The Turquoise Journey of Goddess Leonie Allan

New Blog Address

2008-05-19T20:12:00.003+10:00

Hola lovely souls!

I've now moved my blog to be the homepage of my website...

www.goddessleonie.com

Come on over for more joys ~~~

Please update your links :)

Thanks so much!

Love & light,
Leonie

Gypsy Goddess

2008-05-15T02:49:00.000+10:00

Available in my Etsy store.

Be Brave

2008-05-14T14:48:00.001+10:00

Available in my Etsy store.

You Are A Goddess poster

2008-05-13T02:45:00.000+10:00

Available in my Etsy Store.

Every Morning

2008-05-12T02:43:00.000+10:00

Available in my Etsy store in 2 different sizes.

Be Still

2008-05-09T13:43:00.003+10:00

I've been pretty quiet for a long while... living my life, finding the balance of sharing joy and just experiencing joy...

As so many of you know, I love sharing about joy and spirit ~ for me I just needed to find the place of knowing what I would like to give to the world...

the question of:
what is the most powerful, loving thing I can give myself and others?

This little collection of art that i'll share over time is
all about celebrating every woman as the goddess she is
and honouring every part of her journey...

may you have a precious, awakening day
with love and light
Leonie

p.s. my etsy store is open again

February Joy eLetter

2008-02-18T20:02:00.004+11:00

I've just released my February Joy eLetter about my Sacred Journey to India.
To see those photos, words & video about my adventure, email leonie@gmail.com with "I see the Goddess in you" as the subject heading.

Wishing you Limca lusciousness and dahl dreaming and hazy dawns and marigold necklaces ~
Leonie

~ namaste ~

2008-02-11T20:56:00.004+11:00

In India, when you meet someone, you say Namaste. When you say goodbye, farewell, enjoy your journey, you say Namaste. When you want to honour someone, when you want to say: From the God in Me, I see the God in You, you say Namaste.

I have been on a great, wonderous and wild journey in India. I've seen, felt, heard and experienced so many things that I am saturated with them. It is bigger, more bodacious and more fantastical than words, images, stories could possibly contain. If you wish to know what India is like, go. India is too dear to me, too crazy, too boundless and too wild for me to write one post about. I would love to one day share my Book of India with you.

It has been a spirit trip for me, and I have been blessed to learn under India, Great Teacher. This past year has been for me a search for authenticity - how can I more live my life in connection with Spirit? India reinforced this for me, and gave me the space to be who I am by rivers, in cities, searching for tigers, resting in forts on mountaintops. India gave me so much - I gave myself so much.

The day after I left, leonielife.com decided to take its own retreat as well. When I dialled in from Agra to find a blank screen, all I felt was a great sense of freedom. Finally - I felt as if I could truly live India for me. I didn't need to try and document it for anyone else. I didn't need to make it look beautiful or make it make sense. I just needed to be there, for me. After three years of documenting by blog my life to some extent for others, I could live my own precious, wild, strong-medicine life in the present and wholly for myself.

That felt good, and that felt true.
That felt like what I needed to do.

Even when I arrived home, my webby website would not come out of its cave. It grew fur like a mama bear, and growled softly:
Not until you hear my lesson.
She took me into her cave that smelled of earth and moss and breath, and she gave me a gift - her gift: the medicine of introspection. Of being inward-facing. Of finding true centre, true home, true north, in my own heart.
I set up gypsy camp in her cave for a while, fossicking through my jumbled bag of belongings, actions, habits. I picked up each piece, turning it over and over, whispering to it: Do you serve me? and pressing my ear against it to hear the answer. I had to empty my bag to make room for more dreams.

And so, with breath, and heartfulness, ~ I say Namaste to blogging as a form of communication for right now. I have a bigger dream of how I can share and express in this world, and more importantly, I have a bigger dream of how I wish to be.

I give thanks for all blogging has given me these past few years - for all the ways it has helped me develop as an artist and soul, the connections and inspirations it has cultivated and the possibilities this blog has dreamed awake. Now it's time for me to live those awakened dreams.

There are books to be written and retreats to be created and art to be made and sacred space to be given in to. And most importantly, there is my own sacred, precious, beautiful life to be lived.

From time to time I will release a joy e-letter with dreams, art and happenings ~ if you would like to be on the mailing list, please email leonie (at) gmail (dot) com. I would love to see you at the retreats I will be holding, and share with you through art, books and stories of miracles come true.

Leonielife.com still points to my website, but I welcome a new domain name as my main focus - GoddessLeonie.com. For me, this feels like a small but significant shift. This isn't about everyday leonie life now. This is about being the Goddess Leonie who I know lives inside me.

I say Namaste to each and every one of you ~ and to your own sacred, precious, beautiful life. I wish to thank you deeply for sharing in this journey, for your encouragement and inspiration. If you'd like to connect, you can reach me at the above email address.

May your life always bloom in new rainbow-light, spirit-loving and authentic-true ways.

With love of spirit and life,
Leonie

Life Images

2008-02-11T20:38:00.000+11:00

I am so proud to announce that one of my photographs was published in the Life Images magazine in January. It is a lush, full volume overflowing with inspiration and dreams in ink.

You can check out the Life Images magazine on the Stampington website.

Bless you, sweet dream come true!

Extreme Bridal 2

2008-02-11T20:31:00.001+11:00

Here's the next section of images from the lush extreme bridal session with Kaylia (first section posted here).

I don't have many words today ~ my fingers are itching to paint... so I will let the images tell their own story about beauty and promise and truth and puppy dogs.

Wishing you the very best of light ~
Leonie

And one to make you smile...

Kaylia patiently explaining to Spiral Puppy why she can't come photoshoot-canoeing with us...

Extreme Bridal

2008-02-11T20:30:00.001+11:00

After picnicking in a cowshed during a storm, we headed out onto the farm to take some extreme bridal photos of my dear friend/supermodel extraordinaire Kaylia.

The gift that is Kaylia: not only is she a talented writer, a dear spirit sister, a healer and my crazy adventure accomplice, but she is startlingly beautiful with Raven hair, Pacific eyes and Dove skin. And she has one of those wild woman hearts who will climb water towers in high heeled cowgirl boots just for that one shot. Or drape herself over a fallen tree in the middle of a lake. Or canoe out into the lake in gusty mad wind just to stand up for a photo.

And did I mention she is beautiful?

*happy sigh*

My friends are the very best.

May these photographs fill you up with beauty, truth and peace.

Cow Shed Love Peek

2008-02-11T20:29:00.001+11:00

This afternoon we went for a crazy little picnic in the pouring rain to our favourite cow shed on a friend's farm.

And really, what's cow shed picnic without some photoshoot fun...

More to come... but for now, here's the lovely Angel and Connor!

I couldn't decide between this beautiful portrait...

and this one...

*happy sigh*

Such beautiful days...

Celebration of Freya

2008-02-11T20:27:00.000+11:00

A year ago I met a beautiful soul named Freya.
She was in her mama's belly at the time, and we made friends with each other through skin - I would tell her stories, and she would wave at me making Angel's belly ripple. She is growing into the most precious, soulful little one. Her laughter has evolved into a loud chortle and her eyes shine love and truth and beauty.

To celebrate her birthing day, we gathered to eat and watch a puppet show and bless and photograph Freya, her mum Angel and brother Connor...

I hope these photos make you giggle, gasp and make beauty flowers blossom in your heart.

Looking all Hepburn-ish :)

Connor is going to be a photographer...
Here he takes a picture of me taking a picture of him...

And photographing his mama...

I think I need shoes like this.

Miss Freya and her gorgeous grandma

Now that you are one, you can put your own hat on...

almost...

there!

"The happiest moments of my life have been
the few which I have passed at home
in the bosom of my family."
~ Thomas Jefferson

"You don't choose your family.
They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."
~ Desmond Tutu

Shannon and Paul Wedding

2008-02-11T20:25:00.000+11:00

Earlier this year, I had the delicious pleasure of photographing the wedding of my dear friend from high school, Shannon, and her dream-come-true Paul.

The wedding was held on the beautiful cattle property of Shan's family: picture meadows of long grass with slender eucalypts, magical riverbeds, a lake brimming after recent rains and red dust roads to walk on at sunset. They were surrounded and supported by good people - SUCH good people - all with their own gifts, all with warm smiles and huge hearts. I spent a week out there, mostly alternating between huge gaspfuls of laughter and deep conversations with the myriad of lovely souls who were there. (A special shoutout to the River Girls, Magnificent Moira, Hot Bachy and Shan's parents for the most precious times possible).

Paul and Shan promised to love each other for this lifetime and more by the lake near sunset. Shan rode in to the sweet, emotion-filled ceremony on a palamino stallion, looking every bit like an etheric fairy princess coming to find her fairy prince.

I hope you delight in these photos... I hope they document the joy, love, magic and light that was there that day and always.

Fairy Shan and her fairy cousin...

The bride's dad

Their first dance...
just as they will dance for the rest of their lives...

Rings on table decorations...

And my favourite image of the day...

The lovely Paul - rough, funny, country boy Paul - broke down in tears during the ceremony and couldn't finish his vows. Shannon would wrap him up in her arms, and they would giggle together as tears streamed down his face...

You know you are in love
when you see the world in her eyes,
and her eyes everywhere in the world.

- David Levesque

Connor Beauty

2008-02-11T20:24:00.000+11:00

Dear my little friend,

May you always remember your beauty as you grow into a man, and into yourself.
May you remember the magician in you, who holds crystals in his fingers, memories of his spirit brother in his mind, and a fierce intent to heal and know others in the curl of his palm.
May you remember the fairy in you, who wears wings on his tricycle, who dances under rainbow umbrellas, who makes the world a song and dance.
May you remember the joy you create with your golden eyes and hilariously insightful one-liners and cherub lips.
May you know just how deeply you are loved from all who are around you.
It is an honour to know you, to dance with you, to watch you take in the world with your sensitive, sweet soul.
Thank you for teaching us.

Love,
your friend,
Leonie

namaste

2007-11-27T00:08:00.000+11:00

namaste from india!

i am sitting in agra, at a tiny cyber cafe across the road from some water buffaloes at night.

i just wanted to give a quick update - we are all safe and well. there have been bomb blasts and earthquakes in india, but we are here, and we are having an amazing adventure.

may you and your love ones be blessed,

namaste,
Leonie

Wild Fairie Adventure Picnic

2007-11-17T14:17:00.000+11:00

While I was in Brisbane a few weeks ago, I wanted to connect with some of the goddesses in my life that I have met from so many parts of my journey: high school dearhearts, internet un-met lovelies, womens circle sisters. Instead of meeting each of them for different cups of tea, I decided to Create an Event. Something a little bit wild, a little bit delicious, gentle but surprising. I considered having a Turkish banquet: too boring. A midnight rendezvous on a mountain: adventurous, but I'm more awake during the sunshine hours. A wild fairie adventure picnic: just perfect.

Now, I only needed to find a place for it!
I woke on the day of the picnic just as the sun was rising, my two sisters still slumbering. I slung on a long green skirt emblazoned with elephants, and a black singlet, and out into the morning I walked. I journeyed north, and found a park: it was bare, with small trees and traffic on all four sides. I journeyed on. I wanted to find the river, but didn't know where it was. I followed no map but the gentle pulling of my innards over sloping hills made of crumbling concrete and tropical jungle.

Down past a large white house, I found the river: wide and rumbling with skiers, hedged with mangroves. I clambered into the mangroves, and cried for a while. The distance of weeks since has blurred my memory of what pushed the tears forth. It could have been tears of joy at finding the river, and gratitude of being guided there. It could have been tears of gentle sadness at feeling all the emotions of a human with a fractured, precious heart. It could have been all of these. I only know is I cried with gratitude and honouring of the tears. And then I looked up, and the mangrove leaves were shaped like hearts. I smeared mangrove mud on my legs. I walked on.

I spoke to the fairies as I walked:

Dear Fairies,
I would like to find a pretty-ish bit of wildnerness* to co-create a magical event with. I would so love to create a space for goddesses to connect with mama earth and each other. If you could please help me find this place, I would be so grateful.
(P&P reference, for those of you playing at home)

As I gave my request, I decided that in return, I would do something for the fairies to thank them, and to make it a true energy exchange. After reading Doreen Virtue's "Healing with the Fairies", I know that fairies are custodians of the natural world, and need help in nourishing and protecting the earth.

A few minutes later, I looked down into the mangroves and saw an abandoned shopping trolley stuck halfway in the mud of the river. I looked back up the steep rocky incline to the road. Not an easy hike. I decided that a wild adventure fairie picnic is worth fighting for, so I hitched my skirt up and made my way down to the mangroves and mud. I hauled that shopping trolley inch by inch up the rocks, giggling away to myself, reminding myself all the way "I'm doing this for the fairies... doing it for the fairies..." Once up on the road again, I fixed the shopping trolley to a handrail, and high-fived myself.

I walked on. And on. And on.
Past pandanas trees and kayakers and large green leaves piled in gutters. Past huge sporting ovals and cute cottages. And then, just over a tiny creek, I found a little green space between the houses. I couldn't see where it ended, so I walked in. Past purple jacaranda trees and green jungles. Golden flowers sang and butterflies danced. I swore I saw fairies.

Past a well loved basketball hoop and a handmade pizza oven. Past voluptuous trees, into a clearing that was hemmed by a river and jungle. There were lizards and blue kingfisher birds and brown wild turkeys. It was a piece of wilderness in the suburbs, a well-loved but unowned slice of magic. Someone had mowed the clearing in a circle, forming a beautiful spiral in the grass. I had found it. The place. The one I trusted existed, even if I didn't know its name. Even though it wasn't on the maps. I had found it using my heart, and it was just what I wanted it to be.

So I sent out the call, giving wild and elaborate directions for a place that didn't exist. I wonder even if it would be there if I went to look again, or if it existed only for that short space of time, like the secret garden, or the place behind the grandfather clock.

That afternoon, we gathered there. Women and children and a tiny puppy named Bella. Goddesses of all different flavours, all stunningly beautiful in their own ways. Friends of friends meeting friends. Women finding each other and sharing. Eating and laughing and speaking. Soaking in the fairie magic. Painting wildly. Throwing the canvas as far as we could across the spiral oval. Getting hands and feet and noses and faces glistening with rainbow paint. Wearing paper tiaras. Being just as we are.

