Re-birthing a New Vision

Intending our collective human mind today may ingest, incubate and hatch the symbolism of the "egg" as an archetype for libration. The origins of the word Easter are found in the ancient Saxon Lunar Goddess known as Eostre and Norse Goddess Ostara. In both these traditions, as well as those of the Greeks and Egyptians we find the symbolic use of the egg and a theory of the Cosmic Egg as the source of all creation.

In August of 2003 when Greg and I attended the Visionary Art workshop titled Old Masters, New Visions in Austria. The egg is referred to as the Hermetic Vase, a vessel of transformation. As we used the whole egg to create the under painting in the workshop, we experienced a deeper meaning to the symbolism of the egg as it became a conductor of light and transformation. In turn, I was transformed and had the insight to create "Illuminated Perfume", weaving all my talents into one inspired vision.

“The shell must break before the bird can fly.” ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

This forced isolation can be looked at symbolically as an incubation with the cracking open of the collective mind, an awakening and ascension. At least that's how I am choosing to look at it, the alternative of a canopy of GGGGG above our heads and forced vaccinations with micro chips implemented by Mr. Gates of doom is too painful.

Here are a few words from Jung on the topic of the egg:

“In alchemy the egg stands for the chaos apprehended by the artifex, the prima materia containing the captive world-soul. Out of the egg — symbolized by the round cooking vessel — will rise the eagle or phoenix, the liberated soul, which is ultimately identical with the Anthropos who was imprisoned in the embrace of Physis.”

Fred Bergen, an "instagram" friend mentioned a recent episode on NPR's Science Friday, titled The Luxury Ostrich Eggs of the Bronze and Iron Age Upper Class. Auspiciously Greg and I had placed an ostrich egg on our altar this morning, which in my meditation turned gold, with a reference to me apply gold leaf to it. After listening to the segment I found the idea of carving into an egg, or as we do in todays modern era, decorating eggs, this is yet another fitting archetype to dive into—decorating, carving a new reality for our "selves" and the world.

The “flowering” of the landscape is another way to perceive the symbol of transformation. The opening image, titled The opening image is titled Hermaphrodite with the World Egg, is a color pencil on paper piece by Laurie Lipton, look closely as it bears similarities to the Rebis image below of the hermaphrodite contained in the alchemical egg.

These alchemical images have created a yearning within me to cycle back to drawing and painting, perhaps that will be part of my alchemical rebirth. Here is a story from my old art blog of H2 illuminated, an image I created back in 2002 when I was still illustrating. The final image can be viewed here.

A Perfumed Bestiary, Letter G for Gryphon, Part 2

The seventh fragrance in A Perfumed Bestiary series was formulated by taking prompts from the mythologies and ancient texts that reference the mighty and loyal Gryphon.

Have you read A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness? In the novel, her leading character Diana Bishop, has a technique of problem solving where she visualizes everything in separate parts and starts moving them around, sensing for a pattern in the chaos. This is exactly what I do when creating a fragrance and goes back to when I would create illustrations for magazines and newspapers.

I began with the concept that the Gryphon is a large and powerful animal. Plant essences which evoke animalic notes came up as an option. I then delved into extensive research, making notations of the Gryphons attributes.

• Devotional loyalty
• Deity
• Strength
• Keen protective instincts
• Powerful
• Majesty
• Protectors of treasure
• Nests containing gold and other references to gold
• Divine guardian
• Dualism, hybrid of bird+mammal
• Ancient beast
• Eagle (king of birds)
• Lion (king of beasts)
• Landscape: Deserts of the east, Mountain nest guarding gold, treasure or sacred object

Looking over those attributes, I chose essences that related to a few

• Deity —› Essences considered sacred: Frankincense, Myrrh
• Keen protective instincts —› Frankincense
• Majesty —› Frankincense, Resins
• Protection / Divine guardian —› Tree balsams & Resins
• Gold —› Frankincense, Gold
• Ancient beast /Animalic  —› Labdanum
• Eagle (king of birds) + Lion (king of beasts): elemental air+earth —› Spice —› Saffron
• Sun: elemental fire —› Spice
• Landscape: Deserts of the east —› Resins

Since frankincense was a re-occurring theme in the list above, and contains an energetic component related to royalty and the Sun, I decided this golden resin was the perfect primary ingredient/scent ally to align with our deity. That led me to the idea using the infamous trio of frankincense, myrrh and gold.

