Monday 31 October 2011

Samhain: Celtic New Year 2011: Six Moons over the Bone Garden

Celebrate the Celtic New Year
The Wheel turns
the veil thins
Magic fills the air

Six Moons over the Bone Garden
by
ForestWalkArt
(Laura)


 and some detail


Spiral moons and bones seemed just the combination for Samhain, if like me you want to see more of Laura's work with forest finds then click your way over here to her fabulous blog for a creepy crawly Halloween post with skulls and bones. 

Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead
Bright Blessings  
Love and Light

River Derwent Samhain 2011

Samhain Salutations all


Sheila has sent this image of the Derwent taken on an autumnal walk from St Bee's to Basenthwaite, the grade 2 rapids inspired her to write!

Ode to the River Derwent

River flowing, flowing onwards
Swiftly onwards towards the Lake.
River rippling, swelling, growing,
Flowing onwards towards the Lake.

Life is like this river,
young and spritely in it's youth,
Leaping, springing, growing wider,
Sometimes calm and often deep.

Maturity brings with it many pleasures.
Over rocks and dancing waves.
Meandering forwards,
Twisting, turning.
Ever forwards to journey's end.

Sheila


Sunday 30 October 2011

From Dylan Thomas' Writing Shed: Laugharne




















Sunrise and mist over the estuary


Mist rises

For Dylan Thomas


Echoing, tramping, crashing in Dylan’s footsteps
His words scoring rhythm tracks in my mind

The lovers, arm in arm still clutch the grief of ages
Their digital images capture the scene yet lose the truth
That’s sound and wind and rain and thought

Sunlight skitters and slides across the estuary
Invading the bay and stretching fingers through grey cloud to green, rich turf

The spirit of inspiration flies

Blue grey writing shed perched on cliff, hovers neither at base nor peak
His shoes remain as unfilled as his jacket
Casually slung over the cheap wooden chair
Papers screwed and crumpled under the desk,
Overlooking

The mudflat
A dreamscape of ruts and swirls
Chaotic motion
A new puzzle revealed rhythmically by tidal meanderings

His words a challenge to life, to death, to beauty 
A dare
A warning?

Sounds
Curlew and catcher, jackdaw and crow
The owl’s fluttering warble softening the howl of the wind

 Do not go gently into this good night
Do not retreat like the water which daily acquiesces to the moon’s command

Forge a new path

Fight and rage
Against the dying of the light

Lizbeth Wilson: October 26th 2011



The view from Dylan's Writing Shed 



Sunday 23 October 2011

Coming soon: Samhain 2011/All Hallows Eve/Hallowen

Mainly in these darkening days leading up to Samhain and a New Celtic Year we are (obsessively?) preoccupied with triskelle/triskelion/triskele (apply whichever label grabs you!) and Foggy has produced an amazing range of routed and etched triskelle in various materials. This all in response to my desire for a mould to make a low relief ceramic plaque - which is still to be made! I just had to use this aluminum version on a Samhain moon painting! Here's some detail - I see the dragon!


The triskelle represents many things: the forward motion of life; the unbroken line; land, sea and sky; maiden, mother and crone: the Otherworld, the Mortal World and the Celestial World; life, death and rebirth. 
No surprise then that spirals and triskelle have from the Neolithic to the 21st century been beautifully symbolically powerful!
From doodles on schoolbooks to scribblings on agenda, from the delights of an ammonite or a fern uncurling and the first pinch pot I ever made, even the ring I wear, spirals have been an unconscious and conscious part of my life. 
The triskelle extends and develops, shows continuity and connectivity in this amazing journey through The Wheel of Life.

Engineered precision meets primitive paint - love the contrast!  

Share your Samhain/Halloween legends, music and activities!
Love and (Moon) Light
Lindsey

Sunday 2 October 2011

Jungle Lore: Phillip Kingsbury




A juicy jungle jumble
With Jurassic Journeys juxtaposed
In this Java jazzy junction
And juggle jiggle and joust
They joke jest and jabber
Joy!

Thanks to Phillip for this vibrant jungle scene - I love it and couldn't resist putting together some
J words, read this aloud quickly!