Natalia Iwanyckyj's Blog
February 5, 2020
September 19, 2018
True Places — Book Review
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved True Places, from start to finish. Wonderful storytelling and insightful exploration of important issues of modern living. This book will particularly appeal to those searching for their own True Places and those remembering their own true selves.
A taste of what I loved:
~ Beautiful writing and themes dear to my heart.
“The cabin stood in a small clearing, and the trees surrounding it had strained toward the heavens for a long time, long enough for the trunks to have become too thick for the girl to enclose them in the circle of her arms, long enough for anyone with decency to fall silent in reverence.”
~ Fresh looks at life which will particularly resonate with mothers.
“That was, in fact, what time was: a narrow container for relentless succession of tasks.”
“Her life seemed ludicrous to her at times. She didn’t dwell on it–it was futile–but she did occasionally entertain the notion that her activities and duties did not add up to a satisfying or even useful existence.”
~ And, a non-spoiler peek at the line behind the title.
“Sometimes it takes a stranger to show you what should be obvious, how far you’ve drifted from who you want to be, from what’s right for you, your true place.”
June 26, 2018
The Art of Inheriting Secrets — Review
The Art of Inheriting Secrets by Barbara O’Neal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“My first glimpse of Rosemere Priory came just before dusk, when the last of the day’s sunlight fingered the old stones a rosy gold. It was vast and rambling, bay upon bay of Elizabethan windows, with two crenellated towers pointing into an eggplant sky.
Everything I knew about my mother shattered in that instant.”
“The Art of Inheriting Secrets” opens with these strong, beautiful words. And so I tumbled onto an old English estate, joining Olivia Shaw as she unraveled the secrets of her ancestors, uncovered her own deepest desires, and befriended English people from several classes.
Like all of Barbara O’neal’s books, this one features strong women, good men, families, dogs, food, and adventure. The addition of mystery, history, and a delicious romance made “The Art of Inheriting Secrets” a very satisfying read about true nobility.
“Our families have been neighbors for more than four centuries. Four hundred years,” he added for weight. “Always, it was the Barbers and the Shaws, side by side. We stood in solidarity over many things and quarreled about others, but I believe our people have always stood for the same ideas—that with great wealth comes responsibility.”
June 23, 2018
Portal Magic
Window in the sky
makes me wonder:
What’s beyond?
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Walking the same paths and sitting in the same spots rewards the soul. I love seeing new places, exploring and discovering things for the first time. But there is a richness, a sweetness, a deep satisfaction in revisiting, reflecting, reconnecting.
Do you have a magical place that feeds your soul? I’d love to hear about it.
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June 17, 2018
Be Here Now â and GROW
I’m sitting on the dock of the lake, experiencing time. Enjoying the present. Feeling my world expand.
This timespace is a treasure. As is every time and space. But sometimes, it is hard to feel the gift of the moment. Perspective helps. Silence helps. Nature helps. So when possible, I give myself these gifts.
Whenever and wherever from you’re reading this, I hope you’ll share your treasure of the moment in the comments. Thank you for sharing this timespace with me.
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Be Here Now — and GROW
I’m sitting on the dock of the lake, experiencing time. Enjoying the present. Feeling my world expand.
This timespace is a treasure. As is every time and space. But sometimes, it is hard to feel the gift of the moment. Perspective helps. Silence helps. Nature helps. So when possible, I give myself these gifts.
Whenever and wherever from you’re reading this, I hope you’ll share your treasure of the moment in the comments. Thank you for sharing this timespace with me.
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June 16, 2018
Water Lily Magic
Nature Magic heals. Flower Magic inspires. Beauty soothes my soul.
I am feeling grateful for my happy place. For time to walk. And time to sit. For cygnets and water lilies and red-winged blackbirds. For birds chirping and insects buzzing. For the sweet smell of the air.
Life is good.
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May 20, 2018
The Light
I love quiet time. Time to listen to the wisdom of the world. My Sunday morning awareness follows. P
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February 13, 2018
Torn Asunder
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Nailed
to a cross
Stretched
to the breaking point
A powerful PLUS
pulls every particle of me right
A massive MINUS
tugs every particle of me left
Every fiber of my being
under stress
My Core
in distress
Each cell and joint screaming
hungering for full harmony
When the only viable prospect
is annihilation
I wasn’t sure if “annihilation” was the word I needed at the end, so I checked its meaning. In addition to the common meaning, there’s this:
Physics.
Also called pair annihilation. the process in which a particle and antiparticle unite, annihilate each other, and produce one or more photons.
February 12, 2018
The Slavic Moons and Meditations
Slavic Moon Calendar. So excited to find this blog.
You will have to correlate this to a moon calendar of the year you are working with, but starting with the first New Moon after the Spring Equinox, roughly:
March Moon – Brezeň – The Birch Moon – The first new moon after the Spring Equinox. This is the time of transition from winter into the warmth of spring, a hopeful time of eternal renewal. The birch is sacred to the Young Goddess of Spring in her various forms of Lada, Jarilla, Vesna, and also Devana. The birch is used as a protective talisman as well as a cleansing “broom” in the sauna. It is sometimes connected to the concept of the World Tree that connects the Underworld, the Physical World and the Spirit World. We can see in the Russian euphemism used when someone was dying, “they are going to the birches.” This is a good time to reevaluate…
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