FRANKINCENSE

Other common names: Pure incense, Olibanum, Oil of Lebanon

Botanical Family: Burseraceae

Planet: Sun / Element: Air and Fire

Keywords: Divinity, royalty, kingship, life, birth

For creating aromatherapy blends and the creation of plant fragrance, we five different species of Boswellia sacra currently available to us. I use the word "currently" because the precious resin, referred to as tears, are being over harvested, resulting in the decline of the shrubby trees.

Frankincense oil is one of those master healers that is great to have in all our tool kits, especially in times of great stress and anxiety by assisting with stilling the mind. These attributes relate well to our mighty Gryphon being a strong and loyal protector.

In the end I chose nine essences that I felt related to the Gryphon and most importantly, that the combination of notes evoked the scent of our majestic creature.

• Frankincense
• Myrrh
• Gold
• Wood
• Saffron
• Balsam
• Labdanum
• Olive Leaf
• Dragons Blood Resin

"Ooh-la-la! Roxana! Very sensuous this one! For me, opening with sweet spices and oranges, smoke, an open air market in Morocco in the heat of the day, the sweet smell of warm leather, a hint of horse sweat, she awaits her lover behind veils, in the cool shadows, sultry, sensuous, languid..."

~ ML

If you haven't already signed up for the next limited edition perfume, join us now with the letter K. I'm planning to ship Letter K in April, but it will depend on the current drama and hysteria.

Opening image: Roger délivrant Angélique by Louis Édouard Rioult, 1824
Graphics and photo ©RoxanaVilla

A Perfumed Bestiary, Letter C for Coral, Part 1

Here we are, continuing the adventure in The Perfumed Bestiary series with the letter C. I was planning on showcasing the Crown of Thorns Starfish for "C", but changed my mind on discovering they are quite destructive creatures, much like us human beings, although likely to outlive us. The Crown of Starfish enjoys feasting on Coral Reefs, in a rather monstrous way. Thus, instead, I decided to focus on Coral, a marine invertebrate, classified as a sessile animal.

Coral is a reef builder, their structures consist of tiny soft-bodied creatures referred to as polyps, which secrete limestone (calcium carbonate). The skeletal secretion attach to rock or the dead  skeletons of other polyps.

Most corals contain plant-like organisms that live in a symbiotic relationship with each other, similar to our exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen between with the plants. Another example of a mutually beneficial partnership is the one shared between flowering plants and honey bees.

Coral reefs are the old-growth forests of the ocean, and also its nursery in providing shelter and protection to marine life. Regrettably, these vast and beautiful bio-structures are being destroyed at an alarming pace due to human activities such as overfishing, pollution, climate change and invasive species.

CORAL as an ANIMAL TOTEM

Coral is an element of the water, specifically salt water and like the Bison contains mass. As we learned with the Axolotl, water represents fluidity and is associated with the dreamtime, feminine, emotions and intuition. The alchemical symbol for water is denoted as a downward pointing triangle and often associated with mercury.

As a symbol of living in a beneficial symbiotic relationship, Corals lesson is to live in a state of fluidity and harmony with others. Each of us contains a piece of the grand puzzle where we can live in harmony and grace. Corals show us that with clever collaboration and mutual exchange we can build ecological communities from the ground up and endure for millions of years in harmony.

