A Faerie Haven: Living in Myth, Being Magic

For some people, magic isn't something they do, it is what they are. This blog focuses less on theory and more on lyrical mysticism, applied spellcrafting, experiential awareness of Divinity, and related topics. A haven for you who long to become your myth and live your poem. Faerie tales do come true.

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Chaos Gods' Kindness

I love Chaos Gods. They fill my life with hugely beneficial synchronicity, if I only open to these supposedly chance occurrences, instead of stubbornly digging in my heels. (Yeah, I know Chaos Gods are portrayed as all evil and dangerous, but that's a lie. Well, some Chaos Gods are evil, but I don't work with them.)

I felt moved to write about this Divine chaotic kindness because of a recent event. It dazzled me so much that I have to share my delight—or I'm going to burst—in how beautifully and intricately the World Tree weaves to embrace me in its branches constantly.

Here's the event: I didn't have the material I wanted for a hat design I'd created. Then a friend sent me a package, in which she'd used bright orange wool batting for cushioning. Seeing the batting, I wondered why she'd sent me a big hunk of it, because I neither spin nor felt, and I don't wear orange.

I'd wanted to wet felt forever and more so recently, but my arms won't take it. So I'm staring at this wool, then notice that part of it is lovely greens and complementary colors—colors perfect for the hat I just mentioned. I decided this synchronicity was a sign, and I cut the beautiful colors away from the orange, and started felting for the first time in my life.

I made a great big happy discovery: I can felt with my feet. 

Another odd wonderfulness in this tale: The felted piece I made isn't terribly strong, because my disabled hips and legs can only do so much. But I decided iron-on backing will hold the felt together. Well, my friend also enclosed a blouse. It's too small for me, but the color is perfect to put behind the felted wool, so the bright white iron-on backing doesn't glare through holes in the felt. (Had I received a new or expensive blouse, I would've re-gifted it to someone, but I knew my friend would actually enjoy my cutting up the shirt for the project.)

I've attached a picture of the finished felt piece. The measuring tape shows you that the leaf is quite large (then scroll past the picture for more):

b2ap3_thumbnail_FeltLeafS.jpg

The gold veins were painted with a water-based resist.

Now I just have to find a comb or something to attach the leaf to my head. After making the leaf for costuming, I'm pleased that the felt piece looks how I'd hoped: curled round my head a bit, it's fey and wild, albeit a bit silly ... silly in a good way, I hope.

My Chaos Gods trained me well. There was a time when, instead of cooperating with Them, I would've glumly stared at my friend's gifts, thinking, "Gee, I never get what I want." But now, because I explored options, I realized I was getting exactly what I want.

Though not all Chaos Gods are mean, all Chaos Gods have been given a bad rep by a patriarchy that wants to squelch life's unexpected beauty and potentiality.

There's another word for the World Tree wrapping around you to fill your life with beauty and potentiality: magic. I choose to let magic in, by trying to accept the constant chaos sent my way. I'm <em>far</em> from perfect success with this, but the World Tree doesn't require perfection from me. Its blessings have no strings attached. 

So now I'm on a new adventure—felting. I just started my second hat. My feet can felt! I'm very glad. 

The felting story is a lighthearted example of beneficial chaos, but kindly chaos embraces me in bottom-line ways, too, such as keeping my earnings going, so I continue to have a roof over my head. Going with the synchronistic flow has actually saved my life.

And hey, synchronicity that brings me fun—like felting—is important, too. I'm a Pagan. I experience fun and self-expression as sacred and pivotal to my well-being. Fun and self-expression have definitely kept my body from going down for the count. I think that's another reason a repressive society slandered Chaos Gods: they provide plenty of opportunities for fun and self-expression, both of which can bring us power and health of body and spirit. A death culture does not want that.

Fun and self-expression are not the only things that might require I attempt a go-with-the-flow attitude. So has facing some terrible bottom-line challenges, but even then the end result was joy. In the chaos of enormous problems, we can find magic to overcome them. My Chaos Gods, I thank you for your innumerable gifts! Blessed be. 

P.S. for people with disabilities possibly similar to mine: the felting detail work didn't take arm strength. I can manage that with my hands and arms, as long as my arms are propped up—I don't have strength to move my arms some ways unsupported—or otherwise accommodated. But my environment is already set up that way, to allow me to function on a daily basis.

Along with upper body problems, my hips and back necessitate a wheelchair in most situations outside my home, which is set up adaptively. Tell me if you'd like to know how I physically manage various types of art despite my crip body. I'll post an arts 'n' crafts blog for you at www.outlawbunny.com. And if you have adaptive ideas you want to share with me there, rock on! 

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Francesca De Grandis aka Outlaw Bunny is the bestselling author of "Be a Goddess!" Founder of The Third Road, a Faerie Shamanism tradition that she teaches through both text and oral tradition, De Grandis says, "I'm a trickster working for benevolent chaos Gods, so I don't play mean tricks." Bard, painter, mystical innovator, and busy elf who works part-time for Santa Claus, she blogs here and on her own sites, www.stardrenched.com and www.outlawbunny.com

Comments

  • Jenn
    Jenn Tuesday, 25 August 2015

    This is so awesome! I love felting - I do needle felting but have a book about wet felting and definitely want to get into it. Your leaf is so gorgeous! Great job for your first time. Plus, feet are amazing. Alba is still small enough that she uses her feet as hands often. She reminds me of a little monkey, which happens to be one of her favorite words these days.

  • Francesca De Grandis
    Francesca De Grandis Tuesday, 25 August 2015

    Jen, thank you!

    I had no idea you needle felted. How cool! What have you made with needle felting?

    Monkey!

  • Ted Czukor
    Ted Czukor Thursday, 27 August 2015

    Love this, Francesca, and I hope Ravyn contacts you for tips on disability crafting. It's both comforting and humbling to look back over the chaotic events in one's life, only to recognize that there actually was a design, after all - it just wasn't the one you thought it would be!

  • Francesca De Grandis
    Francesca De Grandis Thursday, 27 August 2015

    Thank you! Yes, I am so grateful for divine designs.

    Did you read my book Share My Insanity? In it, I talk about chaos only appearing to be chaos but actually being a divine design that is so complex that it just looks like chaos to us.

    I'd love to write up that blog for Ravyn, if she would like. Take care!

  • Bee Smith
    Bee Smith Thursday, 03 September 2015

    This post is pure gold, Francesca!

  • Francesca De Grandis
    Francesca De Grandis Sunday, 06 September 2015

    Wow, Bee, thank you so much! ✨

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