Soul Gems

The other day I had a profound dream—the kind that makes you feel as if your soul is trying to talk to you, but can't get your attention any other way. Okay, I'll admit I'm the type of person whose dreams are so vivid, I still remember one I had when I was five years old. And there were several that came to me when I was eleven that I felt were prophetic for the course of my life. Yeah, I'm woo-woo that way. I'm that spooky friend who calls you up & says, "You know, I had a really powerful dream about you last night & I think it's meant to tell you something about your future." Recently, I even dreamed a friend of mine was in a bookstore signing her debut novel with posters hanging everywhere of the beautiful cover. I hadn't chatted with her for about a year, but the dream was so vivid I simply had to email her to tell her success was around the corner. Her response? She had decided to quit writing that day!  The angels must have been tapping me on the shoulder with this message, because after I gave her that boost, she finished her debut novel in only a few weeks & sold it to a major publisher for six figures!

So yeah, I guess you could say I believe in listening to your dreams.

But sometimes my dreams bring messages for me. In my latest one, I had walked into a turquoise shop in the Southwest that sells heirloom pieces of jewelry & Native American artwork. A small group of Navajo artists & silversmiths were there having lunch. They greeted me kindly & offered me a meal, happy to chat about their wares and their day. The problem? I couldn't hear them.  

(Navajo silversmiths circa 1900 & the present)

In my dream, the shop was very humble, yet the walls were surrounded by high tech gadgets—computers, ipads, stereos & plasma TVs—blaring music, news & videos so loudly I couldn't catch a word the Navajo were trying to say, much less enjoy listening to them describe how they create their artistic works. Frustrated, I began running around the shop trying to find the off switches & wires to unplug all these confounded devices.  Finally, one of the men turned to me and said with a gentle voice, "Come back another day when your heart can hear."

I woke up slayed. To me, it was pretty obvious what my dream was trying to say. With all of the high tech devices & social media we have competing for our constant attention, it's so easy to get caught up in the electronic whirl & lose touch with the people we love & the whispers of our souls. And as I got out of bed that morning, I realized I was still wearing one of my very favorite turquoise bracelets.

Yes, I know it looks rather ordinary with its humble design & modest-sized stone, but it's by far one of the most valuable pieces I own. It was the first piece of jewelry given to me by my mother, who bought it directly from the Navajo on a reservation in the 1970s in Arizona. The stone at the center came from the renowned Kingman mine, which produces "Kingman blue"—an intensely blue strain of nuggets with a black matrix that often flashes silver, which comes from a rare vein in Ithaca Peak that has been exhausted since 1972. These stones are so vibrant & distinctive that I've had turquoise collectors stop me on the street & ask to buy it.

But no dice.

Kingman blue turquoise

Why? Because I consider this bracelet a "Soul Gem." A rare article in my possession that connects me not only to my mother but also to the spirits of those who created such artistry in the Navajo tradition. And yeah, call me woo-woo, but I believe these special items carry with them the positive energy from those who came before us, acting as conduits of their love, trust, guidance, and comfort. It doesn't matter if these items are made of stone, metal, paper or wood, or are considered worthless to other people. What makes a Soul Gem special is the place it occupies in our hearts—and its unique ability to quiet our spirits & help us listen to our souls once again. 

I have many other pieces of turquoise jewelry (I'm a bit of a hoarder, as you can see from this small sample above from my collection), but price never dictates value to me. True Soul Gems carry an energy of love & wisdom that far exceed their humble appearances. So for me, an army medal of my father's, an old perfume bottle that reminds me of my mother's scent, a poem written on a napkin by my twin sister when she was 14—these are the Soul Gems that I will treasure forever. One of my favorites is a threadbare copy of The Celtic Twilight by William Butler Yeats that's yellowed & torn, with dozens of underlines & dog-eared pages. It's the small book I've often taken backpacking with me to read at night by flash light. Why is this volume so dear? Because the famous poet took it upon himself to canvas the Irish countryside in the 1920s to record the rural people's stories of their experiences with fairy lore & magic before their stories died out, and then translated them from Gaelic to English to preserve for posterity. The stories are so beautiful & raw that they always touch my heart. And for me, even the act of holding this book in my hands is something sacred that invites centuries of enchantment & wisdom to penetrate my soul. I feel such a book helps me step away from the distractions of daily life & encourages my heart to "hear" better, just like the Navajo man mentioned in my dream.

Do you have a Soul Gem in your possession? A photograph, a lock of hair, a cherished piece of jewelry or heirloom tool that means the world to you? I'd love to hear your story, if you have the time! Whether a book appeals to you, or you're more the type to refresh your spirit by gardening, visiting old friends, enoying heirloom jewelry, or taking a country stroll, I encourage you to spend time with your Soul Gems & engage in activities that help you get in touch with you again. And maybe, you'll hear those quiet whispers of the heart that can lead you to your dreams <3 

(Photo credit note: All images on my website are either my own or were gleaned from pictures in the public domains of facebook, pinterest, or other popular social networks. If you own the copyright to any of these images & do NOT want them used publicly, please contact me & I will take them down immediately! : )

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.