Venus Achillea • Planherbarium linocut paper print

These botanical prints are all part of research done between 2016 and 2018, called Planherbarium: it studies the relationship between plants and planets in astrology, medicine, mythology, usage and folklore.

When Saturn evirated Uranus, he threw the genitals of the Father into the waters of Mother Earth. From the union of the Uranian virile principle (the Starry Sky) and the telluric waters, Aphrodite, Venus to the Latins, is born.
She is the goddess of the conjunction of opposite principles: sky and earth, fire and water, dry and wet, hot and cold... Venus stands for harmony, for the balance of forces, for the alchemical conjunctio with her opposite Mars.
She fully represents the feminine principle of youth. Her archetype the lover, her qualities are innumerable: desire for expansion, fertility, creativity, lover of beauty and harmony. Where the Moon is the wise cosmic mother who has long travelled and lived, Venus is the playful, carefree and naive feminine. She stands for falling in love in the first part of life, and for love that has consumed the passions in the second.
She is the Feminine who embodies the full energy of Love, she who heals the wounds of the past and gives new life to the present.
And yarrow is one of the essences that best embodies these virtues. This plant owes its name to the legend according to which Achilles, wounded in the heel, was cured by Aphrodite (also Venus) who used yarrow to heal and heal the wound. Here the properties of the plant, activated by the Goddess' love, are revealed. It is thanks to this feminine energy that the Warrior becomes Luminous, regains virility and courage and thus heals the primary wound.
Yarrow is indeed an excellent cure for both physical and spiritual wounds. It directs its richness to the centre, to the Heart, and heals wounds due to losses, break-ups and disappointments. It acts from above, with love, helping to live through pain without succumbing to sadness. It gives courage and dignity to face situations where inner steadiness falters; it keeps the mind clear and calm, so that the heart can work unhindered.

This print measuring 35x22cm circa, and is printed in dark green Caligo ink on Favini Materica 250g printmaking paper.
All prints in this limited edition are handmade and handpulled on a press, and each print is signed and numbered.
This a limited edition of 10 prints that will never be reprinted due to the extreme wear and tear of the blocks.

Due to the slightly structured texture of the paper, this print is a bit difficult to print, and is likely to have a bit of "lino noise" and slight variations. This is not to be considered a flaw, but is inherent to the handmade nature of the artwork and process, and a welcome reference to the particular tradition of printing it stems from.