Saturday, November 17, 2012

More Datura...

Found these on the camera. They're from the same set as the Datura photo I included in my very first post, so I don't know how I managed to overlook them! I'm already planning ahead to next summer, with thoughts towards dedicating even more of my garden space to these magical flowers...



The Day Dream ~ Dante Gabriel Rossetti

I would be remiss in continuing much further with my series of dark haired, blue robed Pre-Raphaelite beauties without including one of Rossetti's intriguing portraits of Jane Morris.  To me she has always radiated a stronger, earthier quality than many of Rossetti's red haired maidens, who tend more towards the ethereal or mystical side of things (though I think he struggled with this duality in the many, many versions of his Proserpine, which I will address in a later post).  At any rate, in Rossetti's imagining at the very least Jane always seems much more at home in the Green, and I think this image more than any other is the best representation of that affinity.


Musing from the Faerie Realm

Still working on how to best express my experience of this year's FaerieCon, but I've been reading so many beautiful posts by others sharing their thoughts and reflections on the weekend that needed to collect them all in one place.  I will continue to expand this list as I discover new entries to add...

Jenny Davies-Reazor FaerieCon 2012 - A Feast of Friends, Folklore, and Fantasy
Grace Nuth/Domythic Bliss My Mythic Heart
CSE Cooney FaerieCon: The Things They Don't Tell You
Suburban Girl Studio Medusa Necklace
Mary Layton/Blue Moon Atelier FaerieCon 2012

More to come...

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Into My Own

Over the past year or two I have been overtaken with a great passion for the idea of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, which is to say, starting at the trail head in Georgia and over the course of about six months doing one continuous hike to the terminus on the summit of Mt. Katahdin in Maine.  Exactly why I am so obsessed with this desire is hard to explain, since I freely admit for the most part I am quite content to sit quietly at home with my books and tea, surrounded by various collections of beautiful objects.  I think there are a number of contributing factors: my love of hiking and walking; the draw I have always felt to forests and mountains, no doubt inspired by my childhood summers in Vermont; and my ever-present need to commune with Nature whenever possible (difficult when one lives in the city!).  I am also drawn to a concept that I have encountered repeatedly in both literature and film documentaries exploring the subject, that thru-hiking the AT is in a sense the closest thing we have to a truly American spiritual pilgrimage (though I would argue this could just as easily apply to many of the other beautiful long trails scattered around the country).

All these thoughts and more come to mind when I contemplate this hike, which ideally I would like to attempt sometime within the next five years.  It is very hard for me to articulate to other people in the course of a general conversation.  So, imagine my astonishment upon opening a volume of the early poetry of Robert Frost, which I haven't looked into in probably a decade, and finding on the very first page this sonnet which so concisely encapsulates the feelings I have such difficulty expressing.

Into My Own

One of my wishes is that those dark trees, 
So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze,
Were not, as 'twere, the merest mask of gloom,
But stretched away unto the edge of doom.

I should not be withheld but that some day
Into their vastness I should steal away, 
Fearless of ever finding open land, 
Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand.

I do not see why I should e'er turn back,
Or those should not set forth upon my track
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I held them dear.

They would not find me changed from him they knew--
Only more sure of all I thought was true.

~ Robert Frost

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Circe Invidiosa ~ John William Waterhouse

Still quite tired, but this piece has been on my mind frequently of late, so I wanted to share it.  Giving Sir Edward a temporary respite so that we might enjoy this gorgeous portrait by Waterhouse, which is one of my all-time favorite paintings.

For an in-depth analysis of this work, please see Stephanie Pina's wonderfully informative and well-researched post over on Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Back From Beyond the Veil

Still in recovery from FaerieCon. The weekend was an absolute whirlwind, and having to jump straight into a full workload upon my return isn't helping matters any.  My daytime hours today were split between sleep and attempting to catch up on all of the journal writing I never got the chance to do while I was away.  Things should continue to be hectic for the next week or so, but then once we make it to Thanksgiving I shall truly have time to *relax*, with four days at home entirely to myself.  I'm afraid a full accounting of my trip will have to be put off until then.  Suffice to say for now that not only did I have a fun if exhausting time visiting with all my wonderful friends, I also got strong confirmation on various fronts that the return I've been making to studying priestess work, witchcraft, and nature spirituality is definitely the right path for me to be on at this time.  I'm just going to have to work to maintain my course and make sure I don't stray from that path again.

Off to capture a few more moments of precious sleep before heading out to earn my keep.  This portrait of Night feels particularly appropriate tonight, since now more than ever she is a ruling force in my life...


Night ~ Sir Edward Burne-Jones

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Cupid Finding Psyche ~ Sir Edward Burne-Jones

The Social Event of the Season

By this time tomorrow I will be rushing about to complete last minute preparations before heading out to the train station to make my way south to FaerieCon!  This is the third time I will be attending this convention, and the second one I have traveled for (the first being held in my home city).  It really is the most delightful time you could possibly imagine if you are a devote of fantasy, folklore, and magic.  It is full of art, music, and the friendliest people I have encountered anywhere (as Anne would say, there are many kindred spirits among them).

