Journal Keeping for Calligraphers, Artists and Other Creative Spirits

Ideas come and go. Inspiration strikes at the most inopportune moments. Keeping a journal is a purely personal matter, but journals can take many forms.

In your creative life they can be somewhere to sketch ideas down when you don’t have the available materials to hand.
I have many journals for many things… here are a few suggestions…

Put pictures, jottings, pictures of colours that you particularly like, photographs, textures, line drawings, thumbnail sketches, Paint techniques, background techniques, try outs, nature pictures, quotations, inspirations.
Name your book:

Give your book a name, this will help feed your creative spirit.
Call it: Idea Catcher, Colour Therapy, From the Heart, Inspirations…. Think of your own.

Put anything and everything in your book that will become a useful reference for those times when ideas seem to vanish and all your creative juices are like a desert and in need of hydration. It’s also a great place to store all those pieces that didn’t seem to work out at the time, but be warned, pieces that looked unsuccessful at the time have a nasty habit of looking far batter once they’ve been locked away in a book and not see the light of day for a while.
For the serious journal keeper I suggest you write in your journal every day. If you don’t think you have time, use the time just as you wake, or sit down to your morning coffee or just after tea… give yourself permission to write, even if it’s only 15 mins and you can only manage a sentence. It will become second nature.

Personal Journals can be kept for lots of reasons also. A Dream Diary, A Gratitude Journal, Somewhere to off load the angst of the day, get it out there.

Years ago I did ‘The Artists Way’ its quite a commitment keeping up the morning pages and I’m not particularly a morning person either, but what happened over the course of 12 weeks was to unleash creativity in ways I could never have expected. Just giving yourself that half an hour or so means you never loose that idea that may one day turn into a great piece of work.
Start now. Use journals with plain pages in so that you can draw and sketch if necessary.
Choose a paper that will hold at least a bit of water if you fancy using watercolour paints.
Keeping a journal takes the fear out of having to complete a ‘perfect’ piece of work, if it does turn out to be spectacular you can always take the page out and mount and frame it, providing the paper is of good quality. Using good quality paper in your journal also makes you respect it a lot more too.
Above all….start today keep it up and see what happens!

What do you use your Journal for?
Do you have more than one?

A Tribute to Glen Epstein Calligrapher Scribe and Joker

I was saddened on Monday to hear of the death of a fellow scribe, Glen Epstein. I first met Glen many years ago on a calligraphy message board and after the initial shock of getting to grips with his unique humour, found he was easy to like and despite first impressions was a gentle and wonderful spirited man who couldn’t do enough to help and was generous with his valuable knowledge. Other scribes have described him as a joker, teacher, minstrel and trickster, a doting father and grand father and a man who was passionate about animals. His website at http://www.glenepstein.com/index.php Will show you just a small selection of his work from a very talented and adaptable scribe who had many facets to his nature.

It prompted me to put a message out to the Cyberscribes thanking them for the kindness they showed me long, long ago when I was first diagnosed with Presumed Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome and soon after my husbands death. These people I consider my friends, most of which I’ve never meat, yet we somehow connect on a far deeper level. We ‘know’ each other, we respect each other, we share our knowledge and our feelings. We are one.

It’s got me thinking of the many people that pass through our lives. Some are only there for a while but leave a lasting impression. Some are around for a lifetime. I have publicly thanked these people for being part of my life. I have had wonderful emails reminiscing of our early days on the board. There are calligraphers who I had a huge impact on my life and my work both in the UK and USA especially.

Among the many tutors Brian Walker, Peter Halliday, Gaynor goffee, Sue Hufton, Richard Middleton, Ann Hechle, Donald Jackson…. Oh I could go on, but one tutor in particular had a huge impact on not only my work but on my life. His teaching of calligraphy taught me as much about Lettering as it did about myself. He now lives in the states and it’s our loss and their gain.

Life’s quite a journey and when you sit down and really think about those in your life who have made such an impact, it’s quite overwhelming. Each one having an impact on ‘who’ you are today.

Keep on connecting. Keep on remembering. Keep on being grateful for everyone who comes into your life. Each one is your teacher.

I will end this blog with a Video of Glens, which I hope you will watch. Glen made an impact on many lives. I only home he was aware of this during his lifetime. Rest easy Glen, your work lives on and will continue to inspire for many more years to come. I wonder how many of us can be assured of that when we eventually go off to the Summer Lands.
Please - Go and see Glens Video here
http://www.glenepstein.com/video.php

Keeping a Blog for prosperity

This most amazing sunrise was taken just 15 minutes ago. It has absolutely no relevance to the following post, it’s title or it’s contents, but it was so fantastic I had to share it with you. It was worth running out in my PJ’s in full view of the neighbourhood to get the picture. MAGIC!

