Music to Make Your Beds By

Tasseomancy | A Take Away Show | Diana from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

This video is taken directly from Lady Lavona's Cabinet of Curiosities (I provide a link to her page, which I particularly enjoy). She's a source of interesting artists and jewelers and musicians and sorcerers to be sure, but rarely does anything catch my attention as much as this enchanting song. Tasseomancy is a sister duo, and I haven't been so moved by new music in quite some time. Their voices are truly stirring and there is a distinct air of magic and something dark and alluring. Apparently their music is influenced by death ritual, hebraic song, war drums, ancestry and myth. Combined with Sari and Romy's rich, at times airy voices, Tasseomancy sound like they come from another time. And the mandolin lends itself to this effect even more.

I have a feeling I will be painting and likely dreaming to this band frequently this season. This is the kind of musical discovery that keeps my heart light and my ears ever perked to the possibility of new inspiring sounds - even when the prospect of other current music makes me feel like "what's the use."

The Big Fat "Before"

For now it's all and dreaming and drill bits.

The days aren't long enough to accomplish what I want in my desired time-line. There just aren't enough days of the week - and I am impatient. Just ask my roommates how nuts I go on my days off. I only have two days a week to get everything done that should take me an entire week. But, sigh, the rest of the week I work to realize the dream of someone else. So many projects bubbling in this dome, scratched across three calendars, rattling around in my head and nagging me in my sleep. Oh, the woes of a passionate woman! Don't feel bad, I wouldn't have it any other way. Stagnancy makes me ache for crunch time.

THIS weekend, I've committed myself to starting and finishing all of the preparations that need to be mailed (and with any luck they will be mailed tomorrow!)- priority to the Valentine's day package "commissioned" from me by Angelena Vargas. She gave me total freedom and so far as the time of this blog being written, this is what I imagine it will consist of (who knows what it will morph into by the time the day is done, these projects have a tendency to shape themselves).

- Damiana infused, warming massage oil.
- Lovers Tea
- Love Spell Herb and mineral bath

Angelena also has a long-time-coming "gypsy box" as she refers to it, that will be full of magical items and personal herbal confections such as feathers, talismans, desert dream salve (mugwort and chaparral infused oil, with essential oils of sage and rose, to encourage lucid dreaming), a hand bound book for keeping track of her own magical practices (and she is a very powerful witch indeed, whether or not she affords herself the title), and a solid perfumed cheek rouge, naturally tinted with beet - I call this one "Beetnick." Oh, the cleverness of me!


Photos of the finished projects will follow - maybe tomorrow? Along with "before" photos of the trailer. It will be in a state of "before" for quite a while. Check back soon!