BOOK NOOK : The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow

 

"At first, alone in her tower, she wept for the loss of her love. From the window she could see so far, but not as far as the other side of the universe. After a while, alone in her tower, she began to spin, fine golden thread. After a while, alone in her tower, she began to weave.  And after a while the rhythm of the loom would mingle with the memory of his songs and she began to sing. And in her song was the sound of the wind and the call of the birds, the ache of her heart and the strength of her love, and the loneliness of living."

My editor introduced me to the work of British artist, Jackie Morris, a few years ago, via a rather lovely Christmas card and I'm so glad that she did!  I have always loved whimsical art, poetry and fairytales so Jackie's work is just my cup of tea. Over the years since I have collected quite a few of her books and art card collections, and they are always a delight.

The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow is a collection of soft and dreamy fairytales, written to complement the artwork within. Each picture is a colourful kaleidoscope of soft muted tones and bolder accents, with the downy wash of watercolours expertly blended together. Originally these images were designed as charity Christmas cards for a musicians benevolent fund, so they all feature snowy landscapes and musical instruments alongside fantastical creatures, angelic beings and whimsical backdrops.  Although the stories were added later there is a perfect sense of synergy between the words and pictures, creating a beautiful cohesive whole. 

Opening up this book is like stepping into another world! One that is unique and at the same time, strangely familiar, for the narrative voice is that of traditional fables and fairytales. You can hear the forbidden music in the rhythm of the words, for this is a book about a world were music is banned and where musicians are forced to venture far and wide in order to find a new place of belonging.  It feels like a book from your childhood, even though it was only published fairly recently in 2016. It has the same comforting vibe as Narnia or The Box of Delights, spiriting you away to an imaginary winter realm, populated with polar bears and snowy hares, jesters and princesses, tiny kittens, silver tigers, angel cats and so much more. 

As you turn each page you are drawn more deeply into the joy and enchantment of the winter season. The pictures are filled with intricate detail, with tiny creatures hidden in the background that you might fail to notice unless you really study the images, for there is always more to discover. In this world of pure wonder, rocking horses gallop through deep snow, hot air balloons float across starry skies, polar bears are called home to icy landscapes and swan boats carry people to their dreams of love and freedom. 

These fairytales can be read as individual stories, but they also build upon one another, their edges gently merging into each other and pulling you along from one tale to the next. The words are poetic and pretty, soft and dreamy, the lyrical style lulling you into a state of wonder and quiet magical charm.  It's a lovely book to read at the end of a bad day, or when you're going through a difficult time, because the effect it has on the reader is so soothing, its almost a form of self-care! 

Also, don't dismiss this as a children's book because it can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Yes, it is a picture book and a collection of fairytales, but it is also the dreamwork of a visionary artist who draws you into the fantastical world she has created so that she can soothe your soul while you're there. I firmly believe that this book is good for mental health. 

The wintry dreamscape it presents means that it is the perfect book to curl up with this December in the run up to the festive season.  It is a book to be enjoyed by a twinkling Christmas tree, or in the depths of an icy January by candlelight, with a cup of hot cocoa beside you as you allow yourself to drift into The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow. Enjoy!

Bright Blessings,

Marie x

AD: This book is published by the Welsh publisher Graffeg Ltd and is available now. 

ONCE UPON A DREAM: Festive Dunoon!

 Sunrise over the Bay at Dunoon

I have just returned from my birthday trip to the Highlands. I wanted to go to a part of Scotland I had never been before, so I decided to visit Dunoon in Argyll, which is at the lower end of the Western Highlands. Dunoon sits on the western peninsular, which means that you have to go by ferry to get there. This was one of the most wonderful aspects of my holiday because it meant that I had a boat trip twice a day to get to and from mainland Scotland! 

It was like living on one of the Scottish islands and I enjoyed it so much. The gentle rocking of the ferry was very relaxing, heading out in the early morning and retuning in the dark in the late afternoon. I loved the experience of 'island life', where people catch the ferry instead of the bus to get to work and back, or to do their grocery shopping. Its so quaint and lovely, though I expect it can be a bit of a trial in bad weather when the ferry is cancelled at the last minute. 

Fortunately we were very lucky with the weather, with bright winter sunshine and gorgeous dry sparkly days, though it was cold by night, but I didn't need to use my umbrella at all, which is unusual in the Highlands at this time of year.  The sun was shining its birthday and festive blessings on us all week, which was very nice.

I had a sea view from my hotel room, with a little roof just below where the gulls would congregate, so each morning I woke to the beautiful cry of seagulls. This is one of my favourite sounds and it was a wonderful alarm clock to wake up to! On my arrival at the hotel I found a box of chocolates and a bottle of bubbly in my room, along with birthday cards from the staff there. My mum had arranged it all as a surprise, plus I got a birthday cake at dinner on the first night too, compliments of the hotel, with all the staff and my mum singing happy birthday to me! That was such a delightful surprise and I wasn't expecting it at all. 

Dunoon is a pretty little coastal town with whitewashed houses and long, long gardens that lead straight down to the sea front. Its actually an estuary, where the river Clyde meets the Irish Sea, but it is known locally as the Clyde Sea and it has a nice promenade to walk on and plenty of places to sit and enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains and sea.  It reminded me a lot of Ullapool, further up the western coast.

Like many Highland towns, Dunoon depends on tourism to hold up the local economy and there are not many opportunities outside of the tourist industry itself. It always grinds my gears when tourists complain about a place being 'touristy' - as if they are not tourists themselves and are somehow better than everyone else who visits! Its akin to sneering at how someone makes a living and demonstrates elitist snobbery at its finest. 

At this time of year though, outside of the holiday season, Dunoon is a quiet, peaceful and beautiful place to stay on the coast of Argyll. Its been a great escape for me , as the mountains surround the town and the sea  was stretching out before me -  I felt like I was hidden in a little nook of natural Highland beauty, safe and serene. 

