Dancing at the Crossroads

May Day, or what the Celts called Beltane, is one of my favorite days of the year. Ancient European cultures celebrated this day with fertility traditions that included feasts, dancing, and weaving bright-colored ribbons around a Maypole to encourage young men & women to frolic with one another.

With the plentiful sunshine and newly blooming flowers, it seems as though the earth itself erupts in joy, and we can't help but allow our spirits to follow suit by celebrating the color and vibrancy of the season.

 

One of my personal rituals this time of year is to take a "wildflower walk" in the woods near my home to catch a glimps of the earliest blooms. The photo above is of wild violets that sprout along my favorite path, and below are trout lilies that are always the first to blossom and herald spring.

 



 

One of the more rare and whimsical flowers along my walk is called the "toad trillium" because its leaves are so large that they're the perfect canopy for secretive toads. It's velvety blood-red color also lends itself to an abundance of fairy tale musings...

 

 

And then there are the spectacular white trilliums that often cover an entire hillside in the woods like a luxurious gift from nature hereself.

 

 

It's this gift of warmth & light & color that always makes my heart soar. And one of my very favorite expressions of spring joy comes from the Irish tradition called "Dancing at the Crossroads." Folklore maintains that if you grab a partner at the place where two paths meet and dance a jig with pure joy in your heart, fertility & abundance will soon be on its way. The more laughter the better, so particularly from the 18th through 19th centuries, travelers in the Irish countryside might suddenly stumble upon a group of young men & women singing & engaging in a winsome dance...

 

(photo credit link)

 

This photo from Ireland in 1891 shows such a dance about to start. Who wouldn't want to release all their cares in the warm sunshine & allow their feet to skip to the tune of a lively melody, flirting all the while? What a marvelous way to kick off a spring romance or to simply forget your troubles and smile...

 

(photo credit link)

 

Yet something that charming and potentially sensous would have to attract haters from one corner or another, wouldn't it? And indeed it did—by 1935, the practice of Dancing at the Crossroads was banned in Ireland by the Public Dance Halls Act, which forced these spontaneous expressions of joy to move to buildings that could be monitored & regulated. Open air dancing was considered "sinful" by the Catholic church, and the photo above captures one of the last "legal" crossroad dances in Glendalough, County Wicklow in the early 1930s before it was banned. Nevertheless, many scholars believe rural dancing was the basis for all forms of Irish dancing that are so popular today.

 

And I can't help it—every time I look at this sepia-toned photo of couples weaving into dance as shadows grow long and the day eases into twilight, I think about their brazen act of joy and defiance, especially on May Day. Because by the 1930s, Dancing at the Crossroads was already denounced in fire & brimstone messages from pulpits and by proper people of "high station". And yet despite the social censure, these country couples danced anyway...

 

Could there be a better testimony to the fertile power of Beltane?  So on my wildflower walks, even when a sadness has invaded my life, or I face a seemingly unsurmountable obstacle that seems to want to crush me into submission, I often think about these dancers who were inspired by the sun & warmth & fragrance of spring, as well as the soft dirt beneath their feet. And for just a moment, out there in a natural setting, I refuse to allow cold & brittle thoughts or restrictions to dominate my soul. And sometimes—when no one is looking—I give a silent wink to the wildflower fairies and ask the universe to open my heart to all that is good & beautiful & abundant. And then I pick up my feet in the spirit of May Day and dance... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April Fools

(photo credit link)

Oh, the joys of spring! The air gets warmer, flowers bloom & we suddenly feel the urge to kick off our shoes & walk barefoot once again—and perhaps to take a few chances on merriment & love? After all, April Fool's Day comes during the spring season for a reason. Something about the long-awaited warmth & burst of color in nature revives our sense of vitality & adventure (even if it does lead to our embarrassment at times ; ). So just where did the term April Fool's Day come from? No one can say for certain when this capricious holiday began (isn't that a bit fitting?), but many scholars speculate that April Fool's Day (often called All Fool's Day) started with a mix-up due to the switchover from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar as ordered by Pope Gregory XII in 1582. The Gregorian Calendar called for New Year's Day to be celebrated on Jan. 1 instead of April 1, but according to folklore, many people either refused to accept the new date or didn't hear about it, so they continued to celebrate New Year's Day on the old date of April 1. In time, people began to make fun of these individuals by sending them on "fool's errands" to look for things that don't exist or by attempting to trick them into believing that something ridiculous is true. And of course, there's always the mischievous pranks. One prank that became common with the French (who call the date Poisson d'Avril or April Fish) is to tape the picture of a fish on someone's back and cry "Poisson d'Avril!" once the prank is discovered.

