Happy Birthday, Pisces!

I wanted to do a short message here to encourage all of my dear, dear Pisces friends to have a happy birthday! 

Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, interpreted as incorporating attributes and lessons of the prior 11 astrological signs.

Translation? 

Pisces are old, weary souls who understand everyone else, but rarely find the reciprocal understanding (and acknowledgment) they so compassionately dole out to the masses. They get used more often than not ... and they suffer silently. 

I created a beautiful soap for my Pisces friends. It is loaded with coconut milk and cocoa butter, decorated with shades of blue and scented just this side of heaven.

What better way to celebrate Pisces than the gift of immersion in water? Oh - right - a nice vino, (preferably a bubbly vintage),  music and fragranced candles to accompany that soak.....

What do Pisces really want for their birthday? Universal peace, love, beauty and understanding....and a friend to listen to their troubles just once in a little while.

Consider this - Pisces (Fish) is the only astrological sign that cannot breathe and live on land for long periods of time....they need water. How can the Fish  live on terra firma?

They live on this land by doing for others....and they are very humble about their acts.

Theirs can be a lonely life - especially when their nature is compromised as is so often the case in the current world which devalues sensitivity and emotion. If you ask me, this battle-scarred planet could use many more Pisces and their immeasurable gifts!

In Love and Beauty ....

PS  This soap is only available for a very short time and is in very short supply. Pisces! Fan me on Facebook for a chance to get your soapy gift.

Lady Gardener's Soap (for Phyllis)

I have been thinking about New Harmony, Indiana a lot over the past few months. I have been pondering, in particular, the many wonderful and accomplished people that I had the privilege to meet there. 

New Harmony is never far from my mind, as I grew up around the area. 

I was fortunate to work at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art just after I completed my graduate studies. It so happened that during the particular time frame I happened to "land there", New Harmony was enjoying a Renaissance of sorts...and it was flourishing with many talented and creative people.

One of my fondest memories is of my friend, Phyllis, planting scented geraniums at the perimeter of Jerry Wade's patio. 

I have never forgotten the fragrance of those cherished plants.

With the memory of those wonderfully-scented geraniums, I created a soap for my friend, Phyllis. Phyllis was the "Botanist in Residence" at New Harmony during my all-too-brief tenure.

Here we go ....using the new pine mold again ....

 

I created a batch of basic soap with rice bran oil (good stuff!). I scented the whole lot with lemon, geranium and rose geranium essential oils. I threw in some cornmeal for scrubbing and exfoliation.

I

I tried to make the soap as lovely as possible, so I split the batch and only added green oxide to one part. I layered the soap in the mold and textured the top like a meringue.

 

I think this soap is lovely, but not as lovely as the Lady Gardener, the scented geraniums, or New Harmony.

These will be cured on the first day of Spring!

In Beauty....

Mid Winter and Ready for Spring!

In anticipation of Spring, I whipped up two different batches of cold process Gardener's Soap. The first soap is scented with a nice Lemon Balm fragrance oil and Geranium essential oil. I colored the soap with bright  green oxide and turmeric - because I am sick of gray days. I also threw in some cornmeal for scrubby action.

It is a tad bright! I am going to call it "Green Thumb Gardener's Soap". 

Here are some photos -

In the new mold after the pour....

 

Out of the mold after 15 hours....cut into blocks...now, these should be ready by March 21st!