star of wonder

With the metaphorical lighting of St. Lucias' wreath of candles, the first candle of the Menorah and Mishumaa Saba a certain spark within the soul is lit. Religious or not, the holidays evoke a certain sort of magic within.

As one grows older sentimentality begins to sneak her way in the vast field of emotions. And though I've seen the Nutcracker Ballet over twenty times, the dance of the peacock will never cease to send chills down my spine (or make me yearn for her plume bestrewen costume!) and the dance of the Sugar plum faeries will unfailingly usher me to a world enchanted. Story time with Charles Dickens and spicy hot toddies by the fire, annual traditions in fancy holiday dresses, the pure hustle and bustle and the feeling of finding the perfect tree (one year my mother and I decorated 3, without finding the perfect one until the end. We gave the others to family members and friends. We somehow managed to do this without telling my step father or little sister, in fear of them thinking us to be insane. Now, who would think that?). And though I do not agree with all of the Catholic Church's orthodox & tendencies I find it enlightening to search for universal truths in biblical, as well as other, texts and stories. As a young girl my family and I attended Sunday mass at a Catholic church somewhat regularly (my mother and I also visited a Unitarian church which I enjoyed quite a bit). You see, my sweet Italian grandfather was raised in a Catholic family and knowing how important it is to him to attend mass as a family we joined him at half past nine many Sundays (though he'd never hold it as obligatory; he is one of the most utterly kind hearted and gentile people I know). My mother recognized that this orthodox is not the only way of thinking and lightly bestowed this knowledge upon me giving me a very broad and accepting up bringing. Internally I grew up with a sense of deeper knowledge of the subject with room to form my own opinions while still maintaining tradition. So instead of disbelief or backlash I listened closely to the stories; finding the messages for myself until I was mature and educated enough to for my own Truth.

One of the most universal and magical themes is one laced throughout the bible and many other sacred texts. A message reminding us that the sacred is within us, "The kingdom of god is within you" (Luke 17:21). Reminding us to respect and honor all that is living as we are all a direct representation of the divine.

may your winter be filled with wonder and enchantment! xo

dreams of a full moon dance

One day I plan on writing and illustrating a children's book (think Edward Gorey meets Beatrix Potter with a dash of Sylvia Plath's children's books) about my lovely kitty Tiffany. Flawless and charming story lines/ segments to the book present themselves to me on a regular basis, of course this kitty chronicle is a must. The other day in class I was daydreaming about her and her feathery lavender tail and in my reverie I began writing a poem that is largely inspired by my "enchanted forest"-esque christmas tree and the mystical tales that could accompany it. The poem is supposed to be told in my voice, but through a dream of Miss Tiff's. When I began writing it I knew I wanted it to be set on an eve of astral significance; a full moon, eclipse, solstice, etc and it just so happens the night I wrote it was full moon lunar eclipse in Gemini! How cosmic. It's still a work in progress, but I had a lot of fun with it so I thought I'd share. The setting would be Tiffany happily napping under the Christmas tree, looking at and being fascinated by all of the ornaments and slowly dozing off into a dream, a dream in which I'm telling her this story:

Whimsical tales and and enchanted trails

leading us through the forest bend.

Though when I arrived

(to my surprise)

I was as small as a feather pen!

And you, my darling, were quite so hardly,

The size as a little gem.

So I took your paw,

and then we saw

quite a sight before our eyes!

A world enchanted;

we had been granted

on a magical astral night.

Little bare bodies

Sipping honeysuckle toddies

Afore the night's splendor.

Stars a'gleaming,

and we are receiving, our costumes of plumes and more!

Crowns of flora perched upon our heads,

let the festivities of the eve begin!

Cyclic dancing

Vivacious prancing

in celebration of our moon.

'tis a special time-

(lunar forces sublime!)

to begin a year anew.

hours came and passed,

as we fluttered and danced

until our toes could handle nought more.

weary limbs,

fading bedims,

signs of a cease to the eve.

Yes, the sun must rise,

and we remembered our ties

to the earthly world of ours.

but it was not a dream,

for we had seen

the veil betwixt dimensions had blurred.

'twas the tenth of December

that we shall remember

as the spectacle of our lives!

To the faeries surprise, we said our goodbyes

with a slight lingering lament.

But we made a promise

to be honest

of the magic beyond the seeing eye.

