Jan's Zazzle Store Now Open!

New on the Creative Scene ~ I've joined up with a great print-on-demand site, and have now opened Jan's Zazzle Store ! This wonderful site puts my cool designs on conventional things, like cards and posters, as well as ,,,, take a look below:

Those are my designs on the shoes, necktie, bag, mug and hat! I also have aprons, t-shirts, mousepads, keychains, and more coming! Let me tell you, it's a ton of fun to design from the comfort of my own computer. One image can make 50 different things. I especially like designing the shoes - which come in 5 different styles for women & children - talk about tons of fun!

Prices are very reasonable - a single postcard is $.95, and wall posters start at $9.95. You can go further and customize many of my designs. In many cases, you can add your own text (Hi, Mom!) or even replace my image with your own. For that matter, you can scrap my design entirely and create your own. As long you go in through my link the first time, you'll add points to my designer account and boost my earnings. Be sure to take a moment and check it out:

Jan's Zazzle Store

Here's a Chance to Win these Cute Earrings!

Just waiting to be shipped off to some lucky person are my Pink Candy Earrings! To read about the give-away in which I'm taking part, scroll down below the last picture ~

The connections you can make through Etsy are amazing! I've met and amazing lady hosts give-aways from Etsy sellers on her blog, stepmomextraordinaire. The link will take you her blog post that describes me and my shop, and tells you how to enter the contest to win the earrings. After July 6, when the contest closes, she will inform me of who wins, and I'll pack up the earrings and send them off. I can't wait! And meanwhile, she promotes me and my shop and I promote her shop, pomegraniteandpink, and everyone wins :)

The Seeing Eye Sees Clearly: CycleCast for Summer Solstice to Lammas (June 20 to August 2, 2009)

Greetings, dear readers ~ Here is my CycleCast for Summer Solstice to Lammas Day, August 2 - also known as MidSummer, and often celebrated with the Blessings of the Animals. We passed the Solstice point last night at 11;46 pm, Mountain Time. That makes me a bit late with this CycleCast, I know, but please forgive me. As I mentioned below, I have given priority to following the world-shaking events of the Iranian uprising, via participation in comment streams from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ and elsewhere. It's what I've had to do - as some of you may know, I have "political bones." And it's pertinent, because as you shall see, this CycleCast has a strong theme of reaching for freedom - for self and others.

But first, we must see clearly. The trend of this CycleCast leads us towards the Eye ~

We think we're all grown up, don't we, fellow-travelers? That is because we carry with us the energy of the Tree - mature, sheltering, and stable. The Universe laughs - we have to let go! Old patterns get released, like fluid draining down a Siphon, allowing new energies to come in. We're supposed to get out of our tree house, and go mix with others!

In the recent past, we've been focused Inward and gazing at the Moon. Enough with our dreams and longings and moodiness. Now it's time to pluck the ripe Cherry and get involved! If your Crown of inner guidance doesn't slip, and you allow the Mask to come off and reveal that which has been hidden, you'll find that the Eye of perception allows clear vision and true sight. We may have to Wander for awhile before getting there, but that's okay. It's our restlessness that motivates us to get up and go seeking.

This CycleCast puts us firmly at the beginning of a new cycle, yet we're still testing out our attitudes, which allows us to feel in control. It's not an illusion, unless we choose the wrong attitudes! As I said above, the major theme of this cycle is freedom, growth, expansion, reaching for our highest hopes, and surpassing limitation. Even if I weren't as politically-boned as I am, I would still say the Iranian uprising is expressing this theme in a remarkable and perhaps world-changing way. By July 7-8, we should be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. And who knows, by the following week, we may even be in a position to choose quality in our lives. From there it's a matter of nurturing our hopes and resources, and growing them into the mid-summer promise of harvest time.

I'll have another CycleCast around August 2, to take us up to the Autmun Equinox. And don't forget my energy of the Month posts, which always come around the first week of each month. Blessed Be.

Would you like to have a forecast of your personal energy cycles? My intuitive readings will help answer your questions and illuminate your path - and are now available by e-mail!. For information and to request a reading, click here, or send a message to burchjan@gmail.com. Visit my website www.GeoGlowConsulting.com for more information about my intuitive services.

A Brief Note Before the Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is coming - it arrives tonight at 11:46 pm, Mountain Time. I have a CycleCast all planned, but haven't been able to get to the writing yet. Forgive me, dear readers. I'm all caught up in some personal cycles of my own, plus the events swirling around us on the global scene.

For those of who you haven't heard, a major movement towards f r e e d o m is taking place as I write, on the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran, and around the globe and thousands join in solidarity, and in the cybersphere via blog posts, twitters, video uploads. I've never seen any thing quite like it in all my years of protest and activism. Two news sources that can catch you up on it: www.HuffingtonPost.com and CNN International.