Coral shows us how to move with the natural flow and remain porous. When you allow yourself to trust in the rhythm of the Universe and trust that you are divinely loved, in mutually benefitting relationships, then well-being, contentment and balance can be achieved.

Crystals associated with the medicine of the Coral

• Aquamarine
• Moonstone
• Malachite
• Green Calcite

Please do not buy coral, here is an article that explains why.

Continuing reading Part 2 of C for Coral here.

Images: 
Coral photo by Roxana Villa
C for Coral - a collaboration between Greg Spalenka & Roxana Villa

References
1 Ocean Service, NOAA: Are Corals Animals or Plants
2 Inverse.com, Is Coral a Plant or Animal
3 Animal Totem by Susan Jolley

A Perfumed Bestiary, Letter B for Bison/Buffalo, Part 2

The second fragrance in A Perfumed Bestiary series was sent at the end of June to the subscribers. It is the intention to send out the perfume in the first half of the month, rather than the second, as occurred with the "B" fragrance.

I began B for Bison/Buffalo by researching the terrain where this wooly, prairie dweller forages, which includes both grasslands and conifer forests. This is what I jotted down when starting to ponder the fragrance:

Prairie, Great Plains, Grassland
Musk
Hay
Clover
Wallowing -> Soil-> Vetiver & Patchouli
Sage
Willows
Cottonwood
Sedges
Artemisia tridentata -> *Primary note*
Wood -> Pinon, Cedar, Juniper, Cypress

Since my friend Meghan Walla-Murphy has spent quite a bit of time in Yellowstone where the Buffalo roam, and I absolutely adore collaborating with a kindred spirit, I reached out to her via email. Meghan confirmed a few of my percolating ideas from the list above.

"Love the concept of your new perfume. For the bison I would suggest Artemisia tridentata. Not sure what the common name is- but it grows in the SB back country and many places inland.... Also bison rub up against lots of conifer trees, so that could be a good scent, they partake in lots of dust baths, and they are grazers, so warm grass smells would work as well."

Following Meghans lead I choose the aromatic Artemisia tridentata, commonly known as sagebrush, basin or big sage to be the specific plant aligned for Bison. Although the bison most likely do not eat this plant they likely get covered with its aromatic molecules while roaming through it.

Like many of the beasties featured in this series, the sage brush ecosystem is threatened due to conditions brought on by humans such as urban expansion, "conversion to agricultural land, livestock grazing, invasive plant species, wildfires, and climate change."1

"The indigenous people of North America used several plants for ceremonial purposes that are often confused. The basis for the confusion is the common name Sage, which refers to a variety of unrelated plants:

Sage - Salvia sp. is in the Mint Family (Labiatae) with square stems, opposite leaves and two lipped flowers. If you have a Salvia, the leaves will be in pairs on the stem, generally with wide leaves that are entire (no teeth, lobes, serrations, or grooves along the edges of the leaf, just oval shaped). This genus includes garden sage for cooking and white sage (ceremonial) and black sage, purple sage, hummingbird sage, and innumerable others.

Sagebrush (sage) - shrubby Artemisia sp. is in the Sunflower family. They have woody stems and are bushes (shrubs) with often irregularly shaped leaves. These plants have also been used ceremonially. The flowers are small and yellow centered, includes silver sage.

Mugwort (Sagewort) herbaceous Artemisia sp. is related to the Sagebrush, only it is not a woody shrub, it is an herb (botanically speaking, not a tree or shrub). This is the plant used for dreams."2

Basin sage which also goes by the name big sage is an evergreen with a strong pungent odor, it is an Artemisia, as noted above, not a Salvia. The Cahuilla tribe of California would gather the seed, and grind it to make flour.3

I decided to start sketch #1 with a beautiful Hay absolute I have from France to convey the scent of warm grass, to which I added Sage and Woods. After marinating the scent was in the gourmand family and not at all reminiscent of the warm grass of the dry land prairies. Thus, I began sketch #2 leaving out the Hay. 

