Dream Patrol

A flower lamp shines softy.
Omniscient stars glitter, winking, keeping watch.
The mellow honeyed bouquet of sunset warms my weary mind to its core.
Nocturnal followers in their finery whisper their chants to the moon goddess.
The blanket of moss I nap beneath a second skin, I purr contently in my natural refuge.
Gently, with such grace, the dream patrol fairy cradles my head,
Protectress of the glistening treasures of my dreams, she banishes The Darkness.
Shielded, I dare to dream.

Milena

Travelling Dream Chair

Safely floating in the warm enveloping arms of my chair of dreams:
Adorned with glittering sequins, precious stones exuding strength,
A plethora of fabrics, each telling their own magical story,
A whispering treasure chest of possibilities, ever changing yet still familiar.
Dizzying heights of adventure as I allow my spirit to roar,
Saying farewell to that white rabbit in Wonderland, clutching its timepiece so possessively.

I drink in my dream, every colour, every sound, every touch,
A pioneer of my own truth, free I laugh out loud.

Meandering safely to the ground, I this time hold on tightly to my chair,
Must I push it back into its hidden place, away from critical eyes?
No, it will today take pride of place, an inspiration, a lesson to be learned,
A connection between the two halves of myself.

Milena

Feeling Christmassy

Looking out of the window I can see the first snow flurry of the season :) I sit here admiring my lovely Christmas tree, sipping a cup of Baileys coffee, snaffling a most delicious mince pie, listening to my mischievous Shadow cat purring by my side. I am feeling most Christmassy; what a precious moment.

Gift From The Sea

Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s book ‘Gift From The Sea’ is the most inspirational book I have read in recent times. Although the book was first published over half a century ago, the wisdom contained within its pages still holds such powerful truths for women today.

The book is a reflection of the stages of a woman’s life, comparing each chapter to a different type of shell she discovers on the isolated island beach of her daring holiday alone, away from husband, family and friends. She asks herself and her reader many poignant questions through which a multitude of lessons are learned. I have taken away with me a large handful of ideas I wish to translate into my life:

1. The simplification of life both outwardly and innerly. Anne Morrow Lindbergh speaks of the hectic and often chaotic lifestyle, which moves so fast that there is hardly enough time to breathe. By stripping our lifestyle down to its elements, by asking ourselves what we do in fact need to feel fully alive, by mindfully evaluating our material world and social spheres, she argues that it is possible to live life much more fully, much more deeply. I suppose we would call this decluttering both in a material as well as spiritual sense.

2. Taking time out to nourish our spirit and soul. Here the idea is that we should not feel guilty for taking time out from our obligations and many roles we play, we should not apologise because this time is vital to replenish and feed our inner selves. Only if we listen to the needs of our spirit and soul are we able to speak and live our truth.

3. The fabric of love changes over time but each chapter of our love is valid and precious. Anne Morrow Lindbergh ponders on the first blossoming of love, the time when we cannot bare to be parted, followed by the creation of a life together with its many journeys as a family emerges. She argues that these times are so precious yet also part of a journey as we develop; we shouldn’t try to keep replicating these feelings as we develop together as human beings. Instead we weave a web of connection between us, part of this is comfort and predicability, part of this is also spending time by ourselves and not needing to be in close proximity to each other each every minute of the day and night. For love, she argues, is that web of connection, that trust and knowledge of each other, not just the romance and brilliant sunrise of blossoming love.

4. Living for the moment and not only the future, taking time to appreciate the beauty of what we have. It is so easy she comments, to keep racing on for future gains, for having dominating goals which swallow up any notion to immerse ourselves in the gifts of our present. By only seeing the bigger picture we are denying the solid foundations of our being.

5. A connection with nature. For Anne Morrow Lindbergh the ebb and flow of the sea, the spreading warmth of the sand and therefore the sheer fundamental beauty of mother nature is an incredible healer and teacher.

At the end of her reflection Anne Morrow Lindbergh leaves her island with a new set of values symbolized by a bag full of shells she will place on her desk at home to act as guides for the values she has discovered within herself. She states that these shells are her island eyes with which she will view her life. I was given this book as a present by my wonderful aunt together with a shell, which I have placed on my desk as my own reminder of this island way of thinking.

