I recently had the great honour and pleasure to be interviewed by Shamanic Guide and Mentor Francesca De Grandis who also happens to be my mentor!
Click here to check it out: http://www.outlawbunny.com/2017/06/12/divine-art/
Baba Yaga’s Apprentice—a Story with Art
My shamanic mentor Francesca De Grandis, aka Outlaw Bunny, is the bestselling author of Be a Goddess!.
She teaches Faerie Shamanism through both text and oral tradition.
She also shares magic through her paintings, something we have in common and discuss a lot.
I love Francesca's approach, so thought you might like to know a bit about her new book Baba Yaga’s Apprentice—A Faerie Tale Ritual.
Above is the book's cover, with Francesca's art and calligraphy.
Baba Yaga’s Apprentice is available only from the author, at http://stardrenched.com/2017/02/28/baba-yagas-apprentice/
Here's a discussion I had with Francesca about the book:
Kathy: Your book is both a fairy tale and a ritual. How so?
Francesca: I've always felt storytelling is innately a ritual, or at least can be. So I set out intentionally to write a faerie tale for grown ups that is fun, easy reading, and automatically a magical spell. In other words, you don't have to “do” the spell. Just reading the Faerie tale for fun and enjoying its paintings is all it takes for the spell to work.
I pictured a book that someone can read over and over, like you would a bedtime story, so it keeps nurturing and empowering her or him.
Another reason I chose fairytale conventions to tell a story is because fairytales can help bring hope. It is so easy to lose hope, and I believe one of my jobs as a shaman and storyteller is to remedy that, uplifting the spirit. This book helps a reader regain or maintain hope—hope for themselves, hope for their loved ones, and hope for our world.
Kathy: In the old fairytales, Baba Yaga is portrayed as a nasty, mean-spirited old woman. That's not how you view her. Can you talk about that?
Francesca: The book is my revisioning of Baba Yaga. I perceive Her as a Goddess. I believe oppressors were threatened by Her womanly independence, freedom, power, and immense love, so they misrepresented Her as daemonic and cruel to hide Her from everyone She might help. I think they were also threatened by Her appearing to people in the guise of an elderly woman. Elders have accumulated a lifetime of wisdom about how to throw off shackles.
My storybook Baba Yaga’s Apprentice focuses on the adventures of an independent, dynamic woman who makes wagons—beautiful caravans!—for a living. In traditional lore, Baba Yaga has two amazing traveling homes. One is a hut on chicken legs. The other is a mortar and pestle with which She flies through the air. Don't you think that makes Her a perfect mentor for someone who builds caravans?
To share my revisioning of this amazing character from folklore, Baba Yaga's treatment of her wagon-making apprentice is portrayed as gentle and kind. I want as many people as possible to read the story so they meet this sweet, loving Deity and benefit from Her support and wisdom. She has been denied us too long, and will be denied us no more! So mote it be!
Kathy: What sort of folks might enjoy the book?
Francesca: I tried to create a universal tale in which anyone can find meaning and power. But a type of person who would enjoy the book? Interesting question. I'd say this book will draw unique individuals, people who view the world their own way, people who perhaps are not in sync with the way everybody else does things.
So this story is relevant to lots of different people. Here are a few: the book's magic supports you if you are exceptionally magical, sensitive psychically, empathic, or introverted. Or if you want to overcome perfectionist tendencies. But each person will find their own meaning and magic in the story because it's that sort of tale.
Thanks for sharing my work with your site visitors, Kathy. Like attracts like, so I'm sure they're beautiful people. And I'm thrilled to chat with you, as always.
Kathy: Thanks for being here, this was great!
