Pink Coyote

Spring Equinox + BOGO Print Sale + Last Week to Register for SouLodge

The Spring Equinox is this week on March 19th at 10:14 p.m. here on the west coast. We'll be celebrating Ivy Tallulah's third birthday. Our little vernal queen has chosen to go to Disneyland, which is not exactly my idea of heralding Spring in a ritual way, but this is what we're doing. The year she turned one was my favorite, as celebrations go.

Needless to say, I am putting invisibility spells on all of the princess gift shops as a pre-emptive tactic to spare my daughter the models of flimsy feminine archetypes. I haven't got much time before it finds her somehow! A mama can try.

I'll be creating some ceremony the following weekend, and likely all the way through the Beltane, the fiery time of mid-Spring when the earth is wild and fully alive. For ideas about celebrating Spring Equinox, slip over here and have a listen to some pre-Lodge audio. This season is packed more than any other with animal teachers, meaningful handcrafts, and spirited creative guidance to keep you inspired all season. Registration closes this Friday, so if you're feeling the call, sister, get on over.

In other news, there is a BOGO sale going on in my shop all week on fine art prints. When you purchase a print, tell me in the notes to seller which additional print you would like me to send you.

Yay! Spring! I'm going outside to play with my family now. Look what they've discovered while I was creating this post!

Spring Equinox + March 17th Tele-Lounge

The Equinox is coming and it's a very special day around here because my baby girl will be turning three, just as our part of the world wakes up to the first day of Spring.

We typically celebrate the Equinox by planting seeds and imagining what it is we are manifesting for the rest of the year. If ideas are in their "egg state" now, what will they look like when they hatch in a short time? When they've made a stronger kinship to life as we know it?

We'll be exploring some of these questions of the East in SouLodge beginning on April 2nd, and if you plan to register by March 15th, or already have, join me for a sweet telelounge on Saturday March 17th at 10am PST to hear about some ways to celebrate and integrate the messages of Spring Equinox into your Lodge experience. Watch your inbox for details :)

Spring is associated with Rabbit for reasons sometimes forgotten. However, I hold her dear because I've come to know her as one who utilizes her creativity in order to survive. This is how I feel-I love to bring creative pieces and projects to life because this process, for me, is life-giving.

bunny studies in progress

Sitting outside today, it was noisier than ever. Birds of all kinds, hawks dipping, soaring and screeching, squirrels scuttling about, bees buzzing...the Earth is waking up again. I am so excited to see what sort of hay can be made with all of this beautiful sunshine.

Den-like Depths & Nesty Heights

photo by Brandon Campbell

Searcher, there is no road. We make the road by walking. --Antonio Machado

The light is making it's way back and the post-release hangover wore off in no time. It's been so energizing to read all of the posts that came in, to know that energy was being raised, consciousness committed to, and women and families in circle around the fire were gathering everywhere. Mission accomplished! When I birthed the idea many months ago, I had no idea how the video would be made, much less received. It was loaded over 25,000 times, which exceeded my dream to be amazed, by far. Thank you to all of you who embraced this ritual, some of you for the very first time.

It takes so much courage to create the road by walking.

Snuggling in with my babies for Christmas, I was reminded of just how little it takes for a young mind to be amazed. It's not even their dream to be amazed, and yet, it's so simple for them. For Miles and Ivy- being together, making platters of food, seeing Santa's cookie with a big bite taken out of it, being in awe at the lights and the laughter, pecking out Silent Night on the keyboard, having everyone in their tribe circled around them...I could see the wonder of celebration all over their faces-excitement for life seeping out of their skin.

Marking special occasions ceremoniously has a tremendous impact on the young and young-at-heart. Tribes of all cultures have been burning fires, even Solstice fires, for millennia. As I've taken the work of SouLodge narrower and deeper, into what it really means to connect to the Earth and the seasons, it becomes evermore clear that we are all connected by a distinct thread. This very tribe of rebellious moms, creative spirits and wild women burns so brightly that the thread is unmistakable, and oh-so-powerful.

The Four Season Pass has sold out of it's limited quantity-but there are still seats open for Winter SouLodge. I hope you'll take your commitment to connect and circle to new den-like depths and nesty heights with the howling pack, where we'll be focusing on deep restoration and care of Self and Earth during the quiet time of year, before bursting into bloom in the meadows of Spring.

Ivy holds down the heartbeat of mama Gaia.

 

Solstice Goodness: Keeping the Fire Burning

It's a blessing like no other to feel so connected to you all this Solstice. As I sat tending fire from sundown until sunrise this morning (intermittently snatching catnaps), I felt immersed, trancelike, in prayer for many hours. I called in the four directions for guidance and protection around the fire, walking the wheel around the firepit. It's with so much gratitude in my heart that I stand in the sunshine today, knowing how many have been affected in this community by the Mother of All Releasings Ceremony. Thank you for doing it your way, creating your own, inviting your tribes, putting the call out to people in your community that you may not even know well, and having the courage to be positive Lightbringers at a time when dark energies attempt to cling. Stepping into a new paradigm of consciousness can be as simple as choosing it in this moment, or as ritualized as days of preparation and a roaring fire to commemorate the occasion in which you let go of your burdens. Whichever way you have chosen to celebrate-thank you for choosing the Light. There is so much fun and creation to be had in 2012.

