Watch “Isaiah in Alice” on YouTube

…….

My God Son… Isaiah in his play Alice in Wonderland. Had so much fun that night. The students even made us dinner. Memories♡

Sandalwood Fairy

rustling wings

on tainted winds

woods intoxicate

her core

kissed by trees

a fairy searched

for the scent to

make her soar

~

by Felicia Lujan

3.15.18

No One Trick Pony

you got that right
there’s no disagreeing
ya got no one trick here
smart and strong
court unicorns
just magical, my dear

gotta say
figured me out
ya got no one trick here
built Ford tough
with gold laced heart
simply magical, my dear

by Felicia Lujan
2.17.2018

Dust to Dust

This afternoon I pulled the tiny bottle off the golden web. I uncorked the wish dust, dumped it out, then blew it away. I didn’t make a wish because we all know that “wishes are only granted in fairy tales.” (Simone Elkeles, Perfect Chemistry #1)

Gym Shred: Just One Bite

Gotta love the newest addition to my gym shred arsenal…the Evil Queen offering up a tainted apple. Nice!!! Trust her. It’s organic!!

~Custom shred by Felicia.~

I Believe in Magic

I had so much fun this year at the Santa Fe Renaissance Fair at El Rancho de Las Golondrinas. It was such a blast and I love that fair more every year. This is the third or fourth year that I’ve gone. I’m seriously contemplating being a volunteer next year, just to camp on the historic property.

Sucked that I missed the fire dancers this year. Here is a link to a video I shot of one of the fire dancers last year on the My Voyage Through Time YouTube channel. The belly dancers are always great to watch though~ mesmerized by bouncing bellies n shit. Hahahaaa! Of course…I went to the fair *after* a killer back workout!

Banshee: Exploring the Origins of a Witchy Woman

~”Banshee” a Digital Composite by Felicia Lujan~

What is a banshee? Is she a spirit? Is she a figment of our imaginations? Is she a monster? Is she a being of light or a lover of the darkness? Something I read recently sparked my curiosity with regard to the origins of these mysterious women who are supposedly supernatural. The dictionary defines a “ban·shee” as “an Irish legend” and “a female spirit whose wailing warns of an impending death in a house.” Banshee appearances and accounts have largely been captured and passed on through oral traditions; however, there are a handful of documented accounts and attempts to make sense of the stories.

A Princeton University web site defines the banshee as a “woman of the side” or a “woman of fairy mounds” or a “seer.” She is said to be a “female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld.” This messenger or “fairy woman” is often “keening at the death of important personages.” Important personages? Yes…that is a word! Many believe the banshee can predict death. Many have heard the “mourning call” of the banshee in the late hours of the night when a person is going to die. This happens most often around woodland areas, though there are some accounts by water. A tale from 1437 says that King James I of Scotland had an encounter with a “banshee who foretold his murder…” Her cries may have been “so piercing” that they were able to shatter glass.

The university web site says that “the banshee can appear in a variety of guises. Most often she appears as an ugly, frightening hag, but she can also appear as a stunningly beautiful woman of any age that suits her. In some tales, the figure who first appears to be a ‘banshee’ is later revealed to be the Irish battle goddess, the Morrígan. The hag may also appear as a washer-woman, or bean-nighe (washing woman), and is seen washing the blood stained clothes or armour of those who are about to die.” I would like to learn more about the Irish battle goddess. The banshee is also rumored to appear in other supernatural life forms. She may appear as a “hooded crow, stoat, hare and weasel.” In Ireland, these are animals which the locals associate with dark arts and witchcraft.

In an 1898 column titled The Easy Chair, the Syracuse Herald said that “a genuine Irish banshee is a little old woman in a red cloak…” A little old woman doesn’t seem that scary, but maybe? The column was spurred by the review of a play titled Number Nine. In numerology, the number nine symbolizes karma, spiritual lightening and awakening, mysticism, and divine wisdom in addition to other things. It is not clear who reviewed the play, but it was apparent that their curiosity was spurred by the mythology shrouding the banshee. The column goes on to say that…“she appears only to announce unpleasant events, such as one’s demise” and that “she does not always appear.” According to the author of this column, the banshee may make an appearance only in sound by wailing.

