Day of the Dead - Animated Video

Happy Dia de los Muertos one and all!  There are many reasons to love this Mexican celebration....the color, the flowers, the candles, the sounds, the lights, the fiesta, the sugar skulls, the skeletons....need I go on??  It's a lovely heartfelt celebration of those family and friends that have passed on to the other side.  And although it's a celebration of the dead, it's also very much a celebration of life, a remembrance of those lives that touched ours.  This is how death should be celebrated if you ask me...piercing the veil through space and time to reunite with those whose lives touched yours!  Please enjoy the animated short "Dia De Los Muertos" from Whoo Kazoo!

Happy Dia de los Muertos

Happy Dia de los Muertos to you all!  As the veil grows thin between the Spirit World and ours...it's the perfect time to commune with your ancestors.  Light some candles, get out your skulls and adorn the place with bright colored marigolds.  Serve up some of your late Grandpa's favorite foods and take turns remembering the things you loved most about the dearly deceased.  Celebrate Life and Death during this festive celebration. 

An All Hallow's Eve Story

The Halloween party was a splendid affair with glowing jack o'lanterns grimacing from every corner of the barn.  Festive revelers with their true identities concealed behind feathered masks and elaborate costumes, danced the night away to the hauntingly hip tunes of the Bone Janglers, with their skeleton painted faces and Grave Digger top hats. The table resplendent with every Fall treat imaginable, filling the air with the seasonal scents of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and apples.  The scents mingled sweetly with the earthy smell of the hay bales and cornstalks that decorated the barn.  Yes, this was the Soiree of the Season and the perfect way for you to ring in All Hallow's Eve!
  

But alas, all good things must come to an end....and as the clock struck 12, the witching hour was upon you and it was time to make the short journey home through the woods.  It was light when you headed to the party earlier in the evening, but now darkness had fallen, and the path back home looked just a bit more ominous than it had on your arrival.  But no fear, as you have traveled that stretch of road many a time with no perilous results, why should tonight be any different.

After all, tonight was the most anticipated night of the year.  It was finally here...All Hallow's Eve!  The night when the veil between the living and the spirit world grows thin.  It's the time for young and old alike to don their disguises and take to the streets in search of sweet candy treats and devilish tricks!  And tonight the air is crisp and cold with a shroud of fog that has settled in to mask the unknown evils lurking in the shadows, those things that go bump in the night!  Yes, though the path is a bit more daunting than it had been earlier, the setting couldn't provide a more picture perfect ending to this enchanted night. 
 
As you gaze up into the night sky, you notice that the Moon is full and mysterious....an amber yellow glow illuminating the spindly bare branches of the late Autumn trees.  As you sink deeper into the wooded path, you begin to notice every little sound amplified around you.  The rustling of the air as it shakes the last remaining leaves from their branches, sending them to their yearly death on the forest floor.  There they will take their place in the cycle of life, their decaying forms making fertile the earth for next Spring's rebirth.  Oh how splendid the Autumn season is, you think to yourself.

Then suddenly, you feel a shiver run up your spine, and you get the eerie sensation that something or someone is watching you from the shadows. Your eyes are trying to adjust from the brightness of the moon above, to the black darkness of the woods around you, when you startle at the jolting screech of an owl overhead.  You look up and are met by the intense, icy stare of his big yellow eyes.  Whew, thank goodness it was only an owl.  
As you continue down the path, you can't help but remember the Tale of the Headless Horseman.  It had been a favorite of yours as a child, and oh how it had scared you so, to walk this same path back then.  Ha...the fertile imagination of childhood.  You don't believe in ghost tales anymore, you're far too old for such folly.  Ignoring your growing sense of unease, you see that you are almost at the forest's edge where the old covered bridge leads back to your sleepy little hamlet, tucked idyllically among the turning maples.  Ha...how silly to let that old tale creep back into your mind tonight and ignite that little flame of fear again.  You chuckle and think to yourself, that it's what makes Halloween so much fun anyway....to be a little scared.  No one is ever too old for a good ole fashioned fright!

