Making my book.....

Ive been writing herbal, mythology, magical researching type tangents and notes to self on bits and pieces of paper but wanted to unify them somewhere so I can have a record all together. Something special I can bless and consecrate. So yesterday i gathered the materials and instuctions to make myself a book of shadows or grimoire.  As people have done since clay tablets and bone carvings were the page.

Its a 'post bound' type which is kind of like a fancy folder, in that you can add, remove and rearrange pages no worries. Ive tried using bought sketchbooks and journals but ended up tearing pages out with the inevitable stuff ups, and changes in ideas. With this kind of book I can write, draw and paint out of the book on a flat surface and then hole punch it up and add it. The cover is burgundy leather that I scored for free at a garage sale because the 'good' side was all marked, I simply turned it over and used the 'back' of the leather which has a lovely soft texture. The design I drew a while back with laundry markers onto another piece of leather

thats been looking for a home and now found it on the cover. 
The book will take about 300 pages, so I bought 100 parchement type A4 pages and figure that should keep me off the streets for a fair while. Now I'm looking at my reading lists, for me I have to take notes for information to sink in and now i have somewhere to put them.
 The things a girl finally gets up to when she's 2 weeks off the cigarettes....

see ya L plates...

Yep black betty nand I passed the test for Ps over the weekend! Yah! Just 2 weeks before my L plates ran out. Riding back through the hills I was struck, as one is in moments of awareness, at the geographical beauty Im surrounded by up here. Such variety too. So now im not studying for Ps homework I can relax into riding a bit more and explore the area. GPS aint much use on a bike, but theres a north coast street directory that advertises as 'going everywhere you GPS cant'. Sounds good to me! Betty goes off the bituman. Cant see that itll be a problem for her with her jacked up exhaust pipe and fat tyres, infact Ive tested over some potholes and shes pretty damn stable.

Its my first experience of chuck out piling round these parts at the moment. At first I was disappointed but then came the cane sofa for out in the garage space, then clean foam to make cushions for it, the cow hide rug, the round table that folds away (minus the knights of), a journal of handcrafted paper, those new ug boots, some pots for green folks, so Im feeling a bit more in my scavenging element.

Bloody bush turkeys got into my garden last night and uprooted my small but cherished seedlings that Ive been nurturing since I got here, grown from seed. Not impressed, theyd better watch out if i catch em at it again. Always did think they looked like good eating....

Phoenix spring....

Theres been a pause of late, perhaps of transition....
Spring is closing in. Medicine making is swinging along, and baby birds are falling out of nests. Dont know about you, but I say bring it on (except for baby birds bit). Some new shoot sprouting (metaphoric and green), and a breeze of fresh air to clear out the cobwebs (as long as spiders have a transfer set up).

Last weekend was the start of chuck out pile season round here....
Scores included: ipod, external harddrive, a hardcover book on the indigenous pharmacoepia of the Northern Territory (raced the collection truck for that one!), a fabric hammock (burgundy, with tassely bits), a buddha figure (slightly chipped, which u would be if u were buddha), videos (mostly kimba the white lion), a pretty simple frame (with glass intact, bonus), a guide to beekeeping in Victoria (essential to any library), a wooden bowl (buddha would have liked that one), candles supply top up, few cups (browns and greens), plates (im going to start collecting all florals aka naturish ones, like a picture on my plate when i get to the bottom of tucka), ummm....not bad for no vehicle eh? Goddess if I had a ute thered be trouble! Anyways gratitude for all recieved, and I get to do it all again this weekend! Good clean fun, that keeps me off the streets....ooops, actually it um doesnt....

Medicine wise Ive dried a stash of nettle as an experiment in wildcrafting. Dried first just as I cut it, the top half of the plant (can then resprout again), mostly with flowers and seeds. Its a lush green colour, and my nervous system is stoked. I make an infusion, which is like a pumped up cuppa of nourishing herbs (no plants with essential oils for me, they stay as tea) as taught by Mz Susun Weed. Its basically say 3 handfulls of herb brewed in a large teapot overnight, if possible. Its like a quality food really, and can be done with dandylion, chixweed, quite a few of those chuck out pile type plants folks dig up, or (god forbid) poison.What a waste!!
Tinctures collection is coming along too. Violet flower, motherwort. Separated out plant matter in chickweed, dandylion and violet flower (which literally is violet colour) tinctures, and have started taking them. Free herbal medicine, now thats got to rock! Truley medicine of the people, if theyd like to try it....

Artwise, working on tatu design....double phoenix. I can think of a few people who could lay claim to that image as well earned. Thatd be cool! A phoenix clan...
can be so without the tatt, some have their own warrior marks.
The plan is to put on my chest around heart area...with wings fanning out either side....