Thursday, December 11, 2014

Ash Zahra is here..! ❦



She's so cute, I want to eat her up.. Gonna leave the cheeks for dessert..

Her mouth smells like vanilla ice cream butter biscuits and she plays thai chi and dances flamenco...

AZ wearing the jacket & shoes that beautiful Maria made for her 


For my mother on her birthday since she hasn't seen AZ in real life yet ❦


This photo made me really happy, the girls from the Nile River School, run by the wonderful Didi Ananda Rama. The children made this huge beautiful rainbow flower boucket for AZ, Didi said they made it from the colors and paper tissues we left last time we did tie dye.. Miss them all! Click Here to know more about the beautiful Nile River School Project 

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Return of The Sacred Feminine; A Mandala Coloring E-Book Project

A few days ago, I had a dream about making a book of coloring mandala pages.. So I decided to follow the dream and start making an ebook for everyone interested to color or create their own black and white mandala drawings (it can be a mandala or a simply a drawing that represents their vision of the sacred feminine, 
and send it to me to include in the book {I will mention your name, and the title of your mandala, but I will not write it on the coloring page itself}. I also decided that these mandalas should be for all ages, because I am also a child at heart.
This one I called 'The Dreamer'

It feels great to create a mandala because it's been a while that I've been working on the tarot cards and each card is usually kind of pre-meditated so it was a good opportunity for me to start creating freely.. Doodling... feels really good and relaxing.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Handmade gifts exchange with my beautiful friend/ sister Maria-Constanza ❦

(I don't know why but there is something wrong with the blog, it keeps rotating the pictures in weird positions while this one should be horizontal..) 
Maria knitted this Beautiful blue jacket & shoes for our coming baby ❦ It's so beautiful, Jay & I loved it so much, it's made with so much love and details ❦ while, Robert made sure it's safe and sent it over to us by post ❦


Then I made this little book of seeds, for both of them (Robert & Maria) which also corresponds with their birthdays which are in August, and their beautiful marriage celebration in the US which I couldn't attend ❦ 


 My drawing skills are really weird sometimes, I tried many time to draw Maria's face but it always seemed so not beautiful as her real natural beautiful face is... So in a desperate act, I printed her face using our flatemate's black & white printer and I stuck it on the painting! I hope she likes it! It's still not as beautiful as she is though...




I improvised a collage and stuck it on a fruits bag, I know Maria likes the color green, so the bag seemed perfect!
All packed, ready to go!


Monday, August 18, 2014

Another Magic Book for Loulou :) ❦

Just finished sewing and wrapping Lulu's gift :) and will hopefully send it over to Egypt tomorrow if post office hours permit :) 

It's a whiteboard notebook that I made in Jay's Betabook prototyping workshop. I found a book cover with her name on it, and I instantly started making it for her ❦ I used the cover to stick a sheet of whiteboard material that Jay and his partners produce and some other simple details ❦ I also remembered Lulu's little book of seeds that her beautiful mom made for her in moonbeach a long time ago :) 



 A new kind of magic! :) They can take it anywhere with them, draw & play together; even make stop motion films together! :) Using only the book and a phone camera! :) (Click here to see a simple example I did with the wonderful crazy kids in El Ayyat)
This was my first whiteboard notebook trial (Click here)
This is Lulu writing in her little book of seeds that Heba ❦ made for her (Click here)

I also looked up the story of this book author and title, and it's a story I wouldn't want to tell here! Hehehe "Fun Stuff"

at @the DIY Betabook Workshop =)
Also, the past few days, we spent them in Belgium @Didi's who is Jay's friend, we made them three mini betabooks using an old book cover, an old emergency UK passport cover & an old notebook cover!



Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Reading the Tarot @SummerWonderland Party at Gut Möglin, a weekend out side of Berlin with Jay the Magician ❦

 I was reading the Tarot for people in return for their card contributions to the Tarot For Social Transformation while Jay was helping me and also doing crazy wonderful magic rituals; dealing his Placebo Drugs! :D


 First, We were offered a caravan where I can read the cards, but then I found this more magical place where the air flew by, it felt right and perfect :) We also found a lot of white stones in the storage room, and Jay helped me moved them to make these three magic circles. I also put some candles (fire), incense (air), a sea shell (water), and a pine cone (earth) in an antique pan that I also found in the magical storage room at Gut Möglin :) The intention was to sit inside the Circles and be present, connected with the power of the moment and the Spirit within ❦ Jay's magic potion {made out of Tabasco sauce & Vanilla} also helped strengthen the intention :D Love him!
It was a beautiful experience; the intention worked; I could feel the moment and the flow... Read the cards for six people; three long readings by day light and three long readings by the candle lights :)




Some of the 16 Cards for Change created that day :)




Friday, July 4, 2014

Tarot for Social Transformation {Co~Create a deck with us!} ❦

Cards' back cover
{drawing by Jay, and writing by Cara}
Below are some cards from the Tarot deck we're co~creating together with more than 60 people so far..! I am posting these photos here to encourage you to contribute by creating your own card! :)











{To know more about the creators of these beautiful cards and their cards' description please scroll down! :) }

The Story of the Tarot:

A traditional deck consists of 78 cards including 22 major ones describing the Journey of the Hero or Heroine of the tarot.

The Hero is depicted in the first card as "The Fool" who stands for each of us as we set on a new journey in our lives. On our way, we encounter different archetypes, face many challenges, and become aware of a lot of new things which are also depicted by other different cards in the tarot... ~ The story of the Hero is told in a linear manner, however in real life it is not...

