Skydancer's Threads

Ok, so it is the 30th of March, I wake up, look out the window and there is an inch or so of snow..... sheesh... Yesterday it was 67 degrees. Then it all melts and the dandelions are out again. Then..... all the snow is gone.. except, I stick my head out the door and it is snowing again... just a shower, most of it being light fluffly ball snow, but still.... chuckle...

OH well. I am happy to have actually gotten some space cleared so I a be using my graphics tablet again and getting back the drive to do new artwork.

Thea has been my most recent focus, but I now have a stack of 10 or so new works in the works....
Thea Goddess - Thea Doll
Goddess of the Flutterby
Goddess and the GreenMan

I was also thinking of my dear friend Silandara, and her fiance, his grandmother passed away a few days ago and sage offerings, prayers and quiet thoughts to them both. Over the course of my life, I have learned, that rather than such passings leaving my life empty, they have in reality enriched the universe and my connections to the ancestors. I take some comfort in that, and try to make my actions upon my journey to be an expression honoring their medicine and their own journeys.
Blessings to us all.

Some interesting reading I think.. smile. Plus a really good photo of Samantha and Malcom. Be sure to read all the comments... chuckle.. oh, and warning... nudity ahead.

A Dance of Fertile Joy

Daniel Ellsberg - I honestly do not know much about this fellow, but I want to say, I am very impressed. He was being interviewed about the war with iraq, he is an anti war activist, and he really shut down the tactics of the CNN interviewer that was trying to use false logic, faulty supposition and sheer speculation to put forth questions, and expecting Mr. Ellsberg to try and answer them in the mire and minefield of error filled unreal media illusions that was more than obviously not even close to be relevant. He was sharp enough and sure enough to absolutely deflate and destroy the illusion of truth, a respected and supposedly unbiased news organization was spewing. Hooray for him. And a very sobering thought about CNN.

Well, I tried resetting the options, lets see if the time is fixed... it is now 4:00 pm, eastern standard time, March 27th, 2003

Ok, so I wonder why the time is so screwy.. it is actually about 3:58 in the afternoon.... sheesh..

Lunch.... what do you mean its almost 4 in the afternoon.... oh well. Roast a chicken... smoke up the kitchen. Oh heck, smoke up the whole trailer.... sigh. I have recently discovered the wonder of Kosher salt. It makes the most delicious and crispy skin on the chicken. And Bi-Lo just had a nice buy on 10 lbs of leg quarters for .39 a lb. Now I have to figure out how to make chicken and egg noodles like mother used to make... There are uses for a very large canning pressure cooker... chuckle.. one of which is the most elegant bean soup. Anyway... new submissions to artSIG. I finally get to show off some the artwork I did from Jenny's session.

Jenn at the Firefalls

And Jenn Ringgold series

I have to admit a certain fondness for puns and the subject came up on artSIG today. It occurred to me that I certainly should be making reference to one of my most favorite of authors. Piers Anthony, and especially his Zanth novels. A rather fascinating place that is built on puns. Piers Anthony Website

Look not into the deep of the lake, for there you will see only your own reflection. Rather open to the waters and the wind, and know the lake as it is, not as it mirrors your own prisons. In such journeys do we free the binding of the Mandream, and begin the journey of acceptance.

In my life, there have been, and are, some expressions of the Goddess principle, incarnate forms, women that have touched my journey in ways that are, to me significant. I am feeling pushed to do many things, one of which is that I should be creating the Tarot card deck that I have had in my mind for some time. I also need to allow the energies that weave through me to crystalize and become the egg from which a change upon the world will come.

It is time, I think, to allow the Pantheon of the Dragonfly's Journey to become form and flesh, and accept that these females have a place within it. That they are of, or are on the journey of, Dragonfly. They are weaving through the illusions of the Mandream, that terrible nightmare of the world as man is shaping it, and with their own medicines, they also carry the medicine of dragonfly, coyote, raven and otter. They are dream breakers, contrary dancers, winged carrier of visions and deep magic as Raven and Crow, and spirit dancers of Wood and Water, Otters on their mud slides, making love to the trees, and squealing in the delights of cold mountain streams.

