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This is a story about inspiration. I was chatting online with a friend and received some inspiration, which came to me as a poetic description, and then he used that prompt to meditate and receive his own inspiration, which came to him as a formula for his craftwork. 

My local friend Derin Deschain is a perfumer. He is Romani, and a hedge rider and witch. And this week he has green hair, lol. He sells his perfumes from his Etsy store Cherry-ka's Trunk. 

The Moon draws to the full,

and the milk is dried up in the breast of the wheat.

And so it came to pass that the Horned Shepherd himself, the living likeness of the white image in the forest, is seen in the marketplace.

And Big Anna gives the old sign, the secret sign, for those who have eyes to see.

That night, the wise ones of the village come to Big Anna, speaking the secret words, to know the When and Where. The chief of the wandering Egyptians comes. Olaf of the Northern Land, Captain of the Princess' Guard, comes. The Ethiopian, of the retinue of the knight from over the sea, comes. Even old Mispereth the Jew comes. (Says the Egyptian: “All the world is the country of the wise. There are many wise ones among the Jews.”)

Egyptian: I never looked to see the Horned One.

Big Anna: Nor I.

In the Tarot, the Swords suit is associated with the intellectual realm--thoughts, communication, bias, opinions, analysis, logic and so on. The sword, itself, is a symbol of power and cutting, engendering dread in many a foe.

And so it is with the Tarot Swords suit, which not only causes fear in many querents and readers--but also reflects the same relating to an issue at hand.

Early spring is a special time for many reasons and one of them is the fiddlehead fern. Although ferns are common houseplants that have graced parlors and porches since Victorian times, there’s a magical aura about them when encountered in the woods. At this time of year, young ferns rise like wispy, spirited musicians presenting tightly scrolled stem tops that resemble the heads of fiddles.

 VIII: A living world: language, memes, and thought forms

This section follows parts I  and II.

Olivia Arévalo Lomas

Yes folks, it's time for your annual appointment with...the Wicker Man.

(No, not the one with Nicholas Cage!)

The role of Sergeant Howie was originally offered to actor Michael York. He turned it down.*

American composer Paul Giovanni, who wrote the film's score, was the boyfriend of director Anthony Shaffer's brother Paul at the time. That's how Shaffer knew him.

Though set at Beltane, the film was actually filmed in mid-October. Between takes of the bonfire-leaping scene, the naked schoolgirls had to be bundled up in blankets to warm them up.

Because of the cold temperatures, while shooting many of the outdoor scenes, the actors had to hold ice cubes in their mouths so that their breath wouldn't smoke.

The blooming apple trees are all artificial. Because the budget was so tight, they had to keep moving the few trees that they had for the sweep shots of the orchards.

The phallic topiary, however, was all real. It was filmed at Hush House Manor in Kent, home of actor David Kennings (who had also been offered the role of Howie and turned it down).

Rowan and Howie's escape through the caves was shot at Wookey Hole caves in Somerset, home of the famous Witch of Wookey.

Edward Woodward (Howie) actually broke a toe on a rock while being dragged to the Wicker Man. (Technically, this injury should have disqualified him as a sacrifice, but of course—as their pastiche paganism suggests—these are neo-pagans we're talking about.)