Is there a flower for this Chinese Year, the Year of the Horse?
Well the answer is that there is a Flower for everything as they are everywhere and it all comes down to energetic alignment.
Flowers, any flowers, play a very important role in New Years Celebrations as they clear the air of the old year ready for the new! It is traditional to purchase flowers to decorate every space imaginable to let the flowers do their 'work".
If want to ensure added luck and alignment with Wood Horse energy for the coming year, then use the following flowers in vibrational essences, aromatherapy, meditations, spellcrafting and spiritual artworks and whatever other modality that you use vibrational energy in.
The strongest connected flower for this particular Year, The Wood Horse?
JASMINE
Those born in the Year of the Horse ~ this is your Chinese Year Birth Flower.
Jasmine will also be of much assistance to anyone also who finds this year particularly challenging. Jasmine will also traditionally bring luck to everyone during the Year of the Horse.
How can you bring the energy of jasmine into your world? Surround yourself with fresh flowers, use its scent in candles, mists and oils, drink jasmine tea, use jasmine flower essence, create or find art or craft with jasmine flower images and place in your space.
jasmine assistance in eliminating what we no longer need & absorbing what we do, rest & recharging, overcome fears
~ other flowers with a connection to the Year of the Horse are....
marigold cleansing, vitality, healing, clearing negative energy from past, happiness
calla lily lower chakra balance, connection between earth & creativity, our male & female selves aligned
giant taro reconnection with the elements and the earths magnetic fields, meditation support, spirit & nature workings
Happiest Blessings! Cheralyn xx
*ALWAYS use plant matter from a known and professionally verified source and do not consume or use without the proper guidance from a professional.
You can most certainly purchase a great array of Flower Essences, but what if you want to create them yourself?
There is an incredible energy which is contained, not only in each species but in each individual plant and bloom and it is this which contributes to the energetic make up of essences. You may have a plant or bloom that you are very drawn to and though it's life cycle will end, it's energy may be shared forever if you create an essence.
I would STRONGLY advise you take a course in Flower Essence Study or Flower Reading if you wish to create essences because although the actual technicalities are relatively simple, there is much to learn about the Vibrational Energy modality that Flower Essences belong to.
To create an Essence correctly, to learn how to combine any existing belief or practice you may have, to properly prescribe and to research you own blends, are all subjects covered in a good course. There are many in person courses at various Holistic Colleges if you look in your area. I have an extensive Flower Reading Course in person and online: Current availablity is here: FLOWER READING CERTIFICATION
TO CREATE A FLOWER ESSENCE *this is ONE base method, it is probably the most popular. Many other layers can also be added to the creation of an essence, lunar timings, spiritual practice and so on. These will be covered in any good course.
I Often Create My WildFlower Essences right here
YOU WILL NEED A clear glass bowl The purest water you can obtain Unbleachec coffee filter papers or unbleached sterile clean cheescloth A tinted glass bottle to store your Stock Essence small glass dropper bottles to store your Dosage Essence a preservative: either fruit based brandy OR vegetable glycerin
All glass bottles and the bowl must ONLY ever be used for Essence creation. Between use they must be cleaned and sterilized to remove all trace of former essences.
NEVER use flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides.
Place your water in glass bowl on the ground in the sunlight. Pick your flower using a couple of sticks you have found nearby as tweezers. You must not touch the flower with your hand. Place the flower in the water and leave for at least three hours in the sunlight. Fill you stock bottle with 1/4 fruit brandy or 1/2 glycerin. Top off with the water from your glass bowl, using a coffee filter or cheesecloth to filter. This will be your stock. Return your flower with thanks to the Earth. To make up dose bottle, fill each bottle with 1/4 brandy or glycerin and top with your Stock essence.
You must ensure that you keep an Essence Journal with all the details of your creations and that you label all bottles. Store Stock and Dose Bottles in a cool dark place.
There are many different ways to take Flower Essences and there is a lot to understand in how they work, how to start and to stop taking them and so again, I would refer you to a good course to learn all of these. The basic method is 4 drops under the tongue 4 times a day.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE carving ANYTHING There is A LOT of work going on in the Magick Workshop for my upcoming Publications but I can't share all of them at present or even their subjects, But you do know there will be FLOWERS! Lots of other Nature Inspired Goodness too. My artwork is created by hand. I don't use computers of photos. I sketch what I see, I carve by hand on reclaimed wood and lino, I don't have a printing press, I print the old fashioned way, with rice barren, my hands, water based eco friendly inks and NATURALLY recycled papers. THEN I hand paint each image, with a brush and paints.
I suppose this hints on works that are to be very important towards the end of the year... it's fresh and it means a lot TODAY so I thought I would share.... unpainted as yet....