 (photo credit link)

The only problem with this theory is that many historians contend April Fool's day has been around much longer than 1582. In fact, types of "spring fever" have been celebrated all over the world from ancient times to the present, particularly with an emphasis on silliness, mayhem & frolic. Even the ancient Romans had a festival named Hilaria on March 25 (rejoicing in the resurrection of Attis), and cultures all over the world have lighthearted holidays that come close to the vernal equinox. Could it be that spring itself ignites this merriment & whimsical view of the world?

(photo credit link)

To be honest, I've often wondered if the fragrances of newly bloomed flowers or their pollen might contain elements (which science hasn't discovered yet) that trigger our devil-may-care attitudes towards adventure & romance come spring. Without such subtle aphrodisiacs in the air, perhaps we might not survive as a species? Because love always involves an element of risk—especially due to the sting & embarrassment of rejection—so surely we require a little something to inspire our courage?

(phot credit link)

After all, it's not for nothing that the warnings against kissing for foolish reasons have arisen over the centuries, for everyone knows what the end result might be: the dreaded broken heart . . .

(photo credit link)

And yet, without a little foolishness, how would we ever be "crazy" enough to pursue love at all? We know it is rife with the minefields of hurt & betrayal & the vicissitudes of faithless emotions. But the rewards? Ah, to put it quite simply: everlasting love is most people's idea of Paradise (along with winning the lottery). So in this regard, an April fool who is bold enough to pursue love—and actually get it—might be the wisest among us of all . . .

(photo credit link)

With that thought in mind, perhaps that foolish kiss could be just the thing to break your life wide open & send you reeling through a meadow of wonderful possibilities—if only you'll take the chance. My teenage character Robin faces this exact situation in my YA novel Robin in the Hood. Her stale life at an elite, all-girl boarding school is devoted entirely to structure and routine. So when she hides her father in a run-down trailer park after she learns her family has gone broke & her father is wanted by the law, she is suddenly thrust into a whole new world where the same old rules don't apply. And one of those rules that has gone by the wayside is the prohibition against fraternizing with boys. Yet even though Robin admits she's "diamond wise and boy foolish," she knows what the stakes truly are: the giddyness & delight of a spring romance vs. the soul-crushing reality of rejection if her new love doesn't work. Dare she take a chance on love with Creek, the drop-dead gorgeous bad boy of the trailer park who commits crimes to provide for their neighbors?

(photo credit link)

It doesn't help matters that Robin's birthday is on April 1st, making her an official April Fool! But after her first kiss with Creek, Robin can't escape the fact that she's been bitten by the love bug . . .

Creek’s eyes arrested mine. They were still that hard blue, broken by shards of glass in the middle like a guy totally focused on his mission. But there was a softness at the edges as well, as if maybe he wanted to . . .

Protect me?

And kiss me at the same time—

Both urges warring inside him.

Well, I decided, no time like the present to test that theory!

I rushed my hands up his firm chest and clutched his face, pulling his lips to mine for as much Heaven as I’d ever been allowed on this silly, spinning planet.

And spin I did! Inside, I felt as if I my whole being had gotten lost in a dreamy whirl. All traces of thought evaporated, only the smell and feel of his hard skin and soft hair overwhelming my senses. I was tumbling end over end, because no one had ever informed me that . . .

When you touch someone this beautiful—

It’s like falling into a pool of light.

And all of a sudden,

You’re that beautiful, too . . .

And that becomes the biggest reward for Robin as she tests the waters of romance—the opportunity to fall into that "pool of light" & allow her soul to become bigger than it used to be with a love that might turn out to be the "real thing". Though Robin is young & doesn't understand everything just yet, the one thing she knows for certain is that the past is gone & she must forge a new future based on her own rules—even if that does sometimes turn her in to a fool. Luckily, she can always to return to Granny Tinker's gypsy wagon to ask her advice about life, love & everything in between. And in this season of April foolishness, I'll leave you with one of Granny Tinker's greatest pearls of wisdom: "Child, if you ain't makin' a fool of yourself once in a while, then you ain't got the guts to be truly livin' at all . . . "

(photo credit link)

P.S. Would you like a little help to find a spring romance? Magickal Perfumerie has a delightful love potion called Gold that is expertly blended with vanilla, citrus, amber & patchouli to help ignite attraction. And no, I don't take kickbacks from this company—I just love their stuff! You can peruse their wonderful fragrances at www.lovepotionperfume.com.  