Its a fantastic place for a writer because its so inspiring, with both history and classic literature being represented in the town. High on Pier Esplanade stands a fine statue of Highland Mary, or Mary Campbell. She is the woman who stole the heart of a young Robert Burns, so much so that he wrote his famous poem about her, entitled Highland Mary. She stands proudly facing out to sea, overlooking the Firth of Clyde.  It's a lovely romantic monument, not only to Mary, but to Burns' enduring love for her and the poetry she inspired in him, so I feel very lucky to have seen it up close.

Dunoon also has a museum and a castle, but that was research for one of my future books so I'm not going to write about it here. That was the reason for the trip - to gather information and inspiration from the Scottish Highlands and from places I've not yet covered in my books. I'll be hard at work soon, putting my research into my writing as I work on the new project over the next few weeks. Research trips are a great source of inspiration for authors and I was busy soaking up the atmosphere of Dunoon's history and environment for my work. 

We took a couple of trips back to the Scottish mainland too. Our first trip was to Glasgow and the festive Christmas markets they have going on there. This was just the ticket to tip me over from birthday vibes into festive, Yuletide vibes! There were stalls selling lots of pretty tree decorations and fancy gifts, plus lots of food and drink vendors. We had fudge and Baileys hot chocolate as we walked around the market, Christmas carols were playing over loud speakers and it was all so festive and cheerful.  

All the shops were decked out for Christmas too, with golden stags, a silver peacock and various window displays, the best of which was easily Dior which had a golden tree that just gleamed with golden makeup trinkets from their Royal Ball Christmas Collection - it looked so beautiful it was breath-taking! I've never seen Glasgow looking prettier - everywhere was lush and luxurious. We had a mulled wine by the Christmas tree in the middle of George Square, then got the ferry back across to the peninsular and back to Dunoon. 

The next day the weather had taken a sharp turn. It was still bright and dry, but the temperature had dropped significantly to -6C, so it was a chilly drive out to Inveraray. It was stunning though and it felt like we were driving through a Christmas card or a movie scene - everywhere was picture-postcard perfect, in a shimmer of white frost - even Loch Fyne was iced over! Inveraray is one of my favourite places in the Highlands and I try to go there as often as I can. It's an original white walled town dating from the 1700's and it has strong historical links to the Jacobite Uprisings.  Sitting on the banks of Loch Fyne, the town boasts some incredible scenic views. It is a picturesque village that has some fantastic artisanal craft shops, so you can pick things up that you just wouldn't find anywhere else, all with a lovely Gaelic touch. The backdrop is, of course, Inveraray Castle with its four iconic fairytale turrets. Its so pretty!  

Inveraray is firmly in Clan Campbell country and the castle is the ancestral seat of the Duke of Argyll, with the 13th Duke and his family still in residence today. It's a beautiful castle and it looks as if it came straight out of a fairytale, especially when it glitters in the frost as it did when I was there. I wish I could live there!

After Inveraray we had a couple more days in Dunoon, wandering around the picturesque shops and doing a bit of Christmas shopping. I treated myself to a hand carved wooden swan which I saw in the window of a gift shop and I just had to bring her home with me as my souvenir of Dunoon. I discovered The Bookpoint book shop which is a bookworm's dream - books stacked high from floor to ceiling and piled up on tables, with the stacks back to back leaving just a narrow space to squeeze through and a couple of tables in the window where you can sit with a cup of tea or coffee. It was a lovely bookstore and I picked up a few books on Scottish folklore and Argyll legends, plus one about the darker legends of Yuletide and Christmas which I'm going to read first. I also found a cosy little café called The Swallow Café where I had a pink peppermint ruby hot chocolate with all the trimmings. It was delicious and definitely on a par with The Oban Chocolate Shop. 

All in all it was a magical trip and it has been a fantastic end to my prolonged birthday celebrations, not to mention the start of the Yuletide festivities. My heart always sings in the Highlands. It makes my soul happy to be there and the mountain air is so good for me - I can breathe easier there and I feel the fresh clean air doing wonders for my health, both mental and physical. It was also wonderful to spend time by the sea again, walking on the beach each day and making friends with the seagulls. I'm already thinking of where in Scotland I might want to go next!

Dunoon was lovely and I had a really nice time. I would certainly go back there again as it was so peaceful and tranquil, which is just what I needed after a rather hectic year of hospital appointments, x-rays and physiotherapy on my poor little wrists. They've been through such a lot this year, but the Highlands is the most healing place I know and it was just the right medicine for me. I'm already looking forward to planning another trip!

In the meantime, I have my own new books to write and deliver to my editor before the Christmas break so I'm going to be rather busy again. However, I will make time to read my  books from Dunoon too. As its Sunday, I plan to unpack my cases, then immerse myself in some festive Yuletide folklore with The Dead of Winter by Sarah Clegg (which looks at many of the same characters I covered myself for one of my new books that comes out next year, so look out for that!), while nibbling on some Highland Butterscotch Fudge from the old fashioned sweetie shop in Inveraray. And next week I'm finally going to see Wicked! I can't wait to watch such a witchy confection of a film! 

Serene Blessings

Marie x

WRITER'S DREAM: Norse Magic Publication Day!

"May your actions bring honour to your name and your courage never fail in times of adversity."

Today is publication day for my new book, Norse Magic, which I began writing on the winter solstice, December 21st last year. Originally the deadline had been the end of September 2023, but I just knew that this was a book that needed to be written during the winter months in the first instance, so my editor and I juggled a few of my projects around to mean that I could deliver Norse Magic in January instead.   That meant that I could spend the whole of the Christmas season and the first part of the New Year writing this book. It was honestly the best decision, because my love of winter is apparent on every page.

I really wanted this book to have all the charm of a snowy Norse winter, along with seafaring adventure and the danger and victory of battle. To me that is what the Vikings were all about - honour and glory and making a name for themselves.  I didn't want this book to be a simple spell book that slotted the names of Norse deities into the rituals. I wanted it to be a book that left you feeling as if you had spent some time in Scandinavia and set sail with the Vikings themselves.  I wanted it to be a reading adventure with a little bit of history, a little bit of magic and spell-craft, a touch of psychology - all rooted in the mythology and mindset of the Norsemen. Learning the history of a culture is important because it gives a greater depth of understanding to the spells you cast with a specific pantheon of gods and goddesses, in this case Norse. 