I don't know how to express just how much sacred and sublime gatherings fill me up now. Just how much I have learned that when you take the path less travelled, adventure and magic flow in as easily as breath. I see the glistening, shimmering beauty in every soul I meet. I feel blessed beyond belief. And onwards I walk, knowing there is more work to be done, more life to be lived, more joyous celebrating to be had.

Onwards I walk, to a new place, and to a new self.
I journey onwards now, to India, to dreams come true, to lotus flowers and Kali Ma.
I kiss the palm of all I meet, and hold my own.

I am off on a journey ~~~
I return in a month.

Until then, may your journey be blessed with light.
May you have magical, sublime, sweet times.

May your eyes fill up with goodness.
May you dare to be your own wild adventure fairie.

Namaste,
Leonie

P.S. Remember: Magic can happen anywhere at any time. Ya just gotta give it the space to enter.

portrait party wilderness

2007-11-16T20:19:00.000+11:00

i would have loved to meet some of my fave cutie-patooties this past weekend at a blessingway... but, i'm kinda half way around the world from the US, and in a few days i am flying around the world in the other direction for a whole other amazing adventure.

so, instead, i met one of said fave cutie-patooties in portrait party land.
it was kinda wild, like a sherbert-infused soul-rave party in the forest somewhere.
and a little bit tame, like afternoon tea at the neighbours, if you happen to think your neighbour is the most precious mama-goddess around.
and mostly honouring, in a very sweet kinda way, like puppy dog kisses.

or as lovely as this:
when you wake in the morning and manage to pretend to sleep through your partner's insistent nudgings to go to the gym with him, and pop open your eyes once he's gone, invite cutest puppy dog in the world onto the bed with you for pyjama party, where you tickle each other, and you read out stories to him. and by the time sweaty hunk has gotten home from pumping iron, you've managed to take your pyjama party out into the garden for enthusiastic salutations to the sun for managing to rise this morning. and when you mean salutations to the sun, you don't mean the prescribed precision of yoga moves, you mean like crazy pyjama dancing and wild uldulations. moments so precious that you don't even care if you spelled uldulations correctly or even if there is such a word. only that it is.

so, yeah, a portrait party as sweet and refreshing and life-living as that.

nina, you smell good.

love,
leonie

~ this is just some of the delicious craftiliscious and loving explosions of goodness from her package...

portrait by my favourite miniature fairy-godmother grae

p.s. damn freakin' straight.
i'm pretty sure it's going to rock me too.

A quarter of a century ago...

2007-11-11T20:55:00.000+11:00

I was swimming, swirling, dancing, turning,
in my mama's womb,
the night before I came to be.

Thank you mum, for holding me inside you, and for loving me with all you have.
Thank you dad, for co-creating me, and for loving me with all you have.
Thank you my ancestors.

And thank you life, for breathing through me. For all the lessons, for all the love, for all the finding, discovering and crazy beautiful days.

I want to honour and recognise also the parts that feel less beautiful and more just plain crazy: the fears, the pain, the gnawing worries. Today a dear friend said to me as we dropped jewelled tears on a rock: "You always look to the light, Leonie, even when there is a deep darkness inside you."

So I acknowledge that darkness, and I acknowledge that light.
I acknowledge all the journeying, all the moments lost in translation, the not-knowing and the sharp, clear moments of knowing.

All of the rough tango, the glory, the loss, the mastery. And Goddess, the moments Earth feels like heaven:
when the sunlight glances through the clouds and casts embers through your hair;
when the wind roars through the trees on the mountain rim;
when a white bird skirts through white eucalypts;
when the air smells so sweet and mossy I want to bathe in it and smell like it always;
when the kookaburras laugh and make you want to draw your head back and join them;
when the rocks are damp from the rain and are kissable.
I wonder what this all felt like the first time I experienced these miracles.
Today, I feel them as though they are the first time.

I have a vision of who you might be, Leonie, and I strive to find my way to you, to honour who you are, and become you.

I love you Leonie.
Happy birthing day, my precious, precious self.

lush link friday

2007-11-09T17:13:00.000+11:00

feet love earth. earth love feet.

it amazes me how words from an old post of mine can soothe and balm my heart just when i needed it. just as i needed it.

my heart is touched by the new york girl on subway story... he FOUND her! he FOUND her!

and WOOT! some of my extreme bridal photographs just got featured on Trash The Dress Australia!

maybe some time i will do some delish projects from Learning to Love You More.

i'm loving these goddess headwraps.

phwoar, these flower petals necklaces are delectable!

i'm totally impressed by these creations of this 17 year old goddess.

listen to the birdsong of women from the monkfish abbey.

i love you anyway

2007-11-08T09:40:00.000+11:00

today

i was walking along

like a fresh blessing

in the morning.

i love the city in the morning:

the quiet way the breeze places,

through green leaves and blackbirds.

it's like all our mistakes and humanness are wiped clean

and only promise and possibility awaits.

i walk along

with honeysuckle flowers in my curling hair.

mr paris led me and my love to a honeysuckle climber this morning,

saying: "we only live once"

his grief emblazoned on a red rose on his backpack.

he shows us how

to bite off the ends and draw in the honeysuckle nectar,

telling me:

"leonie, i know of no other flower than the honeysuckle that is so similar to your essence."

so i walk

the city morning

with love, friendship, grief and life in my hair.

i walk beside men and women:

a woman dressed like a man, smoking furtively.

instead of screwing my eyes up in judgement,

i whisper to her:

i love you anyway.

a thin man walks quickly, as though harried and fearful

about being late, about being lost, about being wrong,

and i whisper to him:

i love you anyway.

every man and woman i walk beside,

i watch them silently,

taking in all their parts,

and i want to love them with all of myself.

i want to bless them, i want them to know they are not alone,

i want them to have a good day.

and the thought strikes me,

as i walk like a miandering honeysuckled hair angel in the city morning,

following others and showering them with love,

that maybe, just maybe, just definitely,

that there were angels following me whispering:

i love you anyway. you are good. you are loved. i see you.

dear my mad sisters

2007-11-07T19:46:00.001+11:00

only you two crazy chickas know exactly what is happening in this photograph.

if anyone else knows, i'm pretty sure they will never, ever shake the memory of THAT wild dream.

this is kinda the best way to live.

i love you both more than i can ever say.
you are a part of me.

see you in india.

best.adventure.ever.awaits.

love,
bony
xoxo

extreme goodness

2007-11-05T15:54:00.000+11:00

More extreme bridal photos over at http://leonieallan.blogspot.com

Time to dance a little dance of joy!

** NY Girl Of My Dreams - a tale of love on the subway - pass it ON!

Recommendations

2007-11-03T18:57:00.000+11:00

I've come across recently some lovely movie : book : audio resources for the spirit that I wanted to share... Enjoy!

"Click"

Let me tell you, I gave Chris a rather unenthusiastic look when he presented me with this movie at the video store. Even as the opening music played, I groaned. I'm not a big fan of Adam Sandler. Adam Sandler movies that I find distinctly unfunny: 7. Adam Sandler movies I adore: 1. (the Wedding Singer)

I even decided the movie wasn't even worth my undivided attention so edited photos instead.

But then something happened.

I started listening. And getting drawn into the story. And realising that this was one of those gem of a movies that presents as popular light-watching entertainment, but is actually a profound lesson of how to live your life (think Disney's "The Kid").

I really don't want to say anymore than that, just that I heartily recommend it. There are some very Secret-esque concepts played out in the movie. It inspired me to go on an adventure this afternoon and to know that each moment only comes once.

I'm currently engrossed in "Brave Hearts and Rebel Spirits," written by Brooke Shelby Biggs and Anita Roddick.

It profiles a number of spiritual activists who have worked to create positive change in this world and highlight what needs to change. Buddhists, Catholic priests and nuns, Native Americans, Quakers, Muslims - all LIVING their beliefs and instigating social consciousness. And also riveting is how they have been oppressed by their governments - you will giggle when you read about two elderly priests being regarded as terrorists by the FBI. Other stories won't make you giggle at all, but fill you with a deep desire and passion for truth, compassion and clarity.

This book is precious, and I regard it as an important self-education tool. A manual for how we can all live our beliefs more vivaciously in this world.

Hay House Radio is my new audio obsession.

If you haven't been introduced to HHR yet, please let me make the official intros.
"Lush depository of radio wisdom, meet divine hottie goddess.
Divine hottie goddess, meet library of your favourite authors speaking on all topics of goodness."

If you sign up as a member (free) you can download podcasts of all precious previous radio shows as well.

Some of my favourites include:

May these speak to your spirit ~~~

Spread the gift of wisdom!

Rainy Saturday afternoon joy from me to you,
Leonie

Self Portrait Challenge: What I Wear

2007-10-29T18:04:00.000+11:00

I clothe myself in Mama Earth:
dried eucalypt leaves tangling in my hair,
coral in my eyes, stems of nuts and flowering buds dangling from wrists,
seaweed and mulla mulla grass wrapping their tender arms around my body.

I walk barefoot:
letting the air and the light
kiss me and cleanse me
reminding me of my beginnings and endings.

I lose myself in Her, and Her in me.
Every part of me is dust and love,
singing in a body.
I am in the trees. The trees are in me.

What I wear is My Self and My Earth:
medicine bag on my back,
radiant body, limbs, life, breath,
joy in every step.

~ * ~

I had wild photo picnics on the farm on the weekend!
Check out the pictures here!

Freya Love

2007-10-27T19:11:00.000+10:00

I'm in the process of catching up on processing all the photos I've taken in the last few weeks...

Here's some of the photographs I took at the first birthing day celebration of my little goddess-sister-niece Freya... You can see more over at my photography blog. Yes... photography blog! I'm experimenting at the moment with having a blog with more of my photography pictures... You can see the rest of the blog at http://leonieallan.blogspot.com ~ add to your bloglines if you like!

Freya's birthday was a precious little celebration of food and friendship and puppets and drumming. I think her favourite birthday present was from her soulmate/surrogate uncle Josh who gave her something that would keep her amused for hours: a box of tissues.

Kaylia dreams in leaves...

Connor and calcite crystals...

Uncy Josh

Connor is sometimes a firefighting dragon..

And then of course, the all important Ukelele-Off

As our little community evolves...
most of us immigrants to this city with kin living away...
I find that our friends are the family we create for ourselves.

What would you do if you knew that All Is Well?

Soak up the stars,
Leonie

Love From The Jungle

2007-10-24T18:03:00.000+10:00

There are so many stories tumbling inside me. So many stories to be heard, known, understood. So many stories to make a home inside this soul of mine.

Stories of how the light looks at Brisbane dawn, seeping into you, waking you long before you are ready. Stories of sisterhood and fierce love and unexpected tenderness. Stories of sushi and curry and cupcakes. Stories of hospital beds and meds and a ferociously beautiful octogenarian named Phyllis sharing a hospital room with three mad sisters. Stories of walks in long green and black skirts, patterned with elephants, walks waist-high through the jungle of Brisbane's wildflowers and wilderness, magnificence and mangroves. Stories of taxi drivers who break your heart or set it free with love for humanity. Stories of wildness. And laughter that leaves you breathless and falling into trees, the kind of laughter only sisters know. Stories of hands clutching crystals. Stories of past lives and presentness and priestesses and puppies. Stories of seeing beautiful women and luscious men in my eyes, heart, camera lens.

Stories of walking through the city at daybreak with a thirsty soul, following your feet past ruptured concrete to a tiny breath of Mama Earth, a park carved into the bustle of a hill. Stories of butterflies and birds. Stories of old friends and new friends. Stories of seeing an old friend and telling him: you know who I once dreamed of being? I am that now. Stories of a picnic in an abandoned lot/park/fairy garden, a gathering of rainbow precious women. Stories of pyjama parties and making dreams come true. And the brave pleasure of being yourself, even when that self seems faintly otherworldly. Stories of pain and healing, vulnerability and loveliness. Stories of nestling with my sisters, legs and hands akimbo, revelling in our holy trinity.

So many stories. I do not know yet how to tell them, how to speak them, how to hear them for what they really are. They instead are streams of silk fluttering around inside me, and I clutch at them, threading long fingers through them, grasping them into a ball. And then I let them go, I breathe and I sit. I watch, knowing instead that on their own, with time, the silken threads will weave and warp into a quilt of understanding and wisdom. Maybe I could show you the quilt when it has discovered itself. Maybe I could share it in adorned squares: of photographs, of the little stories, of moments.

But for now, there are breaths to be breathed, and a deeply precious life to be loved.

All is well,
with love,
Leonie

Adventure Time

2007-10-16T21:32:00.000+10:00

Off on a WSA (Wild Sister Adventure)!

In the meantime,

Breathe in the beauty
and give it a home inside you.

You have such a cute nose,
Leonie

Holy Mothership Miracle!

2007-10-13T14:50:00.000+10:00

Sometimes miracles are waiting just behind you...
Me in the sculpture garden, photograph by JourneyMan

This is a story of serendipity, circumstance and miracle.

This is my story of today.

Yesterday my JourneyMan thought he'd have a look at the National Gallery of Australia website - not really a usual thing for him as we don't get there often. We are more into the National Library for their art exhibitions, funnily enough. He happened upon a new exhibition opening there - Culture Warriors - and thought he might like to go sometime.

Last night I had a night of photographic inspiration, so this morning when I loaded up my handbag, I included my big Canon 30D - not a usual thing at all.

We went to our usual Saturday morning haunts this morning and finished early, so JourneyMan decided to take me to the exhibition. We arrived and it hadn't opened yet, so we roamed around the Sculpture Garden instead, photographing, kissing, exploring, playing with the spring time floss, scoping out the beautiful landscape for future photoshoots. We had so much fun we didn't get into the gallery until half hour after it opened.

As we moved up the escalators, we spotted a group of Aboriginal artists waiting at the front of the gallery. We looked at each other with wide eyes and big grins - "Honey, I think something is happening today."

Then over the loudspeakers, the Gallery tells us that the Culture Warriors exhibition was open, and in five minutes the Aboriginal artists from the exhibition will be speaking on all their paintings.

JourneyMan and I have a deep interest in the Aboriginal culture and artwork. I feel we have so much to learn from them on so many levels, and honour how deeply they love the spirit of this land and Earth.

