Going Vegan - Discovering a Wonderful Variety of Delicious Foods

Well, it’s a month since my first post about going vegan, and I’ve settled into this new lifestyle change even more, so I thought I’d share some updates and another quick recipe! 

One of the most remarkable things I’ve noticed about following a plant-based diet is the variety in my family’s menu. There’s a fairly common misconception that because a vegan diet is restrictive in the sense it does not include any animal products, it must be boring and lack variety. And honestly, when my husband and I followed a macrobiotic diet many years ago, we were guilty of a lack of creativity and inspiration in our cooking. We ate a lot of brown rice, adzuki beans, steamed vegetables, and miso (not to mention lotus root and umeboshi plums!). In the years since, we’ve learned a lot about cooking and both of us have worked professionally in kitchens and bakeries. Our approach to this way of eating is as open and exciting as it was when we were focused on gourmet cooking until just a few months ago.

Before embarking on this new dietary path, our weekly dinner menu might consist of grilled salmon, turkey chili, tofu stir-fry, homemade pizza, and pasta with chicken sausage. We would stick to a certain repertoire for a few weeks, then switch it around, maybe opt for baked cod rather than salmon, turkey burgers instead of chili, and so on. In the past week we’ve enjoyed for dinner, multigrain noodles and vegetables with peanut sauce, Cuban black bean soup, falafel pitas, cauliflower and sweet potato curry, and a family-size vegan calzone. All of these dishes and the others we enjoy include good sources of protein, as well as the same fresh vegetables and whole grains we were already including in our diet – and most of them are also low in fat. So far, there is as much variety now, if not more, simply because we are having fun learning new recipes and ways of incorporating new ingredients – or ways of not incorporating things like butter and cheese. Also, the main ingredient in each of these dishes is not meat or dairy, so overall the dishes are much healthier.

What became obvious very quickly was just how many cuisines we can choose to cook from, that don’t require animal products at all. For example, we have always enjoyed Indian cuisine, and except for the inclusion of ghee, many of the recipes are ready-made for the vegan lifestyle. An Indian dish is almost always on our weekly menu now, often using the same recipes we had used before, only with slight alterations. There are Mexican dishes that can be made without cheese – or using a vegan cheese substitute, and our family was simply amazed by how “real” the tofu “ricotta” tasted in our calzone. Many of the Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dishes we had been making are also perfectly acceptable on a vegan diet – focusing on pasta or rice, olive oil, beans, fresh vegetables, and herbs and spices. We’ve even done an all-American sloppy Joe using tempeh. I admit, I was at first skeptical about this, but was impressed by the taste and texture of the tempeh filling. The sloppy Joes were also as much fun to eat as they were when we were kids!

For the first few weeks we did do a lot of simple substituting, and it’s great that there are now some fantastic products that make this easy and delicious (and they are not all soy-based). If we had previously made pasta with chicken sausage, for example, we could easily replace the sausage with a flavorful, meatless seitan variety. The cost is a bit higher, and for those who really love meat – i.e. the particular greasiness of meat, perhaps the seitan isn’t an exact duplicate, but for me (never a big sausage lover), the seitan is almost too much like meat. We have made pizzas using a vegan cheese substitute and although they are not entirely like the best New York style they are darn good, especially when loaded up with fresh or roasted veggies (think perhaps, California style). 

I hope that if you are considering a vegan diet, you will be reassured that it can be a truly bountiful way of eating – and I mean that in the best, most beautiful way – eating vegan truly is an enjoyment of nature’s bounty! 

~ Nellie Levine

Vegan Sloppy Joes with Tempeh

8 oz or 1 package tempeh, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil or water
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 cup cooked or canned white or black beans
15 oz or 1 can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
4 large buns, lightly toasted

Steam tempeh in a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water - not enough to cover the tempeh. The tempeh is ready when you notice a strong nutty aroma, approximately ten minutes. Drain the tempeh, and mash coarsely in the pan with a spoon or potato ricer.

In a large saute pan, heat oil (or water) over medium heat, and saute onion. Key to a good flavor is letting the onion brown. Add pepper, jalapeno, tempeh, and beans, and saute for a few minutes. Stir to prevent sticking. Add chili and chipotle powder, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce. After adding sauce, simmer for a few minutes. Finish by turning up the heat a little and stirring rapidly to thicken sauce.

Serve on toasted buns, either as sandwiches or open face.

Shown served with http://piratebrands.com/products/tings/original">Original Tings (or as my family calls them - Cheesy Poofs; they are in fact dairy-free and vegan, but with a great cheesy flavor) by Pirate Brands, sweet gherkins, and a glass of almond milk. Very kid-friendly!

* This recipe is adapted from the Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Resources: 

http://www.fieldroast.com Field Roast Grain Meat Co. – delicious sausage-like seitan. Never having been a huge fan of sausage, I actually find these products almost too meat-like! These are flavorful and high quality. Soy free.
 

http://www.daiyafoods.com Daiya cheeses are our first choice for vegan cheese, for their flavor and meltability. They come in two varieties – cheddar and mozzarella. We are now seeing these in our local major supermarket! Soy free.

