Wake me up... its not a dream! It's been a decade since Stevie Nicks whirled through our hearts and souls delivering her magical artistry from her secret neverland. Bringing her dreams alive, Stevie Nicks ,with producer Dave Stewart, brew up a classic and timeless, yet surprising twist in rock, pop, country and blues on her new album, "In Your Dreams", released today. Leading us through the streets of "New Orleans" and up the stairs in "Secret Love", through the forests in what might be the most fascinating of tracks on the album, "Moonlight, A Vampire's Dream", or through the hills and mountains in an "Italian Summer", Stevie's lyrical imagery will grasp the small gypsy soul in everyone, even if you never knew you had one. With a raw acoustical sound on "For What its Worth", and a vintage harmonical blend with Lindsey Buckingham on "Soldier's Angel", Stevie's tribute to our national soldiers, one would have thought they had time traveled back to the pre Fleetwood Mac year of 1973 when Lindsey and Stevie were just a budding duo. Stevie lends an amazing musical element to Edgar Allen Poe's poem "Annabel Lee" in one of the more uptempo songs of the album. Dave Stewart seems to lead Stevie back to a world of romance and one I believe she loves, a world where music can be free. Through the thick fog, the ghosts, and vampires, Dave has mastered the art of finding the simple and purer form of Stevie in one of the most touching songs from the album, "Cheaper Than Free" a duet on the final page of this most anticipated and highly recommended Stevie Nicks album. A Stevie fan must and masterpiece. A
By: Jenni H. McGee
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Evolution of the Royal Wedding Dress
Princesses, Queens, Dukes and Princes! To feel like a princess and have a fairytale wedding is the dream of almost every young lady, and yet on this morning millions of watchers will be waiting for a real princess as Kate Middleton walks through Westminster Abbey to marry Prince William, son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in probably what seems the biggest royal wedding since 1981. Onlookers line the streets and halls in attempt to catch a magical glimpse of Kate's dress, which in turn will most likely define a new era of bridal convention and custom.
In history, the royal dress has been known to place its mark on society and cause a most revolutionary experience in style and custom of the day. A glimpse into the past dresses of royality show the evolution of the bridal formality. The royal dress often becomes a document of the day, a tiny role model that is both influenced by and influential to what is important in that day and age. .
Before Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, it was common for royality to wear silver or gold threaded wedding dresses to represent their power and wealth with the exception of Queen Mary of Scots who wore white despite the French's use of the color for mourning. It was not uncommon before Queen Victoria for bridal dresses in general to range from anything colorful to at times even black depending on your social rank. The lower down the social ladder, the darker the dress one would wear because it was harder to keep it clean. It was not uncommon for wealthier commoners to wear white to display their family's ability to afford a dress they could not wear again. With Victoria's introduction to the white royal dress, the door opened for commoners to wear white symbolizing the purity of the bride, which in turn has changed the life of the the dress to this day.
Today, in Alexander McQueen, the mystery of Kate's dress is revealed. With that a new door will open to a future with hope and a style to define an age.
Queen Victoria's Royal White Gown
1840
A commoners 19th century brown silk wedding dress
Queen Elizabeth's Bridal Gown
Princess Diana's Wedding to Prince Charles 1981
Kate Middleton April 29, 2011
In history, the royal dress has been known to place its mark on society and cause a most revolutionary experience in style and custom of the day. A glimpse into the past dresses of royality show the evolution of the bridal formality. The royal dress often becomes a document of the day, a tiny role model that is both influenced by and influential to what is important in that day and age. .
Before Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, it was common for royality to wear silver or gold threaded wedding dresses to represent their power and wealth with the exception of Queen Mary of Scots who wore white despite the French's use of the color for mourning. It was not uncommon before Queen Victoria for bridal dresses in general to range from anything colorful to at times even black depending on your social rank. The lower down the social ladder, the darker the dress one would wear because it was harder to keep it clean. It was not uncommon for wealthier commoners to wear white to display their family's ability to afford a dress they could not wear again. With Victoria's introduction to the white royal dress, the door opened for commoners to wear white symbolizing the purity of the bride, which in turn has changed the life of the the dress to this day.
