated in my way of life and provide the lens through which I frame everything I do. I am living my purpose when creating thought provoking art, tools of self-awareness, offering spiritual advice, and, empowering people to find their own way in life.
Note: has a dry sense of humour, loves coffee and doesn’t like using the third person.
Insta @monicabodirsky
FB @monicabodirsky
https://www.monicabodirsky.com