Born Again : The Secret of The Almond Tree

There is a mystery older than humankind, and yet always new: the mystery of birth. In this painting appears the cosmic egg, matrix of all that was and will be. Within it rest worlds, stars, souls, and dreams. It is at once end and beginning, alpha and omega, deep night and dawning light. But now the egg opens as a sign of promise. A woman leaning over it can be discerned, bearer of light. She shields it with her open arms. At her side, the veiled figures of two humble donkeys, discreet and patient—one gazing leftward toward the past, the other rightward toward the future—together with a serene ox, guard the secret of the sacred stable to come. For this birth is not only cosmic: it is also incarnation, descending from the highest to touch the most humble. The secret of the almond tree, evoked in Jeremiah’s prophecy, unfolds here. For the almond, first tree to blossom, is a sign of watchfulness and hope. It reminds us that life always returns, even in the cold of winter, even in the heart of darkness. Rebirth, then: not mere return, but transfiguration. Every being, every star, every soul is called to hatch anew, to break its shell of night and join the light of eternal day. This painting symbolizes the birth of Christ to come. It is bearer of hope.