Today, in Alexander McQueen, the mystery of Kate's dress is revealed. With that a new door will open to a future with hope and a style to define an age.
1840
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Irish and Celtic Love Tradition
Upon the early morning of the eve of a most loved and lucky day of the year, St Patrick's Day, I thought it most necessary to incorporate and touch upon the Irish and Celtic love traditions throughout history. Although the Irish have always celebrated the Christianity that St. Patrick brought to Ireland, Celtic tradition has heavily influenced the Irish as well.
The Claddagh( Claw-Da) ring is one of the most significant symbols and love traditions developed in Ireland. It is said to have originated in a tiny fisherman village of the same name near Galway City by a man of the name Richard Joyce who was a native to the city. The ring with two hands(friendship) holding a heart(love) topped with a crown( loyalty), symbolizes the key elements thought to make a successful relationship. The ring is usually given to a girl or young woman by a young man as symbol that she is taken or as a form of betrothal or entrance into a serious relationship.
The 17th century Scottish Luckenbooth is another closely related symbol of love that was usually given to a young woman as a sign that she is taken. The Luckenbooth displays two hearts intertwined with a crown adorning on top, and is usually in the form of a pin that is given to the woman to wear to show she is in a serious relationship.
Welsh love spoons are another common love tradition or gift given that is said to have originated somewhere in the 17th century in Wales. A Welsh love spoon is a decorated wooden spoon that is carved from one piece of wood and displays a variety of symbols such as birds, hearts, or wheels that were thought to induce love, luck, prosperity, and health in a growing relationship. The custom is thought to be derived from the man's desire to impress upon the father during courtship and as a demonstration of his skill in woodworking and his ability to take care of a family. Although maybe not used in courting, today the Welsh love spoon is used as a gift given for love or friendship.
Other Irish love traditions were displayed in the wedding itself. Weddings held under marriage oak, or inside stone circles, in which participants of the wedding dance ,or bride and groom passing naked through a stone carved hole to demonstrate a rebirth into new life are all Irish love traditions. Because the bride is thought to be a spiritual treasure from another spiritual world and the groom is thought to deal with worldly deeds, the bride and groom sometimes passed through rope barriers as a symbol of their conquest to overcome obstacles in their union. The mocking of hostility was common and a man may have been given a riddle to solve as an alternative to horseplay during the wedding ceremonies.
Because the Irish do not like to put themselves before God , and because an Irish wedding was known to last up to two or three days filled with dance and party, it was common to have weddings Monday ,Tuesday, or Wednesday in tradition so not to interfere with the Lord's day. As the old Irish saying went, each day denoted a special meaning if united on that day..
Monday for health
Tuesday for wealth
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
And Saturday no day at all
By Jennifer H. McGee
The Claddagh( Claw-Da) ring is one of the most significant symbols and love traditions developed in Ireland. It is said to have originated in a tiny fisherman village of the same name near Galway City by a man of the name Richard Joyce who was a native to the city. The ring with two hands(friendship) holding a heart(love) topped with a crown( loyalty), symbolizes the key elements thought to make a successful relationship. The ring is usually given to a girl or young woman by a young man as symbol that she is taken or as a form of betrothal or entrance into a serious relationship.
The 17th century Scottish Luckenbooth is another closely related symbol of love that was usually given to a young woman as a sign that she is taken. The Luckenbooth displays two hearts intertwined with a crown adorning on top, and is usually in the form of a pin that is given to the woman to wear to show she is in a serious relationship.
