Tags
A post of beautiful things I have seen recently…
A Field of Gold

With Friends

A Path through a Bluebell Forest

The Bluebell Carpet Lit by Sunlight

A Tall Tree Against the Horizon

A Lantern Lighting Leaves From Within

In Delight,
Halo
16 Saturday May 2009
Posted in Art Craft and Beauty
Tags
A post of beautiful things I have seen recently…
A Field of Gold

With Friends

A Path through a Bluebell Forest

The Bluebell Carpet Lit by Sunlight

A Tall Tree Against the Horizon

A Lantern Lighting Leaves From Within

In Delight,
Halo
16 Saturday May 2009
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags

“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers.”
A very kind nomination by Anne.
Just goes to show what a beautiful, friendly place the blogging world is!
To pass it forward I’d like to take this opportunity to direct you on to these places:
Moon And Raven – A friendly chap chronicles his life, one post at a time.
Moonroot – Beautiful creations ( even better in person) and thoughtful posts on her travels, paganism and the world.
Drawing a Day – This lady has committed herself to doing one drawing a day, and each one is poignant. An inspirational blog for those that would love to be more creative, showing how it is possible to do a little each day!
Spirit Cloth – Its fascinating seeing the glimpses of this blogger’s works in progress, although I’m tempted to say that they’re not so much works, as pieces of her heart.
Three14Creations – Babies, Recipes and Crafts – the recipes sound delicious (although I’m yet to get round to making any), and her other posts are personable and friendly, meet Jan.
Art Dolls Travelling – Not so much one persons blog, as a series of stories of the bringing to life of several art dolls being built by a group of individuals. I’ve nominated this blog because I find the posts so friendly and it brings a smile to my day.
YarnBombing – Again, less a person, and more a movement. What could be more friendly than making jumpers for trees and lampposts? I say, bring on the knitting revolution!
I hope you enjoy meeting these people as much as I have, and this is my way of paying them each back a little for the happy they bring into my life by posting.
PS: Apologies that it has taken me so long to respond to this, I really appreciate the nomination, and am touched by its description, to be seen as friendly is a wonderful thing!
06 Wednesday May 2009
Posted in Faery, Storytelling
Tags
Standing on the land as the sun rises, beneath your feet you feel a ripple, a gentle pulsing of warmth, growing stronger.
You listen, feeling the vibrations, watching the world become lighter.
You find yourself reminded of a giant heartbeat…
A distant heart in the heart of the world…
Can you feel it?
***********************************************************************
A few days ago I was with a beautiful group of people and, on the last day we were together, we walked across the land before breakfast for one last ritual. Our intention was to connect with the light of Faeryland, and to learn a way in which we could carry this light into the world. Inspired by R. J. Stewart‘s Exercise, The Rising Light Below, I led us all in a trance together as the light of the land rose within us.
Before I share the vision, first, a little theory:
I’ve come across theories on Faeryland, I’ve heard it called the place where nothing changes, the place where every rose is the essence of a rose, rather than a rose itself. R. J. Stewart describes it as though it were a blueprint for our world, and one which we have ignored in the execution of our lives. Instead of working in harmony with the world, we have separated ourselves off and isolated our selves.
I, then, propose that Faeryland and our human world were once the same, whole, together, connected. Over time, we humans learnt ways of manipulating the world around us, ways which got us great power very quickly, and before we realised the damage this would do, we had taken our toys and run off with them, leading to a separation between the land of the Fey, the magical, primal energies of the land, and the world we inhabit wherein we see each thing as an individual, as separate, to be used.
Our world became soulless, because we stopped seeing its heart.
The Faery world drifted away, because we could no longer see life as an interconnected web of beauty in the way we once did. This ‘once upon a time’ may, possibly, have been merely mythological, but given that I know from experience that we are capable of seeing the world as ensouled, and that life is so much better, for me at least, when I do, I figure it matters little whether this was a mythological once upon a time, or a literal one.
Faeryland, then, is the archetype of the world, its heart.
We are disconnected from the heart of the world, and so we see the world as merely something to be used up.
Using up the world, as we are becoming increasingly more aware, leads to pain, suffering, illness, death. Certainly we have had many short term gains, but our livestyles are unsustainable.
Perhaps, I feel, if we are able to remember the heart of the world, to heal the separation between the human world and the Faery world, to reunite body and soul, we may see how to live our lives in a way which does not destroy our beautiful planet, or our spirits.
And yes, I am aware that I have Western privilages, including internet access, and the like. This is one reason I know I need to learn this too.
And so, to the vision…
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Go outside.
Feel your feet upon the land.
Feel the heart of the earth, beating.
Feel your heart, beating in time with the earth’s heart.
