The Sock Monkey Oracle Story
Sock monkeys as an oracle?
Why not?
Aren’t we all oracles?
Here’s the story behind the big, red grin, from my perspective.
I discovered Mom’s sock monkey among her belongings after she passed. At the time, I was completely overwhelmed with grief and the sheer volume of things she left behind, so I tucked the well-worn monkey into an old cedar chest, and there it sat for many years.
One day, in response to a painting competition, I set up a still life with the intention of making it a tribute to my late mother. As I thought of items that would compose the still life, I remembered Mom’s sock monkey.
I smiled and decided it was the perfect symbol to embody Mom’s sweet soul. Every time I encountered her sock monkey, I felt radiant love.
Mom was also a brilliant musician with perfect pitch and a gifted special education teacher with a keen sense of humor. You’ll notice those elements as well throughout this entire body of work.
Something magical happened when I started to create the first sock monkey painting. During each session, I felt I was channeling Mom’s love into the artwork. After I finished the first painting, I realized that there were many more paintings, and even more love, just waiting to emerge. Over several years, more than forty-six paintings emerged. The entire experience was such a beautiful way to transmute grief into joy. I love that this experience echoes Mom’s actual sock monkey. It’s a bit discolored, missing a pom-pom, and some limbs are hanging by a thread. It has seen a lot of life and is still smiling after all these years.
From the beginning, I had an oracle card deck in mind for each painting, but it would take many years before the words would come. One day I was compelled to finish the deck, and all the words came tumbling out over the course of a month. The resulting body of work is an oracle card deck that is doubly infused with love, both from the artwork and from the images.
I love that they make me smile, and I was touched to discover that they make other people smile too! No matter what card chooses you, the Sock Monkey Oracle will leave you with a big, warm hug and benevolent guidance.
With Big Love,