Welsh love spoons are another common love tradition or gift given that is said to have originated somewhere in the 17th century in Wales. A Welsh love spoon is a decorated wooden spoon that is carved from one piece of wood and displays a variety of symbols such as birds, hearts, or wheels that were thought to induce love, luck, prosperity, and health in a growing relationship. The custom is thought to be derived from the man's desire to impress upon the father during courtship and as a demonstration of his skill in woodworking and his ability to take care of a family. Although maybe not used in courting, today the Welsh love spoon is used as a gift given for love or friendship.
Other Irish love traditions were displayed in the wedding itself. Weddings held under marriage oak, or inside stone circles, in which participants of the wedding dance ,or bride and groom passing naked through a stone carved hole to demonstrate a rebirth into new life are all Irish love traditions. Because the bride is thought to be a spiritual treasure from another spiritual world and the groom is thought to deal with worldly deeds, the bride and groom sometimes passed through rope barriers as a symbol of their conquest to overcome obstacles in their union. The mocking of hostility was common and a man may have been given a riddle to solve as an alternative to horseplay during the wedding ceremonies.
Because the Irish do not like to put themselves before God , and because an Irish wedding was known to last up to two or three days filled with dance and party, it was common to have weddings Monday ,Tuesday, or Wednesday in tradition so not to interfere with the Lord's day. As the old Irish saying went, each day denoted a special meaning if united on that day..
Monday for health
Tuesday for wealth
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
And Saturday no day at all
By Jennifer H. McGee
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Ladies of Shakespeare
The ladies of Shakespeare have long been associated with passionate love, obsession ,and the tradegy that comes with this and have illuminated our minds with thoughts of the same in our definition of female love. The select paintings below, most by the nineteenth century English Pre-Raphaelite artist and painter John Williams Waterhouse, honor the women distinguished in Shakespeare's work and impress the image of female character in love and in history.
Juliet
By John William Waterhouse 1898
Juliet, the leading female character in Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet"exemplifies the manic, obsessive love that appears in many young lover's highly emotional, romantic worlds.
Ophelia
By John Williams Waterhouse
Ophelia, the female lover in distress in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". Ophelia characterizes the madness and weakness that derives from the bitterness of betrayal and misunderstood love.
Olivia ( of Twelvth Night)
By Edmund Blair Leighton 1888
Olivia, the highly sought after countess with many suitors in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", the lady who's emotions control her.
Cleopatra
John Williams Waterhouse
Cleopatra, the great and powerful beauty and ruler of Egypt in Shakespeare's " Antony and Cleopatra" portraying the tragedy of love, shame and insecurity.
By Jennifer Hess McGee
By John William Waterhouse 1898
Juliet, the leading female character in Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet"exemplifies the manic, obsessive love that appears in many young lover's highly emotional, romantic worlds.
By John Williams Waterhouse
Ophelia, the female lover in distress in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". Ophelia characterizes the madness and weakness that derives from the bitterness of betrayal and misunderstood love.
By Edmund Blair Leighton 1888
Olivia, the highly sought after countess with many suitors in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", the lady who's emotions control her.
John Williams Waterhouse
Cleopatra, the great and powerful beauty and ruler of Egypt in Shakespeare's " Antony and Cleopatra" portraying the tragedy of love, shame and insecurity.
By Jennifer Hess McGee
Monday, February 14, 2011
Celebrating Love Goddesses
The mysteries of life and love and the supernatural have often been explained in story, myth, and legend and through the charcters who've flourished from them. Many of these ancient myths were once religion. They were the explanations for the journey of life and its power and effect on humanity. Love, being both an internal and external force in nature, was portrayed through numorous love gods and goddesses throughout history and changing cultures. Focusing in on love and beauty, here are my top picks of mythological love goddesses in the history of love~
1. Aphrodite~ The Greek mythological goddess of love and beauty awarded the apple of discord by theTrojan Paris as the most beautiful of all. She had many of affairs with many men but was married to the ugliest of the gods Hephaestus.
2. Venus~ Venus was the Roman goddess of love and beauty originally the Italic goddess of vegetation. Venus is the daughter of Jupiter and mother of Cupid. She has been closely associated to Aphrodite and has followed similar patterns as with her marriage to Vulcan and affairs such as that with Mars.