It is in solidarity with the brave dissenters of Iran that I have changed my avatar. Green is the color of the dissent movement; and the image of Green Tara (Kwan Yin, the goddess of compassion) is, I think, an appropriate entity to evoke at this time. An advance reading of my CycleCast tells me that the quest for freedom - for oneself and others - is strong in the psychic-energy weather right now. May the spirit of freedom and peace eventually prevail, around the world!

I'll have more to say about the CycleCast, which will be posted tonight or tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Notable Quote: The Edges of Science

Note from Jan: This is a fabulous and fascinating book!

...long before normal science gets disrupted, we're likely to find, on the edges of normal science, a coterie of scientists who have happened across some observation that won't fit, and it nags at them. Their work becomes increasingly concerned with making it make sense. They develop experimental programs. They establish labs and accumulate research. Meanwhile, normal science proceeds as usual, barely noticing what's piling up at the edges.

~ Elizabeth Lloyd Mayer, Ph.D., from Extraordinary Knowing: Science, Skepticism, and the Inexplicable Powers of the Human Mind

Last Call for Father's Day Gifts!

The last shopping weekend before Father's Day is drawing to a close, but there's still time to get something unique and one-of-a-kind handmade for Dad!

I've added more items to my Dad's Day gift section at my Etsy shop. Take a look at my newest embellished shirt. I call it Tribal Elegance, and it's my favorite design so far ~



I love the way the tropical flower motifs - cut from a vintage-look Hawaiian shirt fabric - came together in this collaged pattern that's reminiscent of tribal tattoos! I can just see the lucky guy who gets this shirt wearing it at a beach wedding (even better if he's the groom!). There is a smaller motif appliqued to the front pocket, and this ooak shirt comes with its own card, to make your one-stop gift shopping super easy! You'll find more pictures and complete details about this shirt at the link given above.

If buying a shirt seems like too much of a project at this late date, I've also added some bookmark sets to my gift section. The set below is called Jewel Tones, and it's made from a recycled silk necktie ~

This would make a great filler gift, or a fine gift from a child - perfect for the Dad who loves to read (and many of them do!). What I love about these ooak bookmarks is the elegant feel of the silk backed by the satiny ribbons. It's pure pleasure to the touch, and your giftee will think of you every time he turns the page.

There are more gift items in my Dad's Day section, and throughout the shop - so please visit Eclectica By Jan for all your gift-giving needs. For Father's Day delivery in the contiguous 48 states, I'll need your order by Tuesday evening. So, what can I send you to make your Dad's day extra-special?

Take Me to the River: a walk to the Rio Grande - with a mission

Yesterday was glorious - sunny with a nice breeze - as my friend Vivian and I set out on our planned hike to the Rio Grande where it flows through Albuquerque. But we weren't there only to see a close-up of nature at the Rio Grande Nature Center:

It seems that we two pilgrims (that's me on the right in the picture below) had a mission. It was time to do a releasing ritual, and it takes a big river to cleanse all the negative junk we were ready to let go of!

In a nutshell, the ritual goes like this: Think about what blocking energies or limiting patterns you are ready to be done with. Find a rock, and put that energy into the rock. Take the rock to a flowing body of water. Ask the rock to carry the energy away from you, and the water to cleanse and transform it, and bring into your life any positive, nourishing energy you need to move forward on your path. Give thanks and blessings, and then cast the rock far out into the water.

We did this - finishing with cheers and high-fives - that can be part of the ritual, too! The picture below shows the mighty, muddy Rio Grande at our releasing site:

Then we headed back to really admire the views at the trailhead. You can see from the lowest elevation in Albuquerque to the highest. This is the pond at the Rio Grande Nature Center with the Sandia Mountains in the background:

Our mission concluded, we headed for a nice lunch at a nearby restaurant. There, the question was raised: when do we start seeing the benefits of this particular work in energy clearing? As I ponder the different elemental approaches that can be used to clear old patterns - fire, earth, water, and so on - it seems to me that the rock-in-the-river method gives the most subtle, yet profound effects. It may be some months or more before we can really say, "Aha! I'm better!" yet the deeply positive shifts in our beings are happening right now as I write this.

It may starting already. This morning, for the first time in days, I awoke with a clear mind and pain-free feeling in my head and shoulders. Of course, that could be the salubrious effects of fresh air and exercise - I really really need to get out and walk more often!

****************

It's not possible for me to write about the Rio Grande Nature Preserve without pausing to honor Aldo Leapold, a leading light in the conservation movement of the twentieth century. Among his many other achievements, Leopold was instrumental in getting this land along the river set aside as a preserve back in 1920s! You can read more about it at the nature center link given above.

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."
- Aldo Leopold, Sand County Almanac

Wordless Wednesday: Cactus Flowersin Pink and Yellow

The Essence of Slate Blue

WooHoo ~ another honor came my way last night. My Blue Smoke Shawl was among 8 items featured by fellow Etsian, Charan Sachar, on her blog to illustrate the Color of Week. You need a break - so check it out and rest your eyes on her lovely, soothing color collection. Thanks, Charan!