We walked down to exhibition, and there is a large gathering with a number of TV cameras. A Ngunnawal woman welcomed us and the artists from around Australia to her ancestor's land. At this point, my tears began to flow. I felt so deeply touched by her speaking of her ancestors and her land, and so honoured to be there to hear it.

And then the Aboriginal artists began to speak, sharing their stories about their artworks.

Can you say dream come true?

We moved from room to room. I have been changed by every artist's story.

The old man with his grandson sharing the story of the flying fox.

A younger woman, not much older than JourneyMan, part of the Stolen Generation, and now reclaiming and preserving her culture through art.

The man who began to cry as he spoke about not knowing his language.

So many stories to share. So much healing to take place. So much cultural beauty and spirit to celebrate.

And then, as we moved in a large group into the next gallery room, my eyes glassed over with joy and I lost my ability to speak. There, in front of an incredible portrait of an Aboriginal warrior maiden, was my favourite Australian artist of all time: Julie Dowling.

I actually wrote about Julie on my blog three years ago, and not long after, I got an email from her and her twin sister Carol who had read it. At the time I was blow-my-mind-excited from the email. Can you imagine me today, getting to actually hear her speak? She was candid, warm, articulate and precious. She spoke about finding peace in herself as she grew older, and introduced me to a scientific term that I am already a spiritual believer of.

Ethnobotany is the concept that the more we disconnect from our land, the more unhealthy we become. In other words, touch Mama Earth everyday, and eat from Her bounty.

So by now my head was officially blown off, and was shooting festoons of glitter into the air at random intervals. When the crowd moved into the next room, I took a deep breath and introduced myself to Carol and Julie. THE Carol and Julie. Artists, writers, world-changers and goddesses. And they remembered me! Holy freaking mother miracle! I told them just how much I honoured their work and appreciated what they did. They told me they liked my blog. (Dude! Can you say best day EVER?)

I think I walked away from that on clouds. I met two of my heroes.

We walked into the next room to listen to the next artist, JourneyMan grinning as I made silent joy-shrieks in his shoulder. And then... the thought struck me. I really want to photograph the twins. The vision of the photograph comes to me, and I become obsessed by it. "I need to photograph them" I whisper to JourneyMan. For me, to photograph someone has become to honour them, document their soul beauty and truly see them as they are. It has become a spirit journey, a visual exploration of the divine.

The thought of photographing them struck me as too wild, too deep, too crazy an idea. I couldn't possibly ask them. And we walked out.

And that's where the story ends.

Then I opened a book in the gift store, and there were six photographs of the twins. And I realised that I couldn't let it be where the story ends. I couldn't spend my life wondering - what if? I learned in that moment that I could live with whatever the answer would be, I just couldn't live with not asking the question. I walked back in, still full of fear, humanness and feelings of impossibility. I told my angels - "Please be with me. I am okay if this doesn't happen. But if you put the twins in front of me, I will ask the question."

We walked back, and there in front of me was Carol, with her smiling face.
I said "I have a crazy and wild question for you. It's okay to say no, but I need to ask: May I photograph you and Julie?"

She said yes.

And I had my camera on me.
And I knew where in the Sculpture Garden I could photograph them.

And I was there. And they were there.
And we were willing.

It feels like every perfect part of life lined up today, for a huge mothership miracle dream of mine to come true... the camera, the question, the being there at the perfect time.

I couldn't have planned it better. And maybe that's the point: that the Universe is the Master of Creating Your Dreams for you. Just dream it, and follow your nose. And have little adventures for fun. They may just make your life path blossom with exquisite flowers.

Believe, Believe, Believe.
When you least expect it, your life will change.

Miracles are waiting to enter the wings,
Leonie

(photographs to come)

my sacred life: new sight

2007-10-12T22:13:00.000+10:00

New glasses today.
They shimmer with indigo, and they give me new sight.
Ahh, sight. The gift of sight.

My sight is something I have struggled with. As an artist who drinks in the world with her eyes, losing the strength of my eyes each year since I turned 18 has been challenging and fearful. I am grateful that with tender care, their progression into weakness has slowed. They have become my barometer for balance: I cannot spend too many hours soaked in electronic world each day without them telling me it is too, too much. They have become my constant and mindful blessing of gratitude: thank you for serving me, eyes. Thank you for showing me the world. Thank you for seeing in this moment.

I can see each leaf on each tree now, with a breath as refreshing as spring.
Tonight I went to the secret fairy garden in our backyard, and sat in the gladness.

To see the beauty in this world through rich colours and glowing light is sacred.

Dear One

2007-10-11T17:48:00.000+10:00

this came out just after i wrote this...

Dear Clinty,

I've been dreaming about you lately.

You've been in my dreams and close to my skin, and when I awake I find you're not just around me but inside me now.

I think, "you are my biggest brother" - not only my oldest, but the biggest - the man who is bigger than the stars and clusters of planets and a field lying yellow in the summer. You are bigger than exquisite possibilities and truth and body, and you teach us that.

A few weeks ago, a boy I knew when I was a teenager died. And he made me think of you. He would have been nearly the same age as you when you died. I turn your eternal age of 25 in a few short weeks. I used to think you were old enough to die - that 25 years is a good go at life. And yet, here I am on the birthing precipice of that age, and there is still so much to do. So much to live and feel and experience and know and do.

I dreamed that you died again, and I began to wail that I was losing you all over again. And the stars came out, and I stopped wailing, and I realised I knew how to grieve now.

My grieving made me yearn to dance, my bare feet thrashing the gravel, my sweat becoming stars, my heart pumping long, loving bursts of blood through me. I wanted to dance you into heaven, I wanted to celebrate you in the ways I now know how to.

I didn't want everyone to go home, to sit in our silent rooms on our own and cry, to not know what to say, to feel that the experience was too uncomfortable to sit with. So I gathered our family and friends together in a big circle near the shed. And we drummed, we sang, we danced, we prayed, we spoke, guiding you home to Great Spirit.

I danced you into me, in that dream.

I danced until my arms were a-swirl and every precious possibility, every piece of love, every dream, every promise, every lifetime was awake.

Today, I wake up and you are with me.

Today, I wake up and something I want falls through, but I feel you beside me, smiling down a thousand lifetimes on me, telling me that everything is sacred, everything is real, everything is new, and everything will happen.

I want to photograph you today. I will photograph the stars and the grass and the great looming trees instead. You are in them.

All My Love,

Bony

And then the sun came out and glowed through the rain
and the whole world looked like a miracle...

All The Ways The Universe Rocks

2007-10-10T18:11:00.000+10:00

This is my beautiful little sister Maryanne.

And this is the story of how the Universe totally rocks, in totally unforeseen, unknown and intensely loving ways.

A couple of months ago the opportunity came up for me at work to attend a business conference in Brisbane, where my little sister goes to university. I jumped at it, thinking I could spend a bit of time with her and a number of lovely friends who live there.

And then my little Me-Me got sick with tonsillitis. Again. For the seventh time this year. So now she is having an operation and needs her kin around.

And guess what? It's when I'm there.

And guess what? I just got given extra holidays to tack onto my weekend.

And the day before I need to leave, my big sister is flying in to stay.

So the blessing and the miracle is that I will be in Brisbane for a week to work for a little bit, to hang out with my little sis, tell her hilarious stories, make her jelly, feed her ice-cream and just be with her.

It is a joy that I can do this. That this crazy little set of circumstances has worked out so the sisters can be together for each other. And it is the tenderest honour that I can look after my little one when she needs me.

Sometimes the most healing thing of all is just to be present to love each other.

This Universe leaves me breathless with beauty,
Leonie

The final push

2007-10-09T19:29:00.000+10:00

one of the something news

As I birth something magnificent into the world.

As I try something new.

As I take the steps in the directions of where I want to go.

As I gather the courage in my mouth.

As I give it a go.

As I put my heart and soul on the line and the sleeve.
(Maybe that's the only place for them, really).

I want to say right here, right now,
that I am freaking proud of you Leonie.
Go get them dreams, baby.

May you be freaking proud of you too, darling heart.

love and light,
Leonie

Partying on at the Portrait Palace

2007-10-08T20:09:00.000+10:00

I had the joy of doing a portrait party with Gail last month.

I regard Gail as being the Queen of Grace ~ she walks her path with tender awareness, a gentle heart, a listening soul, a compassionate mind. I learn from reading her. I expand from hearing her story. The maths equation is simple: Gail = Precious.

Gail collaborated with her gorgeous daughter Kristiana for this portrait of me.
When I opened it up, I had the most star-filled smile on my face... it evokes for me so much beauty and innocence, a mermaid maiden in love with the stars and flowers.

There is so much joy and spirit in this game...
in this honouring of each other, and sharing our truest visions of each other.

May your day be filled with smiles like shooting stars,
Leonie

Meow

2007-10-07T20:13:00.000+10:00

Two years ago we took these photos, on a roadtrip with our womenfolk.
She was lithe with dark curls, a dreaming maiden from Brazil.
Yesterday, standing in the hallway of our town's apothecary and bookstore, I hear a "meow" behind me. It is her pet~calling for me.

She is blooming into mamahood now, lifting her black and white cheques to reveal her round belly. Her love is here, and she is moving to our quiet suburb laden with mountains. She is still dreaming, birthing herself into Mother.

Looking through these old photographs today made me smile ~
of who we once were, and who we will be.
And of the photographs that will be in the future...
of a belly that grows even bigger with another soul,
of love unfolding,
of a family growing,
of a medicine woman learning,
of a woman's journey.

Life. Pretty much the best thing ever.

The Perfect Tea

2007-10-04T19:37:00.000+10:00

May today gift you a moment of pure bliss.

Some link love for a Thursday night ~
* Christine Kane is an eloquent blog writer on spirit, creating
* I just fell upon the gorgeous website of photographer Gwyneth Colleen today. She is all kinds of unique and spunky.
* I think Suzi Blu's art vlogs are pretty much the coolest shanizzle for the soul since 1997 (when my high schol art teacher wore rainbow pattern jeans).
* For some reason, I really dig John Huck's photography series on people and their breakfast.
* If you haven't listened to the Andi and George band, you are missing out on MAGIC, babycakes.

Things to Do this Life

2007-10-02T14:20:00.000+10:00

Two and a half years ago, I started my Things To Do This Life List (which can be read in two parts). Almost two years ago I updated it with pics of missions completed. The lovelies Jen Lemen and Stephanie Roberts have reminded me of this soul~delicious tradition, so it is time to revise, update and add to...
It amazes me how so many of my miracle~dreams have come true, some without even knowing... revisiting this list encourages me to remember what makes my soul juicy and how I want to be in this world.
Go on~ Dream BIG and Create your own :)

Leonie's list of THINGS TO DO THIS LIFE

1. Have a midnight picnic
2. Paint my nails bright purple
3. Have a bicycle with streamers on the handlebars
4. Have henna painted on the palms of my hands - Done.
5. Read tea leaves
6. Learn how to say "thank you" in six languages. - Done.
7. Play Bingo in a Bingo hall.
8. Scuba dive
9. Handglide - I've sky-flied on a wire, which is close... 50% there.
10. Wear a lot of bangles on my wrists so I can make music when I *sashay* - Done.
11. Swim with dolphins - I was so close to doing this in Adelaide...
12. Spread happy graffiti/street stickers - Done.
13. Photograph project of street art - Done.
14. Hold the hands of my beloved on a beach and say *I do* while looking intensely into his eyes
15. Begin & finish my second gratitude journal
16. Finish reading "Women who run with the Wolves"
17. Read "Mists of Avalon" - 50% read, and I think that was all I needed to read, so I am marking this as Done.
18. Read a Henry Miller book
19. Finish an Anais Nin book
20. Have a book launch
21. Write silly and insightful sayings on t-shirts and wear them - Done.
22. Paint like a goddess - Done, and will do for the rest of my life.
23. Watch "What the Bleep Do we Know" - Done.
24. Watch the Qaatsi trilogy - Don't feel the burning wish to anymore.
25. Record a full length song
26. Dance on a table
27. Design my own sticker series
28. Feel truly enriched, uplifted and satisfied by my career. Touch other's lives with my work. - On my journey there!
29. Get published by a publishing house
30. Paint a photo frame - I just finished the most amazing Atlantis Mermaid collaged frame with shells and crystals and seaglass... so DONE!
31. Have a big treasure chest of artsy goodies - Got the goodies, not the chest.
32. Make an altar - Done. This is so much a part of my life now.
33. Cook a creme brulee
34. Play a magical April Fool's Day trick
35. Get an eyebrow ring - Done. And I loved every part of it - getting it, having it, letting it go.
36. Rockclimb - Half done. I rock climb wherever I go, but I want to try out a rockwall.
37. Have bright blue hair
38. Canoe/Kayak on Lake Burley Griffin - Done. I've been sailing on it twice, and hilarious fun ensued.
39. Go to a Sacred Heart Gathering at Uluru - Done. And it was incredible.
40. Howl at full moon - Done.
41. Learn the dates for star signs off by heart - Do I really want to do this anymore?
42. Get a tattoo - Maybe after I am thirty or past my second saturn return.
43. Do an art portfolio up with photos of all my works - Done. And it looks awesome.
44. Learn Tibetan Buddhist meditation
45. Dance on a beach at night
46. Have a LeoniePaLooza - I've had many of them now. :)
47. Sleep under the stars again
48. Hike for three days
49. Eat noodles again at a streetvendor stall in SE Asia
50. Have a hammock.
51. Own a blue car
52. Add to this list
53. Change my name to Leonie Cougar Mellancamp Allan {or not} - Done. I chose Not. :)
54. Dress in disguise - Done.
55. Get so flexible i can bend my head to my knees
56. Work in a bookstore
57. Perform a rain dance - Done, and it worked! Also performed a stop-rain dance.
58. Wear a grass skirt and a coconut bra
59. Get a professional dress-ups photo taken (dressed up like another era) - I was so close to having this happen in a little German town in South Australia, but they'd just closed!
60. Baptise a baby
61. Find a signature perfume scent - Done. My signature scent, I have realised, is no perfume ~ just the sweetness of my hair, the breath of wind around me, and occassional swirls of essential oils. My beautiful friend Angel said to me the other day "I love your smell Leonie. I have a pair of your socks that even smell like you!" I think I realised then my perfume quest was over... my signature scent is me. :)
62. Create a dreamboard - Done.
63. Watch a foal being born
64. Marry myself - Done. I love this so much. Best thing I ever did for me.
65. Give birth
66. Find a song that sings about a Leonie
67. Have no idea about what I'm going to be doing for a year
68. Tell a stranger they look beautiful
69. Give a spontaneous hug to someone I wouldn't usually.
70. Cut and polish a rock
71. Make a plaster cast of my breasts & belly and paint it
72. Belly dance in blue - Done.
73. See a buffalo - oh my god! Done! I loved this so very, very much. I didn't realise it was on my To Do List until just now!
74. Take photos of the red dirt of the Grand Canyon against a blue blue sky.
75. Gondola. Venice.
76. Meet SARK.
77. Paint rocks
78. Paint with ochre rock dust
79. Create my own set of oracle cards - In the process of.
80. Delve and acknowledge the wisdom of my authentic and ancient self - I do, and forever more will do.
81. Drink tea made from loose tea leaves - Done.
82. Make a necklace - Done.
83. White water raft
84. Ride a horse again - Done. And I will again and again.