It’s ironic isn’t it? That as a Calligrapher, I’ve never been much of a writer…. Well not in the conventional sense that is.

Every year as I child and growing up I looked forward to getting a diary. I promised myself I would keep it up and looked forward to New Years Day, the start of a whole New Year. Every year was the same… I get to the middle of February and the pages became empty, once again. As the days of forgotten pages grew longer, it seemed a bit of an insult to pick it up and start writing again, as if nothing had happened in the previous weeks and months.

I have a couple of them left, ones that I did keep up, ones that are filled with my teenage angst and usual ranting and ravings, broken heart memories from being dumped by the latest boyfriend, thinking I would never recover… of course we do. Then the diary that I kept after meeting my husband, getting married at 18 and trying for a baby. Month after month of hope and disappointment, until at last it happened. Diary keeping became a thing of the past when the joys of motherhood took every spare minute of my life. I did however keep a memory box and added to it things that would remind me of special times, days out, special occasions, never thinking that one day I would ever use them and put them into a book. However as I get older and my son has left home, my husband is no longer alive to pass down stories to my son, it’s become more important for me to get things in order so that if anything happens to me he won’t find the drawer filled with tickets and bits and pieces that mean nothing to him without them being explained. Part of my life that is so intimate it can only be shared by the three of us and one of us is no longer here.

At least with my blog, I don’t feel obliged to write every day or even week. Missing pages are not important and one post runs into another. Yes the blog is fragmented. It’s about my work, my life my friends and family, my animals, my ponderings, my musings and yes…. There’s still that teenage angst now and again. Only these days I’m seen to be a whinging old crone! Lol. It’s a no holes bared, heart on the sleeve job. A glimpse of who I am as a person. (I hope).

Journals can be kept for all sorts of reasons…. And I will talk about this on my next post.

Meanwhile, over the next year or so I plan to put together that journal, so one day my son can enjoy that journey that is so much a part of his past too.

What is the difference between a Calligrapher and Lettering Artist?

When I tell people what I do…. I wait…. For the stunned silence that follows. After I say “I am a Calligrapher and Lettering Artist” there is always an uncomfortable period of silence, as if the person asking is searching for something positive to say. It’s then usually followed by “What’s a Calligrapher?”. The never ask about Lettering Art. I’m always surprised that in this day and age not many people know what Calligraphy is. Calligraphy dates back to the 6th century and even before that… so it’s not exactly a ‘new’ thing.

I work from my studio ‘Inspired by Script’ in a small market town in North Yorkshire UK. My fellow calligraphers and lettering artists in the US and around the world don’t seem to have this problem. Chinese and Islamic Calligraphy is considered an Art Form and is held in high regard. Perhaps the use of computers makes is oblivious to ‘Hand Lettering’ these days, however many of the fonts on your computer are designed by Calligraphers (Did you know that?) Chances are, if you are a Calligrapher, you did and if you aren’t you probably didn’t.

I use the tern calligraphy to define ‘Formal’ lettering with a particular name for the style, it is regular and consistent and is most useful for Weddings, wedding Albums, and Certificates.

Lettering Art however is freer and lends itself more to expression and personality. Among it’s many uses are mixed media work on canvases, packaging, fun and personalised gifts. Both Calligraphy and Lettering Art can be used together (like my cards here) to create contrast and gain attention in the piece of work.

So I suppose, Calligraphy is what I ‘do’, Lettering Art is what I create.

Sometimes it's one, sometimes both. Whatever the difference, it's a life long passion of mine and far more interesting than the silence that follows the question "What do you do" deserves.

Amazing Gold Leaf Video

For calligraphers everywhere, who have had the pleasure and the pain of working with Gold Leaf. As you will know it's not the most obediant of materials and so ultra tissue thin it flies away and disintigrates at the slightest whiff of a breeze... this Japanese lady deserves a medal!

You are worth the time

Jan Phillips has a website at http://www.janphillips.com/

Choosing Calligraphy Nibs

A selection of nibs -

Wm. Mitchell on the far left
and Brauser in the middle

There are 2 basic types of calligraphy pens. These are cartridge pens and dip pens. Dip pens are the most versatile for calligraphy and either come with their own built in reservoir as do Brause or, , need one adding as in the Wm. Mitchell. Dip pens enable you to put ink through them and change colour at will, by a quick shake about in water. More importantly, serious calligraphers use Gouache Paint rather than ink (more about this later). A calligraphy nib gives 2 basic strokes, a thick one, when the nib is drawn towards you and a thin one when it you slide it to the side.
With slip on reservoirs it’s a little more tricky to get it so that it’s in just the right place, but with practice this becomes easier. If you are heavy handed (like me) I would recommend Brauser nibs. Also if you are left handed, you need to choose a pen with an oblique nib, which is a nib cut slightly shorter on the left hand side. While Brauser nibs are more expensive, the difference in cost is negligible and they will last longer.

