Contest for Teens Winner

I posted a writing contest with the question, Why is Magic So Popular?

The winner is Olivia. Here is her essay.

I think there are a couple of different things that are happening in the modern world today that all contribute to magic. First off, there is the media. Such television shows like Charmed, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer involve magic (even though it's not really like modern-day magic, it still has some facts right), as well as movies, like The Good Witch, and many books for young adults, including The Teen Spell Book by Jamie Wood or Teen Witch, by Silver Ravenwolf.Secondly, I think it's the age we live in, the Age of Aquarius. Many people, young and old, are discovering themselves more and more often, finding out who they truly are, and for many, that includes finding magic, and using it as a self-empowering tool that can help them on their path. Magic is used by people all over the globe, and it's making a positive change in the world! Blessed be!

* * *

Additional information about what teens think about magic and Wicca can be found on the MTV website. Check it out http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1584096/20080325/id_0.jhtml

Four Crows: A Spiritual Center

Today, my friends, Nila and Daryl, allowed us to film for several hours at their store, Four Crows: A Spiritual Center. We took over the store with lights, kids, food, clothes, etc. They were such amazing good sports about it. I'm so grateful to have such good friends.

Please go visit their store or website. You abolsutely need to check out their amazing Spirit Jewelry. Daryl, a Sundancer and Pipe Carrier for the Lakota, creates the jewelry with the spirit of animals that coincide with birth months - like astrological jewlery, but this is really cool because he makes each unique piece on site and the jewelry is more like a totem of the animal that is already protecting and guiding you. So far, he has created a badger, wolf, bear necklaces. Or receive a one of kind, knock you between the eyballs kind of spiritual readings from Nila. A few years ago, Nila and I took ten women on a Goddess Retreat to Kadavu, Fiji. She's a very powerful woman who will help you find the power to create a life of great happiness. http://www.fourcrowscenter.com/

The woman you see in the pink, behind the girls, is Lori Stoll. My new best friend : ) - at least she's the person I talk most to everyday. She's directing this book trailer for me. We're working on her forthcoming book, The Jew and The Inuit Girl. It's her memoir, detailing the story of a celebrity photographer who adopts an Inuit teenager. It will blow your socks off. Really.

We are taking off Sunday, but will shoot again Monday. More pics to come. Rogelia's House of Magic is definitely coming to life.

Day Two of Filming

I can now add a few more titles to my resume while in the making of the book trailer for Rogelia's House of Magic: casting, co-director, craft services, animal corraler, still photographer taker (there's a more professional name for this, but I forgot), and hair and makeup artist. Also, not sure if this counts. but I was also Set Mama. How much fun is this???? Let me tell you, I'm loving every minute of it.

Now this may sound absolutely silly to some of you and totally respectiful to others, and of course, somewhere in between for most of you. (I'm finally getting the hang of the idea that life does not have to be either black or white.) I believe strongly in supporting IMAGINATION: the ability to visualize an image in your head. I also believe that visual media can sometimes, oftentimes, provides images, lasting, permanent images, while literary works encourage imagination, images that are fleeting, changeable, more vapor and yet strong in feeling. So even though I am totally intrigued by the idea of seeing the 3D image of my story come to life, I want to preserve the right of the reader to imagine their own version of Fern, Marina, Xochitl, and Rogelia. That said, I think we did a pretty good job of casting. Our cast is beautiful, professional, and hard-working.