My research visits to The Viking Museum in John O'Groats and The British Museum in London really helped to inform this book. There is nothing like diving deep into the culture of a place and its people through the ancient artefacts in museum exhibitions to add colour and authenticity to your work. This kind of immersive research is essential for writers. I love history and I learnt so much from these visits about the values and beliefs of the Norsemen, so hopefully that translates to the page. It is why I was able to write the Viking blessing at the top of this post, which my copy editor thought was an authentic piece of Viking lore! So that was a lovely compliment. 

Norse Magic is also quite a personal book as I was able to dedicate it to the memory of my Highlander friend, Alexander, who sadly passed away a few years ago. He had the heart of a true Viking and I never felt safer or more protected than when I was with him. He is the man who came throwing pebbles at my hotel window in the middle of the night so that he could show me the Northern Lights glimmering over the Highland village of Strathpeffer. It was a very special time and I know that he would be delighted with this book and the dedication. 

There are some stunning illustrations in the book too and the design team at the House have done a fabulous job, sourcing fantastical images of Vikings, Valkyries, Odin, Freya, Thor's Hammer, wolves, reindeer, the northern lights, the polar region adrift with snow and ice and of course, Yggdrasil the World Tree. It's such a pretty book, illustrated almost like a fantasy novel in some ways, which being a fan of fantasy myself, I absolutely love!

I have had a fabulous couple of years of writing about the various mythologies of the world and it is proving to be such a great writing time for me. As someone who adores myths, legends, fairy-tales and folklore, this aspect of my writing career has been incredibly joyful and rewarding. It really doesn't feel like work when I get to immerse myself in the legends and stories of world mythology and I feel incredibly lucky to do what I do for a living. I never take it for granted. 

In my book of Norse Magic you will find elves, dwarves, shield maidens, Nordic witch trails, deities, tricksters, wolves, reindeer, the firefox, trolls, as well as runes, rituals, spells and Nordic charms. It was such a joy to write and I spent a very, very cosy Yuletide sitting by my pink twinkling tree, writing this book into being last year, so I hope that it might find its way under a few of your Christmas trees this year. May you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Perhaps it could be your own Jolabokaflod gift this Christmas Eve? 😊

Bright Blessings

Marie x

AD: My book of Norse Magic is published today in hardcover. My book of Natural Magic was also published in hardcover on the 15th of November 2024. 

BOOK NOOK: Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

 "The door is slightly ajar, and I peek inside and see him sitting at his desk with a pipe in his mouth and a nib pen in hand. He dips it into an inkwell and begins to write quickly. I hear him mumble the words he is writing out loud. He is whispering them into existence on the paper and through his pen. Something otherworldly is happening while he dips and writes and mumbles. I almost expect a faun to jump from beneath his desk or a witch to perch on the windowsill."

I have found that one of the best things about studying and being a student at Oxford University is the sheer number of book recommendations we receive, not only from our Dons who are all published authors themselves, but from fellow students in the Common Room.  Any book that is associated with Oxford's own authors is quick to circulate and as C S Lewis is one of our most famous alumni, along with his friend J R R Tolkien, it was only a matter of time before this one was brought to my attention. It came to me just as I had finished transforming my hallway into a wintry Narnian retreat, so it certainly felt like I was meant to be introduced to this novel.

Like many people, I have loved C S Lewis's Narnia books since early childhood. As an adult I have attended magical events that are based upon his books, most notably The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe movie exhibition at Leeds Royal Armouries and also the Christmas in Narnia event at Castle Howard based on the same book.  Seeing Aslan beaming down on me in a kaleidoscope of colours from inside the dome of the stately home a couple of Christmases ago was a sight and feeling that I shall never forget.  I love to immerse myself in the world of Narnia and in my opinion it is one of the most enchanting fantasy worlds ever created. 

So I was eager to read Once Upon A Wardrobe just for the chance to revisit Narnia from an adult literary perspective.  This novel is written by an American author in American English, rather than British English. As such it is littered with Americanisms: sidewalk instead of pavement, quit instead of stop, math instead of maths, stoop instead of step, take a left instead of turn left etc. This can be a little jarring for British readers, especially as there are no American characters in this novel, so it is purely the author's cultural background that is present within the text.  It is a rather unintentional form of authorial intrusion. 

It wouldn't have taken very much research to use the correct British terminology. All it needed was a gentle tweak from a good editor. I mention this because it is, in all other respects, a quintessentially English book, set in and around Oxford University and detailing the life of one of our most famous and beloved classic children's authors, C S Lewis. So it reads a little incongruently at times. 

Having said that, this is a fantastic and beautiful novel! I absolutely loved and devoured every single page of it. The story is both moving and magical, heart-breaking and enchanting, all at the same time. I enjoyed the author's storytelling style of writing. It has the same quality as a fable or fairytale and she completely draws the reader back into Narnia, but from the perspective of an adult, which is just wonderful. 

The book tells the story of seventeen year old Megs, a student of physics at Oxford University, whose eight year old brother, George, is dying from a heart condition. George's days are numbered and everyone knows it, yet at the same time he is full of life and a yearning for adventure. He finds solace in his favourite book - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and he asks Meg if she will contact C S Lewis, who is a tutor at Oxford, to find out where the story of Aslan and Narnia came from. And so Megs sets out on a quest to do all she can to answer her little brother's question.

Once Upon A Wardrobe is a beautifully atmospheric novel. Set among the dreaming spires of Oxford University with beautiful libraries and lecture halls, stone cottages, cosy pubs offering warm cider on snowy evenings and a trip to the Irish castle that may have inspired the invention of Cair Paravel, this novel will sweep you away on a wintry adventure that is just as heart-warming and fantastical as the original Narnia books.  It is a novel about the power of love of all kinds: romantic, familial and spiritual. It is about finding the heart's own truth and solace in faith through the darkest of times. 