Almond milk is my personal favorite alternative to dairy milk (in fact, I’ve been drinking it for years and prefer it to cow’s milk). It tastes great in tea. The chocolate is delicious. http://silksoymilk.com  Silk and http://almondbreeze.com/Almond Breeze are both good brands and widely available. Soy free.

http://www.turtlemountain.com/ So Delicious makes coffee creamers with coconut milk that are quite good – we have not found a substitute for half & half that we really love, but so far these are our favorite. Available in major supermarkets. Soy free.

http://www.mimiccreme.com Mimiccreme is another brand that makes coffee creamers, but from nuts. Mimiccreme is heavier and creamier than So Delicious. Soy free.

http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/ Earth Balance, available in major supermarkets, is a brand of vegan margarine that is a great choice as a butter replacement.

Soy and almond milk can be used as a replacement for cow’s milk in many recipes. Other choices that we have not used include rice and hemp milk. Also, many of these brands make other products that are definitely worth checking out. 

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Other articles in this series:
Going Vegan – Embarking On a New Path for Better Health

Living with Balance- Earth Day

Having an awareness of the earth and environment has gained a much needed, critical boost in popularity lately. To the Taoists however, the celebration of earth (and heaven) has always been as it should be...and will be.

The wonderful excerpt below is from a favorite book of mine,  "Everyday Tao:  Living With Balance and Harmony" by Deng Ming-Dao.

It is under the section, "Earth".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

   "what is bountiful?"  the ancients asked.  True bounty was not the treasury of the emperor, but the generosity of the earth.  The golden hills provided home, country, belonging.  The rich, black, fertile-smelling soil gave grain, vegetables, and fruit.  The blue-shadowed mountains gave shelter from the wind and storm.  And the seemingly endless plains and deserts provided ample room for exploration and adventure.  Why worry about the abstruse, the ancients asked, when everything we require has already been given to us?

If you want to follow the Tao, the ancients said, first understand the perfection of heaven and earth.  Wind, rain, and sun come to us through the sky.  The earth gives us our home, our nourishment, jewels for our adornment, minerals for our use, places to travel.  As the old saying goes, "Why look far away for what is close at hand?"  You, like the students of the ancients, may want to study the Tao.  Doing so may be as simple as bending down to pick up a clump of earth.

 So many of us look and look for the Tao.  The masters, it seems, are still pointing one hand to the sky and the other to the earth. ~



 Enjoy "all" your Earth Days
  ~ diane fergurson



"Colorado Rocky Mountain National Park" courtesy of Julie Magers Soulen


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Mind Body Spirit Artist Series: Jude McConkey

If you have been reading the Mind Body Spirit Odyssey blog for the last couple of years you've probably noticed the superb photography and artwork we have used to illustrate our articles and reviews. Jude McConkey is one of the contributing photographers who has been with us right from the start.  Allowing us take a peek of the world through her eyes and imagination, Jude's unique, insightful and hauntingly beautiful images with a twist, keep inviting the viewer back again and again.  We hope you find Jude McConkey's work as magical and extraordinary as we do!    ~ diane fergurson

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MBS: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started as a photographer?

Jude:  I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. I've always been artistic- drawing, painting, writing and I concentrated on art when I was in high school. When I had my four children in 5 years I had to put everything away because I was just too busy. By the time my kids reached high school age though, I was craving that need for artistic expression and really wanted to get back at it.  So, I experimented and tried a lot of things.  Painting, painting on silk, batik, jewelry design.  Although I was good at it, I thought most of the things were hard to do and I did not enjoy doing them. I did not enjoy the process but liked the outcome.

Strangely enough my father was a photographer, and even though I had been in his studio and knew how to use the enlarger, etc... I was never really interested in taking pictures. It wasn't until 2003 that I decided to try my hand at it.  My motivation was pretty unusual. A friend and I had decided to get Glamor Shots taken just for fun. They were so hideous, and I kept wondering why the photographer "didn't do" this or that with poses. I kept thinking I would have done a much better job because I believed there is something beautiful about every woman - be it her eyes, her smile, etc.. and that beauty didn't have to be what the masses think it is.

So, I got my first point and shoot camera and joined a site called pbase.com where I started a project called PAD (photo a day). It taught me how to see something from nothing sometimes because I HAD to post a photo regardless of anything amazing coming into the view of my camera.

Soon after that I realized that photography was something I was successful at it and that it was so easy for me. The "easy" part scared me and it probably took another year before I realized that it wasn't a fluke... that I could actually take good photos. I have to say photography is the first and only time in my life that I've never doubted myself or what I was doing.

Under the Cover of Queens

MBS: What kind of equipment do you like to use?

