Mixed media by Julia Datchenko

This papercut is a myth about the origin of life and female creative power, which stands at the border between worlds. The two female figures are the Mothers of Light, guardians of life, who carry within themselves primordial wisdom, the ability to create and protect. They combine the heavenly and the earthly, beauty and fear, love and strength—that is, the fullness of being. In their wings are silence and fire, in their breasts are milk and memory, and in their eggs is new life. Female images are both the archetype of the mother-protector and the primordial element. They combine beauty and strength, gentleness and wild instinct – that is, the duality of female nature: gentle and protective, earthly and heavenly. Wings covering children are a sign of protection, mystery, and a talisman. They separate the sacred space of life from the outside world. The tree of life is a symbol of the unity of worlds, combining earth, water, air, and fire. Its branches touching women's bodies testify to the inseparability of women and nature. The egg at the top of the tree is a symbol of the birth of the world, the beginning of all life, the purity of potential. It is the “fruit of the spirit” waiting for its time to sprout. The images of children under the tree represent a new generation, the continuation of life, but also the embodiment of human fragility in the face of the grandeur of nature. Their gesture towards their mothers' breasts is a desire for love, warmth, and knowledge. The images of eggs represent the eternal cycle of life, the repetition of birth, the image of a world that is constantly renewing itself. The “Mother of Light” personifies the sacredness of female power and the birth of life.