the Unwinding by Jackie Morris

The Unwinding and other dreamings by Jackie Morris is a book for dreamers.

This book is not meant to be read from cover to cover. It is a book for dreamers. Slight of word, rich of image, its purpose is to ease the soul.
The paintings between these covers were worked on in the between times, an Unwinding of the soul, when the pressures of were were too much. Dreams and wishes are the inspiration at times like this. Threaded through the curious world of The Unwinding are words, slight and lyrical. Their aim is to set the reader’s mind adrift from the troubles of our times, into peaceful harbours where imagination can stretch, where quiet reflection can bring peace.
The Unwinding is designed to be a companion, a talisman to be turned to again and again, a place of respite from an increasingly frantic and complex world.
(From The Inside Dust Jacket)

the keeper of lost dreams

Does she have a name, this woman? If she does, it is known only to a handful of people. The bear knows. He is the only creature of the earth she would call her friend. Between them there is trust, love. Her world is between the dusk light and the dawn light, the time of the moths, of the owls and the bats. (the beginning One)

myth

All she ever wanted was to escape from the ground. Earth-bound, landlocked, gravity her enemy. All she ever d reamed was to lift light into flight, to soar upwards, take to the skies with winged things.
And bird. She loved birds - loved how even a fallen feather, held between fingers, would pulse and turn in the hand and reach skywards as if, like her, every feather longed to be back in the air. (from myth - the midnight fish)

harbour - a strange boat

The women love to see the light of the full moon in the daylight sky, how it seems so slight, almost transparent, a tissue-paper disc in the light of the sun, And they love to dance.
White bears guard their journey, Dark-eyed owls watch the waves. They are dreamers, these women, these bears, they are seers and speakers of truth, dancers of time, travelling the world, gathering stories, For now, for a while, they rest on the water.
Stand on the shore and watch. As the moon sinks towards the edge of the sea you might see her open her wings wide in the twilight and rise to the sky, away from the skin of the sea, into the ocean of stars.
(from - harbour - a strange boat)

rest - Bear And The Nightingale

Wind in the trees, rattle branch. Can they hear the stars, here where they lie in the hollow? Head in hands, head on paw, each rests in silent trust of other, while daylight moths whisper night songs and nightingale, the bird of summer threads his song of love through winter’s dark.
Hare love the moon, misses her bright gaze, knows that she will come again with a wild certainty.
(from rest- Bear And The Nightingale)

“Rest now, in the peace of the wild things. May the swan be your pillow, may teh gold owl bring you visions. May the red fox give you cunning, and the wolf bring you courage. And may the while hore lend her strength to all your days”

— Jackie Morris

Please support this artist and her gorgeous books of beauty and poetic stories. You can find her at Jackie Morris. She lives in Wales in the UK. This particular book as it was mentioned is - a talisman to carry with you as you seek.

Ostheimer Wooden Figures - An Altar In My Home

In our home, altars are an important tableau to celebrate daily life as well as elevate holiday and important days that we would like to honor. Having a space to pause and contemplate the meaning of the day - as a seasonal table scape allows us to slow our pace and find a moment of reflection. Taking in the quiet space of a lovely altar is a ritual that offers a simple yet profound embrace of our days. It connects to our ancient ancestors as well, as they also arranged objects as symbols of importance.

A variety of materials of course may be used to create your own home altar or seasonal table corners. Items from nature are always beautiful to add to a scene. Simple materials of any kind that you find particularly relevant allows the making of the altar specific to you. As you go out on a nature walk perhaps you find abundance of sticks, leaves, bones, shells, tree back, moss, flowers and such. Of course do not take too much from a particular area and always be mindful of not harvesting anything that is on the species at risk list of plants. A list of these can be found at United Plant Savers. Creating a nature or seasonal altar that holds meaning should be ethically created.

Here is a simple altar in the photograph above that I created to honor and celebrate gratitude. Crystals provide the nature element to reflect purity of intention. Crystals can be found in many places. Find the colors and particular crystals that have resonance for you and your altar space. Ostheimer wooden figures are beloved pieces we have collected over many years that often find their way into a seasonal altar scene. The reminder and display of this lovely family creates connections in my mind of the long story of my own family. The mother and father stand in support of their young daughter. The simple and quiet posture of the figures brings an immediate sense of focus and calm.

