Let's take a mini trip...

While everyone is talking about the white supremacist protest in Virginia, I prefer to talk about my own little thoughts... I understand how dramatic the situation is, how much racism is around and how disappointing it is for America as well as the entire world, but when you elect a president such as Trump, don't expect too much good happening. I ain't surprised, but it saddens me to see how many idiots are pretending to fight for making America great again... I guess people don't learn from past experiences, from history! 

Anyways... 

Don't think you'll read about one of my past trips even though some are quite interesting! Maybe you'll read about them later on so do not be disappointed...

What I meant by the title of today's blog post is "Let's take a mini trip into my thoughts", one thought specifically.

More tattoos ideas but one that I'm determined to get before the year end, hopefully before October. Last time I checked, I wasn't as patient as many of you may be.


To begin this mini journey, you have to know a couple of things. 
My family has lots of origins and Scandinavian origin is part of that. In other terms, I've got some Viking blood running through my veins... So after I realized this little quick fact about me and my family, I started getting interested in the Norse mythology, since then I can't stop wondering lots about them. Thanks to documentaries, shows, and more reading, I'm starting to understand what they are coming from. After doing my own research I came across runes.


If you don't know what runes are well they are letters in a set of related alphabets known as a runic alphabet. It was first known among Germanic tribes around the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. They were traditionally carved onto stone, wood, bone, metal or some similarly hard surface.

To me, they look like symbols, amazing ones. Obviously, Vikings have their own symbols.


Next thing you have to know about me is that everything about mythology or Celtic legends interest me, I'm a fan! You could talk about Greek, Roman or Norse mythology and I would still be here listening to your converse. I would still be interested in the subject because I'm amazed by how fascinating the whole mythology came into life. Cause when you think about it, they are just legends, stories told generation after generation. They became part of history, part of the culture, of a past, present, and future.


The final thing you have to know is that I'm very open to new languages or any form of writing. I don't mind learning new forms of conversations and it usually makes me want to learn, even more, get that brain of mine working.


Alright, the mini trip started when I was looking for other tattoo ideas. As you may already know,  I have a few tattoos and planning on getting a few more.

Before I decided what I really wanted to get on my back shoulder, I was looking around the symbols...

Thor's Hammer: a symbol of protection, strength, consecration, and the integrity of custom and tradition. 

The Yggdrasil: is the symbol of the tree of life where the Gods and Goddesses lives. The tree that holds together the Nine Worlds or realms of existence. 

The Valknut: a symbol associated with death, the transition from life to death, and Odin. 

The Svefnthorn: a symbol that could put someone into a long, deep sleep. 

The Vegvisir: a symbol from an early modern Icelandic magical manuscript (and therefore not necessarily a truly "Norse" symbol), which was supposed to help with finding one's way when lost. 

The Helm of Awe: a symbol of protection and might, but in a darker and more individualistic sense than Thor's Hammer. 

Huginn and Muninn- The Twin Ravens: another symbol associated with Odin as they are his servant. They would be the ones who would report back to Odin each evening of the happenings of the world. 

Know that you know a few of their symbols, you cannot stay in the dark with my great tattoo idea, The Helm of Awe. 

I got to decide this one because no matter where I go in life, I feel like I need my own protection from the outside world as well as my own. If it wasn't this one, I would go for the Yggdrasil. The tree of life. It's also another symbol close to the Celtic symbol. And even though I'm also Celtic, I wanted something which would be more about me and more Norse than anything. 

The Helm of Awe happens to be one of the most popular Norse symbols out there, people have been intrigued by it for centuries, getting the tattoo on themselves. I don't personally want to be like everyone else, but this tattoo has a meaning to me, something familiar and if I can get it, then I won't hesitate! It's a familiar one, a symbol which talks to me... 


Next trip... The tattoo artist... Hopefully soon! 


"I wish we were born with a tattoo identical to our soul mate, so we don't waste time on people that don't care about us." 


~Bella

Art Therapy... Psych 101...

