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Dia de los Muertos

10/27/2018

Although it may be celebrated at roughly the same time, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is not a Mexican version of Halloween.
The two annual events originated in different parts of the world, and they differ greatly in tone.

Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, has its roots in the ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on the night of October 31. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, believed that the dead returned to earth on Samhain. They burned bonfires and wore masks to ward off ghosts.

The theme of Dia de los Muertos is also death, but the point is to demonstrate love and respect for deceased family members. In towns and cities throughout Mexico, Central America, and parts of the United States, revelers paint their faces like skeletons, wear costumes, hold festivals and parades, and make offerings to lost loved ones.

At its core, the holiday is a reaffirmation of indigenous life. Dia de los Muertos originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful. For those pre-Hispanic cultures, death was a natural phase in the circle of life. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit—and during Dias de los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth.

Today’s celebration combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, brought to the region by the Spanish conquistadores.

The holiday is actually spread over two days, November 1 and 2. November 1 is Dia de los Inocentes, honoring children who have died. Graves are decorated with white orchids and baby’s breath. November 2 is Dia del los Muertos, honoring adults, whose graves are decorated with bright orange marigolds.

The centerpiece of the celebration is a temporary altar, or ofrenda, built in private homes and cemeteries. They altars aren’t for worship, they’re meant to welcome spirits back to the realm of the living, and provide them with what they need on their journey. That’s why you may see some unusual items, such as a washbowl and razor, or a pillow and blanket at the grave, in addition to photos and mementos.

Marigolds are scattered from altar to gravesite. With their strong scent and vibrant color, the petals make a path that leads the spirits from the cemetery to their families’ homes.

You’ll often see images of Monarch butterflies at the site, because they are believed to hold the spirits of the departed. This belief stems from the fact that the first monarch arrive in Mexico, their winter migration destination, on November 1.

Often a statue of Xoloitzcuintli, a dog, are left to help guide the spirits back to heaven when the party’s over. Other offerings include pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and the deceased’s favorite foods, as well as toys for children, and alcohol.

Every ofrenda also include the four elements: water, wind, earth and fire. Water is left in a pitcher so the spirits can quench their thirst.

Papel picado, or traditional paper banners, represent the wind. Earth is represented by food.

And candles are burned for fire. The smoke from copal incense, made from tree resin, transmits praise and prayers and purifies the area around the altar.

The most familiar symbol of Dias de los Muertos may be the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, as parade masks, as dolls.

Although their flesh may have disappeared their cultural associations have not. Skeletons representing firefighters may still ride in a fire truck, for instance, or a calaca of a vaquero (cowboy) may still ride a horse.

Often masks and other skeleton and skull decorations are only half-decorated. The artwork reminds us that every human being, no matter how beautiful or well-dressed, will eventually be exposed as nothing more than a skeleton and skull. The half-decorated calacas and calaveras recognize this duality.

During Day of the Dead celebrations, it’s not uncommon for friends and relatives to visit graveyards and spend the night. They’ll clean the graves, make offerings and have candlelight vigils.

Then the party begins, with food, music and storytelling. Nobody tells ghost stories though. Most of the tales are humorous remembrances of loved ones.

If this tradition seems rather macabre, you may be surprised by nt week's post. Turns out, graveside lounging used to be all the fashion in the United States. I’ll tell you why Americans picnicked in cemeteries next week.

Until then…Happy Samhain!
And a festive Dia de los Muertos!

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NaNoWriMo Story Starters

10/19/2018

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I skipped a blogging week to attend my son Josh’s wedding in Wisconsin last weekend.

And now… it’s almost time for that month of madness known as NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

Do you know what the plot of your novel will be? The personalities of each of the main characters? The escalating crisis that will build to your climactic final scene?

Or are you starting from scratch, without a plot or any idea of characters?

If you’re struggling, here are some ideas to help get you started. Feel free to plagiarize anything here. Please add suggestions in the comments section below. I’d love to have some fresh ideas too.