3. Freya~ The Vanir Norse goddess called upon to help in matters of love and was the goddess of magic, love and divination. She was loved by many men, dwarfs, and giants.
4. Isis~The Egyptian goddess of magic, fertility and motherhood. She was the daughter of the earth god and the sky goddess. She was sister and wife to Osirus and mother of Horus.
5. Branwyn~ The Celtic goddess of love, sexuality and the sea. She is known as the Venus of the Northern Sea and one of the three matriachs of Britain. In the Mabinogion she was the wife and the central figure wed to the Irish King Mathowch.
6. Inanna~ The oldest of the Mesopotamian love goddesses.Although she is represented as a virgin, she is known as the goddess of sexual love, procreation and fertility.
7. Hathor~ The African Egyptian goddess of love, music, motherhood, and joy from the predynastic times. Hathor is commonly depicted with two horns as the cow goddess.
As the goddesses of myth and legend remain our historical foremothers of love, and live on in the hearts of us today, make sure to take the time to celebrate your inner living love goddess!
By Jennifer H. McGee
1. Aphrodite~ The Greek mythological goddess of love and beauty awarded the apple of discord by theTrojan Paris as the most beautiful of all. She had many of affairs with many men but was married to the ugliest of the gods Hephaestus.
2. Venus~ Venus was the Roman goddess of love and beauty originally the Italic goddess of vegetation. Venus is the daughter of Jupiter and mother of Cupid. She has been closely associated to Aphrodite and has followed similar patterns as with her marriage to Vulcan and affairs such as that with Mars.
3. Freya~ The Vanir Norse goddess called upon to help in matters of love and was the goddess of magic, love and divination. She was loved by many men, dwarfs, and giants.
4. Isis~The Egyptian goddess of magic, fertility and motherhood. She was the daughter of the earth god and the sky goddess. She was sister and wife to Osirus and mother of Horus.
5. Branwyn~ The Celtic goddess of love, sexuality and the sea. She is known as the Venus of the Northern Sea and one of the three matriachs of Britain. In the Mabinogion she was the wife and the central figure wed to the Irish King Mathowch.
6. Inanna~ The oldest of the Mesopotamian love goddesses.Although she is represented as a virgin, she is known as the goddess of sexual love, procreation and fertility.
7. Hathor~ The African Egyptian goddess of love, music, motherhood, and joy from the predynastic times. Hathor is commonly depicted with two horns as the cow goddess.
As the goddesses of myth and legend remain our historical foremothers of love, and live on in the hearts of us today, make sure to take the time to celebrate your inner living love goddess!
By Jennifer H. McGee
Venus and Aphrodite~
Top Two Love Goddesses~
~Venus and Aphrodite~
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
All About Desire ~ Natural Aphrodisiacs to Light the Lovefire
Want to spice up the lovefire in your romance? Here are five natural aphrodisiacs to light the spell of love in your relationship. These five aphrodisiacs are the natural way to spark your desire and drive. Many of these foods, herbs and ingredients contain the hormones, chemicals and compounds to spark functions in your brain that produce the extra blood flow to various parts of your body and get your heart pumping.
1. Chocolate~ Who would have guessed? Wink*. The King and/or Queen of natural aphrodisiacs. Chocolate is notorious for its "feel good" properties. Anandamide is the pyschoactive compound found in chocolate that releases the feel good quality. PEA, or phenylethylamine, also found in chocolate is known as the chemical of love that produces the feeling of euphoria and attraction . PEA releases dopamine which is at the pleasure center of the brain. No wonder we all have our own secret love affair with chocolate!
2.. Asparagus~ Believe it or not three courses of these tender spears of love were given to bridesgrooms in ninteenth century France at prenuptial dinners to boost their sex drive. Herbalists for hundreds of years have suggested this green vegetable stirs up lust in both women and men. Thiamin and folic acid boosts histamine production necessary for a satisfying sex drive.