Here are some warm and yummy Solstice related posts for you to enjoy:

Creative Living Experiment

Gypsy Forest

rich hippie farm

Owning My Truth

Deeper Than All Roses

Love and Light

One More Time

Owl & Crow

Goddess Guidebook

Journey by Lampelight

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway to Winter Lodge

In my haste and delirium last week, I was not clear about WHEN the drawing for two passes to the upcoming Winter Session of SouLodge. Thank you, Jodi Crane, for bringing it to my attention! I indicated last week that I'd be giving the passes away on Friday, when what I meant to say was that I'd announce the giveaway on Friday, drawing to be done on Thursday of this week.

Sweep, sweep the den. Housekeeping details!

So yes, please do share the video at your blogs and comment to enter. I'd also love to know if there is anyone who would like to sponsor another woman's journey around the Medicine Wheel. Winter's Session focuses on Restoration, recharging and drawing energy up from the deep, warm Earth. I expect it to be...cozy, fluffy, winter nesty, warm, supportive, elemental, wise, centering.

 

There has been such a tremendous response to this video of ritual and letting go. My heart is bursting with joy at the thought of women on a path together-that so many of us are unified by how we gather and release, receive and give away-the cycle that bonds us in many different ways. I have loved hearing how your partners are sneaking their slips of paper into your bundles before they surrender and just make their own, how your children stood by fires this weekend, patiently awaiting the magic moment to let go of what was holding them back-to speak this to you is a huge gift in itself. I have loved seeing your altars, your feathers, your magic tools, your faces firelit.

 

Mother of All Releasing, Arizona from Latisha Guthrie on Vimeo. Thank you, Herbmama, for shining your light and sharing your gathering with us!

I'd love to share some of your images, if you would like to point me to them.

Photo courtesy of Mother Rising. Wendy, you give beautiful Solstice gatherings!

A warm and cozy Monday to you...

A Week for the Books

This is the week of all weeks. I'm pleasantly stunned by all that is being released around here and in the ripples that surround me.

This Friday, December 16th, is the day I'll be sharing the beautiful video made by twelve women and I to share with you as an offering for the Winter Solstice. The Mother of All Releasings Ceremony feels so big. There are so many women, tribes, and families who are stepping forward, lighting a fire and tossing in the un-needed, most of which is hinged on FEAR. This week I'll be baring my soul, making my request of the Universe, asking all women to open up and LET GO. If you are hosting a Solstice party or gathering this weekend, the video will put some swirl in your skirt and bring some sacred to your space in preparation.

I will also be giving away two passes to Winter SouLodge on Friday. You heard me right. Class begins January 16th. Tee hee.

This Thursday, I'll be attending the official launch party, with an enormous collection of my friends and community, to celebrate the release of Christine Mason Miller's book Desire to Inspire: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World. THE WORLD. Putting our creativity to work and living our vision has the power to CHANGE THE WORLD. Yes, it does. I'm so proud to have shared writings and a project in this book.

 

Christine and I have been friends for eleven or more years, when she was manufacturing a greeting card line (Swirly) and I was manufacturing sleepwear (Napcake). We collaborated on pajama designs then and I knew I would want to work with her for as long as she'd have me on her team. At the time, my mission was to create a beautiful permission to rest and Christine totally got it-we were taking big leaps of creative faith at the same time. Jennifer Louden, another super-shero from back in the day, has interviewed Christine at her blog, and reading it reminded me how far it's possible to come in such a short time. From artist to visionary doesn't take long when you line your head up with your heart.

Also on Thursday, the new Squam Art Workshops website is going live. Oh, yes. That is all I can say.

I've created a foundation course for SouLodge, which will be available as a PDF e-Lodge this weekend. Wheeeee and awrooooooo! I've been feeling called to do this since the Summer session ended, and because we covered so many wondrous basics, that I thought it would be really helpful to those just coming in, and answer many questions that come up around what's helpful to know while waiting for a session to begin, or to work the lessons in solitary before coming into the community fully present and accountable. For all of you who have asked for this, thank you. You push me to keep my muzzle to the grindstone, and birth what is ready to be received.

I'm also taking a really huge leap of faith. I will tell you about it when the time is right, but please hold a light for me as I release something I didn't think I was going to, and embrace something I thought I was going to let go of. I am clearing the way for something I once thought impossible. Crazy risky. But crazy good.

I have so much passion for this community, this sacred women's circle. I have a vision in my mind each time I come to this space: I see women with babies on their backs, bread being kneaded, water being carried, the sun drawn down, poetry sang to the rising moon, the fire in the center of it all, skirts swirling, women trusting, letting fly with the spiral dance...this vision comes to me every time I come to write here, and I feel flooded with gratitude every.single.time.

photo by Christine Mason Miller

 

Sneak Peek Video for Mother of All Releasings

Anne Carmack slipped this to me this morning. Enjoy, and tune in on Friday for the real deal!

 

Make Your Own Releasing Bundle Instructions

I'm all goosebumpy writing this. It's with all of the energy I have that I ask the women (and maybe one or two men with heart?) who gather here to honor the Winter Solstice this year by creating a ritual at home or in circle with others in order to release what is of the dated, outmoded ways. Winter Solstice is the shortest, darkest day of the year, which holds the promise of the Light just on the other side of it. On this end, I'm calling it The Mother of All Releasings Ceremony.

