Here's the part of the site where I get to share stuff about me.
October 2, 2009 Thank You Gardeners
September 25, 2009 Goin' Travellin'On a walk today, I found bright vermiel impatiens with their dark forest leaves planted in a knothole of a dappled birch. To you who garden: thank you for bringing beauty into everyone's days. Yours is the poetry of the eye and spirit, respite for the seeker of beauty, and a balm for the weary soul. I have walked or driven past many a garden in many a city, but I've never run up to knock on your doors and thank you properly; you've healed me on many occasions.
I'm excited about a couple of venues I just scheduled yesterday. I'll be near Hartford, Connecticut (USA) on November 7, and in Chicago, Illinois (USA) on November 15. Looking forward to visiting, meeting people, and discussing all things Canaanite. For more info, check out Author News on the Tablet.
August 10, 2009 Nifty, I got Interviewed
I was interviewed in Sequential Tart, a webzine dedicated to the comics industry, news, arts, culture, and women's interest: Ancient Stones: An interview of Tess Dawson by Rebecca Buchanan.
July 23, 2009 Bogus Book Names
I remembered a game I used to play as a kid: coming up with silly book titles and authors. Before long, I began to think of bogus Pagan and New Age books and authors:
- Advanced Scrying by Seymore Signs
- Ye Olde and Officiale Collectione of Magicke Volume I of XIII by Anne Highe Grandwombatt QRS, TU, VWX
- Beginners' Dowsing by Miss Place
- Reiki First Aid by Ow Chi-Idhurtz
- Tea Leaf Reading in 100 Cups by Ida Goddapee
- Magickal Herbs by Ivy Doan-Skratchitt
- Sacred Groves and Ley Lines by I.M. Knottlost, G.P.S.
July 7, 2009 Moon's Abundance
Yarikh the moon god rose large and slightly red last night. According to 3500 year old Canaanite lore, a red moon symbolizes abundance to come in the month. I know we can all use a little extra prosperity. Blessings of abundance for us all.
June 5, 2009 Dream Big
The other day, I caught myself having some wildly large ideas and hopes. At first, I chastised myself, thinking I was being impractical and silly. Another thought stopped my inner critic dead in her tracks: "It doesn't cost a dime to dream big." And I realized, it's true. Dreaming big doesn't cost anything. Besides, who knows, those big dreams just might happen.
May 1, 2009 Wombats
I've often heard a saying about "the best laid plans of mice and men," but I'm not a man, so I feel a little left out of this cliche. Oh, it's not something that keeps me awake and worrying at night. But I came up with my own feminine alternative: "the best laid plans of wombats and women." Take that, patriarchy...!?!
April, 29, 2009 Melancholy's T-Shirt
I have a blue tie-dyed t-shirt that I had worn for part of the day earlier last week. It wasn't dirty, and I had planned on wearing it again before washing it, but I remembered that I had worn it on a day that I had been unhappy. Like a new old wives' tale, the words popped into my head "Don't wear the clothes of sorrow," and I knew that I needed to wash the shirt to cleanse it spiritually even if it wasn't physically dirty.
Just a kindly note from the universe: if you associate a piece of clothing with sadness, illness, or anger, perhaps it is a good idea to spiritually cleanse the item before wearing it, or just get rid of it. Unwanted energy that close to your skin can rub off onto your aura. Makes me think of strange stories of haunted dresses.
Somehow, I feel a Cure song coming on, anyway...
March 2, 2009 "Tess Needs To"
I heard about a game: "Google" the phrase "______ needs to", but plug in your own name at the blank. I gave it a try, and here's what happened. Apparently, there's a soap opera character and a shy little dog with whom I share a name, along with Hardy's classic Tess of the d'Urbervilles. A strange combination. So here's what I ended up with:
- Tess needs to be her own woman.
- Tess needs to be allowed to 'come to you.'
- Tess needs to feed.
- Tess needs to be a natural woman of nature.
- Tess needs to go somewhere secure.
- Tess needs to practice.
- Tess needs to identify.
How bizarre. Give it a try. See what you get!