ART THEORY

The art of getting better

Art is an extremely expressive medium. It can help people communicate, aid in dealing with stress, and can let someone discover and study the different parts of their own personality. In psychology, art is used to improve a person's mental health and can even be used to treat psychological disorders. This is referred to as art therapy.

By integrating the creative process that is required to create art with psychotherapeutic techniques, art therapy can allow an individual to resolve their problems, decrease the amount of stress they face in their life, manage their behavior, improve their interpersonal skills, and strengthen their self-awareness and self-control.

Art therapy first began to emerge as a distinct form of therapy in the 1940s, when psychiatrists took interest in the paintings created by mentally ill patients and educators began to realize that developmental, cognitive, and emotional growth could be seen in the artwork of children. 

WHEN TO USE ART THERAPY

There are groups of people who have been shown to respond very positively to art therapy. Some of these groups include: 

• Adults that are struggling with severe stress
• Children that are struggling with learning disabilities
• People who have undergone a traumatic experience
• People that have mental health problems
• People that are struggling with a brain injury
• Children that are struggling with social problems and behavioral problems at home or at school
• Anyone suffering from depression, anxiety, or domestic abuse

What Art Therapy Isn't

Art therapy is not a recreational activity or a time to teach someone how to make art, and no previous experience in art is needed for an individual to partake in this type of therapy. Most importantly, art therapy does not involve the therapist interpreting the patient's artwork. Art therapy is about teaching someone how to heal through his or her art. 

HOW ART THERAPY WORKS

Art methods involved in art therapy include painting, drawing, collage, and sculpture. Once in an environment that makes the patient feel safe, an art therapist will either provide the topic for the patient to work from, or the patient will be invited to work without any direction. 

As the patient creates art pertaining to their life experiences or an event, the process of making art allows the patient to think about their experience on a deeper level and transform what is in their head into symbols and metaphors. By making these images on their own terms, which is an important part of recovery and self-discovery. The patient is the only person who knows and has the ability to explain what these symbols represent.

This process of taking and experience from the person's "inner-self" and putting it out into the world as a physical object helps the individual become distant to the experience, which in turn makes him or her fell safer about talking about their problems directly, which can be very difficult for them to do, they can talk to the therapist about the artwork they have made. Gradually, this process increases a person's understanding, self-acceptance, and self-awareness. 

OTHER BENEFITS FROM ART THERAPY

Along with increasing self-awareness and self-acceptance, there are many other benefits that an individual can gain from art therapy. 

• Being forced to actively participate in the process, which fights boredom, alienation, and feelings of apathy
• Decision-making and choices are encouraged
• Creativity is nurtured, and this can then allow an individual to react differently towards situations that may be difficult
• Catharsis, a cleansing of negative feelings, can occur
• Interpersonal and social learning can occur

Not Just Painting

There are also versions of art therapy in music, dance, writing, drama (known as creative art therapy), and even the performing arts (known as expressive art therapy).

What is truly exceptional about art therapy is that an individual has the ability to take an active role in the therapeutic process. By expressing thoughts through artwork and symbols, a person can recover and become self-aware on his or her own terms.

"Art therapy is about the creation and the discussion of the intent of the client. It's a different way of sharing. No matter how healthy, verbal expression is the hardest thing to do." - Kelly Roberts.

~Bella

The Book of Symbols...

A year ago, I received a book of symbols that I still read to this day. It's a pretty big book, and I've learned a lot so far. I wanted to write what they say about "Bubble". It's the most interesting one that concerns me... So read below if you want to learn about the meaning of a bubble. 

"In physical reality, a bubble exists as a watery transparent object filled with air or gas. Its smooth, glassy surface mirrors rainbow colors of light, intermingling in fluid movement. The weightlessness of the bubble allows it to float freely on invisible currents of a gentle breeze, but its fragility soon causes it to burst and dissolve into mist. 