<3

In jest, after writing this my boyfriend began teasing me with a fable that holds a similar storyline but with me as the protagonist. We live in an apartment building that resembles a Castle so in short, the story goes to say that I am the Princess in the castle and I lead my suitor though the haunted halls and into my chamber and through my tree we leave the physical world and enter the world in which I belong, a world of faeries. I think this can be seen as kind of metaphorically true.

xo

COSMIC CIRCLES

It is a difficult task to wholly choose a favorite season, as all four possess qualities and evoke feelings unique unto themselves. However, it is with the transitional seasons, autumn and spring, that I find the most magic and inspiration for renewal. Come September and June, I’m possessed with a drive to shed the old and unnecessary and to manifest the new and elating. It begins with a brisk breath of air upon the skin on a summer’s eve, and then the transformation of brilliant hues of emerald to rich golds and auburns sweeps the city. And with daylight dwindling and evenings extended one must make the transition from activities guided by the sun to those that are guided by the moon. For me this is a shift from lounging atop my cotton paisley beach blanket to bundling my limbs in my favorite wool throw; sipping my home made thyme iced tea to spiced cider or chai; summer produce such as blueberries, heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, corn on the cob, and fresh parsley, to autumn produce, acorn squash, winter endive, pomegranates, pears, blackberries, figs, and pumpkin; from growing to harvesting; and balmy to brisk. And though treasure hunting is an all year, everyday activity for me, some of the richest of troves are those of the summer: yard sales, garage sales, and flea markets.

There is something uniquely special about the trading of treasures, even if done indirectly. Perhaps you donated a beloved item of yours that was no longer of use to you, though it may have been difficult to part, that piece is now with someone else and is likely making them exceedingly happy and inspired. Your contribution is now a new gem in their life. With that, I believe you have made room for a new extraordinary piece, perhaps you’ll find that velvet fringe kimono you’ve always been looking for (this is my most recent example) or you’ll stumble upon an amazing decorative trinket for your home that has vibes like no other. There’s some wonderful cosmic work going on in giving and receiving. And if you’re constantly playing the game, giving and possessing gratitude, you’ll be open to treasures of all sorts. This past year I’ve done some major house cleaning. I’ve bid farewell to a ridiculous amount of clothing and accessories, all of which I still love, but are no longer of use to me. My dream wardrobe will be filled with nothing less than extraordinary, and this was the first step to achieving that. With that, I believe I found some amazing pieces (actually, I believe they found me)..

antique star map

a spread of four tarot cards framed, probably a quite meaningful spread to the craftsman.

crystals.

A beautiful four tiered candelabra. it is even more extraordinary in person.

amazing handmade cat pillow!!.

with awesome gold psychedelic velvet fabric on the back!

Zodiac pillow.

Another zodiac pillow.

my settee and the new pillow soirée.

my lovely pussy cat claiming the new pillow cases.

Glitter scull, cute decks of cards, a great tarot deck, a little trinket, and a crucifix from prague.

1920's Egyptian coffee tins purchased in Czechoslovakia carried to Seattle.

Kitchen wall decor!

One of the richest troves of treasure was a particular seller at the Hangover Market at The Comet Tavern; a woman I could see myself in. She was a wonder to chat with, though I’m sure I’ve only heard the smallest fraction of her stories. Most items are from Prague, she lived there with her ex husband who opened up a recording studio that apparently Frank Zappa was involved with. She also mentioned ties to Iggy Pop. I can only imagine the travels and stories these ornaments hold.

Another favorite was an estate stale early this summer. Ria, from Kaleidoscope Vision (http://www.kvbazaar.com/), and her family bequeathed to me (and many others) a vast amount of magical accoutrements. I was speechless when I walked inside. At the time I was bewildered by the idea of letting go of such gems but after a little while I finally got it; they were ready to pass these things along, a quite noble act.

This karmic exchange has been

It is a difficult task to wholl

Silly outfit photos of a random thrifting day in the middle of the August heat.

Vintage Israeli Beatles shirt: Golden elephant vintage (I cut it up a bit). Shorts: Vintage Levi’s. Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Foxy purchased at nastygal.com

happy samhain.

to the magical interval when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted, we raise our glass.

