I would have held on to
That burnt-out light bulb
For twenty years or more
If you had asked
I did lose the Queen of Hearts
If we meet
I'll have to take off my clothes
I returned the tombstone
Anti-apartheid Bear with
The leather feet
All the past
Treasures
The Adventures of Baby Moon
Journey Through the Tarot
we have a complex relationship. I have a coyote vertebrae I found out in the desert many years ago. Coyotes recently ate one of my cats, Mango. The trickster, jokester, slyster, heister.
It has taken me a long time to get this far in this painting, and I see more to do. Meanwhile, I make book covers and remake the pressed wildflowers from the Appalachian trail that my fairy stepson brought me, as well as creating a fra,e for my recently deceased sister-in-law, Carol. Since her death, both of her sons/my nephews have passed, as well as my across-the-street neighbor, Anita - we had been on the same street for thirty years.
Saturn Return in Pisces. Bless astrology for giving me some context, because certainly, I feel my faith has been being tested.
Find some seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, wildflowers
Whatever floats your fancy
Hold them in your palm and whisper your wishes
Imbue them with your hot breath
Walk around your house, church, or favorite field
Clockwise or counter, notice what feels right
At each of the four directions (and the cross directions)
Throw your seeds, scatter them
To the wind that they may find fertile ground
To the ants to feed the hive mind community
To the squirrels and chipmunks stuffing their cheeks with abundance
To the birds, who will fly into your dreams
Invite in the rain
Release any frustrations, cry
Welcome the sun f
Feel a sense of energy begin to build.
Trust that you'll be able to weed out
What is weak or ineffectual
Focus and simplify
Nourish your dreams
As they unfurl from a mere thought to full manifestation
Shelter your dreams - tell no one
Until you see sure signs of growth,
Ready for assistance
Immune to criticism
Of the naysayers
Just like the rose is immune
With its thorns.
Seeds of hope
Seeds of change.
Seeds of peace
And seed money
Flourish into abundance
Benefiting all the creatures of the earth
This or something better now occurs
For the greatest good
So mote it be. Blessed be.
Paper Bark
Quivers
When I was in first grade, living in McLean, Virginia, I had the biggest crush on Birch, who sat two desks away from mine in the second row. For some reason he wore little wrist sweatbands, maybe to emulate Bjorn Borg, the Swedish tennis champ of the time. We were partnered for the Horah dance at the holiday pagent, but he got sick and I had to dance with Ross instead.
Now when I look at the birch tree in my front yard, I'm aware of the rising sap, the way the Elm is stealing the sun away from it, and the spread of roots from the nearby bottlebrush. Yet it thrives, pushing out new leaves, allowing the bark to peel when need be.
F is for Family
To our delight
Replicating
Mutating
Changing
Evolution
Revolutions
Beginnings
"Once in a lifetime...
Same as it ever was..."
-Talking Heads
It's hard at the moment to not make a laundry list of the earth's woes. It's not so much a question of "what is happening"but "what am I doing about it?"
And that starts with loving yourself. Making peace with yourself. Change old patterns. Adopt a calm certainty. Notice all of the preparation it takes before emergence. Evolution - life is good, and it will get better. Allow yourself a sense of completion, and fulfillment, kisses on both cheeks, and job well done. A merging, a partnership, all that was unravelled will be knitted together again.
To curl my tongue
Around your name
Encrypt
My minds script
Saying I meditate
Is like
saying I exercise
What form
How often
What does it bring you
We sorted
Plastic macro
Charismatic fauna
Into acrylic bins
I don't usually
Blurt out my story
But when I saw your
Pearlescent fingernail polish
I knew
I was safe
Find a small ring-sized cardboard box or fabric pouch
Fill it with a pinch each of rosemary, sage, lavender
Write on slips of paper
Names of what has died
Friends, relationships
Parents, ancestors, pets
Children, grandchildren,, miscarriages abortions
The children you will never know.
Add photos, locks of hair, old threads
Decorate the box, seal it shut
Wrap it in pretty paper
Add a paper or fabric bow, just not plastic
Choose whether to
Burn it -
Cast the ashes
To the wind, into the sea
Flush it away
Bury it - plant some seeds on top
Forget-me-nots, purple pansies, catnip
Find a running stream
Weigh it down with stones, add
A carved heart
The watch that had seen better times
Look into your left eye, then your right. Notice the colors of your iris, the depth of your pupils, the real questions.
Allow yourself to feel immersed in the wonder of a newborn - I am a being, I have a body, I have breath, I can reflect and self-reflect.
Invite in clarity, modesty, and certainly some humor. Be present. Be happy with what you see in the mirror. If you're not happy, what do you need to do? Let go of any false beliefs, perchance?
Kisses on both cheeks
Each of the acne scars
The crooked tooth, chipped again
Laugh lines, wrinkles
The map of your face
Contours
Kayla used to be a priestess of Aphrodite, but she was such a bitch - all those lessons in love, including jealousy, heartache, misery, and despair. Now she is the Priestess of Laphrodite, Goddess of the Belly laugh. Laughter is the best medicine, but as far as Kayla was concerned, it's also the best lube. Reflecting a time of questing and questioning for our Baby Crone, she changes careers, discovers online dating, and fuels her passion for blogging.
Go out when the Harvest moon is full,
Cut yourself a slender switch by
Pruning the plum runners
- Those suckers of energy -
Remember to ask permission first.
Strip the tender green leaves,
Gently bend into a circle,
Weaving in, out, in, out.
Let it dry in the morning sun for a few weeks,
Until the New Moon is as thin
As a newborn’s fingernail clipping.
Now, begin braiding in your tales.
Dreamcatcher, pentacle, God's eye,
Or simply a spider's web.
Find your tin sewing box that's
Full of needles, embroidery threads.
Take the time to untangle
Silver, gold strings,
Satin ribbons, bits of knobby yarns,
Projects once begun, not necessarily done.
Measure out your silk cords,
Cut them like one of the Fates.
Begin to add the ephemera collected,
The spiritual smegma of the past:
Broken charm bracelets, lone earrings,
A tiny Aladdin's lamp, a tinier key,
Hummingbird skulls, raven feathers,
Your mother's beads, grandmother's pearls,
Antique buttons from your mother-in-law.
The helping hand milagra,
Other tokens of luck, affections past.
Maybe add in a wisdom tooth or
That first baby tooth your child lost,
You know you have it somewhere,
Take the time to find it.
Purest white seashells with holes,
Palest sea glass jaded by time.
A lachrymal filled to the brim with
The dried salt from an ocean of tears.
Use glue for butterfly wings, other things,
Of course, add some glitter -
Really, make it yours.
Don’t tie on the wishbone,
Remember, you have a backbone.
Choose instead snake vertebrae,
Relics of coyote found in the desert.
Keys that have been lost in the junk drawer-
They still unlock your imagination.
A crystal to reflect all your facets.
Don’t worry if it’s chipped,
It will cast more rainbows that way.
Honor all the elements.
As you work, remember:
Every bead, every breath,
Every knot is a prayer.
Tie everything three times while chanting:
In the name of the maiden,
The mother, the crone,
I'm here by myself, but never alone.
When it feels almost complete,
Or at least good enough,
Hang it above your desk,
In the window, the tree outside.
As the wind ruffles the feathers,
Makes the beads clink, bells tinkle,
Take in their essence,
Let them come out as stories...
Sit now, here in this sacred space,
The corner of the kitchen table,
Cats meowing for attention.
Write down in your women’s notebook,
Ubiquitous journal, book of shadows,
Every memory, every symbol.
Because, you know, as they say...
Witches
Spell
It
Out.