In total, there are twelve essences in the perfume including a variety of sages, leaves, woods (including a distillation of local Pinon) and resins. The aromatic profile has sweet woody notes with hints of dusty conifer and incense.

Once Doomed, America's Recovering Bison are Saving the US EcoSystem

If you haven't already signed up for the next limited edition perfume, illuminating a beastie beginning with the letter C, you can do so here ->

Choose Your Subscription

One Month: $19.95

One Year Subscription: $210.00

Each month you will receive a small amount of perfume inspired by a specific
imagined or barely imagined being from the animal kingdom.

The next fragrance will be shipped at some pint this month, July 2019, and will be a liquid perfume in 190 proof alcohol along with a special tincture relating to our featured beastie.

1. Wikipedia

2. Henriettes Herb

3. Clarke, Charlotte B. (1978). "Big Sagebrush". Edible and Useful Plants of California. University of California Press. p. 134. ISBN 9780520032675

A Perfumed Bestiary, Letter B for Bison/Buffalo, Part 1

Continuing with The Perfumed Bestiary series is B for Bison or what is termed as the Buffalo from the North American central and western plains. This muscular shaggy beast with iconic horns and hump is considered a spiritual icon of the indigenous tribes of North America.

While writing a post on medieval bestiaries and looking over some of the books I had borrowed from the Santa Fe library I came across our American buffalo and their heart wrenching story. It seemed appropriate to devote the B spot to this mighty creature, especially since I now live in their territory.

In 1888 the artist Albert Bierstadt, a German/American painter "endeavored to show the buffalo in all aspects and depict the cruel slaughter of a noble animal now almost extinct"1 with his celebrated painting titled The Last of the Buffalo. Of course, it was the white man, not an indigenous brave, who were responsible for their near extinction from "a combination of commercial hunting and slaughter in the 19th century and introduction of bovine diseases from domestic cattle."2 

"With a population in excess of 60 million in the late 18th century, the species was down to 541 animals by 1889. Recovery efforts expanded in the mid-20th century, with a resurgence to roughly 31,000[5] animals today, largely restricted to a few national parks and reserves."3

So, although Bierstadts painting is quite glorious technically, once again the depiction of reality is off. "Bison slaughter was even encouraged by the US government as a means of starving out Native American populations, which relied on the bison for food. In fact, hunting of bison became so prevalent that travelers on trains in the Midwest would shoot bison during long-haul train trips."4

"Bison are a keystone species, helping to create habitat for a number of different wildlife species, including grassland birds and even many plant species. As bison forage, they aerate the soil with their hooves, aid plant growth, disperse native seeds, and help to maintain a healthy and balanced ecosystem. While bison are no longer threatened with extinction, they remain largely “ecologically extinct” and absent from their historic Great Plains habitat. Substantial work remains to fully restore the species to its ecological and cultural role throughout the Great Plains and we are grateful for those working with us to promote coexistence with our national mammal."5


BUFFALO as an ANIMAL TOTEM

The Bison/Buffalo is an element of earth. Solid in mass, Bison live in large herds

Earth represents stability and abundance, from the womb of our fertile Earth we plant our seeds and make our homes. The crust of the Earth is rock composed of oxygen, silicon, aluminum and iron. In some parts of the world the ratio of this divine cocktail will be slightly different. Here in Northern New Mexico our earth has a reddish/pink cast due to the decomposition of iron-rich rocks.

The most used symbol to denote elemental earth is the quartered circle, while in alchemical texts the symbol is noted is a downward-pointing triangle, bisected by a horizontal line.

Elemental earth is connected to the mineral kingdom and our sensory experience of this world through touch. Associated with the North, elemental EARTH, is home to our connection to the here & now. Located in the base chakra, this is the place of manifestation, control & restraint and grounded in experience. Home of the Male, strength and ability to create magic.