There are many other pens available to the more experienced calligrapher these range from Automatic Pans, Ruling Pens, Parallel Pens and many other mark making tools. I will talk about them in detail at a later date.

All the materials you need to start calligraphy!

These days, I must admit, to having a wry smile on my face when I look at the list of Basic Materials I used to give out to my first term beginner students and I’m sure those who are still doing it many years later will have one too!
The list was as follows:

DRAWING BOARD: ¼” ply or 6mm MDF, 15” x 18”

PAPER: A layout pad or Printing paper

PENS: Wm Mitchell Dip Nibs, A couple of reservoirs, and a couple of pen holders

INK: Black Ink, Liquid Chinese Stick Ink is preferable

ERASERS: A plastic eraser or at least a soft white one

PENCILS: A 2H and a 2B will do for starters

RULER: 18” see through plastic

GLUE: A Pritt Stick or similar or look for 3M scotch magic tape

A NOTEBOOK: For taking notes in class

Total Cost…. Around £15 – £20

Other Useful Items

A Scalpel, Masking Tape, Steel Rule for cutting and a cutting board (Put this on your Christmas List)

Why the smile?

Well if only life was that simple. As I look around my studio I realise that this is only the beginning, and if you become obsessed (like I did) with the wonder of letters then you will never have enough pens, papers, paints, glues, brushes, cutting and measuring implements, frames, canvases…. Oh I could go on…. I think we all accumulate items that we just HAD to have, some more useful than others. Funnily enough, for the beginner the list above hasn’t really changed…. But for those with the passion…. Well, the list is endless. In the nest article I will discuss the various writing implements both conventional and unconventional. Any questions on Pen, nibs etc. Please email me HERE and I’ll try to answer them on my blog. Happy Scribbling!

The Arrest of Oscar Wilde at the Cadogan Hotel

This has to be one of my favourite poems,
I just love Betjeman

The Arrest of Oscar Wilde at the Cadogan Hotel
By John Betjeman

He sipped at a weak hock and seltzer
As he gazed at the London skies
Through the Nottingham lace of the curtains
Or was it his bees-winged eyes?

To the right and before him Pont Street
Did tower in her new built red,
As hard as the morning gaslight
That shone on his unmade bed,

“I want some more hock in my seltzer,
And Robbie, please give me your hand—
Is this the end or beginning?
How can I understand?

“So you’ve brought me the latest Yellow Book:
And Buchan has got in it now:
Approval of what is approved of
Is as false as a well-kept vow.

“More hock, Robbie—where is the seltzer?
Dear boy, pull again at the bell!
They are all little better than cretins,
Though this is the Cadogan Hotel.

“One astrakhan coat is at Willis’s—
Another one’s at the Savoy:
Do fetch my morocco portmanteau,
And bring them on later, dear boy.”

A thump, and a murmur of voices—
(”Oh why must they make such a din?”)
As the door of the bedroom swung open
And TWO PLAIN CLOTHES POLICEMEN came in:

“Mr. Woilde, we ‘ave come for tew take yew
Where felons and criminals dwell:
We must ask yew tew leave with us quoietly
For this is the Cadogan Hotel.”

He rose, and he put down The Yellow Book.
He staggered—and, terrible-eyed,
He brushed past the plants on the staircase
And was helped to a hansom outside.

Calligraphy Groups in the UK

Here is a list of Calligraphy Groups in the UK

North Yorkshire Calligraphers
Eden Valley Scribes
Gloucestershire Scribes
The Cinque Ports Scribes
Mercian Scribes:
Nottingham Calligraphers
North West Calligraphers
Oxford Scribes:
Peannairi Irish Scribes
South Hampshire Calligraphers
South London Lettering Association
York Scribes

If you would like your group adding or know of any other groups not on this list please email me via my contact page.

Calligraphy Societies in the UK

There are 2 main Calligraphy Societies in the UK.
These are:

CLAS – The Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society
http://www.clas.co.uk/festival2008.html
The Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society exists to promote the study, practice and teaching of the subject in all its forms and to generate awareness and appreciation with the widest public. The Society is a charity registered with the Charity Commission No. 1046526 and is therefore a properly constituted, non profit organisation. It belongs to its members who each have equal voting rights.

SSI – Society of Scribes and Illuminators
http://www.calligraphyonline.org/
The Society of Scribes and Illuminators, based in the UK, is one of the most well-established and respected calligraphy societies in the world. This Internet site gives information about the Society, its aims, membership and activities. There are also pages giving information about what is currently happening in calligraphy and about other sources of interesting information.

