It's Out There

As the lunar cycle entered Pisces on Wednesday, I set a new intention into motion. In the secure presence of my New Moon Sisters, I stated my intention to sell my novel. This is big.

I wholeheartedly believe in the power of the new moon phase. It is during this time, safe in the shade of the dark side of the moon, that we can plant the seeds of our deepest desires. It is a time of gestation and nurturing. Once the seeds are planted, they will take root. And soon, as the moon grows full, so do our intentions, growing into fully realized desires.

So by putting it out there, that I want to sell my novel, I am taking that big jump. That leap from idea to reality. Dream to destination.

I am excited and nervous and full of hope, knowing whatever happens, it is the journey that holds the magic.

Otter Disbelief

Photo courtesy of Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Selby & I spotted an otter in my backyard this morning. That's right, an otter! We tiptoed out on the back deck to get a better look and it looked back at us for a minute before diving into the pond. I was in otter, I mean, utter disbelief! I have lived in coastal areas of Florida my entire life and have never seen an otter outside the zoo.

Having been coached in dream interpretation by daddy bird for many years now, I know to examine the symbols in my waking life the same way I would the symbols in my dreams. An otter appearance in my backyard seemed to warrant a little further investigation. So I googled "otter"and "symbolism" and found a couple of different meanings:

Dream Symbolism: To see otters in your dream, symbolizes happiness and good fortune. You will find ideal enjoyment or unusual tenderness with your loved one.

Pagan Symbolism: Otter is a creature of land and water, feminine elements. In both Native American and Celtic traditions, she represents joy. She is the child within all humans.

I like these positive messages of happiness & joy; thank you mystery otter.

When we left the house this morning, a couple of neighbors were gathered in the street chatting - they had spotted the otter too! A longtime resident said he had seen a family of otters in the pond one other time, many years ago.

I hope we get to see it again. I will take a picture if it comes back.

Half Full

I've been filling the well...

...and starting to feel the stirrings of creativity. A big intention is brewing for Wednesday's New Moon in Pisces. I promise to share, as soon as I'm ready.

Filling the Well

This morning I sat down to work on my novel, but no words came. Then the baby woke and my time was up.

My kitchen remained dark all day with the exception of an easier-than-pie (literally) apple cobbler, which I served alongside leftovers at dinner.

It was a quiet day, spent lost in thought, without direction and void of creativity. I could practically see the bottom of my well.

Having learned the concept of needing to refill your creative reservoir many years ago from Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way, I pulled out my ragged, old copy. I found the section on filling the well and these words jumped out at me:

"The artist brain is the sensory brain: sight and sound, smell and taste, touch. These are the elements of magic, and magic is the elemental stuff of art."

- and -

"Our focused attention is critical to filling the well. We need to encounter our life experiences, not ignore them."

Aha! Have I slipped a bit in my mindfulness practice? Am I forgetting to be in the present moment, giving my focused attention to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes around me?

So it's time to fill the well. Cameron suggests feeding the brain images. Seeking nourishing scents. Listening to music. And regular, repetitive actions, like cooking, sewing and swimming.

I've been depleted before. And I remember now just how much fun it is to restock the pond. Some of my favorite ways include:

Spending time in nature (the beach is my top pick).
Listening to soulful music.
Filling my home with fresh flowers.
Watching enlightening, artsy or hilarious movies.
Cooking nourishing food.
Gardening.
Reading home magazines.

And you? How do you fill the well?

I Made Jam!

That's right...last night I turned the fruits of our President's Day strawberry picking jubilee into 20 jars of Jubilee Jam! I'm not certain, but I believe this qualifies me for Domestic Goddess status. Being my first foray into the "canning" world, I called upon the most domestic of the goddesses I know, Rose, who armed me with tips and her water canner (that's the big pot in the photo above). I also scanned the MotheringDotCommunity forums for ideas on low-sugar recipes. The universal choice was Pomona's Universal Pectin, which allowed me to use way less sugar than other pectins. (I used 3/4 cup per batch vs. the standard 6 cups and the jam is plenty sweet.)So with my confidence boosted I jumped right in...four hours, two pizzas and two very sleepy kids later...JAM! Rows of it, cooling by an open window.Oh, and just to secure that Domestic Goddess status, I went ahead and whipped up some homemade strawberry muffins (recipe courtesy of The Snail), baked to perfection early this morning. The muffins & jam made for a divine breakfast that my littlest chick devoured by the fistful, and even my older, more particular chick claimed was "great" as she pecked. With their sticky approvals, I hereby accept my new title!

