Love is a Goddess
Fills all spaces, knows no voids
She is all there is
Haiku by Love Hannington
In a magical ceremony abroad, in the presence of Grandmother Ayahuasca- a powerful plant spirit and medicine guide, I underwent a profound transformation that not only changed my life but also my very identity. It was during this sacred encounter that I made the decision to shed the name Jay (shortened from Jade) Percy and embrace a name that resonated with the essence of my being: Love Hannington.
This journey, guided by the wisdom of Ayahuasca, redefined my existence and set me on a path of profound self-discovery and spiritual awakening. Here is my account...
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet." - William Shakespeare
It all began during an Ayahuasca retreat that would prove to be nothing short of life-changing. Ayahuasca initially appeared as a voice in my mind, guiding me through a profound journey of self-discovery. It wasn't long before Grandmother Ayahuasca's voice transformed into the Spider Anansi, weaving the web of life and taking me through the labyrinth of my childhood trauma. Spider Anansi quickly cycled me through a flipbook of numerous traumas, and assured me this was not a place to remain, I was only here to understand. I cried and cried, but felt lighter and lighter as I did. She gave me instructions of how to facilitate my healing and shedding of traumas outside of the ceremony and then I felt the urge to purge... But this wasn't the end of the journey; it was just the beginning.
After a surge of very intense purging, the voice transformed once more, revealing itself as the Goddess of Love.
She showed me the myriad forms of embodied love across galaxies and cultures, from European Aphrodite to West African Osun. She showed my all of her representations to allow me to understand she is truly multi-versal and knows no borders. I had introduced myself to her as Jade, a painter, repeatedly but the Goddess of Love was quick to correct me. In a cosmic revelation she reminded me that I am a child of hers- she already knew me! Very, very well!
According to her, my name wasn't Jade, and I wasn't just a painter. She found it amusing how humans often confine themselves to little boxes through the jobs we keep. Instead, she told me that painting was merely one the my many expressions of my true purpose – to be love on Earth. The Goddess of Love assured me that my name had always been Love. She said Jade was a heart centred name picked by my parents (it's the same green colour as the heart chakra, which she liked ) but my Mother doesn't even like the colour green- and that perhaps if I were called "Love" from the outset, the adults around me who tried to dim my light would have been "more reluctant to dim the light of Love". She took me back to a moment from my childhood, a memory of seeing a shop worker's name tag that said "Jade" and expressing my dislike for my own name. She revealed that my true name had always been Love, and it was time to embrace it fully.
During this transformative journey, Jesus himself appeared, representing an archetype of love. He conveyed that he never sought a fan club; he only wanted to be the embodiment of love and for people to mirror that love in their actions towards each other and the Earth. His message was clear: it's about embodying love, not worshiping it. I asked if I should join Christianity to which he replied: "I am not a Christian, I am Love. Be the way."
The Goddess of Love reappeared and concluded by explaining that every being on Earth is assigned an archetype – love, plenty, loss, war and several more– to explore the multifaceted experience of source energy through the illusion of separation. Our ultimate mission is to understand these archetypes and return to the supreme archetype: Love and Unity. Some people call this God, Goddess, Ki, Qi, Prana, Livity, Mana, Allah, Source, energy, the list goes on.
Love holds immense significance in my life because I haven't always felt loved. Childhood and teenage experiences of abuse left me lacking in confidence for years. A number of breakups in my early dating life left me broken. I met my now husband at 21 (I'm 32 now), which began to change my apprehension towards love. My journey with plant medicines, meditation, and my Obeah practice guided me toward self-love and healing. I realized that I could paint with love, and as I did, more love flowed into my life.
The symbolism in my art often includes the Flower of Life, a lattice representing the unity and interconnectedness of all beings, even in the face of human separation- it is one of the highest sacred geometrical expressions of Love. It is serendipitous to me that I have held this message in my heart, only to come back to it through Anansi's Web and the portal of Grandmother Ayahuasca and The Archetype of Love.
As Love, my mission is to express love through various media: poetry, photography, sculpture, and even tweets! I now know I'm not meant to put myself in a tiny box. I aim to spread the message of love to fulfill my human purpose as a child of and extension of Love.
My name is Love.
Love Hannington, specifically, to fully honour the commitment to my human I have married on Earth under the guidance of Love. "Percy" is a name which on the trip, my Grandfather allowed me to release from my aura to facilitate my journey going forward.
It's a name that reflects my profound journey of self-discovery, healing, and transformation. It's a reminder that, in a world that often confines us to labels and limitations, our true purpose is to embody our highest purpose to reach Love and Unity.
Remember to trust your higher self. It may just lead you to your true purpose (and maybe name!), as it did for me.
Love will speedily be changing all of her handles and media references, but please bear with her! It's a surprisingly large task!
"Being of Love and Light" by Love Hannington Acrylic on Canvas with gold metal leaf, hand sewn green and lavender fluorite, clear quartz and embroidery. Available for £2220 with a 10% discount for Newsletter subscribers.