The Dance of the Harvest, Halloween, Samhain, Dia de Muertos

If you live in the city, you may not appreciate the change of seasons as much as those of us who live outside an urban area.

While I've always enjoyed the change of seasons (as a gardener, even in the city I paid attention to their passing), I especially notice them nowadays.

On my drive from Hoopeston, IL to my shop in Urbana this morning, I saw one of the huge harvesters just pouring down a shower of golden corn into a trailer. A glorious sight that brought home to me what all the acres of corn and soybeans are about.

Mind you, I tend to favor smaller, organic gardens and the concept of organic farms. Nonetheless, there is beauty in seeing the dance of the harvest on such a grand scale. Yet to produce this harvest, corn, soybean and other plants must die.

Halloween, Samhain, Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), All Souls, are all holidays that, in their own way, celebrate the concept of harvest. The seed of the grain harvested this Autumn will not only feed people, cattle or fuel cars, it will give us future harvests when planted. Even in the death of the corn (or wheat) is found life. These holidays, which celebrate the dead, also acknowledge the living and our connection to the circle of life and death.

Many blessings to you and yours during this harvest season.

Deciphering Destiny at The Buzz

In the news, again.
What fun!

A week and a half ago, Bruce Harrington showed up at Carmon's, the restaurant in downtown Champaign where I do tarot readings on Tuesday evenings.

I enjoyed our interview. The article presents the basics very straightforwardly...One note, though, the printed version (and today's online version, although it will eventually be corrected) mixed up one thing...I do ten-minute readings for $15 at Carmon's.


Deciphering destiny
Tarot card readings offer insight to life’s unanswerable questions
4:00 am Jul 17 - by Bruce Harrington – buzz Writer

If you’re tired of relying on your daily horoscope, and your fortune cookies just aren’t cutting it, a one-on-one with a professional tarot card reader might be the answer to discovering your destiny.

Every Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Catherine Novak of Beads N Botanicals in Hoopeston, Ill., can be found at Carmon’s, 415 N. Neil St. Novak, a professional Tarot Card reader, uses the cards and her intuition to give people insight into their lives.

For the complete
article check here.

Deciphering Destiny

Catherine
Tarot Readings by Phone


http://the217.com/articles/view/deciphering_destiny

Closing of Danville's Hobby Lobby Silver Lining for Hoopeston Businesses

I was looking around for some other info and found this article online.

Apparently our local weekly paper is posting more articles on line
nowadays, which is great.

This article is about Danville's Hobby Lobby closing and how Hoopeston
has a lot of shops that can fill the gap.

The upcoming closing of Danville's Hobby Lobby craft and home décor store has local crafters in a panic. However, local businesses in Hoopeston are stepping up to fill the gap.

Beads N Botanical's owner, Catherine Novak, says, "I've been hearing that a lot of people are very upset about Hobby Lobby's closing. Most of them haven't realized that several Hoopeston businesses carry the crafting and home décor items that they need."

"For instance, at my shop, we offer a nice selection of charms, seed beads, semi-precious stones, sterling silver beads, sterling silver wire supplies, Swarovski  crystals, jewelry, herbs, herbal products, handmade incense, more than 200 fragrance and essential oils, reed diffusers, origami and other crafting supplies. Plus, I will always special order items not in stock."

Novak adds, "Anyone looking to learn how to make jewelry can take one of our basic classes in making earrings, bracelets, necklaces, or wire wrapped pendants."

While Novak teaches many of the classes herself, an upcoming class on making dream catchers, on Saturday, March 29, will be taught by Woodland's Marlita, also known as Rainbow Buffalo.

BTW, I was the one who submitted this article, although the Chronicle staff included information on corporately held stores, not just the small businesses that I had listed. Just the Facts printed
this article, but only keeps up links for a week.

Chronicle
News Article

Not sure if any other newspapers put this out.

Dreamcatcher Workshop

Let’s Make A Dream Catcher…..

Marlita (Rainbow Buffalo) will lead us in this workshop.

You will use your vision, energy and creativity to make
your own dream catcher and decorate it the way you desire, while learning the history and application of this sacred medicine.

All materials will be provided.
However, if you have special beads, feathers, animal hide or hair with which you wish to decorate your dream catcher, bring them.

If you choose to gather willow or grapevine from Nature, gather it in a Sacred Way.
Address and give thanks to each direction - The Creator, Mother Earth, the East, the South, the West and the North. Give a tobacco and Cornmeal offering to the plant,
and now you can cut your branch.

There will be an optional Pipe Ceremony before the workshop. (starting at 12 noon) It is traditional to gift the Pipe Carrier with tobacco, sweetgrass, cornmeal, beads or some token of thanks and respect wrapped in red cloth. (money is unacceptable)

DATE: Saturday, March 29, 2008
TIME: 1p.m. (12 noon for the pipe ceremony)
COST: Adult: $65.
Child accompanied by an adult $15.
Elder: (65 yrs +) $45.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call:
Beads N Botanicals to R.S.V.P.
and pre-register with payment at 217-283-6380,

Class starts at 1 p.m. at Beads N Botanicals, 227 S. Market St., Hoopeston, IL 60942

Store owner, Catherine Novak, has served as an adjunct faculty member for Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, Pa., been a featured speaker at Barnes & Noble; and spoken about medicinal herbs on the Health Nuts NJ radio show. She appeared on the Judy Lewis show: Psychic World. Most recently she and her son appeared on ABC's Sunrise This Morning out of Champaign, IL.

Catherine is available for individual herbal and health consultations, hypnotherapy for behavior modification, relaxation and pain management, Reiki energy balancing, tarot readings and classes at her office at Beads N Botanicals, and can be reached at at 217-283-6380 or beadsnbotanicals@gmail.com
Webstore: http://wiseweeds.net

Body/Mind/Spirit Wednesday Night Classes

The Crystals Used for Healing class last Wednesday was a lot of fun, with some interesting experiences shared by the class members.

This coming week's class, "How to Work with Pendulums" should also prove to be enlightening and delightful.

Our Wednesday night classes start at 6:30 p.m., here at Beads N Botanicals in Hoopeston, IL 217-283-6380. $5.00 per person and PLEASE show up at least 10 minutes before to make sure we don't lock you out.

February 6, 2008, will be our "Basics of Psychic Protection."
February 13, "The Healing Power of Love."
Feb. 20, "A Meditation for Relaxation."
Feb. 27, "Tapping into Your Intuition."

See you!