Astral Boutique's blog

Queen of May

Happy Beltane! Happy May Day!

In case you missed it last year, here is a song that I wrote for today, called The May Queen (just press play).

Some vintage May Queens:

The May Queen

 by Alfred Lord Tennyson

You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear;
To-morrow 'ill be the happiest time of all the glad New-year;
Of all the glad New-year, mother, the maddest merriest day;
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

There's many a black, black eye, they say, but none so bright as mine;
There's Margaret and Mary, there's Kate and Caroline:
But none so fair as little Alice in all the land they say,
So I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

I sleep so sound all night, mother, that I shall never wake,
If you [2] do not call me loud when the day begins to break:
But I must gather knots of flowers, and buds and garlands gay,
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

As I came up the valley whom think ye should I see,
But Robin leaning on the bridge beneath the hazel-tree?
He thought of that sharp look, mother, I gave him yesterday,--
But I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

He thought I was a ghost, mother, for I was all in white,
And I ran by him without speaking, like a flash of light.
They call me cruel-hearted, but I care not what they say,
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

They say he's dying all for love, but that can never be:
They say his heart is breaking, mother--what is that to me?
There's many a bolder lad 'ill woo me any summer day,
And I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

Little Effie shall go with me to-morrow to the green,
And you'll be there, too, mother, to see me made the Queen;
For the shepherd lads on every side 'ill come from far away,
And I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

The honeysuckle round the porch has wov'n its wavy bowers,
And by the meadow-trenches blow the faint sweet cuckoo-flowers;
And the wild marsh-marigold shines like fire in swamps and hollows gray,
And I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

The night-winds come and go, mother, upon the meadow-grass,
And the happy stars above them seem to brighten as they pass;
There will not be a drop of rain the whole of the live-long day,
And I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

All the valley, mother, 'ill be fresh and green and still,
And the cowslip and the crowfoot are over all the hill,
And the rivulet in the flowery dale 'ill merrily glance and play,
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

So you must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear,
To-morrow 'ill be the happiest time of all the glad New-year:
To-morrow 'ill be of all the year the maddest merriest day,
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.

I hope everyone can take at least a moment to step outside today and enjoy the beauty of nature at this very special time of year! 

Rainmaker

I just spent the past few days working an entirely different day job- as a bird goddess. 

In a life-size nest, built by Dylan!

My friends in the band Lasher Keen teamed up with Bay Area filmmaker Lara Miranda to create a music video for their song "Rainmaker", and they gathered their friends to play all of the characters:

(yup, that's a fog machine- essential!)

Getting into full costume with hair and makeup (including body paint) took many hours each day:

Lara applies some finishing touches to my face.

Even fully made up, you still have to eat:

Here is Bluebird, playing the Moon Goddess, hanging out and waiting for her scene (the desert-like shots were done in an old mining area):

Dylan trying out his costume- no paparazzi!:

Sarai as the Horse Goddess (on her own Clydesdale horse!):

Robert as the pyromaniac Fire Demon:

Lara on set:

Mugging, as usual, with Bluebird and Emily (one of the Clay Goddesses- this brave girl spent the entire day covered in clay!):

My wonderful headpiece and costume were made by Bluebird:

What an awesome time, and what a video this is going to be! Holy moly! It's going to take a while before we see the finished product, but meanwhile, you can enjoy some of Lara's other work, like this wonderful Faun Fables videos:

Photos by Lasher Keen and Lara Miranda

Imbolc

An Imbolc/St. Brigid's Day gathering, with homemade beeswax candles, homemade bread, and homemade CREAM PUFFS!

(that's violet flavored sugar sprinkled on top!)

A skit-ual by candlelight... and then a walk down the dark country road, carrying candles as little beacons....

...wearing a new favorite dress...

From one of my favorite books, Herbal Rituals by Judith Berger:

The goddess Brigid eventually came to be called Bride, the matron of poetry, smithcraft, and healing. The priestesses (and later nuns) of Brigid were known as brides, for they vowed themselves to this goddess as one would in a marriage bond and kept a sacred fire burning for her at all times.