If you'd like to make a releasing bundle, as I did for this season's SouLodge participants' kits, here's what you'll need:

A 5x5" square of cotton or hemp fabric

An offering of loose tobacco (I used a very small pinch of tobacco and also some white sage and lavender buds-such small amounts-a little goes a long way.)

Many tiny slips of paper to write your releasing wishes on

A natural fiber cord or string to tie it up with

1. Assemble your plant material on your square of fabric (I chose tattered black linen to represent the imperfect beings we are and also the shadow aspects)

2. Add the slips of paper that you've written what you'll be burning up and away, and roll them up nice and tiny before you add them to the pile.

3. Gather the corners up and tie tightly with hemp twine. It will look like a little ball with pointy tips, or a little black ghost if you turn it upside down.

4. When Solstice arrives on December 22nd, set aside some time and build a fire. If you do not have access to an outdoor firepit, or barbecue, you can burn it outside, in an open space, in an earthenware bowl or abalone shell. The flames will rise, so DO BE CAREFUL and take expert girl scout precautions.

Know that your sisters all around the globe are collectively releasing alongside you, and that we are a tapestry of Women who are paving the way for ourselves to move clearly and confidently from our intentions with this ceremony. Yes, please share what you feel called to at your blog and in your public spaces! I believe that the Earth is ready and willing to take on our emotional dreck and compost it up for us for new and wonderful things to be born from it. Consider making an offering to the Earth of a tiny stone or crystal to thank her for all that she carries for us.

I think it's possible to make this ceremony a biggie. One of the reasons I believe this is because I've been conversing and working with the women of Autumn SouLodge to name (privately and publicly) all that they want to let go of in order to greet 2012 and a shift into greater consciousness with clarity.

I've put my personal circle of women together and we'll be making an AWESOME video to share here to inspire women everywhere to throw the tattered aspects of being into the fire. We're all very keyed up over this and I'll be nailbiting from now until share day. My intention is to raise energy all over the world on December 22nd and make it a celebration of release. I'm seriously laughing as I write this because I feel so strongly about what we are capable of when we can alchemically transform:

Fear into Courage

Not Enoughness into Plenty                   

Old patterns of behavior into fresh responses and vulnerability           

Anger into Cleansing Breath

Sorrow into Hope

Grief into Rebirth

Loneliness into Circle and Support

Disempowerment into Confident Action

Creative Dormancy into Full Expression

Superficiality into True Being

Masks into Love of What Really Is

Shortsightedness into Eagle's Vision

Limitations into Possibility

Projections into Conscious Ownership

Stuckness into Movement

Depression into Light

Bondage into Freedom

Control into a Loose, Flexible Grasp

Obsession into Letting It Be

Anxiety into Flow

Fragmentations into Wholeness

Duality into Oneness

Shame into Acceptance of the Processes of Life

Mistrust into Trust

Judgment into Allowing

You know, the little things that keep us sitting in our own dungeons, stagnant and hungry. There's so much more to name. We've been engaging in a lot of processing around healing, voicing the truth, allowing support/asking for help/asking to be held in silence, and declaring freedoms in the Lodge, and it's been a honor to witness and hold space for the women who are tucked inside, talking, creating and working, and shaking it out. While none of us is walking around living these negative forces all of the time, when it comes time to take action, or when we stumble a bit, these shadowy aspects come rearing up like a viper to keep us inactive. Or maybe shimmying up like old, icky skeletal remains to convince us that we are powerless over that which holds us back.

Imagine if we felt held enough by the Universe, by All That Is, and could shed the old skins to allow a rebirth when the light returns...imagine if we could hold our visions for ourselves as visions for the world and see how what we do as visionary women ripples out and is in alignment with the new consciousness trying to awaken everywhere.

I'm looking forward to carrying the wood to the fire and freeing the stuck bits within myself!

Please tell me if you'll be doing this ritual or your own version of it. I'd like to carry the vision of all of us as we draw toward letting our burdens down. Continuing in the legacy of my teacher and pipe-carrier, Bear Who Dances With the Sky, I'm thrilled to honor the medicine teachings and share them with you here. So much gratitude.

Aho!

Quiet in the West

I'm popping into my little living room nest here to share two yummy looking recipe links that I want to make this week. Now that the time has changed, I'm about ready to have dinner-simple dinner- around the hearth at about five. These look so good I might have leftovers for breakfast.

SouLodge has worked it's way around to the West point on the Medicine Wheel, and many self-care issues are surfacing for me again. I want to create nourishing habits in a big way, in fact, 2012 may very well be my Soup Year. Meals served in bowls with a spoon are my favorite way to eat. There is much acknowlegement of what is being held in and onto, and what is ready to be released. One of many for me is that I'm ready to release eating standing at the counter and honor myself and my meals by sitting down. Maybe even bowing to them.

Slow cooker Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili, from Your Full Plate

It's clear for me right now, as in this moment, that during quiet times, and dark times, I need resources for healthy comfort food. Winter food. Fall food. I bought a three-ring binder today and in it, I'll be piling a bit of seasonal recipes to get me through (oh, yes, it's so rough...) California winter. With seemingly less time in a day and hot food appreciated by all, the slow cooker may be my new best friend.