Over time a collection of important items that are meaningful to you will begin to conjure up instant patterned memories and heart connections. This is good for your soul. A relevance of soul over the years provides an easy and comforting way into soul reflection as well as healing ways. As your eyes cast over a seasonal display that you have put time and energy into creating - all of this is taken in as you stand before your display. This can be for just a moment or for a little bit longer period of contemplation. A pause - a rest - a reassurance that life continues as you are a part of it - bringing strength and resilience to you.

You altar space is really a momentary and visually available meditation. It is a living picture of what your soul might need in that particular seasonal celebration. A gratitude altar can be this simple as I have shown. The meaning finding comes from what is important to you and your unique biography. A created altar cannot really be copied as it does not hold anything of importance to you and your own life path. It is so interesting to look at others creations of altars and corner celebrations - and many ideas can be gained in observing and researching altars. Examples and ideas can be found in art books, stories, shops, museums, Pinterest, album covers, botanical gardens and nature preserves. Here is a useful article for you to gain more ideas from - There Is Only One Rule For Creating Your Home Altar. There are so many creative ways to support yourself. Part of the fun in this creating is the contemplation, research, wandering, creation aspects of this unique form of meditation - art making - and meaning finding.

The subject of creating home altars is a large one. Books and articles have been written about this from a wide variety of viewpoints. An altar can be anything that you find as a focal point. A simple branch can be set upon a windowsill - done with intention this can become an altar space for you. A small vase of flowers will evoke feelings and thoughts that can be utilized as a focal point of meditation, enjoyment and pause. Photographs of a beautiful nature scene can provide dreaming and remembrance. Photos of loved ones or individuals that we admire can also sit on your altar space. The possibilities are infinite in this temporary art installation. I do not know of another form of creativity that can make manifest our inner lives as an outward reflection to have as a living picture of beauty.

Finally, altars are found everywhere already in your home. If you look at the items in your home as well as the arrangement of things - really everything can be seen with this intentionality. Your stove is a hearth and focal point of your kitchen - an altar to the sustenance that this object helps your prepare. The way you arrange your rooms is an altar - inside the container of that particular room. As you can see this wonderful way of looking at your surroundings offers creativity for our imagination each day. If we awaken to what is around us with wonder and curiosity - an offering of deep significance can be found reflected back to us from our living homes. If you decide to create intentional altars in your life, I believe it will offer you a rich and full palette of beauty as a helpful box of available medicine for your soul. I hope you will share your thoughts about altar making in your own life.

mary jo hoffman

Writing Desk Altar

Tasha Tudor Cookstove From Book by Richard Brown

Resources:
Branches and Wings - Making A Nature Altar
Devotions by Mary Oliver
A Woman’s Book of Altar by Nancy Brady Cunningham & Denise Geddes
Hagitude: Reimagining The Second Half of Life

The Fool

The Fool's Journey: Navigating Life with Gratitude

In the grand tapestry of life, there exists a journey that many of us embark upon without even realizing it. It's a journey filled with twists and turns, challenges and triumphs, known as "The Fool's Journey." This symbolic expedition mirrors the human experience and serves as a profound reminder of the transformative power of gratitude. Join me as we explore the intersection of these two concepts and discover how cultivating gratitude can illuminate our path on this fascinating journey.

The Fool's Journey: Derived from the tarot, The Fool's Journey is a metaphorical expedition that represents the stages of personal development and self-discovery. The Fool, the main character in this journey, begins as a wide-eyed adventurer, unaware of the challenges that lie ahead. As the Fool encounters various trials and tribulations, they evolve, gaining wisdom and understanding.

Each tarot card in The Fool's Journey reflects a unique aspect of the human experience, from the innocence of The Fool to the enlightenment of The World. This progression mirrors the ups and downs of life, encapsulating moments of joy, sorrow, growth, and self-realization.

Gratitude as a Guiding Light: In the midst of life's unpredictable journey, gratitude emerges as a powerful and transformative force. It acts as a guiding light, illuminating the path even in the darkest moments. When we express gratitude, we shift our focus from what is lacking to what is abundant in our lives. This shift in perspective can be a transformation in thinking, turning obstacles into opportunities and challenges into catalysts for personal growth.

The Fool, in their journey, encounters setbacks and triumphs alike. By embracing gratitude, we can learn to appreciate the lessons hidden within adversity, finding gratitude not only for the destination but for the journey itself. This mindset fosters resilience and a deeper connection to the present moment, allowing us to savor the richness of each experience.

The Power of Gratitude in the Face of Challenges: Life's journey is not without its share of challenges. However, cultivating gratitude enables us to navigate these challenges with grace and resilience. When faced with adversity, adopting a grateful mindset helps us find silver linings, fostering a sense of hope and positivity.