Jude:  I love my camera - a Canon 50D. Besides that I have a few crappy lenses and 2 wonderful ones, including my new 60mm f2.8 macro lens... very yummy. It's also great for taking photos of my wearable art up close. My favorite piece of "equipment" though is Photo Shop - it is a creative person's gift from the gods! When I take photographs I see what I imagine, which isn't necessarily what is actually in front of me. But I know what I can do to make it become that way through Photo Shop magic.
 

Memory of Roses

MBS: One of the most striking things to me about your work is that it creates a mood and is so atmospheric. I don't know how many times I've seen a group of photos and I can actually pick out your work from all the others. That's a real compliment because so many photographers strive for that signature look and it's not easy to achieve. Is that something you seek in the subject matter, or is it an effect that you create after the photo is taken? (or both) How did your "look" evolve?

Jude:  It's funny about my "signature" look. When people first started saying "Oh, I knew that was your photograph" it bothered me. I kept thinking I was being redundant in my photography and doing nothing new. I was worried.  Then I realized it was the "essence" of my photograph that had my signature to it. I not only accept that it is what it is, but I also love that my style is my own and can be recognized.

Through Frosted Glass

You know the old saying "necessity is the mother of invention"?  Well, my subject matter often stems from that. I live in Michigan where winters are usually long and hard. There is nothing "new" to shoot at least a few months at a time. Because of this, I learned to find a story in everyday things and expand on that by trying to make the viewer see what I did. I find a story in most things I see - an emotion. I think that's the highest compliment I've ever received from people is that there is huge emotion in my photographs,  regardless of what the subject is. I like it because that is what I'm all about.

I am drawn to all things quirky and dark (Tim Burton is my hero). That style developed early but I was a bit afraid to use those photos. A gallery owner had told me that people want normal photos so that's what I was decided to show. One day I thought "I don't want to be known for doing the kinds of photos that everyone else does.. I want to do what I do." I took those photos out of the gallery and replaced them with my more moody, unusual photos and I began to sell.

MBS:  That's interesting about Tim Burton and the season of winter being such a big influence on your work. Are there other things that have impacted you as an artist?

Jude:  Well, just about everyone has heard about "The Secret".  I have always been someone who searches out self-improvement, knowing that I'm a flawed person. I watched the movie and it just clicked with me. It's all about the law of attraction and how you bring to yourself what you put out or think about the most - that the Universe gives you exactly what you want or focus on.

Some people scoff (husband and grown children here) but I know it's true. I know it because the only thing in my entire life I've ever had total confidence in has been my photography.  I always knew I would be successful even though my friends used to say to me "Every Tom, Dick, and Harry has a camera nowadays, what makes you think anyone will buy your work" ... my answer? "I know what I know - I will be successful." That was it, PERIOD.

Beach Memories

I've never worried about it, never wondered, never been afraid about it. I just know. And I believe that the law of attraction has a lot to do with the success of my work - true belief in oneself never fails. And it draws others into your belief.

Because of this, I knew the law of attraction was a real and viable thing and tried to embrace it into the rest of my life (which I'm not so confident in). It's worked very well, although I do still have times when I forget the teachings and lose my way. But all I do is watch the movie again and I'm fired up. Oh, by the way, if you want to rent the movie, make sure it's the correct one. I came home with "The Secret" starring David Duchovney the other day.. no exactly the inspiration I needed..:)

Valentine Kiss

MBS: Good to know, although David may not like to hear you say that!   lol
Back to photography... most of the photographs I've seen of yours revolves around images of landscapes and still life settings, not too many shots of people. Do you prefer one over the other? 

Jude:  My earlier work consists of a lot of portraits - self and otherwise. I don't do as many now because of the lack of subject. I have a large family but none of them are into posing any more. I don't have friends who really like to either. One of the problems is that people want photos of themselves to be a certain way... not necessarily my vision.  I usually want something a bit dark or mysterious and most people just want to be pretty in photos. I do love doing portraits, though. It's not a preference of one over the other, really. It's a matter of what I have at my fingertips and, luckily for me, trees can't run away.

Racing the Dogs

 MBS: Didn't you work as a photographer for a newspaper too for awhile? What was that experience like? I'd imagine it's a whole different mindset.


Jude:  I worked as a newspaper photographer for almost 6 years until last October of 2010. The style of photography is totally different plus the fact that photo shop is only allowed to be used to size, crop, lighten, or sharpen photographs. So my photography was in two totally different directions. While a lot of the assignments were boring giant-checks-handed-to-charities, etc., there were some things I'd never have gotten to see and take photos of otherwise. From spending an entire day on a U.S. Coast Guard Ice Cutter breaking ice in the middle of winter for large ships, to meeting Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs" fame, to being at a KISS concert where I got to take amazing photos up close and personal.

Necklace:  Separation in Color

MBS: In addition to your photographs and prints, you also design and sell a line of jewelry that actually incorporates your images into the pieces. It really is stunning. You've managed to marry the design of the jewelry pieces so well to the photographs. How did this jewelry line come about?

