Autumn Musings

For me, August is a bittersweet time at summer’s end, with it’s warm soft days that I wish would stay and never go.

This morning, the sun came out and lingered in the hazy late summer air as I watched the day seep into my house. The cooing of morning doves, the laughter of children and the sound of wooden wind chimes in the distance. So here I am, perched at the edge of my studio window watching trees, basking in the late morning sun, quietly dreaming.

Mother Earth is lavish with her gifts this time of the year;  the smell of loamy earth, the scent of jasmine in the air, tomato vines heavy with fruit and buzzing bees. On my morning walk, I also noticed a few yellow leaves on the birch trees,  indicating the change from summer to fall . . .      Sweet . . .  Autumn is here!

 

. . . as you sit on the hillside, or lie
prone under the trees, the great door, that does
not look like a door, opens. ~ Stephen Graham

In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself.
~ Jiddu Krishnamurti~

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy,
while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
~ John Muir~

“Everyday Goddessing  is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside  each of us.” – Rose Arizmendi

Midsummer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice!

Midsummer is a time to celebrate the power of light and also a time to show our gratitude for our Mother Earth. ~ We have a beautiful mother, so precious this small blue planet that we call home and we need to take better care of her.

Today the earth is in full bloom, alive with ripeness, abundance and the sweet promise of the harvest to come. We gather together with our friends and family to celebrate the warmth and fulness that the summer season has to offer us.

So many things to be thankful for ~ the laughter of children ~ breathing in the sweet scent of flowers ~ fresh vegetables from the garden ~ collecting lavender buds ~ warm sunshine kissing my face.

 

Folklore tells us that on this day the veil between the human world and the fairy world  becomes as thin and delicate as a spiders web, with the veil between the worlds becoming even thinner on the third day after Summer Solstice. Making it much easier for humans and other beings to journey back and forth between the realms.

It is also believed to be of great importance to leave offerings of milk and honey for the fairy folk to honor their presence in the world, so as to promote harmony between us. Some even claim that all magical work becomes more potent on this day.

Even today, many believe that fairies are simply nature spirits and therefore as ancient as wind and rain. In this view, they’re the manifestations of the living spirit in all organic matter.

The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, mentions that fairies seem to have originally been emanations of the Earth Mother that subsequently became water and vegetation spirits, appearing frequently on mountains, in woods or forests, or near water~courses.

It matters not whether you believe or not, our fascination with fairies will most likely never fade away.  The folklore and myths surrounding fairies has been with us for centuries and will likely continue on as long as mankind walks the earth.

 

Fairy Procession by Charles Vess

“This is a work of fiction.  All the characters in it, human and otherwise, are imaginary, excepting only certain of the fairy folk, whom it might be unwise to offend by casting doubts on their existence.  Or lack thereof.”  ~Neil Gaiman

Everyday Goddessing is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside  each of us. – Rose Arizmendi

Bella Gaia

BELLA GAIA ~ 5 min sample utilizing Visualizations by NASA, SCISS/Uniview, and music by Kenji Williams
What a magical combination ~ Mother Earth and the beautiful music of Kenji Williams. It shows the impact we are having on our beautiful, blue planet.

quote for the day;

” The new myth coming into being through the triple influence of quantum physics, depth psychology and ecology suggests that we are participants in a great cosmic web of life, each one of us indissolubly connected with all others through that invisible field. It is the most insidious of illusions to think that we can achieve a position of dominance in relation to nature, life or each other. In our essence, we are one.” ~Anne Baring

“Everyday Goddessing  is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside  each of us.” – Rose Arizmendi

Solstice, Silk & Pendulums

The candle is lit, the house has been smudged and I begin my day sitting here looking out my window watching a crow searching for goodies in my neighbor’s flower pots on her balcony. He has found something large and shiny! Now he is strutting back and forth across the balcony railing with his treasure secured in his beak. What a character he is. lol

I celebrated Summer solstice by spending some time out in nature reconnecting with mother earth, listening to the wind moving through the Oak trees, breathing in the fragrance of  wildflowers and letting the music of birdsong flow over me. Needless to say, I came back home feeling totally refreshed and rejuvenated.

Lately, I have been so busy designing and creating new pendulums, and also downloading my art to my gallery site that  suddenly, I found myself a little overwhelmed and exhausted. Don’t get me  wrong,  I love being in the creative mode! I love my life and what I do, but sometimes I get carried away. I need to be kinder to my body.

The redesign of my newest pendulums started when I decided to incorporate natural fibers into my creations. I started thinking about all the different ways in which this could be done and came up with some interesting ideas. After making a few sketches and doing a little research I decided to use vintage silk , mainly because of it’s beauty, folklore, and strength.

In the near future I plan on incorporating other elements and fabrics into my jewelry designs. I found a stash of some beautiful antique fabrics  stored away in my chest of drawers along with an old silk sari and so much more. What a treasure trove!

Here are a couple of the pendulums I created using vintage silk, pearls, rose quartz, vintage abalone shell buttons and sterling silver wire. The Vintage Abalone Shell Buttons have words of inspiration written on them or images & words collaged onto them.

Pendulums & Silk – Design by Rose Arizmendi – Copyright 2010

Silk is said to protect oneself  from negative energy, physical damage,  and outside vibrations. Silk also promotes abundance, strength, courage, and long life. The Goddess of silk making is Lei Tzu.

Everyday Goddessing is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside  each of us. – Rose Arizmendi

My Dear Friend & Me

To me, sharing a cup of tea or coffee with friends means warmth, comfort and great conversation.

Yesterday I had coffee with Elvira  and our conversation was mostly about friendship, everyday goddessing and sacred woo-woo. We had such a great time even though the weather was overcast and chilly. Next time,  I have to try the french toast extravaganza that Elvira had. Yummy!

This morning over tea with another friend, our conversation turned to the economy, the environment and the planet’s diminishing water supply. We also shared our  family stories, goals and hopes for the near future.

“Let us sit my friend and share a cup of tea
And talk of our dreams and the faraway places we want to see.
Let us dream together and explore all of life’s mysteries.
Just the two of us
my dear friend and me.” – Rose Arizmendi

Here are some interesting facts;

• The average shower uses 25-50 gallons.

• 5-7 gallons is used to flush the average toilet

• The average person uses 168 gallons daily.

• The average residence uses 107,000 gallons a year.

• The human body is 66% water

• The Earth’s surface is 80% water

• Only 1% of the earth’s water is suitable for drinking

“Water is life’s mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” – Lao Tzu

Everyday Goddessing is about sharing magical techniques and sacred wisdom with other beautiful Goddess women. I believe that within every woman there is a goddess, a wise woman, beautiful, creative, powerful, with a deep soul, and that everything we need and are looking for is already inside  each of us. – Rose Arizmendi