I'd like to thank the many goddesses in my life who made this possible: my sister Dianne, who canned right next to me all evening long; my mother Marcy, a master berry picker; little chick Selby, who can mash berries like a pro; and the infinite inspiration of Laura & Rose. Ya'll rock!

Strawberry Jubilee

Imagine a strawberry scented breeze. A crystal clear, cool morning kissed by the sun. Many sets of tiny hands, reaching toward the earth to harvest juicy, red jewels, sweet as candy. It was a day of sticky fingers and stained smiles at our local u-pic. The Snail and her family joined me & the girls, my mother and my nephew in what could only be described as a strawberry-picking jubilee.I'm not sure there is any sweeter treat than a sun-warmed strawberry picked right from the source. The kids were eating them as fast as they picked them.And a really good time was had by all.

Week of Love: Wrap Up

Our Valentines crafting captured several hearts yesterday! To wrap it up, Selby created 17 handmade valentines for her classmates, personally writing the names of each recipient and signing each one. It took four days to complete.
I presented my finished Love Notes Journal to Daddy Bird, who was touched. The best part is it's already been put into use!And four Joy Jars were decorated by Selby, and filled with her own sweet messages for the receivers, intended to bring them many smiles. We already saw quite a few... All week, we continued to explore & talk about the meaning of love. One more item was added to Selby's list of how to show & share love: "by helping people."

Much sweetness and fun, all around.

XOXO

Week of Love: Gifts from the Heart

My 10-minute "heart strings" table decor for V-Day.

Daddy Bird and I don't traditionally exchange fancy Valentine's Day gifts. A poem, some flowers, a nice bar of dark chocolate, a quiet dinner at home...these are more our style. This year, inspired by Bo Bunny, I plan to give my honey a Love Notes Journal. This is a hand decorated blank journal where we can leave each other little notes and thoughts. It includes "his" and "her" tags to tuck into the pages when a message is waiting for the other to read. I'm so excited about this idea. All it requires is a blank notebook and some imagination - I plan to craft mine from scrapbooking papers & ribbon I already have in my craft closet. With our lives so consumed with children, work and so forth, I think it will be a heart-warming way to remind each other of our love.

For other family members, Selby is helping me create Joy Jars, inspired by SouleMama in her book The Creative Family. These hand-decorated, recycled jars are filled with strips of paper that contain a bit of joy written on each one. Little messages to make the recipient happy (after all, "making people happy" is how Selby defined love).

Two affordable, handmade gift ideas that pull at the heart strings. I just had to share, in case you want to make them too! (Check back for pictures of our finished projects later in the week.)

XOXO

Week of Love: Show & Share

I asked Selby what she thinks love is and she answered: "Making people happy." I was shocked and so very proud of her response. I have never directly taught her this, but the definition of love in Buddhism is: "wanting others to be happy."

Next, I asked her how you let someone know you love them. Here are her responses:

- Give them hugs & kisses.
- Tell them you love them.
- Wish them a good day.
- Ask them how they are doing.

I'm so pleased - and relieved - Selby believes love comes from inside. With all the commercialism of Valentine's Day, I was worried she might somehow confuse affection with "stuff" (we saw over three aisles at Target filled with candy and love-themed junk over the weekend). No worries - she gets it.

So, I wrote my little enlightened one's definition of love, and all her ideas about how to show & share it, on our kitchen chalkboard. I left plenty of room to add more thoughts throughout the week. And I will continue to share them with you here in the hopes they will make you happy.

XOXO

Week of Love: Valentine's Cards

There are a lot of theories on the origin of Valentine's Day, ranging from pagan festivals to Christian saints. So when Selby asked me about it, I wanted to give her an age-appropriate explanation of this day of love. I told her it was a day to focus our affection on family & friends, and to share why we are grateful for each other.

One way we are doing this is by making traditional valentines cards for Selby to exchange with her classmates at preschool. I kept the design simple and fun: red construction paper and white doily hearts decorated with glitter and stickers.I suggested to Selby that she think of the friend as she decorates their card, filling it with love. She took this quite seriously and has tried to tailor each card's design to suit the receiver. Last night, she sat peacefully decorating cards for over an hour. This morning, she woke asking to do more. I love Selby's eagerness for crafting in the name of love. What better way is there, after all, for a child to show how much they care than glitter & glue?

