Saturday 17 March 2012

Day of Gourds

Gourds love to grow. They are a great symbol for abundance. A tiny gourd seed grows a vine that can cover your whole back yard and can have dozens of gourds on it. It could also be a symbol of creativity because you can make so many things from a gourd. Primitive cultures used them for drinking vessels, musical instruments, ladles, hats and penile covers, and baskets. The first clay pots are speculated to have been made in the shape of gourds, some of which look like bottles. Gourds come in all shapes and sizes, from small enough for an earring, to gigantic. So once a month I like to celebrate the greatness of gourds. I'm making some gourd fairy houses right now.

Tarot Inspired Belly Dancer

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Day of Sand Day of Dreams

Dream 1: Last night was a busy dreaming night. I woke up in the middle of the night after dreaming that I was digging a grave with a shovel in the dark.  The soil was moist and easy to dig, and I had the uncanny feeling that someone had already been buried there and I kept peering into the darkness for bones.  Nearby a backhoe was also digging.  I became aware that the hillside next to me was about to give way. I could see sparks way above me.  I didn't know if they were explosions or static electricity but I knew we were in big trouble.  Nearby, in a derelict building I could hear Jack hammering away. So I yelled out 'Jack, Jack, we've got to get out of here'.  After much yelling I heard him yell back, "But I'm almost finished." I gave up on Jack. No time left.  I tried to run but came up against fences blocking my way.  I started kicking the rotted wood.  Finally I kicked a hole through and could see daylight on the other side. Then I woke up with my heart thudding in my chest like a freight train. Does my rapid heartbeat cause the bad dreams or is it the other way around?

Dream 2:  I was in an exhibit building at a fair. It was well lit, the displays were pristine, the people were clean and efficient. It was sanitary and boring.

I found my way to another older building made of dark wood. It was small and more like a display of indigenous people. I saw everything as I walked through and was just leaving when I got into a conversation with a bunch of hippy bohemian looking crafts people. They had older re-purposed clothes, circa 1970 maybe. Two of the men were healers and touched me and they were radiating heat. Nearby they had two buildings that looked like gypsy wagons where they put on little plays. As I got ready to leave one of them said he'd ordered a sandwich for me from the food wagon and I was to go get it because it was probably way past done.  So his girlfriend and his little daughter went to show me the way. It was a little embarrassing because they were dancing around and the woman kept trying to remove clothing both hers and mine. We got to the 'food' wagon and it wasn't food at all, but beadwork and jewelry. I asked for my sandwich and the man handed me this beautiful blue and white dangling beaded tassel looking thing instead. I tried to pay for it with paper money and he says, "No, give me the loose stuff." I didn't know what he meant. I only had about .75 in assorted change. I held out a handful of stuff.  Instead of the coins he took a wooden bus token. I got the impression that everything they did was on a bartering system. But when he went to hand me the item, it still had a string attached (how's that for a metaphor of gifts with strings attached). Ha. The clear thread was still attached to the beading spool. Then the man from the hippy tribe was there behind me trying to get everything all straightened out. That's all I remember of that dream. The cats woke me up wanting food soon after that.

I suppose on the Day of Sand it's appropriate to speak of dreams because they are the realm of Mr. Sandman after all.

Monday 12 March 2012

Day of Flax

Today is the 12th, or the Day of Flax. Flax is a plant that is grown, left to rot (retted), and then made into fiber. Some of the archers have used flax to make linen bowstrings.  I have some flax cordage around here I'd like to use today to honor it. I'm just not sure where it is. If I ever get a bigger garden, I'll try growing some flax. It has beautiful flowers. And I just remembered flax seeds have health benefits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flax 
Did you know Linseed oil comes from Flax? I didn't. I have some flax seeds in my kitchen. Perhaps I should try growing some in a container.  It's the right time of year for planting things in S. Cal.

My Tribal Calendar

I've decided to name each day of the month in a tribal fashion to give me a witch's calendar of sort. Each day is named after an animal, a bird, a plant, a stone and so forth. As each day rolls around I will ponder and meditate on it.

I got the idea from a page in Crown of Stars by Kate Elliot, only I chose by intuition my own labels.

  1. Raven
  2. Sand
  3. Dogwood
  4. Rock
  5. Snake
  6. Cat
  7. Straw
  8. Rowan
  9. Goat
  10. Clouds
  11. Egret
  12. Flax
  13. Chert
  14. Hawk
  15. Fruit
  16. Daisy
  17. Gourd
  18. Sheep
  19. Rice
  20. Flute
  21. Bread
  22. Ship
  23. Harp
  24. Knot
  25. Campfire
  26. Dog
  27. Bamboo
  28. Crossroads
  29. Drum
  30. Star
  31. Dagger

Thursday 8 March 2012

Pavilion Dreams

It's not the first time, but once again I'm thinking of having a product line of magickal lotions and charms and lip balms and soaps. Every time I think the market for that kind of stuff is glutted on Etsy and on the Internet, someone comes along, opens a new shop, and next thing I know they've sold 2,000 items.

I am thinking of setting up at SCA events as a gypsy fortuneteller (for donations only) at events that don't allow vending, and giving each person a free sample and then selling my line at events that do allow vending. Since the SCA tries to steer clear of religion, I'm not sure I'd be welcome with open arms, but it is my persona. And it would keep my psychic skills from getting rusty. There is a lot of stuff to memorize...all those tarot cards, the meanings or runes, lines on the palms, astrology, numerology. It's a lot to carry around in your head, and if you don't use it regularly, it's easy to forget. It's going to be a lot of work. I need to make signs for inside and outside the booth. I need to make a fantastic covering so it doesn't just look like an Easy-up canopy. Presentation is everything in this kind of business.  I could have my dream pavilion so to speak. I did offer tarot reading at Great Western War once, and no one batted an eyelash. No one hired me either though. I don't think it looked professional having me stuck beside the archery booth like some itinerant beggar. When I've read at the Halcyon fair I've always had at least 6 paid readings a day.