Grain of Sand

Over this past weekend, I attended a workshop led by Michele Jackson from Digital Dissonance on How to Create Your Own Tarot Deck. I've been wanting to try my hand at making a divination deck for years and I've been scared to dive in. I even listed it as one of my goals over at 101 Notes to Self (see #93 on the master list). So when I heard Michele was offering this class, I though it just may be the push I needed to get started.

I was not disappointed! Michele is a fantastic teacher with lots of tarot and art experience. She gives clear instruction and plenty of support along the way. She wants very much to inspire the artist in each of her students, just as she has been inspired in the past, and didn't even look sideways at me when I ended up producing a card that was clearly not of the tarot variety. Plus, she's just plain fun to be around.

Grain of Sand, originally uploaded by Marni Molina.

My card is called Grain of Sand and is 4x6". It shows a man walking through a swarm of locusts in the desert, just as calm as can be. In the foreground shines a giant pearl with a snake wrapped around it. As I was making it, I was thinking about the teachings of the Iron and Pearl Pentacles. More specifically, I was remembering Thorn (my spiritual teacher) speak about how it is the irritation of a single grain of sand (the irritation of the Work of the Iron Pent) that creates the pearl. I was imagining how irritating and frightening it would be to walk through a swarm of locusts, but this man seemed cool as a cucumber, dedicated to his walk ... his Work.

So the card is about Work and perseverance. It's about dancing with Iron before reaching for Pearl and about the snake of transformation that makes the transition possible.

I love my card. And now, dear friends, I am hooked. I have great plans for the stacks of old magazines and mailers I've been collecting and I can't wait to make more cards.

Feri Scarf

Feri Scarf, originally uploaded by Marni Molina.

I knit this scarf (no pattern, just back n' forth) for my trips to Denver, CO. It's pretty darn cold there for a San Diego girl, like me. Since I'm going there for Feri training, I decided to allow the tradition to inspire my knitting. The idea is that I'm wrapping myself in the love of the Star Goddess (the black) with witch stripes of blue fire thrown in for good measure, texture, and interest. I love how it came out and it's nice to have finally knit something other than a dish cloth.

My New Fey Altar

(crossposted from 101 Notes to Self)

I cleared out the space for my Fey Altar and began pulling it together today. I decided to place it in the bay window in my kitchen. I like this spot for it because it seems like a "between the worlds" type place in my home. It's not really inside (because it juts out over my herb garden) and it's not really outside (because it's still part of the kitchen). Also, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and I want to use the altar as a vehicle to build and foster and fruitful relationship with the Fey. What better way to do that than to place it somewhere I'll look at it a lot?

  

  

It's very basic right now, but after thinking about it quite a bit, I think I have a solid idea of where I'm going with it. I hope to create a portal, of sorts, around the frame of the bay window. I plan to do this using my interpretation of the symbolism associated with the points of the Feri Star (7-pointed star). It's difficult to explain, so I'll just have to show what I mean through photographs as I get it set up. Suffice it to say I'm starting with the top point: The Sun.

   

  

My selection of items for this altar were greatly influenced by the events of the day I began setting it up. Sadly, Cora Anderson passed the morning I chose to activate the altar and I was strongly moved to place her photograph, along with that of her beloved Victor, together as the centerpiece. It is appropriate, I think, since it is through their teachings that I am even communing with the Fey in this way. Eventually, however, I know their photographs will migrate to my ancestor altar, as they truly are my spiritual ancestors.

   

  

Other items on the altar in it's current incarnation include a sparkly blue kaleidoscope (it just seemed Fey-ish), the gold doilie I used during Cora's 93rd birthday celebration, two plants, a skull, a rose, a wooden mushroom, and the pieces that will eventually be assembled to create the first point in my Feri Star portal.

This altar is (obviously) a work in progress.  My goal is to have it finished by May 1, 2009.

Cake for Cora

Yesterday was Cora Anderson's 93rd birthday. As a student of the Feri Tradition, I wanted to honor her with an offering of thanksgiving so, I baked her a miniature birthday cake. Even though she's in northern California and I'm in Southern California, and I've never met her, I felt moved to mark this splendid occasion. I set up a simple alter to her, setting her picture on the center pedestal. To the right is her late husband, Victor Anderson. To the left is my teacher and connection to them both, T. Thorn Coyle.

I used simple numerology to determine the number of candles to put on the cake. Her age (93) reduces to 3.

9 + 3 = 12
1 + 2 = 3

Plus, three is just a great number. Who doesn't love three?

I lit her birthday candles, sang her happy birthday, and then read the story of her birth out loud from her book, Childhood Memories. The cake sat with her picture overnight and will go out in my garden tonight, to feed the fey, the earth, and any lucky animals that happen to catch a whiff of it.

Happy Birthday, Cora. Thank you and blessed be.

Self Love Sugar Scrub

Hooray for Self-Love Friday!