More things I want to add to my list...
Some are ones that I've already done ~ they were so BIG I didn't even glimpse them when I last updated my list... and yet, here they are, glowing in my life.

85. Lead a womens circle - Done.
86. Run a sacred creative retreat - In the process of creating!
87. Submit a book proposal - So achingly close to this!
88. Appear in a SARK book - Done. RAR!
89. Go to India - 1.5 months to go! This has been a life-long dream of mine.
90. Walk the Camino trail
91. Go to Tibet
92. Read all the books in my bookcase
93. Go to Maccu Piccu
94. Write a book
95. Stay at an ashram in India for a couple of months.
96. Be an apprentice to a Wise One.
97. Enjoy every single day of my life.
98. Live in the country again.
99. Go to a world music/alternative music festival
100. Paint a wall mural
101. Do things just for me.
102. Be in the SageWoman magazine (illustration, article or review)
103. Hold workshops all around the world
104. Hold a workshop with my friend Donna
105. Meet* Doreen Virtue, Julia Cameron or Oprah. Or all three.
106. Set up a healing retreat
107. Be Leonie.
108. Sell a painting to someone in Asia, Africa and South America. (Then I would have a painting in every continent!)
109. Have a neighbourhood progressive dinner.
110. Publish a range of greeting cards.
111. Go to Tasmania with my lover.
112. Return to Uluru.
113. Meet Brooke Medicine Eagle.
114. Go to a residential spiritual retreat.
115. Create a photography website.
116. Have a solo art exhibition - Done. Second one in the making!
117. Bushwalk in the Australian Alps.
118. Travel the NSW South Coast.
119. See James Taylor in concert.
120. Photograph a sublime band for their CD. - In the making.
121. Do The Gift.
122. Go to Japan.
123. Go to the Goddess Conference in Glastonbury.

May we all know our dreams are possible,
with love and light,
Leonie

Courtney <3 Rhys

2007-09-28T19:39:00.000+10:00

A couple of months ago I met the deliriously delightful Courtney (otherwise known as FruzzlePuff by those in the know) at the Bobby Flynn concert. She wore giant flowers in her curls, taught the support band how to play harmonica and made friends with us when she came around offering free giant pizza. I think somehow in our glittered cowgirl hats she recognised us as her tribe.

A few days ago I had the ginormous pleasure of photographing her and her lovely love, Rhys, down by the river. I was so enchanted by their love story ~ they had met in their first class of drama in college, and been together for the three years since. They are tenderly young at nineteen, and they touched me with their warmth, love and play. Courtney is vibrant and bodacious, like a rainbow bunch of gerberas and Rhys' love for her shines through his eyes.

When we rocked up to the river, I said to them "Just how wet do you guys want to go today?", eyeing Courtney's white leggings with silk bows and Rhys' ninja cool boots. "We're up for adventure" they replied. And they were! These pair were the most adventurous, open and beautiful models a girl could hope for. Wade across the rocks just to get to a tiny island? Sure, no worries. Crawl through rapids? We are there! Stand fully clothed in the middle of the river? No problems!

They were.so.precious. Leonie hearts them BIG.

Make yourself a delicious cup of tea (maybe vanilla green tea, or dandelion with mint and ginger, or chamomile) and settle in for some lush soul-eye candy...
Allow yourself to ~breathe~ and be swept gently down the river of love...

my favourite photo of courtney... she looks like an incredible ancient water nymph goddess...

i love the power of this image...

Afterwards we found overselves a rocking stormwater drain for me to crawl down, just to get my stormwater drain kicks (and capture the beautiful light that seeps down them).

so we found this sign...

My greatest hope with my photography is to document the divine in every soul... to show them their own possibilities and beauty. When I look through these photos I see so much of both these things that my heart grows big.

Fruzzle, Rhys ~ you guys are beautiful.
Thank you for the honour of photographing your love and your joyful souls.

Love,
Leonie

~ You can see more photos from the portrait session at Flickr
~ Have a remarkable weekend... trust the beauty and love in you.
I'm off to the farm for three days. Paint, read, drum, bushwalk, riverwalk. Repeat.

Portrait Party with Sarah

2007-09-26T22:56:00.000+10:00

My uber spunkyliscious earth~appreciator and creative magnifico friend Sarah Davies (also known as Sezolas) brought a big tub of freshly picked strawberries to meet me at the Portrait Party. Then we ate them using no hands. And then we talked about crystals. And then we took photos of our shadows. And then we laughed. And then we made a campfire. And then we made up new words to Kumbaya and changed music history. And then we laughed. And then we stuffed ourselves with too-crispy marshmallows cooked over the fire. And then I sneezed when I swallowed and got marshmallow up my nose. And then we laughed. And then the marshmallow came out.

And THEN we drew pictures of each other.

I have a total raving crush on the portrait she made for me. This picture oh-so does not do it justice, because it has delicious patterned papers making up the lolling hills and red spotted fabric on my dress and this light peppering of paint all over the sky and this amazing linework and deliciousness... Stylistically, heartfully, colourfully, this has made me fall Head Over Heels. And then over again when I catch sight of my tiny purple crocs in the picture.

*happy sigh*

I think I might just stay at the Portrait Party House forever...

joyfully,
Leonie

(super secret P.S. - the whole marshmallow up my nose thing actually happened. when i was camping, at the clever age of 12. but it was pineapple. do NOT sneeze when you swallow. otherwise you have to just keep sneezing until the pineapple comes out your nose. it's actually kinda awesome, now i think about it... not everyone can say they've sneezed pineapple...)

Prints, prints, glorious prints

2007-09-24T17:50:00.000+10:00

Now's the time to indulge that goddess in you... or start shopping for Christmas/Summer-Winter Solstice. I've got only one or two prints left of each artwork in my Goddess of Leonie Etsy store, and I would love for you to be the precious mama-bear of them!

Sale prices remain until sold out of stock - Free shipping on all prints, and second prints receive an additional $5 off. These prints are printed on a delicious A3 size 200gsm paper ~ 11 x 16 inches. (Original artworks are still 20% off also!) This is your chance to purchase prints or artworks from me for the rest of the year, as I'll be shutting up shop once stocks are gone to welcome change and adventures in India. I'm not sure when or if I'll be continuing to offer prints (especially at the A3 size)... so they truly are an exclusive set ;)

~ Aussies and Kiwis please contact me for special exchange rate sale prices ~

Email me at leonie@gmail.com if you'd like to bless yourself with one.

I see vivid, glorious prints, gleaming with Spirit, honouring the Goddess in you and adorning the soulful corners of homes all around the globe.

I see dreams blossoming true and our divinity revealed, dancing before us.

I'm off to dive deep into the day ~ a painting commission to complete, some writing to do and a photo shoot this afternoon by the river! An abundance of blessings in my life. :)

Love, light, joy, abundance,
Leonie

Water Womyn

2007-09-24T11:31:00.000+10:00

Water Womyn:
She who comes to me
when I am in the Room of Cleansing, the Room of Bathing.

She is strong, that Water Womyn,
sister to Changing Womyn,
floating me in the liquid arms,
mermaid hair unfurling,
comforting me with her eerie song
that speaks of the old places:
Atlantis, Avalon, Tipi in the Sky.

Some nights, the Water Womyn
teaches me through visions.
Some nights, she stands to the left and centre of me,
whispering in my ear
who I am and why I am here.

May your day be blessed with light,
Leonie

~ More Turquoise Journey here.
~ More Self Portrait Challenges here.

Art Circle Dreaming

2007-09-22T19:43:00.001+10:00

We had our first artists circle a few weeks ago ~
a precious afternoon painting with our feet,
releasing expectations,
having instant photo shoots in the compost heap,
drinking tea, picnicking,
not so much MAKING art but PLAYING art ~
and I think that's the important thing.

Here's some delish photos from the day ~
you can see more at the Flickr set here.

josha+kayles=lovahs

photo by the beautiful kaylia

the lovely angel

princess firelight

lile, supermodel extraordinaire

our masterpiece
or:
just one of the side effects of our masterpiece:
the true masterpiece is creating.

may your days be filled with the masterpiece of the moment,
leonie

~ p.s. i've been interviewed over at the lovely colored sprinkles blog :) thank you patty!

Portrait Partying with Pixie

2007-09-21T10:04:00.000+10:00

The Goddess Pixie Campbell met up with me in the Portrait Party room for chocolates, drumming and the usual Goddess fare.

I dig that Pixie woman, even from across the oceans in the land of Not-Met-Yet.
I honour who she is, her bravery, honesty and true-ness.
I honour the way she cultivates the earth, grows with her chillun and nourishes her own Self.
I honour Goddess Pixie just as she is.

I am completely spellbound with the portrait she created of me - you can see it over on her blog.
Wise open (I meant to write wide open, but it came out that way) and laughing... inside my spirit she looks. I feel so very honoured by her creation.

My gosh, this Portrait Partying is pretty much the most fun ever.

One day we will circle, Pixie,
Leonie

What To Do In Parking Lots

2007-09-20T20:07:00.000+10:00

Make Super Model photo shoot.

"Levels: work Levels babe!"

"We iz suburban grunge"

"We iz modern dance"

Taken approximately five hours before we danced in front of Bobby Flynn wearing angel wings and cowgirl hats.

We were just warming up.

What do you do in parking lots?

My challenge to you this weekend is to go out and make parking lot art. Make those concrete jungles a place for beauty and creativity to bloom. (post a link in the comments if you do it)

:)
blessings,
Leonie

Sacred Sounds

2007-09-17T11:09:00.000+10:00

Saturday afternoon was birthed clear and blue, shining and new.
What to create on a day such as this?

Dream this:

Souls driving out of the city
and into the southern alpine fields that kiss the feet of tender purple mountains.

A Sacred Sounds Concert on a healing retreat ~
friends, lovers, families, dear ones to celebrate sacred sounds.

Imagine making music because that's what calls you,
that's what frees you, that's what makes community.
There are no mistakes, there is only sound, and there is only laughter,
as you make music together.

Imagine a circle of souls:
of healers, children, teachers, musicians, shamans, filipino tribal chiefs, artists, fairies and farmers
holding hands in one circle, in oneness,
in an old circlular cow shed
singing ohm together
until the sacred sound swirls around them
and dances up through the roof
making spirits creak and souls soar.

Imagine dancing like an eagle,
in a circle of dancing eagles,
with a goddess child in your arms.

Imagine a couple who love each other
tenderly, honestly and genuinely.
Who love this Earth and its people so much that they open their hearts and their land
to make a healing retreat and hold gatherings to come home to.

the entirely beautiful peter and gini

Imagine an incredible band who don't make just music:
they make spirit and magic and dreams play harmony in the air.

Gorgeous George and their sublime drummer

Imagine the Andi and George band that make music that is your soul home.
Imagine them and then buy every single album they own,
because they deserve it and you deserve them.
You deserve their tilting, dancing, miraculous ocean music beauty in your heart.

Goddess Andi

Imagine bare feet
aching to tell
their story
in movement.

Imagine your friends, your circle sisters
swirling together into light and song and dance
there in the cow shed with you.

Angel and Freya

Goddess Kaylia

Imagine a gathering of souls and music
where dogs are just as much a part of the gathering
as anybody else.

Imagine a beautiful man who loves you
so deeply, unconditionally and acceptingly,
always gently watching from the corner,
always watching you fly.

Imagine a man who is a lake of reflection,
soaking it all into his depths,
letting the singing bowl and the didjeridoo
make their music inside him.

Imagine walking by the lake,
coming home to yourself and to the Earth,
strung in a necklace of Goddesses
who have become your tribe.

Imagine finding a woman who is like a twin to you.
Imagine her. She is coming. She has arrived.

Imagine reclaiming the Dance:
the Dance of Freedom, the Dance that makes you Glad,
the Dance your body longs to dance.
Imagine the Dance that isn't about judgements or others,
it is the Dance of Being Alive and Barefoot and Grateful.

All I need to dance now
is hands beating drums
and the dirt floor of a cow shed.

All I need to dance now
is Mother Earth
kissing my bare feet

and Father Sun's light
kissing my bare face and arms

and the sacred sound of our own hearts beating.

All we need is the sacred sound of our own hearts beating.

Imagine it... so it may be...

In brilliance,
Leonie

Giving Thanks for Abundance

2007-09-13T08:37:00.000+10:00

photo at our artists circle by my dear one kaylia

Hello Spring!

The wattles are in full and yellow bloom, glistening beside roads, releasing gold threads into the air. My life echoes those September wattles... full and blooming with many good and beautiful things. Book proposals, another solo art exhibition, organising womens circles, artist circles and retreats.

New possibilities emerge, and I learn the lessons of saying YES to what serves me, saying no to what wouldn't flow with my life right now, and being still enough to hear and know the answers.

I feel so blessed to be actually living on so many levels what my dream truly is.

May we all know
that our dreams
are really, truly possible.

With spirit,
Leonie

In the Portrait Lounge

2007-09-08T19:08:00.000+10:00

The lovely Magpie Girl and I decided to drink berry frappes at the Portrait Party together and draw each other's personages.

Above is my ink and gouache and mixed media of her, below is the awesome altered photograph she created of me.

Magnificent Magpie Girl is also running a fortnightly Creativity Challenge at her blog now, encouraging all of us to expand our artsy horizons and partake in new mediums, experiments and creative screw-ups (I'm a big fan of mistakes which turn out to be miracles). First challenge is to alter a photograph and post the results (check them all out on the Flickr group). Go on, you know you want to.