Most likely the fire that was kept kindled at Brigid's shrine was the huge fire of a forge, which burned meltingly hot in preparation for smithcraft, the domain of this goddess. The unfailing attentiveness to the fire by the nine priestesses of Brigid (and later Hestia and Vesta) underscores fire's fragile aspect, the potential of this extremely important source of our light and heat to be extinguished if we neglect to feed it with new kindling. The brides remind us to tend to all that the fire represents: our creative lives, the passions that keep us vital and joyful, our sexuality, the love and care that kindles our hearths and invites intimacy, and the power of loving nurturance to magically resuscitate that which, left unattended, had seemed to die.

And a very wonderful cherry on the cake: while we were making our candles and eating our creampuffs, one of my very dearest friends gave birth to her first child, a baby girl! Congratulations Celeste!

(...and Happy Imbolc to all!)

God Rest Ye Merry Pagan Folk

Twas a starry Solstice eve, and merry folks were gathered together to keep the creative fires burning high...

Bluebird, Dylan (of the rockin pagan band Lasher Keen), Leonna Sapphire, and moi, at Bluebird and Dylan's gorgeous home. Solstice gifts: Dylan's cookie jar (filled with freshly baked Russian Tea Cookies from Leonna), Leonna's rainbow piano socks, wrist warmers crocheted by Leoanna, and my beautiful scarf, which came all the way from Africa!

Best holiday soundtrack ever (Dylan is originally from Detroit, so he knows what good music sounds like):

Needlepoint Christmas stocking, open wine bottle, homemade playdough and game of Cranium:

Dylan processes the Mistletoe which he picked himself, while fur people Lakshmi and Mochi look on:

O Tannenbaum...

Leonna brought holiday songs with alternate Pagan words! Best idea ever!

We were belting out those carols at the tippy TOP of our lungs! I am so glad there were no neighbors anywhere nearby!

Dylan's mistletoe bunches are ready, and Bluebird returns to the needlepoint...

Dylan shows us his amazing hand-carved wooden harp with gut strings, just arrived after a six month wait.... Wow. Wow. Wow.

Cutie Pie Pies.

...and to all a good night.

 

Dr. John and San Francisco Bliss

I just returned from the amazing Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco- three days of amazing free (!) music in Golden Gate Park. The weather this year was incredible... sunshine all three days! T-shirts and shorts, bare legs, mom and dad and grandma and babies and dogs and hippies and magic brownies... the park was about to lift off the ground from the good vibes. 

One of my favorite acts was Dr. John and the Lower 911. It was my first time seeing him live- and what a venue to see him in! Dr. John is from New Orleans, and he brings all the fun and magic and musical tradition of that city to his work. He had the (very willing and able) crowd in Golden Gate Park partying their booties off on Sunday! 

This is the song that first hooked me on Dr. John:

This video for the Scott McKenzie song "San Francisco" has some footage that could have just as well been shot this weekend- dancing girls! headbands! bare feet! and a parade of kooky characters on Haight Street, where we went on Saturday night. Remember, if you're going to San Francisco... be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

 

The Magical Tea Party

Once upon a time, there was a magical tea party...

 

...where every teacup and every plate was a treasure from mysterious lands far away...

... and where the bounty of summer was arranged in edible bouquets on every surface...

...where the cupcakes were decorated with edible flowers and topped with rose flavored frosting...

...where dainty finger foods sat on silver trays on the lanai... 

...and every pillow was a work of art.

The hostess of this gathering was a beautiful fairy sprite clothed in green...

...and the assembled guests listened to peaceful fountains tinkling in the courtyard as they ate, drank, and talked the afternoon away.

  

The party was made up of some of the most creative and kind folk in the whole town, such as Dylan, a musician, visual artist. clothing maker (note his handmade leather pants!), and a student of ancient cultures, who brought Druid Oracle cards for the party to divine with...

...and there was Bluebird, a musician, costumier, sculptress, painter, and dancer, whose name tells you the story of her radiant spirit...

...and in the middle of what would have been a humdrum week, a group of friends got to be dressed up in their finery, and live a moment out of time, in which pleasure and conversation ruled the world...

