The Gift of the Kristomos
Magical Creations and Connections at Tollwood Munchen
My beloved Kristomos, in his home environment
Have you ever found yourself waking up abruptly in the dark of the night, and vividly remembering something that suddenly felt significant? I just had an experience like this yesterday. Seemingly out of nowhere, I remembered an encounter I had at the Tollwood Christmas Market in Munich, Germany, in December of 2019. It was during our most recent trip overseas, shortly before the pandemic swept the world and closed down global travel.
In the moment of this memory, I met an incredible artist who had lived in Germany for years, but was originally from Brazil. She had a beautifully crafted booth inside one of the large, expansive tents of the Tollwood Market. Across delicately strewn moss were clusters of beautiful crystals, and wondrously expressive little creatures fashioned from clay. A hand-written description on yellow paper was displayed with them, entitled ‘Kristomos.’
A Rough Translation, from German to English:
Kristomos,
are Beings with supernatural Powers that come from Crystal Grottos. The Task is, to guard the Crystals, to cut them up and to be responsible for the preservation of their purity.
They have always preferred to live in their Grottos, but they do not allow people to come into contact with Crystals. Thus they continued their function as “Guardians of the Crystals” in a guerrilla manner.
every time they carry a Splitter with them, which originally derives from their Mother Crystal and from which they predominantly draw their Life Energy. Due to the luminous Energy of the Crystal, they exude a great sense of equilibrium and bring a sense of balance to those who are close to you.
Happiness and Harmony
FABIA
I vividly remembered how taken I was by this woman's kindness, and welcoming nature. There was a kind of magnetism about her, of benevolence and a true love for the act of creating. She spoke English very well, much better than my German, and we were able to have an inspiring conversation. I remember the gratitude I felt for being able to really connect in our communication, and also my innate yearning to learn her language well enough to understand more clearly. I so desperately wanted to be able to read all the signs and hand-written notes, but was still very much in the early stages of my German-speaking skills. I wound up photographing many of them to translate later, as shown above.
Inside the Tollwood Market, at the Kristomos & crystal booth
As I admired the many beautiful, enchanting pieces in her booth, she told me about what had motivated her to create art, and where she was from. I watched her pause to give a crystal to a pair of delighted children, who were excitedly speaking with her in German. She pivoted back to me and explained that it was very important to her to share the stones (the crystals) with others. As we looked through the many beautiful crystals placed around her booth, she explained that her Grandmother had taught her about the stones, and she felt compelled to share an appreciation for the earth with the younger generation. She told me that her mother didn’t really have an interest in them, but her Grandmother passed on the knowledge because she believed that children especially should have that connection to the earth’s miracles.
I then asked her about the Kristomos figures, and what they meant to her. These were the most lovingly crafted, expressive, endearing clay figures, and each one held a tiny crystal. She explained that she enjoyed creating them for the crystals, and that each unique stone informed how the Kristomos holding it would be shaped. We talked about the love we both shared for creating art. I appreciated how she described her process, and the inspiration that guided her. Her hands simply wanted to make them--the Kristomos--and that was what she felt called to at the time. We talked further about the importance of listening to source, to that initial creative impulse, and what it feels like to live a life guided in this way.
Of all the many beautiful, remarkable works of art I had seen that day, this became the one I wanted to take home. I chose one holding a tiny amethyst point. A bright smile lit her face when she saw me select this Kristomos. She felt this was particularly special because he was holding the crystal close to his heart. Her radiant warmth, generosity, and genuine love for creating have stayed with me ever since, and this tiny figure is a reminder of the infinite connection that is possible through being open in meeting others. It’s the people we encounter on every journey who really define our experiences, like the points of starlight that comprise a constellation.
I’ve been reflecting on why I may have so clearly remembered this person and the joy of meeting her. As of late, I’ve been preparing for the upcoming summer market season. For the first time in my experience, I’m creating a display for a tent and new inventory to fill it. I’m working on this with my wonderful business partners through Apostrophe Soul, and we are all elated to have an opportunity to share our new company outdoors in a public space. Admittedly, it’s a little intimidating and overwhelming--but ultimately, exciting! I’m also having fun with designing a representation of this blog and the spirit of our fledgling art + travel company. And what will be in our booth? Handmade creations, inspired by the things we find and restore. Crystals. Many of which are from Brazil. Original art that features beloved, fantastically imaginative beings. Could I have ever foreseen this shift in direction, from the busiest phase of my scenic art career back in December of 2019? No.
