Together at our home in RI
Second collection of poems The Nature of Things
My collection of poems published 2008 by Bellowing Ark. A new collection The Nature of Things is in production now. To buy either book, contact http://www.bellowingark.org or mail to bellowingark@bellowingark.org. Cover photo of Doors to the Universeis by Cate Kerr, whose accomplished art photos can be seen at www.kerrdelune.com.
C'est moi.
Dolores and Sidd, a friend forever remembered
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Author of Circle of Five and its sequels; Spirit, a novel; the Superfoods cookbook series; and two collections of poems, Doors to the Universe and The Nature of ThingsOn the Eve of February 1, at the first, very first, barely noticeable signs of spring, ancient peoples celebrated Imbolc. This was the season of lambing, so milk-white candles were lit and milky foods were included in the Imbolc feast. On February 2, Groundhog’s Day and Candlemas celebrate the same early spring season in different ways. The presiding queen of Imbolc is Brigit, the Unstoppable Goddess who made it to all the way to sainthood. So popular was Brigit with the common folk that the early Christian fathers decided to transform her worship by elevating her to the sainthood. She became a patron of students, illuminators, and artists, and with St. Patrick, she was a co-patron of Ireland. Although the Church later downgraded her to a mythic ideal, she has refused to be shelved with St. Chris and St. Nick. Brigit is a triple goddess. She is the inspiration of poets as well as many other creative arts, and she confers the gift of prophecy. She’s a force for healing and a guide for midwives. She’s the mentor of smithcrafts, especially goldsmiths. She is variously known as Brigid, Bridget, Brighid, Brighde, Brig, or Bride—and even the Vedic Sanskrit word Brihati, which means divine one. The medieval media presented her as the daughter of a Pagan king and a Pictish Christian slave who was baptized by St. Patrick. She was said to have founded the first Christian double monastery, of both monks and nuns, at Kildare, where every bishop was required to be a practicing goldsmith, and where the legendary Book of Kildare was created. Many holy wells were dedicated to St. Brigit. Later she was decanonized and downgraded as lacking in proof of sanctity, less historic than mythic, but somehow Brigit, as Goddess or Saint, survives in the hearts of the people of Ireland and elsewhere. Welcome Brigit to your hearth at Imbolc Winter may still be raging, but unseen in warm, dark places, life is stirring—bulbs in the earth, sap in the trees, lambs in the womb. Neo-Pagans and Wiccans celebrate this as a time to look for the seeds of creativity within one’s own psyche, to let go of the old negativities, to get ready to branch out in new ways, even to be reborn. Before you go to bed on February 1, it’s traditional to smooth the old dead ashes on your hearth and leave the goddess a tribute, such as an oat cake (or an oatmeal cookie). If in the morning the ashes are disturbed, or even better, if you observe a small feminine footprint, you’ll know that Brigit has visited you in the night. You may not be able to see or feel it, but spring is already beginning to make itself known. The Chinese have a proverb, “Spring is more easily recognized by plants than by men.” Brigit is a powerful symbol of the creative spirit. The artist is a prism through which the light passes. The energy of the universe is always at hand, a force that can never be diminished no matter how much we take from it. Anyone can reach for and use this light, this energy. It’s free and abundant for the asking. Creativity is not confined to the arts: painting, literature, and music. Creativity can and should be part of everyday life—innovative new ideas make every day an adventure. Whether we’re at work or at home, building or organizing, gardening or cooking, life doesn’t have to be the same old, same old. There’s always a creative nuance that can be called into play. And play is the operative word here. The child you were, the child who is still within you (fresh, impulsive, wayward) is at the heart of creativity. The “grown up” driving force of creativity is passion under pressure. We have to desire very intensely, to dream deeply, and to have the daring to pursue that dream. May the force of Brigit be with you as you reinvent your world. ************************************************************************ A new poem… Charmless At Imbolc, not much to sooth the belly or jolly the spirits. Friend squirrel of the ratty tail in desperation shreds the fetid mat of leaves. Rescue, a distant caravan, is days and weeks away. The Goddess gathers her fox cloak close around her ancient shoulders. She murmurs an incantation to her attendant owl, leans on her crooked stick, stumps into scrawny woods. There, with a few buried roots and seeds, to conjure glamours of April and May. © Dolores Stewart Riccio 2012 From my collection of