I have loved revisiting Narnia again through the pages of this book and learning more about the man who wrote this world into being in the first place.  It has been a joy to read and to escape into, and I have already got another book by the same author, which is also based on the life of C S Lewis, which I plan to start reading right away. 

If you love Narnia, then you will love rediscovering it through Once Upon A Wardrobe. I couldn't recommend this book more highly. It's such a dreamscape! Once a king or queen in Narnia, always a king or queen in Narnia. Maybe it is time for you to go back through the wardrobe too and pick up your own crown...they say Aslan is on the move... Enjoy! I'm off to watch the movie, with some Turkish Delight and a hot chocolate. 

Serene Blessings

Marie x

AD: This book is published by Harper Muse and is available now in all formats. 

MUSICAL DOLL: The Corrs Concert!

 

My birthday celebrations kicked off last night with The Corrs concert and it was fantastic! I had so much fun. It was cold and wintry, with snow in the forecast, but after a lovely eggnog latte at Starbucks to warm up a bit, I was ready for a night of singing and enjoying myself.

The Corrs were the sound of my twenties and I used to listen to their CDs all the time. A few years later, when I was singing karaoke-anchor in my step-dad's pub in the village, I used to sing their songs a lot because people loved them and they would sing along to the chorus. Those are some very happy memories. 

Last night's concert was amazing, as not only did I get to hear The Corrs perform live, but their support act was Natalie Imbruglia! So I feel like I got two for the price of one and she was great - her diction is fantastic and you could understand every word she was singing, which isn't always the case with some singers, particularly if they have strong regional accents. Both Natalie and Andrea sounded clear and precise in their delivery, which made them a real pleasure to listen to. 

Of course, there were lots of Celtic reels performed by the band too and I think this was one of my favourite aspects of the show. Its why I was drawn to The Corrs in the first instance, because I like the way they combine traditional Celtic music with pop music, creating something that is unique to them.  It's certainly the kind of music to get your feet tapping and people were singing their hearts out and dancing along. Caroline on drums could give Phil Collins a run for his money, while Sharon playing the fiddle stirs up the crowd with her rousing Celtic melodies. Then of course there's Jim, playing guitar and piano and keeping everything together. 

Although the tour was called Talk On Corners after their second breakthrough album, the show was really a retrospective of their entire career to date and more of a greatest hits tour, so all their best known songs were performed and all my own favourites including Give Me A Reason, Breathless, What Can I Do, Radio and I Never Really Loved You Anyway. It was such a fun, happy show and I had the best time. I'll be sharing some clips on my Twitter over the next few days. 

I got some nice souvenirs of the concert with birthday money and I bought a program, a Corrs bag, a couple of CDs including Andrea's solo Christmas album and Natalie Imbruglia's new album which is released on my birthday later this week.  I'll be listening to those on repeat.

When we left the arena I was delighted to see that the promised snow had arrived, our first snowfall this winter, which just felt like an extra birthday present! I love snow, its so pretty. It was nice to be able to walk through the Narnian winter, back to the car, with a bag of birthday goodies and some wonderful memories to cherish forever - not least of which was my 71 year old mother jigging around to one of the Celtic reels! I think its fair to say she enjoyed the show too!

All in all its been a fantastic beginning to my birthday week and I do think that concert tickets make the best presents. Its the gift of a memory, of a shared experience with loved ones and of spending time with your idols.  Now that the show is over, I can listen to their music with new memories attached and remember their concert and the pretty snow that was silently falling as we all sang our hearts out. 

I've decided that on my actual birthday later this week, I'm going to have a nice cosy day at home. For the past few years I've been out on my birthday, to London, Pendle and Edinburgh, so I think this year I just want to have a relaxing birthday at home for a nice change. I never work on my birthday, so I'll just spend the day reading, relaxing, pampering eating cake and watching nice films. That sounds like a good birthday plan.

For now, I'm going to watch my Corrs DVDs and prolong the joy of last night's concert. It was so much fun and I had the best time. What a festive start to my birthday week! 

The Corrs are coming to the end of their tour now, but I think they still have dates in London, if you fancy a trip to see them. They've definitely put me in the Celtic mood and I feel ready to celebrate my birthday and the festive season!

Bright Blessings

Marie x

ONCE UPON A DREAM: Oxford, Michaelmas Term

 

We are heading into the final weeks of Michaelmas Term, and for me its the final stretch of my year at Oxford University.  The pressure is ramping up as assignment season gets underway again and I am working hard on my last Oxford essay.  I've really enjoyed this term and I think it has been my favourite one so far. I have found the work to be both interesting and constructive and I can see how it will prove useful to me in the future.  I haven't always had that feeling at the end of a course, so to know that I have learnt new skills and processes that I can use for advancing my ambitions is very rewarding. 

This term we have been focusing on writing from our own experience, which is something I have always done anyway, but its nice to be actively encouraged to do this! For me its just an aspect of being a writer. Everything is raw material that I can use in my work, writing about the places, experiences and encounters that I find the most telling. It pays to be nice to authors, or they could make you the villain of their masterpiece!  

One of the things I have most enjoyed this term is that we have been encouraged to fictionalise our experiences and turn our real-life nemeses into equally vile characters on the page. This has been tremendous fun as you can probably imagine!

That is the whole premise of our final assignment - to fictionalise a difficult encounter and dramatize the whole thing, creating characters from circumstances we have experienced.  I have chosen to write about the time I was working in a nursing home back in my early twenties, and the toxic factions and spiteful behaviour I experienced there because ambition was thought of as a dirty word, unless of course, you had ambitions to be a nurse. That was acceptable, but if your ambition was for anything outside of the care sector then you were basically viewed as a pariah! It was as if I should have been content to empty bed pans and work in the sluice for the rest of my life. As if! 

