And The Goddesses…
Weave Wicked Spells
Zozobra Art by Glyn Smyth

Text & Art by Glyn Smyth

When starting out on a work commission I’m always looking for new ways to tackle the subject matter. Whilst it’s always tempting to jump on the first or most obvious idea that springs to mind, I’ve come to realise it’s always more rewarding to view the artwork process as an “exploration” of the idea. That allowing yourself the freedom to wander off the most direct path, uncertain of your exact destination makes for a far more interesting journey with a greater prize at the end…

I was fortunate in the fact that both Caleb and the label seemed receptive to a fresh approach and were happy to entrust me with a great deal of creative control from the outset. After some brief initial discussions I received the album tracks, lyrics and the title – “Savage Masters”. Whilst familiar with earlier Zozobra material these new songs were faster, leaner and more aggressive. Images of wild creatures immersed in fierce combat sprang to mind. A tangle of beasts fighting over a crown. The unhindered savagery of the animal kingdom.

Yet the lyrical content told a different tale. The lyrics hinted at an internal anguish and being subject to forces beyond ones control. References to serpents, venom and weaponry was suggestive of ritual more than that of warfare.

And there were repeated references to an unidentified female force…

“Screaming hear left defenceless..offer my seed to her sword”
“Drink from her rain when it’s burning and acid”
“And the goddesses weave wicked spells…”

In this light, the original etymology of the Spanish word Zozobra (meaning ‘anxiety’, ‘anguish’ or ‘worry’) seemed more relevant than references to the communal catharsis experienced by the burning of “Old Man Gloom” in Santa Fe each year. Nevertheless, this relatively modern ritual (the first Zozobra burning was in 1924) has roots in “The Burning Of Judas” festival once practiced widely in many orthodox Catholic countries but perhaps today most strongly associated with Mexico…

At this point the identity of this unseen female entity became apparent to me. The goddess in her dark aspect…whether appearing as the Santa Muerte of recent popularity, Mictecacihuatl of Aztec culture or as the Lady Of Guadalupe. She arrives from the West and may represent death, though is something more than this. An arbiter of divine justice. A shape shifting Divine Mother who’s chthonic nature is revealed by the light of the moon. An inverted cross of orthodoxy suspended over a river within Mictlan. The High Priestess. A savage master.