A Meditation Primer
The one thing I know is that meditation works. Thanks to Maria Popova for posting this guide with a zillion links and a quick and simple video.
via How to Meditate: An Animated Guide – Brain Pickings
Horned God?
via The Horned Helmet Of Henry VIII With Its Capricious Bearing
Henry at 29
Fascinating photographs and video about the helmet gifted to Henry VIII by Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I, in 1514 AD.
Just to put it into context, Henry was still young (only 23), still tied to Rome, still married to Catherine of Aragon, and still trying for sons and heirs.
Several horned gods thrive from pagan times. Most, like Cernunnos and Jupiter Ammon, are associated with fertility. It makes me wonder where and when Henry donned his helmet.
Thanks to Realm of History for this post and all the fascinating bits they unearth.
5 Queer Non-Fiction Books You Should Read
Love, Light, and Peace to You on Summer Solstice
There is nothing more inspiring, more comforting, more magical, than the liminal boundary between earth and water, water and sky. Rocked by mother earth, bathed by fire, swept by salt breeze, and serenaded by ocean waves, I lie in peace and perfection.
Blessings, peace, and joy to you this perfect summer’s day. ~Wendy
Committing to the Mistake and Writing in the Age of That Guy
Some sage thoughts for another Monday morning…
Lycian & Mylinka: Becoming Heroes
Meet Lycian. Sad, gentle, purple-eyed Gailfen child. Orphan. Wolf clan. A Wyrm, judged unfit to practice magic. A Mageling still unaware of his enormous power.
Meet Mylinka. Healer. Lavender-haired Visioncaster. Daughter of the Guardian. Once a princess; then a slave child, Mylinka is as stubborn as he is sweet; as fierce as he is fragile.
They meet in innocence, kiss, and are torn apart– thrust into a violent nightmare from which there seems no escape. And yet, the two remain entwined as if by an invisible thread. Is it love?
Lycian and Mylinka are children of a corrupt world, abused by men who lust for power and revel in pain. And so, this other world’s song, is not so distant from our own. As does all great fantasy, the author mirrors our misery in this dystopian world. Listen closely, and you can hear their cries beyond the humming of the spheres.
Things I Love About This Book
Poetry:
First and foremost, Sionnach Wintergreen’s writing. I find myself highlighting passages on my iPad so I can go back and reread them. Though the language appears seemingly effortless, I know what it takes to craft poetic prose.
The kiss on the beach is my favourite scene, but much too long to quote. And so: “She pulled off her remaining sandal, emptying the black sand from it. He watched, with a sense of tragedy, the black grains scatter in the wind.”
A brilliant crimson sun rose above his head, bathing the world in blood. Red sea, red rocks, red sky–everything from the beach in Malyndor, but altered, thin and weeping, drenched like a gauze bandage over a great wound, covering Malyndor like a cruel lie.
The Study of Magic:
Read and learn, all ye apprentices of the magical arts.
“If one can draw magic from another being, or an object like the Astralasphere, or from her surroundings, she can hold her own power in reserve. Mages drew magic from the Astralasphere, warmancers drew the innate magic of other beings–often by force, but magic can also be drawn from one’s surroundings. ‘Free’ energy is all around us–ambient magic. One only has to channel it.”
Fascinating creatures:
Gryphons, telepathic wolves, goblins, and my favourite, the beautiful xhanti who dances dressage.
The Kierighan coughed into one of his black-gloved hands. His xhanti champed its heavy bits. It moved sideways as if it were dancing. Mylinka thought she had never seen such a beautiful animal. The three horns on its otherwise clean wedge-shaped head were evenly spaced and in a neat row that followed its straight profile. Thick curly mane floated against a sleek and heavily muscled neck. Its pricked ears were perfectly shaped and tufted, and the silken fringe on its legs waved like black flags as it moved. Watching it filled her with an inexplicable joy. Riding it would be like being a feather on a breeze.
Tragedy Met with Hope
In what seems a doomed world, populated by monstrous men and women who crave only power, two children meet and form a bond, and from that meeting comes a moment of love, a moment of hope. Is this a message for our own time?
“Rhymer,” she vowed softly. “I’ll save us all.”
I read Book One and Book Two of the Astralasphere Series out of order, but it worked perfectly for me. I wanted to know the children who age and take their revenge. You can find my thoughts on Under the Shadow here. Now I wait for Book Three. And hope. And hope…that kiss will come again.
You can discover more about the characters and series firsthand by reading the author’s blog,