Glorious Moments

I began another e-course today, (I am rapidly turning into an e-course junkie and proud of it!) this time created by the wonderful SARK. The title is Juicy Journaling and it promises a treasure chest of writing adventures. I began today and spent hours and hours writing; I cannot remember the last time I did this, feeling the words pour out, feeling fully immersed in my craft. Here is my first poem of the course, on the theme of glorious moments:

MOMENTS ( A LIST)


Waking, a day full to the brim of possibilities,
Purring felines healing with every vibration,
Pages after page of nourishment for the soul,
Dancing brushes drinking in sparks of life,
A crisp breeze blowing the cobwebs away,
Magnificent Goddess journeys, daring to adventure,
A darkened room, fairy lights twinkling gently, whispering happiness,
Moon gazing, the insects of the night accompanying with their haunting melody,
Hands covered in earth, a rainbow of colours and scent sharing such beauty,
The sun warming my senses,
The taste of childhood in left over biscuit dough,
Capturing a perfect moment in a lens,
A gallery of my creation,
Crisp sharpened pencils and a multitude of papers,
Cocooned on a train, watching the land move past like a delicious painting, so vibrant,
Earthy autumn leaves meandering, the rhythm of life with every crunch under foot,
Treasure in the form of a handwritten letter, anticipation in the opening, reading over and over,
The essence of silence, of time,
Opinions being read, being heard, feeling alive,
Pride in a word, a phrase, a sentence,
The intensity of friendships both comfortably familiar and sparkling new,
Precious story telling,
The sparkle, the glamour of a bygone age,
Rolling of dice,moving of counters, laughter of those loved,
Candle light, mesmerising, thought provoking,
Falling a sleep after a day of living my truth.


Here is a link to SARK's website, if you want to find out more:

http://www.planetsark.com/JuicyJournaling.htm

Stonewylde Giveaway!

Am feeling over the moon as Kit Berry left me such a wonderful message concerning my Stonewylde review, which I posted yesterday! I feel truly honored. If anyone is interested in exploring the Magus of Stonewylde, Kit is currently giving a limited amount of free copies away on her website, all you have to pay for is postage and packing!

http://www.stonewyldestore.com/

Stonewylde

Over the last couple of months I have been reading the most amazing trilogy about an ancient magical community, thriving in modern day England, named Stonewylde. It is indeed to become a pentology and I simply cannot wait to let my imagination roam free again in this glorious natural place, unspoiled by modern day pollution of every kind, where nature and ancient pagan traditions are honored for the good of the land and its community.

The author, Kit Berry, has such a magical talent of weaving delicious language into a plot so rich, with many tangled strands. The brilliance of the story line is that although the land with its traditions are pure and honored, the minds of the human beings, which inhabit the land, are much more complex. There are many contrasts in Stonewylde; of natural power against manufactured, of nature against nurture, of the rich against a hard working class, of violence against a peaceful existance, of love against hate. The outcomes of these contrasts are not always clear cut, for human beings rarely are, and the honesty of this shines through brilliantly.

The main story line is of a prophecy declared by an old wise woman of Stonewylde, claiming that the birth of a special boy named Yul at a most magical time, will mean the downfall of his power hungry father, the Magus of Stonewylde. The Magus is blessed with the earth energy of the land, and it is his role to lead and take care of his people. However, the current Magus, although driven in his vision of creating a sustainable and developed Stonewylde, is also power hungry; his need for control is so strong that he takes much pleasure in the pain of others. Thrown into the mix is a young girl, Sylvie, who enters the community by invitation, having been poisoned by the outside world, both physically and mentally. Through Stonewylde she reclaims her life source, her energy and love for life is restored and indeed she learns that she is a conduit for the moon’s energy, another vital source of life for Stonewylde. She, as a moongazy girl, is a vital key to the prophecy through her power and her love for Yul, but I will not say more than this for fear of giving away events and therefore the suspense,which Kit creates so skillfully.

