Eva Gordon's Blog, page 19

Tarot and My Personal Writer's Journey

Greetings and Salutations,

While new and seasoned writers are working on their 50,000 word count manuscript for National Novel Month, I'm waiting for my next galley for Apocalyptic Moon and sending my big fat Victorian novel, The Gamekeeper's Daughter to brilliant beta readers.

However,

I've decided to review my personal writer's journey by studying each of the 22 Tarot Arcana cards. Though I have several decks I just recently bought and love Barbara Moore's Steampunk Tarot deck and book. Sadie Winstone my Victorian/steampunk nom de plume really connected with this deck. I also love how she lays the cards face up and ignores reversals. If you like steampunk, Tarot and a great instructor I highly recommend Barbara Moore.

I will not display the cards from the steampunk deck with all the cool symbolism and fantastic steampunk art but add my own images(from the media and such) that kind of relate to the archetype. I will interpret each as it relates to my writing journey. I would love to hear from other writers or readers on how they relate to the particular archetype. A card a day. So off we go.
The Fool
The Fool represents the first moment or new beginnings. You are a clean slate and in my case as a new writer in a universe long ago I knew nothing. I remember my first inkling that I wanted to be a writer. I was teaching high school biology and told my students I couldn't stay long after school because my husband was a werewolf and tonight was the full moon. Confusion lit their adolescent faces and they encouraged my fantastical excuse for leaving early. From then on the fiction continued on and my author journey began.


Why the fool? As a new author I foolishly made every mistake in the world. Too many to mention. You now how the seasoned writers tell newbie writers never to 'bla bla'. Well I did all the 'bla bla's. Remember your first novel? Fortunately, the fool found critique groups and later my beloved critique partner of many moons. The fool joined writer's organizations and learned her craft and how not to be fooled by predators from the publishing world.

Worldwide Full Moon Wolf Howl and Why The Wolf?

Tonight at 9PM around the globe people from every walk of life and their canine companions will howl at the Moon. So join my pack and howl to your heart's delight.


     Why is the wolf so ubiquitous in myth, literature, and film? And why howl like a wolf?
1.       Prehistoric Relationship of Man and Wolf—Powerful respect and reverence prevailed at the birth of the relationship of humans and wolves.2.       We admired their hunting skills and social pack behavior, signs of intelligence.3.       They are our teacher and companion in the wilderness. Today our dog is our ‘wolfish’ companion.4.       The wolf is universally regarded as creatures of prophesy and omens, and have connections between the worlds of the living and the dead. The wolf is affiliated worldwide with magic, medicine, healing and transformation5.        In Native American culture the wolf is an important archetype. They had great respect for the wolf and often offered prayers before a hunt to the wolf spirit. Wolf spirit was also powerful medicine for shamans who traveled to the world of the dead.  In Europe just as in the New World, myths and stories about wolves are universal. Early Europeans Respected the Wolf as Protector and Teacher. From the Steppes of Asia Minor to the British Isles the Wolf was mighty totemic protector. Hecate, an Ancient Greek deity was worshipped as a goddess with three wolf heads. Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus who were fed by the she-wolf, Alcala/Lupa.6.       Ancient Celts respected the wolf as a totem and often as a spirit guide. In Ireland, King Cormac was nursed by a she-wolf. In the Viking world to be a member of the Wolf Clan, Ulfhednar was the greatest honor. Viking warriors believed that if they died a heroic death they would be turned into magnificent wolves. Vikings also believed wolves chasing and devouring the sun and moon caused eclipses. Two wolves accompanied Odin, ruler of the Norse Gods. He created the wolves Freki (Hungry One) and Geri (Greedy One) as loyal companions. 
T  The wolf spirit reminds of us of our beginnings and bond to nature and the wild spirit/teacher within us. 
How to howl like you mean it?Watch this great video I found on YouTube and listen to five minutes of inspiring wolves howling. 

S

Best Halloween Animals

What are the top Ten Halloween Animals?Not in any particular order.
Hmm? First let's start with a list:
1. Cats  
2. Owls
3. Bats
4. Rats
5. Spiders

6. Ravens

7. Wolves
 8. Cockroaches

9.Vultures

10. Humans of course are perhaps the scariest.

Latest News

Hi,
Of late I have neglected my blog but only because I was busy writing.

Especially when Eva Gordon, my paranormal/fantasy writer combats with Sadie Winstone, my Victorian steampunk persona.

Eva likes Peet's coffee












Sadie likes Earl Grey



No, I'm not a Gemini.


One thing Eva and Sadie can agree on is our love of zoology and natural history. We hope to cover more topics in biology that will help other writers or spark an interest in science with other readers.

Alfred Wallace Collection

Paranormal/Animal Lore/Disease inspired, of course.



Now more good news. Corvallis Press will be publishing Lycan Gladiator, Book 1 in the Wolf Maiden Chronicles. Hot lycan gladiators make me howl. I hope to have a cover soon.



 And from The Wild Rose Press: Apocalyptic Moon.  The next step will be the galley stage and hope to have a book cover soon.