January 5, 2009 Fox Says Hello
I've been seeing a fox quite a bit around my residence lately. I love his beautiful burnt-orange coat and his black socks. He reminds me that the wilds are all around us, but we humans have superimposed our world over them. In Jewish shamanistic thought, the fox may represent receiving adequate remuneration for work.
November 6, 2008 FrankenRocker
I got to thinking--a terrible habit!--about Frankenstein's monster, and I wondered what grotesque creature could be formed from rock stars. I had a macabe idea that even Mary Shelley would be proud--or disgusted: what if a mad scientist were to combine Mick Jagger's pigeon chest with Angus Young's chicken legs? Akk! My eyes!
September 14, 2008 Fishing in Pyjamas
I once heard that in Chicago it is illegal to go fishing in Lake Michigan if you are only wearing your pyjamas. I'll wager Chicago P.D. would rather do more important things than cuffing grandpa in his plaid flannels and confiscating his bait.
I wonder that we folks in the U.S. don't all end up in jail for walking and chewing gum or having garlic breath. Ignorance is supposedly no defense against the law, but how can one be a completely law-abiding citizen without knowing all the laws?
Enough kvetching. I've come up with a solution. Every leap year, the legislature instead of making more laws (perish the thought!) should strike off the record the outdated laws. That or we should consider returning to something like Hammurabi's Code, where a great big obelisk in a town square outlines everything that is illegal. There would be no room on an obelisk for "Thou shalt not fart in public."
Ah well, just my two cents' worth. This and $4.75 might buy me a cup of coffee.
September 5, 2008 Perky People
Wouldn't it be interesting if we began to describe people in the same way as we talk about coffee:
- Mellow
- Bright
- Intense
- Floral
- Fruity
- Light
- Bold
- Vibrant
- Acidic
- Well-Balanced
August 25, 2008 Doesn't It Just Figure
Isn't it uncanny how the absolutely wrong song plays at the most inconvenient times? I've especially noted this phenomenon during exercise. I'll be minding my own business doing some exercise in the comfort of my own living room when all of a sudden the CD player on random decides to take an attitude. This month alone, I've been subject to Queen's "Pain is So Close to Pleasure" during ab crunches, and later Van Halen's "Black and Blue." The real coup de grace: John Mellencamp's "Hurt So Good" for a weight training session. I just can't win. One of my friends agreed wholeheartedly: she'll be going at a good pace on the stairmaster when some real downer of a song, like The Eagles' "Desperado," will start playing.
Note: the websites for Auroshikha and Surya may not sell retail, so if you want to buy their incenses look them up on a search engine to find a retailer.
May, 5, 2009 Appearances in Chicago and Minneapolis--Tentative
I may be appearing this autumn in Chicago, and this spring in Minneapolis. I'll let you all know as soon as the details are worked out.
May 1, 2009 Just Deserts: Pagan Sacrifice in a Modern Age in Pentacle Magazine
Printed in Pentacle Magazine, this article explores the complexities of ancient and modern forms of offerings and the role of offerings in a modern context. See an excerpt on the Tablet.
December 31, 2008 Ordination
Just in time for the secular new year! I have received my ordination through Universal Life Church and am now officially a minister. See my new Spiritual Services and Pagan Clergy page.
December 23, 2008 Middle East Peace Meditation in Circle Magazine
I've just been informed that this piece has gone to print for the Winter 2008-2009 issue of Circle Magazine. In this meditation, the reader is guided through sending peace to a tumultuous part of the world. May our world be filled with healing peace, not just for this season, but for all seasons.
October 22, 2008 Article Chariot of the Sun in SageWoman Magazine
Look for this article in SageWoman magazine, the current issue, #75: Surrendering and Awakening. In Chariot, I contemplate Lady Shapshu as she rides in her chariot through the cycles of life and death. The article features wonderful artwork by Ingrid Sundberg.
July 10, 2008 Whisper of Stone book estimated date for July 31, 2009
May 19, 2007 New Moon RitualThis summer has brought many beginnings and endings. A mother robin nested just outside my office door, and I have had the chance to watch the little ones begin life from the egg and grow into fledglings. Oh, how she fretted and fussed with her mate as they built the little cradle of twigs. Just this week, Mother Robin decided to give her wee ones flying lessons. As the three young birds have left the nest, I think about my own creative projects that are also leaving the nest.
