Unicorn Magic and Sweet Amethyst Dreams

Having moved to Glastonbury, Somerset, England, in the heartland of myth and magic, it was inevitable that my first "Word In The Stone" blogpost would be about some wonderfully magical things.  I'm an artist and writer who is exploring ways to live an authentic lifestyle where I try to always present my highest self in the things I say and do.  I don't always get it right but I hope that through writing and researching for this blog, I will be guided to become the best version of myself that I can be and I would like to share this voyage of discovery with you all.

Today we are four days into the new moon and the moon is in Pisces, I'm not clued up on Astrology, so not sure exactly what that means but instinctively I feel it might be something to do with emotions. Have been feeling emotional for the past couple of days as I'm going through some transformational stuff on my way towards spiritual awakening.  Thought this as good a time as ever to tap into my imagination and get some words out into the world.  I wasn't sure what to write about initially, so I consulted my oracle, my well used, trusted Animal Magic card deck to get inspiration for what to write about today.  My card of the moment was "Unicorn". The image on the card depicts an amethyst angel behind a stunning, proud unicorn.

Amethyst is a stone of purity and can help people with addictions, such as drug addiction and alcoholism to curb their cravings for poison. In ancient Rome, they would drink out of goblets which were encrusted with Amethyst, or might place an amethyst in a glass of wine to help prevent them from getting drunk. Amethyst placed in your pillowcase can help with insomnia. Sweet amethyst dreams! Placing your other crystals on an amethyst cluster can help cleanse your stones. If you have a headache, you can try placing an amethyst on your forehead to help alleviate the pain.

The Animal Magic Transference Healing Card Deck is something that I have become addicted to. Whenever I have too many things on my mind and need some guidance, I draw a card from the deck to gain some insight and clarity. It works for me and helps me to become more level headed and reduces any anxiety. It's incredible that a card can heal in this way. For me it works. These cards have striking artwork and are accompanied by an excellent book full of insights to support your spiritual development. They were first published by Alexis Cartwright in 2005. Mine are always at my bedside ready to dip into and have inspired me on so many levels.

What is it with Unicorns? How did they become to be the mythical, magical creatures so loved by so many. Look around and there are unicorn statues, unicorn meme's, unicorn cushions, unicorn pyjamas, Selenite wands labelled as 'unicorn' horns and all manner of unicorn merchandise available in many mainstream shops, not just the touristy, weird and whacky boutiques of Glastonbury. It's not just little girls that love unicorns, mature women also have a passion for wearing unicorn hats (well they do on the isle of Avalon anyway!).

During my A Level Textiles Course at Strode College, I drew a heraldic style image of a mythical unicorn that I would like print/embroider onto fabric. I drew this almost immediately after I had seen a deer get run over in Bruton. I was really in shock when I saw the deer run out from a hedge, get hit by a car and end up laying dying in the road.  It turned and stared at me with it's massive, open and captivating eyes but there was nothing I could do to help, except call the local vets to tell them what had happened. Luckily a guy got out of his car and dragged the dying deer off the road onto the grass verge. Thank God the woman and school children who were in the car that hit the deer were not hurt.  So I decided I would draw it to include it in my course-work as a kind of memorial to the beautiful deer that sadly lost it's life. I actually think, looking at it again now, that it would make a great tattoo. The lion to represent my son, who is a Leo and the deer that I turned into a unicorn!

Harlequin Dancers & Unicorn. Acrylic Painting by Olga Lehmann (1997).

Apparently the English royal family used the unicorn as a symbol in heraldry  from the early sixteenth century, it was one of a series of beasts carved for bridges at Rochester and Hampton Court to celebrate the marriage of Henry VIII with Jane Seymour in 1536. The lion and the unicorn in my drawing, feature in that good old-fashioned nursery rhyme:

The Lion and the Unicorn
Were Fighting for the Crown
The Lion chased the Unicorn
All around the town
Some gave them white bread
Some gave them brown
Some gave them plum cake,
And drummed them out of town.

The lion of imperial power (a sun symbol) and the unicorn (a moon symbol) appear together again in The Fairie Queen, the epic sixteenth century poem by Edmund Spenser. They are seen as rivals, but in my drawing, I made them equals. The sun wouldn't exist without the moon. The moon wouldn't exist without the sun. They are yin and yang. In my sketch, I gave the unicorn a crown, round her neck as a necklace, rather than on her head.  I made her female and equal to the male lion she was sparring with. In the old nursery rhyme, the lion is definitely portrayed as the stronger one, chasing the unicorn all around the town, maybe because he fancied his chances with her and she was giving him a bit of a run for his money!

The unicorn's horn is sometimes seen as a phallic symbol, as in stories of myth and legend, it was only through being trapped by a virgin that a unicorn could be captured. Therefore in the Middle Ages, the unicorn symbolised a pure and chaste life as it would never be shown in imagery beside a lady with sexual experience. Unicorn in Christianity has been referred to as a symbol representing Jesus himself, who was born to the Virgin Mary.

When I refer to the 'Unicorn' write up in my Animal Magic book, Cartwright explains that unicorn helps adults to heal their 'inner-child' and encourages child-like qualities to re-manifest. Of course we all know that fairies travel on the backs of unicorns, don't we? We see them in our dreams. This Christmas I bought my six year old niece a sparkly, metallic cushion emblazoned with the words 'Believe In Unicorn's'. Giving her the cushion and talking with her about unicorn magic was not only fun for her, it was a great way for me to explore my inner child. My niece was certain that they are not real...but she also had a ray of light around her and her eyes sparkled with love as we talked about the possibility that one day she might actually see a unicorn for real. The magic of childhood!

One of my favourite places to find magical crystals is at the Rock, Gem n' Bead Show which takes place regularly in various locations across the country.  It was there that I bought my Amethyst cluster geode, which caught my eye due to the way the crystals are growing outwards 'pineapple' like, rather than being inside the back of a 'cave-like' geode. The amethysts are surrounded by clear quartz with a narrow band of agate around the outside.  I love this for decorative purposes although I also believe that it brings a calm and peaceful atmosphere into our home.

The next Rock, Gem n' Bead Show takes place at The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent. 19th-20th January, 2019 (find out more at www.rockngem.co.uk) or why not come to Glastonbury to explore some of the many crystal shops full of magical stones: Elestial, Crystals, Stone Age and The Crystal Man, to name a few.  Who knows, by venturing into the Isle of Avalon, through the mystical mist, you might even catch a glimpse of a fairy riding her unicorn high above the Tor.......it really is a place where dreams can come true xxxx

Bibiliography:

Mythical Beasts by John Cherry.
The Power of Gems and Crystals. Soozi Holbeche.
Transference Healing. Animal Magic by Alexis Cartwright.

Links

Harlequin Dancers & Unicorn painting by Olga Lehmann