There are so many instances across this past year that feel synchronicitous, but this one is especially relevant to this moment. What I experienced at the Tollwood Market in Germany was a communal spirit of freedom, creativity, and a true love of art. Of conscientious compassion, and a shared appreciation for life. It became one of our favorite discoveries of the trip. Meeting Fabia and her Kristomos was an inspiration that helped me reconnect with the essence of creativity. And now, there is an opportunity for me to pass this forward.
The Kristomos holding amethyst, who came home with me
A little about the Tollwood Market:
Tollwood Munchen is known as the ‘Alternative Christmas Market.’ I assure you, if there were ever a place to host such an event, Munich is the best imaginable city. This spectacular market is located in a broad, clear area in Theresienwiese, across the parking lot from the Statue of Bavaria monument. We travelled by the city rail system, and spent some time exploring the monument before trekking across the parking lot to the market. The Grumpy Gnome and I had actually never heard of this place, prior to the day we went there. We asked one of the workers in the Medieval Market if there were any places he would recommend as a local, and “Tollwood” was his immediate response. At the time, the only website we could find about the Tollwood Market was in German. But, we were able to piece enough information together to find the location and a route there.
Coming upon the Tollwood Market is an experience in itself--it’s located across an expansive stretch of empty parking lot. From a distance you can see the peaks of tent canopies, with a chain link fence enclosing the perimeter. A simple sign and opening in the fence shows where to enter. We were immediately taken by the scale of it--this was more than a market, it was an entire community! We spent some time exploring the monument before crossing the pavement to explore the market.
Walking to the entrance of the Tollwood Market, and our stop at the Statue of Bavaria Monument on the way
After entering, we passed makeshift walls that had been painted with winter scenes, and large, sculptural lighting installations. Strands of colorful globes crowned the pathways, and the open sky spread above the many hand-crafted signs and wood-carved facades. We entered a very large, black tent, and walked beneath the vast canopy to explore a myriad of art throughout the booths. I was truly blown away by the quality, originality, and immense skill of all I witnessed. I took some photos, but always asked the artist if it was ok before assuming. Some did not want themselves or their work photographed, and as a traveller I want to emphasize the importance of respecting these wishes in others.
I have included highlights of our experience in the photo gallery below:
Inside the Tollwood Market (Tollwood Munchen)
It has been a joy to reconnect with our discovery of the Tollwood Market in Munich, through the revival of this travel memory. Tollwood radiates a sense of camaraderie and spirit of giving. Connecting with this emotion is exactly what I needed to remember why I’m creating a business. It’s a platform unique to my work as an artist, a space through which I can give the best of myself and inspire the creativity in others. I feel like I brought a little piece of magic home, in the gift of the Kristomos and the experience of meeting Fabia. And also, from the many other extraordinary artists we encountered that day. In this upcoming, new chapter of market season, I am carrying that inspiration forward.
For more information on the Tollwood Winterfest Market and year-round festivities, you can connect to their website at this link:
https://www.tollwood.de/en/
Market Season is Coming...
Our partnership company, Apostrophe Soul, is going to be making its first appearance at the Chesterton European Market this season!
This wonderful outdoor market is held every Saturday from 8am to 2pm. Our first day there will be May 29th, and continue through September. Our market dates will be spaced out every two to three weeks, and we will provide updates on the specific days as we move further into the season. It will be a beautiful space to meet and see the kinds of art, crystals, and collectibles we offer. Come see us to learn more about our company...as well as the stories of antique prints and original creations. This blog will also be represented. I’m creating a travel-trunk display to showcase our stories, and items we’ve created for our Shop here on the site!
If you’re interested in stopping by our tent this summer, please contact me for further details. You can also follow our social media for upcoming events and market dates.