An aspect of elemental earth is abundance which relates to Buffalo. Living abundantly begins with gratitude and humility, knowing that we are of the Earth and will one day return to her.

Take time to walk in gratitude, mindful of the support of the Earth below your feet with each step. An intuitive that dropped by the perfumery last week told me to become conscious of my backside, that to much emphasis is attributed to grounding via our feet and not our backs where our spine is located. I found this insight quite profound, as I am rarely conscious of my back. When we do put our consciousness there, we become much more whole, round like planet earth and more dimensional. Consider the mass and strength of the Buffalo and that their primary nutrition comes from eating grasses and sedges.

"You cannot receive the bounty of abundance with a closed fist. 

The more you express gratitude, the more Spirit will send you things to be grateful for."5

Crystals associated with attributes of the Buffalo

• Apache Tears
• Picture Jasper
• Chrysoprase
• Pink Opal
• Chrysocolla
• Narmada River Lingam
• Hematite
• Bloodstone

The Sioux consider the birth of a white buffalo to be the return of White Buffalo Calf Woman, their primary cultural prophet and the bringer of their "Seven Sacred Rites". Among the Mandan and Hidatsa, the White Buffalo Cow Society was the most sacred of societies for women.

Continue reading about B for Bison in Part 2 here.

Images: 
Buffalo Nickel
Buffalo photo by Jack Dykinga (Wikipedia Commons)
The Last of the Buffalo by Albert Bierstadt (Wikipedia Commons)
Ptihn-Tak-Ochatä - Dance of the Mandan Women by Karl Bodmer, 1840–1843 (Public Domain)

References
1 New York World
2,3 Wikipedia, American Bison
4 American Bison
5 Defenders.org
6 Animal Totem by Susan Jolley

A Perfumed Bestiary

Introducing a new series of fragrances that stitch together many of my favorite themes such as illuminated manuscripts, the cabinet of curiosity, magic, mythology, the environment, nature, animals, etc. And what better time to debut a project of this grandeur about our fellow inhabitants of this lovely blue planet than today Earth Day, April 22, 2019!

A Perfumed Bestiary: An Artful, Modern Day Grimoire

Beginning with the letter "A" we will begin our fragrant journey into the realm of the imagined, and as with Caspar Henderson's 21st Century Bestiary, "barely imagined" beings. From the fantastical to the almost extinct, together we will traverse mystical legends along with some other furry, feathery and scaly inhabitants of our blue planet.

Each month a new plant fragrance will be sent to participants, the perfume will only be available to subscribers and perhaps down the road to those receiving our newsletter. The fragrance will be offered as a solid perfume for the month it is debuted. If the perfume is worthy of inclusion in our line then it will be added in the near future.

If you have any beasts/animals that you would like to see included in the series please send us a note and we will most definitely consider the request.

Choose Your Subscription

One Month: $19.95
One Month: $35.00 with mini compact

One Year Subscription: $210.00
One Year Subscription with mini compact: $245

Each month you will receive a small amount of perfume inspired by a specific
imagined or barely imagined being from the animal kingdom.

The first fragrance (A) will be shipped in May 2019
The second fragrance (B) will be shipped in June 2019
The third fragrance (C) will be shipped in July 2019, etc.

The Her Story of this Project

I've been contemplating offering a monthly membership with my perfume line since 2012. Although I thought it was a great idea, the timing didn't work out. Then two things happened, I watched Amazon series the ABC Murders' with John Malkovich followed by a walk in the Sangre de Christos Mountains.

As I was walking up a path a seedling of a concept began to take form, when suddenly I was beckoned by a Walkingstick Cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata) cactus who chimed in with some inspiration. Interestingly enough, it's the Junipers and Pinon trees I usually connect with, but that day is was the Cholla. Through a series of images provided by the cactus the idea of a monthly perfume membership series beginning with the letter A in reference to a plant like Artemisia came through.

