From Les Habitudes
A Christian Lacroix dress
From Beatrice Eve Bespoke Bridal
Thursday, July 29, 2010
More on Marden henge
"Once your eye is in you can see it: the sweep of the ditches, the belt of trees hiding some of the earth bank, which still rises to three metres in some places, the stain in the grass marking the lost barrow and its massive surrounding moat, and the wholly unexpected discovery – the second, smaller henge, so close to the modern houses that the roots of two trees at the foot of a back garden are actually growing into its bank," writes Guardian reporter Maev Kennedy.
She is describing an excavation at Marden Henge in Wiltshire, where remnants of neolithic life -and partying- have been found.
The Megalithic Portal describes Marden Henge as the largest henge in Britain, surpassing Avebury, but , "there is not much to see but bank and ditch. Plenty of atmosphere though." The site is also known as the Hatfield Earthworks, because it looks like an open field- albeit an open field that could contain ten Stonehenges.
The henge's precise location near the hills where Stonehenge's sarsen stones originated suggests that those very stones might have been dragged through the Marden Henge. Archaeologists even suspect that the stones were carved into their intended shape at Marden Henge, based on tools and stone flakes they've found.
Unlike its tourist-attraction cousin, Marden Henge's stones are no longer there. The ages stripped modernity from them; the stones have been plowed over, shifted by rerouted water. As with everything that has existed in the word, the site has been subject to change.
And now, archaeologists attempt to peel back those layers of human intervention, to find and to examine one particular era, some 4,500 years ago, when our human ancestors threw a big prehistoric party at Marden Henge. What stories will this ancient circle reveal? Perhaps only time will ever tell.
Check out the English Heritage site!
an RAF photo from the English Heritage site
She is describing an excavation at Marden Henge in Wiltshire, where remnants of neolithic life -and partying- have been found.
The Megalithic Portal describes Marden Henge as the largest henge in Britain, surpassing Avebury, but , "there is not much to see but bank and ditch. Plenty of atmosphere though." The site is also known as the Hatfield Earthworks, because it looks like an open field- albeit an open field that could contain ten Stonehenges.
The henge's precise location near the hills where Stonehenge's sarsen stones originated suggests that those very stones might have been dragged through the Marden Henge. Archaeologists even suspect that the stones were carved into their intended shape at Marden Henge, based on tools and stone flakes they've found.
Unlike its tourist-attraction cousin, Marden Henge's stones are no longer there. The ages stripped modernity from them; the stones have been plowed over, shifted by rerouted water. As with everything that has existed in the word, the site has been subject to change.
And now, archaeologists attempt to peel back those layers of human intervention, to find and to examine one particular era, some 4,500 years ago, when our human ancestors threw a big prehistoric party at Marden Henge. What stories will this ancient circle reveal? Perhaps only time will ever tell.
Check out the English Heritage site!
an RAF photo from the English Heritage site
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
the hum of horses
Margolove from Etsy's "Oh, Bye" print
"The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." -Arabian Proverb
Riding with the wind, the horse has long been a symbol of greatness, of life and freedom, in many cultures. To the Celts and Romans, the horse was a symbol of war. To Native Americans, the horse was a symbol of the spirit world, of the wind, and of wisdom.
Horses move more nobly than most creatures on this earth. Any who look into a horse's eyes see slivers of another world. A whole world of wild wisdom waits to be unleashed.
In Welsh mythology, Rhiannon was first seen on a white mare. She wore a golden dress, and looked a bit like an angel as she galloped, outrunning Pwyll, a lord of Dyfed, and all his grand horseman. When Pwyll yelled after her, asking her to stop, she stopped. She told him that she was to be married to an awful man and offered to marry Pwyll if he would help her escape from her hellish arrangement. The two schemed a magical scheme, and soon the mystical lady of the horse married the lord Pwyll.
Alan Lee's Rhiannon
Years later, when Rhiannon's newborn son disappeared from her room, her ladies-in-waiting planted false evidence (blood) and accused her of murdering him. As punishment, Rhiannon was forced to tell her story to any incoming traveler, and, should the traveler acquiesce, she was to carry them wherever they wanted to go in the city. Like a horse.
Seasons passed into years of toil, but the son eventually reappeared and all was put right. Knowing her horrible punishment, however, makes the golden image of Rhiannon on her white mare all the more beautiful.
While Rhiannon is little more than a beautiful, otherworldly woman in the Mabinogi, she was often linked to Epona, a Celtic horse goddess. Questions about Rhiannon's divinity abound, and many scholars speculate the myths represent a fraction of the pre-Christian honors given to her: Rhiannon, the woman who once might have been worshiped as a goddess.
Paul Borda's Rhiannon Wall Plaque
Throughout Britain, chalk drawings of white mares can be found in the countryside. The Uffington horse is supposed to be particularly spectacular. For a magical account of an experience with this mare, check out this article from Winterspell.
