I was captivated by a sculpture when we dropped by our friend Annie’s antique shop to say hello. So was my wife Laura. She instantly saw in this statue the modern re-emergence of the Bison-Man of Ice Age France. The famous Sorcerer of Grotte de Gabillou is the etching on the cave wall of a shaman in ritual, transforming through his trance state, depicted as a bison-man hybrid. In this Laura sees the dance to stir Mother Earth’s embrace of her living biosphere, acknowledging the power, fecundity, and majesty of our fellow members of the Web of Life. In this, Laura sees affirmation that the direct experience of metamorphosis through ASC has a long, rich history, one that we continue with our work with Ritual Postures. 

What I saw in this statue, I saw Buffalo Man, embodied — as symbol, guide, and guardian. Spokesman for several Native American cultures, representative of the sacred relationship between humans and the natural world. For those of us seeking a deeper path, the mythology of Buffalo Man offers both a mirror and a map, guiding us toward right relationship, humility, and reverence for the Earth. 

In some versions of this myth, a buffalo-headed man appears first, representing the raw power of nature before it is tempered by wisdom. The Cheyenne tell of buffalo people who lived beneath the Earth and emerged to teach humans how to live in balance. Blackfoot, Crow, and other nations have their own stories of beings who bridge the gap between animal and human, spirit and flesh.

Buffalo Man is rich in symbolism. He embodies sacrifice, as the buffalo offered its life so the people could live. He reminds us that the gifts of the Earth are not free… they are given in a sacred exchange. He arises from this deep relationship, carrying teachings of abundance, sacrifice, balance, and gratitude. Buffalo Man, in many traditions, is the embodiment of that spirit. He is not simply a mythic figure but a manifestation of the sacred buffalo energy in human form, often appearing in stories as a guide, shape-shifter, or bringer of spiritual insight.

“The degree of symbolism in my work varies from piece to piece. I find that the most interesting images are ambiguous by nature and therefore replete with a personal symbolism for any one individual viewer’s interpretation. Although I work in a variety of styles, each piece is manifest from a unified intention and process of seeing.

I am interested in exploring matter/energy dynamics and transformations as elements assemble, propagate, consume, and manifest a myriad of forms, creatures, landscapes and respective systems. Themes that appear in various ways throughout my work include harmonic resonances, complimentary structures, the interface between apparent dichotomous relationships such as bodies/space, predator/prey, birth/death, charge/magnetism, quantum oscillations in space and time – and the levels of perception that this duality breaks down to become unified. Most broad in its influence is a continuous sense of wonder and awe inspired in the life experience leading us to further explore and understand our nature.”

– Matthew Gray Palmer