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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!
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
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
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.
