celestial guardians

Three divine guardians - a Chi Lin, a Fu Dog, and a Pi Xiu - celestial creatures sent to Earth by the God of Heaven to safeguard the trinity of Tien Ti Ren. Together, they form the trusted antidote to subdue the viciousness of the Three Killings (Sarm Saat or three conflicts). 

Feng Shui (wind water in English) is the Chinese art of arranging external structures and inside decor to harmonize people within an environment. This concept operates on the theory that living things have a life force or Qi (Chi or Ki). 

celestial guardian figurines

Feng Shui Three Killings are a combination of three sha - year sha, robbery sha, and disaster sha. Year Sha are obstacles that impede or set back. Robbery Sha could lead to financial loss. Disaster Sha cause accidents, problems, or trouble.

freedom, fascism, fiction

In her series of electrifying essays Arundhati Roy challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism. Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction, won the 2023 European Essay Prize. 

Her essays include meditations on language - public as well as private - and the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in current disturbing times. 

original book cover which has since been recalled

work in progress

Accept that you are a work in progress, both a revision and a draft: you are better and more complete than earlier versions of yourself, but you also have work to do. Be open to change. Allow yourself to be revised. ~ Dame Maggie Smith, Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change

moon over NYC

In a world cocooned and immersed in a constant barrage of externalized prompting, do we even realize who we are and what we do? Are we original individuals or mere sheep led out to pasture? 

Social media especially can all too easily lend itself to project an idealized or romanticized life. 

lifetime friendships

Each friend holds a different purpose in life and brings a different type of friendship to the table. They may be meant to stay forever or only for a short period of time - either way, they bring their own uniqueness into life and ignite ours as well.

childhood classmates & hometown friends - prepping & planning for our golden

There are those who come into our lives and they leave them for whatever reason - they satisfied what we needed from the friendship in that moment. Even though their presence was so important at that time, it may no longer hold the same significance. 

mandala cycles

Mandalas are a beloved symbol originating long before any recorded history. The most admired and discussed symbol of divinity and art is the mandala. Like guru and yoga, it is now part of the English language and our daily life. 

At wonder | wander | world the mandala captured our imagination in our formative years - circles and cycles, center and core, community and collaboration. It has permeated our being and pervaded our lives in countless ways. We have used it as a guiding force and vital compass in decision making, planning, and application. 

coloring book art by Issa Urra

Our latest project is a mandala coloring book for kids at heart of any age. An exploration of the joys and delights we all hold within us. These mesmerizing patterns were designed to provide a serene sanctuary in which to pursue pathways into our innermost being.  

read more

As we lie in bed nursing our battered and depleted psyches, we are grateful for the rich world of reading we can readily avail of for our needed rest and relief. 

Professed bookworms and curious nerds, reading is a love instilled in us early on, that has grown us into the beings we proudly are. 

At ground zero of the battle over books and censorship, national correspondent Jeff Fleischmann reports on book banning across America for the last six or seven months.  

the daughter of the daughter of my daughter

I am the daughter

of a daughter

Who is the daughter

of a daughter.

Who is also the daughter

of a daughter.

Some of us are mothers

but all of us are daughters,

all birthed through lines

that weave back to

that First Mother.

All connected from

the very beginning.

All connected in the now.

art by Julie Dillon

Mothers,

Daughters,

Grandmothers,

Great Grandmothers,

Great Great Grandmothers.

All daughters born from

One. Original. Egg.

from

One. Original. Woman.

So why the separation?

Why the animosity toward each other?

Why the arguing and fighting,

back-stabbing and lack of support?

The next time you see another woman,

look in her eyes and see the

Ancestral Lines – the lines of women –

that lead back to you.

Where are we going Mother?

And how will we get there Sister?

By staying connected Daughter

and allowing for difference.

For we are each one,

after all,

all Daughters

of the

One Mother.

The Daughter Line, Arlene Bailey ©2023