Just then, you hear the unmistakable sound of a galloping horse coming from the dark woods behind you.  At first you think your mind and ears are playing tricks on you once again.  But as you strain to listen closer, it is unmistakably real.  You turn to look over your shoulder, but you see only darkness behind.  You turn back around and listen once more...the sound is most certainly real, and it grows louder, as does the beating of your heart.  You hasten your steps and can no longer deny the adrenaline coursing through your veins.  You dare not turn around as you begin to run towards the clearing as fast as your legs will carry you, your breathing labored by the inhalation of the cold dense air pushing hard and heavy through your lungs.  You race through the bridge until you safely clear the other end.  Then you lengthen your stride even more, and you run like you haven't run in years...not stopping until you have reached the door of your house, wheezing and huffing, and euphorically out of breath.  You've made it to safety to be sure, but now as you stop to look around, you realize there is no one in sight, you listen, but there are no sounds to be heard, save the occasional croaking of a woodland frog.  Your heartbeat begins to calm, and you grin at your own buffoonery. Man what a night....this All Hallow's Eve couldn't get any better if you had scripted it yourself.  And to think that you were actually scared like a child again....you can't help but to chuckle in spite of yourself, and you contentedly head off to bed yawning.

You awaken from your evening's slumber, and brave the frosty morning air as you take the dog out for his early morning walk, deciding to to take him back to the wooded path.  The sun has not completely risen in the eastern sky, so the brilliant colors of the glorious fall foliage are still muted and dark with shadows. The frost is thick on the brown grass and plants, and each footstep is marked with a decisive crunch. You can smell that old familiar Autumn smell that you love so much...the wood smoke wafting through the foggy morning air as the chimney fires are stoked in the surrounding homes.  As you begin to approach the trail, your dog begins to bark excitedly and runs ahead into the mist.  You lose sight of him in the fog, but you hear him growling at something in the woods ahead.  

 As you draw closer to the covered bridge, you're astonished to discover a flaming, grimacing jack o'lantern smoldering in the ashes and embers of the flickering flames.  You take a moment to absorb what you are witnessing when you notice the horse prints in the sand.  You look around cautiously as that old familiar chill runs right back up your spine, and the hair on the back of your neck stands on end.  Intrigued and slightly unnerved, you think to yourself that perhaps there really is some truth to those eerie tales that prevail in the area, those haunting legends that refuse to die.  Maybe, just maybe, you really do believe in spooks, specters and haints after all!  :o)

Tomorrow will be All Hallow's Eve once again my friends....Go forth and enjoy the Magic!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN and SAMHAIN 

Moonlight Drive by tmac0723 

The Dark Hedges - A Haunting

Well, it's the most spooky month of the year again....the perfect time for some of my favorite things like Jack O'Lanterns, Legends and Haints.  And truth be known some of the present day Hallowe'en customs that we celebrate here in America have their origins in the magical land of Ireland.  So I thought it was the perfect time to share a little story about an eerily beautiful location that comes with it's own 'Ghost'! It even has a sinister sounding name....The Dark Hedges!

The Dark Hedges are located in Northern Ireland in Ballymoney, near the village of Armoy, along a stretch of Bregagh Road.  What makes this stretch of road so unique is the picturesque Beech Tree Canopy that covers the stretch of road leading to what is was formerly known as Gracehill House. Gracehill House was a Georgian mansion belonging to the Stuart family in the 18th century.  The family planted the Beech trees that line both sides of the road, to serve as an impressive landscape feature for visitors coming up the long driveway to the mansion.  And there they've grown for over 300 years.

What makes The Dark Hedges so stunning,  is how they've grown across the drive towards each other,  and have entangled themselves in such a way to form a lovely Tim Burton-esque canopy over the road.  They form a long, naturally arched tunnel in which the light and shadows play in a most beautifully haunting way.  The gnarled branches seem to be a bit foreboding in appearance, while at the same time quite breath-taking to behold.  The old trees appear as though  they may come to life at any moment and pluck you right up with their gnarly branches.  So it's no wonder that a 'Ghost Story' is inevitably attached to this magical site.

Local legend speaks of a supernatural specter that haunts the hedges along the road.  She is known as "The Grey Lady".  She is rumored to be the restless spirit of a former maid that worked at the mansion who had died of mysterious circumstances centuries ago.  The apparition has been spotted gliding along the side of the road and vanishing as she turns the corner past the last beech tree.  Still others believe her to be a lost spirit from an abandoned graveyard rumored to lay hidden in the dank, dark earth of the nearby fields.  But the best tale is the one that takes place on All Hallow's Eve.

