This version of this ancient Hindu God is depicted in middle of a Cosmic dance, where he releases humanity from Illusion. In this dance he destroys the universe so it can then be created again and again in cycles. The lifted leg represents “Liberation” and the lower leg stands on the demon of “Ignorance”, who is hypnotized by a snake that represents the physical world. Despite his destructive process, Shiva reminds us with his “OM” hand that we don’t need to fear, as we are eternal beings that never really die. This icon resonated a lot with me at a time when it seems like both the planet and my personal life are concluding old chapters, as well as starting new ones. Change is the constant dance of the universe that keeps turning, so we keep faith that this process is an upwards spiral to higher consciousness and self realization