Then, like the segmenting joints of the Chollas, the alphabetical idea took on a new shape when I read an article titled The Extremely Real Science Behind the Basilisk's Lethal Gaze. I thought to myself what about an alphabetical series that combined a letter for a plant and an imaginary animal like a Basilisk!! Now I was excited, this sounded much more interesting given that I have a love affair with Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts such as the Ashmole Bestiary at the infamous Bodleian Library at Oxford.

However, I must say, after reading some of the text of ancient Bestiaries I am rather appalled at their observations, but you be the judge, here is the text that went with a honey bee image:

"Bees are the smallest of birds. They are born from the bodies of oxen, or from the decaying flesh of slaughtered calves; worms form in the flesh and then turn into bees. Bees live in community, choose the most noble among them as king, have wars, and make honey. Their laws are based on custom, but the king does not enforce the law; rather the lawbreakers punish themselves by stinging themselves to death. Bees are afraid of smoke and are excited by noise. Each has its own duty: guarding the food supply, watching for rain, collecting dew to make honey, and making wax from flowers."

Medieval illuminations, like the one above from the Aberdeen Bestiary, contained a moral to go along with the illustration, such as this one about the Perindens Tree.

"The doves are the faithful Christians, who are safe from the devil as long as they remain in the church. Christ is the right side of the tree, the holy spirit the left side. The devil is afraid of the church and will not come near, but the Christian who leaves the church should beware." 

The Aberdeen Bestiary has a slightly different interpretation: "Take the tree as God, the shadow as his son... Take the fruit to be the wisdom of God, that is, the Holy Spirit." The rest of the allegory is basically the same as usual.

Truly archaic!

‘Animals were the first thing that human beings drew. Not plants. Not landscapes. Not even themselves. But animals.’ - David Attenborough

Getting back to the evolution of A Perfumed Bestiary and how it finally coalesced...now that the idea had taken on the form of an A-Z Fantastical Bestiary of sorts I went looking on our bookshelf for the Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges. In 1957 the first edition of the book was published under the title Manual de Zoología Fantástica. Ten years later, the title changed and the content was updated, at the time I was five years old. Although Borges and I are from Buenos Aires, Argentina, I wouldn't be introduced to his work for many years later. 

Regrettably I could not find it on our shelf, I did however have loads of books on illuminated manuscripts, cabinet of curiosities from the 16th & 17th centuries and cabinet of wonders. My next step was venturing to the downtown library here in Santa Fe to see what else I could find. To my delight, I came home with a stack of inspiration, and here I am, sharing this story with you. What makes my version of a Bestiary "Modern" is that I will be focusing on animals that are "barely imagined", meaning they are slowly becoming extinct due to the blunders of humans.

The word “Illuminated” in my brand is a reference to illuminated manuscripts as well as illuminating the way of plant perfume and facilitating higher consciousness. As many of you have witnessed at shows such as the San Francisco Artisan Fragrance Salon in 2012 and my brick and mortar spaces, there is an old world, Cabinet of Wonders meets apothecary vibe.

This new series reflects those aesthetics and virtues of the plant Queendom along with shedding some light on the extraordinary and fantastical.

Year One

A for Axolotl, Part I

A for Axolotl, Part II

B for Bison, Part I
B for Bison, Part II

C for Coral, Part I
C for Coral, Part II

D for Dolphin, Part I
D for Dolphin, Part II

E for Elephant, Part I
E for Elephant, Part II

F for Faerie, Part I
F for Faerie, Part II

G for Gryphon, Part I
G for Gryphon Part II

H for Human, Part I
H for Human, Part II

I for Iridogorgia, Part I
I for Iridogorgia, Part II

J for Jaguar, Part I
J for Jaguar, Part II

K for      , Part I
K for     , Part II

L for      , Part I
L for     , Part II

The Goddess Eostre

A very happy and splendid day to each of you. Spring is a trickster having many different days where she officially begins, whether we call it the Spring Equinox, Eostre or Easter or we don't name the yearly occurrence and instead observe a shift in the weather, plants or behaviors of animals, such as the ground hog.