For on Hallowe'en night, when the veils between the spirit world and ours grows thin....it is said that the Grey Lady herself is joined on her nightly walk by the tormented souls of those other restless spirits buried beside her in the forgotten graveyard.  Nothing like a lil' Hallowe'en Awakening and Midnight Processional to get the blood racing and the heart pumping, eh?!  I don't know about you...but I don't think I'd be brave enough to venture down that spooky stretch of road alone at night, especially on All Hallow's Eve! 

Orange Tree Photo Wallpaper from Next Trip Tourism
Dark Tree Photo © Bob McCallion (all rights reserved)  Image can be purchased here!

Day of the Dead Headed Your Way

Sugar Skull Pumpkin from crumbsofglory.tumblr.com

The 'Day of the Dead' is headed your way just in time for Halloween this year! Is it just me, or does everyone just love the colors and details and sugar skulls associated with Dia de los Muertos?!  This is a Mexican celebration that honors those who have passed on.  It's no depressing, morose affair geared to cast gloom and sadness....but rather it is a colorful, festive cacophony of light, sound, colors, flowers, candles, dancing and skulls....lots of artistic skeletons and skulls.  And the celebration is a joyful one that encourages people not to fear death, but to embrace the memories of those passed on and celebrate them with fond remembrance.  I have been a collector of Dia de los Muertos art and relics for quite awhile.  I suppose it's a natural progression for those of us who love Halloween to also love the aesthetic of the Day of the Dead.  And when I first started collecting, there was little merchandise to be found locally in stores, and what could be located, would usually sell out very quickly.  
Fast forward to this year...and I've noticed something very interesting while making my Halloween rounds...many of the stores that carry Halloween merchandise, also have Day of the Dead items in stock this year....Michael's, World Market, Kirklands, Home Goods just to name a few.  I find this a most exciting development, and welcome addition to my Halloween procurement activities.  Below is a photo I took of the Day of the Dead shelf at Michael's.

Day of the Dead Merchandise at Michael's

But I also discovered something else....apparently 'Dia de los Muertos' has seeped into the American mainstream consciousness, for in addition to an increased presence of Day of the Dead merchandise and brand packaging, there are also several 'Day of the Dead' animated movies slated to premier this year as well...that's new!  

The first one oddly enough, will be called "The Book of Life".  This full length animated movie by Reel FX Creative Studios and 20th Century Fox is slated to hit theaters mid October.  What a perfect time for this movie to debut.  "The Book of Life" is, according to IMDb...."set on the Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead, and tells of a young man named Manolo who is torn between what he wants to do (play guitar and win the heart of the girl of his dreams) and what his family wants him to do. He ends up traveling across three different worlds to find himself." 

Animator Jorge Gutierrez co-wrote and directed the movie.  He said, the art in this movie "takes its building blocks from Mexican folk art, old Mexican movies and stories from my childhood."  The art work is indeed richly detailed and vibrant, just as you'd expect to see during the colorful and festive Dia de los Muertos celebrations.  I especially love the night lighting and village scenes...which remind me of some of the magical night scenes found in Coraline.  Regardless, the movie will be coming out at the perfect time of year, slated for October 17th, making it a must-see for the upcoming Halloween Season!   
The other slated Dia de los Muertos movie is an animated film by Disney's Pixar Studios. However, there was a rather cringe worthy controversy that plagued Disney earlier this year when they actually had the audacity to try and trademark the phrase "Day of the Dead" / "Dia de los Muertos"!!!!!  Are you kidding me?  Yep, they actually felt they had a right to co-opt an entire culture's long standing traditional holiday, along with merchandising rights for Day of the Dead paraphernalia!  Eeeegads!  Now I love Disney, and I love Pixar Studios even more....but that is down right arrogant, absurd and totally unacceptable!  And apparently the Latino community felt very much the same about it, and took to the inter-web to voice their objections!  Thankfully, someone at Disney came to their senses and the trademark request was withdrawn.  Besides, where would they have gone next....Christmas, Hanukkah, or (shudders).....Halloween?!  That's just preposterous...but moving forward, the Pixar movie itself is still a good possibility for 2016, and it will no doubt be terrific!  

In the meantime...be sure to add   "The Book of Life" movie to your October activities this Fall!  And check out "The Book of Life" Official Movie Trailer below.

 THE BOOK OF LIFE encourages us to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future. (Official Movie Trailer Below)

All "Book of Life" Images © Reel FX Creative Studios / 20th Century Fox

Day of Dearly Departed Souls!

Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.

