E is for Enchanté

E is for enchanté

Pronunciation: [a(n) sha(n) tay]

Enchanted

Delighted

Pleased

Happy

I am very interested in fairy-tales and within them there are many an enchanted forest.

In my spiritual practice enchantments are also an important part of making things happen and it is a way of seeing the world—magically.

Okay, so, I also just like French as a language and using it whenever I can.

Enchanté is a beautiful greeting, in my book. It’s not just “nice to meet you” or happy to meet you” but “enchanted/delighted to meet you.” This is a very elevated way of receiving new people, and it suggests an openness to new encounters. Being enchanted is a magical way of looking at the world, with delight, and wonder, and it indicates you are open to finding pleasure in the smallest of things.

Now, about my A to Z Challenge topic. Are you wondering why would enchantments and being enchanted break creative blocks and usher creativity into your life? The answer is simple, being enchanted or using the word enchanté allows you to open up and see the world, and your place within it, in a fresh new way.

Simple Enchantment Affirmation Exercises

1. Re-visioning water: When I wash shower I am putting myself in touch with one of the most important substances derived from Mother Earth. I am fortunate to have water as a part of my life, and water is fascinating! Its warmth loosens my muscles and mind. Afterward showering, my mind, body and spirit and are loosened up. Now, I am ready to work.

Light-Hearted c. 2016, Stephanie Rose Bird

2. Hold a stone in one hand and a feather in the other. Let the stone represent weighed down feelings. Look at the stone. See how compact the stone appears. It doesn’t reach out. It is contained within its self. Feel its weight. The stone is heavy compared to the other object you hold. Now turn to the lightness of the feather. Release it from your hand and watch it slowly flutter to the floor. See the magic in this act. This is freedom.

Say out loud,, the stone is my past, in terms of creativity; It is heavy and self-contained, maybe even self-absorbed. The feather is my future. It is light, very interactive and unpredictable in its path. Today, I will be light. (More on feathers to come, as F is for Feathers!)

Gran Bwa

Gran Bwa is a lwa that helps you connect to ancestral roots or the spiritual home of Vodou. A friend of mine, who is an expert on Haitian Vodou, who has spent a lot of time in Haiti with the artists there, told me I had painted Gran Bwa when I made this spontaneous work out of walnut ink and sumi-ink on handmade paper. I had considered this painting a self-portrait. She now holds this piece in her private collection: Quite a few people are afraid of Vodou but it is an awe-inspiring tradition of bringing together plant energy with divinity, spiritual and personal energy. My friend who is very involved with Vodou, especially the art that surrounds it, is from European ancestry. She is light in spirit and bubbly, with a close relationship to nature and her garden. Vodou affirms the relationships between cycles of life, trees of knowledge and spirit. The Vodou vision of lwa , understands them as the intelligence of energy present in humans, nature and thoughts. Mysteries ca

Xochitl--Flower

(Winter Poinsettia by Stephanie Rose Bird, oil on wood) One of my Facebook friends does daily posts and shares called "I love Flowers." I love flowers too, in real life, in my garden, in paintings and as they are related to the gods and goddesses, in healing, as well as their use in folklore like Hoodoo. Not long ago I posted about Xochipelli (Sho-CHEE-pee-lee) prince of flowers and Xochiquetzal (Sho-CHEE-ket-zul) goddess of flowers in anticipation of April's blooming season. The Goddess and Prince of Flowers post is here. Today, I want to focus in on the root word of their names and it's symbolism. This word is Xochitl (Show-CHEE-tul) in the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs. This word means flower. ( Frida Kahlo "Self Portrait Dedicated to Dr. Eloesser) In many different belief systems there are nature gods and goddesses connected with flowers. Flowers possess symbolism,

Follow Fest Interview and Sharing

When I first became a blogger it was difficult to know if I had readers and visitors coming to my blog. I’d post and be met by the sounds of crickets. Then, I branched out into the world of the blogosphere, a world I didn't know really existed. From my ventures, I met a lot of interesting bloggers. I've started following and commenting on numerous blogs, for you see, prior to my outings, I too was out among the crickets. Lurking about but seldom saying anything. A fellow blogger I've met through my journeys around the blogosphere is Melissa Maygrove . She had the brilliant idea to have a Follow Fest , where we share about who we are, what we do and most importantly, how you can connect with us further. It is my intention through joining Follow Fest, that I’ll connect with many more readers and people interested enough in what I do to want to learn more by following. So, here goes my entry for the fest. Name: Stephanie Rose Bird Fiction or

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