only 4 days to go!

Old Man Crow is so ready for his partial knee replacement surgery on Monday,
all the pre-admission interviews and x-rays are done, just one more phone call tomorrow afternoon to confirm the time for the surgery at St Vincent’s Public Hospital

Marti sent these encouraging words and photos:

“I was going to wait until May 10th, the day of the knee surgery to send this note but then I thought well Rod will be kind of out of it from the anesthesia and I wanted him to hold these images as he heads into his knee surgery…you see, this wondrous event occurred right over my home this weekend. I was out weeding when I heard a swoosh, almost like a huge sigh, looked up and well, you’ll see at the end of this email:
Put all of your concerns and cares into these uplifting images. Let worry go up,  up, and away… May your surgery go well, may you both be well, may you achieve your heart’s desire to move to your beloved Blue Mountains and become wild and crazy Bushwackers.  Rich and I send you healing wishes and our love. With your strength Rod and your love and determination Mo,  your dream will arrive sooner than you know.  Now close your eyes, imagine that you are along for the ride with what is below:  Carry yourselves to the land of health, healing and joy- and in time, the land of the Blue Mountains.”  

Love, Marti and Rich
Now behold these wonders:

• 

• 

• 

• 

on the same day Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s beautiful card full of hope arrived in the letterbox

May beginner’s mind
be with you
as we move forward
with new hope.

Quote From Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

Love is the Answer & the next day a beautiful Amulet of Hope from Marti

Barry Smith made this beautiful talisman for I dream of a world where love is the answer
The ripples of love continue to grow as we slow down in the face of this global pandemic, the air is so clean here in Sydney with hardly any traffic on the roads and everyone is being so courteous & kind to each other, this time out is giving our beautiful broken world time to heal and time for us humans to recalibrate and find new ways of working towards cleaning up the mess we’ve made!
This morning Marti sent these photos and words from New Mexico
“With all of the caring, kindnesses, creativity that is being shown all around the world during this time of crisis, I woke up this morning and knew I had to do something beyond staying at home.  One of my favorite raggedy cloths was dyed last year with a few leaves from the trees out in our front yard, Chinese Pistache. Along with those leaves, some red and yellow onion skins were also added to  the copper dye pot.  I found a small yellow Spanish broom dyed strip of cloth so I wrote the word LOVE with an indelible ink pen and stitched it to this cloth, Cut out a portion to make tabs.
At mornings’ light, I tied it to one of the trees out in front.  It is very, very windy here this morning and I like the notion that the wind, dancing with my little cloth, will carry my message of love, not only to the people in my neighborhood but across  the airwaves, reaching out to all…
Stay safe,
Love,
Marti

PS March 30th Marti made an amulet filled with love and the hope of spring:

“There is a collective sense of the need to make amulets and talismans. This morning I too felt a strong pull to make one and I had the perfect cloth to do so; the  square that I had cut out to make my cloth of Love yesterday to hang in one of the  trees in our front yard.
Laid out the cloth on the kitchen  table and placed sprigs of dried rosemary and lavender from our garden  plus salt in the center of the cloth as well as red chile powder from Chimayo.  Chimayo is a holy place for many here in New Mexico, pilgrimages are made to the church because there is a room that has dirt said to have healing powers.  Pilgrims come with their tiny bottles and containers and fill them with the holy dirt.
“The finishing blessing was a round green bead from a necklace that my granddaughter Rowie had made for me when she was 4 yrs old.  The amulet is on my dresser, next to one of my candles.  When I lit the candle to do my daily blessing ritual this morning, I held the amulet in my hands for a few minutes, and gave protection blessings to you and Rod, to my family, to other friends, and to everyone in the world.  May we all be safe, may we all find levels of comfort and serenity, may gardeners be considered essential for in my world, they are and most of all, may we love and help each other as best we can.”
Marti

namaste

A Moon for the Blues

A Moon for the Blues Mo 2020
H 30cm x W 15cm
stitched with an indigo shibori moon by Glennis Dolce, vintage indigo waves cloth from Jude Hill backed with a piece of plant & earth dyed Sacred Ordinaries cloth from Marti Weisbrich  raw cotton rays, waves and edges bound with vintage cotton & indigo dyed silk threads
7 antique vellum parchment stars (circa 1812) bound with linen thread
this cloth is for a dear friend who has just been diagnosed with lung cancer
every knot and stitch was made with love and deep intent for healing
namaste

Marti’s pennant for the dream is changing with the elementals!

