a new project begins: the elemental temples of artarium

It is time for us to build temples for our guardians. The four great pillars who stand at the corners of Artarium, powering the life force of this magical world. And bringing magick to our world. 

Sleepha, issuer of gales, summoner of engines, she who makes the leaves dance. 

Bethas, igniter of passions, the explosive force, he who bends both flame and will.

Lorca, giving depth to the seas, flooding the soul, he who beckons the tide.

And Olanvot, the great foundation, the marker of time, he who puts us through to our ancestors.

These four align with the elements as we know them—Air, Fire, Water, and Earth—but our work has shown further dimensions to their power and additional avenues to explore. So, we decided to create a show to facilitate that exploration. To learn as much as we can about each of Artarium’s elemental guardians.

We will dedicate one month to each—beginning today with Olanvot—and immerse ourselves in their energies. Through meditation, ritual work, and art, we will explore all that makes them up, the role they play in Artarium, and how we can connect with them in this realm. We will share this work through daily postings on our blog and social media. Our goal is to come out on the other side with enough paintings, sculptures, drawings, music, and writing to create an art show. A robust, immersive, surprising experience of the elements, not as we know them today, but as we understand them four months hence.

As a bonus, this art experiment will also give us an opportunity to finish our first card deck, a combination poker and oracle deck that has seen a major overhaul in the past six months. As we prepare the deck for printing, we will share it with you suit-by-suit, with the cards in each suit making up the kingdom of one of the four guardians. 

Olanvot’s 13 cards

As the warmth of March begins to thaw the earth, reawakening the dormant life around us, may we also awaken the powerful Olanvot in the subterranean caves where he dwells. May we feel him shake the ground beneath our feet and send static running up our arms. May we honor his position at the north end of the compass, his kingdom in the bedrock, and the vast tapestry of life he lays out before us. Hail Olanvot and Hail the Muse!