Parsnip Soup, from the archives at A Pot of Tea and a Biscuit

If you have a nourishing dish you love to make, please share it, or a link to the site where you feature it.

It will be good preparation for all of those holiday feasts we want to bring something extra spiffy to.

Two Weeks to SouLodge - One More Week to Register!

We're getting so cozy close to the next session of SouLodge, registration is open for one more week and class begins in two, just before Sacred Samhain, on All Hallow's Eve and at the beginning of the celebration of Dia de los Muertos. I purposely chose this week to begin class, as it is thought to be the time of year when the veils between worlds are thinnest and access to spirit guides and ancestors is within greater reach.

This season we'll be talking a lot about releasing, giving back to the Earth and giving away what no longer serves. It will also be a time to come into clear consciousness about the holidays and how we can create ceremony and ritual around them that feels in alignment with the work of awakened women. A giveaway season is a beautiful time to give away pieces of spirit medicine that has waned in power for you, but may prove to be potent to a dear sister, child or beloved. This time I have a special secret releasing kit I'm mailing out to all participants, which I'm basically silly-giddy about. This will tie into the Mother of All Releasings Ceremony I have planned for Winter Solstice. So I'm sort of feeling like one of Santa's elves...

As with the last session, I'll be offering one-on-one phone council sessions with women in the class, which was a total joy for me last round. As we worked our way around the medicine wheel- connecting with our totem animals, creating traditionally inspired crafts to bind the teachings, and coming into acknowledgment of what our obstacles are, these sessions proved as powerful gateways for women to dig a little deeper with support. The secret is that I delight in these sessions as much as the women I'm working with. They are pure energy and light, of waking up and standing tall. Some of us designed ceremony together to push through resistances, talked over obstacles, while still others just needed permission to be. To know what they know. To do what they do. It's all such an enormous blessing.

I hope you'll join us in the Lodge, run and howl with those already assembled and gearin up. It would be my honor to guide you into and through your deeper landscape where the elements and creatures share their wisdom, and the sisterhood is a warm fire to dance around.

Blessings and moonglow...

 

Summer's Offerings at SouLodge

Half way between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox sits a little celebratory holiday that the Celts call Lammas. It's been written that the earliest harvest of grain occurs today, and that bread made with todays grain will be a bit risky. It may not be as rich in color as Autumn's wheat, or as ripe in flavor, but that the benefit lies in the possibility of the early seeds. The festival is a reminder that everything has a beginning: ideas, shifts, new ways of receiving nourishment. All change comes from a place that beckons us a little deeper into the full, robust flavor of our lives. The energetic shift can be felt in the in-between seasons, as well as when they appear on the calendar to call us to movement. I even just love sensing the subtle changes in the way the sunlight comes through my windows.

The creatures are slimmer, lighter, and seeking water from different sources now, their babies of Spring finding their own relaxed footprints behind them as they sink into their wild ways, and the instinctual natures that will ensure their survival. Ants are coming up out of every crack and crevasse, showing my children and I how to work communally, and for wholeness, carrying seeds (and bits of dog kibble!) on their backs many times their weight.

Summer's hot breezes, cool dips into swimming holes, ripening fruit, and long, playful days, feel expansive to me. Juxtaposed to Winter-a time of cozying down and becoming perhaps a bit more quiet and inward-Summer is a season to connect, to build campfires together, to feast, to storytell, and to acquaint ourselves in community. It is a time of intimacy and openness of hearts, for guidance to flow in like the sun's rays- warming us up to our potential, readying us for the coming harvest, which will carry us through Fall's crisp drawing down, and Winter's bundled-up months.

Part of the experience in the SouLodge is to gather at the long table of the season and break bread together. The teachings and relevance of the seasons creates presence, and grounds us, binding the medicine of what wants to come in and be shared in the waning days of light.

I'm thrilled to be able to host this sacred space...and to do it online! I am full of hope that the fluid experience of communing together, creating ritual, crafting, journeying, practicing gratitude, and going deeper into ourselves, will secure the lessons that Summer brings for all of us. Please join me in the Lodge, if you feel called, and share this post with someone who you think might love what is being created. Registration closes Wednesday, and Lodge begins on Monday!

So much Lammas gratitude!

burning woman*

i'm too tired to capitalize, i'm sorry, friends. my beltane weekend away brought so so much teaching, movement and unexpected growth. best moments were cackling it up under the stars around a fire with some amazing women who traveled a long way to play with me and my local wild women. most surprising was coming home a day early to tend to my own homefire.

here is a photo journal of some of my favorite moments...

the day began with picking up my cohorts and going out for the absolute BEST veggie burgers and fries ever in the world at r&d, on montana ave. in santa monica. if you're in the neighborhood, do not pass them up. the food is magical. i wish i'd snapped the mascarpone and berries for you to drool over.

 

terri working her henna skillz on kirsten.

and again on julie...