Whatever name we choose for the Season, we welcome her with open arms as we transition from a cold dreary winter to a landscape filled with vivid colors, scent of flowers and birdsong. The transformation takes place on both an exterior and interior level as we defrost and emerge from a dark cocoon of reflection. Renewed by a period of deep reflection, we birth ourselves anew to the brightness and warmth of the extended sunlight.

"Eostre is generally said to be an Anglo-Saxon Goddess associated with the renewal of life: Spring (season), fertility and the hare (for its quick and numerous reproduction). Eostre has been made to be a "goddess of Dawn" by modern writers, improvising on the theme of Eos; there is no sanction for this aspect in any historical document or ancient tradition. Though it has been said that she was sometimes depicted with a hares head, no authentic animal-headed deities appear in Germanic or Celtic cult objects. And, perhaps for good reason, there is no Celtic depiction of an Eostre whatsoever. Most likely the name of the Spring Goddess was lost and the name "Eastre" was substituted in the transcriptions of the 8th century. Other names given to her include Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Estre, Eostre, Eoster, Eostra, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron, and Ausos."
- edited from Wikipedia

I tend to like to explore words and associated mythologies that humans have chosen to attribute to different days, festivals, etc. Any of you who are regular readers of this journal or my work have most likely already sensed my exploratory nature in those realms. And, again, you may have already noticed, I have an affinity with the roots of things and more ancestral & pagan traditions when humans lived in harmony with nature.

A re-occurring theme that author Leonard Schlain writes about in his book The Alphabet and the Goddess is the patriarchal trend on usurping a female deity with a masculine one. For example the attributes of the ancient Goddess Eostra have clearly influenced traditions, such as Christianity who adopted the Springtime symbols to denote the Easter Resurrection of Christ.

Symbols, the Pink Moon and the Tree Ogham of Willow

Attributes associated with this Eostre, Spring, and Easter are:

Colors: White, green, pastels
Symbols: Rabbit, egg
Suitable offerings: hard-boiled eggs, honey cakes, first fruits of the season
Associated Planet: Moon

Along with Eostre we had a glorious full moon a few nights prior in the astrological sign of Libra, called The Pink Moon. The name is in reference to the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring season.

Beginning April 15th we entered the Tree Ogham phase of the Willow, botanical family is the Salix. According to the modern neopagan Ogham calendar, it is the fifth month of the cycle falling between April 15th through May 12th. The Willow, termed Saille in this system of Tree Lore, is associated with flexibility and patience with an emphasis on femininity.

Like me, you may find yourself interested in ceremony and ritual, if so then I suggest venturing off to find a grove of Willow in your area and ask for a wish to be granted. We begin this little ritual by tuning into the imprint and hive mind of the willow spirit and the individual tree, asking for permission and sharing your desire.

If permission is granted, select a pliable shoot and tie a loose knot in it while holding the desired outcome in your mind and heart. When your wish has been granted, return to the site and untie the knot while remaining in a state of gratitude and love. In some traditions a gift is left for the Willow, such as tobacco. I suggest asking the willow what gift it would like from the start, as I have noticed the trees are more interested in an intentional gift like LOVE rather than a physical endowment.

Here in New Mexico we have the red willow, Salix laevigata, also called the polished willow, which grows in abundance near sources of water. The plant is currently threatened by invasives such as Tamarisk trees, which are equally thirsty and difficult to eradicate. The ancestral roots of this tree are related to basket weaving by the native people. In Santa Fe we find a plethora of red willows in Dale Ball Trails in Upper Canyon. The photo below is in Fall when the red willows turn red.