In contrast, the archetypal symbol of a bubble exists in the psyche beyond time and space. It constitutes an invisible reality imaged by mystics throughout the ages, around nothingness that is paradoxically the primordial source of all. The unseen forces within the archetypal bubble symbolize the oneness, which can be likened to the Tao as described in the Tao Te Ching ( ch. 25 ): 

There is something formless yet complete

That existed before heaven and earth.

How still! How empty!

Dependent on nothing, unchanging.

All-pervading. Unfailing.

One may think of it as the 

mother of all things under heaven.

I do not know its name, 

But I call it "Meaning."

If I had to give it a name,

I should call it "The Great."

Throughout history, the translucent bubble has inspired contemplation of the infinite and the eternal. In ancient Egypt, the Ba-soul, or ghost that appeared after death, flew in and out of the tomb as a weightless bubble. Like the circle or sphere, the globular roundness of the bubble connotes oneness, wholesome, totality, completion and spiritual perfection. The translucency of the bubble introduces, in addition, the numinosity, ethereality, and spirituality associated with the celestial light of heaven. The painting of Kukai, founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism, illustrates the golden luminosity of the spiritualized bubble. He is shown in a devotional posture, seated on a lotus floating in a luminous circle. This image symbolizes the beginning of spiritual awareness in the divine boy. The bubble-like enclosure of the figure excludes all reference to the world beyond and imparts a timeless, supernatural quality. 

In this 15th-century Japanese hanging scroll by an unknown artist, 

Kukai is depicted as the Divine Child in the bubble-like enclosure.

Detail of Kobo Daishi (Kukai) as a boy (Chigo Daishi). 

The bubble has a shadow side as well. For example, the bubble that bursts suggests an elusive idea or delusive scheme, denoting untrustworthiness and instability. Someone lacking cogent thought is called a "bubble head," and a burp or intestinal gas may be called a bubble. And bubbling evokes the image of a boiling witch's cauldron, the frightful brew of nightmares. 

There are more positive projections than negative ones for the elusive bubble, such as flying dreams, flying golden balls, drifting vessels and colorful balloons. A happy child is filled with bubbling effervescence and bubbling laughter. Bubbles carry children to lands of make-believe, where fairies and elves represent a life of enchantment. And the song that goes "I'm forever blowing bubbles, pretty bubbles in the air" evokes a sense of lightness of spirit and a creative imaginative way of life. As the shining soap bubble soon dissolves into thin air the archetypal symbol of bubble conveys - beyond the certainty of the body's demise - the hope of the soul's eternal life. 

"Inside the Bubble of Love," detail from The Garden of Earth Delights, 

by Hieronymous Bosch,

oil-on-wood triptych, ca. 1504, the Netherlands.

"Symbols are the language of something invisible spoken in the visible world." - Gertrud von Le Fort.

~Bella

Le petite bretonne aux Etat-Unis....

Brittany or commonly known as Bretagne in France is a region full of history.
I'm a fanatic of history, learning about it all! I think I take this trait from my grandfather, thank you :)

Let's start off with a little bit of a history lesson.

I'm far from being the greatest teacher but I'll try my best to keep you entertained!

First, Brittany is the north-west coast of France, it's considered one of the regions where it rains all the time. That is not entirely true so stop believing it and just go it's a beautiful region that has plenty charm.
The history is quite entertaining and there's always something new to learn about this region like the Celtic side of it. You may think of Ireland when you hear Celtic and it does have similar aspects like the stones... The enchanting tales...  To be honest, there's a plenty of legends like Lancelot or Merlin, druids. There's even a forest called Broceliande based on all these tales. It's a must go visit the place.
Besides, the Celtic side, there's a Roman side with Ceasar wanted to conquer the Gaul (France at the time), and you can still see the Roman remains in some cities like Dinan. The conquest that Ceasar tried to gain for his empire was an inspiration for the legendary Asterix and the magic potion that would be used to fight off the Romans. Sadly, it wasn't at all true, no one had potions, no one was invincible, history was a little different.
After the Roman fall, Irish people immigrated (it's what it's written in history, there might have been others before), the British/ Anglo-Saxon came to the land. They had a strong impact, building the first cathedrals. In many little Breton churches, you can see the tales of fighters, and Saints that came in the region.
To summarize a little the history of Brittany, after the Romans, Anglo-Saxon came and till this day, we can recognize that there's a lot more traces of Celts around the whole region. It's a little Britain but in France.

