Month: February 2024

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Originally posted at: Lisa Vanderpump’s Blue Hooded Blazer

Reading, by its very nature, is a charming experience. Who hasn’t been carried off to a distant land or found solace in books? All humans are hard-wired for stories, and it is in the realm of magical realism that stories blend the ordinary with the mystical, the mundane with the extraordinary and the supernatural adds a unique layer to the everyday.

In novels of magical realism, miracles and uncanny events, like levitating off the ground, are portrayed with the same matter-of-factness as any other aspect of life. This natural immersion encourages and invites us to accept the inexplicable as an integral part of the universe.

Celebrating Whimsy

The fantastical and inexplicable are unmistakable traits and show up in many ways through the characters, the setting, sometimes the political climate, and a heightened awareness of otherworldly events and activities.

But within these stories, whether it is the innate abilities of clairvoyance in the character Clara of the novel House of the Spirits, the witchery and curse of the Owen family in the Practical Magic series, or the gnome filled Catskill mountains of Washington Irving, the doors of possibility are opened wide, and magic is welcome to run wild and free.

These novels, characterized by magic presented as commonplace occurrences, especially among and within the lives of women, are viewed as part of the native world and just as natural as woman’s cycles following the phases of the moon. Importantly, there is no explanation of these fantastical events as the plot continues logically, but it drapes the reader in a cloak that says, magic is normal, marvelous and common. Celebrate it!

The origins of this genre are in cultures that have a close kinship to charmed living. For example, there is the Native American oral literature tale of a girl who transforms her sisters into stars to keep them from being eaten by a bear. They become the constellation the Seven Sisters.

In the Celtic Fianna warrior tales, Fionn mac Cumhaill sucks his thumb to ease a cut and gains the wisdom of the salmon. He also marries a woman the Druids had turned into a deer.

Strega Nona in Italian tales has a pasta pot that never runs empty and Baba Yaga lives in a house with chicken legs. The world of mythology, history and enchantment often mix with the mundane.

Magic, the Mystical, and Books

In the early part of the 19th century, the Romantics embraced, celebrated and were fascinated with intuition, emotion and nature. In the tales of Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving, steeps his stories in Dutch folklore, American history, dwarves and ghosts.

Nathaniel Hawthorne embodies his heroine Hester, and her fairy child Pearl, with almost preternatural gifts as she struggles to survive Puritan society in The Scarlet Letter. The poems and short tales of Edgar Alan Poe sing with magical realism. For example, the angels are jealous of Annabelle Lee.

Magic has been afoot for as long as humans have drawn breath and has probably predated us for even science has now proven that trees can communicate. For readers, can you imagine baking emotions into food as is depicted in Like Water for Chocolate? Or children being telepathically linked to India’s independence in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children?

Toni Morrison’s critically acclaimed novel Beloved is centered around a mother who is haunted by her child. Sherman Alexie and Louise Erdrich often marry elements of magical realism and Native American culture into their literature. These writers shaped and influenced my own writing as well as world view.

Appalachian Magic

While my novel Across the Blue Ridge Mountains is rooted in Appalachia and one young woman’s struggles and triumphs, Appalachia is no stranger to magic as it was brought over the waves with the English and the Scotch Irish.

Purposefully, I infused my story with the subtleties of magic, whether it is women with the sight (intuition and psychic abilities), Mary being able to catch trout with her bare hands and charm birds, or Luanne being able to find morel mushrooms when the fairies are hiding them.

Also, all my women characters follow their intuition, even when it sometimes takes them down the wrong path. But like many settings of magical realism, it is also the story of marginalized lives, for ultimately, the families in my book are maligned and forced to move from their homes to make way for Shenandoah National Park.

Subtly, magical realism often takes on these indignities of political, economic or cultural inequality. Perhaps the beauty of enchantment also allows us to read the literature of magical realism as subversive texts, and by the way, practitioners know that magic can also be seen as subversive!

Magical realism can often correct imbalances of power and can be used as a way to subvert dominant forces. Like a spell, magic has power, and magic realism can act and be read on many levels, but ultimately, it honors intuition, imagination, the ability to see beyond the veil and to tap into all that is unsaid and lies hidden to the mortal eye. It reminds us that enchantment has always been there all along if you know where to look.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Where do you find enchantment in everyday living? Are you inspired to read some books in this genre? Can you think of some stories from your own life that contain a bit of magic?