Spring Equinox with Liza Lambertini

Awakening Flower Fairy 

 

I've known about Liza Lambertini's extraordinary goddess & fairy art for some time now (she designed the gorgeous "Twixt" silhouette based on Chapter 20 "Dancing with the Moon" from my novel Twixt). So when the Spring Equinox was approaching, I was just dying to see some of her new seasonal pieces & hear about how she creates her whimsical & enchanting artworks. The following is my interview with Liza about her creative process & inspiration as well as her magical philosophy about art in general. You can also visit her spectacular website to see more of Liza Lambertini's artwork at www.faeriewood.com.

Hi Liza—thank you for visiting Bandits Ranch! I'd love to ask you about how you became an artist. How old were you when you began to get an inkling that you were artistic? And what were your earliest artistic influences?
I believe I fell in love with my first box of crayons the day they were introduced to me. From the moment I could “wield” my hands properly (which I dare say was quite frustrating when I knew what I WANTED to do, but my little hands just were not doing what they were told), I loved to draw. I do recall that because I was so enamored with the small box of crayons, and then I was given the BIG box of crayons (which of course sent me into a creative fury and out popped a fairy! :D ). Had anyone dared touch one of my crayons, I would promptly give that person a dirty look due to the fact that I did not have many words in my vocabulary. My grandmother raised me because my mother was a single parent and had to work to support us. My Nana encouraged me to draw once she had seen how happy it made me. I believe it was my mother who had gotten me the BIG box of crayons.

                                                  Fairy & Bee Having Nectar Tea

Did you always have an affinity with fairies and enchantment as a little girl, or did that develop more slowly over time? Do you have any favorite fairy tales or stories? Why do they resonate for the artist in you?
When I was but a wee baby, I would stop and look up & point in the air. My grandmother would look & not see anything, nor would my mother, but they both believed I saw faeries. Originally it was my grandfather who'd told stories about faeries, and this was passed on to me from them. The stories they told were about little people who are kind to all of nature, wildlife, and children. I just naturally gravitated to that because I loved nature from the moment I first opened my eyes. The faery stories my mother & grandmother would tell me will always be my favorite. They are not written in any book—they are in my heart. That was one of the best times of my life, and it also honored my grandfather as well who I have an uncanny connection to, even though I never knew him personally.

The nature faeries in the Disney film Fantasia felt right to me because it correlated with the stories I had been told as a child of little gossamer winged people who danced and sang while caring for nature. They are conveyed as having an integral part of nature's health. That is what I love most about the film. I can't remember a time when I did not have a love/affinity for the faeries. I also believe I was switched at birth (and I've been trying to get back there ever since!). Faeries really resonate for me because I know there is real magic in nature. I have witnessed it time and time again—not only during childhood, but even now in my adulthood, too. As a co-creator with creation, I believe this is my calling. Thus far, many things I have created do happen in real life—undeniably and “naturally”.

 

 

Wonderment

 

What were your favorite mediums to create art with when you began experimenting as an artist? Have your favorite mediums changed over time?

I like all mediums and have worked with most of them with the exception of oil pastels. Acrylics I tend to lean towards simply because they dry quickly. I also love watercolor, and I dabble in sculpture now and again. But my favorite medium is my art tablet and pen. I draw directly into my computer, and I find it both relaxing and exciting both at the same time. I have been working in Photoshop since the WWW came into popularity (give or take a year or so), and when dial-up was the only option. I taught myself Photoshop.

When did you begin to get interested in silhouette art?

I have always loved silhouette art since I was a child. I recall going into antique store with my grandmother. She loved “window” shopping. I remember seeing vintage silhouettes of nymphs and fairies that I fell in love with. Dusk and dawn are so beautiful to me in nature—I feel captivated by the way the contrast of the trees and the sky boldly accentuate each other. It is a magical time for me. As far as devoting myself to becoming a silhouette artist? Gosh, so many years have passed since that first day I mustered up the courage to even try. I had a vision that was insistent, but I did not feel that I was good enough and I was so terrified I would fail at it . . . especially because I was giving up one way of doing art that really did not call to me (even though I made money at it) to do something that really does call to me—it meant I had to start all over. It also meant taking a chance, making a change, and facing fear to get past all that and to simply do what I love. Today, I have a deep respect for artists who have the courage to create what is truly in their heart and who seek not just monetary gain but fulfillment & joy. As one of my fellow artists says, "Art is bravery on display" (Victory @Victoryarts on Twitter).