Silandara - Goddess of Journey, the one that carried me here to the mountains, dancer with the Elven Pretender, and Otter dancer, naked soul beloved by tree and forest, streams and waters, mountain spirits of the airs and storms.

Thea - Goddess of the Kitchen, keeper of the Green Heart, who is a very special soul indeed. Finder of the Cans of Wyrms, and one who carries a can opener. Mother keeper, healer and midwife, protector of the mothers of the clans, and Raven dancer, Crow feather carrier, medicine mother of the Deer Clan.

Jenny - Goddess of Nutrition, Ring Maiden, finder of unknown waterfalls, and a spirit on her own journey, finding self an exercise in stretching, in opening her naked soul to the waters, stone and forest, and allowing herself to simply be, without fear or shame or angst. She is nourishment and support, aid for others journeys in finding their health, of soul, of body, of where they need to be.

There are others, and in time it will come to me, the weave is folds and bolts of tapestry. Time is turning upon itself, the cycles are once again changing their balance, and in each of us is given a thread, to write within the weave even if it is only a ragged stitch, the memory of our lives.

With the spring Equinox upon us, let us think of trees.. and coffee. I invite you to visit and support the work of Tim Womic and the National Tree Trust. Tim was the owner of the old Cashiers Coffee Company, a rare and wonderful little place, and a place upon my journey that had a nearly mystical impact on the paths I walked and have continued to move upon. My blessings, and my wish for him to continue his path of peace and renewal, on this gathering of balance of the light and the darkness. But even in the darkest of the nights, stars shine, perhaps under the cloud, but they are there, and the earth breathes and moves beneath and around us. I fear not the dark of the forest wild, but the darkness in the human soul.

Happy Equinox to all!

With great sorrow I see that Mr. Bush, has gone to war. I sincerely hope, that all responsibility and accountability is brought to him at his trial for the crimes he is commiting, in his corruption of the trust given by the people of this country. And I pray, that the people of the world, are spared as much as may be, harm from the insanity of this man. May the gods grant us sanctuary from such madmen.

"A picture is worth a thousand words".... but is it?

Might I interject some thoughts here. One... in any gallery, or museum worthy of the name, works do not stand alone. They have history, promoters, brochures, advocates, gallery owners anxious to increase the buzz so they can sell the work, books written and published both with the artists commentary and critics commentary.

Two... in truth, no work stands on its own. It stands amongst its culture, its time, its history and its environment. It stands within the rumors, the inuendo, the political and cultural, or subcultural imperatives. If it speaks, it speaks in a language, and it is not, no matter what you might wish, a universal one.

Art, in all its forms, speaks in the language and culture of the artist, and the one that experiences it, may very well neither understand, or be able to conceive of the concepts that language is based on.

I do not believe that art is for all people. It has context and it has definate connection to a time, a way of thinking, and a state of being. To expect everyone, or even very many, to connect, as it was conceived, is, I think, a futile hope.

Such are my thoughts anyway.

I believe that art is two experiences, and has little to do with the work. It is my experience in the creation, capture or compilation of it. and your experience when you look, touch, hear, read, or feel it.

I love the forum, interaction that artSIG provides.... and I get lots of comments on how I should change my work in this manner or that. and I have to say.....

"But if I did it your way, it would not be what "I" see. And that is what most of my images are about, not to present you with a message, entertainment, or decor. But simply to show you a little of the world I live in. And what I see all around me."

As much fun as a crooked and broken looking glass, through which all the world of man sees the natural world, which his mind denies, and his heart rends, but the pain is within, not from without.

Art...... REAL art... is, in my own opinion, an expression of a soul, and the interaction of the soul that experiences it.

If we do not speak the same language, then only with some explanation can the artist and the viewer hope to find common ground. The expression cannot stand on its own merits, it has none. It is the communication, or lack thereof, where expression can exist.