Jude:  About 2 years ago when the economy pretty much collapsed, a gallery owner told me that no two-dimensional art pieces were selling. So, I was trying to figure out a way to use my art in a way to make it more "usable" than just being on someones wall. I decided on jewelry, started with necklaces and I have to say it took me a good year before I got the resin correct and was pleased with what I was producing. It's been highly successful in shops, my Etsy shop, and it sells well when I do art/craft shows. I think what people like about it is that they are a unique piece of jewelry for them to wear - a great conversation piece.

I would love to design my own bezels someday and have just now started to actually draw out my designs for the jewelry instead of just playing with pieces. It, of course, is more time consuming than photography and sometimes I have to remind myself to get out of the house and take more photos..

Migration

MBS:  What is a typical work day for you? Do you work every day on your photography/jewelry, or are you less scheduled about it?

Jude:  Up in the morning about 6:30 or 7, get some coffee and off to my computer to check to see if I've sold anything online or answer emails. Usually I resin jewelry pieces overnight so they are ready to be put together in the morning. I try to get some pieces done before 11 a.m. because the light where I shoot (I use natural window light) isn't great after that time. I then download the photos, work them up, and start to list. I work on photographs after that and try to list a few new ones. Order prints if I need them, etc. The rest of the time is spent doing something I dislike immensely - marketing. Online selling depends on it, so I list photos on my Facebook pages, make treasuries.

My friends and family joke about me being a lady of leisure and smile knowingly when I tell them I have work to do. My husband, though, has been telling me I need to take time off at least one day a week. It's constant work for me, but I can do it in my pajamas :)

Overload

MBS:  I know many artists who are very hesitant about selling their work online. I've noticed that you are quite active online and have sold quite a bit of work that way. How has selling online worked out for you as an artist? Any advice you can give to other artists who are thinking about selling their work this way?

Jude:  I highly encourage anyone who has confidence in their work to sell online if possible. It opens your art up to a whole other world - how else would someone from Israel have ever bought a very large photograph from me? How else would they even know my name? In fact, last fall I sold two photographs to the set designer for the hit sitcom "Modern Family." If I hadn't been online they would have never found me. And I think that's a wonderful thing :)

My advice would be to remember, the work doesn't sell itself. You have to market, promote, get the word out there. The other advice is to stick to what you believe your work is worth when it comes to pricing. I know photographers who sell their work for quite a bit less than I do and they sell way more. But I still know what I put into it and I still know that it is worth what I charge.

MBS:  Care to offer up any advice for those who wish to (seriously) pursue an artistic path?

Jude:  For those who wish to pursue an artistic path the most important thing is to just do what YOU want to do. And you'll know what that is by how you feel inside. People have told me to crop my photos to standard sizes in order to sell more and I can't bring myself to crop a composition I worked on just to make a few dollars. You have to be confident in what you do and love it .. and if you feel that way, others feel it too.

Thank you Jude!

~ ~ ~ ~ 

You find out more about Jude McConkey and her work by visiting her stores on Etsy:
judemcconkey    (photography)
wearableartbyjude  (jewelry)

or you can email her at:  jude.mcconkey@gmail.com

From our Mind Body Spirit Odyssey Artist Series, you might also enjoy interviews with:
Joanne Miller Rafferty
Laura Milnor Iverson
Emily Balivet

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Curry With A Twist: Green Pepper and Peanut Butter

Whenever we have an international luncheon at work, I always struggle to come up with a dish that will appeal amidst all that meaty splendor spread on the buffet table. It was when I noticed Scott, my son-in-law, eating it with relish, that it occurred to me that I should make it for this year's international luncheon. Sure enough, every one liked it, wanted the recipe and here it is.

This is an improvised version of the Goan curry that is made with homemade ground peanut and coconut paste. One day, feeling lazy, I decided to substitute peanut butter. I have not looked back since then :)
   
Ingredients

medium sized green, red bell peppers (capsicum)-- 2 or 3
medium sized red onion-- one
fresh ginger to taste
Chunky peanut butter--1-2 tablespoon
Olive oil-- 1-2 tablespoon
salt to taste
red chili powder (optional)
turmeric-- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Instructions 

1. After removing the core and the seeds chop the pepper into small chunks. Cut the onion and the ginger also into small pieces.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet; add the onions and the ginger. (Note: I have also added black mustard seeds. That is the way I cook but you do not have to.)

3. Cook till the onions turn translucent.

4. Add the chopped bell peppers, spices and the salt.

5. Cook till the peppers turn soft.

6. Add the peanut butter.

7. Mix it thoroughly into the cooked vegetables with a spatula till it is all melted and gooey.

You can eat this with nacho chips, pita bread, naan or roti. Any which way, it is finger lickin' good! ~ ~ ~ 

Thank you to Indira Govindan for sharing this delicious recipe with the Mind Body Spirit Odyssey!  Indira's wonderful artwork, Dharmakarmaarts, is available on Etsy.