Originally posted at: Lala Kent’s Black Leopard Cat Suit and Corset Top

We all want more love in our lives. But what are we prepared to let go of to make room for the love we seek? To answer that question, we will want to reframe how we perceive self-love.

For it is through a new understanding of what self-love is that we can begin practicing self-love on a daily basis without feeling uncomfortable.

In this article and accompanying video I will take you through seven essential practices of self-love and how you can apply them in your life right away. This is the second of a new, three-part series on loving more of yourself after 60.

What Is Love?

For many people, love is elusive, fickle, strict, and overly demanding. For others, love is a fairytale romance filled with joy, bliss, and delightfully pleasurable experiences. And there are those who believe love is an illusion and not a realistic idea to pursue.

With such disparity in society’s generalized beliefs about love, it is not surprising that self-love is so widely misunderstood.

There is another belief about love, however, which is not only becoming more acceptable, but it is also changing how women over 60 perceive self-love.

It is the belief that love is not something we chase after outside of ourselves. True love, therefore, is something we have access to inside us.

If true love is within us, it should be easy to stop looking for love outside of ourselves, right? What makes self-love difficult is holding onto limiting beliefs about who we are at this stage of our lives. To let go of limiting beliefs we must be willing to change how we perceive self-love.

Self-Love Is an Empowering Act

I did not always have a positive outlook on self-love. Over time, I have learned to not only value the power of self-love, but it has become an essential part of my daily life.

For me, personally, self-love is the practice of nurturing and valuing oneself. It is an unconditional acceptance that you are worthy and deserving of love.

Self-love allows you to embrace your innate wisdom, make the most of life experiences, and it brings out the very best of your unique qualities.

For this reason and more, self-love is an empowering act.

What makes it so empowering is that you are prioritizing self-care and self-compassion over self-loathing and negative self-talk. For without doing this, how can you make room in your life for the love you desire?

7 Essential Practices of Self-Love

Over the years, I have written and spoken extensively about self-love. Each year I find myself learning more about who I am and how to apply self-love in my own life. This includes an ever-evolving set of self-love practices I engage in and share with others.

Here is my current list of seven essential practices of self-love you can apply to your life right away:

Gratitude Reflection

Establish time each day to journal three (or more) things you are grateful for. They can be simple pleasures or significant moments.

Mirror Affirmations

Every morning, stand in front of a mirror and look into your own eyes. Repeat positive affirmations about yourself, such as “I am loving”, “I am my own best friend”, “I am beautiful,” “I am wise,” or “I am sexy.” Feel the positive energy and love flowing towards yourself as you speak these words.

Body Appreciation

Appreciate and honor your body through gentle exercises, such as stretching, yoga, massage, or walking. Celebrate what your body can do rather than dwelling on perceived limitations.

Self-Compassion Journaling

Set aside time for journaling your thoughts, feelings, and experiences from a place of self-compassion. Remind yourself that you deserve the same love and kindness you would offer to a dear friend.

Reflection on Achievements

Make a list of your achievements throughout your life, both big and small.Acknowledge and celebrate your resilience, wisdom, and the positive impact you’ve had on others as a result of these achievements.

Creative Expression

Engage in creative activities that foster joy, such as painting, writing, singing, or dancing. Allow yourself to fully enjoy the process without judgment or expectations.

Self-Care Rituals

Incorporate self-care rituals into your daily routine, such as taking relaxing baths, enjoying a cup of tea, positive affirmations, journaling, or engaging in a hobby that lights you up.

A Personal Journey

Practicing self-love is essential at any age, and none more so than after 60. These seven practices are just the beginning. Be sure to add your own unique take on them, as well as establish your own practices to cultivate more self-love.

Remember to always treat yourself with the utmost love and care, prioritizing thoughts and activities that bring you inner joy, peace, and fulfillment.

Self-love is a personal and continuous journey. Be patient with yourself as you practice self-love.

Rather than see these practices as a chore, view self-love as a cherished part of your life.

I invite you to join me in the video above, where I share seven unique ways to apply journaling to your self-love practices.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you embraced the concept of self-love? How do you show yourself the love you deserve? What self-love practices are part of your daily life?

Originally posted at: Ally Lewber’s Brown Knit Criss Cross Tank