If you are curious to learn more about Bluebird and Dylan, I strongly suggest checking out their band, Lasher Keen. They are off on a tour of Europe next month, so heads up to my European readers! They put on a show that is absolutely not to be missed... they have been described as "The illegitimate love child of a Pagan ritual & the Velvet Underground." I couldn't put it any better!

cover of Lasher Keen's latest vinyl release, Possessed By The Forest Queen

 

Aphrodisia

The other night I went to a party that was also a ritual... in honor of Aphrodite. That's right, you know her, she's the goddess of Love and Beauty. She like food and flowers, or flowers that are food:

My potluck dish, a kiwi/strawberry salad with edible pansies, roses, nasturtiums, and bachelor buttons

She also likes wine. Or, in this case, my drink of choice, Lambic:

The girls showed up wearing their Power Colors...

Summer Violet Rose, myself, and Leonna Sapphire

Being Super Babes...

and being Silly Super Babes:

The ritual was a Hellenic Reconstructionist type, or so they tell me, involving bathing a statue of Aphrodite in perfumed waters, a procession, a feast, an archery competition, amazing live musicians playing, dancing, romancing, and prancing. (A lot of prancing.) The best part of the night was the cool conversations that I had with the other ladies... isn't that a hallmark of the best parties?

Hail Aphrodite!

Cosmic Connection- Northern California Women's Herbal Symposium 2011

I am back from the Northern California Women's Herbal Symposium and I am filled to the brim with joy and inspiration! It's hard to summarize this amazing event, and photos only show the tiniest piece of the whole puzzle, but I will try to give you all an idea of the magical world of women and herbs and wisdom and playfulness that happens at Black Oak Ranch in Laytonville every year. This first photo probably encapsulates the feeling the best:

Me and my bestie Linda, striking our best "the spaceship has just beamed us onto planet earth" pose

This was my seventh time going, if I am counting correctly, and still my husband says he doesn't really understand what the Symposium is like. I mean, I come home with a head full of crazy stories, which never spill out in any logical or linear order- everything seems equally important, from a conversation I overheard in the food line to the thought I had around the fire at 3am to the thing I learned about grindelia's effect on helping asthma to.... well... things like accounts of spontaneous mud wrestling contests tend to stand out, naturally. (Ahem.)

This year I decided that it could best be described it as a magical summer camp that is run entirely by the counselors... the weirdest, coolest, most super playful counselors. A ton of work goes on behind the scenes, but the overall impression for us campers is that the Authority Figures have all *poof* disappeared, along with all the usual rules which limit us as women in the "real" world (how to dress, or undress, how to behave, how to connect with each other), and yet: everything is working just fine. In fact, it's working better than ever! Everyone is connecting as if by magic... synchronicity grows wilder and more lush every hour of the camp, until, by Sunday night's ceremony and drum circle around the fire, everyone's minds and energy fields are electrified and it feels as if we are talking to each other without words. The moment you think of a question, it seems, the answer will appear. Even if you have a whole wheelbarrow full of questions. This is why this is so much more than a "normal" experience for me... it is actually a spiritual infusion. After the long cold winter, it is so amazing to sleep outside and feel my energy field expand down to touch the earth- literally!- and then up to touch the stars. It is a coming home to community, to earth, and to my connection with the spirit world.  

Home sweet home: this is the tent that was baptized many years ago as "Daft Home" (because it is an REI "Half Dome" tent and Chris and I just can't leave a name alone). Sleeping outside was so different after all of these months indoors.... me and Linda were laughing that we could sell bags of dirt in major urban centers with the sales pitch "Ground... the ORIGINAL relaxing surface!"

The Moon Tent, aka the Red Tent... filled with beautiful red velvet pillows and books about women's bodies and cycles. Isn't it amazing that not long ago, women still called their periods "the curse"? We've come a long way, baby...

Dress up is encouraged all day, every day. Here is my friend Chelsea, who was leading a singing class for children bedecked as a beautiful blue fairy:

My stall at Marketplace. It was so fun to see all of the clothes out in the open, in a little pop-up "store"!

This is Lindsey, wearing a dress that she bought from me and Amber at Violet Folklore two years ago! She is still loving it.