A woman buys an antique bureau. In the backboard, she finds a mysterious map with a route marked in symbols.
When he was picked to be Mr. February for the Firemen’s calendar, he thought his romance worries were over.
The holidays with relatives were always strained, but the couple expected even more discord this year, considering what had happened.
A woman is killed while walking her dog. Her spirit enters the dog’s body and decides to cohabitate alongside the dog’s spirit.
The old man sat on the park bench soaking up the warm summer sun when a familiar face walked by that sent a chill up his spine
It's a freezing cold night. Your character finds a homeless family on your doorstep and invites them into his home to sleep. But in the morning, the family won't leave.
After an automobile accident, a woman begins to see auras around people’s heads that indicate their good and evil thoughts.
A huge crowd of the undead stood pounding on the doors of St. Peter’s Cathedral seeking salvation.
It wasn’t until they were in bed together that she noticed the green reptilian skin on his back.
What if a lethal virus spread across the world, and vampires were enlisted to help prolong the life of those few people who produced antibodies?
Children playing in the woods find something odd sticking out of the ground and start digging.
A woman inherits her Scottish uncle’s castle and possessions, but she must destroy the contents of the attic without examination.
Write a spin-off article about an interesting historical or scientific topic that is mentioned in your novel.
Write short stories that can be spin-offs for your major novel characters.
What if global warming caused large scale melting at the major Arctic regions on Earth? What changes will take place in the world? How much of the world would be under water? In what regions would humans be most likely to survive, and how would those regions cope with the tremendous influx of people?
What if the bees on Earth died off? Write about the ‘trickle-down’ effect of that loss on crops, food, animals and humans.
You are the patient of a psychiatrist who has been murdered, and you think you know who killed him.
While planting a tree in the back yard of your new house, you accidentally dig up human bones.
You suspect that your next door neighbor is a witch, and you decide to investigate and learn more.
You put down your dog’s food, but today he ignores it. Instead, he sits down and begins talking to you, starting with what he’d really like to eat this morning, the errands he wants you to run with him, and the things he needs your help to accomplish.
While visiting the art museum, you stop in front of a particular scene, and find you can step into the painting and be transported there.
A group of friends band together to survive following a nationwide terrorist attack on the country’s energy infrastructure.
My next door neighbors, The Johnsons, were all asleep in their coffins when I climbed the fence to get the ball.
Your character's car breaks down when he is driving home from a business trip late at night. Fortunately, there is a hotel nearby, so the character decides to stay there and deal with the car in the morning. This hotel is creepy. Why? Create the atmosphere. According to the hotel's policy, the character pays in advance for the night. When he goes up to his room, and things get even creepier. How? Show us. Your character wants to leave the place but tells himself he's being irrational. He's already paid for the room, and he tells himself everything will be fine. But it gets worse. Depending on how you write this, it could be a ghost story, a crime story, a realistic psychological drama, or a comedy. You could even try your hand at all of them and write four stories.
At a Chinese restaurant, your character opens his fortune cookie and reads the following message: "Your life is in danger. Say nothing to anyone. You must leave the city immediately and never return. Repeat: say nothing."
In an emergency, a small boy is left to stay with his grandfather for several days. The grandfather pretends to be annoyed at the inconvenience, but, secretly, he is delighted. He adores the boy. He is embarrassed about displaying emotion, so he acts gruff with the child, who is therefore frightened of him at the beginning of the visit. Show the old man's actions, but also let his real feelings show through.
At the airport, a stranger offers your character money to carry a mysterious package onto the plane. The stranger assures your character that it's nothing illegal and points out that it has already been through the security check. Your character has serious doubts, but needs the money, and therefore agrees.
At a garage sale, your character buys an antique urn which she thinks will look nice decorating her bookcase. But when she gets home, she realizes there are someone's ashes in it.
Your character starts receiving flowers and anonymous gifts. She doesn't know who is sending them. Her husband is suspicious, and the gifts begin to get stranger.
Your character meets someone on an online dating site. Your character writes an e-mail to the person, describing him/herself. Write the e-mail. This e-mail contains two lies. What are they? Why did the character tell them? Also: your character has a very mistaken idea of the impression he/she makes on other people. What impression does your character think he/she makes? What impression does he/she really make? Figure all this stuff out. If you want, fill out a character profile. Your character arranges an in-person meeting with the person he/she has met online. What happens at the meeting? Write the story.
While housesitting his teenage grandson while the parents are on an extended vacation, Grandpa Reed discovers that his grandson has a small marijuana plantation behind the garage. Grandpa confronts the grandson, who, instead of acting repentant, explains to him exactly how much money he is making from the marijuana and tries to persuade Grandpa to join in the business.

Did one of these prompts spark your writing interest? I know I have listed several I’d like to explore. If you would like to list other ideas, drop them in the comments section.