I have great admiration for Kit Berry, as she is not only a wonderful writer, but has such drive to promote her creation. The books are self published and she puts in an amazing amount of time and energy to give the wonders of Stonewylde to as many audiences as she can possibly reach. Not only this but she has created an online community for lovers of her books, which is warm and welcoming like few other online meeting places I have come across.
Here are the links to find out more about Stonewylde and the Stonewylde community:

http://www.stonewylde.com

http://www.stonewylde.net

My Inner Goddess

The past few weeks I have been avidly following the Creative Goddess E-Course,which has given me so much creative inspiration. Take at a look at the wonderful course created by the lovely Goddess Leonie:

http://www.goddessguidebook.com/

This week's task has been to create a piece of artwork to symbolise the greatness of the 'goddess within'. I knew straight away that my starting point would be a glowing crystal to radiate all that is good within myself, I then created an impression of the outer me to cradle that inner greatness. The piece is actually very nearly as tall as I am, a much larger task than I have ever dared to undertake, before but I am quite proud of the result. My lovely pusses certainly enjoyed leaving colourful paw prints all over the house arising from the chalk medium that I chose to use!

Owl Protection Shield

Here is my wise owl protection shield! The idea for this piece of artwork was to design a shield in the style of the protectoress Goddess Athena. It is there to act as a wise reminder on days of stuckedness, that it is good to put a bit of trust in the universe; that I am protected and looked after, and it is also designed to provide a shield of personal courage so that I can be the me I want to be!

Healing

I finished a piece of artwork today, which is based on the theme of healing. My three gorgeous cats are the focal point as they are so dear to me, they are I suppose a form of the healing goddess within. I chose an art deco sunset as I love the period of history for its sense of life and daring to explore. I attempted to make my seven chakras strong and vibrant within the sunset, with a word attached to each to symbolise the individual healing properties which I see within each chakra. I choose collage as the methods of gathering of colours and textures, of tearing and arranging paper, are all so therapeutic for me and give me the time to be very still and calm.

Natural Art

Having been on a nature walk to enjoy my favourite season of Autumn, I have created a piece using the treasures I found combined with the odd sparkle of glitter as well as a sequin or two!

Garden observations

The House of Mirth

Having just wiped away the tears after reading The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, I wish to share some thoughts on this astounding novel. The House of Mirth follows socialite Miss Lily Bart in her quest to find her place in the world amongst a backdrop of a dramatically changing New York society at the beginning of the twentieth century. As Lily is twenty nine and yet still single, a major cause of concern for a young woman of that time, the story begins with her attempts to reconcile her need for independence and the sparkle of life with the necessity of having to marry. In order to continue in the ways she has been accustomed a man is needed for Lily, for although moving in the established aristocratic circles, she has only little means of her own and is reliant on her social relationships to provide her with her desired luxuries. Whilst the society around her is unscrupulous in its treatment of Lily, making sure she lives in open gratitude and servitude in return for her upkeep Lily struggles with her uncomfortable existence.

At the beginning Lily is full of fire and determination to make the best of each situation she finds herself in. As a careful people watcher she is a master of manipulating opportunities to her advantage and thus keeping afloat, she refuses to be repressed and cannot bring herself to marry for the sake of money. However life has other plans for her and as the story progresses Lily finds herself in scandal after scandal due to her zest for life coupled with her intense beauty, for the women in her society feel threatened by her sheer vibrance whilst the men are out to seek her attention and use her for their own means. Although Lily tries to reassert control each time, removing herself from temptation and from circumstances she knows are not right, and is also critically aware of her circumstances, her want for riches and position in that society are still the greater. This proves her downfall in a tragic way for society totally discards her. Miss Bart may not have it all; morals, love, sparkle and the position she believes she craves for. Notably in the last chapters Lily does go through an epiphany, she does have an inkling of what truly matters to her, but, without giving away the ending completely,fate is cruel and the realisation too late for true happiness.

Not all is serious nor hopeless in this novel for there are also characters with saving graces and indeed with hearts. The unstoppable divorcee Carrie Fisher is one of these, who manages to ride the waves unscathed by sheer manipulation and brilliance with an added sense of humour to tide her over. She may aspire like Lily but she accepts the limitations and her place at the lower end of the society scale. The other memorable character of hope is the true love interest, Selden. Selden is not by all means a knight in shining armor, as he is so critical of the social sphere he inhabits that he struggles to allow for emotion and is not able to sustain his feelings when they do arise, as his sense of irony sets in to trap him into eventually only doing what etiquette and convention dictates. He wants desperately to break out of the masquerade but, like Lily, is too afraid of what that may entail. I found myself muttering if only he would do something to save her from herself!