When the Creative Spirit goes AWOL

Sometimes my ‘Creative Spirit’ goes AWOL. It’s at times like these when I get out some blank canvases and just paint. I paint with no set theme or idea in mind and just see what happens. Then, I have a stack of pre prepared canvases ready for when the Creative Spirit returns. Sometimes this is just a quotation that I feel I need to write and the canvas is returned once again to it’s resting place. It’s started but nowhere near complete.

After sometime, something will spark an idea off in me and off I go. I thought I would share the before and after pictures with you. I’m sure people think that we, as calligraphers, labour and stare at canvases for hours on end, or have a repertoire of ideas just ready to commit to the substrate, but I’m sure there are many like me who have to sit and wait patiently for the idea to come. Once it has arrived however we can do it to death… until once again we return to the resting stage. I’m sure this is to stop us going mad and keep things fresh and appealing both to ourselves and our clients.

DREAMS CANVAS

Size: 16" x 20"

Acrylic, Ink and Paper on canves

Retail: £50

Detail

More Detail

Below: SPIRIT CANVAS

Size: 11.5" x 32"

Acrylic, Ink and Paper on canves
Retail: £60

Detail

I certainly don’t make a fortune out of my work, and more or less live hand to mouth. I sell my work for far less than I should, but I LOVE my work and would rather someone have the pleasure of it than have it sat around gathering dust. I know at least, if someone buys my work, the very fact that someone likes and appreciates that little part of me that goes with it, is worth far more than any financial recompense. Most calligraphers I know do not charge enough or get reimbursed for all there hard work… not in the creating of the ‘thing’ but in the many hours, weeks and years it takes to become a good calligrapher or lettering artist.During a discussion once, we agreed we could become a brain surgeon quicker than we can become a calligrapher….but it would be half as much fun!

Charge of the Goddess

Who Am I?Well, who I am isn’t the work I do…but it forms a very large part of me. I love my work and there’s not many who can say that in life. I can combine my spiritual beliefs with my creativity. I cannot draw or paint and even less so since I lost my centre vision and I’ve had to learn to adapt my work around my disability rather than my ability.
A lot of my work is small, pin money jobs and nothing that I can really get my teeth into and exercise my talents that took me years to perfect and that I worked so very hard at attaining. I loved doing really large pieces which didn’t have the constraints of size or clients briefs to follow.

This latest piece is for friends of ours that we are going to stay with. It is very special to them and on a personal level very special to me too. Perhaps that’s why I enjoyed doing it so much.
The background is Pastel, with spatters of paint. The lettering is Gouache and I’ve added silver foil and pen to emphasise the spirit of the moon.The letters are ‘contemporary’ rather than traditional and the words are magical! And VERY powerful.

The size is approximately 21” x 27”

Title: Charge of the Goddess

by Doreen Valiente There are many variations to The Charge of the Goddess and it has been plagiarised any times. It is still uncertain ‘who’ the original writer is.The version I have written has been changed slightly from the version below. Whoever wrote it, whatever version…

it’s still a powerful piece of writing.

Please feel free to email me

with any questions/comments you may have.

Charge of the Goddess by Doreen Valiente

Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Brid, and by many other names.Whenever ye have need of any thing, once in the month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all Witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstacy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the Earth.Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the universe.I who am the beauty of the green Earth, and the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of Nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, then thou shalt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

Personalised and Commissioned Wedding Album

I've just finished a Wedding Album to match some Wedding Invitations I did for an August Wedding. the outside is Japanese paper, the inside is Cannaletto. 30 pages and 40cm wide by 30cm in depth.

Outside Detail
Inside calligraphy inscription
In Burgundy Gouache - An absolute pain in the neck
as any calligrapher will tell you -
RED smudges wonderfully when you rub out the lines!
Probably my least favourite colour to write with!
And below are 2 cards for people at the camps. One is 50 and the other is 60. Just looks like an ordinary concertina card.....
Until you open it out flat and find the message!
This has to be taken with us this weekend to get it signed by as many people as possible.

English...no wonder we're confused!

This came from ma posting from a fellow Cyberscribe.... see what you think....

Source - indeterminable ... authorship - unknownYou think English is easy??? I didn't.
1) The bandage was wound around the wound
.2) The farm was used to produce produce .
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time topresent the present
.8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum
.9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row .
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Another Version of the one below

It's a friends 69th birthday and she so much loves the words to this Chief Seattle Statement, that I'm doing part of it as her birthday present. As Pagans I think we can really identify with the words and their sentiment.

She's already had her birthday cake, delivered by a tattooed pixie wearing a Borat outfit, I have a picture of this happening, but my life wouldn't be worth living if I put it out here in Cyberspace... but there again, funds are low, so perhaps I could be persuaded.