So sayeth Skydancer,

chuckle... you may quote me, grin....

On this terrible headlong plunge to drag the world into a war.... It occurs to me... You too Mr. President and all your staff can also be put on trial for war crimes. You are even more accountable than you can imagine. May your god forgive you, then see to that you get exactly what you have sown, as soon as possible.

Stevia...
Sugar has such a hold, nearly a drug, and as I am very allergic to aspartame, which I have suspicions is a slow poison anyway, and saccharin makes be ill just to taste it, I stumbled across the herb White Stevia.
Interesting stuff, half a packet and my coffee is fine. Now if I can just learn to cook with it. Since it is an herb, I am also considering trying to grow it.
By the way, just because it is a natural herb does not mean it is heathy, safe or that you should use it, a seriously knowledgeable practioner of hebal medicine should be consulted and one that is balanced, not one that is "if it is herbal and natural then it must be safe" school of thought.
I know for fact that St. John's Wort, which has been quite successfully used for depression in quite a few people, has exactly the opposite effect on me. And soy, which everyone seems to think is such a "manna" is deadly to me, and I suspect, in all honesty, gut feeling that it is doing some serious damage to the overall gene pool in man.
More later... but if you need a good supplier for Stevia and other heathy herbal and hand made goods, try Highlands Wholelife Supply
Especially drop in and say hello to Jenny if you are in the area of Highlands, NC.

This is from my Naturian folio on PhotoSig. Rather than rewrite it, I am just bringing it here.

I received a letter from a photographer that had worked with a model / subject I recently worked with. In it he spoke of my use of the word Naturist. And equated it with Nudism. That disturbed me, and thinking on it for several days, I began to understand why it disturbed me.

I want, in my work, to exhalt and celebrate the wonder, beauty and natural freedom of the nude human form. But I do not believe in nudism. I do believe in balance, and that clothing should be used when needed, and that the complete casting aside of clothing is just as much an extreme view as being covered from head to toe in volumes of cloth. I do not care for, nor support either of these views. So with much thought and letting my spirit wander between the worlds for quite some time, I returned to this world with these thoughts.

The term Naturist, though not originally meaning nudism has been pretty much assimilated by nudists. This disturbs me, as I feel the abrogation of one culture into the service and subservience of another is an evil that is seriously infecting the societies and cultures of man. However, since this is the case, and the original values and beliefs of the naturist movement have been distorted and corrupted, I feel that another name needs to be found for the ideas, and cultural viewpoints of the tribal connection with the earth, in a clothing optional society. As naturism was in fact not nudism, but the expression of the body as a natural form, and clothing as decoration and protection, not separation and isolation a new language needs to be formed to give those of this spirit a center to connect through.

Which, in the end, is what language is all about, the weave and connection of community and clan, tribe and nation. Though when it is corrupted, it is a tool that disconnects and strips the validity and sacred context from the dreams, medicine and knowledge of the peoples.

One of the gifts that from time to time I am given is that of the naming of souls. And that medicine is what leads me to this. I choose to define the concept of the celebration and the path of being a natural being in a natural world, where man / woman is not defined as separate from the world of nature, and the natural form we wear is not to be ashamed of, or to be perverted to the twist of unnatural society or cultures, and clothing is for the sake of expression, protection from natural elements, not to separate or isolate, to label or control, but to free our dance, nude as we are by the shaping of the Mother. In honor of that dance, and in respect of the weave of our
natures within the Nature of the world, I bring forth the concept of Naturian. A follower of the natural nature of the animals we are, in celebration of the dance of the weave of the Earth, and all the spirits and Goddesses, the Ancestors and the Gods, the guides and the teachers, the flame of all souls in a dance of community, not isolation.