Today, I wish for you to see
pure and utter magnificence
when you gaze at your hands.

love and light,
Leonie

Sale and Sweet Spring

2007-09-08T17:31:00.000+10:00

Let your dreams grow Geisha Goddess

Thank you deeply for your support in my Off to India sale.

The sale continues, so if you are interested in something, get in now. I'm now low in stock in a number of prints and am not sure when I will reprint again (if at all). You can see remaining stock at my Goddess Etsy store. Happy days!

Also, I've just sent out my Sweet Spring newsletter... if you'd like to receive a copy and future ones, email me (leonie@gmail.com) to be added.

Speaking of happy days, welcome to springtime, blossoms, skirts over jeans, and green loving. Joyful Photos from a damp suburban walk today with my trusty little Samsung V3.

"Grab your coat, and get your hat,
Leave your worry on the doorstep
Just direct your feet,
To the sunny side of the street."
- Dorothy Fields

"May what I do flow from me like a river,
no forcing and no holding back"
- Rilke

be blessed,
Leonie

Off to India Art Sale

2007-09-03T07:06:00.000+10:00

Only two months until I step into the land of my dreams and wishes, INDIA!
I have dreamed about Her for so long now, and She is so close I can almost taste her in the salt of my skinwater. My love, my mama, my two sisters and I are all going for a moon of India~Discovery together. I don't consider what my experience will look like ~ I just know that it will Be.

To celebrate and raise money for saris, adventures, endless cups of chai and sunset boat rides on Mama Ganges, I'm having an Off to India sale!

Prints receive free shipping - a saving of $5 for each print.
If you buy more than one print, save $5 off each extra one!

Artworks now have 20% off their ticketed price.
(Email to find postage prices on individual paintings.)

View all the lush treasures available at my Goddess of Leonie Etsy store.

The Etsy store has original pre-sale prices on them. To buy prints or artworks, please email me (leonie@gmail.com) to arrange Paypal payment. Alternatively, buy through Etsy and I will refund you your sale saving!

(If you are Australian or Kiwi, please contact me for special exchange rate sale prices.)

If you would like to own a Leonie original or print, please know I am not sure how long I will be continuing to sell either originals or prints ~ perhaps for only a little while, maybe forever. Wherever spirit/energy calls, Leonie goes.

If you could share the word about my store and art, I would be so grateful.

Thank you deeply for looking, encouraging, supporting, considering and being you.

With love and light,
Leonie

Update 9.34am Tuesday...
~ Apologies for any inconvenience... somehow my blog reverted back to a draft posting of sales prices overnight... blog post weirdom! To confirm, prints receive free shipping, artworks are 20% off. I apologise profusely for any confusion.
love, Leonie

Portrait Party

2007-08-30T19:57:00.000+10:00

My beautiful friend Shan sent me this ethereal portrait she created of me a couple of years ago.

I decided it was high time to portrait~ise her as the elvin princess she is.

Shan and I met in boarding school, bonding over a lot of spirit and art.
I fell in love with her dreamy, soulful, vibrant artwork of angels and women, and with her just as she is: deep, laughing, light-filled, honest, loving and glowing.

I decided back then that if I was ever asked what artists inspired me the most, Shan would be one of the answers.

And as I grow older, I realise the best way to be inspired is being inspired to be even more like yourself, just as you are.

And I think that's what Shan does. She makes everyone around her glow because she sees their goodness and their beauty.

And all I need to be is Leonie, with my own glow and my own way.

May we all be who we truly are, divine hotties that we are,
Leonie

P.S. Check out more partying of the portrait variety at The Portrait Party.

hey just wanted to let you know

2007-08-29T20:16:00.000+10:00

(it really is).

this Universe has the most beautiful, blessed plans for you just waiting to blossom.

and right now, all you can do is Be and enJOY.

feel the love,
leonie

p.s. two nights ago, i woke myself up from laughing so hard in my sleep.
i think that's a good sign for this world of ours.

blue

2007-08-29T10:49:00.000+10:00

Every so often I play little creative games for the day.One happy day was taking photos of every blue thing I saw with my cute old Samsung V3 dodgy digi cam. It's cute in that kind of four-year-old-digital-appliance-rendered-almost-vintage kinda way.

One thing it does do nicely is take good photos of blue.

It was totally interesting to spend one day consciously observing and filtering for one particular colour... I ended up finding about 50 objects and made a blue~matrix of them...

Some of my favourite pics are...

my boss's water bottle (delicious)

a sign near our food markets...

this dangly-things-for-adults hangs from the ceiling in a shopping centre...

found this in the window of a kid's store... can that bird be any tweeter?

mountain home at sunset

painting in progress which later turned into "joy heal love fly" painting

an observation on the state of blue:
currently the trend is for more navy coloured blues than the vibrant turquoise-aqua ends of the field (which are more my vogue). i'm wondering if it's because i took these during winter and somehow colours are seasonally variable?

what are the colours in your world?

sending you oodles of blue-dles,
Leonie

remember your own beauty

2007-08-27T11:43:00.000+10:00

It seems so many of us are remembering our own beauty these days.

What if the whole world remembered?
How can we remind ourselves on a daily basis of this love?
How can we remind each other when we forget?

I have a burning passion of sharing the truth of beauty with the world. I want to set the whole world alight with love. Each creation is a baby of truth and a signpost towards divinity. I see images and feel words and wonder how I might be able to gift and share these out into the world.

I feel this is where art and business intersects as a vehicle for living my purpose and sharing my creations with the world. "Business" can have such funny connotations around it, and yet at the base of it all, everything is energy. Money is an energy exchange and the sharing of art is an energy exchange. When I can create with intention, offer it to the world to be sent out in wildly coloured envelopes or hung on studio walls, and receive an energy exchange back ~ that is a spirited and abundant cycle of inspiration and connection.

Which is a lot just to share ~
It would be amazing to have these messages of beauty, truth and spirit sent around the world.

For those beauties who asked (and every other soul beauty who might be interested) ~ you can buy prints and cards reminding us of our delicious truth here ~

www.cafepress.com/leonieexclusive

Other joyful creations can be found at my Etsy Store.

Happy Remembering,
in love and light,
Leonie

(And a big, deep, sincere thank you and love to the Goddess in this picture who glowed in the light of our Secret Spy Tunnel, ablaze with all her beauty ~ my friend Sone)

grandmother wisdom

2007-08-27T08:23:00.000+10:00

* This letter was published in the Letters to the Editors section of the Proserpine Guardian newspaper on Wednesday August 1, 2007. I have to say just how beautiful it was to see the words "Grandmother Wisdom" on that page, wedged between letters of complaint against traffic lights and various governments. Whilst those things are important, I know which is the most important of all. *

May we all know what is truly important in our lives.

With love,
Leonie

the spiral pattern

2007-08-25T19:09:00.000+10:00

beauty

2007-08-22T18:30:00.000+10:00

The last few weeks have been a cornucopia of pleasure and adventure.
I've been dancing at concerts dressed up as a cowgirl angel, waking up before dawn to go on a photography adventure with a bus friend, sitting in sacred circles, spending the weekend at a healing retreat with my love, our dog and a dear dear friend, walking in the bush, canoeing in misty lakes, having all day slumber parties, climbing mountains in pyjamas and just generally being amazing.

Most importantly,
I've been not comparing, sitting in the silence of my own life, committing to the sacred joy of keeping some stories all to myself and remembering my own beauty.

May I share this knowing:

you need not be like anybody else.
in fact, please do not be like anybody else but you.
you were made the way you are for a sacred, special reason that is still unfolding.
live your life as it appears in your own vision ~ not anybody else's, but yours.
you are amazing. you are needed.
you are all kinds of flavours of magnificent, delicious and inspiring
just as you are, right now.

nobody is any more beautiful than you.

remember your own beauty.

who you are is enough. your precious life is enough.

i write this with a tender heart that's been finding its own way back to those knowings.

blessings on your path,
leonie

i met her in the desert

2007-08-15T14:27:00.000+10:00

I met her in the desert last year,
this goddess of a Taurean Woman.

She spent her days walking around the earth,
when we met she was exploring the ochre tracks of the Northern Territory.

We became firm friends the week we were together,
there in the desert,
dancing in the mouths of wide caves together.

Sometimes I see her face
on women in the shopping centres,
so far away from the walking trails and the desert,
and I think of her sweet soul
and all our adventures out there.

Megan Lotus Hands, I'm loving you and sending a blown kiss and dandelion out into the wind to find you. I wish you the deepest of happiness and the greatest of joys. You are a treasure.

love,
Leonie

Ways to Change the World

2007-08-15T09:12:00.000+10:00

Books can be our best friends, our inspirations, our wisdom jewels and our delights. They nourish us deeply. It's time to nourish Mama Earth for providing us with all the paper in those books! Have a tree planted for every book you buy at Eco-Libris.

Make your adventures to discover the world a healthy thing for the world too! You can make your flights carbon neutral here. (With thanks to my lovely name~sister Leonie Wise for these two links!)

Instead of birthday and Christmas cards or presents you feel you *should* buy for friends and family~ why not gift them with a good feeling? You can gift them with the pleasure that a third world community has just been changed by being given a business loan, animals, tools, water or education. You can gift Hope through Oxfam Unwrapped Australia, UK and American websites. Plus, it feels kinda fun to tell someone you bought them a goat for their birthday.

Become a lender to an entrepreneur in a developing country to help them fulfill their dreams. You can become a lender to change lives through Kiva.

Planning a wedding, and don't know what to have as those bags of sugared almondy thingies? I say give them a little bag of seeds, and a card that says a tree has been planted and named in their honour. What a beautiful emblem of your growing love that could be!

The energy saving version of Google: Blackle
Become a part of a heart shaped forest at Tree Nation (With thanks to sweet Silvia for this!)

Got ideas and ways to save the world? Email me at leonie (at) gmail (dot) com & I'll add them.

With Mama Earth love,
Leonie

love is a light

2007-08-09T20:24:00.000+10:00

One of the most beautiful parts of going home was meeting the new loves of my brother and big sister. They both met their loves on the same night a moon or two ago, and fell in love. My earthy Capricornian sister has found an earthy Virgo man. My ocean Piscean brother has found his water Cancerian lover.

My heart is so FULL seeing my siblings so in love and happy in their hearts. Love truly is a light, and there is this special luminous that is radiating from my brother and sister now.

And the best thing of all...
is I have another two hearts in my family.

And the other beautiful thing... was seeing, experiencing, honouring and feeling all the LOVE forms there are in this world, and this little world of family.

my tribe... all descendants of my grandmother...
we give thanks to her for our lives and loves...

my brother with his chilluns

water signs in lurve

dancing daddy

my mum's dear friend and the resident town crier/pirate gives a bit of loving to great aunt lucy...

utterly sweet

i adore my cousin michael.
at the party he said to me "you don't often get a party as good as this unless somebody dies. let's do this again next year."
right on, cousin-brother. i'll see you then.

my sweet cousin david with his lovely wife and bebes

my gorgeous gran with her older sister...
yes, that's right *older* sister. my dear great aunt lucy is a fuscia wrapped fairy, still sparkling at 94. their brother john was partying along with them too, at his ripe age of 93.
i love that these two sisters have been loving each other for ninety years.

group hug with my new brother from the cosmic uterus, my mum and brother

earth lovers

my cousin michael serenading my gran...
can you see the love between them?

my big bro still dancing with his little girl...

loving great aunt lucy is one of the greatest joys...

my gran is a goddess queen... how fabulous is that outfit?
(care of her Op Shop of course)
her escorts are her three grandsons and two great-grandsons...

And my very own spunkeroo to love and share it all with...

There is so much love in this world.
So much love in this family.

So much to give thanks for...

love and light,
Leonie

She dreamed of magnificence

2007-08-09T11:49:00.000+10:00

She dreamed of magnificence (original on etsy)

All her life,
she decided
that the best way to live
was to Dream of Magnificence.

Everywhere she walked,
she Saw Magnificence:
in the trees, the blossoms,
the stray dog at midnight,
the fire on the hills,
the song she found herself singing beneath her breath.

Everyone she met,
she Saw Their Magnificence:
their radiant possibility,
their hearts of gold,
their divinity,
the angel in their eyes.

And anytime she Forgot,
she looked in the mirror,
and spoke:

I see the Beauty in You.
I see the Beauty in You.
I see the Beauty in You.

Until she remembered,
and Saw.

ten dear years

2007-08-07T18:47:00.000+10:00

Dear Clinty,

It's been ten dear years since you left this world for the rainbow journey.
I have been through times of deep grief, disbelief, longing and missing. Now mostly though, I just feel incredibly and intensely blessed that I knew you and loved you, and love you still. I have discovered how expansive love truly can be (even as the tears rumble down cheeks like thunder over mountains). And babe, I've learned about all sorts of magic and miracles like kinship and starlight and spirit and healing and myself. Thank you, my brother. Thank you.

I want to honour the beautiful things I remember about you -
the way you smelled: a mixture of smoke and candy and cologne and sweat
your cackle
your big heart and sensitive soul
the way you loved your little sisters and brother
your little blue car that was always filled with white bags of milk bottles and candy teeth
how happy you were on the farm
how funny you were
your long arms and legs that you inherited from your dad
those baby blues of yours.

I was watching Enough Rope last night, and Susie Maroney was interviewed. Her story made me think of you so many times.
She had cerebral palsy just like you. She was an athlete just like you. She did things that nobody else in the world did just like you.

And she lost her brother too.
And through all her tears, she said:
"I'm just so proud that he was my brother."

Just like me.

Last week, back at home, all of us:
Mum, Dad, Mary, Brett, Becka, Sharne, Graham, Chris, Joshy, Alyssa and me - we went to the stone with your name on it and smiling face,
and we sat around in a circle in the graveyard, your stone included,
all of us laughing, sharing, sitting in silence, teaching our neice and nephew about their Uncle Clinty.
Mum cracked open a jar of barley sugar as a little tribute to your sweet tooth, and we all ate them, leaving one on your grave.

Looking back I think about how remarkable we are.
A family sitting in a graveyard, eating lollies with their brother.
We always were remarkable.
That's what love does to you.

Big love,
Bony

P.S. How are those stars up there?
I bet they are just beautiful.

Illustration Friday: Missing

2007-08-05T19:38:00.000+10:00

Ink and gouache

Illustration Friday's topic this week is "Missing."