Do you have any formal training as an artist, or are you mostly self-taught?
This question always sticks in my craw . . . or caw, caw, caw. (Um, clearing throat—raven popped out for a second!) I consider myself to be formerly trained by me. I believe I am born an artist & am learning all the time. Art is a life long journey for me. It is the path of discovery.
 

 Hunter Moon

What has been the hardest part of your artistic journey, and what has been the most rewarding part?
The hardest & saddest part of my artistic journey is dealing with jealous people who saw my unique vision and wanted to copy it for themselves. When I first made my work public I was putting out more than just magic and a “good idea”. I put out there something that I truly believe is my salvation. The most difficult part of this journey is feeling used by people & treated poorly when what I have to bring to the table is filled with magic, positivity, and light. It's also very hard when I've been purposefully excluded by jealous or insecure people, especially when my art is healing—and I believe it really does have that kind of magic in it. My work is my soul bared and my inner-child’s greatest hope. It is the opportunity I did not have until I was old enough to give it to myself—the opportunity of healing and that of having a career. But the most rewarding thing is seeing growth within myself as an artist/human being and having what is truly in my heart show itself to the world. I love those moments when I touch people's lives with my work, or when something magical happens after I've created a piece. And when people inspire me, it is very rewarding since I am a social being by nature. Gratitude does not even begin to express how I feel about my customers, supporters, and kindred souls.

 

Reign Faerie

Every once in a while I hear you talk about your "muse." Can you describe what inspires you, and how you go about creating new pieces?

A vision pops into my head and it does not leave unless I create it. Nature really inspires me. I can say that she is the greatest muse of all to me. However, I also draw inspiration from many places. Kindness inspires me. When a person is good to me, some quality that I see which is beautiful about them will inspire me. People inspire me a lot—you certainly have, Diane. I would not have been able to create an artwork for Twixt if I did not know you a bit first & then read your book. People who are good to me are an inspiration always!

Twixt—a scene from "Dancing with the Moon"

In addition, much of my art is born of gratitude. Gratitude is very inspiring : ) Children inspire me, as well as music, song, dance, literature, poetry—inspiration is everywhere! Sometimes it just pops into my head out of nowhere. When I did the piece below of my muse sleeping in a flower, it was because I had no inspiration and she was all tuckered out. I figured okay, I’ll just draw her sleeping! : ) I didn't create for a while after that. I think muses need a rest too, and I learned if I wake her up too soon, she is really cranky. WHO KNOWS what I’d be creating if I wake her up too soon!!! (LOL) So I learned to have compassion for my muse. She has been with me since that first crayon, and I hope will be with me for the rest of my life.

                                                                  Sleeping Muse

 

You also write beautiful poetry to accompany many of your artistic works. What comes to you first, the lyrics or the artwork?
Thank you! The art always comes first. Sometimes it feels like I am in a trance-like state when creating, and once completed, I awaken to look at the art who then tells me a “truth” which often is in the form of a poem.

                                                                       Hare Moon

That's so lovely! So how do you fill up your "emotional well" and put yourself in a mood to create your gorgeous artworks? Do you meditate, go out in nature, listen to music? Spirituality and a sense of the sacred just naturally seem to come through in your artwork—do you have tips for cultivating your soul & creativity that you can share with others?

My “well” is not something that I can fill up by myself, so it is not something that I have control over. I believe in a natural process. For example, one of the questions you asked me above is what inspires me? I took a break while writing this and went outside. Wouldn’t you know my opossum friend comes walking up my front porch steps while I'm standing right there? (Talk about timing!) I had to say something to her, lest she climb over my feet or up my leg. She sniffed my slipper & was so relaxed, as was I, about the encounter. Nature is very kind to me & I am kind to nature. I find being in this space is the best place I can be in artistically. It lightens my heart & my attitude changes as well. I believe that nature speaks to me—experiences like this always happen, and because I feel such gratitude inside to hear “the voice” in accordance and harmonizing with my own, it inspires my work. I feel such compassion for nature, and I would say my art is my way of “scribing” & creating magic. Some people pray, some use herbs and chanting, some people meditate. I do not think it is the same for everyone, and I do believe that not everyone is born with these abilities. I believe we're all chosen at birth by something sacred for specific purposes—this purpose is also meant to support our lives & contribute to our families and society. For how else can the journey continue & be shared without support? That is what I believe in, because that is what I have been taught by nature. I trust that. I have no tips to give anyone simply because it is not the same for everyone. I do feel being unique & different is a privilege! Diversity is beautiful to me—something that I take seriously & honor within myself.