"Rainbow Lorikeets & Bottle Brush" 297 x 210mm Cheralyn Darcey 2014 woodblock print on recycled paper
ALL of my artworks are created with deep spiritual intention. I know what I'm doing when I create. Something has happened in order for me to create it and as I sketch, carve, print and paint, I write. I write A LOT. Messages come through with each line, with each brush stroke. These writings then form an Oracle Guide and more. They lead me to the next artwork on my journey.
The Energy this Artwork Represents: cleansing of old patterns, new communication skills, ability to see all viewpoints, stability and clear understandings within relationships.
I'm off to paint in all the colours of the Rainbow.....
I am busy RIGHT now this week creating a Faery Garden afterbeing inspired by my friends The Eco Faeries... I have an old sad Bird Bath and an old Shadow Box.... here is my beginning....
As well as cuttings and collecting I've found... I DID find a bunch of plants I think may suit at my Nursery..... You can see I'm on a Roll as these will do MUCH more than just ONE Faery Garden!
I shall keep you posted as to my PROGRESS!!!!! Are YOU going to make one??
The Flower Fairies of Cicely Mary Barker
A favourite Artist of mine mentioned in this week's video......
My childhood and I'm guessing many of you share these memories, was filled with the images of CICELY MARY BARKER. There are many Flower Faery Artists but I would go right out on a limb here I say that she is perhaps the most recognised......
Cicely was born in 1895 in Croydon, London, and spent most of her life there. Because of ill health she was educated at home and, encouraged by a supportive family and assisted by membership of the Croydon Art Society, largely taught herself to draw and paint. She was only sixteen when she had her first work, A Set of Postcards , accepted for publication and from that time she devoted her career to painting.
The first flower fairies book to be published was Flower Fairies of the Springwhich appeared in 1923, published by Blackie who was to publish all of the flower fairies books. At the time fairies were the height of fashion with the publication the previous year of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book, The Coming of Fairies, which gave an enormous boost to a belief in their existence. Interestingly, all the fairies in Cicely's first book were based on children she knew.
Cicely's artwork is characterised by the grace and delicacy of her line and colour work in the portrayal of both child fairies and flowers, with the outline pen work so fine and the pose so natural. In Flower Fairies of the Summer, 1925, and Flower Fairies of the Autumn, 1926, her fairies had begun to play a more active role in the paintings, with additional human traits being invested in them, really making them part of the plant. One of my favourite illustrations is 'Apple Blossom' from theFlower Fairy Alphabet. The blossom baby in the picture looks to be, at first glance, a part of the plant. With a little study the image reveals itself, becoming more enjoyable the more one looks at it. Somehow the fairy looking after the baby blossom idealizes the perfect fairy who is always there to look after every child.
In 1927 the three seasonal flower fairy books were published in a single volume entitled The Book of the Flower Fairies. This marks the end of the first set of flower fairy books and it was not until 1985, twelve years after Cicely Mary Barker's death that the final seasonFlower Fairies of the Winterwas published. The publisher compiled this last book by extracting the appropriate flower fairies from the seven existing books.
After a short break Cicely Mary Barker revisited the fairies with A Flower Fairy Alphabetpublished in 1934. This book shows and describes a fairyland where the fundamental beliefs are Kindness and Passion. These virtues are shown by the Vetch Fairy who rests a hand on the soldier of the "U" fairy who 'hasn't a flower: not one' and offers to share all the "V" flowers with him.
The final set of three flower fairies books were not completed until the 1940's. During a time of upheaval and war, people once again found solace in an idyllic fairyland. Indeed if it had not been for the war we may never have seen Flower Fairies of the Garden, as at the time Cicely wrote in her work book in December 1940 "This has been a disgraceful year, with the small amount of work done, the only excuse is war and air raids." No doubt it was thinking about the "Digging For Victory" campaign that caused the fairies of the vegetable garden to be born.
The complete set of eight titles of the Flower Fairy series were reissued in 1985 with a new format and remain extremely popular, with children and adults alike, to this day
MAKE A FLOWER FAERY CROWN! I have lost complete count of the amount of these I've made over the years. So easy to create out out fresh or fabric flowers. If you are looking for fabric flowers, try the charity shops, I have found LOADS of bouquets that have been wonderful after a wash and airing in the garden.
Old photo ALERT! Yes years ago I decided to explore my DARK SIDE... lol...
Looking for fabric Flowers? Australia based?... I found the best flowers for this at Lincraft and check out Charity shops! Everyone else... bigger craft stores and online. Seriously you can use ANY flowers you like, silk, cotton, velvet, mesh, bedazzled, flock, feather flowers... ANYTHING!