Dear Diary

2007-08-05T19:27:00.000+10:00

Ink and gouache
Inspire Me Thursday's topic this week is "Dear Diary."

what is work...

2007-08-03T15:47:00.000+10:00

what is work
but a place to:
try out my brudda from anudda mudda's instant photo flickr-ing from his nokia
wear silly teal hats
have a uber tea addiction
share giant donuts
have communal loaves of fruit toast
hang with da boyz of my heartz.

leonie is just another way of spellin LUCKY.

Every One I Love Is Here

2007-08-01T21:32:00.001+10:00

cousins and sisters and Grand-Mothers and soulmates = family

And all at once,
the girl remembered where her home was.

In the bosom of her heartland mountains,
in the arms of her tribe.

And some soul~tunes to play along at home...

"Cause everyone I love is here,
Take me home. Take me home.

Once in a while I return to the fold
With people I call my own

Even if time is just a flicker of light
And we all have to die alone

What does it mean when you belong to someone
When you're born with a name, when you carry it on

It means that I won't give in, won't give in, won't give in
'Cause everyone I love is here

All at once, and I'll show you how to get here"

~ Finn Brothers, Won't Give In

I'm feeling very very blessed
and very very soaked with love.

I have a homeland that is paradise,
a GrandMother who is a magnificent and inspiring tribal elder
and a big crazy family who loves each other.

I am one lucky girl.

with love and light,
Leonie

P.S. Thank you deeply for all the comments celebrating Magnificent Marion. I am so grateful for the outpouring of love and joy. I absolutely feel like the world is a better place for our crones, and our communities who celebrate them.

Every day is a good one.

Putting the GRAND in Grandmother

2007-07-25T11:43:00.000+10:00

This is my super sassy Granny and her sister Sally in their early twenties.
Tomorrow I am flying back home for Granny's birthday, and a celebration of ninety years of magnificent living.

I want to hold in my heart all the ways my Gran has touched my life.

My friend Shan allocates a special type of description to the women she respects: she says they have "guts, balls, determination and integrity."
My Gran is that kind of woman. She also has a smile that she embraces the whole town with. She has a way of making people feel good and safe with her. She knows things intuitively before anyone else does.

On the phone not so long ago, she said to me
"I think your sister is interested in a suitor, Leonie."
"Really Gran? Why's that?"
"She's been taking to dressing herself nice of late, and she has a little glow around her... I think she might be interested in a young man."
Sure enough, Gran was right. As she always is.

She looks like she has wings here...

And she has SASS.
That woman looks good every day of the week. I took these photos of her in April, and she was wearing spunky pink stillettos, white pedal pushers, a striped pink flowing top and huge white framed "winkers" (otherwise known as sunglasses, for those who do not speak Gran-language.)

I'd just picked her up from the op-shop where she still works a few days a week.
She said to me:
"Leonie, do you know I sold hundreds of dollars of clothes today?"
"Really? That's awesome Gran!"
"Do you want to know why I am so successful at it?"
"Why?"
"Because I model all of the clothes!"

And with that, she placed her hands on her hips, and waggled.

My Gran has SASS.

My mum and grandmother, doing their dance of love for 55 years...

The morning before we took these photos, I was driving with Mum, and said to her:
"Mum, I've always felt different. Odd. Unique. A bit zany. Just a bit out of skew with everyone else. I wonder if it's genetic, and where I get it from."
And she sighed this tiny whisper of a sigh, and replied:
"I feel like that too sometimes. Maybe you get it from me. I don't know where I get it from."
And then we looked out over the yellow eucalypts rushing by.

Later that day, I told Granny I wanted to take some photos of her.
And she giggled like a schoolgirl, and said dramatically
"I don't know how to pose though... I'm camera shy... I've never been a model before..."
"Sure thing Gran, we'll just go with the flow."

I turned on my camera, and took some test shots.
"I know! Let's play on the swings!" she says, and she is off with a trot.
My Mum sits on the opposite end to even out the weight.

It must have been quite a sight really.

Three blonde women in hysterics of laughter. The two oldest playing on the swings. The youngest with camera full of smiles.

And there in her little pink stillettos, my camera-shy Gran with her little white bob, bouncing up and down on the swings, yahooing like a rodeo cowgirl.

It was at that point I turned to Mum and said
"I think we just found our genetic zany-ness."

This woman must have had ninety years of practice because she sure is good at LIVING.

So this weekend is a gathering of all my family and relatives, and ninety of my Gran's closest friends to celebrate this Woman.

This woman of huge strength, a lion's heart, a mother's courage, a shining smile and crazy diamond spirit. My grandmother has grieved two husbands, two sons and a grandson. But every time I ask her how she is, she replies with a thousand-megawatted smile:
"I woke up this morning. I was still breathing. So, I thought: it's a GOOD day!"

I have so much to learn from this woman. The whole world does, I think.

Happy, happy birthday my beautiful grandmother.
For all the good days that have come before and all the good days to come,
I celebrate and love you with all my heart, and am so honoured to have come from you.

Big love,
Leonie

P.S. If there was any way to get ninety birthday wish comments... that would be oh-so-freaking glorious... I could show her them on Sunday all the wishes from around the world!
All good either way... but just putting it out there ;)

~
Back next week! :)

Air Self

2007-07-23T15:16:00.000+10:00

All the ways
to see the sky
in myself:

the long vast days of turquoise summer
the soft greys of replenishing rain
the dark umbre of night emblazoned by Venus and her sisters...

and always,
the vibrancy, the possibility, the sheer expansiveness.

This is what the sky teaches me:
The world is infinite.
Everything is possible.

I relish how the sky is always a part of my paintings too...
always spreading her lovely silken azure wings around my canvas.

Magic falls from her hair,
prints on Goddess of Leonie etsy store

with love and wind,
Leonie

~ More elemental self portraits at SPC
~ More Turquoise Journey here

tweet song

2007-07-23T14:12:00.000+10:00

I've been a (chinese silk dragon embroidered) fan of Magpie Girl since I found her online patch of grass & roosting palace a few moons ago. Her sharings about interfaith, sacred and communal gatherings and soulful living make little red flames in my heart.

Not only is she a priestess of Monkfish Abbey, an urban mama goddess, a vintage cloths connossieur, and a sacred jewels maker ~ she is a writer:artist:photographer who alchemises this trinity of talents into the gold of Zine.

Her newest zine is a delicious mini book ~ 36 sumptuous pages of colour to dive into and soak up for a while. "Tweet" is an honouring of the summer months: all the ways to sparkle and shine in the sun. Precisely what I need really, considering over this side of the planet, we are in winter.

And in winter tradition of the alpine country, I've managed to pick up a flu named Pharyngitis, which sounds like some kind of exotic spanish dance. I like to make up little songs in my head about fa-fa-farangitis, imagining it to be cocoa-skinned, wearing a dress with many fru-frus. I've been spending inordinate amounts of time lying on a beanbag watching my dog as he falls asleep, then letting him watch me fall asleep. If there was ever a way to get me to stop doing everything at a thousand miles an hour, fa-fa-farangitis is the way.

Needless to say, I've been reading Tweet while soaking up all the droplets of sunshine that fall on my bed. A perfect balmy sunkissed fruit concoction for my wintertouched spirit.

Stories, prayers, saint goddess collecting cards, recipes and sweet surprises:
I think Tweet (and zines in general) might just be playbooks for us adult children.
Maybe they should hand them out on airplanes as adult activity packs!

You can get yourself some Tweet-a-lage at Magpie Girl's etsy store!

In the meantime, I am off to make myself another cup of steaming healing fruit tea (inspired by my healing herbal wise woman friend Sone)...

For you in winter, and you in summer ~
dream this baby up!

Healing Magical Unicorns Fruit Soother

* Three quarters a glass of orange, passionfruit or apple juice (or combination of all three... combo is extra ju-ju magical)
* Tablespoon of honey
* Three whole cloves
* Six cardomom
* Splash of water

Warm, savour, enjoy and melt all resistance away...

Blessings to you, from me,
with gifts of warmth and joy,
Leonie

Inspire Me Thursday Featured Artist

2007-07-23T11:39:00.000+10:00

I've been interviewed over at the lovely and inspirational Inspire Me Thursday... check it out!

Surrounded by Love

2007-07-19T18:25:00.000+10:00

Surrounded by Love
original painting available on Etsy

Sometimes
she felt a little bit achy,
a little bit like a tiny soul boat
lost at sea.

But then...
if she remembered...
she would close her eyes
and find herself
in the embrace of the Mama Goddess.

Mama Goddess would hold her,
deep and gentle in her star~jewelled bosom,
stroking her hair,
whispering silent words into her ear.

You are surrounded by love.

You are surrounded by love.

You are surrounded by love.

Like a fish in the ocean,
you are surrounded by love.

Like a woman in the sweetness of air,
you are surrounded by love.

Fire the Grid

2007-07-17T13:20:00.000+10:00

winged woman, pastels on paper

At 9:11pm Australian EST
there is a worldwide meditation called Fire the Grid
for us all to vision healing and oneness for humanity and our beautiful Mama Earth.

Connect in with the grid ~
even if you miss the time,
do it anyway with the intention of connecting in with the grid of light.

See in your mind's eye and feel in your heart
streaming ribbons of light from every star in the sky
reaching down to touch us, heal us, and embrace the earth.
Imagine inhaling this light,
taking it into your heart,
and offering it a home there.

Imagine a world of hope, peace, beauty and miracles.
Imagine a planet of community, of people connecting deeply with themselves, each other, our animals and plants, our beautiful Earth home.

Imagine a world of possibility,
of radiant dreams come true.

Imagine opening your eyes and seeing the world
as though you have just arrived.

Imagine knowing who you are.
Imagine remembering you are Great Spirit.

I will meet you in the ethers,
dancing in the light.
I believe in you.

Take a moment to imagine the possible.

Remember your beauty,
Leonie

Moonlight songs

2007-07-16T13:31:00.000+10:00

"The moonlight sang sweet tunes to her heart"
Original available on Etsy

And every now and again,
she stood with her bare feet on the earth,
caught in a shard of moonlight.

If she listened closely enough,
she could hear the moon singing
sweet tunes to her heart.

Fire Stories

2007-07-16T09:09:00.000+10:00

1.
Once upon a time,
driving to work in the morning,
the light caught my hair,
and a wildfire burned there.

Behind me, Paris said:
"Miss Leonie,
your hair is glowing
like a nimbus."

2.
My name, Leonie, means lioness.
I have a blonde mane framing a face of proud cheeks,
falling to nestle on a lion's heart.
A Lioness is a Woman of Flaming Manes.

3.
I am alight from a weekend
with a dear friend,
a sister, a woman
who is my astrological polar opposite.

I am alight from two sparks igniting each other,
a white wolf standing between us,
awakening from a drumming journey
to see her gazing at me,
both of us crumpled, embryonic, on the floor,
blazed through by the drum and the didge.

I am awake with our fierce journeying,
our thirst for knowing,
our dreamings and possibilities.

I am awake with the fire of sisterhood.

4.
When I was a child,
I fought bushfires.
Our farmhouse came close to being razed a time or two.

The drill was
heavy summer days
the scent of burning grass in the air
the sight of flames
the call of neighbours
the gathering of machinery.

We would wet down great bags of hessian,
ladle large plastic tubs of water into the car.

My father and his father
would be at the forefront of the fire
and the licking fingers of flame,
playing an elaborate game of rugby with
their dozers and tractors.

The womenfolk and children
would be at the sides and rear of the fire,
putting out spot fires,
bedding down the heat.

It was something I feared and relished, all at once.
Somedays I still think I want to be a firefighter:
for the community, the tangible challenge,
the smell, the sheer physicality of spirit, body and water against earth and fire.

5.
Fire is the kundalini,
my passion, energy, actions.
Fire is the bushfire,
my transformation, alchemy, release and rebirth.
Fire is the inspiration,
my burning possibility of all that wishes to come ablaze in this world.

6.
All our lives are waiting to teach us.

Bright, Burning Blessings,
Leonie

* More Self Portraits on the elements here
* More Turquoise Journey here

magical acts

2007-07-13T17:32:00.000+10:00

Moon dancer (available on Etsy)

This lovely goddess came through me to visit my life last spring.
I remember rolling around in the grass,
breathless with joy as my hands, arms, face, torso, chest
danced in the paint and sang hues onto the canvas.
Her form and the story written behind her came once the paint dried.
She emerged just as she needed to, and has been hanging above my computer ever since.

She has been a little hidden in my alcove here, but lately has been frequenting more open walls in the house to be SEEN. (My house is a revolving art gallery)

She has emerged from her incubation period with a magical power:

She makes women dance before her.

Countlessly, my women friends walk through my house,
stop infront of her, raise their arms, and shake-a shake-a their glorious hips.

Last week two gorgeous sisters were gyrating divinely before her,
all three of them smiling the same little wild smile.

I am so grateful that so much magic is in my life...
and keeps spilling in...
from all directions, all possibilities,
seeping through my hands.

Often, I get down on my knees and give the most heartful thanks
that I am blessed with the creations that I am.
They have saved, healed and made light my life in so many ways.

I am off to catch a star from the sky...
one of my dearest friends is arriving for the weekend.

Let me play a little Nostradamus and prophecy this:
It is to be a weekend of souls connecting, nourishing foods, the beating drum, magical corn cakes, laughter, sharing in pyjamas.

I wish for you...
just this blissful moment.
some shake~a shake~a.
gratitude that takes you down on your knees to kiss the earth.
friendship adventures.

rainbow clumps of balloons,
Leonie

Gypsy Heart

2007-07-10T19:08:00.000+10:00

Gypsy Heart Goddess
(prints on Goddess of Leonie etsy store)

In her heart, she longs to explore all the joys and possibilities of this splendid Earth ~

she dreams of garlanding herself in a sari in India
of the breeze floating by as she explores the back roads of Tuscany by bicycle
she longs to travel by canoe in Indonesia
to sing romantic songs in Morocco
she yearns to arrive, panting, at the peak of Macchu Piccu
and to dance a desert dance in Africa.

She longs to experience and explore this world,
to devour it whole,
to savour its beauty in her soul,
to be a part of this wondrous rainbow of life.

Her whole life, through and through,
she will be a discoverer of this world,
a lover, a documenter, a celebrator of its beauty and aliveness.