~ George Eliot

So yesterday and today, November 1st & 2nd, is when Día de Los Muertos is traditionally celebrated.  And although I've never been to an event, I sure would LOVE to go.  So this year as I was lamenting my failed attempts at making Halloween happen to my liking...I decided to see if there were any Day of the Dead celebrations in our area that I could attend to appease my hurt feelings.  Well of course there's not...no surprise there, go figure!  There was one museum that had some small something or other, but that's pretty much all I could find.

Until.......I expanded my search to the entire state of Florida.  Then I found something that really caught my interest and looks like BIG fun.  Unfortunately, I discovered this on October 30th and that was just not enough time to get our ducks in a row to head down there today, October 2nd.  It's the South Florida, Day of the Dead Celebration in Ft. Lauderdale.  This is the event's 3rd year, and apparently it grows ever more popular each year.  There are all sorts of fun events going on in the City Arts District which has several streets blocked off for the event.  Here are some of the Fun & Fabulous Festival Offerings...

* Giant Skeleton Puppet Processional and Parade 
* Day of the Dead Art Exhibitions and Market 
* Community Ofrendas and Calaveras Skull Mask exhibits 
* Day of the Dead Film Festival 
* Hearse/Art Car/ LowRider Auto Show
* World’s Tiniest Skeleton Parade Floats & Kazoo Band
* Landscapes of the Dead Exhibition  
* Live Music at the Bone Yard Bandstand
* Circus Bizarra Side Show, Midway and Funhouse
* Memento Mori-Go-Round
* Great & Prescient Fortune Tellers Vladmir Plotzsky & Madame Glo
* Cupcake Burlesque
* South Florida Pirates & Ghost Ship
* Animale Mexotica
* Skeleton Street Circus: Trapeze, Stilt Performers & Cirque Performances  
* Mr. Bones Heckle Puppet Show
* Calaveras Mask Making
* Live Skeleton Body Art and Face Painting
* Kid Zone and Petting Zoo
* Calaveras Cantina Food Trucks (Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru and others)
* Day of the Dead Crafters Market
* Costume Photo Booth
* Exotica a Go Go Day of the Dead After Party at the Mai Kai Restaurant
* Day of the Dead Shimmy Shake Review at the Green Room Nightclub


I don't know about you...but I REALLY want to hit this up next year.  The only I'd like better is if it were being held in a Cemetery...but beggars can't be choosers.  So I'm going to plan for it in advance for next year.  And I think it will fall on a Saturday next year too, so that would be even better.  My only decision is do I want to take the kids to let them experience something cool from another culture, or do I want to go with just the hubby or some friends and really let loose...ha!  I need to start looking for Day of the Dead make-up tutorials on You Tube!

So today on Día de Los Muertos, don't forget to light some candles and honor your relatives and ancestors who have passed on to the other side!  They may be gone, but they are never dead until they're forgotten....so don't forget to remember them today!  After all, the veils are thin and maybe their spirits will see fit to drop in and celebrate the day with you!   
Happy Día de Los Muertos!
(All artwork © South Florida Day of the Dead Celebration)

Ghost Story - Island of Deadly Dolls

“He is the intermediary between us, his audience, the living, and they, the dolls, the undead, who cannot live at all and yet who mimic the living in every detail since, though they cannot speak or weep, still they project those signals of signification we instantly recognize as language.” 

~ Angela Carter "Wayward Girls and Wicked Women

Halloween is all about being spooked right?  And let's face it, there are a LOT of SPOOKY people, places and things in this world.  One such spooky place that I just learned of may be old news to some of you, but it was all new to me, so I thought the Halloween Countdown was a great place to share it.  I saw it on my homepage yesterday, and the image was so creepy that I had to investigate it further...

 

This is one of the creepiest Tourist Attractions in Mexico and it's called "The Island of the Dolls", or in Spanish, “La Isla de la Munecas”!  Creepy Dolls rank right up there with Creepy Clowns in my book.  I think there is something disconcerting about seemingly innocent, childlike things having a dark and sinister side to them, that really taps a nerve in our collective psyche!  So here is the bizarre tale....

A hermit by the name of  Don Julian Santana, moved to the island.  Now he was married, but is rumored to have lived the last 50 years of his life alone on the island.  When he moved there he discovered a small girl drowning in the canal and was unable to save her.  He was understandably quite distraught by the events.  Later, Don Julian found a doll floating in the water, and he believed it had belonged to the drowned child.  So he fished it out of the water and hung it up in a nearby tree.  He did this to honor the young girl's spirit and to help protect the island from any further tragedy.

