About

I began my grown-up life as a biologist because I was, and still am, fascinated by people, plants, and animals and what makes them tick.

I became a wife, a mother, and a healer specializing in tarot divination, massage, and energy work. I traveled to many marvelous, mythical places—from pyramids to temples to standing stones to cathedrals.

And became, at last, a writer.

I have discovered that magic is not only real, but it also makes fantastic fiction.

I began writing a book about a 16-year-old named Molly Adair sometime in the late 1990’s. It was supposed to be a simple young adult fantasy about her journey through the Tarot Major Arcana. I should have known better. Neither writing nor the tarot is simple.

The blog on this website is, in part, about the process of writing and publishing The Mage Web Series. It is also about the tarot, magic, gods and goddesses, books, flowers.

My life has been rich with help and visits from and to the other worlds, and I know many people who have had similar experiences. Unfortunately, very few of us talk about them because we’re afraid that everyone will think we’re either two sandwiches short of a picnic, or, even worse, that we’re trying to sound like we’re special, or more deserving than everyone else. I've decided to come out of my broom closet and write about these experiences on this blog in hopes that they will inspire others to suspend their disbelief and reach for—or in many cases, continue to reach for—the divine.

The Pacific Northwest has fed my soul and been my home since 1976. I live here with a very patient husband and a not so patient Siamese cat. Many thanks to him (my husband, not the cat) and also my two sons and two daughters-in-law for their help, encouragement, and support. It means the world to me.

Some places that have inspired me...

columbia_river_lower

Lower Columbia River, Oregon

columbia_river_lower_001

Lower Columbia River, Oregon

nile_river_upper

Upper Nile River, Egypt

nile_river_upper_001

Upper Nile River, Egypt

venice_wikipedia

Venice, Italy

amsterdam_canals

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

mediterranean_sea_off_crete

The Mediterranean Sea and the
burial caves of Matala, Crete

cemetery_southern_crete

Typical Greek cemetery in southern Crete. The Greeks rent these tombs for three years or until their loved one has decomposed, and then the bones are removed to an ossuary.

paris_catacombs

The Catacombs of Paris, France

pyramids

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Tombs of the Pharohs

philae_2

Temple of Isis at Philae
Upper Nile, Egypt

philae

Looking into the inner Temple of Isis at Philae, Egypt. Her statue once stood on the pedestle.

acropolis

Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Wikipedia

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Plutonion, Elefsina, Greece, Site of the Eleusinian Mysteries

chalice_well_vesica_piscus_pool

Vesica piscis pool, Chalice Well Gardens,
Glastonbury, England

avebury

Avebury Mound and Standing Stones on The Chalk in southeastern England.

boadicea_and_her_daughters_london

Boadicea and Her Daughters, Statue of the Iceni warrior queen who almost drove the Romans out of Britain. London, England. Wikipedia

brittany_standing_stones
darrow_market

Darrow Market, Upper Egypt
Yes, that's me in the corner.

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About the Tarot Images:

the_fool_francois_chossonUnless other wise indicated, I will be using images from the Rider Waite Smith deck in this blog. (as in The Fool on the right.) It was first published in  1909 by William Rider And Son of London, and was designed by Dr Arthur Edward Waite (b. 1857 d. 1942) and Pamela Colman Smith (b. 1878 d. 1951), members of the well known Order of the Golden Dawn. Pamela Colman Smith drew the images in collaboration with Dr. Waite. She was paid a pittance for creating one of the best known and best selling decks on the market.

Taropedia is a great source for all sorts of information on the tarot and for copyright free images of some of the older decks. I used Taropedia's image of Chosson's 18th century Fool (see left) for the back cover of Forging the Blade. 

Mary Greer's blog and The Biddy Tarot are well worth checking out.

Illustrations from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck®, known also as the Rider Tarot and the Waite Tarot, reproduced by permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902 USA.  Copyright ©1971 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.  Further reproduction prohibited.  The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck® is a registered trademark of U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

 

8 thoughts on “About”

  1. Chrissy,

    I figured it out. I had to use the search engine at the top of the page. Using the google search doesn’t work for me.

    Wayne

    Reply

  3. I’m glad you are finding The Voynich Manuscript so inspiring. It’s woven its way into my latest wip in a casual way. My mc is off on a hunt for a lost Cathar document. I’ll be interested to see how you develop your YA novel. Ellis

    Reply

  4. I found your blog because I was googling the Mamluks and yours was definitely the most lively description I found! And since I’ve set about on this path of writing-scouring for spirit guidance- figuring out how to get published, I was ever more interested in your blog.

    Thanks for your honesty, it’s so helpful! You also model such perseverance and humor. My blog, Invisible Aid, is more of a collection of ideas that will eventually might be a book, but I’m now more interested in taking those ideas to less onerous places.

    Reply

    1. So glad you enjoyed the Mamluks blog. They are a piece of history that I’d never come across until I started researching the origin of taort cards.
      Imagine–for hundreds of years the Middle East was controlled by Caucasians!

      Reply

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