Mobile Book Stores

I spend too much time looking at YouTube clips, but usually I'm delighted to find ideas that inspire me to say "If I had the money, I would..." in this case, I would consider being a partner in a collective that owns a mobile book shop.  Yesterday I watched clips in which entrepreneurs had outfitted their vans into mobile book stores. Some of the book sellers designed their shops to target specific audiences -- such as parents of children or LGBW (the "W" stands for whomever I have missed) population. I couldn't find any clips that showed mobile book shops that catered to people of color -- and I'm going to put it out here right now. When I say "people of color," I'm including ALL people of color. I'm not sure who came up with the idea of separating Black people from people of color (as in BIPOC), but when I was a child, if someone said "people of color," then he or she was understood to mean Black or Biracial people, get it? Now that we cleared that up, allow me to continue.  I think such a book store would be warmly received, for I live in a small city in which there are no African-American bookstores of which I am aware. This is remarkable, for this city boasts a prestigious university, and the housing market is designed for those with a liveable salary. Such an investment would cost thousand of dollars, and taking a chance on any book endeavor would be unpredictable at best. BUT  imagine it's a snowy day, for Christmas approaches. There you stand, inviting parents and caregivers to come into your mobile book store while they shop for books for holiday gifts. The register is at the back of the van, while outside in the brrr temps, one of your partners-in literacy hands out candy canes and fliers to the book club or story teller's event you plan to sponsor. Your love of books and sheer stubbornness will pull you  through, though.  Optimism, my friend, optimism.

Neptune in Pisces, Wazzat?

 I'm a fan of astrology. Astrology is one of those arts on which you put your own spin -- which explains why some astrologer will declare it is an excellent time to try and get back with an ex  while others will shout, "Are you crazy? Why do you think you broke up with that fucker in the first place? This time will be worse than the last because s/he knows that you're willing to forgive her/him!"

Such is the case with Neptune in Pisces retrograde, a time in which we now find ourselves. According to some Internet astrologers, it's either clear away the crap time, or write fantasy poetry until the mermen carry you into deep waters.

Why not put my spin on it? Neptune in Pisces is a time to ponder the relationships in your life. After all,  Pisces is associated with romance, dreams, and intuition, and Neptune is associated with those periods when our thoughts creep along not quite clear, nebulous lines. It's time to imagine the friends you want to draw in your life, and be that type of friend. I am a firm believer that similar personalities tend to run into each other. Yeah, you'll have to break those fun habits like gossiping and backbiting, but think how many times those positive vibes will return to you.

If you want to prepare a trigger for this manifestation/affirmation, the new moon in Cancer (emotions, intuition) is coming up.You can use the period surrounding that moon day to arm yourself with candles or crystals (whatever you use to give a little push to your wish), recite your charmed words, and try not to undo your own work in the following period. 

No, There Really are Witches

 Ladies and Gentlemen and those I might have missed, I have discovered that someone has planted a witch catcher in the neighborhood. If you want to catch a witch, you should plant an herbal and flower garden. Everyone knows a witch can't resist looking over fresh herbs in the garden.

And the witch feels pretty good after reading the sign. Just when insane haters seem to be gaining a toehold in the United States, a sign of kindness and generosity pops up.  

Either children or fairies placed those painted rocks where the witches can sit and soak up those plant vibes.

Another look at those children's fairy rocks. Only children can fit under a Paw Paw tree. Of course, I have no idea of a paw paw's flavor. Resembling the flavor of a  papaya, maybe?

Exactly what do you do with these plants? Use the stalks in pies? Saute the leaves and sprinkle them over salads? Hit me up, culinary witches!  

So far, so good, but there are always dog walkers who would rather be a patient at the Dr. Mengele's School of Dentistry than clean up after their four legged animals.

Summer of Self-Love

 Any time is a good time to heal hurt feelings between yourself and a person you like, and according to one astrological planner, this is an excellent time to work out these disagreements. Venus Retrograde isn't scheduled to occur until next month, but some of us are feeling those love vibes right about now. Approaching that person and telling her or him "Your friendship means a great deal to me. I want to work this out" is a step toward healing wounds, and healing is a form of self-love, if I may put my opinion out there.

(pic of cards from the Superlunaris Tarot purchased from etsy site)

By the way, Happy Summer Solstice. Happy Crab Season to those who were born under the sun sign of Cancer and to those whose Mars, Venus, or moon ride in the sign of cancer. I'm not sure how the solstice became associated with magic, but it's a little too hot for me to dance around a bonfire or search for fairies in the backyard (yes, you've guessed it. Landscaping the backyard isn't exactly on the radar).  On the other hand, who can resist sprinkling a little bit of divination in her cup of solstice magic on such a special day? Type in "Tarot Spreads," and you may be rewarded with ideas that tickle your creativity into action.  Are you in the mood to launch a new tarot journal? Initially the translucent binders found in Japanese stationery shops may not be impressive in comparison to those lovely leatherbound journals with the stitched-in pages. Binders, though, allow you to add pages of your artwork, lettering, or collage to your journal.  If your first attempt at artwork doesn't turn out the way you envisioned, then you may think nothing of crumpling a sheet of notebook paper. You may be a bit more hesitant about tearing out pages of that one-of-a-kind, leatherbound  journal that cost you a half-week's pay!  And let us not forget a spell designed to reinforce your friendship with those in your life! Friends truly bring the sunshine -- although it may not feel that way at times.   

Juneteenth 2023

 Our workplace held its first Juneteenth celebration a day ago. The celebration was simple, but the event was powerful. Until the event, my experience with West African cuisine was limited to Senegalese peanut soup. The names of the dishes eluded me -- except for the white, steamed rice -- but the food yielded a peppery, flavorful experience   I attempted to describe the baobab juice as having a taste that struck me as a hybrid of banana and mango with a little ginger thrown in. Perhaps one of my ancestors had enjoyed a meal such as this before passing over an ocean fouled by the insatiable greed of slave traders.  Perhaps this was a taste of home before the holocaust.  

After lunch, we watched a Youtube clip explaining the origins of Juneteenth and a second video in which Texas university students shared their viewpoints on Juneteenth. Attendees then discussed their outlook on occasion. Out of the six European-Americans who sat at our table, one knew of Juneteeth's existence.  She grasped the importance of the federal holiday after reading Toni Morrison's Beloved. She went on to say that after reading the book, she now understood why her family members made a suicide pact which would be executed if they fell into the hands of the Nazis. I responded that according to books I read, the Nazis did not know how to segregate Jewish citizens from non-Jewish citizens. Only after studying the laws and customs of the United States did the Nazis learn how to implement apartheid against those who fell under their jurisdiction. I pointed out this was the reason why it was important for people to talk and share their stories. If people understood the similarities in their family histories, then perhaps people would develop empathy for other  travelers on this plane. 

The need to return to work cut short our discussion. Feeling that white nationalism had taken one more hit, that one more brick had been hammered away from its edifice of hate, ignorance, and oppression, I vowed  that I would volunteer for the next Juneteenth event at our workplace.  

Later I held my private Juneteenth ceremony. I lit a candle I had bought from a hoodoo shop years ago, and I thanked my ancestors for allowing me to have the experience of being human. How that special ancestor survived the Middle Passage baffled me, or how many miles of sorrow the nameless ancestors walked I had no way of counting.  I trusted the ancestors knew my intentions when I borrowed from the Beatles (who profited from the creativity and artistry of Black performers), "I am he/ we are all together."