XOXO

A Breath of Fresh Air

It finally warmed up enough today to venture out for some outdoor play. The girls and I joined some friends at a local favorite hangout, The Children's Garden. This whimsical garden is the ideal place for little (and big) imaginations to play. There are themed gardens, fantasy worlds and lots of natural spaces to explore and enjoy.The dress up room is a child's delight, full of costumes, shoes, scarves, jewelry, hats ... you name it! There are also sculptures to climb and explore, an acting stage, a pirate ship, a maze, a koi pond an enchanted cottage and more. Kids can do some watering in the plant nursery.Or some contemplating under the lush canopy of trees. What a magical place! A much-needed breath of fresh air after a week of staying indoors. Ahhh....

A Bounty of Blessings

I found this sweet little book, Saying Grace: Blessings for the Family Table, at a thrift shop last week for $2.50 (the bright cloth napkins were thrifted too). It's a lovely collection of blessings, prayers and sayings from a sampling of cultures, religions and writings. Each evening, Selby picks out a blessing to be read before dinner. Ranging from one line to one page long, the entries are accompanied by colorful, hand painted illustrations (these appear to be the main influence on the selections so far). I love the way the readings help us reconnect before we share a meal. What a great enrichment for our daily gratitude practice!

A couple of sample blessings:

There's no joy in anything unless we share it.
- American Proverb

Round the table:
Peace and joy prevail.
May all who share
This season's delight
Enjoy countless more.
- Chinese Blessing

The Red Yarn

There has been much talk here lately about the juju at the mama gatherings, and it seems a discussion on the topic would not be complete without a few words on the red yarn. This soft ball of yarn has traveled to every blessingway in our tribe - and that is a lot. In the past year alone, it has graced the circles of at least a half a dozen mamas-to-be.
With this charmed ball of yarn, at the close of each blessingway, we create a web that binds us together in sisterhood. Beginning with the honoree, the yarn is passed from person to person, each woman wrapping it around her wrist or ankle a few times. As the yarn travels around the circle, we sing a rhythmic song: Woman am I. Spirit am I. I am the infinite within my soul. I have no beginning and I have no end. All this I am. The red yarn symbolizes the connection of the blood from mother to baby, as well as the blood that runs through the veins of every woman, binding all women together. Once we have woven ourselves into this web of womanhood, the yarn is cut and everyone ties their section around wrist or ankle to wear as a symbol of support until the mother gives birth.It seems I almost always have a length of this yarn tied around my ankle... so for me, it represents the support I'm offering, but also serves as a loving reminder of the web of support I have in mothering mindfully.

"Buddhists have a tradition of tying a piece of red string around the neck or wrists of a pregnant woman's family as a way of keeping vigil for the birth. The string is a daily reminder to hold the woman in their prayers as she approaches the moment of motherhood." - Mother's Nature

The Lure of the Juju

ju·ju (n.) a charm superstitiously believed to embody magical powers

Recently, I posted A Little Bit of Juju about the power of smudging. Across the world, my good friend Heidi read my words and felt the pull. The magic of the community she created, a tribe centered around mothering and birth, called to her. So, at 34 weeks pregnant, she followed the voices home...

Yesterday, she sat in my living room, encircled by her sisters as we honored her with an enchanted blessingway. We had flowers; we had blessings; we had food; and, above all else, we had lots and lots of juju.
For our tribe, the juju is both the items and the actions that bring power to our ceremonies and rituals. This includes, but is not limited to: candles, smudge sticks of dried sage, songs, a ball of red yarn (more on this in a future post), visualizations, altar items and labor beads. For this ceremony, we added a new element, a mirrored altar - so magnificent adorned with candles lit to honor the spirits of the four directions and the maternal ancestors of each woman present. A midwife, Heidi attended the home births of both of my children, as well as those of most of the mamas in our circle. As she nears the arrival of her second child, it is our deepest desire to reflect back to her all of the love, support and positive birthing energy she has provided our community over the years. The mirror represented this wish.And just to be sure we went over the top with the juju - she did travel from Sweden for this - we also presented the mama-to-be with a handmade quilt showcasing the hand prints of each of the New Moon sisters. Read the full story about this amazing work of art here.The lure of our juju is strong. Rooted in the ancient traditions of the wise woman, it flows across space and time, connecting our tribe of women with those of our grandmothers and generations past. It knows no borders. It knows no limits. And in the most natural of supernatural ways, it holds the enchantment and the power to lead us to unity.