Marti ‘s pennant for the dream is changing with the elementals
“Thought you might like to see what has become of my pennant from I Dream of a World Where Love is the Answer: When I received it back from you, I hung it in my pear tree and sent you photos but over the past few months, it has taken a beating hanging out in our pear tree. Winds have buffeted it, rain has soaked it and that is all to the good but it is our fierce sun that has faded the cloth bits to a delicate patina, if I can use that word when describing cloth! What doesn’t fade is the fact that love while at times, fragile, holds. and is always the answer to helping our world.
I love the idea of keeping the pennant outdoors but it was becoming fragile; I didn’t want to deconstruct it so I did some thinking. As much as I love dyeing with the foraged natural gifts that I find in the land, now and then, I get jazzed by the alchemy of creating rusty cloths. The magic that comes from using steel wool strands, rusty pipes, horse shoes, clamps, files, old nails, is terrific. Recently I worked with all of these rusty bits and came up with a cloth that while industrial looking is also reminiscent of the cliffs and markings here in New Mexico. As I looked at this cloth, a light bulb went off in my head! What if I enfolded my fading pennant in this tough cloth. The idea that it would be intact but hidden also appealed to me. Rust takes a long time to fade, I’ve had rusty cloths outdoors for several years and so, I did just that; tucked it inside the rusty cloth and stitched a new cover for my pennant. Sadly the winds tore away the tree and peace symbol talisman, made by Barry Smith, that I had at the end of the pennant but on a positive note, I like the idea that someone may find it on a sandy trail, on the sidewalk or in an arroyo. I did stitch the little piece of blue armature and of course, the star that you sent to the front of the pennant cover. It holds so much joy and connection from the Gathering. I had dyed the lace and tulle bits that you had sent in tea so added a few pieces of lace also to the new pennant cover. The juxtaposition of the delicate lace with the tough rusty cloth I find quite sentimental and I love knowing that the original pennant that shared so many connections with the Gathering flies once again, free in the New Mexico wind, sending its vibe of connection and caring.”
love holds for our beautiful broken world keeping The Dream alive
here’s links to
ripples post 1
ripples post 2
ripples post 3
namaste

 

more ripples of love as the pennants and talismans find their way home

The previous ripples post was getting very long and WordPress started getting wobbly about it all so
I will keep updating this post as everyone sends back photos of where their pennant or talisman has settled
to keep the dream alive!René Walkin’s beautiful pennant has arrived home safe and sound
“Thank you for the return of my pennant and mementos from your beautiful exhibition. It was a privilege to be a part of such an inspirational event.
Thank you again for including me. I wish you and Old Man Crow a wonderful year.”
With blessings to you both, Rene

Beth Brennan’s Tree of Life pennant is home at Still Life Pond where she posted these beautiful photos and words
“The Tree of Life pennant is back home again after her journey to the other side of the world. The circle has opened but remains unbroken.
She rests at the base of the black oak that was our muse.
Thank you so much @mocrow2016 it was an honor to take part in your installation and in such fine company.
I dream of a world where love is the answer. 💙
(And thank you, Mo, for the talismans, lace, and tulle. I’ve been contemplating a piece they might work in, and so might continue…)”

Dana Webb’s alchemical dream is settling in from her travels
Dana posted these beautiful words and photograph on her latest post at Raven & Sparrow
“The tide of love has washed across the world and returned, collecting and focusing bits of imagination, design skill and artistic execution into something larger than themselves. Mo Orkiszewski from Sydney Australia orchestrated this wave, sending strips of satin cut from an old wedding dress to fiber artists in Australia, North America and Europe, bidding them to embellish the fabric in their own ways upon the theme “I dream of world where love is the answer”. Slowly the pennants drifted back to her across the oceans, changed by the efforts of the people into whose hands they had been entrusted. Mo added her own extensive skills to the gathering and amalgamation of these highly varied pieces (including a beautiful selection of tiny talismans) and produced a soaring installation that evoked a proud ship under sail, flying the flags of love. I am so grateful to have been included in this project and so touched by the exquisite individual expressions of a universal principle gathered into a clarion impossible to ignore.
Now, the crescendo has been reached, and the tide is receding. The installation is disassembled and the pieces are wafting back across land and sea to the hands that took them from scrap to statement. Mine came home yesterday, wrapped in clouds of tulle and accompanied by bits of branch still bearing stars from the larger piece. It has changed during its absence, as travel changes us all, and carries the vibrations of its experience which has enhanced its meaning a thousandfold. Thank you Mo. Thank you everyone.”

