Excellent article on why NOT to become a pagan.

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/PaganCommunity/tp/Ten-Reasons-Not-To-Become-Pagan.htm

http://thewiccalife.blogspot.com/2010/11/wheel-of-year-turns-on-and-on.html

If you're pagan-curious,  a craft "dabbler", or even a long-time practitioner, you'll find some great info and not just a bit of humor in this very well-researched and construct article on paganism.

We all have different paths in life.  And many of us have spiritual leanings which might clash with other people's long-held belief systems.  Or, wait, after some careful study, they actually might run parallel or even (gasp!) compliment them!

Yes, I'm being purposely obtuse here.  Because there are those who have difficulty with my particular spirituality.  But I know that God is in my heart, always.  And that he/she/Universe knows I am always coming from love, except when fear takes over and then I pray and meditate upon love and giving and gratitude.  And that's it.  I believe that all good comes from the same place: love.  And that everything else is fear.  And you don't want to go where fear resides.

Yep.  That pretty much sums it up.

And, on the way, Jesus is by your side, as are the good angels and prophets.  And Universe provides a beautiful world which we are caretakers of.  And the energies of that world are all God.  And God is good.

Yep.  Being obtuse again.  And perfectly, beautifully clear.

And magic does exist, in gratitude and giving and meditation and good intention.

Let's talk about it.  http://paganwiccan.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=paganwiccan&cdn=religion&tm=132&gps=368_45_1257_709&f=10&su=p284.13.342.ip_&tt=12&bt=1&bts=6&zu=http%3A//www.witches-tutorial.com/paths/cw.html

Monday is Tarot Day: Exploring Hawk Medicine and Clear Vision

Folks, my world has opened up, the baby angels are clapping, the doggies are dancing and all is right with the world: I got contacts.  If I so choose, I don't have to deal with brown, plastic lines around my line of vision anymore.  These tiny (wiggly, slimy, hard-to-work-with-so-far, easy-to-turn-inside-out,  cold) blue plastic discs have given me my face back.  For that, I am truly grateful to the inventor of the disposable contact lens.

Oh yeah, and my vision is better.  And, yes, I keep singing this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkwJ-g0iJ6w  (yes, this version.  I know the original is by Jimmy Cliff, but this is the version from my childhood.)

Anywho, I was working on a corresponding tarot card for my clear vision experience (because the physical clarity is truly tying in to my mental and spiritual clarity, as I knew it would), and really, the closest I came was the 3 of Wands.  The journeyman on the card, is clearly seeing the next steps he needs to take.  He's ready, he's wiser, he knows what he needs to do to move forward.  But although this image does work for me, I wanted to share something more with you.

And then I remembered that just last week, I kept encountering hawks. Red-tailed hawks in the trees, swooping by me as I walked in our neighborhood, and on-watch at the arboretum where I go for my spiritually-enlivening hikes at least twice a week.

Before I began my tarot study, I was first introduced to the world of divinatory cards decks by the splendid Animal Medicine Cards by David Carson (http://www.medicinecards.com/).  In fact, I still turn to them when certain animals wander into my path from seemingly nowhere.  In Native American traditions, all animals have medicine (that is, they provide magic and wisdom and lessons).

Hawk medicine is about vision, having the clarity to see past the obscurity of a situation and get to the powerful center of it.  I'm now realizing my hawk visitors were giving me messages about needing to see more clearly, on a few different levels.

As far as my physical vision, yes, my prescription had changed (I blush to admit it's been 4 years since I got new glasses), and I was gobsmacked at how much clearer things are with my new "numbers".  Mentally I'm able to just take on more each day, without getting overwhelmed.  And spiritually, I've been getting clear about what I'm most grateful for by doing the follow-up book to "The Secret" entitled "The Magic".  It gives tangible ways to practice your gratitude and it's given my soul a clearer focus and love has just been pouring in and I'm humbled by what God has given me, and continues to give me, blessed be.

I encourage you to check out the Animal Medicine cards for yourself, especially if you're "tarot curious", because I found them to be a gentle introduction into the art of cartomancy at the time when my soul was ready.  

Our Visit to the Cascade Drive-In: a Retro-Fun Evening Under the Stars in West Suburban Chicago

The vintage speakers at the Cascade

http://www.cascadedrivein.com/

A true, actual, "for real" conversation I had with a pal out in L.A.:

"You have an actual drive-in near you?  I'd love to go to one, but there are none out where we live."

"Yep.  The Cascade in West Chicago, out west on North Ave.  We go all the time!  They are the real deal: vintage concession stand, olde-fashionedy speakers for your car, a little grill set up near the screen for your to have a weenie roast.  Oh - and they play those retro-cool 'Let's all go to the lobby' commercials between flicks.  The spirit of place at the Cascade is undeniably 50s, but with modern conveniences."

