I painted some water lilies. 

Original is on sale here

Posters, mugs, stickers 

My online course "watercolors for beginners"

The story about Hercules and the lion of Nemea explains a lot about Leo in the Zodiac )O( Enjoy ​

​Collecting sea shells and identifying them is one of my favorite hobbies. In this tutorial I shall share with you how I clean and polish sea shells that I collect.
After the day at the beach place your sandy sea shells on towel or a bowl (unless you want sand all over).

​Pour some warm water into a large bowl and replace your shells there carefully.Let the sea shells stay in the warm water for a while. Water gently removes the extra sand from the shells.

​For polishing it is recommended to use natural oils. You can use bamboo oil, coconut oil, baby oil. I´v even heard some people using olive oil but that can be quite sticky. Personally I like to use coconut oil + it smells good.

​Gently start polishing your sea shell with coconut oil. To do this you can use a toothbrush or cotton buds. This great scallop that I found from the beach last weekend is very smooth so I just spread the oil with my hands. If your sea shell has very rough surface I would recommend using toothbrush.

​All pretty and shiny! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Siberia is considered to be the heartland of shamanism. In modern anthropology, the term Shamanism refers to the spiritual practice of native groups. However, shamanism itself is not limited to Siberia. It is a universal practice where all major religions are based on. Siberia is a large area which includes a variety of cultures, languages, practices, and beliefs which many fall into the classification of shamanism and many of these ethnic groups practice shamanism still today.
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In Siberian shamanism, there are some distinctive features such as worship of nature, belief for the world tree, an invisible pole that is a representation of the universe and three layers of the world (upper world, middle world, and the underworld). Many of these ethnic groups were hunters and lived a nomadic lifestyle. Hunting was a sacred ritual and in order for the hunt to success, the job of the shaman was to take shape of an animal and travel to meet the deity who was in charge of the hunting. The shaman would dress up as animals and mimic their sounds and movements. 

In Siberian cultures shamanism often has strict gender roles.

For the tuvar´s shaman is ”Tatar”, ”Shor”, or ”Oyrat”.

In Yakagir language shaman is known as ”alman”, ”olman” or ”wolmen”.
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Buryat shaman is known as ”Böö” (derived from old Mongolian word ”Böge”)

For the Mansi shaman was called ”Njat”.

Saami shaman is known as Noaidi. Saami word ”Noaidi” and Mansi ”Njat” are based on proto-Uralic word Nojta meaning a witch or a shaman.

Female shamans can be mainly found among Mongolian tribes.

For the Buryat shamaness is called ”Ugadan”, ”Evenki”, ”Lamut” or ”Ugudan”.
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For the Negidal shamaness is called ”Odogan”.
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In Siberian languages, there are many similar words meaning a ”shamaness” such as ”Utagan”, ”Ubukan”, ”Utygan”, ”Utusun”, ”Idan” and ”Duana”. Most of these words are based on ancient Mongolian earth goddess ”Etügen ”. She was also known as ”Etügen Eke ” the mother earth. Her name can be originated from Ötüken the holy mountain of the earth and fertility.

​Yakut Shaman. Notice the trinkets in the clothes. Fetishes represent animals and spirits who the shaman wishes to communicate with.

Yup´ik shamanism​

Area of the Yup´ik stretches from Eastern Siberia to Alaska and Northern Canada, therefore, there is lots of diversity in their shamanic practices. They believe in soul dualism and reincarnation. Soul of a Yup´ik shaman could travel between different levels to the underneath realms to meet supernatural beings and spirit guides asking for their guidance.

Ket Shamanism​
​Shamanism of the Ket is foremost totemic. The lifestyle of the Ket is nomadic and shamanism is intertwined to Bear and deer hunting. They use lots of bones, skeletons and other animal parts in their rituals. Like for many Uralic people for the Ket waterbirds were sacred. Loon is an especially important bird, a totem animal and Loon´s bones are often used in ceremonies. They were shaman´s helpers in their journey. For the Ket shapeshifting is an important part of spiritual practice. The shaman goes off on the spiritual journey while drumming and dancing.

Samoyed Shamanism​

​All ethnic groups that speak Samoyedic languages have elements of shamanism in their spiritual practice. Sayan shaman´s boot ´s, dress and headdress represents bones and human organs. The skeleton overlay of the dress symbolizes rebirth. Like all group´s who myths are based on Uralic myths for the Sayan´s loon was a sacred bird and a magical helper. Other Samoyedic tribes such as Nenets, Enets, and Selkup have different crowns and headdresses to be worn on different occasions. When a child is born the proper headdress represents the upper world and for communicating with the dead headdress represents the underworld.
Reindeer is a sacred animal for many ethnic groups in the northern hemisphere.

Finno-Ugric Shamanism​

Most speakers of Finno-Ugric languages live outside Siberia. Finno refers to Finnic languages such as Finnish and Estonian and Mari. In all these cultures there are elements of shamanism in the folklore and myths. In Pre-Christian Finland, shamanism had several phases. Noita the shaman was the spiritual healer of the tribe. Later on, there was a shift in the culture and noita became more individualized and was no longer a healer of the community but an individual practitioner

​of witchcraft/herbalism/healing. Ancient Finnish tribes believed in soul duality. Bear and moose were most common totem animals and there are lots of archaeological proofs found from the widely spread bear cult. The world was divided into three levels and they were held together by an invisible pole, the wold tree.