Marti Weisbrich has been working on her Bosque cloth that will include the lace from the dream
“The lacy bits from the dream have been swaying in the wind behind my pennant but they are starting to tear a bit at the bottom so I brought them inside. Looking at them, holding them up to a window has given me an idea on how to use them in a cloth:
I’ve been working on a cloth that I have named, Bosque. Bosque is the Spanish word for woodland and in New Mexico, we have many bosques; they are defined as forest habitat along river banks in the southwest. I’ve pinned a cloth that shows my interpretation of the undergrowth, the rich riverbank soil and on top, the trees and vegetation that grows from the riverbank. In looking at this pinned cloth, I wondered how it was years ago when settlers built their homes, some I’m sure, along the river. What did they see as they looked out of their windows? If they had curtains on their windows, were they made out of prized lace? Your lace pieces reminded me of curtains so they are now floating in a glass jar, infused with tea and will solar dye for a few days to get an old, weathered look. My intent, once my Bosque cloth is stitched, is to then assemble these gossamer bits of cloth, over the top, stitching only the top so they can float like curtains caught in a breeze, overlooking the bosque…fanciful to be sure, but maybe I can pull it off!!
Here is a photo of my pinned Bosque cloth on my clothes line. I use my clothes line as my studio wall. On top of the ledge is the glass jar with the tea dyeing lace cloth and you can see some grapevines that I pruned and left to dry. I use them to hang my cloth collages.”
For continuing the dream, Marti

Susi Bancroft’s beautiful dream of a pennant is home
she posted this photo and words on her blog
“I was so honoured and delighted to have work in Mo Crow‘s extraordinary and magical project I dream of a world where love is the answer and Exhibition Have a browse through the posts which give the story and journey and there is a catalogue of work to view. What an achievement Mo! It is a richly rewarding read.. The experience of joining in was wonderful!
I talked about my ‘I dream of a world’ pennant on this blog, and off it went on it’s voyage of love to add to the power and strength of the dream.
Now – here it is after winging it’s way across the world back home to me…
Perfect timing as I am about to start the natural dye cycle again – the dandelions are shining golden and the first solar dye bath is about to begin. The dream lives on around the world, the circles continue to ripple and to sing out to share ways to nurture our beautiful world..”

Hazel Monte’s ‘Love Can Mend’ is enjoying the spring sun in her garden
these beautiful photos and words are posted on her Handstories blog
“The “Love Can Mend” pennant is back from being a part of Mo’s powerful installation of love, “I Dream of a World Where Love is the Answer“.  Mo’s vision, talents and magic gathered together love and hope from around the world.  I wish I could have been in that room and have been surrounded by the energy of it all.
There is some weariness going on here, just as there was in the making this, and remembering what I wrote, back in November, when sending it off to Mo, ‘…maybe this is how it really is. This work and struggle for peace, healing the earth, trying to find a way through-  It doesn’t usually happen because everything is a calm and hunky-dory garden of sweet peas and roses. The ripped and rough places show us what’s really going on, and call to us for mending.  For most of us, we do what we can with what we have.  Piecing together whatever kind of inner scraps we might have within. And just maybe, all of the frayed worn bits can be brought together and worked into a kind of wholeness again.‘
While I’m sad that the gathering is over, it’s been good to have it back, as a reminder that there is love and beauty in mending.
Mo’s generosity continued with the added gifts of one of her brilliant stars, bit of blue and a cloud of wedding cloth (I see some sails in there…).  And while wrapping the ties in the tree for photos, there was a sudden movement to the left, turning my head, there was a hummingbird mid-air,  eye-level, within arms reach.  We looked at each other for a split second before it zipped away, another gift.
A heart-deep thank you to Mo and the Gathering, oxo.”