The Fool encounters cards like The Tower, symbolizing sudden upheaval and change. In moments of personal "tower" experiences, gratitude becomes a beacon of light, helping us see beyond the chaos to the potential for growth and renewal.

As we traverse our own Fool's Journey, embracing gratitude can be the key to unlocking the full spectrum of human experience. It allows us to appreciate the beauty in simplicity, find meaning in adversity, and savor the richness of life's tapestry. As we embark on this journey with open hearts and grateful minds, knowing that every twist and turn brings us closer to the wisdom of The World card, where gratitude and self-discovery converge in a harmonious celebration of life.

Craft Ways. We try to live our lives in a way of making. This requires often - a lot more work and forethought than if we did not try to make. This ethos came for me from learning as a young teen from Helen & Scott Nearing, Hendry David Thoreau, going to music festivals, attending The John C. Campbell Folk School, handweaving from a local master weaver, making my own clothing, reading Mother Earth News and Harrowsmith - the list is very long. It was an exciting time in the 1970’s. Making do as I found my way in the world became a large part of my ethos.

I look around the world and see on the surface so much less of this. If however, you travel in circles of makers there is a sort of unspoken understanding between all of us. It is a given that you have projects you are working on at your home place. If you are fortunate enough to own a home with a bit of land - the projects just expand exponentially. It might be a holiday weekend for most people. For us though - it means making things, fixing things, repairing stuff, rounding up the never ending list of “need to do”. I was thinking about that this past couple of days. These clamps are my husbands tools - gotten out to repair and shore up an 100 year old cane rocker that is my daughter’s.

Since she also grew up with this ethos - it is a given to her that her father can make or fix nearly anything. It’s usually true. At her home one day - I asked about the rocker sitting there. She said it needed repair. I automatically looked at my husband Rand and said, “Can you fix it for her”? One of his talents is antique restoration. Long ago he worked in Woodbury, CT at Millhouse Antiques and worked on restoration of antiques. This was a simple fix for him. We left her house. Rand helped them for a few years to basically tear their small house down and entirely rebuild it into something else entirely. We make things. Even houses can be remade with ingenuity and serious hard work and sacrifice. We dragged the chair home in the back of the car on winding back roads.

I looked around our place as he was on and off working on the rocking chair over a couple of days. It needed to be taken apart a bit. Glue was applied to the proper places. Clamps held all of it together the best that could be done without taking the entire chair apart. I see a 1700’s house that he gutted to the outside frame and rebuilt it here decades ago. I helped with some of it. Everything here he put in by his own two hands. I see the firewood that he splits and stacks in the house everyday. Pieces of furniture he has made for us. One piece is a Shaker rocking chair that he gave me as a gift for when our daughter Emma was born. The flooring in the photograph he laid down over a week of nights after working all day. It needs refinishing again. That beam that has settled - he muscled in here when he was a young man. The corner of the handmade bookshelf is showing a bit too.

The thing is when you pick to live a life of handmade and do-it-yourself - things take longer. If we need something done or made or fixed - we don’t call anyone. We do all of it ourselves. Most of this is out of necessity as paying somebody else to do something is costly. It’s also a way of life that floats along on a wing and prayer sometimes. We cannot always have all the things. We have to compromise - make do - sometimes settle. It changes over a lifetime. Growing up with your house that you make and living in a way that requires - watching the river flow by as you stand on the bank edges of it - is not for the faint of heart. It is a life that asks for a living painting that can transform into an unexpected picture of wonder. That wonder can be full or it can be - I wonder why we are doing this.

Over the years as time goes by it is just something that you do. In talking with others - I forget that not everyone lives like this. They pay people to do things for them. They buy the things they need. It might appear that their lives are easier. Let’s face it though - either you earn the money to pay someone to do the work you need or acquire the goods required. You pay for it from your own working life in one way or another. It comes out of your effort in working or making it yourself. My husband has made a working life as a very talented carpenter. Except for the wrought term - he is a master carpenter. He has made many things from wood - barns, houses, toys, boats, furniture, altars, a coffin - many, many things. He has left his hand and difference in numerous people’s lives. He is always making do.

