Milagro Beanfield War Earrings
Sterling silver, Sleeping Beauty turquoise,
pinto bean

Milagro Beanfield War Earrings
Riffing off my Bless Me, Ultima earrings, I wanted to create another pair inspired by a classic work of New Mexican literature: The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols. The story is about fighting for the rights to our lands and waters. It’s about resisting these corporate floosies from coming in and buying out what is precious and unique to New Mexico, pushing locals aside, which is the source of the hilariously depicted conflict in the novel. I felt this story in my bones when I first read it, the counterculture spirit and leave-me-alone attitude of it all.

I was inspired to make these look like tarot images, but with a New Mexico twist. The three swords pointed downward represent grief, loss, and heartbreak, while the three swords pointed upward symbolize release, healing, and recovery. Tarot itself is a game of fate, and it feels like we are very much living in a moment of the unknown.