Snow again for a pagan holy day

In December we had a heavy snow storm which cancelled our Winter Solstice party. UUCSV cancelled our Bridgit program for today's service also due to snow.

Imbolc is the Celtic time that tells spring is going to return soon.

So today is supposed to get higher than 32...and the sun is actually out. The increased snow that was forecast overnight never came, or was just a dusting. This time the city of Black Mountain actually plowed my dead-end street, as well as the one at the bottom of the hill. Mine is down to blacktop with just a bit of ice on it. The one at the bottom of the hill, Montreat Rd, is a main drag around here...but has snow under the part that's plowed. At least this time there are 2 lanes plowed, but I'm not sure why the sand/salt treatment wasn't used. I walked down the plowed street going over to the church yesterday,to post the cancellation notice.

The pagan holy day has to do with the wheel of the year. Tomorrow is Bridgit's holy day, Imbolc, turned into Candlemas by Christians. However it's spelled, Bridgette, Bridgid, Bride, celebrates a goddess turned into a Saint... she was the Irish goddess of the land of green...and still is. Brigid is goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft. Imbolc is a time of rededication of those who follow the more pagan or magikal paths.

Brigid is noted to have asked the ruler of Ireland at one time (when she was in mortal form perhaps) for more land on which to graze her cattle...and he apparently said, "sure," (being facetious of course) "you may have as much land as your cloak may cover." So she (being a goddess of course) flung her magikal cloak out and it expanded and expanded and then covered the whole if the Irish Isle. So Bridgette is still the whole of Ireland. Just go to Ireland and find how much the goddess is still part of place there.

I'll not tell all her stories, like the one of the ancient flame kept in her honor, nor the temple to her that became a convent carrying on the same rituals when Christianity came to the land. I will mention that Bridgid taught people how to whistle and how to keen. Story telling is an ancient art which is still practiced by Celtic peoples as much as poetry is inspired by Bridgit. The people here in western North Carolina include some very talented story-tellers.

So our dear friend, Byron Ballard, who was to give the talk at our UUCSV about Brigid, will be invited back for another time. I know her talk planned for today would have been great.

The holy day continues, and I'll be observing it as I have for several years. I do hope to go into Asheville next weekend to share Imbolc with other pagan people. There is something very precious in sharing in circle...where heirarchy disappears with patriarchy. Ahhh, a relaxation can happen to my soul.

Blessed Be.

Last 2009 clay work

Just wanted to record some of the last works I did in clay in 2009. Since my computer just died a lot of my pictures were on the hard drive. I may be able to eventually retreive them, but I'm so glad some are here on the blog site. It may have no other folks looking at it, but it's a great place to keep my portfolio.

A porcelain tea cup, one of a set of 4...

Glazed with Mayco colors

foot and handle extruded, tea cup thrown P-5 porcelain

Cone 6 electric firing. (Dishwasher safe, microwavable...orders can be taken and different colors. The teacup has been altered so is not perfectly round...with 4 strokes into it's sides. $15 each)

A lantern in honor of the goddess of the wind and wood...don't know who she is? Me neither.

This goddess lantern is stoneware, glazed, electric fired to Cone 6. ($45)

Goddess of the Dreamtime...
as the Australian aboriginies call it... a place of great respect and source of wisdom

gently embracing her 2 animal friends, a cat and a bird...

This organic shaped goddess reminds us our dreams give us messages...and our animal friends do too. ($45)

Some Holly Jolly potters & sculptures

Tonya's wonderful "space ship". I don't know if that's what she ended up calling it, but that's what I called it.

Marcia and James' discussion...about what?

The teachers, A.J. and Geoff, showing off their new Tee's.

The majority of the potters at the Clay Studio of Black Mountain Center for the Arts. From left, Maureen, Bette, Elise, Sharon, Jane, Margaret, Barb (me), A.J., Wendy and Marcia. Back row, Geoff and Brad.

Margaret's oceanic scuplture and my goddess lamp.

Most of my pottery that was in the market.

Bette, Wendy and Geoff, having a bit of fun together!

My pitcher in the gallery. I think this is the functional pot I feel best about. Porcelain, with various glazes on it.

My bird (which used to be a hummingbird, but I gave up that idea after looking at it a few times). Raku glazed earthenware with beads and feathers.

Margaret's oceanic sculpture on the left, my Amazon Goddess center, and Tonya's sculpture on the right.

Fun glazes

I'm so happy that this pitcher is finally finished glazing...I think of it as a fun sangria pitcher...or tea, whatever. It's P-5 porcelain, with various glazes...the red is Mayco, and there's Sumo clear, and HR Satin as well.

I actually love the polka dots. But hey, I like kitch things.

This is another pot that I'm pleased as punch with a second glazing. Cause the greens have just been burning away, so I added blue Mayco on top of them...and now it has fun water-color effects.

The Sumo clear has some HR Satin and then stumped on blue, which on second glazing came out all full of fun swirley things. Right now it's still cooling and pinging away behind me.

Amazon goddess & others

This porcelain vase is not going to the Holly Jolly show next Friday. I like it too much to sell at this point.

I am hoping the hummingbird mask will be displayed on the wall in the gallery.

It is raku fired, with beads and feathers added.

another detail of the glaze colors

This tall pot has been on the top shelf in the studio for months, but I'm not displaying it at the Holly Jolly show either. Just have become too attached to it, I guess.

Detail of Amazon Goddess, which I hope will be in the gallery exhibit.

She's done in porcelain, with a mahogany stand.

This raku style piece has no glaze on inside, but just it's lovely grey smoked clay finish.

A porcelain sangria pitcher, or perhaps for iced tea.

There is a sister pitcher, a bit taller, which is being reglazed, and has red on it.

nothing new under the sun

But I'm considering some old pots differently.
Now I've been asked to submit a picture that represents my work for the Gallery show next month. And some of these are kind of old, so probably won't be considered...but they may be better than the newer ones.

This is a newer one, porcelain with torn pieces applied at the top of a thrown pot. Glazes are both Mayco Stroke N Coat and the studio "Matt Bronze Green with Nutmeg and clear as well for the green area...sponged on.

I like this pretty big caldron, but it's all Mayco glazes, so isn't representative of the fun things I'm doing with glazes. But it's still in the running, even though the base is cracked.

This is at the top of the raku glazed pots I just finished in a class.

And this is also...
beginning to see my problem? Not many are in the same style!

A raku fired earthenware mask.

Raku small figure

Older moon dancer, wich was from last year actually!

The second moon dancer, and there aren't any more yet. I'm working on a larger porcelain one now, with a more natural woman's figure.

Speaking of porcelain...

There are several of these lantern shaped figures, this one is Bridgett.

And the largest porcelain of this series, so far. There are a couple of pitchers yet to be fired.