This theme of living in a handmade way is actually something I think about everyday. I view the world through this lens. My thoughts turn to how to make something work for us. I think about what is the next thing I want or need to make. I think it is a rewarding frame to wrap your heart around. Even if you do not have a lot of money - one can fashion a creative and beautiful life. Maybe it isn’t the easiest way to forge forward through the days but, it is an authentic way to live. You wish for things. Things like - please take the over head wires out of the sky. I wish for only small beautiful buildings to be put up. The signs of neon and cheaply made grate upon my psyche - along with all that is behind those cement buildings. Where are the hands?

I wonder at the long ago ethos of a different way of life. Not in a nostalgic sort of way. In a way that embraces the handmade. The passing down and learning of making do for yourself. The skills needed to live like this takes effort, time and motivation. It is a rewarding thing to rely on yourself. I have ideas of what a school could teach to children. I have ideas about a community center that every town could have that would be a learning center for a life of curiosity. I hope I can write about that in another field note in the future. I mostly wonder at the fact that we are required to fall into a way of life from the very beginning that is not really of our own choosing. It is a fact that what we do with our hands is set up for us from our early days and the culture’s expectations. Imagine if each person had more particular open options given to them. Would people actually be doing what they are doing with their lives? Was the outcome of what a life is spent doing really of their own free choosing? These topics can be hard to contemplate as we grow into an adult life - a working life. It is a great adventure to be able to formulate a life path that embraces in particular a rich life map that has been individually create and crafted with your own two hands.

The care required to embark upon a handmade life is complicated. We cannot go backwards in time. I would not want to. I also believe that embracing some of the skills needed to live in this way are useful. It gives us a way of living that is a slow growing kind of life. We can feel more connected to the land we live on - the community that we live with. If we keep each other going - we can be there for one another in challenging times. We have lived in a way of making connections in the community and that is a gift that cannot be bought. Those times may come when we aren’t directly looking. Crafting a handmade life is creating a life with intentionality - simple abundance - satisfaction of a self-made and artistic life.

Work at creating my own Biographia - my life story is an artistic journey. I want to be able to look back upon my life and see it as a living tableau of thread woven into creating and making a living picture for a present purpose. As the moments unfold over time - I am able to see what I created. The places of walking slowly and observing that which is around me gives me the most fulfillment. Making a life is the creative gift we are each given. As the cosmos unfold over an entire lifetime - a full and rich story is being written by each of our hands. Perhaps looking toward - looking back - we can find a fully written biography about us - as we would like it to be seen unfolding. I have offered. I stand in it with my hands forward.

How did that rocking chair turn out? Rand finished it and we delivered it to my daughter and her husband. A gift received with smiles of the nicest kind. They will use it daily - being precious about it is not in the hard working life they carry.

Repairing 100 Year Old Rocking Chair

Harvest

Held

I have enough - held by starlight - star keys
I look toward - past expectant hope - instead presence
Star cloaked hieroglyphics encoded - creates mapped DNA
Ancient abundance - found in blueberries - mushroom messages
Carried less into fields - after the mountains let go -
Climbed high - mountain goat tactics - forgotten why I came
Get busy with stance of stopped - directionality is diffuse
Tree ancestors - benevolent kind - held by rings of wisdom
Raven calls in early sunrise - forgotten warmth sparkles - edges
One day there is a basket full - all that is - wanted
Dropped seeds hold - potentiality of you
Rosehips are my hips - weighted worry
Follow the path - into a forest of yesterday
Shines your busyness - forgotten living - enough time
I stand with knowledge stone - seer will is asked for - heavenly
Still simple - internal gaze - spiral past desire
Words are prayer - food of find ways - I give all of it away

~Linden
The Bone Lines

Weft Shaman Weaver of Mountains

Folded In

Layers of petals wrap around a body of soil - engaged with growing
Heave in and out - grandiose gesture encompasses want -
If grasped too tightly - slowly the remedy slips away -

A seed drops from the sky - entangled message spreads far and wide -
The Call of Birds begins - song to songbird - held between beaks of breaking -
Magnificent turkey is the highest flyer - sky high in air currents - dial in -

Vision like hawks gathered for soaring - geothermal patterns map -
Wings bend in directions against all odds - whispers like engines -
Carried grasp on backs of messengers - encoded response listens -

I send up a weavers prayer - edge of Iona receives the note -
Waves of longing lap against the cliffs - sea moss draped round shoulders -
Siren song of the sea - hear a missive of the missing -

Hardened edges bring formation of crystalline patterns - called in to dream -
As seals catch the dripping sorrow - ships continue to carry sourced lack -
Wave past oldened image - etched treasure is clutched against golden apples-

~Linden
The Bone Lines