This marked the beginning of his obsession with collecting old, broken dolls and placing them all around the island and the waterways.  He was also said to have fished other old dolls from the waters believing them to be drowning children.  But other stories recount the man as being tormented by the spirits of the dolls, and his collection and placement of the creepy dollies was as a shrine to appease the spirit that was tormenting him.  He believed he could hear the dolls whispering and that the spirit was beckoning him to come into the water.

Now you may or may not think the man was just slowly succumbing to his own madness, and perhaps he was.  But there is one last chilling twist to this terrifying tale.   Apparently, in 2001, old Don Julian was discovered by his nephew, drowned in the very same canal, at the same place where he'd found the young girl.  Coincidence?  Or are there more malevolent forces at work on that island?

The island is now being operated by Santana's family, as one of the world's weirdest and creepiest tourist attractions.  But there have been many a visitor who has felt the unnerving sense that the dolls are watching them.  They've claimed to have witnessed the dolls moving their broken limbs, blinking their eyes, and whispering through the trees.  As such, it is now recommended that visitors offer the spirits a gift of appeasement upon first stepping foot on the island.

I've included a video below that has some good images of the very creepy mutilated dolls, along with a recounting of the tale.  So what do you think?  Do creepy dollies make your skin crawl?  Do you think there could really be discontented spirits on the island that drove Don Julian slowly mad, and eventually beckoned him to his own watery grave?  And would you dare go there for a visit?

Blue Moon Party This Weekend!

Image © Paying it Forward - One Day at a Time

Hooray! It's Friday and a long holiday weekend here in the states!

So surely everyone knows by now what tonight is....but, just in case you live under a rock and haven't heard....tonight is the Full Moon! But it's not just any ole' Full Moon mind you....no, tonight's Moon is special because it's a Blue Moon! Blue Moons infrequently occur when there are 2 Full Moons within the same calendar month. So my birth month of August seems to for once in my life, have something special associated with it this year....something even auspicious perhaps! The first Full Moon actually occurred the day before my birthday on August 1st, and now the second Full Moon will present tonight, August 31st.
So what is the scoop on the 'Blue Moon' from the astrological world? Well the overall vibe of this Blue Moon is said to be a good one that lends itself to the Unusual and the Eccentric! Apparently it has an 'aspect pattern' known as a 'streamer'.....(and no, I have no idea what that means either)! But the gist is that this Blue Moon's coordinates put it in the sign of Pieces on the fixed star 'Skat', in the constellation of Aquarius. And that star 'Skat' is considered a 'fortunate' star which gives "good fortune and lasting happiness". It also imbues us with 'psychic ability' and 'occult interests', so we should use this Blue Moon to plug into the 'stream of consciousness'. Additionally, there is some other planetary posturing that may allow us to "receive messages from other realms".Now I don't know what you guys are thinking.....but I'm thinking
BLUE MOON PARTY!! This sounds like an 'Unusually Eccentric' good time, just waiting to be had!

Head outdoors and find a good seat under the 'Starry Night Sky', throw back a few glasses of wine or beer, soak up some much needed 'Lunar Rays', maybe try to read each others minds for awhile, break out the Tarot Cards, do a little 'Moon Dancing', and then kick back on the lounge chair and await our 'Celestial Download' of messages to arrive from planets beyond! I even found some Blue Moon Treats to satisfy those late night munchies! (Recipe for Blue Moon Cupcakes). So what do you think? Anyone up for a Blue Moon Party tonight?!If not....no worries! This Blue Moon is still an auspicious one, so at least go outside and make a wish or two while you ponder the Cosmos, 'cause the next Blue Moon won't come 'round again until July, 2015! And don't forget to cue up King Harvest's "Dancing in the Moonlight" on your iPod while you're at it! Have a great weekend, and may the 'Good Fortune' of this Blue Moon be Yours!

(Images found on We Heart It, no copyright info)

Friday the 13th!

Well, it's Friday the 13th again! Are you shaking in your boots? Is anyone hiding out in fear, buried beneath their covers? Yeah....me neither! In fact, I think I'm going to go out and catch the newest Sherlock Homes movie tonight. I was just reading a few takes on why we harbor a fear of the number 13 in the human psyche and frankly...I still don't get it. Do these really seem like things that should make us scared of the number or the day?

