It’s Friday – time to round up what’s been happening in my week and give you a peek ala the Scattered Life Collective invitation. It has felt like a very full week, and although I’m not sure I actually accomplished a whole lot, everything I did feels like it had a buffer of spaciousness around it. And that’s felt fabulous. More of that please! We also ushered in a new month. I forgot again to utter Rabbit Rabbit as my first words on the first day of the month in an effort to insure a month full of good luck, but luckily I think good luck is always available. I just don’t like to miss an opportunity to think about rabbits.
out the window: Such a delightful scene. After raining for 10 hours straight the sun has finally popped out. Our house is bordered on either side by honey locust trees with their zillions of tiny leaves that turn golden in the autumn and flutter down like little snowflakes. It’s like watching a golden snow storm when they start falling, and now the sidewalks are totally lined. Quite possibly this is the route to Oz. And it may be for some time – there are at least a billion more leaves waiting to fall.
on the menu: Roasted Beet Salad with Bacon, Figs and Walnuts
good things:
- A new month means a new goddess to work with via Amy Palko’s Goddess Guidance program. This month I’m steeping in the energies of Sophia and I can’t wait to see what unfolds.
- Working on new practices to lighten up and stay in joy not overwhelm. One of the things I’m doing is starting each day with a 3-items-only focus list which notice is not a to-do list. If I shift my mind to the to-do list that’s forty-seven kajillion items screaming for attention all is lost. And we can’t have that.
- It feels like my dream life ratcheted up several levels this week. I am having the most extraordinary, LONG, saga-like dreams.
- Somebody new came to live with me this week. Meet the Warrior Alchemist. Cynthia Lee in all her creative wonderfulness captured her on canvas, and I’m welcoming her to my advisory team.
I’m only posting a thumbnail here. Do head over to Cynthia’s site where you can a larger version.
I totally claim Alchemist as part of my soul’s lineage, but I’m wanting now to invite in the warrior energies to stand firmly with me. I keep having this dream in which I plant a be-ribboned stake/staff and say an invocation in a language I don’t understand, but what I’m doing is declaring that here I stand.
favorite word of the week:
A fabulous Japanese word that’s such a perfect fit for this week: komorebi (n.) The sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees.
reading: After a dry spell, I’ve got three things to recommend this week.
- The Little Prince Deluxe PopUp Book.. I love, love, love pop-up books, and who doesn’t love The Little Prince? This is fabulous. I’m giving it a floriography rating of a bouquet of alyssum, which stands for “worth beyond beauty.”
- The Taint of Midas. This is one in the series of books by Anne Zouroudi featuring the detective Hermes Diaktoros which takes place in various locales in Greece and merges contemporary reality with mythological references. Hermes is a much-loved guide of mine and I delight in finding him action as a detective. And bonus points that the book cover includes the image of a bee. Considering the Midas tale is a cautionary one of greed, I think it’s appropriate to award this a floriography rating of a bouquet of gentian which stands for “intrinsic worth.”
- Afterparty by Daryl Gregory. I don’t really know how to describe this novel. It’s kind of near-future sci-fi in which pharmaceuticals bring on god-awareness. But the tale is told from the viewpoint of several characters, several of whom have been institutionalized. It’s smart, funny, challenging, and a mystery, and I’m giving it a floriography rating of three daffodils which represent new beginnings.
watching:
I’m charmed by this little video The Windmill Farmer.
listening: Keeping it mellow with Air and Angels by Lotus.
project I’m loving to support: We’ve got a long way to go in the U.S. to address the tragedy of our homelessness issue, but ideas like these are brilliant and so worth supporting in my opinion.
on the wish list: Sarah Trumbauer’s paper-cutting is fabulous and I’m pretty partial to this flower one.
out and about:
- It’s October and I imagine the monarch butterflies are well on their journey to CA and/or Mexico. But I did enjoy this little visual tour of the monarch lifecycle.