I've been having a great time fictionalising these events: pinning down vile, two-faced behaviour and exploring bitterness and resentment through characterisation on the page. It's been a really fun assignment to write because the main character gets to watch as her nemeses prove to be their own downfall. Of course, that's the point of fictionalising negative encounters and events - as the author you get to create the outcome you prefer, to change the negative experience into something more positive and fun to write, which is why this technique is often used in therapy too. Our student discussions certainly seem to suggest that most of us have found this assignment and style of work extremely cathartic!

If you have ever worked in a nursing home, or anywhere there are large groups of women thrown together, then you will know the kind of thing I'm talking about here - the back-stabbing, sabotage, spiteful gossip; the cliques and family groups who work to exclude everyone else, at the same time as envying or judging anyone who tries to get ahead or change careers. It's the "Who does she think she is?!" mentality at work. The Australians call it tall poppy syndrome and most of us have experienced some version of it, which makes it a topic worth writing about - in a fictional sense, of course - because so many people are able to relate to it.

This assignment reminds me of a similar one I had to write for my Psychotherapy degree a few years ago, where we had to imagine a situation with a person who had hurt and overpowered us in some way, then rewrite the incident so that we had all the power instead. It's a bog-standard therapy exercise, but it was fun to to explore the concept of re-writing your personal history to better suit yourself. It's a great journal exercise too. 

This final Oxford assignment has the same vibes. Take something that really happened and that was unfair or unpleasant and turn it into a piece of fiction. Characterise the people from your past, then let your imagination run free and turn them into whatever you want - sociopaths, narcissists, bank-robbers, murderers, anthropomorphic snakes etc, then create a main character who can deal with them and bring about some kind of justice on the page. If we were to take the anthropomorphic snake as an example of the nemesis, then the main character could be the vet who euthanizes it, or the anthropomorphic eagle who hunts and kills it. Problem solved. Catharsis achieved by the power of the pen!

So it's a really great assignment to end the course with and I must say I'm having a lot of fun writing this one! I'm about half-way through the essay itself and I still have the supporting work to go through and link up. I have competed all the Unit based course work, so its just this last assignment to finish and submit by the deadline. There are still a few classes to go but I can see the finish line just up ahead. I'm trying not to rush and race towards it because I very much want to enjoy what is left of Michaelmas term at Oxford, in the run up to the festive season. I do believe that a glass of bubbly will be in order though, once my final assignment is finished and handed in to the Don.

Serene Blessings

Marie x 

IVORY TOWER: Joyful Comforts of A Magical Home

 

The picture I have in my hallway, as you first walk through the door.

I don't know about you, but I have been feeling a little out of sorts with the state of the world recently. Maybe its my age, but I am just sick and tired of all the doom and gloom every time I turn on the TV or radio. It can get you down if you allow it to, or make you feel anxious and fearful. When the headlines are full of war, poverty, social unrest, political debacles and so on, it is more important than ever to ensure that your own space offers comfort and joy to you and your family. 

Your home should be your refuge from the darkness of a volatile world. It is the place you escape to after work each day. Perhaps, like me, its the place where you work from. If that is the case then it is even more necessary that it should be a sacred space that nurtures you and supports your highest good. That isn't always the case though and sometimes it can seem as if our homes are part of the problem, not the solution.  My own house has sprung not one, but two leaks this year. The first leak coming from the bathroom and down into the hallway. The second leak happened when the boiler overheated due to faulty parts that had to be replaced. None of this was a catastrophe. It was just inconvenient and time consuming, but it did give me the opportunity to reassess my home and the perfect excuse to redecorate! 

So this year, I have been up to my eyes in rollers, brushes, paint, wallpaper and paste. It has been very hard work, especially as my wrists are still healing from the riding accident, so its been tough on them, but also a good exercise in their flexibility.  What started off as a quick lick of paint in the bathroom turned into something more significant.  To begin with I decided that I wanted more pink in my house. None of the rooms were pink before, but pink has always been my favourite colour, so I decided to paint the bathroom in a soft ballet slipper pink. I did it back in the summer and it looks so pretty and feminine. 

A couple of weeks after finishing the bathroom, the boiler leaked in the kitchen, so then the kitchen needed to be redecorated too. Luckily I already had the wallpaper I'd picked out for it a while back, so I just needed to choose the paint colour.  I picked out a gorgeous old gold paint that reminded me of the ochre on Stirling Castle. It went beautifully with the wallpaper, which was a champagne background with glittering golden trees. It took over a week to do the kitchen, as I had to keep resting my wrists so they didn't swell too much.  However, once it was finished I was absolutely delighted with it. I added mirrored butterflies to one corner, so it looks like they are flying up and away, plus I gave all my old uplighter lamps a makeover with golden butterflies on the shades and glittering fairies or butterflies clamped to the stand.  The glittering trees on the wallpaper and the mirrored butterflies bounce the light around the room and lend a feeling of whimsical enchantment. 

I wanted the room to have a magical atmosphere, like stepping out of a glowing wintry forest and into the warmth and comfort of a castle, like Stirling or Camelot. Once my Celtic ornaments and arched mirrors were back in place, the kitchen looked like a different world! 

I was so happy with how the bathroom and kitchen had turned out, I knew that I wanted to touch up the living room and get my hallway redecorated before Christmas too. I always have themes whenever I am decorating. Originally the theme in my hallway had been Gothic, with wolves and bats and gargoyles. Sadly over the years, many of these have been broken and so I decided I would come up with a new theme entirely for the hall. 

I did some pondering and I thought about how I wanted to feel each time I crossed the threshold into my home. I wanted to feel like I was leaving the drab and dreary everyday world far behind and entering into another realm entirely. What gave me that feeling? Well, Scotland obviously, but also - Narnia!!  Each time I walked into my house, I wanted to feel like Lucy stepping out of the wardrobe and into Narnia for the first time, with the snow and the forest and the magic that awaits. Now that I had my theme I could begin.