Anyway, I will take pieces from this version which happens to by my,

My Preferred version

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us.
If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.
The white man's dead forget the country of their birth when they go walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man - all belong to the same family.

So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us.
This shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells us events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes, and feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember to teach your children that the rivers are our brothers, and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother.

We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his fathers' graves behind and he does not care. His fathers' graves and his children's birthright are forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only desert.

The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath - the beast, the man, they all share the same breath. The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days, he is numb to the stench. But we if sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers.

We will consider your offer to buy our land. If we decide to accept, I will make one condition: the white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers.
What is man without the beasts? If the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.

Teach your children what we have taught our children -- that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Even the white man whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see. One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover, our God is the same God. You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land, but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. This hearth is precious to Him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator. The whites, too, shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed and you will on night suffocate in your own waste.

Attributed to Chief Sealth (Chief Seattle) c. 1786-1866

Chief Seattle Statement

The origin of the following is unknown. Many people have laid claim to it’s formation and many poets have had it attributed to them. What follows is a rather longer version of the presumed original. I have however, picked bits from this letter and used it many, many times. Whoever the original writer, whatever the original words makes no difference. It is a very powerful piece of writing and I want to share it with you.

"Man did not weave the web of life -

he is merely a strand in it.

Whatever he does to the web,

he does to himself."

Chief Seattle, 1854.

From the The Irish Press of Friday June 4th, 1976 ......

In 1854, "The Great White Chief" in Washington made an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a "reservation" for the Indian people.
Chief Seattle's reply, published here in full, to mark World Environment Day tomorrow, has been described as one of the most beautiful and profound statements on the environment ever made:

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land?The idea is strange to us.If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water,how can you buy them?Every part of the Earth is sacred to my people.Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clear and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people.The sap which courses through the trees carries the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.

The white man's dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars.Our dead never forget this beautiful Earth, for it is the mother of the red man.We are part of the Earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters, the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers.The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and the man, all belong to the same family.

So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us. The Great White Chief sends word he will reserve us a place so that we can live comfortably to ourselves.He will be our father and we will be his children. So we will consider your offer to buy land.But it will not be easy.For this land is sacred to us.
This shining water that moves in streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors.If we sell you land, you must remember that it is sacred blood of our ancestors. If we sell you land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events in the life of my people. The waters murmur is the voice of my father's father.
The rivers of our brothers they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes and feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember to teach your children that the rivers are our brothers, and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness that you would give my brother.We know that the white man does not understand our ways.One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs.The Earth is not his brother, but his enemy and when he has conquered it, he moves on.He leaves his father's graves behind, and he does not care.He kidnaps the Earth from his children, and he does not care.

BIRTHRIGHT
His father's grave, and his children's birthright are forgotten. He treats his mother, the Earth, and his brother, the same, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads.His appetite will devour the Earth and leave behind only a desert.
I do not know. Our ways are different from yours ways. The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the red man. But perhaps it is because the red man is a savage and does not understand.
There is no quiet place in the white man's cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring, or the rustle of an insect's wings. But perhaps it is because I am a savage and do not understand. The clatter only seems to insult the ears. And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lonely cry of a whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a pond at night.I am a red man and do not understand. The Indian prefers the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of the pond, and the smell of the wind itself, cleansed by a midday rain, or scented with the pine.

PRECIOUS
The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath.The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days, he is numb to the stench. But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh.And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers.
So we will consider your offer to buy our land. If we decide to accept, I will make one condition - the white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers.
I am a savage and do not understand any other way. I have seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train. I am a savage and do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be made more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive.
What is man without the beasts?If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit.For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.All things are connected.

RESPECT
You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers.So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the Earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the Earth is our mother.Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.
This we know - the Earth does not belong to man - man belongs to the Earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family.All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the Earth - befalls the sons of the Earth.Man did not weave the web of life - he is merely a strand in it.Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all.We shall see.One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover - Our God is the same God.You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land, but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for red man and the white. The Earth is precious to Him, and to harm the Earth is to heap contempt on its creator. The whites too shall pass, perhaps sooner than all other tribes.
But in your perishing you will shine brightly, fired by the strength of the God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man.That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are slaughtered, the wild horses tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with scent of many men, and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires.Where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the Eagle? Gone. The end of living and the beginning of survival.

Quotation

No one can tell whether they are richer or poor

by turning to their ledger.

It is the heart that makes a person rich.

One is rich according to what one is,

not according to what one has.

Henry Ward Beecher

Quotation

I want you to remember

the guiding principles of my life.

You can be what you want to be,

if you believe in yourself

and work hard,

because anything,

and I'm telling you anything,

is possible.