She is Goddess with a Gypsy Heart.

May she always remind of you the rapture of exploration ~ the delight of discovery ~ the Heart that loves this whole wide world.

With love,
with joy,
with five months until I experience INDIA ~ oh land of my aching dreams!
blissfully,
Leonie

My Wild Bushman Dad

2007-07-09T15:29:00.000+10:00

This is my Dad.
My wild bushman dad.
The Blackbearded Pirate of Dadsville.

For years, we tried to convince my Dad that wearing a helmet while he rode his motorbike hellbent all over the farm chasing cattle was kinda, umm, a NECESSITY. It only took him one broken collarbone, numerous stitches, two severe concussions and a broken nose over the span of twenty years for him to start wearing one.
It was the broken nose that did it, I think.
I suspect that he's an appearance man underneath it all.

Anyways, me and my four siblings never did specify what sort of helmet he should wear.
Perhaps we should have.
This is my beautiful daddy, with his great big heart and furry face, sporting his 1970s helmet he found at the back of the shed somewhere, probably under a thick coating of dust and a petrified possum.

Coz us bushies, that's how we swing it.

If you'd like to vote on this piccie to go in JPG Mag's issue of Family ~ click here.

Big furry dad love, from me to you,
Leonie

Water Fairie

2007-07-09T14:21:00.000+10:00

can you see the fairies?

I'm a water fairie, born under the sign of the Deep~Waters Scorpio.

I have mermaid hair, and a merman lover. I have mermaid friends ~ when I meet them, I know them by heart: curling masses of hair inhabited by seahorses, shining eyes that speak of the sea, wide smiles that light a mermaid's cottage...

*
On our first date,
my merman and I sat by the sea at night,
holding hands, and he said:

When I see the ocean through my eyes, it makes my spirit happy.

*

Water is the Mother of healing,
Water teaches the Way of the Flow,
Water is the embrace of Great Spirit.

with light blessings of the sea,
Leonie

~You can read more about the soul purpose of mermaids and other earth angels in Doreen Virtue's divine "Earth Angels" handbook.

~More elemental fairies at SPC

earth

2007-07-05T17:52:00.000+10:00

grateful offering

Every afternoon, in the golden light,
she would climb the Western mountain.
Up, up, until her legs burned
and her great lungs danced with air.

There, up the top of the mountain,
above the reach of the suburbs and the world,
she would curl up among the fallen tree logs,
and the grandfather rocks.

She would breathe in the sky,
letting her eyes flight with the birds,
watching the moon rise above her,
and remembering herself as a child
of this beautiful Earth.

mountain girl (prints on etsy)

may you be healed by mama earth today ~
leonie

* more turquoise journey here
* more water ~ air ~ earth ~ fire @ self portrait challenge

Etsy opening

2007-07-02T19:52:00.000+10:00

I invite you to the official launch of my Etsy store ~ http://goddessofleonie.etsy.com
(Click here for Original art and here for Art prints). You can purchase my original artworks through my little Etsy chapel of creativity, as well as, for the first time, fine art prints. (Australians, please note Etsy is in US currency).

At the door are steaming mugs of dandelion tea,
basketfulls of rainbow shawls,
round plates of caramel tarts,
soft, full blooms of roses,
flecks of bindis.

I invite you in with a hug of angel wings
and a great big smile ~
Thank you For Being Here.

Folksy, soulful, earthy music is playing...
Candles are lit, and the room is enchanted with joy.
Adorn yourself with your dreamiest outfit
and allow yourself to be filled up ~~~

(Please make yourself a cup of tea, put some beautiful music on, make yourself comfortable and enJOY)

I have spent some deliriously divine days with my hands streaked in paint,
putting into paint the dreams, visions and possibilities in my soul.
I feel so deeply blessed to be living my passion, and hearing my calling so strongly.

I offer these creations to you with open hands and open heart, in gratitude to Great Spirit and this magical world we live in. I offer these artworks as a celebration of joy, love and light.

May you always remember that Joy is an option.

From the Goddess in me, to the Divine in You ~
I honour you.

With love and light,
Leonie

teal

2007-06-29T18:47:00.000+10:00

Somedays I get so caught up in my head.
In comparing myself, in believing things that aren't true, in disregarding and judging and being divisive and just generally feeling a lot of soul pain. So apart from myself and apart from My Self ~ that is ~ You. All of you. Every soul on this Earth, every breathing tree, every panting dog, every swelling sea. When I am hard on myself, or hard in my thoughts about any one of You ~ I feel soul pain, because I am apart from the Great Truth of our Divine and Lovely Oneness.

(Writing that, I see that apart is a-part, so any feeling of disconnection or away from is an illusion and not the Beauty Truth.)

I decided last night that I'd had enough. That I needed - somehow - to make new brain synapse pathways instead of driving the jeep down the rutted brain thought roads of Not Good Enough Street, I Am Unloved Circuit, I Am Unseen Driveway.

So I went to sleep with meditative music playing in my ear, imagining all the angels rushing to my side just to monitor my life source.

I wake up, and somehow I can't quite fall as low as I did yesterday.
At lunch, a burly, beautiful man takes me on a walk. Past a sales bin, and there is a treasure calling my name. A gorgeous soft beanie cap (in the colour of "teal" as my New Best Friend At Work labelled it). Somehow, under its embrace, I feel safer, like my head is enveloped in Clouds of Gladness. It is my own little emblem of hope, an adornment on the altar of my body to symbolise who I am under the sky.

We move to the bookstore, and over and over books peek out at me from a woman with radiant grey eyes. She reminds me on one page that when we say we need to love ourselves more ~ it is not the truth. Because that makes the assumption is that Love is something we need to DO, and that we do not already Live in a State of Love.

I forget, sometimes, about that Love.
Please be gentle with me, World, when I forget that. It pains me just as much as you when I forget about Love. And I promise I will try to remember that we are ALL in this sway of forgetting and remembering about Ourselves and Love. Sometimes I think the crabbiest and most jaded amongst us are the ones keening for Love the most. May I always Love them.

Such small but huge things ~
a beanie, and a book,
to make things seem beautiful and My Own again.

As the sun set, I find myself giggling in the bedroom,
rolling about with a camera,
finding delight in my own gifts again.

I love you, just as I love myself, and I love what we are doing,
and I will have faith for Us as tiny as a seed and as mighty as an oak,
as much as I can from wherever I am.

With love, gentleness, magic and remembering to you ~
Leonie

Goddess of the Night

2007-06-28T20:03:00.000+10:00

Goddess of the Night, acrylic and mixed on canvas

She is a Goddess of the Night.
The stars sing melodies to her,
melodies that have no words,
but unveil the ancient mysteries,
the possibilities, the angels
emblazoned in their light...

*

The night wind is her friend.
It curls around her hair,
scooping around her shawl,
tracing her cheek,
wrapping her in its sweet embrace,
reminding her she is loved...

*

The swoop of an owl's wings.
She calls to her, awakening her,
the moonlight in her eyes,
her knowing presence.
The Wise Owl is inside you...

*

And then, there is
Grandmother Moon.
Her crone cream belly
laying, dreaming in the sky.
Her life is of transformation,
she takes you on the journey,
this journey of being a woman...

*

She is a Goddess of the Night,
finding Great Spirit in the solitude of the dark,
the shining angels of the stars,
the belly of moon,
the flight of the owl.

**

Uluru dawn over the dunes

The Goddess of the Night evokes for me all the night dreaming in Uluru.
The night sky there is filled with a thousand lights ~ nightly barefoot walks in the dune ~ a dingo ~ infinity.

An offering to the stars ~
Leonie

Inspire Me Thursday: Connections

2007-06-27T19:54:00.000+10:00

Sunday was a day of painting on the floor,
swirling around the room,
following the sun like the Ancient Ones.

There is a deva inside me
that I dance with,
that I immerse myself in,
listening to her gentle voice,
the way she presses my hand against the canvas surface.

And in the moments where I need to inhale,
to replenish the well,
to connect again with the world outside...

I read the books of the woman who is a Soul~Lighthouse
and lay down beside my healing dog.

All it takes is these little, perfect connections...
to remind me that all is well, right here, right now...

be blessed,
Leonie

~ More Connection journalling is at Inspire Me Thursday.

~ Goddess of Leonie etsy store Grand Opening Fairy Party will be razzle dazzling its feathers v sooon... to be on the mailing list for the opening, please pop me an email at leonie(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject heading "I love your rosey posey baby~cheeks."
I am so looking forward to sharing some more rainbow art joys with you!

not in kansas adventure

2007-06-27T19:15:00.000+10:00

You know you're not in small town Kansas-Canberra anymore, Toto,
when you're walking down the street,
look up and see
a freaking HIGHWAY above the building.

Call me yokel, but I just didn't know that kind of stuff happened.
It amazes me how close us humans want to live by each other... tribal communities in our funny city ways.

Speaking of close...

Noodles and hugs and kisses and words and wasabi mayonnaise and each other.

Happy, happy miracles.

Dear, dear friends.

Can you spot Leonie in this building reflection?

Flying home in the afternoon, me and my Wonder-Workmate, Smiling John, somehow managed to charm the flight attendant that we were childish enough to warrant child activity packs. We scored free Freddo Frog pencilcases (which consumated the day's status as Best Day Ever), and played a hilarious blend of Freddo Frog Go Fish with great guffaws of laughter.

Hello home.
Hello miracle day.

*happy sigh*
Leonie

Manifest this

2007-06-26T20:11:00.000+10:00

This is a photo of me and one of my dearest friends and earth~sisters, Sone.

She lives in another city, and we see each other a couple of times a year.

Both of us are lunch-hour lovers ~ using those hours for discovery, artists dates, good food and reading in the park. Now if only we could do those things together.

We are always telling each other ~ "let's meet up for lunch!" "meet you at the bookstore for lunch! we'll have frappes!"

Talk about manifestation:

Tomorrow, my work is sending me on a big winged steel bird.
To my dear friend's city.
To a building only a couple of blocks from my dear friend's work.
With an hour of lunch.

What are the odds?
What are the miracle-freaking-odds?

So tomorrow...
at lunch,
I'm going to do the most natural thing in the world...
and sit across from this beauty,
share stories,
hold hands,
laugh and
revel in each other's company.

My LunchDate tomorrow: This girl has pretty much the best laugh ever...

I want this to stand as bonafide proof
that we really can manifest anything and everything
under this glorious, impossibly possible sun.

I think I shall wear pink,
Leonie

For Phil

2007-06-25T20:36:00.000+10:00

For Phil,
who reminded me
that the most important part of this blog
is being All About Charlie.

One totally gratuitous photo of the cutest dog possible.

Doggy hugs,
Leonie

Self Portrait Challenge

2007-06-25T14:04:00.000+10:00

It is winter here:
the descent of the Goddess Persephone into the underbelly of the Earth, reuniting with her lover Hades. The story makes sense in the changes here, down in the Southern Alps, but not so much in the year-round tropics of my birthplace..
I was born in a town 2000 kilometres north of here - a town named by the Roman's name for the Goddess - Proserpine.
Born in the land of Persephone under the sign of Scorpio, choosing to pair with another Scorpio ~ welcome to the landscape of a woman on the discovery for the deep.

It is winter here:
watching the Poplar leaves turn yellow gold
the Manchurian Pear leaves a brilliant, ruby red,
then finally, they are all gone.

Only the release of disintegrating leaves,,
and bare limbs, naked and strong.
Can I learn the lessons of the trees?

Outside at night, we beckon to the moon,
planting our feet into the frozen earth,
the winter breath wind coursing past us and through us.

Only Mother Earth can teach us
such a gift as this:
That life is flow:
a constant, round river,
of leaves colouring, falling, sleeping, awakening,
bursting into bloom once more.
of leaves colouring, falling, sleeping, awakening,
bursting into bloom once more.

She changes every thing she touches,
Everything she touches changes.

May I know the wisdom and clarity
to breathe through the breath,
to love what is here
and be a part of the change.

With love,
Leonie

~ More Self Portraiters in their environment here.

All the miracles in this world

2007-06-23T19:21:00.000+10:00

Mermaid friends, acrylic on watercolour paper

Today me and my love went to check out a new gym... our membership to our last one lapsed a few months ago, and we didn't bother renewing.

This week we've been given the much needed shove by the Universe, reminding us to take care of our health.

Me and my love are both Scorpios, both deeply passionate about learning the ancient and mystical ways. We've got it all happening spiritually, we're all cool mentally, but we forget about that body part in the Holy Trinity of Body, Mind and Spirit.

Oh yes. Body. We forget that to live on this planet is to take ownership of our human selves, these temples where Spirit dwells.

So today my love decides something new is in order, and takes me to see a new gym, with wide windows that let the light flood in over the pool.

We meet the memberships officer ~ she has a wide smile and brown hair in cascades of curls. We sit down to talk about membership, and she points out my moonstone ring.

(I use this line often - it's like my spiritual pickup line. Point out someone's crystal jewellery, and see if they start talking about what stone it is and what healing properties they have).

I nod, point out my turquoise ring... and then somehow the three of us descend straight down deeeeeep into those things that matter to us ~ spirit, life, divinity, soul purpose. Earth angels, NLP, the God in every person. Atlantis, Avalon, Leumeria. Numerology, star signs, miracles. Healing, bodywork, shamanism. We discover she too is a Scorpio, so it is a deliriously good hour spent sharing about books that have changed our lives, sacred ceremonies and changing the world.

I comment on her hair ~ "You must be a mermaid..."
Her eyes light up. She knows already.

It is like an exhale ~ a breath outward ~ a relief to "small talk" on Spirit.

It was blissful ~ blissful ~ blissful.
To make instant mermaid friends with a soul who was obviously just waiting to enter our lives.

All the miracles in this world...
all it takes sometimes is just a sparkling, new connection
with another wide~eyed, life~loving mermaid...

May miracles grace your life,
as simply and easily as a blue wren flighting in,
love,
Leonie

P.S. I think we found the right gym...

doomo arigatoo gozaimasu

2007-06-20T20:23:00.000+10:00

She wraps herself in rainbows, acrylic and mixed media on canvas.

I have so much to share in the coming days...
but for now, some sleep and connecting in with my soul is in order.

