Two days for the price of one! August Break and Tarot Draws coming at you!

August Break 16: Breathe. Steam rising from a pot of boiling potatoes.

August Break 17: This is the bedroom window in the Bowie Room.

Bowie gets batty drapes. Because Bowie. That's why.

Narcisa loves playing in any and all curtains. I boosted the color of her eyes a little. Because Bowie.

Today: Forest Folklore Tarot. I drew the eight of wands. "Two paths lead through a wood carpeted with bluebells. The way before you is highlighted, but you have more than one opportunity ahead. It is up to you which direction you choose to take." Wands are all about fire and passion and this eight means I'm quite far along in the journey of which I'm making my decision. This card for me relates to job choices, writing endeavors, and staying true to what choices I do make. Tonight I had a long conversation with a fellow MFA Grad student. Last night I had a conversation with another MFA Grad fellow. I'm really feeling those connections right now and I need to follow the highlighted path because it is the one I've been ignoring for a while now.

Also for today: The Magical Menagerie Creature Guide Deck. I drew the Crane. "Longevity, ancient lore, vigilance." Also past lives. I've been thinking a lot about where I come from recently, not just in genealogy but also spiritually. Who or what I was before I was this crazy Amanda. Each day I gain new perspective; each day I feel myself opening up more and more to the divinity in and around me. The lessons I'm learning now are going to stick with me forever. Apart from lessons I have choices to make. The crane is elegant and long and beautiful and sacred. Air (intelligence and idea) meets water (deep emotional being) in the image of the crane. It is beautiful to see rational thought and emotions in such a serene marriage. We sometimes ignore rationality to follow dreams just as we squash our true feelings to do what seems reasonable. There is a balancing act in this and I while emotions and intellect will never exist in equal parts, they are always both present and relevant. Sometimes your brain and heart can even work together. I think in a way that is what this card is telling me. Listen to both to find the proper path.