The Magic of Blue Roses

What are blue roses?  Why do we have them?  Well anyone will tell you that a rose is a flower and some rare instances it happens to be blue.  (This will end the sarcasm portion of this article).
Blue roses in the Earth Realm are almost never to be found.  What humans usually do here is dye white roses with a chemical called delphinidin.  That gives it a nice blue to violet color.  For us in the Nether Realm, we have to wait for a blue moon and go to the Lampflower Forest to collect them. So it's just as hard to collect in this realm as well as our own.

Many people believe that they are a symbol love and prosperity.  There is a ring of truth to that but that is a little broad isn't it?  In some cultures the blue rose is a symbol of royalty or regality.  A very luxurious flower in that sense so that could be a sign of prosperity.  In eastern cultures it is a sign of hope that a person can attain an unattainable love.  Sounds like a country song doesn't it?  We all know that roses are a symbol of love.  Often times the different colors are what kind of love that it gives off.  The blue rose could be a symbol of a love that many think that will never happen for a mutlitude of reasons. 

I have a different theory.  I think the blue rose is a symbol of mystery and attaining the impossible whether it is love or success  When you give a blue rose to someone especially a romantic partner you are telling them that they are "one in a billion."  You appreciate their uniqueness.  That is something that everyone should have.  Someone who loves them for their one-of-a-kind personality.  That is what the blue rose does!

A Quote on Happiness

Good Day all!  It's a beautiful day today and I wanted to share a beautiful quote.  I heard it from one of the wisest and most wonderful women in my life.

"Happiness isn't about getting what you want all the time.  It's about loving what you have and being grateful for it."

This is a quote that we as mystics love to follow when it comes to our long lives.  One does have to be grateful for what they have even if it seems so little.  When you love the little things, they can grow into something big and wonderful.  You can take what you want from that quote but make sure you remember it when you need it. 

Spring Cleansing

Photo courtesy of  spiritual celeb LeeZa Donatella (leezadonatella.com)

Well spring is here.  At least in Calgary it is.  And all of us know that when it's spring we have to clean house.  Not just in the physical sense (we have to do that alot don't we?) but in the emotional/spiritual sense (We do this alot too but it seems alot easier).  Here is a guide to get you going.  What you need is :

• White Sage Smudging Wand
• Citrine Crystal
• Salt Water or Holy Water (all about preference)
• Rock Crystal Lamp
• A Sea Shell from the Siren Clan
• A pot of African Violets
• White Candle (preferably laced with pixie dust)
• A Smudging Feather (optional) 

*WARNING:  Make sure you get the bird's permission for the smudging feather because my werewolf friend just took one from a hawk and the damn thing didn't leave him alone for a month.  It continually pecked at the top of head and then took a dump on him.*



Now first things is first:  Do this during the day when the light is bright.

1. Light a white candle in the center point of your house.
2. Use that candles to light your smudging stick and trace it along the corners of your home with your hand or your feather.  Be sure to say a small prayer or incantation.  I prefer this one. "Only light and good energy are welcome in this space.  May it be like this always."
3. Take your water and pour a little in your hand and cup it while you put your love and good intentions in it.  Focus on that as you splash each opening (doors, windows, chimney, etc) to your home.
4. Now take the shell and place the white candle in there.  Take the citrine crystal and rotate it clockwise around the flame.  Say another prayer or incantation such as, "With this crystal. I light it for love and protection.  Please keep my home safe and full with love."
5. After everything is said and done.  Finish off by lighting up your Rock Crystal Lamp. 

And this concludes the total cleansing of your house.  Remember, this has to be done by you and you have to make it your own.  Focus on your intentions and you will succeed in cleansing your house.  Speaking of which, don't forget to actually clean your house.  A clean space is a happy space.     

A Friendly Piece of Travel Advice

Now that I'm back in Calgary.  I find it rather difficult to step back into a routine again.  My friends whether you are traveling by plane or by portal, give yourself a little time to rest and recover from your travels.  It takes a lot out of you human or not.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Well St. Patrick's Day is over, and that means that all mystics have to go back to work.  It's nice having a day off to get things done especially when one of those things is the celebratory green beer.  It's really nice that we celebrate and say thanks to all our Irish mystics with a day off.  We owe them alot.  For example, our leprechauns have helped us all when it comes to money.  They are our most gifted accountants, bankers, etc. 

 Without them, our economy back in the Netherworld would be struggling like it is here in the earth realm.  That reminds me I want to give a shout out to my leprechaun friend back home.  "Hey Mikey!  Thanks for helping me get my lovely new living space.  You're a real pal." 

I love St. Patrick's day.  It's a fun day and not just for the beer but for the music, the dancing and all things green.  Speaking of green, I hear that Chicago (USA) has it's river running green.  Talk about getting into the spirit of things.   How many places do this?  ...Seriously how many? 