Patricia Spangler’s wild pennant has arrived home safe and sound
“Your project undertaking/exhibit was absolutely and profoundly beautiful. Heartfelt gratitude for being part of this international community and outpouring of love. Sending much love to you , Mo, … across the water and through the ethers. Part of the same fabric, we are, and so we go…one stitch at a time. She’s home now and the stories she could tell. But for now, I’m happy she’s attached to my spirit stick, bringing Love to our environs. Namaste.”
here’s the link to Patricia’s website Language of Leaves

Saskia van Herwaarden’s talisman is hanging out at home in The Dwelling
Saskia posted the story with wonderfully whimsical photos and words
“…They enter under the talisman I made for Mo’s exhibition, which I now realize as I’m typing this, you can barely make out in this photo; I had not expected it to come back, but there it was accompanied by treasures from Mo, such as the flowery gauze, a handwritten note, the exhibition’s invitation and……..
…..the White Star she made, as can just be glimpsed in the image below, in OBK’s reception room
there’s lots more to see & read over on her latest post!

Jude Hill’s Love Takes Time pennant is home
Jude posted this beautiful  photo over on Spirit Cloth
her needle left in the cloth says it all
namaste

Cathy and Sarah’s pennants hanging at home in the Blue Mountains

so good to see Judy Martin’s beautiful Beating Heart back home on her studio wall
namaste

The ripples of love as the pennants and talismans arrive home are keeping the dream alive
here’s links to
ripples post 1
ripples post  3

the ripples of love as the pennants and talismans fly home

So good to see Martine’s beautiful pennant has arrived home in The Netherlands safe and sound! The circle is complete, the spell is cast, all the pennants and talismans are on their way back to their makers around the world. Making the dream was the most beautiful ride on a huge wave of love that has now brought me gently to shore. The circle will keep rippling with love for our beautiful broken world.

I will keep updating this post as everyone sends back photos of where their pennant or talisman has settled to keep the dream alive!

Nanette Gilbert’s talisman has arrived safely in northern NSW
“I’m just sending this pic of the talisman with the lace and tulle, that for now, I’ve draped and pinned to a couple of my small art quilts, otherwise it all disappears into the cream wall behind. (Actually, now that I look at the photos again, I really like the red hearts showing through from behind) I have an idea of making them into something more permanent, stitching them to a backing so the fine lace and tulle can be clearly seen. I have some silk scarves my son brought me from Darjeeling, that he was given when he stayed in a Nepalese homestay, and I feel to give substance and depth to the finery will be a good use of these.
It was wonderful to be part of The Dream, and for my talisman to be in such good company, soaking up the love and energy, and now returned home.”
Namaste
Nanette

Els put this photo of her pennant and talisman up on her blog today along with some beautiful early spring flowers & wrote in an e-mail;
“Yesterday your package arrived safely here in Holland, Thank you so much ! The piece feels like it brought home lots of vibrations and good will of all the other pieces that surrounded it during your wonderful exhibition and of course of YOU ! I’m so happy with the extra pieces you included : they will surely find their way into other pieces I will make ! LOVE the piece of the blue branch and the many stars it surrounded !!! I will find a special place for them too 😉 You did a wonderful “job”, with your idea, the binding of the stitchers in a loving circle all around the world, and the realization of the artwork itself … magic !
(and I’m proud and grateful that I could be a little part of it)
Lots of love for you and Old Man Crow,
Els
PS Today daughter was here and saw that the pennant was back : she LOVED the heart-talisman with your WONDERFUL tiny stars around the blue branch .. I gave it to her 😉 She has a kind of small altar at home where she keeps several objects that mean a lot to her. She is a “Fire-Keeper”:
makes and tends to the fire needed for ritual sweat-lodges (Indian style) It is a good place for the heart to rest !

Tina Zaffiro’s beautiful talisman is back home, she just sent these stunning photos along with this note;
“Everything about this from start to finish has been magical. My heart is filled with such joy right now looking at how lovingly you have packaged all this OMGOODNESS .. by far being part of this journey has risen me to new highs in ways I cannot find the words for.
Thank you .. thank you!!
Love and Blessings galore to you and all who traveled this journey with me.”
Tina

Elizabeth Bunsen’s talisman has arrived in her lake house safe & sound, she wrote over on her instagram page
“deeply honored to be part of this”
Elizabeth knows how to photograph light!