3. Peppermint~ This herb is all about stimulation. Seventy percent of peppermint is made up of menthol, a major source of stimulation, skin cooling, and mind alerting. Peppermint helps focus the mind and facilitates the power of concentration necessary during arousal.
4..Almonds~ Does anyone else love the smell of almonds like I do? In myth the almond has been the symbol of fertility, the aroma said to have arousal qualities in females.
5. Oysters~Long considered the food of love, oysters carry a hefty dose of zinc— zinc being linked to male fertility, sex drive and sperm production. In Legend, Casanova was known to eat oysters to seduce virgins by slipping oysters from his tongue!
With Happy Hearts Day right around the corner, why not try to to light the love fire the natural way?!
By jennifer H McGee
1. Chocolate~ Who would have guessed? Wink*. The King and/or Queen of natural aphrodisiacs. Chocolate is notorious for its "feel good" properties. Anandamide is the pyschoactive compound found in chocolate that releases the feel good quality. PEA, or phenylethylamine, also found in chocolate is known as the chemical of love that produces the feeling of euphoria and attraction . PEA releases dopamine which is at the pleasure center of the brain. No wonder we all have our own secret love affair with chocolate!
2.. Asparagus~ Believe it or not three courses of these tender spears of love were given to bridesgrooms in ninteenth century France at prenuptial dinners to boost their sex drive. Herbalists for hundreds of years have suggested this green vegetable stirs up lust in both women and men. Thiamin and folic acid boosts histamine production necessary for a satisfying sex drive.
3. Peppermint~ This herb is all about stimulation. Seventy percent of peppermint is made up of menthol, a major source of stimulation, skin cooling, and mind alerting. Peppermint helps focus the mind and facilitates the power of concentration necessary during arousal.
4..Almonds~ Does anyone else love the smell of almonds like I do? In myth the almond has been the symbol of fertility, the aroma said to have arousal qualities in females.
5. Oysters~Long considered the food of love, oysters carry a hefty dose of zinc— zinc being linked to male fertility, sex drive and sperm production. In Legend, Casanova was known to eat oysters to seduce virgins by slipping oysters from his tongue!
With Happy Hearts Day right around the corner, why not try to to light the love fire the natural way?!
By jennifer H McGee
Thursday, January 13, 2011
What is Your Love Style?
Eros, Storge, Mania.What is your love style? Ever notice people love differently? Sometimes we ourselves go through different incarnations of how we show our love in what John Lee defined as "love colors" or theories in 1973 , later redefined by Clyde and Susan Hendrick as "love styles" in the mid eighties. John Lee described these six love models as the basics that people use in their interpersonal love relations with others.
~Eros~The passionate, physical ,and emotional love also known
as romantic love.
~Ludus~ Conquest love.The love that is played as a sport. Those
that display this kind of love are sometimes more interested in quantity than quality.
~ Storge~ A slow grown love that develops from friendship first.
~Pragma~The practical love that is fueled by the mind, not the heart.
~Mania~ The obsessive love. Possessive and jealous lovers
display high emotions with this style.
~Agape~ Spiritual, selfless love.
The Hendricks found that men tend to be more Ludus and women were more Storge and Pragma in their love relations. Teenagers tend to demonstrate the Mania side of love, the affair entwined in obsession and jealousy. I certainly can remember the elements of my first love wrapped in emotion and need as I'm sure most of us do.
It was also found that relations with similar love styles seemed to last longer and people tend to search for those who have similar love styles as themselves in relationships.
Eros, or the "erotic love", is built on chemistry and is highly
passionate and sensual, almost a fantasy type romance, the typical dream.The attraction that ties the lovers together tends to have a shorter lifespan than other styles due to inevitability of decay of attraction over the years.
The Ludus players are conquest lovers and game players. This type of relationship is also short lived due to the player becoming bored once the conquest is over. People displaying this type of love style tend to have more than one partner and get over relationships quicker.