Kirby Puckett

Who I am Isn't What I do.... but it comes close!

Who Am I?Well, who I am isn’t the work I do…but it forms a very large part of me. I love my work and there’s not many who can say that in life. I can combine my spiritual beliefs with my creativity. I cannot draw or paint and even less so since I lost my centre vision and I’ve had to learn to adapt my work around my disability rather than my ability.

A lot of my work is small, pin money jobs and nothing that I can really get my teeth into and exercise my talents that took me years to perfect and that I worked so very hard at attaining. I loved doing really large pieces which didn’t have the constraints of size or clients briefs to follow.

This latest piece is for friends of ours that we are going to stay with. It is very special to them and on a personal level very special to me too. Perhaps that’s why I enjoyed doing it so much.

The background is Pastel, with spatters of paint. The lettering is Gouache and I’ve added silver foil and pen to emphasise the spirit of the moon.
The letters are ‘contemporary’ rather than traditional and the words are magical! And VERY powerful.
The size is approximately 21” x 27”

Title: Charge of the Goddess by Doreen Valiente There are many variations to The Charge of the Goddess and it has been plagiarised any times. It is still uncertain ‘who’ the original writer is.The version I have written has been changed slightly from the version below. Whoever wrote it, whatever version…it’s still a powerful piece of writing.

Please feel free to email me with any questions/comments you may have.


Charge of the Goddess by Doreen Valiente Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Brid, and by many other names.
Whenever ye have need of any thing, once in the month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all Witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstacy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the Earth.
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the universe.I who am the beauty of the green Earth, and the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of Nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, then thou shalt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

Quotation

It is always with excitement

that I wake up in the morning

wondering what my intuition

will toss up to me,

like gifts from the sea.

I work with it and rely on it.

It’s my partner

.Dr. Jonas Salk

Climb The Mountains

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...

while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.J

ohn Muir

We ALL make mistakes!

The importance of being human….ah yes…. We’ve all done it…some of us more than others…. Making big boo boo’s in life, one way or another…

I visited my sister this afternoon and we were looking of photos from when we were kids. We looked, we commented and we laughed… out of embarrassment I think! There were quite a few pictures there of my late husband and my son when he was really small. Now we must have been somewhere really special like a wedding or something, because he had, had his haircut, and he was the type of guy that was always going to get it cut ‘this weekend’ and the weeks dragged on. We took out a photo of my son stood next to his dad in practically matching shorts! I think they were called Bermuda shorts… but I could be wrong. Now there’s probably nothing really wrong with this (although there didn’t seem to be at the time!) but looking back you have to wonder…was my son ultra trendy at 6 years or did my husband think he was a trendy adult kid? He was after all 22 when Paul was born! Lol. Poor Ken, it’s ok laughing when someone’s not there to defend themselves. He did have a good sense of humour though and I’m sure he’ll be laughing too. Then I looked at my niece… she also likes purple hippy, dancing, floaty kind of dresses, with tie dye, ribbon and lace, she also wears stripy socks! AND I’m not just 22 years her senior! Hmmm… I wonder if I should start wearing slacks and crimplene. So can’t really take the Mickey out of my late husband really can I!

My brother had the most amazing hairdo, something like Duran Duran (very new romantics) lol. Quite bouffant if I say so myself.(SORRY LITTLE BRO' TO MOCK THE AFFLICTED IN HIS ABSENCE) I did try and persuade my lovely sister to lend me the photo so I could put it on my blog… knowing he reads it sometimes…. But she point blank refused. Well, it’s a good job there’s one decent, moralistic sibling out of the lots of us! Lol.
What was even more embarrassing was MY hair!
I have for years always kept it short, because of it’s texture and refusal to lie down, no matter how much gel and other sticky stuff I have clagged (Stokesley slang for slapped on – especially when referring to sticky stuff). Now I have always been under the impression that my style hasn’t changed, but something really stupid must have happened in the 80’s. I must have thought (in my higher wisdom) that I could get away with a brushed over from one side kind of look! … DEFINITELY NOT a good idea! I'm not sure WHO I was trying to be.... but it definitely DID NOT WORK! a lesson learnt me thinks!
Thank god she hasn’t got a blog! That’s all I can say. Funny thing is me and my friend Rachel were reminiscing only yesterday and
I'd like to think it was just me and a few of my older friends that were getting all nostalgic about the 80's but my son does too! Not sure what that's about!

Over on Philip Carr-Gomm’s Weblog I noticed that more than I can make a boo boo and this particular post will send you to a link I think you will enjoy.

Brightest Blessings,
Sue – The Purple Pixie who refuses to dress her age… no matter how much she looks it!

