More The Inside Joke
False Prophets is both an amusing and deeply sad painting for me. I created it with coffee grinds on purpose because I wanted the material itself to echo one of the strangest moments of my life. Someone once told me that a mystical coffee reader claimed someone of close relation, a woman of great heart, had used a ritual to cause harm in their life. As someone who grew up with Catholic influence, I often find myself caught between curiosity about the mystical and trust in my faith. What hurt me most was that the accusation was directed at someone who never embraced any of those practices and had no connection to that world at all.
The accussed is a noble and steady woman who in my experience never participated in anything like what was described. Still, I was told an elaborate story in which she supposedly cast a spell meant to hurt loved ones in my life, even my child. Hearing this felt surreal. I could not understand how anyone could accept such claims, especially when they came from someone reading patterns in coffee grounds without any understanding of the cultures they referenced. It made me think about how easily people can be influenced by fear, suggestion, dark influences, and the illusion of secret knowledge.
The painting grew from that experience and from my belief that such predictions and accusations come from false prophets who can lead people away from truth and compassion. My child was never harmed and I do not believe anyone has altered the course of my life through rituals or unseen forces. The mind is a curious place and can create intricate stories in moments of manipulation, fear or confusion. Through this work I remind myself and others to be gentle with our thoughts, to be kind, and to stay rooted in clarity rather than superstition.
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