‎"you are fascinated and subdued by all things weird and unusual, though to the world you hold yourself so high, proud, and passionate. You need love, it is true; so much you know yourself; and you know also that no common love attracts you; you need the sensational, the bizarre, the unique. But perhaps you do not understand what is at the root of that passion. I will tell you. You have an inexpressible hunger of the soul; you despise earth and its delusions; and you aspire unconsciously to a higher life than anything this planet can offer."

Happy birthday, mister Crowley

aladnammandala

My yoga asana practice has followed me from my early adolescence to now my early twenties and will continue to be a part of my life until the day I leave this physical body. Varying in intensity (ranging from over a year of a daily 90 minute practice, to struggling to fit a class in once a month, and everything in between) though always invoking the same energies within me. Yoga is what tunes me out of this physical realm and back into myself and the spiritual. The moment my body rests upon the mat this introspective ascent begins and within the first few minutes I have left this dimension and entered a higher. I am intoxicated with breath and movement. My paws are gray (a joke regarding my cat, who when is excited her fluffy paws turn from porcelain to silver).

Broadly defined, a Mandala is a geometric design symbolizing the universe, a cosmic diagram reminding us of the interrelatedness of all. The word Mandala loosely translates to “circle”, which is the first archetypical representation of sacred geometry. The pre-historical idea of a Mandala is first recognized in the earliest ages of India and perhaps even Indo-European religion. In the ancient sacred texts of the Rig Veda (roughly translating to “praise” “knowledge”, dating back to 1700-1100 BCE) and associated literature. “Mandala” is the term used for “chapter”, a sort of collation of hymns or mantras which were chanted in Vedic ceremonies. These divine hymns were believed to be the origins of this universe, whose sacred sounds contained the gentric patterns of beings and things, alluding to the idea of the Mandala represents both the tangible and intangible world; our celestial circles (solar, lunar, and planetary), conceptual circles such as family and friends, and also metaphysical ideas.

This word has been integrated into the practice of physical yoga, offering an extremely invigorating and deeply symbolic practice. A Mandala in the physical yoga practice is a circular sequence of poses, beginning facing one cardinal direction, ending facing the opposite (or coming fully back around), then inverting the sequence and performing it the opposite way, leading with the opposite side of the body. I have worked with Mandalas in practice before, but never has it resonated so deeply within me.

I began working with instructor Tina Templeman many moons ago, and she seamlessly and ceaselessly delivers a dynamic class. Our paths met again after quite some time yestereve. One of her primary influences, among many other trainings, is the master teacher Shiva Rea. Prana flow is the basis of Shiva’s teaching, embodying the ebb and flow of life through the practice of yoga. When working with Prana one physically works in accordance to breath which helps energetically make available the universal intelligence and conscious awareness that resides within each of us. This wisdom stems from the ancient teachings of Krishnamacharaya, Ayruveda, Tantra, and Somatics. Simply put, any influence of Shiva Rea’s teachings equates to a class with vibes of a deep, oscillating dance with the earth and its elements.

The class consisted of a series of different Mandalas. The beauty of the structure of a classic Vinyasa practice is that each posture is readying the body for the next or appropriately counter acting what the body has just done. The best way I can describe the class I experienced last night is that if a classic Vinyasa class were a rainbow, Tina’s class would have been an intricate, cyclical tie-dye. Though tie-dye may get messy this one was perfectly, complexly clean. Each Mandala building towards the next, offering relief when needed, invigoration and difficulty when desired, and once our bodies were at their peak of strength and openness we were offered the chance to achieve a quite difficult posture (supreme forearm stand, and headstand to bridge then back to headstand). And my favorite aspect, we ended as we began (an oscillating Pranayama exercise). The class was a perfect representation to the essence of the Mandala, consisting of short Mandalas, concluding to realize those are encompassed by a whole.

The idea of a Mandala to me is comparative to the idea of a microcosm and a macrocosm. It has reminded me, when I needed it the most that we are a direct representation of the universe. We are the cosmos.

For an experience such as my own, catch Madame Templeman at any of these studios:

Be Luminous Yoga: Monday 7:15pm dynamic flow, Tuesday 9:30am dynamic flow& 12:00pm hour of power, Saturday 8:00am dynamic flow & 9:45 L1+

Yogabliss: Monday & Thursday 9:30am

Sleep sweet, kitties.

reclusive tendencies

"I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel." — Audrey Hepburn