Artwork by Annie Stregg

I am looking forward to the panel discussions, classes, and workshops; exploring the beautiful wares on offer in the marketplace; but most especially seeing many friends and acquaintances who I only encounter at this event.  Since I tend to favor the more reclusive archetypes like Hestia and Artemis, this span of about four days is really the most social interaction I have all year, which may sound a bit odd, but suits me perfectly.  It's rather like a concentrated potion with long-term, lingering effects...

It is uncertain whether I will have time to update while I am away, or indeed if I will even take my laptop on the trip, since one of the nice things for me about a vacation is getting away from technology for awhile.  Regardless, I promise to take copious notes on the goings-on and make a full report upon my return to civilization :)  Also, you may expect a few more entries between now and my departure--though really, I should see to my packing first!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Hope ~ Sir Edward Burne-Jones

The work of the Pre-Raphaelites in general, and of Burne-Jones in particular, is deeply entwined with the aesthetic tone I'm trying to cultivate for this blog, so I expect you will find me posting a great deal of his art in the near future.  This piece felt particularly appropriate for today.

Later on I plan to share my thoughts on anticipating and preparing for FaerieCon, but first I must venture out to cast my vote.  I hope the rest of you will be doing the same :)


Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Between the Worlds

Samhain Eve is upon us.  Thankful to have escaped the devastation of the hurricane, when so many did not. This morning the remnants of the storm finally passed on, and as I left work to make my way home I was struck by the astounding beauty of the clouds, as great masses of violet, lavender, and smoke drifted across the sky at various elevations; some quite high in the atmosphere, others obscuring the tops of the tallest buildings in the distance downtown.  It brought to mind many ancient tales of supernatural beings hosting through turbulent skies--the Valkyries, the Wild Hunt.  Although Science tells us such stories are baseless, there is some magic in such clouds that can't be explained away by water vapor and barometric pressure.  This is especially so on nights like tonight, which is widely celebrated as the Witches' New Year, when the realms of Faerie and the Dead draw nearer to our own.

The Three Witches From Shakespeare's Macbeth ~ Daniel Gardner

It saddens me that fatigue and the necessity of work prevent me from making a proper observance of the holiday, but I have meditated on it a great deal over the course of the day, and I plan to hold a little ritual a bit later in the evening, which will have to suffice for the present.  Next week when I have a bit of extra free time I may belatedly stage something a bit more elaborate.  With FaerieCon in particular approaching, I should more than make up for tonight's lost time communing with otherworldly beings :)

Since today is of course a celebration of all things witchy, I am including some wonderful 18th century portraits in this post, with an old favorite above, and a delightful piece that was brought to my attention this very evening below.

Horned Witch ~ Artist Unknown (French School)

A Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain to all who wander through...

Sunday, October 28, 2012

The Lowering Sky

Sandy Approaches -- Foreboding storm clouds roiling above the parking lot as I left work this morning. The gulls carelessly played in the updrafts as below the panic-stricken populace rushes to stock up on batteries, bottled water, and potato chips. 


For my own part, I was more concerned with getting home to prepare my little rooftop garden as best I might for the impending hurricane winds.  A bit early for my annual end of season clean-up (these days we don't see much in the way of frost before the end of November), but I suppose it can't hurt to get these chores out of the way sooner rather than later.  Fountain, fairy lights, and statuary have all been safely packed away, and all the pots have been arranged to take best advantage of the sheltering side of the house.  All this accomplished, there isn't much to do now but wait and see if Nature's fury is indeed as severe as the forecasters have surmised...

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Journaling: A New Leaf

Over the past two years or so I have drifted away from the habit of writing regularly for public consumption, but at last I am beginning to feel it is time to make a return to sharing my ruminations with friends and strangers alike.  In the interval since the daily blogging ritual got away from me, my inner landscape has gone through a great many changes--but no, 'change' isn't the right word, exactly.  I think perhaps it is more of a re-alignment, since instead of coming to a new set of beliefs and interests, I'm finding rather that many older aspects of my personal mythology that had faded into the background for a while are gradually asserting themselves once more.  I have been through a period of significant spiritual and emotional turmoil, during which I had to reconcile myself to a great many unpleasant aspects of my life which I do not have the power to improve at present; while at the same time recognizing that, in fact, there are still many areas where I can effect a change, and that I should be focusing my energies there rather than wasting my time fretting over circumstances beyond my control.  It is a continuing battle, of course, but for now at least I feel reasonably confident to face whatever new obstacles lie ahead.

So, moving forward.  At the moment I'm not really sure what form this blog will take.  I suspect that the overall tone will be a bit different from my previous venture on LiveJournal, which was the main impetus for me staking out a new plot, as it were.  Over the last few months I have been doing a great deal of writing in my various journals and notebooks, but it remains to be seen how much if any of that will translate into this new space.  Old friends and acquaintances will recognize the same devotion to art, literature, music, gardening, and history as always, in addition to a new emphasis on hiking, myth & folklore, mysticism & spirituality, and ecology & natural sciences, all of which I hope you will find as equally compelling as the old topics.  There will probably be fewer posts on collecting in general and dolls in particular, though I cannot promise they will be entirely absent ;)  Entries may be slow at first as I work things out, but with any luck I get the hang of this again before too long.




Well, it's getting on towards morning and my words are running out for the moment, so it seems like an opportune time to bring this to a close.  I'll leave you with some late Datura metel blossoms from the garden, since it seems a pity to end my first post without at least one picture :)  Goodnight, all!