Well as you all know St. Patrick's day is a day to commemorate the man who got rid of all the snakes off of Ireland.  Guess what his name is.  :P  Anyway, I have learned not too long ago that snakes might have been a metaphor for pagans and other non-christian types.  (Yeah right.  Good job Patty, since none of them had left.) 

Well lets not focus on that.  Let's focus on the fun. If we are thinking in Christan values, this is the one day that you can indulge in food and drink (aka green beer) during lent.  Now come on, Who doesn't love that?  Since I'm in the earth realm.  I will enjoy my St. Patty's day just relaxing, enjoying some pub food, and having my favorite green beverage.

<-----Oh yeah and wearing green.  Hope you all enjoyed this lovely holiday!  Please feel free to tell me what you all did.

Everything earls

Feel like a nice dinner?  Go to earls.  This is one of those places where you don't know what you want but you want something tasty.  Suffice to say,  I come here a lot and this is why:

A virgin margarita (strawberry flavoured is what this one is), a nice little salad that has fruit, veggies, cheese and nuts.  Then the main course of Mediterranean linguine that finishes your taste palate with a kick.  The food here is very good and there are all these options.  I often have trouble deciding what I want.  (It's very rare for a vegetarian to have so many options).  There is a nice margerita pizza, some good soup choices from time to time and my current craving the three cheese spinach dip.  The only thing I'll say is that the dessert here is often a hit-or-miss.  I had this lovely cream cheese shortbread with berries that I wish I had the recipe for.

The service is impeccable and friendly.  They give you what you want fast and with a smile which is a sign of a good place.   It's really Nice to get food fast and not call it fast food.  The people will take care  of you too.  If there is a problem with your food, they'll take it back and make it the way you want it. No extra charge.  

Really wonderful place.  Everything I've tried I liked so if you're wanting some good food, at a reasonable price in a nice place go to earls.  Enjoy!   

New Orleans post 5 - Mardi Gras

Here's a good question for you all.  Why should you come to New Orleans in the first place?   The answer is simple...Mardi Gras!!!  A long party that celebrates the coming of Lent.  It's a Catholic thing.  Every Mardi Gras is different but they usually last about a month.  So it's a month long of partying and feasting before you have to purge yourself and be good.  Nice thought eh?






You will notice that Mardi Gras has three distinct colors that all mean something different. Purple meaning justice, Green means faith and Gold means power.  All good things to stand for when used in a good way (of course).  They do, don't worry.  Now you will notice people who are wearing masks, costumes and face paint.  Feel free my mystics to do the same because there are not enough occasions where we get to wear costumes in this realm.  Anything goes here and I mean anything.  I saw many people who's costumes were made from body paint. 

Now a big thing with Mardi Gras is the parades.  They happen throughout different parts of the day and night.  You will see some fantastic floats, marching bands playing some good old fashioned tunes and dancers in lovely costumes.  Many of the parades are gigantic but the ones that were my personal favorite were the smaller ones rolling down Bourbon Street.  A small band would play and everyone on the street would start dancing.  Oh how fun that was!  I'll never forget it.

There is something you have to watch out for though.  And that is the beads being thrown.  It's easy for these things to hit you and here is the wild thing...you can't SUE.  I was informed by one of the locals that there is a law there that strictly prohibits anyone from suing someone else if you are hit by the mardi gras goodies.  I laughed and laughed at this but it does make sense believe it or not.  Fear not!  If you keep your head up and watch for these things you are guaranteed a safe bead-free injury.  Besides you want to collect as many as these beads as you can get because they are the cheapest souvenir you can get.  Now it's not just beads you can get.  Bras and panties are being thrown too.  If you catch one of these you're expected to wear them.  Just ask this guy!

Whoever you are dude.  Thanks for being the one to catch that bra and making it look good.

 

One more thing you might want to catch is the coconut.  My companion caught one and it means that she will have life long luck.  So not a bad thing to have.  I tell you this, I may not have gotten the gift of lifelong luck coming to New Orleans but I do have a lifelong memory.  Being here just opened my eyes to a whole new world and a whole new state of being.  I never thought I'd get something spiritual out of this or any kind of realization about myself.  I honestly thought it would just be a good time.  So come to New Orleans whether it's for the food, the crowd or the party.  Whatever you are looking for, you will find it.  It is a fabulous place to be.

Just ask this guy!

 

If you have any other questions or opinions, please feel free to comment.  I am pleased to hear from everyone. 

