Do
you love butterflies?
Did you know that butterflies symbolize transformation and
spiritual awakening?
The metaphor for a caterpillar crawling on the ground (problems)
to a butterfly soaring above it all (solutions) is an ideal
story about alchemy that inspires and
motivates us.
Each time we see either of those beautiful creatures, we are
inspired and moved at a knowable, conscious level but also
at an unknowable, subconscious level.
For thousands of years stories have healed us, taught
us, empowered us.
Symbols call out to our ancient nobility and matriarchal wisdom.
That’s why I’m a storyteller.
When I was 5 years old my grandmother Louise began teaching
me to read tea leaves. I’m sure she read to me as a
baby but I only remember looking at tea leaves when I was
about 3 or 4 years old, swinging my feet on one of those old
kitchen chairs and laughing with joy or crying with sadness
at whatever ‘future’ she saw for me.
We’d sit at the kitchen table in her big kitchen in
Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, with the snow blowing outside in
winter and the creaky old fan turning in summer and she’d
enchant me with tales of knights on white horses,
pots of gold, and rainbows, faeries and castles. In her stories,
and in the tea leaves, I always ended up with a life filled
with joy and happiness.
I sat with her for years and watched as the tea leaves became
more and more understandable to me and I could see the outlines
of the future.
Louise Elzina Bartsch Antoine
–
a Crone (wise women) if there ever was one –
was an irreverent, independent, mystical, psychic, intuitive,
colorful women who fanned the flames of my curiosity and pointed
out the path to magic and mysticism
– and
because of her mentoring I believe in magic, mystery, intuition
and psychic awareness.
She was skinny, olive skinned, with frizzy hair; I
never suspected she was a Gypsy until I grew older and began
to research Crones and Gypsy’s. I’m convinced
she was both. Of course, she would deny it as would the entire
family. However, whoever she was (and might still be) I’m
grateful every day that she instilled those qualities in me.
Yes, even the Rebel. Actually, especially the Rebel.
The Celts, French and Germanic tribes were powerful
storytellers. Those qualities swim in my DNA and
I simply must tell stories, listen to stories, read stories,
dream stories –
by the thousands, literally.
I love a good tale; a mystery, or love story or a legend from
Egypt or Druidic Ireland can keep me up half the night. I
didn’t realize until I was older that stories are the
lifeblood of civilization, of evolution. Stories were the
teaching tool of mystics, crones, and wizards.
Since the dawn of time, we’ve sat at the knees of our
elders and learned how things worked, what didn’t work
and how to become bolder, healthier, wealthier and wise. We
learned family and tribal history. We learned who we were
and sometimes why we were. We still learn that way and we’ve
lost a great deal by abandoning these weekly events in our
homes.
My plan is to restore that sense of awe in how we live our
lives.
A Tribute to My Beloved John
Click Image for Tribute
|
|
I
could see that the sole of a shoe could represent the ‘soul’
of a journey or a place; the tongue of the shoe could mean
a falsehood or a secret or any number of speech ideas; caterpillars
weren’t scary hairy worms, but were creatures actually
practicing alchemy –
changing
from one form into another.
Serpents once scared me to death. I soon
realized that I’d been programmed to be very afraid
of them
–
not because they slithered and writhed, but because of what
they represented
– their
symbol of rebirth, constant change (they shed they’re
outer skin or identity every year). Stories took on new meaning,
the programming of my young mind motivated me to seek the
truth
–
and stories became more than simple entertainment. Stories
could enrich lives, nurture spiritual growth and rediscover
sacred agreements. And I can never get enough of that knowledge.
In my years of counseling using New Thought Principles, I
became convinced that we are what we think and we
co-create our life with our thoughts. Combining that
knowledge with storytelling was like a magical carpet ride
for me. I could see, feel, touch the magic of our divine purpose
and couldn’t wait to share that style of living.
As I began sharing and counseling, jewelry design
just pushed its way into my counseling...and the
rest is history, as they say. I fell in love with jewelry
as a motivational tool with its ability to link myth, symbol,
legend, metaphor and metaphysical interpretation to beauty
and the female body –
a way to empower women through beauty. It still excites me
when I think of the possibilities and I cannot wait to get
to my studio every morning.
A story unfolds, a piece of jewelry is born and magic happens
– an
invisible myth becomes a visible nurturing symbol.