Naturian - one who uses clothing as an expression of the soul of the wearer and for the purpose of protection from the elements. One to whom the nude form is natural and accepted as normal, but one that also recognizes that we need from time to time clothing, and that our minds and spirits can use the colors, weaves and textures of clothing to extend our expression and our dance, and we do not reject such hand crafted arts, but wear them, when we chose, as part of our dance, and in expression of our selves.


Where birds have plumage, we have textile art, body paint, crafted metals and natural fibers to speak of our souls. Where wolf and otter, bear and eagle have fur, feather and hair, we have the borrowed threads of plant and animal relatives to warm us, protect our fragile skins when needed, and to shout in colors, weave and texture the art
of our hearts.

I exhibit a bit of my art work on a site called PhotoSig

It is a very interesting site for anyone interested in a wide variety of photography, and critiquing and learning more about your craft, hobby, or even profession

There is a companion site in beta testing that will be for art other than just straight photography that I am putting some of my other art on, and in creating the folios, I had to come up with an explanation of what Naturian means. So, this is one expression of it, and trust me, I will write more as I have a little time and opportunity, since Naturianism is very important to my world view.

My folio on ArtSig, if the link stays current, it may change as it is in testing, but for now you can take a look if you like.

Skydancer ArtSig Folio

Naturian means that it is natural to the person, not naturism, but what is to that culture, that lifestyle, is natural to them, and their environment.

As open, and unfettered an expression of the naturian self as can be captured and presented via art, and the tools of art. So a nude female, that has piercings or tattoos, is, and can still be, an expression of naturianism if they are presented in their natural state, and a natural environ. It may be, that for them, the streets of an urban landscape are their natural cultural space. To me, that is a bit sad, but to not express it would be to ignore it, and truth is never served by ignorance.

Respect for privacy and the diversity of a lifestyle and its cultural expression is not the same as choosing to be ignorant. I believe that cutural acquisition and assimilation is one of the most destructive forces there is. But respect of the values and uniqness of the culture can bring knowledge and understanding without perversion and destruction.

I hope, in my work and my art, by pen, by film, by whatever means, I can open paths for a reunification of the soul of man, and the natural world, whatever the expression of that soul might be.

Blessings,

Marion

Hmmm, it's a beginning....

Before I log out for now and go do things I really need to do, like go get a mouse trap, and then off to Scaly to feed Thea's dogs and housesit for a bit....

thought I should put a note to Sil's Blog, after all, its her fault.... chuckle....

You should check her site out anyway, she is quite a talented singer / songwriter and all round tree nymph... beautiful that is.

I still have some things about this blog to figure out, but I will eventually. Right now, a bit of lunch, and a recommended couple of CD's.

Emerald Forest - by Michael Maxwell - really beautiful celtic instrumentals with nature.

the new Live Album - by Thea and the GreenMan

Now lunch and errands,

Blessings,

Marion

Well, with urging from my best luv and friend, Sil, and lots of poking and prodding from the other Goddess, Thea, the online journal begins. Lots of things in the beginning are going to be from my past notes, with new and middle of the night inspirations threaded in the weave here and there. For now, a revelation I had yesterday, after several days of hearing about the war, and the insanity that going on over the oil and the power plays of what are supposed to be adult humans, and running into a desperate to convert and save me type at the book store when I went to pay my phone bill.

The journey of a soul is not to determine the journey of another. Each
soul must find for itself the thread within the weave, that is it's
journey. To speak as one that knows that thread for another, is the
greatest of evils.

Wisdom is finding ones place in the tapestry of the music, and singing
one's own song, to the delight and nourishment of others. Not trying
to teach everyone else your song. In teaching what you believe to be
true, you silence the voices that might have been, and make us all
poorer in our journeys.

Do not teach. Live. And in living the very beauty of your song, you
will, if true to your own song, encourage others to sing their own
songs. This is the harmony of the universes, not one voice, or one
song, but many.

As an old native blessing says, Walk in Beauty.

I say, Walk, Dance, Sing, Live, in the Beauty of your song, whatever
that song, that journey may be.

March 5, 2003 - Marion Z. Skydancer