"The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." -Arabian Proverb
Riding with the wind, the horse has long been a symbol of greatness, of life and freedom, in many cultures. To the Celts and Romans, the horse was a symbol of war. To Native Americans, the horse was a symbol of the spirit world, of the wind, and of wisdom.
Horses move more nobly than most creatures on this earth. Any who look into a horse's eyes see slivers of another world. A whole world of wild wisdom waits to be unleashed.
In Welsh mythology, Rhiannon was first seen on a white mare. She wore a golden dress, and looked a bit like an angel as she galloped, outrunning Pwyll, a lord of Dyfed, and all his grand horseman. When Pwyll yelled after her, asking her to stop, she stopped. She told him that she was to be married to an awful man and offered to marry Pwyll if he would help her escape from her hellish arrangement. The two schemed a magical scheme, and soon the mystical lady of the horse married the lord Pwyll.
Alan Lee's Rhiannon
Years later, when Rhiannon's newborn son disappeared from her room, her ladies-in-waiting planted false evidence (blood) and accused her of murdering him. As punishment, Rhiannon was forced to tell her story to any incoming traveler, and, should the traveler acquiesce, she was to carry them wherever they wanted to go in the city. Like a horse.
Seasons passed into years of toil, but the son eventually reappeared and all was put right. Knowing her horrible punishment, however, makes the golden image of Rhiannon on her white mare all the more beautiful.
While Rhiannon is little more than a beautiful, otherworldly woman in the Mabinogi, she was often linked to Epona, a Celtic horse goddess. Questions about Rhiannon's divinity abound, and many scholars speculate the myths represent a fraction of the pre-Christian honors given to her: Rhiannon, the woman who once might have been worshiped as a goddess.
Paul Borda's Rhiannon Wall Plaque
Throughout Britain, chalk drawings of white mares can be found in the countryside. The Uffington horse is supposed to be particularly spectacular. For a magical account of an experience with this mare, check out this article from Winterspell.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
the moon shines on beautiful things
In honor of the full moon, I would like to post images of my two favorite tarot decks:
Kris Waldherr's Goddess Tarot
and
Melanie Gordon's Gendron Tarot
Each of these decks is beautifully crafted and brimming with revelations.
-*-*-
I would also like to take a moment to post some beautiful jewelry. As most of you know, etsy.com is one of the neatest places to shop. I'd like to take a moment to honor two of these etsy artists: pinkingedgedesigns and bionicunicorn.
This necklace from pinkingedgedesigns has become an absolute staple in my collection.
and this necklace from bionicunicorn has started many conversations!
I find there is no better way to celebrate life than to create... There is a certain captivation and release in working wire, bending and curling and prying wire around beads, stringing beads, setting beads, draping and fitting and testing jewelry. Here are some of my creations:
Kris Waldherr's Goddess Tarot
and
Melanie Gordon's Gendron Tarot
Each of these decks is beautifully crafted and brimming with revelations.
-*-*-
I would also like to take a moment to post some beautiful jewelry. As most of you know, etsy.com is one of the neatest places to shop. I'd like to take a moment to honor two of these etsy artists: pinkingedgedesigns and bionicunicorn.
This necklace from pinkingedgedesigns has become an absolute staple in my collection.
and this necklace from bionicunicorn has started many conversations!
I find there is no better way to celebrate life than to create... There is a certain captivation and release in working wire, bending and curling and prying wire around beads, stringing beads, setting beads, draping and fitting and testing jewelry. Here are some of my creations:
P-p-p-par-tay!
"I've got wine and so do you," sang the Queens of the Stone Age... and, baby, ain't that just the truth?
Since the dawn of time, or at least since about 10,000 B.C.E, we humans have popped the proverbial cork and downed alcohol. While alcohol was as common a drink as water (which could be unsanitary) in some eras, it also served symbolic purposes in communities. We all need a slight reprieve from reality once in a while, and we often prefer to embark on these reprieves with others. Community drinking sessions are as much a part of human tradition as, say, partnering, accepting power structures, and seeking truth and beauty.
British archaeologists recently discovered remnants of a large party in Wiltshire, near the Avon River, from approximately 2500 B.C.E. The party took place at a henge, which we know were used to mark and celebrate astronomical and celestial occasions. While no wine was discovered, hundreds of pig bones were, leading archaeologists to believe the Stone Age tribesmen threw one hell of a party.
In the 6th century C.E., near the Avon River, the Celts gorged on Byzantine wine. And they did it in a beautiful location: on the beach. Where the earth becomes water and water becomes sky, the community feasted and drank.
While these example are from Britain, evidence of drinking can be found all over the world through all the ages in which humans have appeared. This tradition was paramount in many religions, and it has often been used to celebrate or to escape. We celebrate life together, with booze often present, but when we drink to escape, we often drink alone or without real community.