Here's the link to Charan's blog post: Creative with Clay.
Enjoy!

Fashion Frenzy: Dad's Day Gift Shirts

It's about FASHION, dear readers, because I'm showing you this new line of men's embellished I've recently posted to my Etsy shop~ and FRENZY because I'm behind on filling up my Dad's Day gift section only two weeks out from Father's Day!!! So let me start by showing off what I have, and then I'll fill you in on what's in the works.

This summery shirt is currently being featured on the Apparel & Shoes page of IndieSpotting.com ~

Short-sleeved and breezy, it's the perfect shirt for summer barbecues. The shirt itself is a thrift-shop find of pure linen, and I've embellished it appliques cut from another men's shirt, but Hawaiian-style with brilliant flowers, parrots, sailboats and such. Listed at a special price, this shirt is one-of-a-kind. It even comes with its own gift card to make your shopping ultra-easy.

That's my theme - basic button-downs, livened up with cool tropical prints. Here's another:

Back and front views of this fabulous piece. It's a quality all-cotton shirt, well-washed for softness, and made ooak with the addition of colorful appliques ~



Perfect for casual days at the office, don't you think? This ooak shirt has been called "awesomely cool" in the Etsy forums; coming from a top seller, I take that as quite a compliment.

So that's what I have in shop right now - but tonly wo items in a section looks rather sparse, I think. Besides, I'm addicted to the process of putting appliques on shirts - it's so much fun! So today, I went off to the thrift store, and came home with more basic button-downs to make into new listings (I also bought up a stack of cool CDs for $1 each, and got some much-needed refreshment to my music collection :). My goal is to have another shirt posted by the end of this coming week - just in time for Father's Day - plus a few smaller items like coffee cozies and such.

That, dear readers, will be my celebration of Dad's Day for 2009. I'd love to hear you're doing in your shops for the occasion. To keep me busy after the 21st, I've got a bunch of women's shirts to embellish with my special touch. With the ladies' gear, I can go wild and use gem embellishments, ribbons, metallic paint, etc - now that's really going to be fun!

Notable Quote: On Wit

Perhaps the classic example in the history of wit is the story of a famous exchange between two eighteenth-century political rivals, John Montague, also know as the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, and the reformist politician John Wilkes.

During a heated argument, Montague scowled at Wilkes and said derisively, "Upon my soul, Wilkes, I don't know whether you'll die upon the gallows, or of syphilis."

... Unfazed, Wilkes came back with what many people regard as the greatest retort of all time: "That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles, or your mistress."

~P.M. Forni, The Civility Solution

It's the Pearl: Energy of the Month for June 2009

Who doesn't love the gleaming luster of the pearl? If you are the kind who likes to adorn yourself this way, dear reader, then liberate your pearls from the jewelry box and adorn away! This month's energy is The Pearl ~

The energy of The Pearl represents, among other things, a turning point. If you are ready to close out one phase of your life and begin another, this is the month to consolidate all of that hard-won experience and wisdom. Like the pearl in nature, which develops its lustrous coat through small, daily accumulations, this Pearl represents the riches - both spiritual and otherwise - that we gain through lifetimes of daily acts of caring. Remember ,another word for "experience" is karma - the sum total of our soul's resume, experience put to good use, leading us to self-assuredness.

The Pearl's nearest neighbors on the Star+Gate card pattern are:

The Handle ~ urging to us to create our own opportunities - to start things, rather than wait for life to happen to us.

The Rod ~ taking command of one's life.

The Wind ~ the challenge of how we adapt to change: be like the tree that sways in the wind.

The Cave ~ a place of refuge and connection with our inner resources.

The Coffin ~ reverently putting to rest the old, so that we can make way for the new - shamanic death leading to transformation, regeneration, and rebirth.

Significant themes this month will center around seeking harmony and balance; practicing the lessons of give and take; and feeling the power that comes from combining with others. At the same time, we may see a breaking-up of old patterns - which may be painful to those who hold onto them - leading to a (perhaps welcome) softening of rigid positions. This is the opening that allows the new to come in. What that might be lies ahead for a future reading.

If this sounds rather dense and heavy, well, it is ~ but let's call it profound, shall we? For there are indeed deep currents moving through this reading. This month will be a fruitful time to tap the riches within. Some of us may have powerful, even turbulent, epiphanies of understanding. Most of us will most just buckle down and get serious about this journey along our soul's path. And it's a good, too, because these energies form a smooth current rolling us onward, and it's best to go with the flow.

These energy transformations will develop and build throughout the month, culminating in the last days of June (the 28th to be exact) and extending into the first few days of July. Before then, I will be back with a new Summer Solstice CycleCast!

Would you like to have a forecast of your personal energy cycles? My intuitive readings will help answer your questions and illuminate your path - and are now available by e-mail!. For information and to request a reading, click here, or send a message to burchjan@gmail.com. Visit my website www.GeoGlowConsulting.com for more information about my intuitive services.