"Jealous.  Except the weenie roast part.  I'm vegan"

And this conversation wasn't the only one of its kind (minus the vegan part).  When I mention to folks out of the area that we have a great drive-in theatre only 30 minutes from our house, I get oohs, ahs, "dang"s and "really?  Thought they were all gone!"s a'plenty.  Most people just consider them a fond memory from their teen-age years, or the backdrop for a scene from the film version of "Grease" (Danny Zuko's immortal words: "Stranded at a drive-in/Branded a fool").

So here's the skinny: the Cascade Drive-In is one of the few remaining outdoor theatres in the U.S.  While I was traveling about for my book about another fading icon, the vintage amusement park (www.cottoncandyroadtrip.com), I would keep an eye out for drive-ins because, I kept telling my hubby, "What a great way to finish off a day's trip to an old amusement park: visit an old drive-in!".  But alas, I found very few on our journeys.  What I did find were abandoned ones, some with only fading, battered screens left, or shells of what were once super-cool neon signage, now advertsing an empty field.

That's why the Cascade deserves your patronage and, well, your awe.  In this day of multiplexes and IMAXes, it's heartening to find a wonderful, well-preserved and maintained gem like this.  The plusses of visiting are numerous: it's family-friendly, pets are allowed (we love bringing our little beagle, Ivy, who pays little attention to the sounds from the speakers but DOES give undue attention to our popcorn), there's newly-installed digital projection, and you get two movies for the price of one!  Besides all that, the concession stand carries just about anything you could possibly want or need for your retro-fun evening, including the usual suspects (popcorn, candy, soda), and the not-so-usual ones (hand-made shakes, burgers, and malt cups you dig into with wooden spoons).  And if bugs are bugging you, they sell mosquito repellent.  The vintagey kind you burn.  Like in this video (which they show before the show): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iL1aCWLuNk

The following are some snaps from our latest visit, just about a week ago.  Don't despair if it looks quiet; we got there early, very early, so we could walk Ivy around, I could buy their new snazzy t-shirt, and I we could enjoy the night air before the onslaught of cars drove in.  This was a smart move on our part; it was opening weekend for "Iron Man 3" and, eventhough it was a Sunday, the Cascade was jam-packed with film-goers, all enjoying a night under the stars.



The screen, awaiting a visit from Tony Stark

The groovy concession stand. This is just one side; it wraps around.

Yes, you're seeing that correctly. 
An actual vintage baby bottle warmer exists inside
the concession stand.  Love that!

Kooky, nifty poster inside
the concession stand.

Their new, retro-fab t-shirt!  Get 'em while they're hot! Only 10 bucks!



The Hubby and the Ivy





 

Monday is Tarot Day: Stay Strong.

When life kicks you in the shins, stay strong.

Yeah, yeah, you've heard this all before, but it truly bears repeating.  While visiting Facebook this morning, I saw posts from folks who had the following things happen: lost a dear friend and theatre director, missed a plane, had to deal with a sick dog, heard they weren't cast in a dream role, got a huge auto repair bill, had another challenging confrontation with a co-worker, prayed for monetary freedom, prayed for a relative to recover from a life-threatening illness, had to deal with an ornery policeman, hated their haircut - and many who essentially grinned and beared their way through their day.

Now, that's a wide variety of "blech", with some issues more weighty than others.  But when you're confronted with such a thing, it seems as big as a mountain, even if it's a little, irritating anthill.

So stay strong.  Because things will get better.  Or even if they don't, the sting will fade over time.

The Strength card (historically, it was known as "Fortitude" and somehow, that seems to bolster its meaning for me) depicts a young woman holding a lion.  A lion!?  Correct, she's holding him back and, lordy, by the mouth even!  But she's taming him with calmness, gentleness and patience.  She's not wielding a chair and whip; she's kind and serene.

We all get sideswiped by things on a daily basis.  Why not approach those bumps in the road with the bearing and determination of the woman in the Strength card?  And if you can't possibly react to someone this way, due to being in the throes of extreme irritation (or sorrow, or anger), then please consider maintaining an attitude of serenity, kindness and gentleness toward yourself.

Mother's Day, my Mom, and the perfect daiquiri

 It's interesting.  Since I lost my mom back in 2001, I really don't focus on Mother's Day that much anymore.  Not that I don't love my mother-in-law, because I do.  Not that I don't have tons of friends who are moms, because I do.  It's just that, well, I have no kids.  The only real celebrating of Mother's Day that I recall vividly was taking Mom to Oakbrook to the Stouffer's Hotel, riding the elevator to the very top floor, and having dinner there, the glass windows providing a superb view of the lovely Oakbrook mall and surrounding areas.  And that's where Mom would order her favorite cocktail, a daiquiri (ONLY if they had fresh limes), and she'd sip it slowly while gazing out the window wall, always looking put together, nicely made-up, and just a little wistful.  Every time.