And a few faux pas that I have spotted over the last few weeks

This one was on a wall in Glastonbury

And this worried me a bit…being a pixie and all that! I only read it AFTER I had been the loo… good job I held on tight!

And this one…. You will either get it or not.

The Lodger

Phew! The studio has been a hive of activity. I’ve got lots of new stock made for the camp (thanks to Rachel working her fingers to the bone). I’ll photograph it within the next couple of days and add it to my blog.

Steve came to pick her up….and you know how you get that….Oh my god, just what I need right now feeling…. Well I had one of those moments! Steve knocked at the door and shouted… Sue, do you know you have a hedgehog out here?’ Oh…S**T! Just before camp….AGAIN! This always seems to happen just before Oakleaf, personally I think they get together and plan it in advance. Now anyone who has read my blog over the last couple of years knows that I have done B&B for many a hedgehog. I can’t quite remember how I became the local hedgehog fixit woman, but word soon got round! Now if you know nothing about hedgehogs let me tell you a story… (Sue puts Bardic hat on)….

First, you know a hedgehog is poorly if it’s out during the day. They prefer the cooler night air and as their vision is about as useless as mine, well they’re blind as bats! That’s why when your headlight hits them they are startled…. So am I when I see headlights while crossing the road!
Anyway, assuming you find hedgehog during the day, bring inside and feed CAT FOOD, not bread and milk this WILL kill them! Then feed water unless you have Goats milk. Goats milk is good, cows milk kills.
Ok assume the little monkey eats, take into bathroom and de flea with flea powder by placing the hedgehog in the bath. Do Not fill bath with water first, they cannot swim! The bath is merely to make sure the little sod can’t climb out! Dust with powder, stand well back and leave for half and hour.
Then as soon as possible after that feed cat worming granules and let them drink dehydration fluid obtainable from your local vet.
Experience will show whether the spikey one is actually ill, dehydrated or just pulling the wool over your eyes for a free meal, board and lodge. Please be warned, these thinkgs are not cheap to keep in B&B. If you want a pet got and get yourself a cat! For an adult hedgehog will eat the same amount of food as an adult cat. They chomp when the eat, they grind their teeth and above all they stink!
A sort of disinfectant crossed with an earthy kind of smell. Something to REALLY consider if you intend to overwinter them and keep them out of hibernation. This happened to me one year with the most ungreatful little madam that ever was. I reared her from a baby, then she was too small to hibernate, she escaped in the kitchen one Christmas which resulted in the whole kitchen having to be dismantled at 2.30am! My late husband was thrilled! Lol…. Then as it was a very late spring that year I had to keep her till May! She was called Spitz, because she spat! She spat at me, the dog and especially the cats, she hated everyone and saw it as her right that she was fed what and when she wanted. And although this blog entry may sound like I dislike them….. no it’s not true…they are lovely things really, and if you have one in the garden you are truly blessed, there’s no better way of keeping down the slugs so please look after it and make sure it stays.

Well, here she is....probably about 4 weeks old

I really thought this one had, had it. She lay on her side for a couple of hours after feeding and really thought that yet another one bites the dust. So, I put her outside in a box, went out an hour later….still in box….2 hours still in box on side….hmmmm….. just been out now… gone! I realise now she was just sleeping off the ¾ of a tin of cat food she had devoured!
By the way…. If you do rescue a hedgehog and it does die, take heart….. they really do have a high mortality rate and if you found it during the day, chances are it was ill anyway.
You must admit…. They’re a bit cute though :o)

Dreaming Is Dangerouse

If a little dreaming is dangerous,

the cure for it is not to dream less

but to dream more,

to dream all the time.

Marcel Proust

Holiness comes wrapped in the ordinary

We live in a world of theophanies.

Holiness comes wrapped in the ordinary.

There are burning bushes all around you.

Every tree is full of angels.

Hidden beauty is waiting in every crumb.

Life wants to lead you from crumbs to angels,

but this can happen

only if you are willing to unwrap the ordinary

by staying with it long enough

to harvest its treasure.

Macrina Wiederkehr

Dance, Sing, Drum

If you can walk,
You can dance,
If you can talk,
You can sing,
If you have a heartbeat
You can drum

Well, still nursing this most awful flu/cold virus. I was awake till 6am yesterday morning with the most annoying tickly cough. You know the one…. Your throat is sore and dry and no matter how much you cough there is no relief. My chest is clear so there’s no point in seeing a doctor…. It will just have to take it’s course.

For that reason I haven’t been to work today, the idea was that it would knock me for six and I would have to sleep at some point… but hey it’s now 8.30pm and no sign of tiredness yet.