I am excited to report that after years of work, my manuscript for Whisper of Stone: Modern Canaanite Religion, Natib Qadish is finally leaving my desk. Look for it perched on bookstore shelves and virtual shelves Summer 2009. Useful, well-documented information about a rarely explored path. Cover image courtesy of O-Books.
It is wonderful to see a book where the ancient texts of Canaan are analyzed then intelligently crafted into a modern workable Pagan Path. This enormous undertaking is handled with a wisdom, skill, and grace that afford opportunities for individual adaptation. Thought provoking, illuminating, realistic, and exciting on all levels, yet immensely readable, this book is a treasure and a must for the library of every modern Pagan. Ann Moura, Author of the Green Witch series.
The god of the Israelites was a jealous god, stating “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” [Exodus 20:3] Despite this injunction, the Israelites would frequently ascend to “high places,” and worship Baal, a Canaanite fertility deity. While the Bible portrays Canaanites and Israelites as being culturally separate, archaeological data indicates that the two cultures largely overlapped, with that of the Israelites having derived from the Canaanites. This suggests that understanding Canaanite religious practices would cast new light on Hebrew spirituality, including the Qabala, which is of pivotal importance to many contemporary magickal traditions.
Tess Dawson has done a commendable job in combing through copious dry academic texts, extracting historical data and what little is known of the religious practices of the Canaanites. The end result is a comprehensive overview of the Canaanite culture. Ms Dawson then presents her own techniques of worshipping the Canaanite deities in the hope of inspiring others to follow in her footsteps. Readers seeking a unique spiritual path to embrace, or perhaps wishing to spice up their current practices, are presented with a wonderful opportunity.
Tony Mierzwicki, author of Graeco-Egyptian Magick: Everyday Empowerment.
Whisper of Stone is a linguistically rich exploration of a truly unique topic. Readers will discover another world filled with potential spiritual and magical practices that can still support modern Paths. For those drawn to this cultural context, this resource is valuable! Patricia Telesco, Author of Kitchen Witch's Companion, Exploring Candle Magick, and Charmed Life.
March 24, 2007 Presentation at Gaia's Awakening FaireI created and officiated a Chudthu (New Moon) ritual at a Unitarian Universalist church in Washington state. Five people attended the ritual which reenacted the symbolic construction of Ba'lu's temple based on Ugaritic literature, celebrated the creation of the universe based on Phoenician literature, and included a modern meditation to meet 'Athirat. During the ritual, participants enjoyed a ritual feast.
June 2006 Article Natib Qadish: Rediscovering the Gods of CanaanI gave a presentation on Canaanite Polytheism at the Gaia's Awakening Faire at a Unitarian Universalist church in Washington.
February 2006 Article Anger: Catalyst of ChangeMy article Natib Qadish: Rediscovering the Gods of Canaan is published in issue #44 of PanGaia magazine.
September 28, 2005 Dream Interpretation ClassMy article Anger: Catalyst of Change was published in the current issue, #37 Winter/Spring, of The Beltane Papers: A Journal of Women's Mysteries.
2002-2004 Coffee in CanaanI gave a dream interpretation class at shop in New Jersey called "My Favorite Place," 114c Creek Rd, Mt. Laurel, NJ
We learned much exploring together how to interpret dreams for ourselves, and how to understand our own personal dream-languages. We discussed how to remember dreams, how to keep a dream journal, how to break a dream into individual components (events, characters, sights, sounds, etc.), then how to put those components back together for a final interpretation. We also covered recurring dreams, people who visit others via the "astral plane," as well as shared dreams and spirit guides.
2003 Article for Phantom ImmortalityFrom September 2002 and March 2004, I organized and hostessed a weekly to bi-monthly coffee chat called "Coffee in Canaan."
In Summer of 2003, I wrote an article on Canaanite Paganism that was published in the local Chicago periodical Phantom Immortality.
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All original written work on this site is copyright © 2005 Tess Dawson, unless otherwise noted.
Please do not use without permission, proper crediting, and a link to my site.
All original artwork and photographs on this site are copyright © 2005, 2009 Tess Dawson, unless otherwise noted.
Please do not use without permission, proper crediting, and a link to my site.