Lovely Liza Lambertini with her winged friends . . .
 

Thank you for this interview, Diane. May the Sacred shine upon you for giving me & the magical ones this opportunity. Faery Blessings!

Three Muses

Irish Enchantment

(photo credit link)

 

Why is it that Ireland can boast the largest number of Nobel Prize winners in Literature per capita than any other country in the world? Seamus Heaney, Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw & William Butler Yeats have each been awarded the most coveted prize in literature, and the following literary luminaries were all born in Ireland: Jonathan Swift, J.M. Synge, Sean O'Casey, James Joyce, Edna O'Brien & Bram Stoker! Many have argued that Ireland's marvelous tradition of storytelling contributes to the imagination & narrative skill of its countrymen & women. But I also like to think something else has given rise to the Emerald Isle's storytelling magic over the years—their enchanted worldview.

And what would I know of such Irish enchantment? Plenty—for my mother was raised by my Irish great grandmother who'd grown up in Ireland & experienced the "old ways" long before Ireland had even achieved independence from Britain.

Here is a picture of my great grandmother Margaret O'Hara on her wedding day in 1899. Note how very slim she appears (her raven-haired head is nearly as large as her waist!), for Ireland was not long from the famine that had plagued the country in the 19th century. But along with her fondness for Irish lace & crystal, indomitable will hardened by persecution from the Protestant Orange Order, and extroardinary hospitality that is always a hallmark of Irish culture, Margaret O'Hara brought something else along with her to the United States: an animated view of the world that is deeply rooted in a belief in magic . . .

As a girl from a poor Catholic family, Margaret O'Hara grew up in what you & I would call an "Old World" stone cottage with a sandy floor & a fire-burning hearth where they cooked all their meals—and then told legends to whittle away the dark evening hours. And it was those stories that my great grandmother repeated to my own mother when she was a girl—tales of a fairy behind every bush, ghostly banshees who scream to let you know when someone will die, and a whole score of spells (with their accompanying holy oils) that needed to be cast to insure friendly weather & a good harvest of crops. Below is my very favorite photo of my great-grandmother and my mother walking hand in hand in a field during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was a tough time in the United States, but though they had few material items to share, my great grandmother made up for it by telling my mother enchanted stories of every tree & flower & hill that coincided with Celtic myths & legends on their long walks together.

For you see, to Margaret O'Hara, those legends wouldn't have been far away or long ago at all. To the ancient Celts & even the more modern Irish like Margaret O'Hara, time was once viewed as cyclical—a series of spirals that makes the legendary past always present and very alive. In current times, we tend to think of life as linear, with one event following after the other as though life passes by on a conveyor belt. But to the Celts, time has parallel dimensions that are not a line but are rather a circle or connection of spirals. “What lies beneath” might be a more appropriate catch phrase, because instead of viewing time as a swift moving stream, the Celts viewed it as more of a lake. We who are living now are simply leaves floating on the surface of that lake. But underneath us is a vast depth of All-Time filled with ancestral spirits & legendary figures who are still active in their realm—and that dimension has influence on us in the present day. So that means the fairies of yesteryear continue to come out to play & to create mischief (especially on the Celtic holidays of Beltane & Samhain—May Day & Halloween). So you'd better know the right spells & biscuits to bake to keep the particularly naughty ones at bay! And to Margaret O'Hara, a sudden warm breeze & call of a bird just as shadows beneath trees start to mysteriously shift were all clear evidence of the fairies' activities. It goes without saying, of course, that you'd better be a good girl for Gram because if you weren't, you just might be given to the ragpicker—or even worse, to a roving band of unscrupulous fairies . . .

(photo credit link)

 

Did I happen to mention that no one could curse like my mother? Oh, she never swore or took the Lord's name in vain, but believe me, she could look you in the eye & utter an old Irish curse with such spellbinding venom that you'd think for certain all hell was about to rain on your head. "A pox on you!" she'd cry to someone who dared to steal her parking spot, "may you be fed hogwash and be boiled in oil." Or to the person who coldly swiped a bargain she was about to grab, "Crows' curse upon you," she'd grumble, "and the devil take your last shilling." Far more common for her were the blessings, however—for I grew up believing there were helpful fairies & angels hovering as close as a breath, if only we had eyes to see them. "But we can always feel them with our hearts," my mother explained, "if we we stop long enough to listen"—and she was convinced that they were attracted by our laughter and joy . . . 