poems Doors to the Universe publishing by Bellowing Ark. Candlemas\ Groundhog Day\ Imbolc Out of the sun, the snow surprises. Thin wash of white squalling across the field. Candlemas, Pope Sergius proclaimed, will celebrate the Purification of the Virgin.. Unclean from mothering, as any woman, Mary must be brought to ceremony. Let her come forth for churching Let her submit her grace and power. Broken straw and strong young grass alike the brush of snow erases. Groundhog Day. In such an uproar of hope, this pale little fellow emerges. Mistaking the messenger for the message, a crowd of watchers cheers him lustily. Once it was Imbolc: womb of earth. A women’s dance around the fertile fire. Hear the old belly of soil rumbling with hunger for spring, It is She, it is still She whose prophecy surges. ************************************************************************** **************************************************************************
LADIES PAINTING THE TOWN If we thought a bit Of the end of it When we started painting the town… Cole Porter As the Harvest Moon rises over the Atlantic, it's hot times again in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for the bewitching ladies of the Circle, who embark on their most challenging rescues yet! It all begins when Cass tries to help a disturbed ex-model, Ada, to cool her flaming desire for revenge against her philandering husband, Jerry, an unscrupulous divorce lawyer conspiring to commit her to a mental institution. Just as Cass sorts out this tangled web, a kidnapping in Rome impels the ladies to fly off to save a dear friend, and incidentally, paint the town their own brand of reckless red, as Fiona calls on the aid of the Italian strega, incurring the wrath of the Calabrian Mafia in the bargain. One exciting city leads to another when the fabulous five find their journey taking them to Venice and Pompeii as well. Between close calls with scary thugs, the ladies somehow manage to eat, shop, love, and take in the exotic sights with their usual joie de la vivre. Home at last, safe and sound,the ladies discover that Ada has got herself accused of murder, and there is a whole new set of dangers to avert with their cusomary blend of spunk, smarts, and spirit. This weird, wonderful , wtichy coterie is at it again. Tom Elliott, in the Mensa Bulletin ************************************************************************** Books from my personal book store will be signed copies. Media mail is slow but cheap: $3.00 ea. Circle of Five I have hardcover as well as trade paperbacks for sale. Hardcovers: $12.00 ea plus shipping Trade paperbacks: $10.00 ea plus shipping Charmed Circle Special purchase! Trade paperbacks: $5.00 plus shipping Ladies Making Mischief Trade paperbacks: $14.00 ea plus shipping Ladies Courting Trouble Still for sale on Amazon but Kensington Books could find no copies to sell the author. Just another weird quirk on the publishing scene. I do have a few copies of bound uncorrected proofs for sale, though. Covers are plain yellow, and a few typos may remain within. $5.00 ea plus shipping Ladies Playing with Fire Trade paperbacks: $15.00 ea plus shipping Ladies Rocking the Boat Trade paperbacks: $15.00 ea plus shipping Ladies Tipping the Scales Trade paperbacks: $12.00 ea plus shipping Spirit: a novel of past and present lives Trade paperbacks:$24.00 ea plus shipping Doors to the Universe A collection of poems published by Bellowing Ark Press 2008 Trade paperback: $14.00 ea plus shipping The Nature of Things A collection of poems published by Bellowing Ark Press 2011 Trade paperback: $14.00 ea plus shipping
THE DIVINE CIRCLE OF LADIES TIPPING THE SCALES
The Fabulous Five are out for justice—one way or another! The ladies of the Circle are rushing to the rescue again, crusading for the Goddess of Justice in their own preternatural way—even if that means tipping Her scales a bit. It all begins at Lammas, the August Festival of Bread, when Cass Shipton is called to jury duty in Plymouth County—the tragic case of a home invasion, the brutal death of a mother and daughter. Although she considers it her Libran calling to weigh evidence in the most impartial way, Cass the Clairvoyant soon finds herself knowing too much for comfort. Meanwhile, Heather Devlin, the Circle’s intrepid animal activist, pursues a local dog-fighting ring with her own zany brand of “special ops.” Fiona helps a light-footed young widow named Ashling lay to rest the ghost of her late husband, an irascible poet. Phillipa cooks up trouble at favorite local restaurant. And Deidre runs into an old flame. Clearly, the ladies have a full agenda on their hands. With their usual flair for mischief, mayhem, and a little judicious spell-working, the ladies of the Circle are off on another wickedly exciting romp. Available online from Amazon.com (just click on the title below the cover) and from many book distributors. Do urge your library to order a copy! |
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