I want to thank you all deeply for the rainbows of emails, comments and love I have been receiving. I take them deliciously into my heart and make them a home there, on rugs with stories and blankets that always seem to get paint on them. If you do comment ~ please leave an email address if you can... I would like to email you back & connect. :)

Thank you for your open heartedness, willingness to share, enCOURAGEment, and celebration of all things spirit. Thank you for believing in the healing miracles of rainbows and art just as much as me.

And thank you, Sky Fairies, for being so dang magnificent, and reminding us who we are in shimmering glimmers between one breath and the next moment.

You are joy, and you are love, right now, right here.

I believe in you,
Leonie

Hurrah!

2007-06-18T22:19:00.000+10:00

Check out the new Leonielife.com website!

so much sweetness in store for you...

2007-06-18T21:13:00.000+10:00

it's like fairy-floss land here at Leonie Life...

Now if only I could remember my password so I can unleash some rainbows on this them there net!

A whole new website is being birthed, and I am shuddering with delight.

Until I can remember my password however... I'm off to learn yoga from Charlie~dog... he is a keened practioner of puppy~pilates and stretching his spirit.

Stay in the happy place (and stay tuned!)
fairy wings,
Leonie

my dear brothers

2007-06-17T20:09:00.000+10:00

Dalai Lama journal pages

A couple of days ago I was blessed to be a part of the crowd that gathered for an interfaith dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest and a Muslim professor. It was deeply interesting, and the whole discussion made me think about compassion and love for everyone, no matter where they are at, what they believe in...

The Dalai Lama shared how he and his Christian and Hindu friends would meditate and pray together under the Bodhi tree together ~ what a beautiful expression of one~ness. It makes me want to do the same, with all my friends of myriad beliefs and ways of speaking to the Sky Fairies.

How more can I foster love and acceptance in my life? How can I deepen my understanding of universal sister and brother-hood?

When the Catholic priest had finished talking, he turned to the Dalai Lama, the rabbi, the professor, and he said "you are my brothers, my very dear brothers"... and I had tears in my eyes and a heart bigger than a canyon.

The Jewish rabbi and the Muslim professor were both gentle, and shared of their faith with tenderness that touched me greatly.

During the dialogue, I kept going in and out of meditation ~ it felt very easily to slip into prayer and devotion and spirit space, with 4 000 others gathered just to listen to the message of peace. I noticed the lady sitting beside me was doing the same thing... most of the time her eyes were closed. I kept seeing and feeling angels and Tibetan deities all over the arena as we sat there.

At the end, they were all discussing how they could further create peace, harmony and oneness in the world and in between faiths... and the Catholic priest said:

"Maybe we could all just come together, and sit in silence together. We meet God in the silence."

There are six billion people in this precious world... and six billion precious paths of listening to spirit.

I will meet you in the stillness, in the open realm of the heart~cave,
Leonie

P.S. You can listen to the whole dialogue here.
P.P.S. I've been painting in the sweet rays of sunshine all weekend... will share some soon!

Cat Goddess

2007-06-12T20:43:00.000+10:00

She found sweet solace in her cat's gentle purr...

In the sweet winter sunlight, this goddess emerged, with a sweet cat purring beneath her chin...

As I painted, I ruminated on my first cat love...

She was a wild grey cat who lived in our hay shed when I was about 11 or 12.

I discovered her one summer afternoon while playing hide-and-seek with my little sister in the hay bales. I'm not sure who scared each other more when I came face to face with her silver eyes, but she startled me even more when she casually sidled up to me, and jumped up to nudge her face against my hand. This was her trademark move - leaping up to self-stroke against me. So insistent in her affection, so loving yet independent.

I named her Steph (my dream name - such a child of the 80s I am).

We became firm and gentle friends of the wild.

She was a cat who would not be domesticated - I tried luring her home, but the backyard fence was as close as she would come. She was a cat who loved her hay shed, and would pour her love on me when I came to visit.

So I would - every afternoon, just to sit on the haybales and watch the sunset over the lake and the mountains, and to hang out with this strange, loving, wild cat.

Somehow, this is a metaphor of love for me... it does not come in the way you imagine, it is not something you can rein in or control. It just is, and you can only be in it, and experience it as open~heartedly as you can.

And there I painted this goddess, finding sweet solace in her cat's gentle purr. Somehow, sublimely, magically, endearingly, my dear dog decided that now was the time to crawl into my arms, head beneath mine, copying the pose in the painting, to remind me of this energy that is still in my life. I swear, if he could have purred, he would have...

Inside me there lives a girl of wild cats, horses in the paddocks, buffalo spirits, sunset mountains and dogs wanting to be cats...

with love and light,
Leonie

sometimes

2007-06-11T18:14:00.000+10:00

sometimes i forget
that when i am full of
headiness and wound up energy,
insomnia, crabbiness and winter blues...

all i need is some sun and some air.

the earth has all the healing you need.

i am so blessed to walk this beautiful earth.

love,
Leonie

You bring light into this world

2007-06-08T20:01:00.000+10:00

You bring light into this world, acrylic & mixed media on canvas

I painted this artwork some months ago, and it is only now that I am beginning to understand her message and hear her truth.

For me, my artworks are messages from Spirit, and each one is brought into my life to teach me a story and touch me with her presence. I have learned to hold onto my paintings until she becomes a part of me. The paintings will tell me when it is time for them to take wings and fly out into the world.

For me, "You bring light into this world" is a healing goddess. She is a swirl of rainbows, a sparkle across the water. She is a channel for guiding starlight in the cosmos. She is the woman in all of us who creates miracles with her hands, and touches the world with her glow.

Lately I have been learning her messages:

Trust in your healing ability.

Trust in your intuition.

Trust in the wisdom that is inside you already.

With massage, reflexology, oracle cards, crystal healing...
I don't need to focus on knowing the "right" way to do it ~
I only need to just let healing speak to me and through me,
unfolding through my hands just as it needs to be.

Last night I witnessed and was part of a miracle ~
and my house sung with women~sisters healing each other with their hands, so I share this with deep faith and belief in the possibilities of intuitive healing.

I don't need all the books to know in my belly where my hands need to go ~ to touch, to hold, to heal, to bring light.

This is my lesson, this is me trusting the High Priestess inside me.

We know everything already, it's just a case of remembering.

Have you given yourself the gift of crystal healing?
Pick a crystal up. And do what it tells you to do.
How does it speak to you? What does it say? What miracles do you allow inside today?

We are born healers.
We are born gods and goddesses.
We are born divine.

You bring light into this world.

The story of a painting unfolds...

in shining amethyst,
Leonie

There is only Love

2007-06-05T19:40:00.000+10:00

There is only love.

There is only love.

There is only love.

Offering

2007-06-04T11:12:00.000+10:00

With burning sage
I give thanks to all that has been
and all that will be.

Beneath tall pine trees
there is a ring of tiny mushrooms
where fairies congregate.

I make an offering to the earth
for healing, release and love
for the highest good of all.

I am so grateful.
I am so grateful.
I am so grateful.

How can we more deeply celebrate and honour when the path of a friendship changes?

Today I choose to honour this change as two souls choosing to walk their paths as honestly and authentically as they can.

Today I choose to honour the beauty of those lessons and the miracle light of healing.

Today I choose to honour the great gifts of that connection.

Today I choose to trust who I need to be and where I need to go.

Today I choose to honour love ~ love as the energy that does not begin or end, it simply is.

Today I give great thanks to the Universe
For all that has been, for all that is, for all that will be.

with love, joy and trust in spirit,
Leonie

"Invite Someone Dangerous To Tea" ~ SARK

2007-06-02T14:03:00.000+10:00

autumn woman

In the spirit of lush Liz's fantasy tea dates, I hereby invoke my dreamtime dangerous tea ensemble

I would invite SARK, Julia Cameron, Jewel, Linda Goodman, Sarah ban Breathnach, Lynn Andrews, Fiona Horne, a dreadlocked yogi goddess, my dearest friends from around Australia, Ruth Ostrow, Jennifer Louden, an empathic chimpanzee, Toni Childs, Amelie, some delicious bloggerettes from around the globe, Sally Morgan, Anais Nin, Brooke Medicine Eagle, Doris Day and Janeane Garafalo.

My token male would be Roald Dahl, who I regard as a dear uncle to me.

We would meet at a place named Hotel Divine. There would be delectable orange and poppyseed muffins with too cute glace orange slices quivering on the white puffy icing. There would be the World's Most Extensive Range of Herbal Teas (possibly handcrafted by my friend the Wild Shaky Mountain Herbal Medicine Woman). There would be piling steams of pancakes with thirty varieties of toppings. There would be vintage photobooths that you slot your own camera into, with a variety of themed backgrounds you could choose from.

There would be booths and a checkered floor. And we would know the name and intimate details of every waiter and waitress who greeted us as "dahhhhlinks." Sometimes our waiter would be David Hasselhoff, just for shits and giggles.

I would wear fabulous "fru fru" skirts (named by me and Lile after floaty long skirts) in all shades of magenta and turquoise. And a blue Bonds singlet with a fabulous shawl wrapped around me. Preferably barefoot, or sandles. And I would have a fiery sparkly halo that fizzled in all colours of sherbet.

I would take with me bare hands for holding, a watercolour paper journal for dreaming in and my dear Canon. Most of the times I only take photos of napkins though, as what happens at Hotel Divine stays at Hotel Divine.
It would be dreamy divine hilarious raucous illuminating naughty blessed delicious wide open wonderful...

And just personally, I think it would be dangerous, in a tilt-the-world-changing kinda way.

You can play the Dream Tea game at Liz's little room of delights.

Cupcake out, honeys
Leonie

delicious things

2007-05-30T18:17:00.000+10:00

magical glitter shoes that make me tap my toes together and wish for miracles...

breathe for a beautiful friend...

charlie's face has me gigglesnorting for hours..

for a beautiful friend, celebrating the life of one of her miracle doggies
(we love you hayley)

something intoxicating...

art~play...

go forth and document your delicious things!

you can post your link in the comments...

we can have a whole celebration of delicious things :)

<3 out,
Leonie

Soulful Movies

2007-05-27T13:25:00.000+10:00

I'm a big fan of soulful, spirited movies. Actually, that's all I really try to watch anymore. I'm a delicate petal and am easily affected by movies with suspense, terror, gore or action. (That includes Harry Potter - I'm not kidding). For me, it feels almost excruciating to watch a kid being snuck up on, a sword fight or harsh words. I think: I wouldn't want to see this in my real life, so why on earth would I subject my spirit to it by watching a movie of it. I have a difficult time knowing what is "real" and what is "imaginary" because they both FEEL the same.

For most of my life thus far, I tried to like whatever was thrown at me from the cinema screen. I tried to be okay with it. But for me, it wasn't a joyful experience. It was too much, and it would affect me for days afterwards.

I am affected in the same way by novels, so I rarely read them. I remember reading a novel about a schizophrenic man constructing his own world of reality when I was living in Malaysia for a few months. At the end of the book, you find out all you thought was real was actually the imaginary part of the book. I felt truly screwed up for three days afterwards.

I am now at a point in my life where I embrace my tenderness, and choose movies and books that nourish it.

As Jewel would say ~
"I'm sensitive
and I'd like to stay that way."

When I do watch a beautiful movie, my heart feels lightened and I feel blessed that I have been able to see into a new world. There is so much good stuff out there ~ and I'd like to give voice to it, and share resources of how to love our divine spirits as best we can.

I would love to share my list of movies that have nourished my spirit,
and hear your list too, so I know which ones to look out for :)

Baraka

Conversations with God

Ten Canoes

Dreamkeeper

Disney's "The Kid"

The Blue Butterfly

Small Miracles

Amelie

And of course ~

The Secret (now renamed "The Common Sense")

What the Bleep do we Know?!

Movies still to see ~

The Celestine Prophecy

Peaceful Warrior

Do share what movies inspired you, nourished you, made your belly smile...
I'll add them to this list :)

May your spirit always be blessed ~
Leonie

frippery of the pancake variety

2007-05-25T15:05:00.000+10:00

itzdahomeboyz&grrlz (or... making obscure gestures with our hands is fun!)

Intermittently I like to gather together my friends from here and there in my life ~ workmates, playmates, bus friends, circle sisters ~ integrating all the aspects of my life ~ the sacred, silly, serendipitous and saucy (as my workmates tend to be).

Today is one of those days.

We go for pancakes. (again)

Not all of them know each other, so i bring paper nameplates, and we write our names on them to call each other. Porn star names that is.

And I do believe I have one of the best porn star names possible (following the Name of First Pet, Name of First Street Lived In convention):

Pussy Station.

We order our usual (Lunch Spanakopita and Hot Ball), me taking great care to ask in an accent for "Lunch Spanking and Hot Balls." I'm sure nobody in the history of the Pancake Parlour has ever made such hilarious and ingenious innuendo before. I pride myself on such originality like that.

Nick savours his hot balls

Then we tear up small pieces of paper and everyone writes a question on them to put into the Dream Rainbow Beanie, then we all take turns to pull out the questions and everyone answers.

This is the Leonie Way Of Connecting People.

Or should I say, the Pussy Station Way of Connecting People.

The question is asked
"Whose Your Daddy?"

(Okay, okay, it was my question).

We all go around saying "My Dad's name is Bob and he's a train driver!" (like we are in Year 2)

We get to me and I say "Well, I'm actually named after my Dad!"

Ben (or should I say Rainbow Lagoon) quips "Your Dad's name is PUSSY?!?!?"

(Ben also happens to create the funniest comics possible... his latest creation of "You Stink and I Don't Volume 9" has me laughing into the wee hours. Good good GOOD fun!)

Another question is asked:

"What superpower do you have?"

It becomes a discussion on Heroes (which I have no idea about, too gory for this delicate petal).

Nimpho Nads decides she wants the superpower of the Heroes dude who can talk to ATMs.

Deciding electronic power could be useful, I think I may just want to have the Superpower of being able to charge my Ipod. (What is with that? Always out of power!)

We decide to have a homegirrl&boyz portrait taken afterwards, balancing it on a high chair. A cutey patootie Swede walks by and offers to take it for us. In exchange, I proclaim him my New Best Friend, and have a Arm-Stretched-Out-Classy-Self-Portrait with him. Only later do I realise he could be my brother. Where are you, oh Swede brothafromanothermotha?

After all that, I really could have gone for a leisurely horse ride on the carousel as per my usual habit. They were having a rest and a bath though.

Maybe next time...

May silliness rupture you clean open and sparkling,

Love,

Pussy.