Next week’s blog is on Dia de Los Muertos, traditions for Day of the Dead, which runs from October 31-November 2.

In the meantime, get those NaNo ideas churning!

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Rules of Magic

10/8/2018

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The movie Practical Magic had been out a few years by the time I began studying witchcraft. But once I watched the Midnight Margarita scene, with the elder sisters Franny and Jet dancing around the kitchen making margaritas and singing, “Put the lime in the coconut and mix it all up,” I was hooked. THIS was the witchy life I wanted! I loved the aunt’s comfort in their own skins and with each other, their confidence with magic, and their power. I wanted to be them.

I immediately went back and read the book, and was glad I’d done things in that order. The movie gave me a house and garden—and kitchen dance—to love. The book gave me a more in-depth look at Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nichole Kidman) Owens, and the misfortune that follows them made more sense. But still…what about the aunts?

In her latest book, The Rules of Magic, Author Alice Hoffman has finally returned to the Owens family to fill out the family backstory on the mysterious “aunts” Francis (called Franny), and Bridget (known as Jet). And—surprise! They had a baby brother!

The Owens women have always had grey eyes, an intrinsic understanding of hedge witch spellwork, and bad luck in love. Like all the other Owens women, Frances and Jet are witches descended from Salem escapee Maria Owens. More than 300 years ago, Maria was seduced and abandoned by Salem trial judge John Hathorne (real-life ancestor of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who added a “w” in his name to avoid comparison).

The fact that Maria’s lover was a state-sponsored serial killer of women led the young witch to conclude that all men are bad. Maria decided to protect her female descendants by casting a spell to ensure that every male who loves an Owens woman will die, horribly.

The only Owens male in centuries was the third child of Susanna, an Owens who fled Massachusetts as soon as she could, desperate to remove herself from the stigma clinging to her family name. This is where The Rules of Magic story begins.

In New York City during the 1960s, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique.

To protect them, Mom has a myriad of rules: “No walking in the moonlight, no Ouija boards, no candles, no red shoes, no wearing black, no going shoeless, no night-blooming flowers, no amulets, and no reading books about magic, no cats, and no crows. And no venturing below 14th Street.”

Franny, the oldest, pale as porcelain, with “blood-red” curly hair and “an ability to commune with birds,” tries to abide by those rules. So does the shy beauty, Jet, whose knack to reading people’s thoughts helps her stay out of trouble.

But little brother Vincent, as charismatic as a newborn that a hospital nurse tried to steal him for herself, has his own ideas. He’s barely a teenager before he’s climbing out his bedroom window, to sneak below 14th street and strum his guitar on street corners in Greenwich Village.

When Franny turns 17, in accordance with generations of family tradition, she is summoned to spend the summer at the family manor with the current matriarch, Aunt Isabelle, and she gets permission to bring her siblings with her.

Aunt Isabelle is completely different from their mother. She allows the children to hone their magical skills, shows them how to make black soap and which herbs will cause a married man to leave his wife.

More dramatically, their rebellious cousin April, confirms the family curse. Any man who loves an Owens is doomed. Then they find Maria’s journal, in which she urges her descendants to “fall in love whenever you can.” Talk about your summer of transformation. What teenager can resist falling in love—but even if it means your lover dies?

The contradiction between curse and command is at the heart of Franny, Jet, and Vincent’s lives.

In the summer that they go to stay at Aunt Isabelle, at least four local boys suffer shocking deaths.

Aunt Isabelle is calmly fatalistic about the whole thing, and encourages the girls to keep loving boys anyway, saying,

“When you truly love someone and they love in return you ruin your lives together. That is not a curse. It’s what life is, my girl.”

The Rules of Magic is the perfect read for Halloween. There’s magic, yes. But it’s set against the historical backdrop of real events like the Vietnam War, draft evasion and San Francisco’s Summer of Love. The whole novel is a commingling of dreamy, lyrical fairy tale and real-life struggles.

The end of the story was satisfying, and I was pleased that it led all the way up to the start of Practical Magic, so we can see how Sally and Gillian’s story begins.

Most importantly for me, the characters started flawed, and, despite their growth, they still weren’t perfect. I loved Franny, Jet and Vincent for all the more for those chinks in their power.

Next week I'll be posting NaNoWriMo story starter tips to get ready for November. Then I'll drop back to October and talk about Dia de Los Muertos, and customs for honoring ancestors in Mexico and the Southwest.