 Today, the building which was formerly Stouffer's has a fence around it; the wrecking ball is probably a scant few weeks away.  That chapter housing my memories of Mother's Day will be wiped away, bulldozed away.  And I could cry.  But I won't.

What I will do is share the daiquiri recipe I found from Alton Brown.  And the reason I will share his recipe over all the others I found on the Internet is because Mom liked Alton and his show, "Good Eats".  She got a kick out of his theatrical antics, his shirts, his little beagle dog ("Anyone who likes dogs can't be all bad," Mom would say), his wit, and how he made cooking and baking fun.  Alton didn't do much mixology back in the early years of his show, so Mom wouldn't have seen him shake up the perfect daiquiri.  But if she knew the process by which he concocted his version, she'd be pleased.  She'd say, "Now THAT is worthy."

I give you Alton Brown's very "worthy" daiquiri:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/daiquiri-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 2 cups crushed ice, plus extra for chilling glass
• 2 ounces light rum
• 1-ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, strained of pulp
• 1/2-ounce Simple Syrup, recipe follows

Directions

If your glass is not chilled, do so by placing some crushed ice in it and set it aside while you prepare the cocktail.
Place the 2 cups of crushed ice into a cocktail shaker. Pour the rum, lime juice, and simple syrup over the ice, cover, and shake well. Remove the ice from your serving glass and strain the drink into it. Serve immediately.
 

Simple Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water

Place the sugar and water into a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and allow to cool completely. Syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Yield: 3 cups

Note how Alton uses simple syrup rather than superfine sugar, which some recipes indicate.  Simple sugar works a lot better and it's worth it to make your own.  On the website, it says the time to make this cocktail is an hour and five minutes; that's counting in the time to make and cool the simple syrup.  Mom would approve of the attention Alton gives to the process.

Now, the one thing Alton neglects to mention is to make sure the sour-to-sweet ratio is to your liking.  My Mom enjoyed a slightly sweeter drink (she must've consumed a few daiquiris while she was pregnant with me, by the way.  I can drink daiquiris 'til the cows come home and they won't affect me.  But they must be a little sweeter, rather than too tart.  Yep, she was pregnant with me in the mid-60s.  Yes, she was rather "Betty Draper" that way).

If a daiquiri was too tart, Mom would send it back.  She'd take a sip and, essentially, do a full-body shudder and scrunch up her face.  Then she'd get the waiter's attention and tell him, politely-but-firmly, that the drink was too sour and not drinkable.  Sometimes she'd say, "This drink made my eyes water."

So, this Sunday, tip a glass to Bea Turlow's memory by mixing up the quintessential cocktail.  She'd deem you very worthy.  Very worthy indeed.

Monday is Tarot Day: Revisiting a Deck - The Fairytale Tarot

Maybe it's because I've been helping out with set painting for a local production of "Into the Woods", a play which takes fairytale archetypes and builds a thought-provoking musical around them.  Maybe it's because it's been three months since I've walked the hallowed paths of Disneyland.  Whatever it is, I've been drawn to my Fairytale Tarot deck once again.  It's been a long while since I've worked with it; I'm enjoying the reunion.

The deck, published in 2005, is the handiwork of the incredible folks at Magic Realist Press, the immensely-talented Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov (aided by Irena Triskova, illustrator) who are responsible for me purchasing all sorts of magical, beautiful items from Prague, Czech Republic.  I'm on tenterhooks about their upcoming Alice in Wonderland deck - but that's a story for another day.

The deck follows the classic Rider-Waite "template", and each card has the same relevance as its RW counterpart.  But what sets this deck apart is gorgeous artwork and the way the authors have taken famous tales, like Cinderella and Puss and Boots, as well as lesser-known stories from around the world and deftly fit them to each card's inherent meaning.

Here's a sample, so you can see some of the cards for yourself.  A quick, three-card, past-present-future reading.  I'll keep the topic to myself, but I'll show you the spread:

So, what we have here is the Four of Cups in the recent past position.  The fairytale for the card is "The Boy Who Wanted to Learn Fear".  It's a Brothers Grimm tale about a boy who feels ... nothing.  He's disconnected from emotion.  And, yes, this applies to my query.

The card in the present position is The Tower, here represented by the tale, Deirdre of the Sorrows, an old Celtic fairytale, which you can read about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deirdre.  It's wickedly sad.  It's also about necessity of shaking things up.  And, yes, after having dealt with a flood in our house and having to re-evaluate much, this definitely applies to my situation.  It's a no-brainer, actually, a "well, DUH."

Finally, the Nine of Wands takes its place in the near future position.  It tells the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, a Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm "household tale".  And, yes, it's definitely ringing true: I'm battle-weary, but know that better things are just ahead, waiting for me to seize them.  I've been through a lot, and there's even more to deal with, but I'm persistent!