Feel the heart beat glow, warm and bright, deep within the land.
Feel the light begin to rise, come closer, grow bright.
Feel it flow up and up, the light of Faery within the land, coming close to our world.
Closer and closer.
Until they kiss.
And in the kiss the light flows up into your body and around you, up through your feet, legs, torso, and into your head.
Hold it here, feel it fill you, feel yourself becoming more attuned to the light of Faery.
And then, let it flow gently back down into the earth, leaving a shard of light in your heart.
Just a piece of light, however much or little you can hold easily.
Now let this light grow and feel it throughout your body.
This light in your heart is connected with the light in the land.
Listen, sense, feel.
What do the Fey have to tell you?
What small job do they have for you to do to help heal the separation between the worlds?
Wait until you know, something concrete, simple, doable, practical, precise.
Wait, holding the feeling of the light within you until there is something you can agree to, commit to.
And send an answer to the Fey, the Faery Queen, tell them that you agree to the task they have set you.
Accept, and bid them farewell.
Now let the light dim down to a level you are able to hold comfortably today.
Each morning you can check this light and see if it is at the right level for you, in that day.
If it is too bright, let it dim, and if too dim, let a little light flow from the earth up into your heart to strengthen it.
If ever it feels like you should not be carrying the light at all, or if it is too much to keep it, then let it all flow back into the earth.
Remember your commitment.
Move out into the world carrying the light with you.
Bring the world of Faery and the human world back together.
And remember, you are not alone, all around the world, others are working to heal the separation between the worlds also.
16 Thursday Apr 2009
Posted in Uncategorized
Brain whirs, click clicking like clockwork turned crazy.
Fingers find passages in the words whirling round and round and round, crafting thoughts into things that make sense, albeit only to the head that tipped them out, they fear.
Restless, the body breathes deeply. It feels like this is forever, for always and eternity. The body always only knows Now.
Meanwhile the Mind wrestles with itself, like untamed horse and whispering-rider both, the Mind both knows what must be done and longs to wander free.
The art of essay writing involves every part of the Self, even the distant dove, immanent and divine, watches patiently, singing; this too will pass… and the mind and body calm, lulled by the song of spirit, this is now, and there will be another now, and another. Lets live this now, craft this piece, and pass on, beyond, from moment to delicious moment, each a foundation for the next.
Do this now, the mind promises, and we shall be free later.
No, says Spirit softly from the stars, we are free now.
15 Wednesday Apr 2009
Posted in Magic
Today I am editing many essays. I’m in my final push at the end of a four year undergrad degree in philosophy… so it stands to reason that I’d procrastinate with musing on tarot cards. Especially since todays seems so relevent…
Wands always seem to imply words to me… probably stemming from the notion of the ‘talking stick’ and such like, but also, the wind blowing through the branches, reaching up to the sky, that become the wand we wield… air-breath-speech-words.
Plus I’ve words on the brain with a Philosophy degree (my art keeps me sane).
On the other hand, the deck I’ve used today (The Dragon Tarot illustrated by Peter Pracownik, which I have had for a long time…) has wands-as-fire. Which also has a certain degree of sense given that wood burns… I guess… (there is a bit more to it than this… but I digress…)
So yes, the King of Wands asked me this today…
“Are you using your words with sovereignty today? Are you directing your passions where they should be going?”
Lets unpack it a bit…
How would you use words with sovereignty? What is sovereignty anyway? If we’re looking at that royal ruling force of the King, and lets get a little away from actual kings and concentrate on the idea of kinghood, then I have thoughts like protection, right (correct), rights (to), the one who holds the land, the one who protects the kingdom, Justice, Fairness, regality, responsibility. Like the sun who watches over the land the Archetypal King contains both the qualities of Father and Ruler, acting and responsible, and about action, application of power, not just holding it.
Do you apply your words in a way that is right and fair and just and with the elegence of royalty?
Are you graceful and careful, but not cautious, too sure to be cautious?
Are you sure of yourself? Of that which you stand up for? What do you stand up for?
How well do you weild your words? Not as weapons, but as a sceptor of Sovereignty over your own life?
This is my life, and I try to use my words with compassion and strength, in the right way. My downfall is my stubborness when I know I got something wrong… in both daily life and my philosophical writings, if I think I’m right I don’t like to back down, and can often weave my words round and about until you think I’m right too. This ios not the way of the King, this is the way of the Jester-Trickster-Philosopher. And the question there is, which way do I want to go? Do I want to succeed in my goal of honesty with myself and others, or do I want to be right more than I want to be true? Here is where my Pride passes into Arrogance… I like Pride, Pride is good, a good healthy respect for one’s self and one’s place. Arrogance doesn’t help. Arrogance is inflated and weak because it is not true, and so is prone to breaking.