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Mind Body Spirit Odyssey Book Review: The Evolution of the Spirit

The Evolution of the Spirit

Walter D. Pullen
Ozark Mountain Publishing

Reviewed by Christina M. Dudley

Each of us are travelers embarked upon a journey.  Some of us may arrive at our destination sooner than others, and yet others among us may take different, longer routes. Yet we arrive, nonetheless, at the appointed destination for our course.  As set out as beginners, however, we often find ourselves in need of a guide.

The Evolution of the Spirit, by Walter D. Pullen, may serve as an excellent guide for seekers in need of early direction.  The text itself is rich with detailed descriptions of divinity concepts, karmic laws, spiritual bodies, universal planes and more.  Each chapter contains detailed analyses of its contents, providing the seeker with an informative narrative that not only defines these realms and realities, but describes their importance and their role in the evolution of a seeker's spirituality.   It contains excellent but concisely written details of various disciplines and studies and an overall narrative of the evolution of the mechanics of spirituality, and may best benefit the less seasoned seeker looking for a layout of the demographics and history of spirituality. 

Pullen incorporates into the text details of every aspect of the pursuit of the spirit path:  personal mastery, devotion, meditation, sex, love, and even politics.  As the author illustrates, each of these realms is worthy of attention and study, in order that the seeker and/or student may not only further his or her knowledge of spiritual paths, but increase his or her skill and level of mastery, as well.  Perhaps the most important portion of the text to this reader was Pullen's narrative on the mastery of personality; wherein the author describes not only the importance of the mastering of the self, but also of the emotional and intellectual faculties as a whole, so that a balance of power may be realized in order to gain spiritual maturity. 

It is worth noting, however, that this is not a text that can be engaged lightly.  A student must devote time to reading the text, and then, as this reader did, perhaps re-reading it again, with a focus on each chapter as a separate setting.   With this in mind, its quite possibly one of the most essential reads for any neophyte, and the text itself may well accomplish the author's goal, which in his words are "not to say "this is the answer," but rather "to inspire and encourage people more about spirituality"  and to ultimately find their own path.  

 ~ ~ ~ 

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Every Precious Moment

Set-a-Spell

"You see this goblet?" asks Achaan Chaa, the Thai meditation master. "For me this glass is already broken.  I enjoy it; I drink out of it.  It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns.  If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it.  But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say. 'Of course'.  When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious."
                                             ~ Mark Epstein, Thoughts Without a Thinker


This was a story told by Mark Epstein in the PBS documentary, The Buddha. Though I've heard other sayings and sentiments that echo the message here, this gave me one of those wonderful "awake" moments. Since hearing this story, I'm still finding that I have a deeper moment to moment appreciation for everything in my own life.

All things do change, nothing is permanent, that is truth. What better thing to do than to savor and appreciate who and what is in your life this moment while knowing it's already broken, already gone?

Now, if you find these thoughts distressing, you aren't in appreciation for what's in your life; you've moved into thinking about how you might feel in the absence of these things. This is truly a waste of the time you have with the people and things that you love. Take the time to truly feel appreciation, and perhaps you'll find you're able to release things from your life, when it's time, with grace and appreciation that you had them in your life. As the wonderful and wise Dr. Seuss says:
     
           Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened - Dr. Seuss

Every moment is precious.

Echoes

 ~ Karen Casey-Smith

Karen's wonderful photographs can be found in her Etsy shop.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I'd like to thank Karen for contributing this beautiful blog post.  Karen wrote to us, saying that when she watched the PBS Documentary on The Buddha and heard the story of the broken glass it really had an impact on her and inspired her to write this piece.  If you've watched any shows or read any books that have had a profound effect on you, we'd love for you to share it with us in our comments section or if you'd like, submit a blog post.   ~ diane


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Wu Chi
My Path, Your Path - Many Roads Lead to Oz
From Jing to Qi to Shen:  An Interview With Healer Darren Orr
                                                                                   
 

Gazing Into A Crystal Ball

Visiting the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology had been on my "must do" list for quite a few years.  Founded in 1887, this museum has one of the most substantial collections of Egyptian architecture on display in the United States.  A 13-ton red granite sphinx, the third largest in the world, even dominates their gallery.  But...that's another blog post for another time!

When I recently read the wonderful reviews of the Secrets of the Silk Road exhibit that is currently at the museum, I decided it was definitely time for a visit.  My son went to college in Philadelphia and had visited the Penn Museum a number of times.  He always loved it.  So, I asked him if he would like to join us.  The first thing he said was, "Oh Mom, you know that the Penn Museum has the second largest crystal ball in the world...  It's really cool, I know you'd just love it"!  No, I didn't know anything about the crystal ball... but after he said that I couldn't wait to see it!

