No one knows for sure where the name St. Catharines came from. The settlement had other earlier names but St. Catharines stuck. Not Ste. Catharine or St. Catharine's or even Stes. Catharines, simply and inexplicably it became 'St. Catharines' with that annoying second 'a' that no one who lives outside of the city ever gets right. Many stories have been told to explain the name but my favourite is that it was originally "St. Catharine's Well" given to the area by some wandering Jesuit who stumbled across Twelve Mile Creek I suppose.. Unfortunately it is not true. But something about the story, the idea of finding sacred water, is right out of the collective unconscious and it resonates deeply.
The well in this piece is the interior of a tiny bird's nest. it's a well of softness and warmth.This is a talisman meant to ground a person, in other words, to calm anxiety and stress. if you touch the inside you won't find holy water blessed by the Pope, but you will find the warm, dark mystery and blessings of the Great Mother.
Comments