Check out Francesca's Baba Yaga’s Apprentice—A Faerie Tale Ritual here: http://stardrenched.com/2017/02/28/baba-yagas-apprentice/
How to Make Your Spring Altar Come Alive
My Spring altar with a pic of my shamanic mentor Francesca De Grandis
If you're looking for inspiration to decorate your spring or fall altar then look no further! Each month at the New and Full Moon I post suggestions for your altar to go along with the zodiac sign of the Moon such as: gemstones, goddesses, foods, herbs, tarot cards, colors, affirmations and creative prompts.
Feel free to take my material and use it to dress up your altar so that your Moon Meditation is an especially blessed event. I hope that the wildflowers below, picked from the sunny Southern California hillside behind my home inspire you as much as they do me! Blessed Be.
At each New and Full Moon I also include a Lefty card from my Lefty Oracle Deck. The Deck is divided into the elements of nature: earth/air/fire/water and of course Spirit. I channel a short, inspirational message specifically for that moon and include a Lefty Affirmation. I encourage you to try out non-dominant hand drawing to stimulate your brain and help you focus and center. Here's what an art therapist has to say about drawing with both hands ie. bi-lateral hand drawing:
“In the case of bilateral drawing, there is an assumption that because both hands are engaged that both hemispheres of the brain are stimulated…I believe bilateral drawing, guided by a helping professional, is helpful simply as a method of self-regulation...Making marks or gestures on paper with both hands simultaneously also creates an attention shift away from the distressing sensations in the body to a different, action-oriented and self-empowered focus. It capitalizes on embodied, self-soothing experiences ...and takes advantage of the power of “drawing on both sides” to alter one’s own internal rhythms for self-regulation and well-being.” ~ Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, Art Therapist
Lefty Oracle Deck by Kathy Crabbe
Lefty Oracle Card Spread for a Soul Reading by Kathy Crabbe 2
Lefty Oracle Card Spread for a Soul Reading by Kathy Crabbe
To dither or not to dither, that is the question (from the Lefty Oracle Deck) by Kathy Crabbe
Miss Talitha spider-sister (Lefty Oracle Deck) by Kathy Crabbe
I call wrinkles 'god-points' and so far I'm winning (Lefty Oracle Card) by Kathy Crabbe
My desk
Kathy Crabbe Creative Soul Guide in Temecula Wine Country, California
About Kathy
Kathy Crabbe has been an artist forever and a soul reader since awakening her intuitive gifts at age forty.
Kathy lives in sunny Southern California with her architect husband and pet muses, Abby the shaggy black dog and Djinn Djinn, the small scruffy one in an adobe home they built themselves.
To order a Soul Reading please click here.
End of Year Museletter: it's been a BIG year!
Dear Creative Soul, Here's one last blog post for you as we approach the end of 2015.
As the year draws to a close, I've been dealing with a week long cold and cough knowing that many of you may be in the same boat. Not pleasant, but it's given me space and time away from my business and marketing. Space to gain clarity and a chance to re-evaluate my goals. We are in the shadow time of Mercury Retrograde which occurs from Dec. 19-Jan. 4 whereas the actual Retrograde is from Jan. 5-24, 2016. So, it's a good time to do just that; re-evaluate.
I was planning to self-publish my Creative Soul 'Lefty' Deck, but don't feel the interest is there and I personally don't 'see' it when I look into the future. For those of you that did express interest I offer you this link where you can view all 69 cards in my own personal deck plus several extras.
This past Cancer Full Moon occurring on Dec. 25 may have helped many of you enjoy an even more traditional, heart-felt, homey holiday season because the Moon rules the sign of Cancer and Cancer is all about hominess; it's the sign of the parent; the mother, the nurturer and it also represents our emotions that ask us, 'where do we feel most at home and what brings us comfort?' When I painted this month's Cancer Full Moon Goddess I asked my husband who has a Cancer Moon, what one word best describes how it feels to have a Cancer Moon and he said, 'emotional' and so I explored that word in the painting below.