By 1929, the story of the banshee seems to be associated with the death of important people. If you recall the 1898 column and the number nine, this may be due to a growing association of the banshee with karma. The Buffalo Center Tribune ran a short piece titled Believe in Banshee as Herald of Death with regard to the death of Baron O’Neill. Neighbors of the family mogul “declared they heard the wail of the banshee the night before near the ruins of Shane’s castle on the shores of Lough Neagh. The castle was formerly the O’Neill residence.” Maybe people used the banshee as a way to understand the death of corrupt officials? “Baron O’Neill was eighty-nine…” Really? The number nine shows up again? The article says he “had had a long career as judge and member of parliament” from 1863-1880. Maybe he was a bad man?

In 1942, Virginia Moore published a poem titled The Banshee in the scholarly Poetry journal. Her poem captures the darkness and the light of banshee mythology, which may be seen by writers as a deep symbol of both death as well as the afterlife. Moore wrote…“Lightly, lightly, Ever brightly, Moves the banshee, certain death. Cry and call out, Death will fall out. Hold – you cannot hold – your breath.” It is interesting how she frames the poem with light. When you read about the banshee in historical news articles, she (not he) is always fixed as a creature of straight darkness. This is one reason I love writers. We see deeper than the dark. Moore closes her poem with…“Brilliant yellow, Is this fellow, Is the banshee, plumed and bright. Lovers hearing. Listen, fearing. Hark! Who treads the plushy night?”

Patricia Lysaght studied banshee folklore in the mid to late 1970s. In her white paper titled Irish Banshee Traditions: A Preliminary Survey, Lysaght took an in-depth look at the folklore of this mythical apparition based on manuscripts from the 1930s in the archives of the Department of Irish Folklore with the University College in Dublin, Ireland. This female scholar went straight to the source. She says that “the explanations of how the banshee came to be are not only few; they also seem to have a limited distribution, or even to be individual fabrications.” That was interesting to learn. It confirms that more often than not, the early origins of these oral stories were not recorded. She did locate an account of a local custom by Co. Tipperary. Tipperary said that “long ago people used to pay women to moan in the corpse house just when the corpse would be leaving for the church.”

Could this be how the mythology of the banshee started? Were women paid to wail and moan when someone died? Maybe we will never know if a banshee is a spirit or a figment of our imaginations or a monster that encompasses the light and darkness? What I do know is that my unending curiosity associated with the origins of mysterious things will never die, much like the tales of the banshee.

Sources:

Princeton University Web Site (Accessed August 21, 2014)
https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Banshee.html

The Easy Chair~ Syracuse Herald~ Syracuse, New York (January 2, 1898)

Believe in Banshee as Herald of Death~ Buffalo Center Tribune~ Buffalo Center, Iowa (January 10, 1929)

How it Began~ Elyria Chronicle Telegram~ Elyria, Ohio (June 28, 1935)

The Banshee a poem by Virginia Moore~ Poetry (Vol. 59, No. 5, 1942, Page 247)

Irish Banshee Traditions: A Preliminary Survey by Patricia Lysaght~ An Cumann Le Béaloideas Éireann (The Folklore of Ireland Society), (Page 94-119, 1974-1976)

Down the Old Santa Fe Trail~ Santa Fe New Mexican~ Santa Fe, New Mexico (October 31, 1976)

Wicked

Dropped a grippa cash on Friday for tickets to Wicked. I can’t wait. Looking forward to a “wicked” October.

My Horns

****The Maleficent horns my boss Melis brought me back from Colorado on Monday. I put my horns above my office door since I am the Dark Archivist. She knows I have always loved Maleficent.****

“I’m different. I will give you my treasure chest of darkness first. If you can handle that, then I’ll bring out my shining moons. If one cannot handle the darkness, then one should not deserve the light.”

~~~~C. JoyBell C.

Cast Away

……………………………………..
*****My Maleficent
movie poster.*****
……………………………………..
Today I saw Maleficent at Regal Stadium 14. It was so amazing and Angelina played a flawless role. She was perfect as Maleficent. It is a movie I have been waiting for since I was a young girl. I love this fairy tale. It was awesome that I got a free movie poster.

Why are they all such sad love stories? It’s heartbreaking… crushing… I could literally feel Maleficent’s agony when the man she adored severed her wings and destroyed her gift of flight. It was such a symbolic moment in the movie. Wings were a primary symbol of freedom, love and fear at different points in this telling of the tale.

In this story, the villainess was both a victim and heroine of love. As it turned out, there was some hope for true love. I noted several movie quotes I liked, but decided I would only share my favorite and the most important one. The quote marked the moment the dark fairy fell in love.

“Maleficent thought of
how he cast his ring away.
Someone with so little, in
hope that their hands
could touch again.”
~~~Sleeping Beauty

Melting Ice with Love

•••••Laura & Thomas (the twins) checking out the Titanic exhibit in Albuquerque, New Mexico (October 2013).•••••

Today is my brother and sister’s birthday (HBD Twinez). My brother has been in the mountains since this morning (which is his favorite place to be), but my sis was here. We went to go see the new movie Frozen together. It was a love story, but not a traditional love story.

