Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Dragon and Phoenix

The day is like a jewel.
Clean and clear, with shining light and gleaming sun.
The golden glow of Heaven’s orb, and wispy white of floating clouds.
The time of Father, Brother, Son, and God, of light of truth and strength and power.


The night is like a cloak.
A veil of beauty, song, and love, enclosing all with rest and hope.
Silver moon and shining stars, the eyes of all upon the world.
The time of Mother, Daughter, Sister, Goddess, protect and nurture all of life.


The earth is like a womb.
Nourished and loved, it brings forth life from worms to wheat.
By fruit and flowers of tree and field, the cloak of Iris shrouds the land.
From rock and stone to branch and leaf, all life buds and all life rests.


The sea is like the mind.
Always shifting, always moving, one change comes and one change goes.
From mighty whale to fragile shell, it is a world of worlds unto itself.
Becalm one moment, a maelstrom the next, this mighty titan is both beauty and beast.


Nature's Faces 2 x 2

Spring
The season of rebirth
The season when new life emerges from the now weakened grasp of winter’s cocoon

The green season
The season of Earth
The season when all that grows takes root deep within the bosom of Mother Earth

The eastern season
The season of the rising sun
The season of plants and fruits blossoming akin, and animals opening their eyes from winter’s rest

Summer
The season of life
The season of majestic beauty, of the wondrous colorful gifts of nature

The yellow season
The season of Fire
The season where Brother Sun extends his golden fingertips to warm the land and bring full bloom

The southern season
The season of energy and harvest
The season where the bounty of the land is reaped, and laid upon the feast table as a trader shows his wares

Autumn
The season of fading life
The season of somber beauty and flourishing silence

The red season
The season of Air
The season where Father Sky blows the scarlet-hued leaves, making them perform their whimsical dance

The western season
The season of the setting sun
The season where the sun begins to bid farewell and his sister comes to take his place

Winter
The season of barrenness
The season of darkness that conceals hidden mystery, known only to the stars of the night

The blue season
The season of Water
The season of cloud’s tears crystallizing like the finest diamonds, and Sister Moon bathing them in her silver glow

The northern season
The season of ice and haunting beauty
The season of solitude and slumber, that can only be revived by spring’s first, soft breath of life

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Book Review: Nobody's Princess


If you ask most people about Helen of Troy, chances are the name will strike a chord. Well-known as "the face that launched a thousand ships", this Greek heroine is given a fresh look and modern makeover in Esther Friesner's 2007 teen fiction novel.

But first, a little historical background. Most scholars agree that the legendary Trojan War would have taken place around the 13th century B.C.E., a time when Greek culture as it is popularly imagined had not yet taken shape. During this time (the Late Bronze Age), the dominant cultural force in Greece was the Mycenaeans, who bore little resemblance to what would become Classical Greek civilization. It is in this world that Helen of Troy would have lived, and from which Friesner draws heavily on archeological and artistic detail to craft the setting of her story.

In this first of two volumes, Friesner focuses on Helen as a young child and budding adolescent, growing up in the ancient kingdom of Sparta. Lacking any interest in women's domestic tasks and possessing indomitable willpower along with her legendary beauty, Helen secretly trains in armed combat and is determined not to have her decisions controlled by anyone else. On her journeys, she meets many already beloved historical and mythological characters, including the huntress Atalanta, the hero- or anti-hero in this version- Theseus and the legendary priestess of the Oracle at Delphi.

Filled with accurate Late Bronze Age details (including food, clothes, weapons and art), this unorthodox but engaging version of Helen's story paints a whole new picture of perhaps the most coveted woman in world history.