It Didn't Take Much

Look what I found!

Associated Daughters of Early American Witches click here

Growing up in New England, the ripples were still felt.

Any of you playing around with plants, herbs, midwifery, home remedies, home brews, aromatherapy, healing arts, yoga, scolding

 ... could've been in trouble ...

Here's a list of known ancestors click here

Here's what a member says click here
 

A woman must be at least 16 years of age and able to prove descent from an ancestor or ancestress who was accused, tried, or executed for the practice of witchcraft prior to December 31, 1699. Membership by invitation.

collage: 3 eggs lastor

The Divine Grassy Drinkwater

A Human with More than Nine Lives

 

It’s not true you only live once. You only die once. You live lots of times if you know how.

- Bobby Darin 1967

photo: Knight Anole Shedding Ltshears

Falling

Practicing leaps and jumps and
making friends with the air

we had to practice landing.

When we really went gyroscopic in the air

we spent much time practicing falling.

Good lesson for living life.

Intimate Ally

Translated from English into English

The voraciousness of love
the fiesta, the fiasco

The audaciousness of
kindness, the soulfulness, the grin

The chagrin of thoughtlessness
the lost moment, the lost touch

The consciousness of the future
the hope, the help

- Intimate Ally
- by Lura Astor


Illustration: Hearterial Lura Astor

Form

a Tai Chi form can be created infinitely as long as the basics are upheld

Here We Go!

Here we go!

















Collage: Sphere of Influence Lura Astor 1996

Permission to Worry

Permission to Worry - a skit by Lura Astor based on a True Story

Lura: Permission to worry.

Other:  Really? Oh,

Lura:  Absolutely, as a matter of fact, you can worry as much as you want to and

Other:  Oh, see when people tell me not to worry then I do, just to

Lura:  Take as much time as you need. No pressure - uh, unless you want pressure. Worry as long as it takes

Other:  Can I put it off 'til tomorrow?

Lura:  Yes. You can even procrastinate.

Other: I multi-task

Lura: You can multi-task your worries and procrastinations, you can juggle a whole bunch of plates filled with procrastinations

Other:  Oh, thank you!I'm going off to worry now, I love you!

Lura:  Back atcha

-end-

Techqua Ikachi: Land - My Life 
cinematographer Jürg V. Walther, Anka Schmid

Quiet Treat

For friends imbibing in Silent Retreats, Heart Retreats,
daily walk re-treats

Paul Simon says it here in his Quiet

 











I am heading for a time of quiet
When my restlessness is past
And I can lie down on my blanket
And release my fists at last

I am heading for a time of solitude
Of peace without illusions
When the perfect circle
Marries all beginnings and conclusions

And when they say
That you're not good enough
Well the answer is
You're not
But who are they
Or what is it
That eats at what you've got
With the hunger of ambition
For the change inside the purse
They are handcuffs on the soul, my friends
Handcuffs on the soul
And worse

I am heading for a place of quiet
Where the sage and sweetgrass grow
By a lake of sacred water
From the mountain's melted snow
-Paul Simon

pastel: Berlin Pond Vermont   Deb Dwyer

photo: Forsythia   Deb Imershein

She Changed the Air When She Danced

Mary Hinkson

Judith Jamison in Cry 1976

 

 Isadora Duncan

Loie Fuller 1902

1983ish me with 50 yards of silk
I was lucky enough to dance Loie's and Isadora's dances

via historical reconstruction by Karoun Tootikian click here

Lucky enough to see Mary and Judith perform, and take classes from them. They had stature, baby.

It has taken me years of struggle, hard work, and research

to learn to make one simple gesture,

and I know enough about the art of writing

to realize that it would take as many years

of concentrated effort to write

one simple, beautiful sentence.  

~ Isadora Duncan

You were once wild here. Don’t let them tame you.

~ Isadora Duncan

Parfum Inconnu by Houbigant 1925

Did You Take That Picnic?

on a building rooftop

by some water
in a car
on a bike

at sunrise
in a garden
by a lake
or ocean's gate

share some food
with others
people, birds, lizards and clouds
yes, even the ants


Three Picnicking Bears: Rosa C. Petherick

Don't Let the Bahastahds Get Ya Down

love the song written by

Adrienne Shelly & Andrew Hollander

performed in vaudeville fashion

in a bittersweet, touching scene

in the quirky film I'll Take You There 1999

The Bastard Song
- Adrienne Shelly & Andrew Hollander

 

It's a world of suffering
In a sea of pain

No matter how much sun you bring
You're pummeled by the rain

So what's the use in getting up
And what's the use in tryin'?
And what's the use in listening
When everybody's lyin'?

Don't let the heartless get you down

Don't greet the heartless at your door

Don't live among the heartless

The life you lead just turns to shit

Your joy it falls to treason

There isn't any rhyme to it
There isn't any reason

Don't let the bastards get you down

Don't greet the bastards at your door

Don't live among the bastards

In this dead-end universe
Where there seems to be no grace
There are heavens on the map
There are humans in the race
There are people you can trust
When you need some decency
You can trust someone like you
You can trust someone like me

Don't let the strangers get you down

Don't greet the strangers at your door

Don't live among the strangers
My friend

Don't live among the strangers
The heartless
The bastards
My love...

A Day in Life in the World

I remember when Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention and crew brought 200 Motels to cinema, shot in videotape.

I remember when Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming shot The Anniversary Party in  SONY DSR-500 digital video and we saw that technology on big screen. 

Now comes Ridley Scott's use of you-tube and people around our world sharing Life in a Day on the big screen.

Bloom Baby Bloom

Bloom the petal of peace from your own hot water

Burn, baby, Burn has new meaning
when dona nobis pacem begins at
home, your heart, your lungs, your soulfulness

Whether it's tee time or tea time

Steep and brew hear-t, lung, and soul petals in
the hot water of our making and

Let's make the world sing! not singe.

painting: Petals lastor

Meditation

Keep it Light!
 

 Meditation

Make sure you really need this
on top of the worries
you've already got.

- J.P. Donleavy

  The Unexpurgated Code: A Complete Manual of Survival and Manners

animation: lastor

Summer's Still Here = Spread Some Glitter

Wheeeeeeeeee

animation: lastor

Swim with the Lumberjack!

When Aerobics classes were new in the States, I received certifications but never enjoyed the choreography, pace or music. I observed bodies becoming boxier as the muscle training lacked lengthening and stretching. That came later.

As a lover of words, I love movement terms in different disciplines.

On that note, enjoy this!

Drive the weasels to Chester

Express through the Fingers

 

From the Tai Chi Classics

Strength is

rooted in the heels

developed in the thighs

controlled by the waist

and

expressed through the fingers

Montage: Hands of Light lastor

Breathe Beauty

breathe beauty in
breathe beauty out

create something new
for you
forever

breathe beauty out
breathe beauty in

and again

I Would Like This Guy as My Neighbor!

Pay attention to the fluidity of the knee joints.

Joint health is vital - it's in the Tai Chi warm up that I give you!