I mean, I can see how it was a bad day for the Knights Templar....rounded up, tortured and executed on October 13th, 1307. And I understand how 13 got a bad rap in Christianity, as apparently the extra guy (#13) seated at the Last Supper was called out as a devil who would betray Jesus, which Judas did. Hmmm....that also sounds very similar to an even older Viking tale of 12 Gods being assembled at a banquet at Valhalla, where apparently, Loki, the Evil One, God of Mischief, crashed the party bringing the total to 13. He then invited Hod, the Blind God of Winter who proceed to use a spear of mistletoe to kill Balder the Good. Okay...so again, guy #13 is apparently a trouble maker. And yes, even the Hindus believe it unlucky for 13 people to gather in one place.

But the Egyptians saw 13 as lucky because it represented the 13th stage of life as the afterlife and beyond....hence, they felt 13 represented death as happy transformation. And in the Tarot Deck, #13 is the Death card, which actually has meanings that can be construed as positive....like regeneration, change, completion, transition and transformation! So why all the fear and loathing against the #13? I've never had anything bad occur on a Friday the 13th, have you?

Well, with the exception of one thing....

Love this image © Temple Illuminatus

I will confess....that I did sneak into the Friday the 13th movie when I was but a young tween, and it did scare the living daylights out of me. I laid in bed for about 2 hours, paralyzed with fear that Jason was standing outside my door just waiting for me to make a desperate run down the hall to my parents room, so that he could chop me up into pieces. So convinced was I that he was there....that I dared not move a muscle, for fear that if he new I was alive in my bed...he'd come in and kill me....ha! The mind is powerful thing, no? Eventually however, my human instinct of fight or flight kicked in, and I did indeed make a brave cowardly run for it, to the safety of my parents room. I spent the rest of the night, sleeping on the floor at the foot of their bed. Needless to say, the jig was up come morning....parents aren't stupid, and they knew just what I had done. They figured my sleepless night of fear and panic were punishment enough for sneaking into an R rated movie. They were SO right!

Happy Friday the 13th!

Is There Magic Afoot?

Okay....so I'm interested to know how the weather has been where you guys are at in the world. I can't speak for the weather elsewhere, but here in Florida it's been HOT! Unseasonably warm all through Oct, Nov, Dec and now January. We just had our first real 2 day cold snap last week, and now it's back to warm again. My trees are in a state of confusion. They are attempting to bud already. BUT... I knew it was going to be a warmer than usual Winter early on this year. How did I know? Because I'm a Good Witch who can see into the future of course....and, the Wise Old Oaks told me so.

Okay....not exactly. But I did have a little foresight provided by my late Grandfather who was a Wizard.....(or not)! I like to think he had some 'magic' in his blood, but that is just conjecture and never a proven fact. All the same....the man did have some interesting ways to predict future events....like the Winter ahead. Now both my Father and Grandfather were business owners and 'Growers'. They owned greenhouses that shipped indoor plants across the country, back when indoor plants were all the rage. As growers, they held many beliefs about how to predict the growing season ahead, and winter was important since a very cold winter in Florida could do a lot of damage to the citrus, ferns and plants.