The "crystal sphere" was a treasure of the Imperial Palace in Beijing.  It is said to have been one of the favorite possessions of the infamous Qing dynasty Empress, Cixi (1835 – 1908). Cixi was a concubine who rose to the position of Dowager Empress during the latter part of China’s Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911). The end of the Qing dynasty was a period filled with economic and political distress, and Cixi was not exactly loved or revered because of her lavish tastes and luxurious lifestyle.  As a result, when imperial China crumbled her palace was ransacked and she fled Beijing.  Many of her precious belongings were stolen and dispersed.  Among her possessions was a flawless, crystal sphere – believed to be the crystal sphere now owned by the Museum.

The Penn Museum acquired the crystal sphere in 1927 when Eldridge Reeves Johnson, a benefactor of the Museum, saw the sphere for sale at the John Wanamaker store in Philadelphia. Johnson bought the sphere for $50,000 and donated it to the Museum when he died.  The crystal sphere stayed without incident at the Penn Museum for 61 years until it was stolen in 1988.  How it was stolen and by whom is still debated, but the piece was eventually traced to a private home in New Jersey and returned to the Museum.

The crystal sphere weighs 49 lbs. It is completely flawless and it really is believed to be the second largest crystal ball in the world.  The stand that the sphere sits on replicates the shape of a wave and was created by a Japanese artisan.  The rock crystal originated in Burma and was shaped into a sphere through years of constant rotation in a semi-cylindrical container filled with emery, garnet powder and water.

Viewing the crystal sphere was pretty interesting.  What struck me the most is that every image reflected in it was upside down.
When I went home I decided to research more about the history of the sphere and also find some additional information about crystal balls in general.

The following excerpt comes from a wonderful resource book:
The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World by Theresa Cheung.  If you ever have a chance to obtain this book for your library, I would highly recommend it! 

"A tool used to help diviners go into a psychic trance , the crystal ball is perhaps the classic and best-known method of divination.  Most people assume it is the ball that has the power, but is does not.  The secret is not the ball but the technique of scrying, which involves keeping your eyes open while staring into a shiny, reflective surface to induce a form of meditation or self-hypnosis - the prime state for opening awareness to clairvoyance and psychic insight.

Scrying and crystal gazing practitioners were found in ancient times throughout Mesopotamia, among the Druids and other peoples of Europe and in China.  Modern scryers  most commonly use crystal balls that are usually three to six inches in diameter.  The ideal crystal ball is made of quartz, not glass, because quartz crystal is thought to increase psychic energy".

~ diane fergurson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

You may also enjoy:
The Sun and Moon Tarot Review
Book Review:  The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween
An Introduction to Tarot


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The Role of the Healer

"One of the most fundamental roles a healer can play is to help individuals attune themselves to their own unlimited healing capacities.  Each of us has an inner voice or adviser that helps us regulate our internal responses with quiet and truthful guidance.  (It is also important to) create an environment of support and reflection in which individuals can become receptive to their innate wisdom.

In assisting this process of calling forth our innate wisdom, the healer empowers us to look within for "healing", rather than to external sources for "curing."  The healer and the person being healed can then explore the idea that disease may not be a random event; it may even be a message telling us that we have deviated from our true path.

The realization that we possess these profound healing powers within us enables us not only to heal ourselves, but also to support others in their healing quests."

From the book:
Healers on Healing
edited by Richard Carlson, Ph.D. and Benjamin Shield

"Regarding the Moon - Gazing Crescent Blue Sky Clouds"  by photographer Karen Casey Smith is
available in her shop on Etsy

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A Little Bit About Saint Patrick

Since starting the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace my education about different cultural beliefs, religions, historical figures and mythology continues to grow everyday.  So does my collection of reference material!  Today is St. Patrick's Day.  I'm watching the sun peek out this morning (finally), the grass beginning to turn green... (a little, at least there's no snow)... and while putting on my green earrings and Celtic amulet I decided to thumb through "Saints Preserve Us" by Sean Kelly and Rosemary Rodgers to refresh my knowledge about Saint Patrick.  What I found out may surprise you... 
The following reference was taken directly from book (which I would definitely recommend, by the way)

enjoy your day!

~ diane


"Partick- March 17
 Patron of Ireland and Nigeria; Invoked Against the Snakes

Patrick wasn't Irish; he was Welsh-Italian.  His name wasn't Patrick, it was Succat.  He wasn't the first Christian missionary sent to Ireland-that was Saint Palladius.  And there were never any snakes in the country to begin with.  But aside from that, everything you know about Patrick is true.  He was declared by the Sacred Congregation of Rites to be the Patron of Nigeria in April 1961."