The language with which Wharton writes is absolutely spellbinding in its beauty and fluidity. I leave you with one of my favourite descriptive passages,

“Gravel grated beneath their feet, and about them was the transparent dimness of a midsummer night. Hanging lights made emerald caverns in the depths of foliage, and whitened the spray of a fountain falling among lilies. The magic place was deserted: there was no sound but the splash of the water on the lily pads, and a distant drift of music that might have been blown across the sleeping lake.” Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth.

Magick

Still on the creative trail of thought I thought I would also add this drawing, which I completed a few months ago. I am extremely proud of it, especially of the cats, which I based on Charlie and Smudge.

Creativity is flowing

I am so pleased that my creativity is slowly but surely returning, it is amazing what a proper rest over the summer holidays can do:) I thought I would include this card on my blog as it is the first time I have drawn for months and months. It was a wedding anniversary card for my husband, who is a great follower of dragons!

Twenties Girl

I have just finished my first read of the summer hols, Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella, and thought I would post a quick review as I loved it so much.

Lara is a young woman dissatisfied with her life, not knowing how to find true happiness nor having the self belief to begin her personal journey. Sadie is a rather confident ghost, paradoxically full of energy, desperately wanting to experience a last Charleston, to feel that certain sizzle whilst in search of a treasured dragonfly necklace, which is to unlock her future and her past. In Lara Sadie finds the only person who she can communicate with and although Lara is at first reluctant to aid her personal haunter in her, for Sadie insists on such boldness and such courage which are frightening to express,as the story progresses she allows herself to take control of her beliefs and the amazing adventure she has been thrown into, growing into a beautiful person both inside and out.

As a lover of the 1920s era with its zest for life, its sparkle and its daring, I couldn’t resist this book even though I was a little weary as Kinsella has never appealed to me before. I was pleasantly surprised by an original story line, full of humour intertwined with an abundance of powerful messages on how to live life to its full potential.

This book is worth reading for the fiery character of Sadie alone and I was left with a deep longing to know more of he rincredible story, there is surely the potential for a prequel there! I very much enjoyed dipping into an era of such vibrance and found the the contrast with life now very poignant, for it is so easy to live and believe that measured, calculated and often corporate lifestyle which Lara is part of at the beginning instead of following the passion that Sadie evokes. I loved the hope that the reader is able to find in Lara, that we can open ourselves to that inner spirit and tap into our own adventure.

Another theme which touched me greatly was the treatment of the older generations, for Sadie is the ghost of Lara’s great aunt, who she knew very little of. How many of us judge by the body’s outer mask, and simply don’t make the time to look for the person inside? I fully agree with Kinsella that we should value the life and the sheer wealth of experiences of each individual and celebrate these human beings rather than dismiss in them in favour of our busy lifestyles.

Yes, Twenties Girl it is a feel good story but such stories have such an important part to play in a world which is so often ruled by pessimism, seriousness and monotony.

I am writing at long last

Having promised myself to take my writing seriously this summer I am proud to say that I am actually doing so. I thought I would blog some of writing exercises to send my words into the technological universe, it can only be a good thing! Today's piece is based on my three very different cat's thoughts of this rainy summer's morning.

Let me out. Those wet drops that fall from above are my favourite game, I like to race in between each one and catch them with my tongue. I am sat here quite still, not fighting with that little black cat who tried to usurp my position as king of this castle (he didn’t succeed and is now a loyal follower), I’m not bothering with intense old lady cat, even though it is so tempting to pounce on her tail as she swishes it from side to side so invitingly. I am here my human beings, by the towering window that magically slides open to reveal lush grass, drenched, whispering at me to nibble it. Look, I have sunk my head on my lovable paws, my eyes are as wide open as I can possibly stretch them, I am even purring for goodness sake, a last resort. Hearing the pitter patter is like thousands of mice tapping on the glass, teasing me to play. Let me out.

Warm. Soft. Safe. Full tummy. Content. Sleep...What’s that? Rattling in the food room. Food?

Hello...is anybody listening to me? I can’t possibly squeak any higher. Hello? I need to find those tall ones, I like the man best but the other one will do in a needing my ears to be scratched emergency like this. The other two that look like me are so very boring this morning, no mischief to be had there. Tap. Tap. TAP! Nothing. Come on dudes, where’s the race? I need something to do. Crouch behind the door, ready to pounce on soft covered feet, ooh yes swinging off the material covering the female ones legs. Hurry up, waiting...