So my Grandfather always turned to the Wise Old Oaks for the answer. If the oak trees gave forth an abundant amount of acorns in the fall, then it was sure to be a long, cold winter. However, if they put forth none...then it would be short and mild. That makes sense....the Oaks know! Guess they don't call them the 'wise' old Oaks for nothing...ha! But they do somehow seem to know when to provide lots of food for the birds and squirrels for a cold winter ahead. And when it's as mild as it is here this year....the squirrels have no need to store away food and hide in their nests to keep warm....they are able to be out and about doing their thing as usual. Hence the complete absence of any acorns this year.I'm not sure if that particular forecasting would just hold true here in Florida, or if those are universal beliefs....but as I've grown up, I've found it to be a tried and true method of prediction. Another fun one that my Grandfather used to tell us, pertained to the rain and our swimming pool. Now I realize the ancestors didn't have swimming pools per se, but I'm assuming his theory could have been applied to any small or large body of water. But what he always said was....if the rain makes bubbles on the top of the water in the pool when it rains...it means it's gonna rain all day long, you're in it for the long haul. And don't you know, that it always proves true?! If there are bubbles on the pool, it rains slow and steady all day.... if there aren't, it usually rains and then clears on out. Why is that you ask? I actually have no idea on that one, I just know it always holds true at my house.
And these predictions got me thinking on the Old Farmer's Almanac. Are you familiar with that little annual magazine? It's basically a yearly collection of information on the upcoming year's events such as dates, tides, sun/moon times, phenomenon and weather/crop predictions for the year ahead. They also make known the best times for planting crops, fishing and even when to get your hair cut if you want it to grow or not to grow. It was first invented/published in the 1800's by founder, David Young. The formula used to make these predictions supposedly relies on "sunspots, moon phases and other astronomical and atmospheric factors and conditions." But even more interesting is the fact that this 'formula' is a very closely guarded secret.
But it gets even better...the name/s of the current 'forecaster' is never made known, and they have all gone by the pseudonym of 'Caleb Weatherbee' since the death of the founder, David Young. Also, the almanac refers to its forecaster as a 'prognosticator'. That's one who is a 'seer', 'prophet' or 'visionary'. They 'foretell' the future, but they do so by basing their prediction on current facts or indicators. And in the case of the Farmer's Almanac, those predictions are made by the mysterious 'Mr. Weatherbee', a full two years in advance.

So how accurate are Caleb Weatherbee's predictions? Apparently these almanacs' predictions are said to have about an 80-85% accuracy rate. Considering local weather predictions are accurate up to 65% within a 3-5 day range, and then lessen further to a 55-65% chance as the range goes beyond 7 days.....2 YEARS in advance sounds quite impressive to me. And these 'predictions' were made in the past without the vast technology we have at our disposal today. So what do you suppose is in that 'secret formula' for prediction anyway? And why is it such a closely guarded secret?Honestly, it sounds a lot like the natural methods our ancestors have used for years....relying on Mother Nature herself, and the cosmos above.....the moon, the stars, the sun! All the natural knowledge of any good witch or wizard. Which brings me back to my Grandfather....a man who seemed to me to possess a little magic with his 'knowledge'. He could fix anything , grow anything and invent anything. But beyond that, he was even struck by lightening not once, but twice, and lived to tell the tale. However, my favorite magical thing about him was his ability to 'wish' warts away. Yep, I watched him 'wish' countless warts away from friends and family over the years. I personally got one wart on my pinky finger when I was a young girl. It popped up out of no where, so I asked him to 'wish' it away. He examined it a bit, rubbed it, then told me not to think about it for awhile and it would go away. And within a few weeks it was gone, without any treatment at all. I never had another one before or since. Of course my friends didn't believe me, but the family knew it was true. So I always loved it when I could find a friend who had one so that I could prove to them I was telling the truth. I asked my Grandfather how he did it, and he'd say that he couldn't tell me. But then at a subsequent 'pestering' for the secret, he'd say there really was no trick to it, you just send them away. Once I even made him promise that he'd at least tell one person, preferably ME.....the secret to how it's done before he died. He'd just laugh and agree. But dang him, he took that little bit of magic to the grave with him, wouldn't you know!

So was he magic? Was he a Wizard? Or did he just use the Farmer's Almanac perhaps....we'll never know. But I am quite certain that the old Bertrand Russell quote is true...."the world is full of magical things just waiting for our wits to grow sharper." I believe some of us are able to tap into those magical things....the knowledge of nature, of the cosmos, and even of the unknown! So have any of you ever used the Farmer's Almanac for anything....and did it work?

Images: 1.) Oak - Mystic Lady Tumblr 2.) Squirrel - Wiki Common 3.)Rain - weheartit 4.) Farmer's Almanac 5.) Old Ways - Tumblr 6.) Lightening - Inn at Clearwater Pond

Tree Spirits in the Cemetery

These are photos I shot at West Wardsboro Cemetery in Vermont. I love the simplicity and slight spookiness of the old, small white picket pence and stone wall in front. It beckoned me inside. And the cemetery itself was quite lovely with stately trees and a backdrop of gorgeous fall foliage. But most instantly noticeable were two very stately, barren trees that seemed to stand guard in the middle. They seemed to give off their own aura, and what felt almost like a hushed distant warning. I can only describe it as a heightened sense of unease when walking too close to them. So what was it about these particular trees anyway?

