Thursday, April 29, 2010

Squid Angel Blessings: Voodoo Veves

I'm a psychic medium and I started learning about voodoo from the loas (or spirits) themselves before I met this lensmaster, Voodoomama.  One day an old black man came into my consciousness.  He was funny and made me laugh.  He wanted me to call him Mr. Peanut.  It wasn't until several years later when I started spending time with Voodoomama that I ran across something that said that Papa Legba loves peanuts.  That's when I knew, without a doubt, who that "old man" was.  He is a trickster at times, and he sure "tricked" me with the peanut thing.

He is also the gatekeeper into the Otherworld.  If you want to communicate with any of the other voodoo loa, you have to start with him.  That seems to be one of my functions in life, too, and I was born on April Fools Day so it's no wonder we are connected, even without my being a voodoo practitioner.

Voodoomama has written a great lens about Legba.  You can see it here:  Papa Legba.  But the lens I've blessed for today is about the veves, or ritual symbols of voodoo.  Each symbols represents a different loa.  Learn more about them here:  Ritual Symbols of the Gods and Goddesses:  Voodoo Veves

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Squidoo Angel Blessings: Paper Dolls and Tarot Art Dolls

Paper Dolls

When I was a girl in the 1960's I loved my paper dolls.  I still do, I guess, as my favorite part of being in the online virtual world of Second Life is buying and changing the clothes of my little puppet self (or avatar).  I also got to play with my mom's paper dolls from the 1930's and 40's.  The gowns were so glamorous!
A Paper Doll Childhood, created by KarenTBTEN, has a lot of useful links and resources as well as pretty pictures that inspire me to want to get out my old paper dolls and play with them again.


Tarot Art Dolls

I have long had an interest in tarot cards.  These days I access my intuition more directly but there is still something very alluring about these cards that are like illustrations without a written story.  I also love the relatively new fiber art form of making "art dolls"...dolls that don't always represent the human form as we know it.  So I was happy to find a lens about Tarot Art Dolls by MeltedRachel, one of my favorite artist lensmasters.  She writes about her inspiration, shows the initial sketch, the painting, and then the doll.  Cool!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Squid Angel Blessings: Watercolor Pencils and Feng Shui Symbols

Watercolor Pencils

I'm sure you've heard of colored pencils, but did you know there are watercolor pencils?  You draw with them but they are also water soluble so you can get watercolor effects.  Lensmaster Mona Majorowicz, or WildFacesGallery, has written a comprehensive lens, Learn About Watercolor Pencils, that explains the different types of watercolor pencils she uses.  It's great information for either a beginner or someone who already uses them.

Feng Shui Symbols



Every now and then I get the urge to dabble with Feng Shui, the Chinese art of placing objects and furniture - well, everything really - in order to change the energy in your life and clear away any blockages to you living the life you desire.  A couple of weeks ago I wanted to find just the symbols that are used for different purposes.  Today I found this lens, 10 Symbols Behind The Art of Feng Shui,  while looking for something else.  (Isn't that always the way?)  Lensmaster monarch13 clearly outlines what the different traditional Feng Shui symbols are and where to use them.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Squid Angel Blessings: No Bake Cookie Recipes and Spellcrafting

I was looking for recipes for no bake cookies because I had committed to making some for a local event and then ended up being in it, leaving no time to bake cookies.

No Bake Cookie Recipes

I found this fantastic first lens by lensmaster CookieFan.  In No Bake Cookie Recipes she presents us with some favorite no bake recipes such as rice krispie treats with variations.  The photos are fantastic.  I assume she took them as there is no attribution otherwise that I saw.

Working Magic and Casting Spells


For the real low down on spells and what they really are I found an equally fantastic lens on that topic:  Witch Crafts:  Magic and Spells by M_S_Beltran.  Although lengthy, this is one of the most readable explanations of what magic really is and how to use it effectively that I have ever found.  He takes it out of the realm of Harry Potter or demonology and shows it for what it is...a way to discipline yourself in order to reach your goals.  We all use magic all the time.  Any time you try to change anyone else, you are using a form of magic.  That includes teaching people to fear witches!

If you have ever been curious about what spells do and how to use them, this lens is a great place to start.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Squid Angel Blessings: Peyote Stitch, Canadian Music, Kansas, and a Hawaiian Recipe

I've just been made a Squid Angel for the next three months which gives me the opportunity to give lenses I find a little extra boost.  I'm going to feature the blessed lenses here on my blog as well.

Peyote Stitch

Peyote Bead Work:  Turning Glass Into Cloth tells some interesting stories of how lensmaster Margo_Arrowsmith found women who were doing intricate beadwork for very little monetary compensation.  It also shows how to do the peyote beading stitch.

Canadian Music

Obama's Canadian Playlist ~~ 49 Songs That Define Canada and Our Music (created by Treasures-by-Brenda) is about how the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation created playlist of songs that they thought represented Canada to give to President Barack Obama.
I was lucky enough to know a Canadian who loved music and he introduced me to so many great bands and musicians I wouldn't have known about otherwise.  It's really a shame that people here in the US aren't exposed to more of them.  So of course I had to bless this lens.

Kansas

I have a good friend who just moved from near where I live in Iowa to Kansas to be near her daughters and her new grandchild.  We used to go on a lot of day trips together, driving all around eastern Iowa, northern Illinois, and even Wisconsin.  Now I'll have to get to Kansas so we can have fun discovering what all there is to see there.

I happened across this lens completely by accident on my first day as Squid Angel:  Must See Places in Kansas, created by of_different_sorts.  As much as I love to read guidebooks and research places to visit on the Web, sometimes it's nice to have the most interesting places listed up front in an easy to find way.  This lens does just that by listing the Top 10 Places to See in Kansas.

Hawaiian Food

I have been learning about the culture of Hawaii lately through a group I belong to which practices Hawaiian shamanism, or Huna.  I found this quirky Hawaiian recipe lens in the Travel category, Loco Moco, A Traditional Hawaiian Breakfast Food, created by Susan52.  The story goes that it was created by hungry surfers getting ready to go out and spend a long day in the water.  You'll have to look at the lens to see just what it consists of. :)