See you next week. Get those Halloween/Samhain decorations up! IF you'd like to post photos, I'd love to see them.

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Wendy Rule New Release this Month

10/3/2018

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I had the pleasure of hanging out with my friend, performer Wendy Rule, last weekend while she was performing in Arizona. I attended two of her concerts, and hosted her afterwards for one night at our cabin.

We started Friday night in downtown Phoenix at The Listening Room. This is a unique venue because host Adam Smith holds a “song swap.” Before singing her regular set, Wendy performed a beautiful song of Adam’s, Sea of Dreams. In exchange, Adam performed one of Wendy’s songs. That was followed by an informal conversation about performing, how they come up with song ideas, and life in general, with Wendy answering questions from the audience.

I response to an audience question about witchcraft, Wendy said she discovered the Craft in her mid-twenties, while she was pregnant with her son, Rueben.

“After his birth, I got this epiphany, an epic flow of magic, and a really strong connection with the Goddess.” Rule’s new found path in witchcraft naturally bled into her music. Immediately, in fact. “All of these songs just came pouring out of me,” she said. “I wrote my first album in a matter of months. I decided to write a song for every card of the Tarot major arcana.” Hence the name of that album, Zero.

“I didn’t know how to play guitar when I started,” she admitted, “so I composed the songs and then taught myself chords and just progressed from there.”

Since the debut of Zero in 1996, Wendy has moved from her native Australia to the United States, settling first in Oregon, and now in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And, yes, she has become a very proficient guitarist.

She has released nine other studio albums, including my two personal favorites, Wolf Sky in 2006, and Black Snake in 2013. In the latter album, she is backed by son Reuben George Bloxham on bass, organ and ambient electric guitar, husband Tim on Native American flute and electric guitar, and guest musicians on cello, violin and marimba.
The Black Snake album is probably Rule’s darkest, and she shared with us that she was going through a stretch of deep depression when she began writing those songs. Because of that, she says, “Black Snake celebrates the universal themes of death and rebirth, of descent and re-awakening.”

The next night we moved to Sedona, AZ for her performance at the intimate and welcoming Synergy Lounge. Wendy told us more about her 12-year labor of love to produce her upcoming album, Persephone, which will be released on October 31 (her birthday).

“Persephone is unlike anything I’ve written before," she says. A double album with 24 tracks of songs and chant, it’s an opera-like telling of the Greek myth: Goddess Persephone’s abduction by the God Hades, her descent into the Underworld to become his bride, and her mother Demeter’s attempts to find her beloved daughter and bring her back to Earth above.

Wendy Rule as Hecate in her new release Persephone.

Photo by Karen Kuehn

dy sings the roles of the three Goddess aspects featured in the myth, Persephone (Maiden), Demeter (Mother), and Hecate (Crone), whose parts she chants and sings in Greek.

To research and prepare for Persephone, Wendy made several trips to Greece, visiting the sacred sites dedicated to Persephone and Demeter, as well as learning the language.

The arrangements she played for us are beautiful and otherworldly, and I’m sure when all collaborators are included, the songs will be amazing. Artists will include Elissa Goodrich on vibraphone, marimba and percussion; Rachel Samuel on cello; and dark Underworld soundscapes by Wendy’s husband, Timothy Van Diest.

A “Greek Chorus” is sung in harmony by five women with diverse voices ranging from rock to opera, and coming from equally diverse locations—Greece, Australia, Portugal and New Mexico.

And renowned Australian performer Mikel Simik (aka Mikelangelo) makes a guest appearance as the voice of Hades.

Fiercely independent, Wendy Rule has always carved a unique path through the musical mainstream. She’s been popular for years in the pagan and magical community, but I think Persephone will gain her a broader following. She already has some unusual performances booked within the Sydney arts community.

If you’d like to pre-order Persephone, check out her website, www.wendyrule.com, and click on Persephone in red at the top of the page. You’ll also have the opportunity to order release-related promo items, including a printed booklet that gives details of the Greek Persephone myth, jewelry, a tee shirt, and personally-made items such as tarot bags and tarot cloth.

Oh, and if you’d like to commune with Wendy on a monthly basis, this busy lady also live-streams full moon concerts every month, weaving music, meditation, magic and affirmations into her on-line musical sacred circle. You’ll find information on upcoming and past full moon concerts on her website as well.

Magic and music. A perfect combination. Blessed Be!

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