Hutton, Ronald: Shamanism
Pentikäinen, Juha: Samaanit
Pentikäinen, Juha: Saamelaiset, Pohjoisten kansojen mytologia / mythology of the saami, 1997 
Lehto ry shamanismi 
Thuleia: mongolialainen shamanismi 

​The Mongolian Shamans’ Association
www.tengrism.org

Philippa and Jonas from Anne of Green Gables books.

#myaesthetics 

Do you know what we need?

We need Anne of Green Gables adaptation with PHILIPPA GORDON. Seriously Philippa is a wonderful character in Anne of the Island (and the sequels beyond). She is lively, witty and foremost she is hilarious. Philippa is a superior beauty, rich, belle of the ball and what a comic. Remember the part when she was in a bus and lost her coin and panicked (nothing is more relatable) oh my and okay, I don´t support killing cats with chloroform or any other way, she terribly failed thank goodness, but it was all so funny (and Anne got to keep the cat yey!) then there were those two rich fellows she couldn´t decide which one she liked more and what about her romance with young handsome-not-so-handsome priest Jonas? Philippa is all like “NO I don´t like him. He is ugly and poor and tall and  clumsy and too much this and that and I think I am in love SEND HELP”

Philippa we got you covered and I just want to see that romance.

Yes, 9 year old me was shipping them like crazy and super happy when they became a missionary couple and traveled to the other side of the world together. 

Folks who complain that Friedrich forced Jo to open a school or prevented Jo from writing REALLY should READ Little Women. ...just saying 
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Now, my dear people,“ continued Jo earnestly, "just understand that this isn’t a new idea of mine, but a long cherished plan. Before my Fritz came, I used to think how, when I’d made my fortune, and no one needed me at home, I’d hire a big house, and pick up some poor, forlorn little lads who hadn’t any mothers, and take care of them, and make life jolly for them before it was too late. I see so many going to ruin for want of help at the right minute, I love so to do anything for them, I seem to feel their wants, and sympathize with their troubles, and oh, I should so like to be a mother to them!” “I told my plan to Fritz once, and he said it was just what he would like, and agreed to try it when we got rich. Bless his dear heart, he’s been doing it all his life–helping poor boys, I mean, not getting rich, that he’ll never be. Money doesn’t stay in his pocket long enough to lay up any. But now, thanks to my good old aunt, who loved me better than I ever deserved, I’m rich, at least I feel so, and we can live at Plumfield perfectly well, if we have a flourishing school. It’s just the place for boys, the house is big, and the furniture strong and plain. There’s plenty of room for dozens inside, and splendid grounds outside. They could help in the garden and orchard. Such work is healthy, isn’t it, sir? Then Fritz could train and teach in his own way, and Father will help him. I can feed and nurse and pet and scold them, and Mother will be my stand-by. I’ve always longed for lots of boys, and never had enough, now I can fill the house full and revel in the little dears to my heart’s content. Think what luxury– Plumfield my own, and a wilderness of boys to enjoy it with me.” (Little Women, chapter 47, Harvest time)

Little Women 2018 Ian Bohen as Prof Bhaer. 

I read that, and I think to myself, She has a sorrow, she is lonely, she would find comfort in true love. I haf a heart full, full for her. Shall I not go and say, 'If this is not too poor a thing to gif for what I shall hope to receive, take it in Gott's name?'" 

"And so you came to find that it was not too poor, but the one precious thing I needed," whispered Jo.
"I had no courage to think that at first, heavenly kind as was your welcome to me. But soon I began to hope, and then I said, 'I will haf her if I die for it,' and so I will!" cried Mr. Bhaer, with a defiant nod, as if the walls of mist closing round them were barriers which he was to surmount or valiantly knock down.

Jo thought that was splendid, and resolved to be worthy of her knight, though he did not come prancing on a charger in gorgeous array.

"What made you stay away so long?" she asked presently, finding it so pleasant to ask confidential questions and get delightful answers that she could not keep silent.

"It was not easy, but I could not find the heart to take you from that so happy home until I could haf a prospect of one to gif you, after much time, perhaps, and hard work. How could I ask you to gif up so much for a poor old fellow, who has no fortune but a little learning?"

Fritz Bhaer, Little Women, 1869, Louisa May Alcott 

“When did you begin” asked Rose, smiling in spite of herself at his unflattering honesty. 

How can I tell? perhaps it began there, though, for that talk set us writing, and the letters showed me what a beautiful soul you had. I loved that first - it was so quick to recognize good things, to use them when they came, and give thou again as unconsciously as a flower does it´s breath. I longed for you to come home, and wanted you to find me altered for the better in some way as I had found  you. And when you came it was very easy to see why I needed you - to love you entirely and tell you so. That is all Rose. 
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- Mac Campbell, Rose in Bloom, 1879, Louisa May Alcott ​