I used more of the same glittering trees wallpaper that had proved so effective in my kitchen, then I painted all the doors and frames in soft white gloss. They had been forest green before, so it took a few coats to make them white and snowy, but I got there in the end.  Then I added an iridescent bead curtain, hanging down the side of the stairs to look like an icy waterfall. I added a few iridescent icicles interspersed with the bead curtain strands, and a pretty humming bird hanging from the ceiling. 

Then I set to work transforming things I already had with a couple of coats of glitter paint. First I painted all the banisters so that they glimmer in the light. Then I added glitter to my woodland animal wall plaques: a wolf, hedgehog, hare, owl and stag. These now look like the animals of Narnia, twinkling with a fresh fall of snow.  I added glitter paint, amethyst and rose quartz crystals, and two little sparkly birds to an old bird-feeder sunshine-plaque to make a wintry bird's nest.  Next I pinned a white frosted leaf garland by the side of the door and placed a pure white squirrel climbing a snowy branch next to it, so that it looks like it is climbing up the frosted-leaf doorframe.

To complete the Narnian vibes I hung my jewelled crown and a rainbow pastel-coloured unicorn horn on the base board, and surrounded them with more mirrored butterflies left over from the kitchen. Once all the wolf and sparkly stag pictures were hung back in place, with a couple of new red fox pictures too, it all began to look very magical and wintry.  Then I placed the picture at the very top of this post, of the famous Narnian lamp-post in a snowy forest, opposite the front door so it is one of the first things you see as you come into the house. 

I couldn't be more delighted with how it has turned out. Now the whole downstairs of my house is like a wintery wonderland, with sparkly pictures and accessories, creamy white faux fur soft furnishings and whimsical bits and bobs dotted around. I love it! It really is like stepping into Narnia each time I come home, or when I come downstairs in the morning. It makes me smile and so happy to see it all.  As November is my birthday month I have asked for a couple more things to add to the theme - just a finishing touch here and there, but which will really give the space a sense of enchantment and wonder.

I'm so glad that I did it. It was hard work. I couldn't have done it without my mum, as she is a whizz at wallpapering! It was certainly worth the time and effort it has taken. I feel like I now live in Narnia and the Highlands combined!  I'm not planning to do anymore decorating this year, but I do already have all the things I need to transform my bedroom into a shimmering pink haven of feminine tranquillity, so that's next year's job. 

Sometimes you have to create your own enchantment, especially in the place you call home, which is the buffer that protects you and your family from the dangers and volatility of the outside world.  It's the one place where you get to decide how it will look and what sort of feeling and vibe you want it to give to you as you walk in the door. Choosing glimmering, glittering wallpapers was the best thing I could have done for such a small house, because it really makes the most of the light, bouncing it around and just gleaming! I love how warm and glowy and glamourous it looks, and how wintry it is without seeming cold and stark.  Most of all, I love how other-worldly, whimsical and enchanting it is now. It truly is a magical home! 

What can you do to bring more enchantment into your home? 

Serene Blessings,

Marie x

BOOK NOOK : Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

 "There's a princess trapped in a tower.

This isn't her story."

It is a stormy night tonight. The wind is blowing the last of the leaves off the trees in my garden and the rain is battering against the windowpanes.  I have autumnal fairy lights twinkling around me and a Pumpkin Chai scented candle burning on my desk as I write. We are heading into the arc of winter now and I'm so happy that the dark season is all around us! It's the ideal time to curl up with a book and work your way through your to-be-read (tbr) pile, which is exactly what I have been doing this evening.

After reading lots of dark and spooky novels for review in the run up to Halloween, I was in the mood for something brighter, something light and lovely, but still seasonally appropriate. Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher is just the ticket, being a semi-dark retelling of a classic fable. The Sleeping Beauty is my favourite fairytale so when I came upon this novella, based on the sleeping princess, I knew I had to read it and I'm so glad that I did!

Thornhedge is the story of Toadling, a fairy changeling who is charged with protecting the cursed tower in which the princess sleeps. Toadling is a gentle spirit, with the ability to shapeshift into a toad at will. Although she protects the tower, she misses the water and the river bank which she believes to be her natural habitat. But Toadling is much more than she first appears. She isn't beautiful, but she is intriguing. She might be alone, but she is well-loved and she has plenty of friends - they're just far away, back at the river. She isn't powerful, but she has enough magic in her to ward the princess as she sleeps peacefully in her bed, in the chamber at the top of the tower.

For such a tiny book, this novella ticks all the right boxes for a beautiful and enchanting fairytale. There is a beautiful princess, a cursed tower, a knight in armour riding to the rescue and offering his assistance. There are plenty of surprises along the way. Our heroine is a quiet girl who wants to live a simple peaceful life, until a wicked fairy intervenes and sets her on a new path entirely, leaving her lost and seemingly abandoned at the tower. 

Thornhedge is poetically written in the style of a traditional fable. It is the kind of story that lifts your spirits and carries you away to the land of the Fey. It is just dark enough to be a great choice for autumn reading, but at the same time it is light enough to take your mind off the dark nights if they don't agree with you. I wish this book was the first in a series of fairytale novellas by this author, but alas that doesn't seem to be the case, although she has written some full length fairytale novels which I am definitely going to read. 

All in all, I have had a lovely time reading this book. It's full of whimsical magic and enchantment, really lifting you out of reality and into another world altogether. It also takes no time at all to read, being a novella, so its ideal for busy people. I highly recommend this book. It presents a lovely world that I am so sad to leave now that I've finished the book. 

If you enjoy fairytale retellings and mystical enchantment, then you will probably enjoy this little book too. Happy reading!

Serene Blessings

Marie x

AD: This books was published by Titan Books in August 2024 and it is available now in all formats. 

 

BOOK NOOK: A Haunting in the Arctic by C J Cooke

 

"Sleep tight, be kind and do no wrong, lest mermaids wound you with their song, prayers and penance do not postpone, lest they trap you by their stone."