- Roxana Villa is one of my favorite natural perfumers. And I’m currently deeply submersed in my life-long interest/archetypal study of the Tree of Life. So I was particularly delighted to discover Roxana did a presentation The Tree of Life: A Mystical Approach to the Art of Botanical Perfumery.
- I like what Andrea Maurer has to say in her post about Chasing Rabbits.
- Loving the illustrations of Monon Gauhier.
- And check out Ines Seidel’s art as well.
Now that you’ve seen what’s been on my radar this week, tell me about yours. Any bunnies or butterflies making appearances? Do something special to close out September or welcome in October? Been dreaming lots lately? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
I love your new piece of art and that video is very sweet. The honey locust leaves must be beautiful!
The leaves ARE beautiful but clean up is always a bit of a challenge once they’ve fallen since they’re so small. Now if only we could teach the squirrels to rake. 🙂
Fall is such a delight! Hope your beet salad was delicious, beets are one of my favorites!
I love beets as well. And there’s nothing like a little beet purple stain on your hands to say it’s autumn.
There’s nothing like a little beet purple stain on your hands to say it’s officially autumn.
OH Warrior Alchemist … infused Deborah and her space with your power and magic!
Where do you find such delightful short films .. I loved last weeks and this weeks so much!
Chasing Rabbits … I have read the article over and over. I get it. I feel it. and I think that for now I have released the needing to know the one thing, chasing after the elusive purpose. I am just me being me. Returning to that is the best decision I have made. It has stirred up a lot of angst in other areas because my surety is unsettling to some. that’s ok. That’s their story. this is mine.
I am checking out more of her writings as well. Thank you.
Warrior Alchemist is indeed infusing your magic and power here – and she is greatly loved and appreciated!
I really enjoyed Chasing Rabbits as well. And I genuinely celebrate you Cynthia. Coming to that place of knowing that being you is exactly the right thing to be is monumental. It shifts everything. (And personally I think it’s a party-requiring passage. Cake mandatory.)
Wow, lots going on there. I love your claim of Alchemist, and inviting the warrior in. This speaks volumes to me. Before I left on a journey to the island paradise of Hawaii, to meet some family members for the first time, a friend told me to empower myself with a staff made from a holly branch, which was on an oracle card drawn before my trip. I remember perusing your talismans and then added a few feathers that presented themselves to me over the course of a few days, and added a few crystals that I found at a local quarry. I used this holly staff in meditation with my own incense burning, to empower me; I like to think it gave me strength to make the 5000 mile journey to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, all alone by my big bad girl self, without my wonderful husband and 3 lovely children, but more importantly, kept me grounded as I embraced an island culture rich in tradition, with family who I have never met, but welcomed me with the beautiful Aloha Spirit that is apparent when you indulge in the native vibe. Thank you for always inspiring! It was nice to come home to the colors of Autumn, and to your lovely autumnal greeting card!!! Aloha
Oh Vicki – I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you created the perfect talisman/power object. It sounds magical. And how wonderful you made that journey to meet and be welcomed by family. Feels like some wonderful things have opened up for you – may they continue to unfold magically with perfect ease and grace!
I’m so excited to tell you about a new book that I think you will love. It’s called Lost in Translation and it’s a book of whimsical illustrations of untranslatable words. And komorebi is in it!! I featured it on my blog this week – http://sarahbroadfoot.weebly.com/blog/words-day-wednesday10.
LOVE The Windmill Farmer.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.
Oh my Sarah – how funny and fabulous! I can’t wait to get my hands on the book.
I can’t absorb this post on just one visit. So much here. Will come back and revisit you again over the next week! Really loved the Windmill Farmer video and as with Cynthia wonder where on earth you find these video gems.
I love that you stopped by Kelly and the page is always open for re-visits. 🙂 I don’t have a secret source for the videos – when something delights me I like to share.
That windmill farmer’s neighbors are likely to be griping about all the volunteer windmills that popped up in their own fields.
Oh, I’d rather believe they’re delighting in the free energy-generation and sheer fun of having a windmill of their own. 🙂