Door Number 26 ~ Strength Portal with Quan Yin and Tiger

Strength Portal with Quan Yin and Tiger by Laura Bruno

This latest portal was actually commissioned before the Queen of Wands Imbolc Portal, way back on April 8, 2021! As I’ve shared before, these portals have their own process and timing, which always seems perfect in retrospect. I checked transits for the original email requesting a portal, and the Midheaven (top of the chart/career/public life) of that moment was 19°08′ Taurus, less than one degree ahead of Uranus during this final Saturn in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus event, most exact from October 3-6, 2022.

That same degree also marked this Summer’s triple conjunction of Mars/Uranus/North Node in Taurus. Despite — or perhaps because of — Independence Day, I got nudged to sketch the layout on July 4, 2022, and I painted the bulk of the portal during the triple conjunction in late July/early August. I didn’t plan it, but in addition to strength, this portal offers strongly liberating energy.

The original commission requested a dragon instead of a tiger, but a powerful dream told me “absolutely not” on the dragon portal. My dream made sense to the patron, too, and she changed her request to a tiger and Quan Yin. Since the traditional Strength card features a lion sitting with a woman, this seemed perfect!

Little did we know how perfect. The Queen of Wands portal commission came out of “nowhere” and was most insistent. The speed of dream downloads and synchronicities forced it ahead of the slowly unfolding Strength commission. I finished that portal on Imbolc 2022, a day especially important for Ms. Queen of Wands — but also the day we entered the Year of the Tiger. Well, then! As my Dream Guys say, “In perfect love and perfect trust, perfect timing is a must.”

The quote on this portal is, “Love is the bridge between you and everything.” ~ Rumi

Different angle of Strength portal, before gluing the crystals

I checked transits for when she proposed this quote on October 28, 2021, and sure enough, those link into the Mars/Uranus/North Node conjunction, as well as the current Saturn square Uranus event. The Part of Fortune (happy spot of the chart/another Fate marker) conjuncted the triple conjunction’s South Node in Scorpio, opposite 18+° Taurus. This connection further enhances the liberating quality of the portal, with a reminder that we grow strong by releasing that which no longer serves.

Quan Yin (also spelled Kwan Yin) is the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. According to holymtn.com, “Quan Yin is a shortened form of a name that means One Who Sees and Hears the Cry from the Human World.” This fits with one Strength card meaning: the ability to soothe others’ grief. Quan Yin embodies compassion and a quiet, feminine strength, which seems like an antidote to the polarized energies of our current times. Instead of bullying or forcing her way, Quan Yin flows like water, bringing children and nurturing humanity like a mother.

I finished this portal the day before the September 25, 2022 New Moon in Libra — whose Sabian Symbol was, “THE DAWN OF A NEW DAY REVEALS EVERYTHING CHANGED.” I packed it up and shipped it off on Saturday, the 24th, and then David took me on a surprise outing to the largest rock shop in Michigan. We walked into Rockhound Rock Shop in Galesburg, and what did I see? Statue upon statue of Quan Yin! Another wink confirming the perfect timing of this year-and-a-half long project.

As the portal’s Rumi quote says, “Love is the bridge between you and everything.” Every portal has personal and collective impact. This one arrived to the patron in the same timing as the devastation of far away Hurricane Ian. For the patron, the portal brings strength, flow and affirms the inter-connectedness of all things. For those who’ve suffered loss, this portal offers mercy, compassion, and soothing comfort. We can be strong in many ways, and I coded this portal for inner strength that comes from the heart. I tried to tie everything visually together:

Quan Yin’s silhouette echoes the mountains, and her halo doubles as the Sun. Her flowing robe becomes more angular as it rests upon the tiger’s stripes, and I paired Quan Yin and the tiger to evoke the Dao (or yin yang) symbol. The patron and I both felt led to embrace blues and oranges — integrating opposites on the color wheel. A lemniscate brings infinity to the circle.

At some point in the creation process, I realized I needed to order raw garnet to create a 3D red lotus effect. In Sanskrit, Quan Yin’s “name is Padma-pâni, or ‘Born of the Lotus.'” She’s often shown holding a lotus, and this red lotus also links her to Door Number 7 ~ the Lovers Portal, whose quote reads: Between God and the soul there is no between. ~Julian of Norwich. Garnet is associated with both the first and heart chakras — reminding us to stay grounded so that we can live more strongly from our hearts. This earthy love energy ties into the mountains, rocks, and animal communication of the portal.

The UR Runes on the bottom left of Quan Yin’s gown evoke strength and roots. The patron also wanted flowing water as a reminder of flexibility and movement. I added LAF Runes to the water to subconsciously suggest that flow.

As often happens, I had difficulty photographing this portal. I took some preliminary shots before gluing the crystals in place, just to show the patron I had almost finished. When I glued the crystals in their final spots the next day, gray skies forced me to turn on lights to show the details. This changes the color, but also reveals how the portal looks different in different lighting and at different angles. I used metallic archival pens for some of the details and coding, plus acrylic pastels over the acrylic paint. In person, the portal glows.

I topped one mountain with a single amethyst crystal and the other with three clear quartz crystals that arrived with the garnet. I took their inclusion as a nudge to use them in the portal, and I love how they look like ice. This echoes a theme we played around with early on — fire and ice.

Strength Portal close up in outdoor light, with final crystal placement

In addition to the portal’s Earth, Fire and Water, the quartz and amethyst evoke Air and Spirit. They also link to the garnet lotus held by Quan Yin. You can’t quite tell from the photos, but I colored the tiger’s eyes blue to match her robes, and I shaded the tiger with tones from the Sun/halo and Quan Yin’s skin. Some of his stripes are outlined in bronze and gold, which echoes the details of her face and hands. Since a lotus grows in water, it connects Quan Yin to the pool below.

The amethyst on the mountain top connects to the amethyst wand tip of the Queen of Wands portal that jumped ahead of this one. The Rumi quote “Love is the bridge between you and everything” also echoes the step bridge pictured in the Queen of Wands. As I created both commissioned portals, I kept marveling at the ways they intertwined. Totally different patrons, and yet somehow their portals communed with each another throughout the creation process.

The UR Runes on Quan Yin’s robe echo Door Number 16: UR ~ Not All Who Wander are Lost, posted on 3/10/2013. I’ve already mentioned the red lotus that ties into the Lovers Door, originally created in April 2010, then updated in January 2015. Quan Yin’s blue robe links her to the Justice portal, which also features a Rumi quote: “The universe and the light of the stars come through me.” Door Number 17: Elen of the Ways likewise features a Rumi quote, “Love says: ‘There is a way. I have traveled it thousands of times.'” I don’t know why certain portals reverberate with others, but this phenomenon reactivates the earlier portals. The Strength portal summons qualities of Love, Justice, Healing, Passion, Liberation, Sustainable Sovereignty, and finding the way back on path.

I could write more about this tightly woven portal, but much of the coding remains private. The back is covered in Runes spelling out various quotes, statements and intentions. I did at least two Reiki Healing Attunements on this portal, long before I sketched the images. To me, the whole process embodies strength embraced through calm and patience. Quiet inner and outer centering bring power. By aligning all the elements and harmonizing with everything in and around us, we open ourselves to Grace and discover strength beyond our own understanding. “In perfect love and perfect trust, perfect timing is a must.”

I always feel honored to co-create these portals. This one goes so well with the patron’s energy! Thanks to her for allowing me to share photos and some of the journey.