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Mind Body Spirit Artist Series: Joanne Miller Rafferty

I met Joanne Miller Rafferty about 12 years ago at the New Jersey Center for Visual Arts.  We both had an interest in learning to make handmade paper to incorporate into our mixed media artwork.  At the time I had no idea the extent of Joanne's art career, but I remember my friend who was also taking the class was simply astounded that an artist of Joanne's caliber and experience was working right along with us... up to her elbows in paper slury! As you'll see from my interview, Joanne Miller Rafferty has been creating fine art for most of her life.  She has won just about every award and recognition there is.  Her work is in thousands of private and corporate collections.  Television and movies have incorporated her pieces into their set designs.  Joanne sells her original pieces and edition gilcee prints throughout the US and is represented by a number of galleries.  Since 1990, Joanne has sold over 96,000 prints worldwide.  
                                                                                                                ~ diane fergurson

Memory's Museum #5  by Joanne Miller Rafferty

MBS: You've had a long and distinguished career as an artist. Can you tell us a little about your background? How you got started as an artist?

Joanne:  I truly believe that my "background" always included art in some form. From the earliest time I can remember, I loved to draw and I loved to "make things". When I was in the fifth grade, we had to write a story about our life, and the ending to my story was "I may go to college and study art". And that's exactly what I did. I enjoyed any kind of art project thrown my way in high school and went away to a college known for their art program. After obtaining my Bachelor of Science Degree in Art Education, I became an art teacher on the elementary level, grades K to 6th. I did that for six years, and during that time, took 30 hours of graduate courses in art education, began to paint in watercolor and entered the art festival/craft circuit.
My earliest offerings then were small floral watercolors and quotations in calligraphy, that I had perfected in college. My calligraphy professor, Jeanne File, did calligraphy for the Papal offices in Rome and was a perfectionist! My watercolor professor, James Kuo, was internationally recognized and my biggest influence at that time. I won a number of awards in those outdoor shows, and my watercolors began to change into very abstracted forms. There were also landscapes in pen and ink, before beginning to incorporate acrylic into my designs. And my work started to become larger in size. I stopped teaching and started to paint and exhibit full time. I truly loved the outdoor shows and the direct contact I would have with the clients who would actually own my work. The feedback was comparable to nothing else. So different in the gallery business where the gallery owners hear all the accolades! A couple of small businesses saw me at these shows and asked for work on consignment to place in their shops, this is how my first gallery affiliation came about. The owners were always interested in art and were just opening a gallery, so we really started off together. In the next few years , I looked for new opportunities to show my work and entered a very large exhibition at Madison Square Garden. From that show, I was contacted by my first New York Gallery.

MBS: I remember one time hearing you say something about those days of making art on your "dining room table" while also teaching and being a mom. There are "so" many women who can relate to that and struggle with it all the time... especially early in their career. Many quit making art as as a result. Looking back on those days, what insights can you pass on to others who are finding themselves relegated to the "dining room table"?

Joanne:  Luckily, I had finished teaching when my son was born, and then made the transition to painting full time. I think what you are referring to is the story about my painting table (which my husband built for me) that was in the middle of our family room when my children were toddlers. It had two leaves which could be put down on the sides. I had to clear away what I was doing and put the sides down in order to have enough room for the table where we ate our dinner. I think my children grew up thinking that all mothers painted...It was always around them! As far as juggling it all, I was and still am doing what I love. You can always make time for that. I think teaching, painting and having two small children would have been a whole different story, but I was fortunate that my income was adequate enough with the shows at that time that I didn't have to also have an outside job. So my insight would be to not quit, keep doing what you love and you will find a way.

Summer Fall Winter Spring available on Zazzle

MBS: Well that sounds a lot more doable! lol
Your work has really had a such nice progression, from starting in watercolors to incorporating other mediums and elements. Many artists start with one medium and use it their entire career. What has motivated to you keep pushing and exploring?

Joanne:  I think it was just a natural progression. I like to keep in touch with other artists and am always looking to what they are doing, as well as seeing current exhibits of interest. The progression to canvas actually happened as an experiment with watercolors on canvas, just to get the general feel of working with that substrate. That is probably why I use acrylics rather than oils because the washes have a watercolor feel to them. As pieces would sell I was motivated to understand what about that piece was desirable to the viewer. I could look at the photo of the piece and pull out certain aspects of what I liked about it.

MBS: Do you have favorite materials that you like to incorporate into your pieces?

Joanne:  Favorite materials keep changing all the time. I love the look of metal leaf, and have incorporated it into my work for quite some time. That is actually how I started creating my jewelry line. There is so much you can do with variegated colors of gold and silver leaf. After doing a number of workshops in handmade papermaking, I began to add pieces to my work and that has stayed quite constant. Lately I have been adding more textural items: painted fabrics and cording, lace, iridescent particles. 

World of Wonder Poster on Zazzle

MBS:  I've noticed inspirational quotes in many of your pieces.  Is that something new or have you been doing that for awhile?

