Review of the year 2012

For me this year has been one I will always remember, not just for experiences for which there have been many but the new friends I have made along the way.
The most important moment of 2012 for me was the Celtic Moon Pagan Pilgrimage back in May. For one the weather was truly glorious and the visits to the sacred sites were breath taking. Even now I can remember the buzz that ran through my body as I stood underneath one of the great arches of Stonehenge.

This year has been very much a pagan year for me. After the pilgrimage I became a full member within the Celtic Moon circle and have partaken in some beautiful rituals that has helped cement my path that I am on.

Making my drum in September has now opened up a doorway into Shamanism which I am very keen to follow, recently I have been visiting Caer Corhrain where I birthed my drum for drum circles and feel a real connectedness which took me quite by surprise.

Of course this is the year that I started this blog and decided to show my Rockabilly side some more and I am glad I did! I only have a few followers at present but the feedback I receive from my readers makes me want to continue blogging.

Of course this year we got Keijo the Finnish Lapphund puppy. I absolutely love having a dog in the house and I am amazed how big he is now from the tiny pup we got back in July! He truly is a handsome boy and very clever but still has a naughty streak!

So what does 2013 have in store? Well I need a new job. I am fed up of not having weekends and I need to earn more money. I have already begun sending out my CV so I hope something comes of it.

For Christmas I got a pyrography burning tool from Leon so I hope to be able to master it and make some beautiful artwork.

I have many events in my diary that I will be going to as well as trading at, I will be writing about these in due course.

Wishing you all a very blessed 2013!

Follow me to Stonewylde

I first became aware of the Stonewylde series in 2010 after listening to the Damh the bard's Druidcast podcast interview with the author Kit Berry. Breaca from Celtic Moon told me she had started reading them and on that same day, in a spiritual shop in Rochester that was having a closing down sale I found 2 books from the series 'Moondance' and 'Solstice' at half price so I brought them. 

I saw it as a sign.

I ordered the first book and I devoured them very quickly and I have just finished book 5 and the last book in the series.

Stonewylde's target audience is young adult but don't let that put you off, I know many of the readers are adults.

The story centres around a 14 year old girl living in London called Sylvie who is very sick, as if her body is allergic to the modern world. One of the doctors suggests she visits Stonewylde, an unspoilt estate in the depths of Dorset, run by the charismatic leader know as Magus. 

Sylvie and her Mums life is turned upside down when they move in to the idyllic community, walled off from the outside world before Christianity took over as the main religion of the UK, Stonewylde is a pagan paradise. However not all is as it seems.

There are two types of people who live on the estate. The villagers, who live a life from a bygone era. Their cottages are rustic with no electricity and they work the land as labourers growing the food, chopping the wood, working the dairy and other work intensive jobs in tune with the natural rhythm of the landscape and the turn of the wheel.

The second type of people are the hall folk. These people can be identified by their blonde hair. They live in a magnificent Tudor building on the grounds and have access to class rate education and electricity and mod cons. 

Yul is a village boy who is also one of the protagonist of the story. Through his eyes we see the beauty of Stonewylde, with it's cliff top views of the sea and ancient standing stones and stone circles and untouched woodland. But we also see a very dark and cruel side. These books are not for the faint hearted. It is shockingly violent in some chapters with Yul suffering from abuse at the hands of his father and the Magus. It might put some people off but for me it only served in making the story more real.

As Sylvie gets better from the Green magic given to her by Magus she discovers for herself the true beauty of the Goddess in the landscape and witness the magical rituals performed by the community. What I wouldn't give to take part in taking part in a Beltane ceremony in Stonewylde!

I'm not going to go any further then that about what the books are about, that should be enough to pique your interest. 

These books take hold of you. The characters are believable, and rich. You care about them which is what made reading the last and final book so very difficult for me.

If you are interested in pagan fiction then I would recommend reading Stonewylde and when you do come join me and other fan over on the Stonewylde community at www.stonewylde.net

Stonewylde is waiting, are you ready?

My Best Friend's Wedding

This blog post will be in two halves. The first half will be a overview of what I have recently been
Up to and the second half will be a review on something from that day.

So last Thursday, (26th April) was my best friends wedding which I was a bridesmaid at. During the planning stage The bride to be said that we could wear whatever style bridesmaid dress we wanted as long as it was purple and something we would be happy to wear again. Instantly I new I wanted a 1950s style dress.
During my search I decided upon a satin halter neck circle dress from vintage repro company Vivien of Holloway. It was a little bit more expensive then I had budgeted for but I did have 15% off so I took the plunge and ordered one.
In a recent post I showed a photo of how my hair was going to look and I found some fabulous purple patent shoes for £25 from M and S.
The night before the wedding we all gathered at one of the other bridesmaids house for massages and a sleep over so we could all get ready in the morning together.
The bride was so excited the following morning that I decided to get up at 6:30 to join in the excitement. I planned to do my hair in victory rolls so after I put my dress on I got to work curling my hair using curling tongs and pinning them in place to help keep the curl.  I suppose they cam out Ok but I think the practice ones I did were a lot better and placed neater on my head.
We managed to get ready in time and arrived promptly at the registry office and the rain was holding back but it was bitterly cold and windy. It really didn't feel like April.
After the ceremony we went back to the brides and grooms for nibbles and more photographs before going on to a local carvery for the wedding reception and a disco in the evening. It was a very simple (though didn't feel that way in preparation for it!)  yet wonderful day.

The Bride with Bridesmaids

The dress- My review.
I am so glad I decided to buy the Vivien of Holloway dress. The Purple satin was a divine colour and the fit of the dress was just perfect and I felt comfortable in it the whole day, from 8:30 till midnight.
Many people commented on how lovely the dress looked on me which always great to hear. One thing I wish I had done was to invest in a better petticoat but I ran out of the funds and had to make do with an old petticoat I had from a previous wedding.

Dancing is when this dress really came into it's own. I loved spinning in it.

Another point, after such a long day it did pick up a few stains on the way, mainly from a little girl who plastered her sticky food covered hand on my dress to help get her off the floor, I didn't mind but I did have a reminder  left on the skirt so I will have to get it dry cleaned before I can wear it again.
If Vivien of Holloway clothing has been calling to you and you have been putting it off then take it from me, the clothing is worth the price and is extremely well made and comfortable to wear. Just make sure you measure correctly because 1950s clothing size are completely different to modern sizing.

Taken just before going home. The lipstick had long since worn off but the victory rolls were still in place!

Photos by LJS Digital Photography and from wedding guest.
Dress: http://www.vivienofholloway.com/