 

beach shenanigans, which involved wine drinking and cheerleading jumps in the ocean.

terri, kirsten and julie.

photo by terri

altar building

talking stickin'

tarot card readin'

it was a weekend of laughter and merriment, but also one of deep emotional processing and exhaustion. it is said that beltane is all about fertility, may day, as it were. i would say we covered some pretty fertile territory, unearthed some deep roots, shifted our perspectives and learned a lot about what we have to let go. what i tried to bear in mind on this adventure was to know what i needed and ask for what i want. isn't that sometimes the hardest thing to do? to claim what's already yours-and to stand in the confidence of that decision?

i plan to go camping (or glamping as one husband had referred to it, as his wife journeyed toward) each beltane and for every natural holiday that i possibly can. i love that there is purpose in these days that mark mid-spring and solstices, that there is a history there to add to the toolkit for growing and learning. sometimes the lesson is to sit still and stop growing! and i embrace those teachings, too, as i tend to get easily obsessed with movement. however, this time movement swept me up and away without warning, and through the eye of a very small needle.

i hope that your holy day of fires on the mountain found you releasing the old and making way for the new, in one way or another, dramatically or softly.

Early Birds Catch the Nests and Fairies

It's not to early to shop for Mother's Day, seeing as how it falls right on the heels of Easter, right? Here are some of my favorite items I want to pimp for the occasion. I'm betting you'll see more here in the coming weeks.

Mamanest necklaces by Wendy Cook. Last I checked, there were only five of these rustic beauties left. She will include any amount of eggs that you like, in pearl or turquoise. Funds raised benefit her magnificent Mighty Girl Art Camp, an empowerment day camp for girls in the D.C. area. Wendy's vision is something I truly believe in. I love the sacred way she conducts motherhood and her art camps. And I can't wait to wear my Nesty!

Erin Darcy's ethereal Faery Mama card sets are so soft and goddessy. Erin and her angelic baby Claire have become my sweethearts and I'm in love the work that Erin creates.

Both of these wild women are close to my heart. I love sharing their work with you.

 

 

Rabbits of Possibility

Possibility Rabbit Fine Art Print.

Rabbit has the amazing ability of expansive growth and fertility, accomplishing the seemingly impossible in a short amount of time. She never paints herself into a corner, she's the one with a plan and she always leaves herself an out. She nourishes herself first, then is able to take care of those around her. She is economical, taking careful measures to balance rest with work and play. She is earthy and grounded, yet focused. Rabbit can shift into high gear quickly and move with great speed, seizing opportunity or retreat when it is presented. This little cottontail is ready to take you on an adventure down the hole...

SALE on Rabbits n More at Animama this week. Use SPRINGSPRUNG at checkout. I've gone fishing for a few days, but stay tuned for all of the rabbits I have to offer in my stead. :P

 

She Hangs Brightly

It's been quite a weekend with this amazing moon, Ivy's second birthday and the Equinox all falling together beautifully. Here's a little photo journal of our adventures together.

First to UCLA to catch Dan Zanes, the kids favorite band ever.

Wearing her Bellawish birthday necklace that reads, "angelfish".

Miles and his favorite drummer, Colin.

I thought I had a cake mix at home, but I bought two boxes of frosting mix instead, so cake from scratch it was. I modified the apple cake from the Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook, added strawberries, used oat flour instead of all-purpose, cut the grated apples by two thirds, left out the nutmeg, added extra cinnamon...

...voila! Strawberry cake with pink glaze and berries, just as the wee goddess requested. It was super moist, so much better than I expected it to be. I never use regular cake pans any more. Cast iron is where it's at.

Out to sit by the campfire and throw herbs on it. Myrrh (for the rebirth of Spring) and lavender (for a calm transition back into the active season) made my dreads smell so yummy. Can you see death taking wing in there and getting ready to be born again?

And there she rose. Peeking up over one of the clouds that would not thwart her appearance.

And seconds of singing and cake the next day, of course.

Have a wonderful Monday, and a beautiful first day of Spring!

Valentymes Giveaway Spectacular

Winners chosen for the giveaway using www.random.org.

Nicole Knavel-greeting cards

Maria Norcia-earrings

Stephanie Ladd-earrings

Darlene Kreutzer-head wrap

 

Congratulations to you all! Please email me with your mailing addresses so that your goodies can be shipped to you. Thank you for playing :)

**You should know that Julie Keefe is running a Valentine's Sale, through February 14th, while supplies last, on the little red earrings AND if you use coupon code PIXIE, you will receive another 10% off of your entire order.

Yip yip awrooooooooo!

 

 

I am feeling mucho amor from the comments, emails, facebookage, etc., about my recent vlog and entry about living the inspirited* life of a creative mama. Thank you all, I'm so grateful for this beloved community of readership.

And now, time to give something back. Leave a comment and if you win one of the four giveaway items, I'll contact you for your mailing address. Winners will be drawn Thursday afternoon. Good Luck!

From me, one winner will receive a set of two greeting cards, including the Lightseeker:

Another lucky winner will receive one of Julie Bartel's awesome hair wraps! I exclaim this because I happen to be a big believer in this hair accessory. Julie puts her blissy yoga mojo into them and this energy is precisely why I love sharing her artisanship with you.

 

Seen here on the delicious Terri Fischer:

 

And two lucky contestants will have the good Chinese New Year fortune to win a pair of Julie Keefe's* earrings! Again with the shouting because I was lucky enough to win a pair of Julie's earrings with the superior closures during her holiday giveaway. They are so comfortable and my hair doesn't snag the hooks up and out. No more lonely, lost earrings. The best thing, however, about Julie's work is that she is an energetic healer and knows her stone people very well. She, too, infuses her work with the best in her heart and positive vibrations. Read below to learn a little bit more about the woman behind Jakk's Magic Beans of Life.