Joanne:  From the earliest time I started exhibiting my work, I have incorporated meaningful words. The placement of these thoughts evoke different responses and are artistic themselves. When I am creating a work, I have always loved the way the quotation or thought influences me. As far as the paintings themselves, my main theme has always been a horizon. Sometimes extremely abstracted, and other times, highly recognizable, I feel there is a spiritual element to the viewer anticipating what they may envision is beyond the horizon that they see on the canvas. It is a spiritual journey, and every viewer has a different outlook, a different set of values, a different set of experiences with which to imagine the journey beyond the horizon line.  The collage elements many times contain words, and I make sure they are insightful. I have created a number of the new posters on Zazzle with inspirational quotations. Art and inspiration just naturally go together. Incorporating the mind the body and the spirit as one whole is what brings the viewer into a state of understanding what the art means to them. Stated on my homepage of my website:

"The journey of one color vibrating through another and the balancing of light as more and more collage pieces are incorporated into my work makes the concept of the landscape richer, sometimes more complicated, sometimes freer, producing a sense of motion and a place for contemplation. The uncertainty is the adventure; there is a higher vision. Perhaps over the horizon line the vision becomes more clear. Sometimes it only leads to another quest, that not being the final journey. My landscapes challenge traditional boundaries and sometimes give us new ones. Not always referencing specific memories, sometimes incorporating visual shorthand, the collage elements evoke fragments and memories of a universal nature."


MBS: Do you work in a particular format? A specific size...large, small...or does it depend on the project?

Joanne:  The format depends on a number of things. A lot of the time, I like to go with a size that happens to appeal to me at the moment. Of course, if I am doing a commission, I follow the format of what the client is asking.  Usually with a commission, they have seen a number of paintings and are asking for certain colorations or a particular size. I have done a number of commissions incorporating collage pieces sent to me by the client.

Past Lives Series on Zazzle

MBS: When you are painting do you start from general idea or theme for a series, or do you find the commonality between pieces after a group of work is completed? I know artists who work both ways.

Joanne:  I find the commonality of a series usually after the pieces are completed.

MBS: For a number of years you've hosted an annual open house in your studio. From a business perspective can you talk a little bit about that. Why you do still do it? How has it effected your networking and visibility as an artist?


Joanne:  The open house in the studio began when I was doing the art festival circuit. I exhibited in many local shows, so my customers were not too far away. Many of them had called and were looking for a gift at Christmas (this was at the time when I was working in very small formats) so I opened up the studio in early December and had an early Christmas Party, with studio open for sales if desired. When I lived in Maplewood, I was on the Board of the 1978 Art Center and we incorporated an Artist Studio Tour which has been a highlight in the town ever since. People love to see where an artist creates. I have now had my Open House every year since 1973. It is mostly attended by friends and friends of friends. It's a good way to try out new ideas and offer them to those I know. The real business of my art is still handled through the galleries with which I have an affiliation.

MBS: You mentioned your gallery affiliations. Where are you represented and what is it that they carry? Is it primarily paintings or do you sell prints as well?

Joanne:  Some gallery affiliations and representations have changed over the years, but presently those in Richmond (Chasen Galleries), Scottsdale (Rima Fine Art), Lahaina, Maui (Gallerie 505), and New York (Landmark Gallery) are my direct galleries to the public. I am represented by Slaymaker Fine Art in Chicago, that sells my work to other galleries in a number of locations. The galleries only sell my original paintings on canvas and a limited number of giclee prints on canvas, published by Uphouse Fine Art Publishers in Scottsdale.

MBS: I saw that you recently opened up a store on Etsy for your jewelry line and also a shop on Zazzle for your beautiful cards and posters. It seems like you have such great representation and visibility already, what prompted you to sell online too?

Zebra Marble Brooch/Necklace on Etsy

Joanne:  They say that one of the best ways to stay in business in any economy is to diversify your income stream. I have had many posters published by Bruce McGaw in New York and Editions Limited in California in the past.. I designed some posters of my own using images from my completed paintings as well as some designs made from portions of completed paintings. I found the designing to be extremely satisfying and used the Zazzle site for my designs. My jewelry line was created a number of years ago but really limited to show openings and friends. Placing my one of a kind work on Etsy has given me a market for this creativity that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Question 11: What is a typical work day for you? Do you keep "hours" and go to work painting like a 9-5 job? Or are you less scheduled about it?

Joanne:  I definitely do not have a typical work day. No two days are ever the same! If I have a deadline, I probably work the best. Those days I may work all day into the night. Then the next day I may do something totally different. It's nice to also not be working on a deadline, because I can take time to create something totally new.

MBS: Looking back over your career is there any advice you have for those who wish to (seriously) pursue an artistic path?

Joanne:  My only advice would be what I had stated before. You have to be serious about what you are doing and look at every opportunity for others to see your work. With the onset of social networking, there are so many opportunities out there. On Facebook alone, there are artists and galleries and groups to join. You can start a fan page for your work and have friends join that. Linkedin also has artists and artists groups.

Thank you Joanne!

~ ~ ~ ~ 

You find out more about Joanne Miller Rafferty and her work by visiting her website and also her

stores on Zazzle and Etsy.

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From our Artist Series you might also enjoy interviews with:
Laura Milnor Iverson
Emily Balivet