New Orleans Post 4 - Tours

This is one of the great things about New Orleans.  A variety of tours that talk about its colorful history.  The best tour and the one that everyone should take (especially you mystics) is The Voodoo Bone Lady Ghost Tour.   It is an amazing adventure that takes you around the French Quarter.  You are going to learn about all kinds of spirits.  Ghosts of a wealthy heir and his mother, former slave owners who's cruelty still haunts a historic building, a curse that causes injury and a mass murder that seems to still go on today.  I don't want to give away too much of these stories as the lady who shared this with us made it so entertaining that I think she should be the one to share these stories with you.  I will tell you that these tales are dark, scary, freaky and fun.

 <---feeling ominous yet?

Well one thing for sure, you won't be bored and you will get some really good exercise.  You will also hear stories about zombies, how they may have come to be zombies and how some people are mistaken for zombies.  (pretty cool stuff).  Still I was really fascinated with the stories of the vampires and how they made their home in New Orleans.  I wouldn't mind hearing more about them  because it still seems like a mystery to me of how and why they came there.  Anyone know more about this?

<---This is where the vamps came to be.

 

Anyway, this fabulous evening we got to stop at many interesting and lovely places but the one that I remember most is our brief bathroom visit to the Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop.  This place I have to say is a very fascinating place.  It is as dark and mysterious as it sounds but it is also airy and very down to earth.  The only light you will find in this place are the candles that sit on the tables.  Very moody atmosphere.  In other words, a good place for ghosts, vampires, werewolves and other nightly creatures to have some fun.

 

A great time, an entertaining host that will give you two voodoo spells at the end of the tour and an experience you will never forget.  Now be sure you keep this in mind especially if you happen to be here for the first time: As this is a ghost tour this will take place in the evening because they often do and who knows?  You might catch a glimpse of the paranormal.  In fact, I think I might have caught an old friend of mine from the Netherworld.  Check it out.

<----The mist in the picture.  Ghost or photo error?

I took another tour earlier in my trip.  This was in the Garden District that I booked through in my hotel.  Here you will see the gorgeous houses of famous celebrities like Nicholas Cage, Sandra Bullock and John Goodman.  You get a little history and see the tombs of Lafayette Cemetery and why it's better to have tombs as opposed to coffins (New Orleans is below sea level so the coffins rise).  Where certain movies such as D'Jango Unchained and the Curious Case of Benjamin Button are filmed.  And I tell you, the architecture of these homes are just stunning.  So yes I would spend a day checking out this tour.  Our guide is very entertaining, educated and knew where some good places were to eat. 

 

 

Besides I could not resist seeing the house where famous novelist Anne Rice lives.  So if you are in New Orleans, check out these tours because they are amazing.  You will learn so much in so little time and lets face it my mystical friends. "Knowledge and Wisdom is power."  whether its the history or knowledge of ghostly residents, take the time to check them out.  You won't be sorry. 

New Orleans Post 3 - The Museums and Culture

This Journey takes us to New Orleans Museum of Art or NOMA for short.  This is the place to find amazing works of art from the medieval ages to our modern society.  From east to west, Native to European, the art here is varied and beautiful.  A fascinating piece of history sits right before you with an explanation and a story to fascinate even the most uninterested of people. 

My personal favorite was the portrait of Marie Antoinette by Vigee Le Brun.  Big, tall and majestic.  That is exactly how I would have pictured her.  And I also liked the Chinese Snuff Bottles that were made from various materials such as jade and brass.  As you all well know, we still use those in our world.  We often use them for medicines or small potions but the humans (both Chinese and Europeans) used them for containing powdered tobacco.  If you are feeling homesick, take a look at these lovelies and know that its not as far as you think.

My next visit is to the Botanical Gardens that are just next door of NOMA.  Now this is a place where the flora captures you in an art all of its own.  I don't know about the rest of you but the majesty of nature always inspires me.  There are not as many flowers at this time of year but there are some that are not around where I am from (especially this time of year).  Floral trees, beautiful fountains, trees that seem more alive than anything else and little wild flowers popping up where you would least expect them.  And I can not forget the statues that remind you of Ancient Greece.  Go there to meditate or catch a glimpse of the wonderful plants.  It's not expensive at all either ($4.00 USD) when you want to connect to nature.

When it comes to learning more about history, there is a museum that you must go to and that is the World War II Museum.  Real life WWII Veterans will be happy to share their stories with you.  They are very intense, tragic and make you appreciate what we have today due to these noble people who sacrificed so much.  Even the locals speak really high of it and you get a first hand education of what happened in those days.  You won't get a better one. 

Now for something really unique, visit the Sculpture Garden.  The oddest and coolest structural pieces are there including what looks like a giant spider.  Something's you have to use your imagination for but others you can not help but admire the effort that these artists put in the detail of all these pieces. 

If you want art, history or getting a first hand experience of the culture that New Orleans provides check these places out.  You will find the wondrous in each and every one of these places.