 

 

Julie Keefe of Jakk’s Magic Beans Workshop may seem like a typical suburban wife and mom in Ohio, but rocks have been whispering their ancient stories to her since she was a little girl.  Now long grown, a Reiki teacher, Master Crystologist, and, like you, a traveler on life’s journey, she has a deep appreciation for the abundant blessings and tools that the mineral world and all of nature so generously offer to support our well-being.  Crystals and gemstones have taught her that this need not be such serious business … there’s plenty of room for playfulness, too, because you just never know what may serve as the catalyst to a positive shift.  Julie is honored to be of service to you through her arts, be they creative, healing, or both.  You can visit her Etsy shop at http://jakk.etsy.com and her blog, Jakk's Magic Beans Life, at http://magicbeansworkshop.blogspot.com.  She welcomes your e-mails at [email protected].

 

You Are...

Happy Birth of a New Year to you, Dearest Awakened Readers. You inspire me, encourage me, and fill my world with the thoughts and love I strive to surround myself with. I am so grateful for all of you. 1/1/11 sounds like the perfect string of enlightened numbers to begin a magical new year with fresh, open eyes, a clear voice, and the curious beauty of the Fool. I'm so happy to step foot over the threshold with you...

Love and blessings to you, Important Ones.

New Year Tarot Spread

Please forgive me for forgetting where this was procured from last year. I did an internet search for New Year Tarot Spread after speaking with my friend Stevie of Owl and Crow about how much she was loving her reading. I did it on New Year's Eve and I have absolutely milked that reading ever single month of this year. It's really helped me with so much, particularly facing fears and staying open. I love the way the reading colored my experiences and guided me through the roughest moments. I started a fresh journal with a card for each page of each of the full moons (instead of the first of the month) and that made it easy to flip back to throughout the year.

I wanted to share it with you, in the event that you may be looking for some new year inspiration. I use a traditional Rider-Waite deck, but any deck will do, and it helps if the images really speak to you. As always, The Spiritual Tarot is my bible for interpreting the Tarot, if you need an awesome helper with a Jungian twist. I'd love to hear what your first card is-last year mine was the Wheel of Fortune, which kicked 2010 off with a surge of creative confidence. I'll be pulling my cards late tonight after an early party.

So here it is, and I send up gratitude for the source, which I cannot recall, but am eternally thankful for. Happy New Year, Healers, Seekers and Storykeepers!

Tarot Spreads for the New Year

**Each New Year provides us the ability to start anew, set goals and with any luck have a better, happier and more prosperous year than the last. However, the previous year may have been filled with challenges, obstacles and changes that have taken the zest out of life leaving some filled with apprehension as to what to expect in the coming New Year.

One way of getting a glimpse into what the New Year has in store for us is through utilizing the Tarot. There are various spreads available specifically geared towards the New Year. One of the most common is called The Zodiac Spread which provides a couple different options to obtain a yearly based reading. The typical Zodiac Spread is similar to the Keltic Cross. This spread looks at different aspects and areas of your life.

To do this spread, pull 13 cards placing them in a circle with the final card being the overall outcome or summary. The cards in each position are as follows:

1. deals with self expression, identity and how you see yourself.
2. represents tangible assets, personal income and earning capacity.
3. governs intellect and communication, family and relatives.
4. rules your home, property and the environment you find yourself in.
5. associated with pleasurable pursuits, romance and fortunate speculative ventures.
6. pertains to your job, working conditions, relationship with co-workers and circumstances regarding your health.
7. refers to partnerships, agreements, business relationships and close personal relationships including marriage and divorce.
8. governs death, rebirth, legacies, inheritances and new beginnings.
9. governs spiritual guidance and self awareness, travel, and often times denotes the best course of action for you to take.
10. describes your goals, ambitions, achievements, desires and success.
11. associated with friendships and affiliations that help to advance your personal goals.
12. denotes anxiety and hidden influences that can cause limitations and unnecessary suffering.
13. final outcome.

Another method of The Zodiac Spread is the month-by-month spread in which you pull 13 cards one representing each month of a the year and the final card indicates the overall general atmosphere you are likely to experience over the coming year according to the influences and elements present at the time of the reading.

Months that have a Major Arcana card land in that position will signify an important month. Any Aces that appear indicate a chance for new beginnings or a fresh start so pay particular attention to those cards and influences.

These are only a few examples but they are quite effective and informative in providing valuable insight into the New Year. And remember this is only an glimpse of possibilities as nothing is set in stone. Should you encounter a card that doesn't really provide clear insight, feel free to use clarification cards to assist the process.

To Your Divinatory Success! **

A Week of Holidays

Boxing Day Love

Someone dear, who apparently knows just the medicine I need, honored me for the holidays by sending me The Gift: Poems by Hafiz, The Great Sufi Master. It is translated by Daniel Ladinsky, who takes a few modern, snarky liberties with the Master's works, but conveys his desperate passion with good timing.