Be Proud of yourself, use your words in a way you can be proud of by taking responsibility for them, and know you do not need to be right all the time…
(Now to put this into practice!)
09 Thursday Apr 2009
Posted in Faery
Tags
The moon is full today, it grew and reached its bursting point in the middle of this afternoon.
The sky is grey today, soft and full of rain.
At the fullest moment of the moon I walked the path to Faery land… up the hill and down the hill, past yew and crops and daisies seeking sun in vain… I walk and weave and sing and tread carefully down paths muddy with welsh weather… until I cross the two streams before the Faery tree.
Over the style and I turn to my left, and the Tree, both living and dead, reaching up and down, struck by lightning but still standing, awaits me.
The sun and moon are in the sky, the air is warm but the wind is cool. It whips around the field, I see it moving branches, plants, clouds overhead, and yet it caresses my cheek so softly.
I approach the Faery tree, and in its side, the creviss, both dark and pale, I feel myself drawn through.
I weave through the branches, low and high, some living, some dead and, after leaving an offering, find myself sat at the base of the tree, where the trunk splits opening into the earth.
And I open, breathing deep. And the colours of the world shift. And I see a dark round door which i cannot help but open. And it opens onto stars! A narrow path winds, the only solid thing, through the starry sky.
I walk the path until I fall and fly and land upon the ground. I meet someone, who whispers words to me, words I must not share. And I know that I must court Nature like a lover, treat her well, treat her softly, earn her trust.
I return and thank the tree, full of delight and calm understanding.
And I walk home again.
The next step: Faery light – A Trance
08 Wednesday Apr 2009
Tags
Walking on this path we have promised to be honest, we have begun to make space for our hearts in our lives, and we have learnt how to open the Faery senses.
Let us now put these things together.
Find somewhere comfortable to sit and play.
Open your Faery senses in the way the Faery Queen told you.
Feel the mists between the worlds descend and feel your senses open. Know that you can see with Faery sight, hear with Faery ears, feel with Faery senses.
Sit with your journal and your Heart-Space – your box or bag or whatever called you – and feel what belongs in this bag. Meditate or muse while open on these questions:
What is in my heart?
What fills my heart with love and joy and delight?
What fills my heart with warmth, but I won’t let myself hold?
And what am I holding onto in my heart that I no longer need?
You might want to write or draw or doodle in your journal around these thoughts. You may suddenly realise you have the perfect thing to represent something you would like to hold in your heart and feel compelled to go get it and see how it feels to place it in there.
Feel how your Heart-Space feels to you. Is it missing things? Is it overflowing with love? Is it a little leaky? Are there some things you feel you would never put in there, but would like to just the same?
Allow insights to arise, take your time and come back to this later and see how the answers have changed.
If you would like to, I include some suggestions for journaling below.
Mark out a heart shape in your journal.
What fills your heart?
Fill the shape with images of things that fill your heart with warm/love/Faery
Collage, draw, write, doodle, whatever feels good to you.
What fills you with love?
What would you like to hold in your heart, but are scared to? What do you know fills you with love, but you resist taking it in?
What supports you in bringign your heart into your life?
Surround the heart with things that support your heart/bringing your heart into the world.
You can keep adding to this over time, allowing images to come to you in magazines or leaflets, or drawing them directly onto the page. Allowing words to arise, painting over images, cutting holes… anything that feels like it expresses what you feel would best fill your heart, and that surrounds you with a safe place to express your heart.
Be honest. Be as gentle with yourself as you need to be. Play!
You may want to scan these images and print them out at card size so you can make them into a deck of cards, carry them with you easily, or keep them visible around your home or workplace. You can make these images into wallpaper for your desktop, or posters for your room, or anything that helps you remember who you are. You may want instead to sit with the journal pages and condense them down directly onto a card, drawing or writing out the bits that most resonate into something that can remind you of the whole.
Experiment. Play. Enjoy.
The Next Step: A Full Moon Faery Ritual
03 Friday Apr 2009
Posted in Art Craft and Beauty, Faery
On the Spring Equinox I walked up to the edge of the woods near my home town and sat on the moss there.
In this liminal space I sang to the Fey, left offerings and asked the Faery Queen to open my senses to the Faery World.
“How,” I asked her, “how can I open to the Faery World, open to beauty and joy and the heart of things, myself?”
And I had the image of the little bottle from Alice in Wonderland with a label saying ‘Drink Me.’
Words followed the image;
“Open, drink the world in, breathe deep and let yourself see.”
And so I did.
03 Friday Apr 2009
I developed this card layout in order to help us figure out where we are in ourselves, and how much in tune with our heart our lives are. The idea is to pull three cards, on for each of the words: I Am Here. And to lay them in the shape of a heart, like so:

‘I’ represents your core, the state of your heart now, and/or what is in your heart right now.
‘Am’ represents how you are expressing your heart.
‘Here’ represents your life and situation, the state of the world around you.
Once you have the cards, turn them over and contemplate them, meditate with them, read them however you find best. Play a little. See what they say to you about each part, your essence, your expression, and your life-situation. See if they are working together or in balance, or if something needs to shift.
Then pull a fourth card and lay it over the top of the others.
This card is: Changing.
This card is either that which needs to change in order for the first three points to come into balance, or, if they are already in balance, it points to the next movement, the next cycle, the next direction to keep in balance, in flow.
Now read the fourth card in relation to the first three and contemplate.
Be Honest.
03 Friday Apr 2009
Posted in Faery, Storytelling
Tags
The Faery Queen gave us a gift, the gift of Faery Sight, and gifts are not made to sit on a shelf and gather dust. Gifts are given to be used.
But, we wonder, how are we to use this gift? We sit in our human world and puzzle over this beautiful, inhuman gift, sparkling in our Selves, and we begin to understand that it can show us both the Fey without, and the Fey within.
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When I say Faery Sight or vision, really I’m talking about opened senses, whichever sense or senses that lit up in you. It may be sight, or it may be hearing or touch, or maybe it was a Sense, an ability to sense beyond the human world. Each person is unique and so we all open in different ways.
Learning how to open to Faery Vision has two key uses:
Opening us to the wild magic and beauty of the world, the realm of Faery.
And allowing us to truly see ourselves.
And I’ve been wondering, how can we turn our Faery senses on ourselves? How exactly do we use this gift to reveal our heart to us? Sensing the Fey without is one thing, quite a lot easier to describe, and which we will come to soon, very soon. But the Fey within? The easiest answer is that this takes meditation. Lots of it. You could just sit in meditation with your Faery senses opened in the way the Faery Queen showed you, and focus on yourself. This works.
But there are other ways, ways which are inspired by processes like Soulcollage™ and Soul Journaling and all the imaginative ways people have explored their many selves.
So, to begin, I’m going to ask you to dig out that book we mentioned earlier, a book which you can doodle, write, draw, paint, scribble and collage in. A Faery journal… make sure its not too precious if you have trouble worrying about making a mess of precious things, you want something that you can feel completely free to play with.
And then I’m going to suggest that you might perhaps like to consider what kind of size you would be happiest using as a deck of cards. I use the standard playing card size, 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, you might want something a bit bigger depending on your preferred method of play. I suggest cards because they are tactile, they feel good to hold, and they are portable. And, most importantly, they allow you to shuffle the things you record and lay them out to discover new connections between your discoveries.
Over the next little while, in between the trancey steps, I shall offer prompts and suggest things you can do which allow you new (or perhaps familiar) ways of exploring your Faery self through making cards and Journaling.
And, to be sure, I will be playing with these things alongside you!