 

Is it any wonder with such an animated worldview that I grew up to write books that feature magic & whimsy intersecting with every day life such as Twixt & Robin in the Hood? Like those Emerald Isle writers that came long before me, I too was influenced by an enchanted Irish worldview that made my mother's life full of possibility & miracles—and I'm so grateful that it gave me the courage to believe . . .

(photo credit link)

P.S. Since March is the month of Saint Patrick's Day, I just can't help but let you know about 2 new enchanting love potions/fragrances from Magickal Perfumerie that feature fairies & leprechauns. And yes, I ordered them myself! I don't receive kickbacks from this company at all—I just find their fragrances are so intoxicating & exquisite that I can't help sharing them with everyone. You can find their new fragrances at www.lovepotionperfume.com. Enjoy!

Pixie Dust Fragrance Description: Where the tall trees stand like sentinels upon the land, guarding those sacred & secret places known only to the Fae . . . the Sun has returned to the world & lain its golden warmth upon the land & the Pixies rejoice in the coming of light & scatter their delicate magic upon everything they see. Their trilling chorus of exultation awakens the birds & the flowers to herald another season of creation & the blooms which burst forth in so much chromatic glory are the surest sign that Spring is come. We can all now turn our faces to the light & smile in its beneficence . . .
Magickal Meaning of Ingredients:
VANILLA ~ Aphrodisiac, inspires happiness, playfulness, sexual arousal, lust, vitalizing.
WISTERIA ~ Welcoming of new person into your life. Youth, eloquence.
LILAC ~ Inspires peace and harmony, humility, youthfulness, protection.
HELIOTROPE ~ Clairvoyance, healing, protection, wealth, exorcism, invisibility.
MUSK ~ Self confidence and strength, sexual attractant, heightens passions and arousal.

Leprechaun Luck Fragrance Description: Golden honeysuckle blossoms will show you the money, especially when dipped in a light sweet honey, given a spritz of shiny lemon, and topped with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and a dash of warm ginger. And because wealth attracts wealth, we’ve included a sparkly swirl of 24kt gold leaf inside every bottle!
Magickal Meanings of Ingredients:
HONEYSUCKLE ~ Bonds of love, generosity; attracts money, prosperity, clairvoyance, healing, creativity, protection.
HONEY ~ Enticing, seductive; use to bewitch a straying or hesitant lover. Happiness, fulfillment.
LEMON ~ Energizing, uplifting. Longevity, faithfulness, fidelity, friendship. Used to attract spirits.
GINGER ~ Fiery and fortifying, induces passion. Intensifies love spells and success spells. Love, money, success, power. Ginger increases sensitivity in the erogenous zones.
MILK/BUTTER/CREAM ~ Nurturing, soothing, eases troubled relationships. Goddess energy.
24kt GOLD ~ Gold is masculine in energy and a representation of the sun. It's energy is projective and aggressive, and represents wealth and prosperity.

Stitching Hearts

Few things herald the coming of spring to me quite like a quilt show. Especially in early March, when temperatures are still rather brisk, the bright colors of quilts always lift my spirits & remind me that winter's bleak grays & browns will eventually be replaced by the courageous early blooms of crocuses & daffodils. So when I saw an advertisement for a local quilt display in my rural area, I jumped at the chance to go.

This particular "Album" quilt was a showstopper for its extraordinary use of detailed applique with traditional designs using a vibrant rainbow of colors.

And this bold "Star Reel" design was entirely stitched by hand. Although this quilt was completed in modern times, it made me wonder about the women who quilted in the 18th & 19th centuries in America out of necessity to provide warmth for their families.  Even though quilts back then were considered a practical item, the women's artistry still shone through.

 

Of course, there was no radio or television in those days, so perhaps quilting was a welcome respite during long winter evenings lit by candlelight, if one wasn't already too exhausted by chores. And then there was the social aspect of quilting—quilting bees offered isolated women the opportunity for much-needed female companionship (not to mention a chance to catch up on local gossip : ).

 

 But there's another aspect of quilting that has always fascinated me as well. I often wonder if, in the long hours spent in the tedious work of hand stitching, women can't help imprinting not only part of their personalities but also their souls into the patterns of their quilts. After all, each quilt acts as a permanent record of the woman who made it, reflecting her personal choices & what was important to her in that particular place & time.