Louise Watson’s beautiful pennant is home safe and sound in England she posted these photos over on her blog;
“Thanks to Mo the Mending the Sky pennant has come home on a tidal wave of love with some extras that will be cherished and the lace will be incorporated into my work at some point. So glad I took part in this amazing adventure. Thank you so much Mo!”

Dee Mallon’s pennant has arrived home safely too, she posted these photos over on her blog today
love the reflection in the mirror

Michelle Slater’s rose pennant & promise ring have arrived home safe & sound,
she posted these photos over on her blog

Marti Weisbrich’s pennant is home and flying in the winds of New Mexico
she sent these beautiful words & photos
“On this extremely blustery day, winds clocked at over 50 mph last night and almost there today, my pennant has arrived back home and Spirit is full circle. When I received the wedding dress piece, I took it outside, tied it to our ornamental pear tree and let the spirits of New Mexico surround and permeate the cloth. It hung on the tree in sun , in rain and in blustery winds because New Mexico is the land of unbelievable sky and fierce dancing wind. When my dyeing and stitching was complete, I again tied it to the tree to receive a benediction from this place before sending it to you. How fitting that it returns today, to the same windy conditions. After taking a photo of all that was contained in the package, I took the pennant outside to return it to its place, on the limbs of the pear tree but but this time, my pennant has been embellished because I stitched the wondrous little star and bit of blue armature to it and it danced in the wind, with joy, spirit and gratitude.”
“To my eyes, my pennant seems so much larger because it is filled with the love and connections from all who made up the Gathering. Wanting this to be full circle, besides hanging the pennant to the tree, I also hung the lace gifts on the backside of the pennant, completing the ritual forming the Circle of inclusion. We all connected and shared, guided by your vision Mo and now all across the globe, pennants and talismans are filled with an incredible magic and for that, I send you my deepest blessings: Below are some photos showing the return, the placing of the pennant to the pear tree and in one photo, the pennant has been whipped around by the wind as if to embrace the joy of gathered spirits. Thank you so much for the invitation Mo- you shine so much light and love in our world. Blessings from the spirit winds here in New Mexico”
Marti

Liz Ackert’s Mended Shell has arrived home safe & sound, she wrote with these beautiful words & photos over on her blog
“May the circle be unbroken…
The torn and tattered heart that journeyed around the world to be a part of Mo’s dream …
has returned to the nest …
Thank you Mo, for your vision and great heart … I will treasure the memory and the beautiful pieces you sent.
And thank you, Rod, for your music and a heart to match Mo’s.”
Liz’s beautiful pennant with all the words to I dream of a world where love is the answer stitched on the back will make the perfect birthday present for the man in June
thank you (((Liz)))!

namaste

The ripples of love as the pennants and talismans arrive home are keeping the dream alive
here’s links to
ripples post 2
ripples post 3

Marti Weisbrich’s pennant arrives for the balancing point at the Equinox

Marti Weisbrich’s pennant arrived with perfect timing for the Equinox
Marti listens with deep heart to the spirits of place
holding  impeccable intent
embracing earth magic
listening with deep heart to her sacred ordinaries
Dark Blue Door card by New Mexico photographer Gloria Wagner
Marti makes such good earth magic
her textures and colours hold deep connection to the land
with such a soft gentle green for the backing cloth
joining The Gathering of pennants and talismans for the dream
creating a perfect balancing point to celebrate the equinox
thank you Marti!
namaste
you can see more photos and read about Marti’s pennant in process here & here

Marti’s pennant for the dream is on its way!

Marti Weisbrich’s pennant will make it’s way across the wide blue tomorrow!
She sent this photo with these wonderful words in an e-mail just now

“Tomorrow, my pennant stitched with raggedy earth patches made from the sacred ordinaries of the land and with an Australian talisman hanging on the end of it, will be winging its way to you. It is filled with love for our world, for the land that frames our world, and with love and gratitude to you, along with joy, for the opportunity to create this pennant.