This project was inspired by an exercise found in T Thorn Coyle’s book, Evolutionary Witchcraft. If you haven’t read this book, I strongly recommend you buy it and do so. The exercise, which can be found on pages 19-20 in the hardcover edition, is called “Self-Love Cleansing” and is a wonderful way to deal with the personal crap that inevitably surfaces when doing the real Work of evolutionary / revolutionary paths like Feri.

No matter what your spiritual leanings, everyone can benefit from a sacred shower from time-to-time. It’s a sensual and personal experience that can provide profound emotional release and affirm your love of self. The standard structure for a generic sacred shower is:

1. Just before your final rinse, concentrate on any difficult feelings you may want to release.
2. When the feelings surface and you are certain you are ready to let them go, rinse yourself off with water. As you do, imagine them running out and off of you, seeing them go down the drain.
3. Turn off the water and take a moment to say a prayer, align your soul, or make an offering of thanks.

Simple, right? The first time I did the version of this exercise given in Evolutionary Witchcraft, I was amazed at how wonderful I felt. I found myself wanting to do the rite again and again. Eventually, I incorporated it into my regular spiritual practice and do it every Friday. Hence, Self-Love Fridays.

After doing the exercise a few times, however, I began to feel the need to inject some of myself into it in some way. Just as many Wiccans, witches, and Pagans have special tools they use for magic(k), I wanted something special for my Self-Love Fridays. So, I created a Self-Love Sugar Scrub. I make it every Friday, just before my shower ritual. The process of measuring and combining the ingredients helps me prepare for the rite and set my intention.


Basic Sugar Scrub Recipe

• 75 grams (approximately 1/3 cup) fine sugar
• 30 grams (approximately 2 tablespoons) sugar in the raw
• 38 grams (approximately 3 tablespoons) oil
• 5 grams (approximately ½ tablespoon) glycerin
• 6 grams (approximately ¾ tablespoon) essential oils

Blend all ingredients and store in shatter-proof container until ready for use.

When you use the scrub, gently rub it into your skin, avoiding your face and nether regions. After rinsing, pat dry with a towel.

This recipe yields a large, single-shower amount. It should be used as soon as possible – preferably immediately and if not at least within a week. If you are not going to use it the same day you make it, I recommend you add a little bit of Vitamin E oil to help preserve it. Just cut open and squeeze a cap or two into the mixture.

As far as the “38 grams oil” is concerned, don’t choose oils that aren’t safe for consumption. If it’s okay to eat, it’s probably okay to rub into your skin. So …

almond oil = good

baby oil = bad

jojoba oil = good

… you get the idea. I like to use mostly almond oil, with some jojoba oil and a bit of olive oil.

The essential oils you use should be whatever scents you like, provided they are safe to use on your skin (do your research!). Create your own combinations by intuition or from a recipe. Sometimes, it’s helpful to look at the combinations of scents and oils used in some of your favorite bath products. Here's my personal Self Love Formula:

• 1 part Lavender (air)
• 3 parts Sweet Orange (fire)
• 2 parts Rose Absolute in jojoba oil (earth)
• 3 parts Vanilla in jojoba oil (water)

1. Lavender oil is associated with the planet Mercury, the signs Gemini and Virgo, the female gender, and qualities of peace and comfort. In aromatherapy, it is known to be helpful as an antidepressant.
2. Sweet Orange oil is associated with the Sun, the sign of Leo, the male gender, and qualities of joy and social interaction. In aromatherapy, it is know to be a general health aid, to reduce stress, and to bring restful sleep.
3. Rose Absolute oil is associated with the planet Venus, the signs of Libra and Cancer, the female gender, and is known for its harmonious qualities. In aromatherapy, it is known to be calming, to ease pain, and as an aphrodisiac.
4. Vanilla oil is associated with the planet Venus, the signs Libra and Pisces, the male gender, and is associated with self-confidence and sensuality. In aromatherapy, it is known to promote strength and aid in sexual stamina.

These essential oils can be purchased at most health food stores. The Rose Absolute and Vanilla oils tend to be rather expensive and are typically only available combined with a jojoba oil base. If you buy them undiluted, you’ll need to change the ratios in this formula.

NOTE: The oil associations provided are from The Magick of Aromatherapy by Gwydion O'Hara. It seems to currently be out of print, but I’m sure you could find a copy if you do a little digging on the internet.

Have fun, love yourself, and blessed be.

SAFETY WARNING: The oil can make your shower slippery, so be careful!

Mosaic Feri Box

I created this mosaic box as a donation for a Reclaiming Spirit raffle fundraiser earlier this month.
The symbolism comes from the Feri tradition, of which I am a student. Depicted is the Black Heart of Innocence topped with Blue Feri Fire. There are seven howlite stones representing the seven Guardians of the seven directions and the background is black, in honor of the Star Goddess.

In addition to the howlite stones, I used broken tiles and glass. The grout is un-sanded and I finished the box off by painting it with a black acrylic.

I was quite pleased that the box ended up so popular at the raffle. Many jokes were bandied around about people wanting "my box," which made me giggle and blush.