A Haunting in the Arctic by C J Cooke is a fantastically spooky story! It was the strength of the story that kept me reading and turning the pages, though it can be a tough one to get through at times. It's very dark and certainly not a cosy read, but it is gripping. It draws on old mariner folklore and tales of mermaids, sirens and selkies, so it has an ethereal tone that pulls you in. At times this novel reads like a fantasy and it does have some fantastical elements to it, but it isn't the high fantasy one usually associates with mermaid tales. The sea-maid in this book isn't a whimsical member of the Fey, but a dangerous creature gathering souls in her quest for revenge. 

Beginning in Dundee and then moving to the snowy coastal regions of Iceland, the novel follows a whaling ship and her crew. There are scenes of animal slaughter, so if you love whales, seals and so on, you might need to skip this book as it is quite upsetting to read about such beautiful creatures being hunted and brutally killed.  

The novel has three different timelines of 1901, 1973 and 2023, with the narrative moving seamlessly between them. This is so skilfully done that it isn't jarring, as multiple timelines sometimes are.  If anything, the time breaks give the reader a welcome reprieve from the trauma of the main protagonist, Nicky, a women who finds herself in a situation that is entirely beyond her control and who suffers the consequences accordingly. 

It's difficult to review this book without giving away spoilers. I will say that the twist at the end took me completely by surprise and I wasn't expecting the story to unfold in that way. It's always nice when a book surprises you. This one gathers pace as it goes along, with the final third of the book ramping up the creepiness and the plot reveals. 

Its a very atmospheric, chilling novel and not just because it is set in Iceland! It has ghosts and snow and ice-stunts, alongside wild sea-storms and the harsh life of the 19th century mariners who made a living hunting whales on the high seas. The trauma is a constant backdrop to the rest of the book and the next attack is never far away, maybe a chapter or two, so bear that in mind if you decide to pick up this novel as it can be quite a harrowing read. However, it has a moral centre which revolves around the premise that revenge only hurts the vengeful and this is played out very spookily indeed!

All I can say is, A Haunting in the Arctic will haunt me for a long time to come, because the story is truly memorable!

Blessed Be

Marie x 

AD: This book is published by Harper Collins and is available now in all formats. 

WRITER'S DREAM: My Classical Mythology Oracle Deck!

 

"The deck is designed to offer guidance as you venture out upon your own personal Odyssey, which is the journey of your life."

My latest card decks were released on the 1st of October and I am thrilled to say that The Classical Mythology Oracle Deck is one of them! I had such a lovely time creating this Oracle kit last year.  I have always loved mythology and folklore, so after the success of my Celtic Magic Oracle Deck, it made sense to continue with other aspects of world mythology.  We began with The Egyptian Book of the Dead Oracle, which was published in spring this year, and now my Classical Mythology Oracle, based on the legends of Greece and Rome, is out and it is gorgeous! 

Just look at that beautiful cover, featuring an angelic depiction of the goddess Nike! I love it. It is everything that I envisioned as I was writing the project last year. Working on these oracles kits is always such a pleasure. It is a privilege to know that people will be using my oracles to gain insight and guidance in their lives, so it comes with a weight of responsibility too.  I want my decks to be valued tools of magic and reassurance for my readers, so I try to avoid any scary interpretations or symbolism. This wasn't easy with the Egyptian deck as you can probably imagine, because the Egyptians were basically a death cult! But I think I managed it. That deck is certainly the spookiest I've created and written so far though.

The Classical Mythology Oracle on the other hand is light and bright, featuring some of the fine art and Pre-Raphaelite style prints, that I love, as part of the deck imagery. This is something of a dream come true and to have my work partially illustrated by the works of John William Waterhouse and similar artists, is something I have dreamt of for years. When I first suggested the idea to my editor, she was non-committal, saying that it would make the deck very expensive, due to paying licensing fees, if we were to use all fine art images, but I'm delighted that we got to incorporate a few of them in the deck, with other cards being the silhouette art that I like too. Now some of my favourite Waterhouse witches, such as Circe and Medea are in my Mythology deck and I couldn't be happier. I've had Waterhouse prints hung on my bedroom walls for decades so I'm thrilled to have such beautiful and well-known examples of his art incorporated into my own work. It feels like such an honour. 

I took a fairly scholastic approach to creating this deck, because I wanted it to reflect the Homeric and Ovidian texts that are so closely associated with Greek and Roman mythology. To that end I did a lot of reading and research, looking for ways to lend the deck the same mysticism as these ancient texts. I chose to incorporate several quotations from the Homeric texts, specifically The Iliad and The Odyssey.  These epigraphs help to make the past feel that much closer, bringing an ancient echo into the deck, almost as a guiding spirit. 

Another reason I love this deck so much is because it is the very first project I have worked on where I have not included any magical spells or rituals. I felt that it was far more important to give an overview of the folklore itself, rather than assuming that all readers who pick up the deck already have a sound knowledge of classical mythology. To that end, this is the project where I got to indulge my love of storytelling, and I was able to recount the myths and legends in my own words. Writing prose is something I love to do and it was great fun exploring legends such as Eros and Psyche, Hero and Leander, Boreas and Orithyia, Apollo and Daphne, Persephone and Hades, Perseus and the Gorgons, Artemis and Actaeon and so on, re-telling them in my own authorial voice.  In addition I have touched on the legends of Medusa, King Midas, Pygmalion, Pandora and the Minotaur.  It was tremendous fun to write and to lose myself in the rich world of ancient mythology. I had a great time creating this Oracle and I'm delighted that it is finally published and people can enjoy it, just in time for their Samhain divinations. 

My only gripe with the deck is that there is a typo on the interpretation of the last card. The first paragraph has been printed twice! This is an error that happened in typesetting, and when the proofs were ready for correction, I was lying in a hospital bed recovering from a riding accident, so I couldn't go through them myself. It just goes to show though, that a copy editor will never care as much about a project as the author does! My apologies for the error, but there's not much I do about it now. Hopefully it will be corrected for future editions. Other than that, it is a gorgeously evocative and mystical oracle deck and I hope that you all enjoy performing readings with it, as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

The second deck I had published on the 1st of October is The Practical Witchcraft Book and Card Deck. This a collection of spell cards, featuring all new spells and it is perfect for neophyte witches and those who are new to the Craft. As part of this kit, I also created a handy poster of correspondences that you can hang on the wall in your ritual space, so if you need to make a quick adjustment to a spell's ingredients, you can use the correspondence tables to help you. The poster also features moon phases, crystals, colours and magical days of the week too, so it's a great beginner's kit to get started with. 