"The Tiwa (or Tano) are a linguistic group of Pueblo American Indians who speak the Tiwa language and share the Pueblo culture. Tiwa (also known as Tano) is one of five Tanoan languages spoken by the Pueblo people of New Mexico. The name Taos is derived from the Tiwa word for “place of red willows.” The red willow is a variety known for its reddish or purple twigs and bark rich in tannin. It is also known as the basket willow, having pliable twigs used in basketry and furniture."
- NMHistoricPreservation.org

SPRING "Illuminated" Perfumes

Floral perfumes are the most aligned with the energetics of Eostre, Spring, and Easter but fragrances in the green family also work nicely. From our illuminated line I suggest either Vera (fresh, herbal, fougere), Hedera helix (Deep, rich forest green) or one of the many fresher florals such as Lyra, Fleurish and Aurora, find them all in their varied formats as well as sample sets here.

The EGG

Of all the different symbols associated with Spring, the one that has me most inspired today is the egg. The origins of the word Easter are found in the ancient Saxon Lunar Goddess known as Eostre and Norse Goddess Ostara. In both these traditions, as well as those of the Greeks and Egyptians we find the symbolic use of the egg and a theory of the Cosmic Egg as the source of all creation.

In contemplating the symbol of  the “egg” as a popular thematic image in our modern Spring rituals and archetypes there is the world egg in Vedic mythology related to an egg shaped Universe, but most interesting to me is the Upanishads where the universe divides into two halves, which alludes to the duality principal in Alchemy as well as the Ouroboros, symbolizing the unity of all things through the eternal process of change.

In August of 2003 when Greg and I attended the Visionary Art workshop titled Old Masters, New Visions in Austria, I learned a deeper meaning to the symbolism of the egg, specifically in reference to the Mishe technique where we use the whole egg for this painting procedure that has its roots with the Flemish brother painters Jan and Hubert van Eyck.

By utilizing a whole egg in combination with a specific layering of different colored glazes light is able to pass through the painting to produce a glass like appearance, resulting in fantastical depth to a two dimensional painted image. Go to a museum which has a Van Eyck painting in their collection and you will experience what I am typing about. Assuming of course, that the painting is the original, and not a reproduction.

Opening photograph: Mia from Alice of the WonderLand, Dale Ball Trail, Hedera helix collage and Eggs in Next photos ©RoxanaVilla, The Orphic Egg on parchment, original by Jacob Bryant, 1774
References: Desert Wild Flower
Copy ©RoxanaVilla

Mercury Day

Wednesday is attributed to the heavenly body, closest to the sun. Although small in size, it is dense and heavily cratered like the Moon. The astrological of signs Gemini and Venus are ruled by this messenger of the God and Goddess. There is dualistic, curious, versatile component. In a conversation with my local buddy Avery he mentioned that there is a  "fluidity of the subconscious, a bridge that connects the waking and sleeping states, or the mortal and immortal nature of the soul.”

Although in Rome he was called Mercury, in the Greek Odyssey his name is Hermes, the father of "hermetic" knowledge who carried a golden herald, called a kerykeion, a caduceus by the Romans. Ancient texts associate Hermes with his lover Aphrodite, whose child was Hermaphroditus. According to Greek mythology he was merged into an androgynous form with the water nymph Salmacis. 

The color harmony of the planet is blue, relating to the throat chakra, home of our center of expression and communication. The stones attributed to both this planet and chakra tend to be blue in color to aid in our expression and communication.

Although tansy, yarrow and both blue chamomile and cypress contain the appropriate hue, in aromatherapy we use thyme and elemi to assist in self expression. Fragrances that contain an airy quality with notes containing some motion, like the air have more mercurial attributes. Pay attention to scents that encourage a feeling of fluidity in your communication, as if you have wings.

Stay tuned for more related posts as I dive deeper into the ancient mysterious of alchemy and astrology.

Planet Mercury gif via NASA
Painting by Adolf Hiremy-Hirsch
Photos and text ©RoxanaVilla