Frozen is a love story which explores the unbreakable bond between sisters. Neither my sister or I knew that before we went to see it. I cried and laughed. It really was a perfect movie to see with her. Ice is never really that cold when people truly love you.

Here were some of my favorite quotes.

“You are lucky it was not her heart. The mind you can easily change, but not the heart.”
~•> Grandpa Troll to the King

“Split the ice. Beware the frozen heart.”
~•> Song of the Ice Workers

“She’s my sister. She would never hurt me.”
~•> Princess Anna

“Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me anyway.”
~•> Song of Queen Elsa

“Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.”
~•> Grandpa Troll

“Some people are worth melting for.”
~•> Olaf the Snowman

A Dream Catcher and Wish Dust: It’s All Just a Fairy Tale

A couple of weekends ago, I made my very first dream catcher. It was more difficult to spin a web than I thought. I decided to design a contemporary piece as the Lakota and others feel that the dream catcher has been highly commercialized. Yes~ I did my research! Instead of making a traditional catcher, I opted to use metal and several symbolic items in my design. If I make any more, they will be contemporary out of a deep respect for tradition. I happened to make this particular dream catcher on the weekend of Indian Market here in Santa Fe. It was a coincidence at best. I really did feel something when I created the piece. Maybe divine inspiration? Maybe I’m mad? Maybe something deeper than I am able to comprehend? Maybe it was really nothing at all? Anyhow… it’s all just a fairy tale after all isn’t it?

 

~~~~ Detail images of a handmade, contemporary dream catcher by Felicia Lujan. The catcher included: spirals; golden thread and ribbon; a gold hoop; gem stones; a lock and key; a golden fairy tale book with a rose on it; and metal feathers. ~~~~

~~~~ A contemporary, handmade dream
catcher by Felicia Lujan ~~~~

Agents and Rabbit Holes

I am really excited for September 24 to roll around!
I am seriously anxious to see ABC’s new
series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The series starts soon! Luckily it will not interfere
with my other ABC favorite Once Upon a Time
(in Wonderland), as I am also ready to travel down
the rabbit hole! That series starts in October, but
it will be a Thursday night special. These are both
sure to be two awesomely awesome shows!

Slaying Giants

•The giants bow down to Jack once he takes the crown.•

Today we went to go see “Jack the Giant Slayer.” That movie rocked! I didn’t give it a “B+” like the forever unsatisfied critics. I liked several things about the movie. Second~ the giants looked creepy (intricately creative bone jewelry, sharp/dirty teeth ~n~ all). Third~ it was a good take on the classic fairy tale to have more than one bean stalk. Forth~ I love me a woman or “princess” who wants or needs to step out of her box. Fifth~ the story was captured in an old book. No I did not forget “first” up there.

There was a #1 take away from this version of the tale which I found most important. This was embodied by Jack himself. The deeper message of the story is this… To be a hero and capture the love of another we do not need to have wealth and fame or material things. With heart it is possible to slay metaphoric giants and secure authentic glory.

•Jack passes the story of the giants on to his children.•

«—•Blowdart•—»

Poison blowdart used by the goblins to kill a unicorn in the dark fairy tale film~ Legend (1985)~ one of my all time favorites

Blowgun•————-»
Smooth and swift-
a simple weapon
used to fire tainted
darts straight into
my core.

Hunter•—————»
Momentum of
5,000 breaths-
pushing harder
so I feel the force
of iron lungs.

Blowpipe•————»
Propulsive power
with curare laced
tips- poison to
paralyze and
secure the fall.

Shooter•————-»
Capture wildlife-
a steady need to
tranquilize, stun,
and cage this
lovely beast.

Blowdart•————-»
Elusive target-
shrink and quiver
into the silent
softness of deadly
breaths.

by Felicia Lujan
2.20.2013