This past year saw me delve into so many new and exciting projects and I'd like to share them with you, such as:
1. Teaching and facilitating my New Moon Creative Soul Circle for the first time at: Yoga For Life, Temecula Gypsy Luv, Pomona, Rosewood, Menifee Inspire San Diego Studio Mt. San Jacinto College
2. Giving Creative Soul Readings in person at: Gypsy Luv, Pomona Bailey's Winery (Elizabethan Feast), Temecula Karma Boutique, San Diego Learning Light Foundation, Anaheim
3. Painting a series of small, abstract, watercolor landscapes both plein air (outside/in the field) and then abstracting them further at home.
4. Turning 50! Plus achieving my lifelong dream of building a cottage on a lake. My husband and I also stayed overnight there the day I turned 50 and spent time canoe-ing on the lake for my birthday.
5. I began advanced Shamanic training (3rd Road Celtic Faerie Tradition) with my mentor, Francesca De Grandis.
6. Myself and two other artists began an artist's support group in Temecula, California.
7. We adopted a puppy that was abandoned in our neighbourhood and named her Djinn Djinn. She is now spoiled rotten and a huge buddy for our big dog Abby.
Me & Djinn & Djinn
8. I joined The 52 Project put on by Riverside Art Museum and am creating one new painting a day for 365 days which I post online in the hopes of having a 4 day exhibit at the museum. It's open for anyone to join at any time and then you can have your own show!
9. I finally started an Instagram account to document my 365 days of art plus a Tumblr blog.
It's been a BIG YEAR!
In the coming year I plan to continue to paint and post my artwork and my writing daily. I plan to continue being of service by offering Creative Soul Guidance and I plan to celebrate the New and Full Moon through ritual, meditation and painting which I'll share with you in this Museletter and on my blog.
So thank you dear creative soul, for all your love, support and encouragement along the way.
Blessed Be and Happy New Year!
About Kathy
Kathy Crabbe inspires soul-seekers to discover their innate gifts and talents through intuitive, creative expression in safe, relaxed and playful environments. She has been an artist forever and a Creative Soul Guide since awakening her own intuitive gifts at age forty.
Kathy lives in sunny SoCal with her husband and pet muses, Abby the shaggy black dog and Djinn Djinn, the small scruffy one in an adobe home they built themselves. Kathy is painting a Lefty-a-Day for 365 days and posting all works in-progress on Instagram at http://instagram.com/kathycrabbeart
To order a Creative Soul Reading please click here.
Scorpio New Moon Goddess
New Moon in Scorpio Blessings to You! Here’s a Scorpio Goddess to help you connect with the deep and magickal power of the moment ‘cause i painted Her during this New Moon and remember to set your New Moon intentions for the month ahead knowing that its Lunar Samhain as well which heightens the potency of your new moon wishes ie. Its the Celtic New Year!
The Scoop: Since beginning year two Advanced Training in Celtic Faerie Shamanism with Francesca De Grandis, I’ve felt the power building. I’ve also gone back to marketing and business; something I took a break from over the summer to focus on my abstract watercolor landscape series. I’m also honing in on business staples (but from an artist’s perspective) such as my mission, purpose, target market and unique value proposition thanks to watching and learning from Ann Rea’s one page biz plan and free videos. I’m also ready for a complete website revamp since I’m not too happy with how my WordPress site is functioning on a cell phone. I’m debating between two platforms: SquareSpace or Shopify so that I can finally sell artwork directly from my website.
Here’s a sampling of some of my latest Goddess inspired paintings which were created with both my right and left hands. Why? Because I wouldn’t want to get ‘too perfect’ or precious with my work so I like to shake things up by using both hands and uniting my brain, so to speak.
More Goddess Goodness
About KathyKathy Crabbe is an artist and energy reader living in sunny SoCal with her husband and pet muses, Abby the shaggy black dog and Djinn Djinn, the small scruffy one in an adobe home they built themselves.
Kathy is painting a Lefty-a-Day for 365 days and posting all works in-progress on Instagram at http://instagram.com/kathycrabbeart