I read half of it Christmas Eve night while lounging in the bath, high on the bliss of watching my babies rip through paper and throw themselves screaming atop a telescope, a tabletop pool game, a baby doll, and a toy piano. I was stoned on the silence that fell over the house after they lay crashed in tangles of legs, blankies and stuffies; warm in the bubbly water and a window cracked.

I gasped appreciatively as I turned page after page, devouring enlightened passages in which the Sun and Stars, Light and Hearts are capitalized to indicate their holy quality.

 

THE GREAT WORK

 

Love

Is the great work

Though every heart is first an

Apprentice

 

That slaves beneath the city of Light.

 

This wondrous trade,

This magnificent throne your soul

Is destined for--

 

You should not have to think

Much about it,

 

Is is not clear

An apprentice needs a teacher

Who himself

 

Has charmed the universe

To reveal its wonders inside his cup.

 

Happiness is the great work,

Though every heart must first become

A student

 

To one

Who really knows

About Love.

 

-Hafiz

Winter Song and Solstice Light

This song has played in rotation quite a few times this season. The funny bit is that my husband thought Sara was singing, "Is love a lie?". This is the same man who, for many years, believed Elton crooned, "She's got electric boobs, a mohawk, too, you know I read it in a magazeeeeen, yeah".

Enjoy Sara Bareilles' and Ingrid Michaelson's video you have likely seen before, but is such a gentle, sweet love song, it's worth seeing again, no? If you know who created the animation, I'll send you some postcards. Yip!

Happy return of the light to all of you.

 

 

No, Really, We're Fine

Today was Christmas photo day. It has been pouring rain for several days and so the best alternative to an outdoor picture, (which is pretty much the best I can take because in four years I still haven't figured out how to get indoor settings right on my camera for low light shots without a flash) was to shoot in front of the tree.

As you can see, it went swimmingly.

The non-stop rain also means that with a podunk satellite dish providing our internet service, internet has been very spotty.

I'm crafting with my hands in the interim, and will share tomorrow.

Peace in your home today :)

A Little Dar + Holiday Coupon

 

The Christians and the Pagans- a perennial favorite.

 

And coupon code HOLIDAY15 gets you 15% off of everything in ze shop, including original paintings. Just plug in the code at checkout time. Good through December 25th.

Wishing you more peace, and less red dye number three!

Winner Winner Foxy Dinner

Cat of Our Perspective won the postcard and greeting card giveaway! So fun. Yay, Cat! Your stories about the worst gifts ever kept me in laughing tears all weekend. Seriously, people!

As I try to persuade Miles to agree that Santa and Christmas are all about the giving, my words fall on deaf ears. And I'm determined not to bust his balls about it. Did I just say "bust his balls" about my five year old? Oh well.

While Miles and were last "discussing" the reason for the season, my other elf was being mounted by her friend, Gavin. She let us know she could handle herself just fine and was not in need of rescue.

Must be her foxy new bob, because he's never been this forward before.

 

 

 

 

Eleventh Hour Wishlist

It's here, and truly at the Eleventh Hour! As I've anticipated Christmas this year, I've felt increasingly less stuff-oriented. That being said, there are still some fun and beautiful things I want to share with you. Wishing you an enchanting, magical season of giving...

Coyote Solstice is a book we love as much this year as we did last. Coyote is tricked by a drifter of a girl who takes him to the mall. He goes crazy with shopping and returns to his senses at the checkout stand. It's a fun way to teach children about overconsumption. Coyote returns to his home in the woods for a cozy meal with his friends..and the tricky girl.

A Little Lark has been a great resource for gifts all year and I love giving them my business. I particularly love their letterpressed cards and journals. But I'm showing you the baby, because...well, he's so much cuter than cards.

Felted Wolf and Lamb Baby Slippers by Little Hill Woolworks. Are these the cutest things ever?

 

Picnic, which is wrapped under the tree for Miles, but wondering if I'll be more excited to play it!

 

Wooden Sword and Shield for knighting about and learning how to play fair and act a bit chivalrous-like.

 

This Baba Hut found it's way to my inbox this morning and I have to say that I think it is the COOLEST stuffed thing I've ever seen. Can someone really be this clever?

Mother Nature, by Terri Windling.

 

The amazing vibrational healing talismans of Lilla Jizo.

 

The Top Hat, seen in my banner, can be found at Gentleman's Emporium, home of all your steampunk needs.

My favorite goodie of ALL TIME, by Next Organics, combines organic fruit and high quality chocolate. I've only had the cherries and the coconut so far, and could eat an entire bag by myself if left to my late night devices. Their website sells by the case, but I found individual bags at our local Whole Foods-like health food store. Find them at Amazon, too. It's the sort of treat you might be tempted to hide from loved ones, but so good you can't help but share...a few. Consumable gifts are really my favorite to give.

Aroma Naturals have been my first pick in candles for a very long time. Their Soy Vegpure line is now my uber-fave. We gave Peppermint Vanilla to Mile's teacher, but it's also offered without the whimsical Snowman for year-round burn. So much better than those stinky, synthetic Yankees.

 

 

Deer Flask, by Shoot From the Hip is almost outlaw enough for me to carry. I love the stitching up the back of this beauty, which will hold your cheer safely through the chilly season.