The Fairytale tarot deck's accompanying book is a "must" if you're planning on getting the deck itself.  I've spent many an hour just sitting back and relaxing with it, learning tale after tale from all over the world.  As for picking up your own Fairytale Tarot - it's going to be a tad difficult: when visiting the Baba Studio website (http://baba-store.com/tarot-books/out-of-print-decks/fairytale-tarot.html), I noticed the book is still for sale, but the cards and card/book set are out-of-print.  If you stop by Amazon, you can still find them, but for a pretty penny.  You can also try your luck on Ebay, but, again, it'll cost you.  But is the hunt worth it?  Most definitely!

May Day! May Day!! Happy Beltane, May Day, "Good Lord, It's FINALLY SPRING!" Day!

May Day is Lei Day!

I didn't know there were so many different ways to celebrate May Day, until I did some digging.

For instance, in Hawaii, May Day is Lei Day (sure, go ahead, insert your joke here).  The first official Lei Day was proposed in 1927 in Honolulu by poet and artist Don Blanding. Leonard "Red" and Ruth Hawk composed "May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii", the traditional holiday song. It was originally a fox trot, but now it's a hula song.  Which I'm thinking is a lot more fun.


The Romanians have a LOT of festivity today, and it's all about the mugwort (I know, mugwort, right?).  Celebrations are in place on May Day to insure good wine in autumn and, for people and farm animals alike, good health and protection from the elements of nature (storms, hail, illness, pests, the plagues of Egypt). Apparently, people would have parties in nature with lăutari (fiddlers), for those who could afford it. It is customary to roast and eat lamb, also eat new mutton cheese and drink mugwort-flavoured wine to refresh the blood and get protection from diseases. Men wear lilac or mugwort flowers on their hats.

Mugwort or Artemisia

France's celebration of May Day is particularly fragrant. On May 1, 1561, King Charles the IX  received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer a one each year to the ladies of the court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom to give a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of springtime, on May 1. The government permits individuals and workers' organisations to sell them tax-free. Nowadays, people may present loved ones either with bunches of lily of the valley or dog rose flowers (Note: lily of the valley was one of my mom's most favorite flowers; I believe I'll incorporate this custom into my own May Day celebration from now on).

Antique postcard featuring one of my Mom's favorite flowers.

And then, of course, you've got the pagan celebration of Beltane.  Wiccans use the name "Beltane" for their May Day celebrations. It is one of the yearly "Sabbats" of the Wheel of the Year, following Ostara and preceding Midsummer.  In general, the Wiccan Beltane is more akin to the Germanic May Day festival, both in its significance (focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as maypole dancing). Some Wiccans enact a ritual union of the May Lord and May Lady.

Whoa.  This is where lots of people clear their throats and say, "Um, just what sort of enactment are we talking about?"  From what I've learned, yes, there have been enactments that, um, are actual physical unions.  Naked unions.  And lots of folks get turned off about attending Beltane rituals because they think everyone is going to be playing the roles of the May Lord and May Lady skyclad (that would be, without clothes) and there will be lots of prancing about near fires and copious amounts of mead will be consumed and then the police get called in and everyone's whisked off to the hoosegow.

The Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival.  These people know how to party.

But, frankly, that is not the norm for pagan ritual.  Most often, the enactment is mild and symbolic and beautiful.  Summer is recognized and greeted.  And then a wonderful meal is consumed, focusing on fresh vegetables and fruits.  Especially fruity desserts (yes, please!).

Which brings me to my own May Day or Beltane celebration.

First of all, I am a Pole, so you're welcome to come on over and dance around me.  It's fun, it's good exercise, and you might get lucky to have my beagle, Ivy, join in on the dance.

I'll go out to our garden and thank the little flowers that have finally sprung up for being there - and let them know they're invited to bring their friends along anytime they wish.

I'll walk in nature (I already have and it was fantastical), bless the flowering plants and trees, acknowledge the rushing streams and rivers for their might, wink up at the sun.

I'll help my hubby plan a refreshing cocktail like this one: (http://cocktails.about.com/od/cocktailrecipes/r/elderflower_ckt.htm) for dinnertime, and put together a fresh, flavorful meal consisting of lots of fruits and veggies in an array of colors.  More colors = more vitamins = more happy. 

I'll remember to recognize today as the beginning of summer in the pagan tradition.  It's the time right between the Spring equinox and the Summer solstice, when Summer is officially known to begin.  But why not just say, "Hey!  It's Summer already!"?  I'll sit out on our little deck and start planning the "summerfication" of the backyard, patio, and waterfall area.

And, since I've learned about it, it's time to track down some lily of the valley perfume.  Mom would've like it.  And who knows?  She might just want to stop on by...