Dancing the Night Away

Najah: Kate! Come with me to Lunar Fire! It's a masquerade party - you know you like playing dress-up!

Kate: What's lunar fire ?

Najah: They're great! You'll love it!

Kate: Okay.

Kate: So, I'm redoing my fairy wings for winter, for this masquerade concert/party thing..

Chef: I'm doing your wings! And a mask!

Kate: Okay.

(I'm not usually this docile. I'm working saying 'yes' to opportunities.)

On the way, we stopped at Shanti's to drop something off. She lives near the club that was hosting the masquerade. It should have been easy, but it's that part of Denver where the streets stop and start and move around apparently at will, so we ended up getting turned all around but eventually wound up where we were going. Shanti's living room is festooned with sheer fabric, softening the angles from ceiling to wall, low couches piled with cushions - a sort of gypsy, bohemian seraglio sort of thing. It's the sort of thing I'd do if I lived alone or was in charge of how things look. But I don't, and I'm not.

I looked amazing in the dark ballroom with the lights from the slowly spinning disco ball dancing over me - this photo doesn't even come close.

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom is worth visiting just to see the ladies' room - it's muralized with scenes from the Wizard of Oz, and has sayings and poetry all over the walls and ceiling and stalls. The stalls are chalkboard, chalk is provided, and grafitti is encouraged. I didn't write anything, being somewhat preoccupied with wing management. Whoever designed the average bathroom stall did not take wingspan into consideration.

Lunar Fire started playing around 10:30, and played straight through until about 2am, with one ten minute break around 1am. I was dancing the whole time - so not like me. I usually hide in a corner, if I go out at all. They started with an invocation, chanted over percussion and guitars, as dancers came out one by one and created an altar at the front of the stage. Four dancers, three women, one man, who came and went and changed costumes throughout the night. I alternated between being lost in the beat and being entranced by the dancers - veils, wings, fire, swords, lights on cords that surrounded the dancer like tiny faeries, fans streaming veils that rippled like water, balls that seemed to float in the air......it was amazing, made me want to paint, to make costumes, to transform myself, to create......
I danced so hard my pointed ears popped off, my wings bent and the feathers in my mask curled over. By the end, my feet hurt, my calves were screaming, and I kept going until the music stopped.

Today I put my wings and mask on the wall, hovering up in the corner of my room. A fey touch of wildness in a serene sea of blue.
It's a start.

Masks , Body Paint and Ritual

I found this on a friend's facebook page. For all that went wrong with the Mists of Avalon miniseries, this part went just about right. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf4DHpKC87M

Update: Jenn pointed out that not everyone has read/watched Mists of Avalon, so here's a very condensed backstory: Arthur has to undergo a rite of kingship in order to claim his throne, the Priestess personifies the Goddess, the king personifies the Horned God, their mating symbolizes the creation of the world and the blessing of the land, and makes the king once with the land, thereby solidifying his kingship. Beltane is the Celtic festival of fertility.
There is also a subplot going on with Arthur, Guenivere and Lancelot, and a subplot with Morgainne and Acteon, both of which happen much later in the novel, but tie into the theme of the video.

Metamorphosis

metamorphosis - 1 a: change of physical form, structure, or substance especially by supernatural means

b: a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances

I started with option b. I've been having an urge to shave my head for months. The reasoning (if it can be called reasoning) goes something like: it doesn't matter what I look like, nobody wants me anyway, I don't even like talking to stangers, I'm going to die alone and be eaten by my pets so I might has well shave my head OR the alternate version - I really need a fresh start, so I should shave my head. I always talk myself out of it, because I know I'll be really sorry about halfway through. Last week I did cut off a few inches (by myself). It looked ok, but was really boring, and yesterday's humidity made it stand out like a triangle. So not good.

I woke up with that urge today. Realizing that I needed an intervention, I went off to Fantastic Sams. I splurged and got the shampoo/haircut/blowdry package. In spite of a language barrier and the inexplicable tendency of almost every stylist to blowdry my hair into an anchorwoman helmet, it turned out very well. Once I un-anchored it. It's been pronounced 'sassy' and 'adorable'. I can live with that.

I also tried doing something creative that had nothing to do with pastry. The mask I won last weekend didn't really suit me; the red vein-y things were disturbing. So I changed it. The glue is still drying in the last photo; the blobs of white will dry clear, and all you'll see is the tiny golden beads.

Circumstances haven't changed from yesterday or this morning. But somehow, a haircut, a walk in the park, and arts-n-crafts time have made me feel better.

UPDATE: This hairdo was only good the first day - it was totally uncooperative and dorky looking the day after. So much for going cheap (Fantastic Sams).

Masquerade

My latest resolution is to accept any invitations that come along. It has finally dawned on me that it will be easier to meet people if I go to where people are, rather than hiding in my lair. (No, it is not surrounded by hot liquid magma, nor do I have sharks with frickin laser beams attached to their heads).

So, today when Najah called and invited me to a open house/marketing event at the Arts Myths Gallery, I said yes. I went armed with business cards and a small gift basket of chocolates. In exchange, I got a free mask, a candle and a full sunflower seed pod. And a sample salt scrub and body lotion from the Arbonne salesperson who was participating. So, score. But never mind about that.

Tiffany is an amazing artist. Check out the small sample on her website: http://artsmyths.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=38. The small shop is filled with masks, hats, hair ornaments, cloaks, clothing, scarves, jewelry - all designed to invoke the wild, magickal creature within us. The studio is behind the shop - it was tidied up for the event, but everywhere were feathers, beads, silks, velvets, leather, flowers, gorgeous paintings of goddesses, hanging plants.......if you are in Denver, go see them.

Everything I tried on evoked a hidden self. Wild and passionate, regal and lethal, demonic, mysterious.......my favorite - a small mask, iridescent turquoise blue, with small, wave-like twirlies and a diadem of peacock feather. Small spills of twinkly beads. It was beautiful. Wearing it, I felt beautiful. Alluring. Worthy.

A more wonderful feeling than I get from the mask I wear everyday.