As you gather by my last post I’ve now started the OBOD/Druid course again and as happened last time… my creativity has gone crazy! And not only that…. The Muse seems to have reared her hear again. My inspirational head is back on it’s shoulders and with only 2 weeks to go till Oakleaf (YEAH!), it couldn’t have some at a better time. Bring it on!

It’s amazing what inspiration we can draw and from what source as long as we leave or hearts and minds wide open for it to enter in, and I think that the connections we can make (as long as we are open to these too) can be amazing!

When you enrol on the Druid Course you are assigned a tutor, This tutor is assigned by chance. I wrote my letter of introduction the other day and she’s got back to me today and told me a bit about herself too. Well, don’t want to go through another’s personal circumstances but it’s amazing the synchronicity! I’m sure I will get on amazingly well with her.

It’s wonderful what can amuse, inspire, move or lift us if only we are open and receptive to it. Only with an open mind and heart can we experience joy, love, peace and pleasure…. The ‘feel good’ factors in life!

I find it difficult to sit still. So because I was at home today…. The cleaning had to be done!
I had no targets, no pressure and no rush… just thought I would do as much as I could between rests. I am feeling surprisingly at peace with myself, especially since I did the Druid Sacred Grove meditation and got some quite unexpected insights (so you can teach an old dog new tricks! – lol).
Anyway, I digress, where was I? Oh yes, I decided to put on some music, Parallel Dreams by Loreena McKennitt as it happens. One of the songs ( you can listen to a sample here) on there was a song that we all jammed to only a couple of weeks ago in the Tipi at The Rollrights at Summer Solstice. I think most of us there had the most uplifting and spiritual experience we had ever had while drumming.
I took my djembe out, the cats scarped and I played along, again and again and again.
I must admit that things are ok done alone… but things done with others is far better…. But hey…. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

We think that to connect to that higher self, spirit, otherworld…. Call it what you like…. We need to sit quietly and meditate. But really music, sound and the beat of a drum which resembles Mother Earths Heartbeat can take us far higher and able to reach out far more than we can imagine. Music, dance and singing can all help us connect to that source of…. Dare I say it….. AWEN


Put the music on,
Sing your head off…

no matter how badly,

the operative thing here is the sound

which resonates throughout the body.
Take a wooden spoon and bash a

biscuit tin to the music if you have no drum….

Loose you inhibitions,
Get rid of your self consciousness,
Loose your fear of being wrong,
out of tune or out of time….
Lock the door if you need to….

And....Just do it!

Dance, Sing and Drum
And see what happens.

In love, light

and with the brightest blessings,
Sue xxx

Gurrilla Gardening

What a fantastic idea! Guerrilla Gardening....
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/index.html

Please join in wherever possible and pass this on!

Message Boards

Morning all....
I know that there are a lot of bloggers out there who read my blog and who have many varied interests, many of them shared with me.
For that reason I'd like to share my most favourite message boards and hope you will take up the challenge and do the same. Add a message to my comments so folk can find their way to your 'Favourite Massage Boards'.

In love and light, Pixie Sue

Here are mine:

Violette’s Message Board
A Canadian Artist born in Casablanca, Morocco to Spanish parents, Violette is a compulsive painter, who paints with the colour and warmth of Mediterranean Sunshine.
http://www.violette.ca/blog.html


The White Goddess Pagan Portal
The White Goddess Pagan Portal, is an online resource for Pagans, Wiccans and Witches, providing in depth information on a varied range of areas, including, Moon Phases, The Sabbats, Book of Shadows and a Forum for the serious discussion of Pagan topics. It is the aim of The White Goddess Pagan Portal to promote a friendly and enjoyable environment for the discussion of Pagan Paths. You will come across a diverse cross-section of opinions, some of which may conflict with your own personal beliefs.
http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/index.asp


Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert
If you want to save money…. This is a must!
Tips, tricks and common sense on this board.
Martin is committed to working the very system which is designed to drain you of every penny you work for.
Please join by going to
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/


My friend Sandra's Board and Website
for anyone into Mind, Body and Spiritual things!
http://www.mindbodyspirituality.co.uk/index.php


And for Bloggers Everywhere…. This is a must!
http://courtneytuttle.com/2008/06/26/why-almost-everyone-should-be-starting-a-blog/

Need Inspiration?

PHEW! I'm moved,

I'm touched and hunbled...

See this clip of J. K. Rowling

Thought provoking to say the least!

What the world needs is more people who think like her...

but the enlightened ones are growing in numbers

and are no longer going on with blikers over their eyes.

In love and light,

Sue xxx

People spend a lifetime

People spend a lifetime

searching for happiness;

looking for peace.

They chase idle dreams,

addictions, religions,

even other people,

hoping to fill the emptiness

that plagues them.

The irony is

the only place

they ever needed to search

was within.

 

Ramona L. Anderson