YOU WILL NEED: *flowers! fresh or fabric *leaves... fresh or fabric *wire for head piece: a thick gauge floral wire ~you can double it up if its too thin OR head to a hearwear store and buy some fencing wire! Its cheap, it works and you can get it in small amounts. Its in the fencing section on the shelf. *a glue gun & glue sticks (if you have very fragile items, perhaps a low temp one, but save your money!~ you can use a high heat one for these items by first squirting the glue on some baking paper to cool down for about 5 seconds, then dip your fragile item into the glue) *baking paper *ribbon/yarn in a base colour... I use greens/browns to emulate branches, some have a tiny bit of metalic thread through them which can be very pretty. You can use floral tape, but I just love the softness and prettiness of fabrics and textiles.
OPTIONAL: wire for beading and swirly features: this thickness is up to you. Head to the jewellery section of a craft store, check out what will fit through th beads you intend to use. OPTIONAL: GLITZ!! beads, crystals, glitter, feathers, little birds... anything! *these are silk! see you could easily use something like THIS!
THE FAERY FLOWER CROWN in Fabric.....
VIDEO HOW TO!......
A Flower for Every Faery
Here are a few Flowers and their Fae connections....
Bluebells create a blanket that almost sparkles in the sunbeams that pass through the branches of forests. The Fae love to dance upon such a blanket as it is the aura of the Forest to them.
The Fae are healed by drinking water from Buttercups.
The Fae use the trumpets of Daffoldils to herald in the coming of Spring, Renewal and New Beginnings!
Heather provides vibrational energy to the Fae, they are recharged through absorbing it's essence.
Iris connects the Fae with other Realms.
Lavender is loved by the Fae as it calms down and softens the temper of those who may want to do harm to them.
Lilac helps humans remember childhood encounters with the Fae.
Marigold are the sun on Earth to the Fae, they warm them, protect them and bring happiness top them. If you feel you are on the 'wrong side' of a Faery, plant some Marigolds!
Primroses guard the doorways to the Faery Realms!
Roses are beloved by the Fae just because they are vibrational energy holders and those who tend them well are favoured by Faeries.
Snapdragon protects the Fae from negativity and misunderstanding.
Tulip. If you are invited to drink from the Chalice of a Tulip by a Faery then you have been granted a great honour to step as friend in their world.
Violets promote dreams of Faeries and these hold messages from their Realm.
MORE!!..... I can't say it enough! Go track down your local Resources and BE A MODERN EARTH FAERY! in the west, you can join the Eco Faeries....
THINK GLOBAL ~ ACT LOCAL Your local Environment Centre: Google to find yours or ask your local Council They have the most amazing inititives both big and small that you can get involved with.
Last week I talked about my beautiful Dwarf Sunflowers. There is one I just adore so much and he bobs towards me when I'm lying on the grass writing and reading. Here he is! Definitely not one to pick
As many of you know, due to my husband's work, I don't live in my own home. Like many of you, I can't have an established garden... YET. This new place, well it's been a real challenge. Really poor rocky soil and just, well tiny! But reminded of my Grandmother, she used to say: why be SO amazed at the chef who has a bottomless purse and unlimited access to ingredients and tools? What I do is make the very best of what I do have. I create little worlds in pots, rejoice in the happiness of annuals and I think outside the box.
I also very much realise that I don't own NATURE! What I am enjoying TODAY was planted by someone else who lived in this house so I am happy to add my little bit of Gypsy Gardening to pass the Nature Loving along.
OH! What I AM blessed with here is the natural bushland, unspoilt all around me. Wonderful hiking trails, straight across the street and Nature filled with my beloved Wildflowers and for THAT, I am so thankful.
You can't always get what you want and YES, I dream of Gardens past that I have had and plan Gardens future that I know I will have as I stand in my funny little block that many have called home and I'm happy to have it at all. I'm surprised and thankful for bulbs that previous people have left behind poking up through the year, delighted by what I'm making work here!
Many of you tell me you too don't have an amazing garden, that you live in an apartment, have a concrete block in the middle of the city and so on. OR that you are sick, mobility restricted or resource limited. Don't you ever be put off or think your Garden, your connection with Nature is not somehow 'good' enough or magical. Nature does not work like that, she rejoices in EXACTLY the same quality and quantity of love and understanding, healing and magick in a single geranium in a pot as she does in a hand sculpted rolling botanical garden in a wealthily suburb.
Nature loves you! What is growing TODAY in at/near YOUR place? I would ADORE seeing it......
A blessing for you to Bloom Where You are Planted!
Cicely was born in 1895 in Croydon, London, and spent most of her life there. Because of ill health she was educated at home and, encouraged by a supportive family and assisted by membership of the Croydon Art Society, largely taught herself to draw and paint. She was only sixteen when she had her first work, A Set of Postcards , accepted for publication and from that time she devoted her career to painting.