When I first received your pennant, I took it outside to receive the elements. It seemed only fitting that before I sent it back, it once again be taken outside, tied to the same ornamental pear tree in my backyard. Deep earth spirits reside here in New Mexico and this pennant accepted the benedictions of the elements: sun, wind, moonshine, star shine, flowing with the four directions, infused with the vast expanse of the sky here, absorbing stories from the varied clouds threaded in our sky.

Working on the “I Dream of a World Where Love is the Answer” pennant was a soul uplifting experience; one of universal connection with you, Rod and with the many who are participating in this dream project. Equally, this project deepened my gratitude for the sacred ordinaries (foraged windfall mostly) that the land provides me with for dyeing cloth. The sacred ordinaries used for the raggedy earth patches in this pennant include: chamisa, Yerba Mansa, sagebrush, desert willow blossoms, sunflower petals and centers, smoke bush leaves, walnuts, grapevine bark, leaves from Chinese Pistache trees and ornamental pear trees, Spanish broom, juniper, sumac and home grown red onions. The red onion skins, with a bit of vinegar and one of my copper pots provided the green colored cloth that is used for the backing and the edges of the pennant. Green has been a hard color for me to achieve with windfall so a bit of “alchemy” was used to get this color. Over time, as the seasons change, so too will the color of these earth patches; naturally dyed cloth tends to fade, especially if kept near sunlight, becoming more wabi-sabi, and in so doing, giving another gift of beauty.

For now, here is a photo of the pennant outdoors in my backyard in New Mexico, accepting the call of the elements before being sent to you filled with spirit blessings. Lv, Marti”

I look forward to holding this pennant in my hands and introducing it to The Gathering
the energy of love circling our beautiful broken world is so deep and profound
Magic is afoot, revolution is in the air!
namaste

PS click on this link to The Gathering to see all the contributions so far

Marti Weisbrich’s pennant in process

back in July when I made the call out for people to stitch their hopes and dreams into a piece of the old wedding dress for the collaborative “I dream of a world where love is the answer” project Marti Weisbrich sent this photo of her eco dyed cloth for her pennant with these inspiring words
“my intention is to stitch random, small pieces of cloth to the pennant. Each time that I stitch one of my cloths, I speak to the cloth in my hand. Each piece that I stitch carries my thoughts about where and what gifts from the land I found to dye the cloth. Each piece carries my blessing and gratitude for what the land gives. Each piece making up the whole is a benediction and prayer for our planet. All of my cloth work has been about landscape and I feel deeply what the late philosopher, ex-priest and poet John O’ Donohue said, ” “When you bring your body out into the landscape, you bring your body home where it belongs. When you step outside, it matters if you see landscape as a location or if you see it as walking into a living place.”
a  few weeks later she sent this photo of her pennant getting a feel for the spirits of place & wrote
“Your pennant arrived this afternoon and the satin is such a lovely cloth. First thing I did was to take it outside and pin it to one of our pear trees. The pennant is next to a cloth (prayer flag) that I made when we first moved here to New Mexico. I name my cloths and this prayer flag is named, ” Call to the Wind” Everywhere we have lived, I have asked the elements to bless our endeavors with our gardens, and our daily lives; asking spirit/s for guidance and the ability to continue to seek the sacred daily ordinaries that make up my days.
So much of how I work with cloth has to do with the land, the elements and with that in mind, the first blessing for the pennant is to feel our fierce New Mexico wind. I’m leaving the pennant outside for a few days to pick up the communal spirit of Call to the Wind as well as be blessed with the earth spirits that roam this place; it will also be blessed with a little rain because we are in our monsoon season.”
and just a few days ago
“here is what I have done so far with my pennant: I had removed it from the pear tree because we have had some pretty fierce winds and rain. Yesterday, especially, the winds were clocking over 50 mph, our corn was bent half way, leaves and dust were flying and I knew it was time to delve into my world of dyed cloth. The spirits of place and elements were at their strongest so I ripped bits of cloth, sorted and pinned. I dream of a world where people take the time to recognize and receive the sacred ordinary gifts of the land…the pennant is in its pinned state, will hold for a time until the threads sing to me to stitch.”
Thank you Marti & everyone who has come onboard
the energy of this circle is moving so fast & strong, it feels like a quickening!
Magic Days