Blog Buttons

Okay, so I just realised, about 10 months into this blog :), that I don't have a place for my readers to leave their buttons! Don't I feel like a slacker? Yes, yes I do. Anyway, that's what this post is for.

If you want your button on my scrolling blogroll over there ------> leave the code in a comment, or a link to where I can find the code. And I'll add your button!

Monsters Revisited

It's almost hard to believe that it's been almost six months ago that Camden made friends with his monsters lurking in the dark. And about a month ago, two new monsters joined the party, which brings the count up to four! And you know, he hasn't been afraid of things going bump in the night once since we first spoke to them. He still doesn't care for the pitch black because he can't see, and I can't really blame him for that!

In the same vein of news: I think I'm making some of my own monster friends. Or dragon friends, to be more exact. Earlier this week as I was driving to my parents' house, I saw a cat-sized purple dragon curled up on the dashboard. Not very clearly; I still have some mental blocks against that sort of thing. But I saw him there, saw him raise his head to look at me then lay it back down as he basked in the sunlight. And last night, as I was lying down for bed, I felt something in my hair, up against my head. The visual image I got was a small shadowed dragon, just a little bigger than a mouse, making a nest in my hair. At some point she shared her name with me, and I heard her calling the purple dragon, so I learned his name, too. This morning when I woke up, my hair was a mess! Not knotted or anything, just lying completely in the wrong direction where the little one had been sleeping. lol

So, dearest readers, I ask you: do you have any monsters of your own lurking in the dark? Or in the bright gardens? Or in your cupboards, eating all your food?

Journaling in July - Page 2

This week, I lost one of my Sisters (not a blood relative, but one who was a member of a group of women on an online community I am a part of) to cancer. Her name was Padra. Her real name was Tricia. We all thought she had beat it. It was breast cancer. I remember some point last year, she had posted about having the breast reconstruction surgery done. And then just last week, or the week before, we all found out she was not doing well. She was moved to a hospice earlier this week and died the same day.

I barely knew this woman. And I cannot help but feel my life is worse for not having known her well; my life is worse because I will never get that chance. Those who knew her, though, always spoke of her smile. She had a smile for everyone. So my journal page this week is in her honour. I only wish that I was slightly more talented (or had any talent at all) when it came to visual arts.

For my Sister, Padra Sedai. The Light shine on you, and the Creator shelter you. The last embrace of the mother welcome you home.



Happy home-going, Sister.

A little on tarot

While each card has a symbolism and story specific to itself, you can draw the same general symbolism from the card by knowing some basics about the suit and also which number or court card it is.

Suits:

Wands are associated with air. The wands suit deals with career, projects, and inspiration.

Cups are associated with water. This suit deals with emotions, relationships, and creativity.

Swords are associated with fire and deal with challenges, intellect, and ways of thinking.

Pentacles have earth associations and deal with the physical world, money, and resources.

Minor Arcana cards:

The number cards show different situations of every day life.

Aces-new beginnings, opportunity
2-balance duality crossroads, choice
3-full expression of the suit, achievement
4-structure, stability, stagnation
5-instability, conflict, loss, opportunity for change
6- communication, problem solving, cooperation
7- reflection, assessment, motives
8-movement, action, change, power
9-fruition, attainment
10- completion end of cycle

The court cards bring personality to the aforementioned situations. They can represent other people or the querent, or usually just a facet of a person.

Pages-novices, eager, enthusiastic, sometimes shallow; can indicate a message the querent will receive
Knights-extremists, very focused, can be unbalanced or fanatical; may represent fast moving situations
Queen-mature and expressive; one who nurtures; prone to obsession
King-mature and expressive; one who organises and controls external matters, sometimes at the expense of internal or personal matters

Journaling in July - Page 1

Here's my first page for Journaling in July! It's based around the idea of knot magic (because, as we all know, I'm a fan). Click the photo above for a better view.

The book I'm using is a 6x9 inch leather bound journal with graph paper. It also has a handy bookmark string! You can't really tell from this picture, but I've distressed the long edge of the pages by cutting 3-4 pages at a time with those nifty crafting scissors that cut neat designs. This book is a cross between a journal, a spell book, a prayer book, and a book of shadows.

I started this page by painting some disconnected lines in dark green and purple, then added some dark blue spirals. Then I added the words in yarn/string, the little sayings, magazine clippings, and finally the black yarn around the one. The next few pages in the journal are going to be devoted to, what else, knot magic.

And I already have another idea in mind for my pages this coming week. :) Happy journaling!

Advertising 2 blogs

So I've been meaning to make this post for a few days, but I've been putting it off in favour of doing homework and being productive! (Yay for me!) And watching 30Rock. (Not so yay for me!)

The first blog (and giveaway!) is one that I found a few months ago called Handmade by Jessica who is a fantastic artist. She's just posted a tutorial on carving stamps! And she's trying to get some knowledge out there about her blog, so she's giving away a few stamps she's made herself (!) to some lucky winner!

And also!

If you happen to be following The Whimsical Cottage you know she's running a blog party.



And if you happen to be participating in said blog party (which involves making pages in an art journal!), you just might be interested in the link above to Jessica's blog so you can possibly win some nifty one-of-a-kind rubber stamps.

Happy creating, either way! :)

What I've learned this day

Today, I learned a very important lesson. One that I'm surprised isn't brought up, as far as I can tell.

Anyway, if you are planning on doing a knot spell that requires you to untie the knots to release the energy...

Don't be a dummy and tie the knots so tight you can't untie them.

... We shall see if cutting the knots with ceremonial sewing scissors releases the energies just as well. lol