 

 

This quilt, for example, is the traditional "Tree of Life" pattern that serves to remind us of the importance of faith & the hereafter. But notice how the quilter embellished it with birds at the top & bottom. Their charm adds a bit of lightness & whimsy to the overall quilt design—could there possibly be a message from the quilter here? Could she be saying, "Yes, prayer & spiritual devotion are always good—but don't forget to sing & make merry while you still can"?

 

It's impossible to say what each quilter intends, and perhaps it's that very mystery that has always drawn me to quilts, as though each one contains a series of stitched hieroglyphics that sheds light on the spirit of the quilter, if one can somehow decipher their meaning? 

 

For this reason, I loved using a quilt as a metaphor for the "magic" that is passed down through generations of women in my novel TWIXT. The quilt created by Corvine O'Dannan in the 19th century might look like a "Crazy Quilt" to the casual observer—a haphazard design of herbs & moons & totem animals—but to Corvine's modern descendent Rose, the quilt is actually a sacred heirloom that holds the key to unlocking the special alchemy of the ’twixt women (who are part fairy & part human).

 

With their unique colors, patterns & textures, quilts preserve the heritage of the women who came before for the women who come after, and each stitch links their hearts in an eternal chain. As we pass these heirlooms along, quilts act as conduits of the love & tradition that went into making them—and the warmth & security they provide remind us of the value of history & hard work, but also of the creativity & whimsy that makes each quilt unique. As a result, quilts are the  colorful "soul records" of creative & enduring women who brightened their own worlds with every stitch & left behind a piece of themselves with each design for posterity to remember & enjoy. 

 

Love Potions

(photo credit link)

Ah, with February & Valentine's Day upon us, we can't help but think about what it takes to give love a little nudge. Flowers, chocolate, perhaps even a candlelight dinner for two—these gestures of affection are frequently offered in hopes of igniting passion or to cause the embers of love to burn that much brighter . . .

 (photo credit link)

But can attraction really be under anyone's control? Even though we all know that part of the adrenaline rush of romance is its mystery & risk, for centuries people have endeavored to "assist" the special chemistry it takes to create desire.  Ancient Romans used frankincense & oysters as an aphrodisiac (known to enhance male libido), and Cleopatra secretly sprinkled opium into her paramours' drinks. But short of trafficking in illegal substances or black market products such as powdered rhino horn, is there anything credible to the idea of creating a genuine "love potion"?

(photo credit link)

Science now tells us YES—

In a new study published by the renouned biology journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers discovered that people naturally gravitate in a romantic fashion towards others whose body scent is similar at a molecular level to their own. This odor is subtle and can only be recognized subconsciously—so we're not talking about sweat or body odor here. What attracts people is the distinctive fragrance determined by your genes that activates the right middle front of your brain where positive emotions are generated. Why? Because apparently these scents come from the "immunogenes" that boost your immune system—so the outcome of such attraction is to eventually create offspring who are healthier & stronger. As a result, we're actually following our noses to survival of the fittest as a species. "Love at first sight" might be better phrased as "Love at first smell"—so long as the scents of the two parties involved complement one another. 

(photo credit link)

So how might YOU discover the best scent to make yourself attractive to your object of desire? Utilizing the wisdom now confirmed by scientists, the best "Love Potion" means choosing more natural fragrances that will enhance your own body's scent, rather than applying overly synthetic or artificial-smelling perfumes. One company that specializes in such natural ingredients is the Magickal Perfumerie company (www.lovepotionperfume.com) with their artisanal fragrances that cater to the new scientific research on human pheromones & our instinctual responses to natural scents.

In their current line of Love Potions, their products stand out as much for their beautiful & whimsical packaging as for their extraordinary ingredients! And boasting over 25 years of experience, Magickal Perfumerie is the same company that created the classic Love Potion #9 named after the tune made famous in the 1960s by The Searchers (click here to see video). The songwriters Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller actually approached expert perfumier Mara Fox of Magickal Perfumerie to help them design a fragrance for both men & women containing citrus & musk to make the scent fresh & cool, yet refined. According to happy wearers, it's a fragrance that transcends both gender & time to make you feel like "Pure Magic."

But if you'd  prefer something even more intense, there's Magickal Perfumerie's notorious RED. This is a fragrance that Mara Fox says "drives men insensible with lust" & she warns that you "should absolutely wear this fragrance with caution" as it can attract "hungry wolfish types". For years she took it off the market, but popular demand brought it back, and with its intoxicating mix of vanilla, amber, patchouli, cinnamon, dark sugar, resins & woodsy notes, this Love Potion is a veritable alchemy of attraction.