Storge love is based on respect and understanding, the key quotient to a healthy friendship. Storge lovers view their partner as their best friend. This style of love has a higher probability of lacking passion, its only disadvantage.
The Pragma lover wants to find value and use in their partner. The love is seen through the eyes of realism. The disadvantage is the lack of heartfelt emotion. Arranged marriages are based on this pragmatic type of love.
Mania,the most interesting style of love in my opinion, one that generates a lot of buzz on many occasion, is built off lovers with low self esteem. Lovers are often found randomly or from bazaar situations and love is seen as a rescue or safe haven from their highly emotionally unsafe or tormented worlds. Those displaying this type of love are often very jealous and view sex as reassurance of love.
Lastly, but not least, is Agape love. Spiritual love. Those that possess this style view their lover as a blessing. With this comes the need or desire to take care of their spouse as a mother does with a child. This is the selfless love. These lovers usually remain very faithful and view marriage and children as sacred. Lovers often wait for their partner after a relationship is long dissolved. The disadvantage is the lack of attention one puts towards themselves when displaying this type of love.
Whether you are one, six, or none,have fun deciding the love color you bring forth in your relations. Remember those relationships with partners of similar color or "style" remain the longest. Hopefully with this enlightenment on the knowledge of love theories we can all maintain ageless relationships.
By Jennifer H. McGee
~Eros~The passionate, physical ,and emotional love also known
as romantic love.
~Ludus~ Conquest love.The love that is played as a sport. Those
that display this kind of love are sometimes more interested in quantity than quality.
~ Storge~ A slow grown love that develops from friendship first.
~Pragma~The practical love that is fueled by the mind, not the heart.
~Mania~ The obsessive love. Possessive and jealous lovers
display high emotions with this style.
~Agape~ Spiritual, selfless love.
The Hendricks found that men tend to be more Ludus and women were more Storge and Pragma in their love relations. Teenagers tend to demonstrate the Mania side of love, the affair entwined in obsession and jealousy. I certainly can remember the elements of my first love wrapped in emotion and need as I'm sure most of us do.
It was also found that relations with similar love styles seemed to last longer and people tend to search for those who have similar love styles as themselves in relationships.
Eros, or the "erotic love", is built on chemistry and is highly
passionate and sensual, almost a fantasy type romance, the typical dream.The attraction that ties the lovers together tends to have a shorter lifespan than other styles due to inevitability of decay of attraction over the years.
The Ludus players are conquest lovers and game players. This type of relationship is also short lived due to the player becoming bored once the conquest is over. People displaying this type of love style tend to have more than one partner and get over relationships quicker.
Storge love is based on respect and understanding, the key quotient to a healthy friendship. Storge lovers view their partner as their best friend. This style of love has a higher probability of lacking passion, its only disadvantage.
The Pragma lover wants to find value and use in their partner. The love is seen through the eyes of realism. The disadvantage is the lack of heartfelt emotion. Arranged marriages are based on this pragmatic type of love.
Mania,the most interesting style of love in my opinion, one that generates a lot of buzz on many occasion, is built off lovers with low self esteem. Lovers are often found randomly or from bazaar situations and love is seen as a rescue or safe haven from their highly emotionally unsafe or tormented worlds. Those displaying this type of love are often very jealous and view sex as reassurance of love.
Lastly, but not least, is Agape love. Spiritual love. Those that possess this style view their lover as a blessing. With this comes the need or desire to take care of their spouse as a mother does with a child. This is the selfless love. These lovers usually remain very faithful and view marriage and children as sacred. Lovers often wait for their partner after a relationship is long dissolved. The disadvantage is the lack of attention one puts towards themselves when displaying this type of love.
Whether you are one, six, or none,have fun deciding the love color you bring forth in your relations. Remember those relationships with partners of similar color or "style" remain the longest. Hopefully with this enlightenment on the knowledge of love theories we can all maintain ageless relationships.
By Jennifer H. McGee
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