A spontaneous sing-a-ling starts at Marketplace:

My friend Beth's tie-dye booth:

Okay, back to the spaceship people, aka me and Linda! This year was a very special Symposium, to celebrate the 21st year, and part of the celebration was a Masquerade Ball. I won't say much more, cause I don't want to give away all the surprises, but here we are getting ready for the amazing feast that started the Ball!

One of our amazing organizers, Terri! 

A magical band entertains the diners....

Hand-washing in rose water:

Linda and our friend Heather, who works her butt off for us on the RTF (aka Random Task Force), and has the very important job of taking care of the campfire at night:

Heather and the organizer extraordinaire, Karen!

Beautiful flower girls:

This weekend for me was all about conversations and connections. Here on the right is my dear friend Jen, who runs the Wellness Center at the Symposium, talking with a friend:

It wasn't quite as busy in Wellness as it can be sometimes, so me and Jen actually got to steal some sweet Friend Moments... she played me the songs she learned this winter on her banjo and her ukulele, and we sat by the creek and talked about life, plans, questions... it was so good to connect. 

Stargazer Li, an incredible wizard of time and space, who leads stargazing talks at night, and Linda:

Li has been in my life for many years, since one of her calenders came to me as a gift back in the 90s. She has expanded her community and her teachings from the base of the Symposium, and she is an incredible example of someone who is doing her true Work in the world. That might sound easy, if you are called to be a banker or an accountant, but imagine if you were a Shamaness of Interplanetary Dimensions? The most incredible thing about Li is that not only is she a true genius (brains. so many brains) but she is a gifted teacher- she can actually impart this wisdom in a way that makes it accessible to the layperson. You can find out more about Li's work here.

Chelsea and I, saying our goodbyes:

When I drove up to Black Oak ranch this year, it felt like it had been mere minutes since last May... time is so funny like that. Now I can't believe it will be another year til I go back! Luckily, there are options... there are actually TWO sessions in May and this year there are TWO in September. I think that after seven years I have started to love the Symposium too much for one session to be enough! I am going to keep those weekends free... and we'll see, we'll see. Maybe with some luck I can be back there again, filling up my soul and my spirit. Meanwhile, all of you should sign up ASAP.... it's really a unique happening on planet earth, and it is sooooooo worth putting aside the time and money to make it happen for yourself.

Think about it. 

Maycation!

It's that time of year again.... and whoa, the time has really flown..... I am going to the Northern California Women's Herbal Symposium, aka Witch Camp... my chance to reunite with my dear friend Linda and learn and connect and sing and play play play under the oak trees and the stars. It looks like the weather might even co-operate! (after waking up to three inches of snow this weekend, I was having my doubts...)

If you are a new blog reader, you might be interested in my blog post about last year's camp here.

The shop will be on Vacation Mode for the first time ever... because I need a break, and because I am setting up a booth with my hand made and hand altered items at the Symposium Marketplace! 

I will try to take a lot of pictures, and I'll be back in a week.... see you all then, and meanwhile, HAPPY MAY! 

Our Great Shebang!

It's a rainy night in San Ramon and I am hanging with my folks, eating a meal every half an hour and watching enough TV for a lifetime. I am also catching up on some e-mails and general recording of What Went On In Life in the past month or so.... and how can I leave out the incredible Nevada City Bizarre?

I am so happy to report that it was a hit, a smashing success, and a damn good time! Despite the absolutely wicked weather (the kind of rain that is almost snow and blows sideways and finds its way down the back of your neck) everyone was obviously feeling stir crazy at home, and they descended on cozy world inside the Miner's Foundry like, well, crazed Christmas shoppers! But instead of dropping their loot at the mall, they kept it all in the community-- so cool!

As usual, I was so busy running around all day that I didn't take a single picture... but here are some from the professional photographer we hired, James Bratt, and there are oodles more of sweet pics from Heather at Moonshine Junkyard (one of our many vintage vendors) on her blog here!

One of the two big halls full of amazing vendors

Myself and Leora, fellow organizer extraordinaire, setting things up at the front door in the morning

Exquisite Corps, one of the dozen aaaamazing bands that played that day

Arty goodness by Ursula

Breaking news! Amber over at Violet Folklore just uploaded her pics from the Bizarre. Here they are:

If all goes well, we are going to have a Bizarre again in the Spring... so spread the news, and stay tuned to this blog!