At the end of the journey, the Fool reaches the last card which is "The World", by this time he has become whole; reaching a new level of happiness and understanding. The Fool experiences life as full and meaningful. The future is filled with infinite promise. In line with his personal calling, he becomes actively involved in the world. He renders service by sharing his unique gifts and talents and finds that he prospers at whatever he attempts. Because he acts from inner calling, the whole world conspires to see that his efforts are rewarded. His accomplishments are many. This cycle is over, but, the Fool will never stop growing. Soon he will be ready to begin a new journey that will lead him to ever greater levels of understanding...

The story of the Tarot for Social Transformation:

Just like "the Fool" is the Hero of the story of the traditional tarot; "the World" or Society as a whole is the Heroine of our Tarot story... On her way, she encounters many Archetypes, Behaviours, Events, Technologies and memes that are transforming her 'Our World'. 

The idea is to express these and to use them to build a story of Positive Social Transformation. As well as telling this story the cards can be used for Brainstorming, Forecasting, Generating new lines of intellectual inquiry, and mapping change within your community.

Why? 
Many stories are being told of our future. These Meta Narratives are mostly either of Technological Salvation, Financial Collapse, Ecological Destruction, or outright Armageddon. It is necessary for us to find new stories, stories that are both positive and inclusive if we are to create a world worth inhabiting.

The Tarot offers a good working structure to help create new narratives and explore these in a distributed and non-linear manner. The associated rituals also provide a fun and meaningful framework for telling stories of our future.

Creating a Card

Download and print the template below, or upload into a draw program (although we would rather you engage your hands). 

{Tarot for Social Transformation Card Template}
Please only draw in black and white (for some consistency of aesthetics).
You may create your own Archetypes, Behaviors, Technologies, Memes, or anything else you consider necessary for consideration in the path to a better future.
If you wish to use the existing tarot for a launch point, generate a random card, consider it’s meaning and how it translates to social transformation.

Finally email us your card drawing + a short typed description {preferably a small paragraph} to whitesther@hotmail.com / thatcousinsboy@gmail.com 
and we’ll add to the deck, feel free to share online #cards4change

For more information, please visit Jay's blog here!


 

The Creators of the cards above & their card stories:

 

Understanding, by Sophia Mühling
"The essence of loving and learning is to understand each other worldwide."

The Hacker, by Jay Cousins

"The hacker can read how the world works, this understanding of how things work gives him power over it. Reality is his to shape, to adapt to his will."

Never Ending Source of Power, by NOTKER
"ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU ARE ONLY HERE FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME. NATURE WILL REMAIN. SO DO NOT MESS WITH IT, BUT REMEMBER TO CARE IT RESPECTFULLY –THEN IT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH WHATEVER YOU WILL NEED. "

Courage, by Zeinab Kamal

"The lioness is a person who takes a rest every now and then to redefine her passions in life; which gives her the courage to carry on with what she believes in. And so she is naturally able to put a lot of loving energy and strength in whatever she does. When needed to keep her flame going, the Lioness knows how to claim what she deserves in return for her efforts."


The Hieroelophant, by Geert-Jan

"MEDIA IS GOD AND THE ONLY REAL POWER OF THIS TIME"

Contemplation Offline No Interruptions, by Cara Bell Jones

"Take a moment away from the constant stream of information.. You are complete as you are. All of the answers are within. Just take time to reflect on what you already know…"

Dissolution and New Emergence, by Naho Iguchi

"You are the child of the moon. Your role is to shed a light in the darkness and draw a clear bright line to the emerging world.  In this process, you should be patient and persistent until a gigantic mountain is dissolved and a melting drop touches to the bottom. The drop will eventually generate a water current and become an abound pond. The pond reflects a rainbow."
  
Sunny Son, by Max

"We grow to THE SUN.. By the warm light.
A son embraces naivety and everything else.
The Sunny Son's solution is a smile."

Heart Magic Portal, by Zeinab Kamal
"Turtle is an ancient symbol for the Earth. She is a keeper of wisdom. Her message is: "I AM.  I move with my own rhythm; which is in harmony with the Heart beat of the Earth. Only when I slow down, I can hear her tune...
I am not concerned about having to be anywhere quickly; I know, that when the music changes, I naturally follow it by stepping into unknown waters, and I swiftly go with the fast currents, while still being at peace, enjoying the ride, listening to the music which tells me to keep going with the flow…"
Turtle tells me to slow down and listen to my heart's deepest desires while still taking my time... To know that when the moment is right and my heart gives its signs, then, all I need to do is to follow it and not to worry about the 'how'. That by going with my inner urge, I am stepping into a portal of magic ~ where everything is possible and miracles happen, naturally…"

Chalice of Trees, by Manuela Bosch

"Creating a safe space for change to happen. Your role is not to act or think. Your role in the world is to hold and leave space at the same time. Connect therefore to the earth, stick your roots deep into the ground, your intuition will shine and guide the way to our collective liberation. May all beings be happy, loving and in peace."

Change, by Manuela

"The change is deeply connected to the place you’re coming from, even when ignore it, or deny it.  The change also doesn't know – can't know – where it will bring you. The change is also a woman, because a new life can be born through her. It has the power of creating life, a female power.'



Places & Events where we have collected some of the Cards:

@Re-Make, DMY Festival, Tempelhof, Berlin




@the Summer Solstice Festival @Klein Hundorf, Germany

 Reading the tarot for the people who contributed their art for the cards for Change :)


@SummerWonderland Party at Gut Möglin