I’m so lucky to be doing this. I feel like a wizard
sometimes and know I am very blessed. I want to inspire that
in other women.
Goddess, Diva, Earth
Mother, Wild women, Crone, Wise women—these
are women’s stories. In my book Legends
of the Stones, I discuss these powerful females and how
they must be allowed to nurture us once again, and how we
must rediscover their inspiration and their meaning in our
lives. It’s time we invited them to return. Isis and
Innana and Metis and Sophia –
and hundreds of feminine wisdom symbols were stolen
from us by the patriarchal societies intent on intimidating
and destroying the wise women of the tribes by eliminating
respect for their healing and nurturing. That plan worked
for centuries, but now it’s time we resurrected our
female mentors.
women
are now and always have been the storytellers, the
healers. Education and business opportunities were denied
women then (and now) –
the
only means left to women was to teach by storytelling –
and that’s what she did
– raising
her craft to an art form. Ever wonder why women are so creative
and imaginative? Why we multi-task
so easily? We had to. It’s
common knowledge that fairy tales were written down and published
by men but were actually verbal women’s stories that
men laid claim to –
mostly because men were the only ones who were allowed to
read or write. But storytelling is a feminine teaching tool.
To call the energy and ideas of Goddess/Wise women into our
lives is to heal, grow and become whole. To read a fairy tale
with a metaphysical eye is enlightening. Let it be remembered
–
women’s purpose is to nurture, evolve, heal, become
rich and successful, loved and fulfilled through our thinking,
through our stories, through our respect of who we are as
women. It’s time. A matriarchal society is desperately
needed –
now as never before.
I use many symbols including the spiral in many of my bracelets.
The spiral is one of the most ancient symbols found on many
megaliths in Ireland.
The spiral symbolizes following the path inward –
turning within through prayer, meditation, contemplation,
daydreaming –
all
those inner quests we must follow to endure and evolve.
Imagine seeing that symbol on a beautiful bracelet on your
arm while you’re working or driving or in a courtroom.
With the story of your one-of-a-kind bracelet on your mind
you will be reminded to turn within for guidance and strength
or wisdom and courage –
depending on the other colors and symbols on your bracelet.
Spiritual tools come in all shapes and sizes –
’story stones’ are beautiful limited-edition tools
for personal clarity and balance. Incidentally, I love this
spelling
–
women–and
plan to use it from now on. I’m delighted that it’s
driving my ‘spell check’ crazy!
To find out about the other symbols I use, and myths and legends
I talk about, please read my latest book Legends
of the Stones. To learn to meditate and journal, go
to the ‘Books’ page.
We
are that. Mystic, Seeker, Healer, Wizard. We are
those mythical, mystical ideas in physical form. We always
have been. And yet, sadly, we’ve forgotten.
Storytelling reminds you of your true identify; my
jewelry brings myth home to you.
The moment you are drawn to a theme or an exquisite piece
of Healing Stones Jewelry your soul is engaged again. The
myth or the legend you are drawn to just feels right. That’s
because it is right. It is your purpose, your myth, your way
to walk Mother Earth. It is beauty as storytelling. And you
sense that intuitively and instinctively.
We are more than we think we are and myth has been alive
for centuries, calling us back to our noble self.
You are more than the flesh, blood and bones you recognize
in the mirror every morning. |
Booth
Display |
You
are a mythical creature, here to do something,
be somebody, and live in joy. I know that probably sounds
absurd, but it isn’t. Myth and legend have taught us
that we are magical, mystical wizards and can live in the
past, present and future simultaneously. Laugh all you want.
It’s true. Just be open to that possibility and see
what appears. Then
feel the dragon essence of spiritual power ignite your imagination
and breath the fire of creativity and possibility into all
that you do.
We are the teacher and the student
simultaneously. I teach
what I want to learn.
What I learn I feel compelled to share in storytelling form.
Whatever subject fascinates you, is the place you are meant
to be teacher/student.
I love myth and legend. From the time I was a young child,
lost in mourning, it was myth, legend, fairy tales and fables
that inspired and guided me. They do the same for me now as
I stride the circumstances of living as a confident Wild women
and storytelling crone.
Myth brings me home to myself –
my Higher Self – my Pirate Queen self or my Wizardess
self or my Healer self. Your teacher is awaiting your call.
Myth and legend will show you the way to your place
in the sun. They are the longitude and latitude of your soul.
Heed their call.
Back
to top
|
|
