Self in 4 Directions: IC Portrait
- Kim Heise
- Aug 16, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 1
It me :3
I’ve been taking the astrology-and-self-portrait workshop, Self in 4 Directions from Embodied Astrology, because I’d like to have more photos of myself I love, plus I’m an astrology nerd! The prompt for this image was the “IC” placement in a birth chart, which can represent the childhood experiences that compel you.
I grew up in South East Florida in the 90's, when there were still large swaths of forests in the cities - rich in biodiversity. My siblings and I spent our time making potions out of wildflowers, climbing trees and catching tadpoles. My love of nature was probably formed through these experiences in my childhood.
Equally impactful was watching the wholesale destruction of these forests and green spaces, a refrain that many Floridians have witnessed in our lifetimes. Watching these spaces be destroyed was probably also a very formative childhood experience. In the portrait I seek to capture some of that early childhood wonder for native plants and animals. I combined photography with my paintings, representing the interplay between reality and my imagination.
My IC placement (conjunct Chiron in Cancer, circled in green) also represents my communication style and early childhood struggles. When I was watching this habitat destruction occur, I felt very small and helpless and like I didn't have a voice. I was a shy child in general and I did actually have a very quiet voice. My favorite hobbies were daydreaming, making art, reading, writing, and playing video games.
The IC is thought of as being something that moves you toward your MC, or your conscious, outward, visible expression or societal contribution. I feel like this childhood experience definitely moved me toward what I do now!
My early pieces such as Family Portraits (featuring bird portraits in frames, some blotted out) and Erased Drawings (a performance involving the erasing of animal drawings to reveal empty silhouettes) felt like they were very "quiet" despite being created out of a deep sense of grief for the decline of local ecosystems. In part, that feeling of "not being heard" compelled me to experiment with many different ways to speak up, including publications, collaborations, public art, public speaking, and volunteering.
Some of the paintings used in the creation of this piece!:
Check out the other portraits from this series:
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