Brittany has traditions, it's own language that you may learn at school, grand-grandparents would still speak Breton which is similar to Welsh and Cornish. Castles are still standing looking more magnificent and full of mysteries. The rural part of the region still holds lots of the origins, and the rural part still manage to have a strong character, nothing like Los Angeles. It's a must-see region!
Part of traditions, there's festivals where people can dress up as their elders, the costumes they would wear in a daily life.
I love symbols and know a lot about them. They have quite a lot, but here's a few:
- The Gwenn ha du (black and white in Breton) is referring to the stripy Breton flag. It's everywhere!
- Towering lighthouses are everywhere as well. Brittany holds a lot more than any other regions. If you visit, you cannot leave the place without a postcard represent a lighthouse!

- Coiffes, or lace bonnets... Worn by women in France in the past, but in the southwest Brittany, the tradition of wearing them grew to exceptional proportions and sadly died after generations of wearing them. From experience, it hurts, you will get headaches after you take the coiffe down! You will see them during festivals, the most common one is in Quimper. Beautiful city and beautiful festivals!
- B is butter... The salted butter, Santa Cleopatra, it's the best in the world! But B can also be for Bécassine... She is a fictional character from books that I used to read when I was younger. It's a reflection of the peasant that lived in Brittany.                                      
- Hortensia or commonly known as Hydrangea,  you will find them everywhere!
- Megaliths, those stones like in Ireland, we have a few of them in circles...
- The Triskel! Very Celtic symbol that is beyond what you may imagine. People get them tattooed on them, especially on the ankle. It represents three major Celtic Gods (Lugh, Dagda, and Ogma), the three elements (Fire, Earth and Water), time (Past, Present and Future) and the three worlds (World of the Living, World of the Dead and the world of the Spirits).  It has been the emblem of the Breton National Party since 1940!

Since I was talking about tradition and symbols, I believe that I can also talk about the food!
Being close to the ocean, you cannot deny that obviously means seafood! I cannot begin to describe the food, it would take an entire post to detail you everything... So until next time... But... I can talk about crêpes (sweet featherlight) and galettes( savoury buckwheat) ! You call them pancakes, honestly, I don't see much resemblance! Crêpes are the sweet ones, the one you spread Nutella on, or jam, sugar, butter, lemon, fruits... I always tend to turn for the Nutella one, not surprising! :)
Then you have the more complex one where you may put cheese, eggs, and ham, it's called
 "La Complète". You may have anything you want in them from spinach to seafood. The choice is endless!

Many of you may have never tried any galettes nor crêpes, but let me tell you, it's the best dish ever! It may look different from what you may be used to see and eat, but honestly, you can't just not try them at least once. I have heard that the galette is the one that most people have a hard time eating, don't get me wrong, it's a very different taste, not in a bad way, on the contrary! You won't and can't not love it. I'm a huge fan! You'll definitely have to have it before you die!

Just a little note, I'm half Bretonne (Breton), so the Celtic and Roman side of me are present! I'm proud of whoI amm and being Bretonne. People say that we are cold people, but we ar the ones that once friends we are there for you through tough times. We are big travelers (that doesn't stop me from being sea sick), and we love our festivals and dances! Our drinks like Cider (no, not the sparkling apple cider, the real one with the alcohol in)! I have indeed learned the language at school, still sing happy birthday in the language, it's actually hilarious to hear, it sounds very Welsh. We are proud of our origins and our crêpes... Oh and we have our own Coca-Cola!

" A l'Aise Breizh..."

~Bella