At universities, this escapism is ever-present- perhaps even part of the college community itself. Yesterday, I was walking down Union Street in Athens, passing by Jackie O's, when I heard one young man say, "Yeah, I'm just hanging around. Drinking. Being an alcoholic, but only for the next few quarters, you know?" I was immediately simultaneously nostalgic and sad. Nostalgic because my few quarters of copious amounts of drinking were beautiful and brief; sad because, looking back, that time could have been spent making real connections with other people... And because most students aren't as mild-mannered as I am; drinking contributes to most of the crime in this quiet little town.
Anyway, drinking has its place in the annals of humanity, and I think we should give it more thought and discussion than we often do. It, like most things is this world, is a tool, neither inherently good or evil, that we mold to our own devices.
If you enjoyed this topic, you might want to check out these cool articles, my sources: Dr. David Hanson's "History of Alcohol and Drinking Around the World.", David Keys' article in The Independent., and his other article in The Independent.
Since the dawn of time, or at least since about 10,000 B.C.E, we humans have popped the proverbial cork and downed alcohol. While alcohol was as common a drink as water (which could be unsanitary) in some eras, it also served symbolic purposes in communities. We all need a slight reprieve from reality once in a while, and we often prefer to embark on these reprieves with others. Community drinking sessions are as much a part of human tradition as, say, partnering, accepting power structures, and seeking truth and beauty.
British archaeologists recently discovered remnants of a large party in Wiltshire, near the Avon River, from approximately 2500 B.C.E. The party took place at a henge, which we know were used to mark and celebrate astronomical and celestial occasions. While no wine was discovered, hundreds of pig bones were, leading archaeologists to believe the Stone Age tribesmen threw one hell of a party.
In the 6th century C.E., near the Avon River, the Celts gorged on Byzantine wine. And they did it in a beautiful location: on the beach. Where the earth becomes water and water becomes sky, the community feasted and drank.
While these example are from Britain, evidence of drinking can be found all over the world through all the ages in which humans have appeared. This tradition was paramount in many religions, and it has often been used to celebrate or to escape. We celebrate life together, with booze often present, but when we drink to escape, we often drink alone or without real community.
At universities, this escapism is ever-present- perhaps even part of the college community itself. Yesterday, I was walking down Union Street in Athens, passing by Jackie O's, when I heard one young man say, "Yeah, I'm just hanging around. Drinking. Being an alcoholic, but only for the next few quarters, you know?" I was immediately simultaneously nostalgic and sad. Nostalgic because my few quarters of copious amounts of drinking were beautiful and brief; sad because, looking back, that time could have been spent making real connections with other people... And because most students aren't as mild-mannered as I am; drinking contributes to most of the crime in this quiet little town.
Anyway, drinking has its place in the annals of humanity, and I think we should give it more thought and discussion than we often do. It, like most things is this world, is a tool, neither inherently good or evil, that we mold to our own devices.
If you enjoyed this topic, you might want to check out these cool articles, my sources: Dr. David Hanson's "History of Alcohol and Drinking Around the World.", David Keys' article in The Independent., and his other article in The Independent.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
An intro to my art
Starting today, I'd like to showcase some of my own art every once in a while. Enjoy!
I like taking photographs of photographs...
and playing with textures!
Nature always inspires me...
but women- and collages- take my breath away.
Each of these is an original artwork I created. Since they contain pieces of me, (please) do not use my artwork without my permission.
I like taking photographs of photographs...
and playing with textures!
Nature always inspires me...
but women- and collages- take my breath away.
Each of these is an original artwork I created. Since they contain pieces of me, (please) do not use my artwork without my permission.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Beyond Stonehenge
Stonehenge is not the only massive (and puzzling) stone circle in the world. It's not even the only circle in the area, anymore! Archaeologists have discovered a site on Stonehenge land they believe to have been a large wooden circle, contemporary to Stonehenge.
Check it out: "Stonehenge twin discovered stone's throw away".
It is generally believed that giant circles, be they stone or wood, were built to help civilizations follow astronomical and celestial events. The mystery that surrounds them is unavoidable.
In fact, two children's books I recently re-read build on stone circles' mystical, inspiring qualities: In the Stone Circle (Kimmel) and The China Garden (Berry). Laden with mystery, love, magic, and the great battles of the human heart that transcend time and space, these stories remind adults what it's like to re-enter the worlds of our imaginations.
Check it out: "Stonehenge twin discovered stone's throw away".
It is generally believed that giant circles, be they stone or wood, were built to help civilizations follow astronomical and celestial events. The mystery that surrounds them is unavoidable.
In fact, two children's books I recently re-read build on stone circles' mystical, inspiring qualities: In the Stone Circle (Kimmel) and The China Garden (Berry). Laden with mystery, love, magic, and the great battles of the human heart that transcend time and space, these stories remind adults what it's like to re-enter the worlds of our imaginations.
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