Perhaps you're in the mood for something sweeter & a bit more civilized? For a limited time, Magickal Perfumerie is offering the Honeyed Love Potion: a pheromone-enhanced aphrodisiac with honey, apricot, vanilla, amber, patchouli & verbena that Mara Fox says is designed to "nudge him off that cliff of indecision and into your arms." Sounds like heaven in a bottle, right? This particular scent is inspired by gypsy magic for "the woman who believes the man of her dreams can never be hers"—that is, "until the gypsy comes to town and tells her otherwise." This particularly magical scent will make a forever-after love come your way, the kind that is written "in the cards, in the tea leaves, in the very stars." The wearer of this love potion will "turn her desired one's gaze to her & no other for as long as they live." That's some powerful gypsy magic indeed!

But wait a second—we all know that gypsy magic can be capricious if you're naive about its impact & consequences. And gypsy magic is EXACTLY what got my teen character Robin McArthur into so much trouble in my young adult novel Robin in the Hood. Early on in the story, Robin discovers it's no accident that she arrived at Turtle Shores —the gypsy woman Granny Tinker cast a few magic spells in secret to bring her there. Her neighbor Lorraine spills the beans to Robin:  
 

"So you must be that girl who's the talk of Turtle Shores," Lorraine said.

"The-the talk? I replied, startled.

“Yes ma’am. You’re the one Granny Tinker’s been prayin’ for! She told us all a few weeks ago you were comin’—to help Creek take care of us. She done some special kind of voodoo to conjure you.”

Now it was my turn to blush . . .  

 

(photo credit link)

Furious, Robin hightails it straight to Granny Tinker's wagon to confront her:

 

I pounded on Granny Tinker’s gypsy wagon door with everything I had in me, and then I gave it a swift kick.

“How dare you voodoo me here!” I hollered, mad as hell. “You had no right! My life used to be wonderful. Do you hear me? Wonderful!!”

My chest heaved to catch my breath because I was on a roll now. Two whole pieces of Lorraine’s pie with ice cream on top had energized me enough to face an army. And I intended to make Granny pay for this—

“Wonderful, eh?” A husky voice replied from out of nowhere. “Then explain to me why you ain’t hitchhiked outta here yet?”

I nearly leaped to the moon.

“Unless you’re a lyin’ sack a you-know-what. Somethin’ tells me you wouldn’t know wonderful if it came up from behind and bit you.”

Later in that scene, Granny Tinker admits to Robin the truth:

 

“Sweetheart,” Granny said gravely, “it warn’t me who prayed you here. It was Creek.”

She waited for her words to trickle into my brain, watching the astonishment surface in my eyes.

“He needs help like nobody’s business to keep us all together, he just won’t admit it. But any fool can see it takes more’n one person to get the kind of cash Brandi needs to pay for medical care. So let’s just say maybe I helped him along a little with what I know.”

Granny’s eyes twinkled at the spirals of smoke that rose from her incense sticks, even though they’d nearly burned down to their brass holders.

“Besides,” she said with a mischievous grin, flashing her gold tooth, “bringing you back to yer real home, where yer Pa found the only woman he ever truly cared for, was the very least I could do in the name of true love."

 

 

What Robin doesn't realize in that moment is that Granny Tinker has a hunch she & Creek need true love, too—and sometimes allowing a little magic into your heart can lead to the greatest romance of all.  So even though science now tells us that Love Potions do have genuine merit, what's really required for Robin to find her happily ever after is opening her heart to magic and possibility. As Mara Fox says about love spells in general, "The ritual of a spell is not really the important part. The crucial part is your intense focus." When Robin learns how intensely Creek loves his "family" at Turtle Shores—so much that he actually prayed for someone like her to come & help him provide for them—that's when she realizes just how pure his heart really is. And it's understanding his intentions that becomes the "love potion" that truly casts a spell over heart. But until that moment comes into your own life, it might not hurt to have a little gypsy magic—and a love potion or two from Magickal Perfumerie—to boost your confidence & give your efforts towards finding romance an enchanted helping hand . . . 

If you enjoy love stories with a sprinkling of magic & gypsy spells, you may enjoy my new novel Robin in the Hood, available in paperback at Amazon & Barnes & Noble & as an ebook on Kindle, Nook, iBooks & Kobo.