I'm loving This Warm December, the holiday album from Brushfire records featuring one of my three favorite Jacks, and also sweet little Zee Avi, among others on the label. It gets a frequent spin this year, sandwiched lovingly between Ten from the Galley and Hotel Cafe's Winter Songs.

 

And last, but not least, for the wild love on your list...

 

Happy Holidays...

Awroooooo!

 

 

 

 

giveaway give givity

Are you jingling your bells yet? It's upon us!

I've put together a pack of twelve postcards and four greeting cards, all that's required is that you leave a comment! Oh, let's make it fun-tell me about the worst Christmas gift you've ever received. I'll choose a winner on Monday evening!

I was given a 12 pack of resin-cast American Indian maiden Christmas ornaments with angel wings one year, that I still can't forget. They weren't horrible, but it just stands out to me as one of the most unusual gifts I've ever been given. Some of you have got to have much funnier stories than that.

Don't forget that first-class mail shipping is still free in the Etsy shop until December 13th, gift wrapping is available, and I'm also throwing a few postcards in with every order.

 

Elves

 

Just looking at them here makes my heart leap and wince all at once. How does it happen that they go from this and this to what I see before me?

It was time to share the wee people behind my days and nights here again and stop trying to give the impression I live alone as a peaceful and productive "creative type", as the other mothers at preschool have taken to calling me.

Tomorrow will be spent shopping for a vintage twin big girl bed for Ivy and a pony for both of them. Ivy wants to "Ride horse" all.day.and.into.the.night.

Well, I don't really know where to find a pony around here, but I'll make some calls. A freaking pony!? These are my instruciones from her whack-ass grandparents and, hey, I do what I'm told.

Friday I promise to post my giveaway here and next week....the wishlist! Yee haw!

Practice

Come and sing!

Come and sing in the old way,

Come and make the sun shine

So the corn will grow,

The squash will grow,

The beans will grow.

-Hopi

 

As Thanksgiving nears, I hear the sounds of practicing around the house. Saying to each other, "What are you grateful for?" and "I will make a card for Jeff, (his violin teacher), because I'm thankful that he teaches me" and "I'm grateful for...um...having YOU".

As I picked out special Belgian beers and Panettone, to eat with the butter he and Paw Paw will be churning, Miles lugged a very tall s'mores kit and a tabletop ping pong set through World Market. His little hands wrapped tightly around the packages, chosen after his usual bedtime, asking, "Can I please have a ginger snap with lemon curd on it when we get home?"

Keeping him out late and plying him with warm chocolate milk is something I was indulgent about, and grateful for.

 

 

Framed Prints & Originals, and Oh So Much More

Framed prints have been added to the shop, as well as 4 original paintings. I can frame any of my prints for you, you know.

(Raises eyebrows)

I'll have some wintry, holidayish greeting card packs posting this weekend, as well.

I'm also offering my signature giftwrapping as an add-on to any of your orders for the holidays. The holidays.

The Holidays!

I can't believe they're around the corner. I'm working on my Eleventh Hour Wishlist, which is one of my favorite things to do this time of year. Here are some other fun things happening round the 'sphere:

*Boho wrote about our amazing photo session.

*Em Falconbridge is having a felting workshop online-it looks REAL DELISH, so hurry!

*I'm really proud to share that my partner in crime's cd is available for download at iTunes or cdbaby. It's instrumental and all-occasion, very lively and festive.

*I'm contributing to two books, one to be published in May and the other at the end of 2011, with luck. I'm over the moon about books. They're like little dreams-come-true for so many.

 

 

Sing Up the Stars, mixed-media on 6 x 8 maple panel.

Thank you all for your thoughts on my leaving Facebook behind. I've had some cold feet today, but I know that I need a different kind of self-care this season. In order for me to live my best life, I have to make drastic cuts sometimes. If I can use the recreational drug called Facebook in moderation at some point, I may be back. I'm going to see what it feels like to leave it behind.

I'm seeking a kind of reliable vitality in my life right now-some sure things that I can count on to energize me. Right now I'm seeing far too much screen. My desk chair is horribly uncomfortable, too, and I'm thinking it may be the only reason I've moderated my computer time! I think I'm going to have to keep this wretched thing.

I truly do love and care about each of you who take the time to come here and witness my shenanigans and cheer me on. Thank you for all that you do, but especially....thank you for being you.

 

 

Quietly, So the Wolves

I'm stuffed full on media. And Oreos. But mostly on technology and things that cause my eyes and ears to buzz and ache.

Its time to unplug and claim some constructive solitude wherever I can in the next few days. I'm ready to create a clearing for transition to occur in. Often when I'm moving from one focus to another, the answers to my questions sprout up from my unconscious roots and take leaf in the light of my own consciousness. I honor the Equinox and the waning moon by drawing within and down. (insert a little pinky swear here)

When I do this, little ideas and voices can be heard. I am eager to listen to the tiny root hairs again. And to converse in person with my loved ones who welcome the wild and irrational.

My hope is that if I'm as still as can be, and very quiet on the cottage porch of my inner woods, the wolves will come.

Wolf Moon

The avoidance of the anxiety of solitude by constant, agitated diversion is what Kierkegaard, in a nice simile, likened to the settlers in the early days of America who used to beat on pots and pans at night to keep the wolves away.

-Rollo May, The Courage to Create