Finally, I hope you like the new look to my blog. It's been the same for a few years now so it was time for a refresh. I wanted to create a more ethereal, whimsical place that you can escape to and enjoy spending time in, and I think that the stunningly beautiful new background does just that! It certainly makes my heart soar when I see it, from the pastel pink and mauve colourway, to the Gothic arch surrounded by my favourite pretty pink roses, the burning candle and the gentle, pure white dove coming in to land - it's just so me! It's perfect and I love it. 

I also added the image of Pegasus at the top of the side bar too, as a nod to the triumph of my Classical Mythology Oracle, but also because I've been dreaming of winged horses and unicorns a lot since my riding accident. I feel like they are watching over me. They're definitely my spirit animals, so I wanted to give them a space on my blog. Winged horses are meant to be lucky too, so its nice to have Pegasus looking over my posts and watching over us all, as we spend time in the magical, ethereal space on the internet that is ShimmerCast Dreams.

I hope that you enjoy spending time in the pink, feminine, whimsical world I have created, and that you take comfort and joy in my books and oracles. 

Bright Blessings

Marie x

AD: This post features my own products and books. 

        The Practical Witchcraft Book, Poster and Spell-Card Deck

      The Classical Mythology Oracle Book and Card Deck

       The Egyptian Book of the Dead Oracle Book and Card Deck

BOOK NOOK: The Book Of Witching by C J Cooke

"But the book is on the ground, rough to the touch. The cover is made from a tree, and inside the pages are black. The pages are peices of night, for the book is from the dawn of time, before humankind, before love, and death." 

In the past few years, ever since I reviewed The Lighthouse Witches, C J Cooke has fast become my favourite Gothic author and I have been lucky enough to review a few of her more recent novels on this blog. Her work is very atmospheric and often set in Scotland, which is what drew me to her novels in the first instance, so I was delighted when her publisher, Harper Collins, sent me an ARC of her latest novel.  I fell on it immediately, putting everything else on hold until I had read the book. 

The Book of Witching is a story of the witch trials that swept through Scotland during the 1500's.  Set on the Orkney Isles, it follows the fate of Alison, a woman who is a skilled healer and herbalist who is inadvertently drawn into the political intrigues of the islands at that time. King James VI is on the throne of Scotland and he has recently made his feelings on witchcraft quite clear, having presided over the Berwick witch trials a couple of years earlier.  So this is not a great time for a wise woman to come to the attention of powerful men with a political agenda!  Even worse, Alison comes from a family known to be skilled at spellcraft, a family who hold a very special book of magic in their possession. 

Fast forward a few hundred years to the present day and Alison's fate becomes entangled with that of a young girl, Erin, who is found very badly burnt on one of the islands after a trip to Orkney with her boyfriend and best friend. When Erin comes out of a coma, she claims that her name is Nyx and that she doesn't know who Erin is. As the novel slips back and forth between these two timelines, we begin to unravel just how Erin is connected to a woman accused of witchcraft four hundred years ago. 

This is such a thrilling read! The chapters alternate between one timeline and the other so that you're never quite sure how it all fits together, but you know that it does. It skips along at a fast pace and the structural use of the turning points is designed to keep you invested in the story.  As with all of C J Cooke's novels, the Gothic atmosphere is dark and ominous, the threat building throughout the story. Her way of creating tension in the reader is second to none. In many ways, C J Cooke's style of writing reminds me very much of contemporary Gothic masters such as Victoria Holt and Virginia Andrews - her stories have that same undercurrent of mystery, secrets and tension, akin to the Flowers in the Attic series, but with witchcraft attached!

The Book of Witching held me in its grip from the opening paragraphs, which is something that I look for in novels - I like a book that starts on the very first page and this one certainly does, dropping the reader into the midst of the action and catastrophe right from the start.  It's the kind of story where you find yourself holding your breath as you read, because it does tackle some very dark topics such as torture, serious injury, incarceration, mock executions, and the powerlessness of women who were accused of something they didn't do, but who knew that the odds were stacked against them from the very first whisper of 'witch!' It brought tears to my eyes at times and I really felt for both the injured characters and their dual plight. 

This Orcadian novel has all the eerie vibes of a witchy thriller, with secret cults, a coven of witches, an enchanted and indomitable book of magic and powerful men providing lots of menace. I wouldn't describe it as a cosy read for autumn, because it evokes such a powerful and indignant response in the reader for the crimes that have been committed against women for centuries. Having read lots of books about the witch trials over the years, I thought that I had become somewhat desensitized to the topic, but this novel really drove it home to me once again how lucky I am to be able to practice my Craft in safety, without fear of being tortured and burnt for it.  There is the sense that Alison's fate could so easily have been mine, or yours, or our mother's and grandmother's. It is only the passing of time that keeps us safe. 

While it might not be an especially comforting novel, The Book of Witching is a wonderful and disturbing witchy thriller that will keep your heart in your mouth from cover to cover, so if you are in the mood to be scared to death by the plight of witches past this October, this is the book for you. It's certainly a great novel to curl up with on Samhain night, when the pumpkins are gleaming and it's dark and cold outside.  Light a candle in remembrance of the lost souls of  historical women who were burnt as witches, and enjoy the safety of modern practice this All Hallows Eve.  Blessed Be.

Marie x

AD: This novel was sent to me by the publisher, Harper Collins, for the purposes of review. It will be released on October 10th 2024 and is available in hardback, digital and audio formats.

The Nesting Review 

The Lighthouse Witches Review

The Ghost Woods Review