I read somewhere that the Native Americans called Trees, the Ghosts of the Forest. And sometimes told tales of certain trees that were 'haunted' by evil spirits. The early settlers of course scoffed at the Indians' absurd beliefs, often taunting them and threatening to cut the trees down for firewood. That was until the fateful night that one over smug settler tried to chop into the tree with an axe, that promptly flew out of his hand, hit the tree and ricocheted back on top of the man himself.....severing an artery. The poor unfortunate man bled to death under those very trees he mocked. Guess that will teach him!
I like to think of Trees as Sentinels or Guardians over the land they oversee. Like the two large foreboding trees in the photo above that I took at that cemetery in Vermont. When I was walking through that graveyard, as I always do, shooting pictures and enjoying the reverence I feel there....it was those two trees that seemed to keep sending out a 'vibe', for lack of a better word. They just seemed to tower over their dominion in a somewhat unsettling manor. And I did give pause, as I thought that perhaps they may not appreciate strangers like myself encroaching on their sacred domain of the afterlife. But other than that slight uneasy feeling when venturing beneath them, I noticed nothing unusual or out of the ordinary. UNTIL...I returned home and viewed my photos! And sure enough, there were the tree spirits clear as day, scowling at me, warning me no doubt...to turn back while I still could, lest I join them there forever!

So there is a moral to this story, and those cautionary tales of the Native Americans. Some forces and spirits in this world, be they evil or benign....aren't readily apparent to the casual observer. One must be open to the magical ways and always on high alert....as you never know when those entities may choose to show themselves for who or what they truly are! ;o)All Images © 2006 Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)

What Color is the Autumn Equinox?

"The hazy, cloudless skies of Indian Summer.
Leaves scurrying down the street before the wind.
The cold shiver from an arctic blast.
Indian Summer.
The last warmth of the sun.
Chilly mornings and glorious warm afternoons.
The Harvest Moon. The Hunter's Moon.
The Rainy Season.
Dry cornstalks clattering in the wind.
The touch of frost on grass and window pane.
The smell of burning leaves."
~ Keith C. Heidorn

It's official....The Glorious Autumn Equinox has arrived! Autumn People unite and rejoice, for our time has come once again. It may not quite feel like it in your neck of the woods, it sure doesn't feel like it here in Florida. BUT....there are probably tell-tell signs if you look hard enough. For instance here, I've noticed that it is starting to get a bit darker, earlier. Not much, but just enough to alert me that the days are starting to change. There are also a few acorns in the trees, but not as many as last year, which leads me to believe that maybe we'll have a milder Winter down here this year. And the squirrels are busy as usual. But I'm curious what kinds of signs you folks are starting to get in other areas of the US and abroad. What color is the 'Autumn Equinox' anyway? I believe it is a myriad of splendid earthy colors that correspond to nature's brilliant Fall Display. I ask these questions because it gets me stoked to read about the many ways Autumn is making its presence known. I also ask because, I was reading a blog where people were sharing reports of the differing signs of Fall they are all seeing where they live, and I came across an entry that really made me grateful that I don't live in Medicine Wheel, Arizona. It seems that the 'Old Timers' there have their own wisdom about what event heralds Autumn's approach, and it is the march of the Tarantula Spiders crossing the road. Yep...when those big hairy spiders start crossing the roads there....it means Autumn is on its way! SAY WHAT?!!!! TARANTULAS?!!!! And I thought having small spiders, lizards and the occasional garden snake was bad! WHO in their right mind would want to make their home where even 1, let alone many tarantula spiders roam around freely? That sounds more like the arrival of a frightening Halloween to me! Who needs decorations when you have the real thing? Yikes!

But alas...the most beautiful season is finally here again. It's time for the harvest, and the changing leaves, the apple stands and the pumpkin patches. It's time for corn stalks and scarecrows and birds migrating south. It's time for crisp breezes, rustling leaves and sweaters and scarves and boots. It's time for pumpkin bread and apple cider and hay rides and bonfires! Has there ever been a season so splendid as Autumn? I think not! And so the season begins my Autumn friends, and so does the Countdown to Hallowe'en! I am throwing my name into the proverbial cauldron pot, for participation once again in the Halloween Countdown this year. Not sure I can manage a post every day, but I will do what I can to spread Halloween cheer throughout cyberspace. I will be sharing my usual mix of art, photography, poems and Color Collages like the 'Autumn Equinox' one above. And I look forward to sharing the season with all of you. So do tell....are you seeing any signs of Autumn where you're at...inquiring 'Autumn People' want to know!