Ang Babaylan : The Priestess

A painting

Acrylic on Canvas
24"x36"
2019

A steampunk -pinoy rendition of one of the Major Arcana of a Tarot Card, III The Priestess

Last year, team called Steampunk Indio showcased another exhibit with the theme of steampunk and post-colonial to hispanic Filipino time and culture-based Tarot cards. I chose card number I and III which are The Magician and The Priestess.

I used an image of a Babaylan as the priestess to show her mysticity and glory especially in the old Philippine tribes. Babaylans are one of the most [powerful and respected public figure in a community. They also cure diseases using herbal medicine and gives advice to her respective community.

"Babaylan (also balian or katalonan, among many other names) were shamans of the various ethnic groups of the pre-colonial Philippine islands. These shamans specialized in communicating, appeasing, or harnessing the spirits of the dead and the spirits of nature. They were almost always women or feminized men (asog or bayok). They were believed to have spirit guides, by which they could contact and interact with the spirits and deities (anito or diwata) and the spirit world. Their primary role were as mediums during pag-anito séance rituals. There were also various subtypes of babaylan specializing in the arts of healing and herbalism, divination, and sorcery."
Source

Here are some of the work-in-progress pictures of my painting

# Ang Babaylan