Trust me in a world ravished by zombies you want the werewolves on your side.

Meet a few of the raptors from the Black Prairie Raptor Center

Last weekend we had photography day at the Black Prairie Raptor Center where I volunteer. I took these with my new ipad (birthday present). Here are a few of our education birds.

Willie the Barn Owl





Otis the Screech Owl


This is Stoop, our Peregrine Falcon 
Peregrine Falcon

 Pippin the Red-shouldered Hawk

Stay tuned for more information the Ancient Falconry Class for Writers Class I plan to teach in June.

Super Moon Real Werewolf Guest

Howlo,
In honor of the super moon, a real werewolf will come in to answer your questions about what the werewolf's life has been like since the scientist was bitten by a giant wolf while visiting the Chernobyl Forest known as the Exclusion Zone.

The werewolf's  identity is kept secret so there will be no photographs and the name has been changed. Wolf. Not too creative.

NO, it's not Wolf Blitzer!


Come in and fill out the comment box with a question. Don't worry the full moon does not cause the change.

I will start the questions;

How did this happen?

Wolf: Three years ago I went to Chernobyl on a mission to study and collect mutant animals and plants. We took blood sample of the local wolves.
 

At night a giant beast attacked and killed our entire team of six scientists. Only I survived. The creature bit my arm and I fainted from the pain. This was all kept secret.



















So what did it look like?

Wolf: It stood and walked like a man but it had fur and the head of a wolf. Like a Hollywood werewolf.
 

Do you shift on the full moon?

Wolf: No. At first I shifted when I became angry or sad but now I can control it. Because the change is tied to emotion I have isolated myself and live alone in the woods, far from people. I only communicate via the net.

Are you on facebook or twitter or any other social media sites?

Wolf: No.

Are there others like yourself?

Wolf: Except for the one that bit me I honestly don't know.

May I ask your age and gender?

Wolf: Yes. I'm a 35 year old woman. Single. No kids. And since I was bitten I have not aged. The one that bit me was male.
 [image error]
 Does your family know?

 Wolf: No. They think I'm dead. It's better that way. I'm no longer that girl. I'm stronger and my senses are powerful like those of a wolf.

 Do you think the creature that bit was some sort of mutated wolf?

Wolf: I doubt it, it was more man-like than wolf. Perhaps it was even a genetic monster created by the Soviets long ago.

Thank you for being open to questions.

Wolf: Thank you, this helps stave my loneliness.

All blog visitors feel free to ask Wolf anything you want. She will be available for questions all of May.

Howlo,I'm back from the woods and I'm the guest blogger t...

Howlo,
I'm back from the woods and I'm the guest blogger today on Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal RWA group's blog.

Here is the link http://ffnp.blogspot.ca/2012/04/wolves-as-archetypes-in-my-novels.html

Come and visit.

The Biology and Natural History and Lore of the European Wolf (A Guide for Writers)

*****March 2012 Class*****

 
The Biology and Natural History and Lore of the European Wolf (A Guide for Writers)
Class takes place: March 5th-18th, 2012
Cost: $5 BDRWA members/ $20 non-members
The Biology and Natural History and Lore of the European Wolf (A Guide for Writers)Instructor: Eva GordonClass Info:My intension is to give you enough background in wolf biology and lore to aid you in writing good strong wolf scenes or even create a werewolf inspired from all the global legends. I will start with basic wolf biology, taxonomy and behavior. I then will discuss wolf lore (European) and how the wolf went from admired archetype to savage evil nemesis. I will break up the lessons into 3 parts. Every 2 days or so I will add the next lesson. Hold your questions until I have covered the specific lesson.Lessons
1.Introduction and Natural History and basic Biology.
2.Wolf Behavior
3.Wolf Lore in Europe and Central Asia
A.Wolf as totem
B.Wolf as enemy of man
C.Interview with a famous lycan.
Instructor Bio:
Eva Gordon, BA Zoology, MA Biology, California Secondary Teaching Credential in the Life Sciences. I also volunteer as a wildlife educator and have volunteered at the Howling Acres Wolf Sanctuary in Southern Oregon. I am an author of paranormal romance, fantasy and currently am working on a steampunk series. My paranormal romance series, the Wolf Maiden Chronicles was inspired by the wolf. My e-mail is evagordon@ravenauthor.com and my URL is www.ravenauthor.com
blog: http://evagordon.blogspot.com

If you wish to take my class, here is the link: http://www.bdrwa.com/black_diamonds_chapter_of/online-classes-1.html

Happy Wolf Valentine's Day

Happy Lupercalia! Wolf Valentine's Day!


How an ancient Roman holiday inspired my werewolf universe.
My readers know I use this ancient Roman festival in my paranormal romance werewolf novels. In my universe it is the time when lycans are most fertile, find their mates or play naughty werewolf games. I use some of the rituals below, with the exception of sacrificing the dog in my lycan festival. The Lupercal, the cave where Romulus and Remus were suckled by the she-wolf is what I call the ruling governing party run by 12 female alpha lycans. Below are some facts about Lupercalia from several sources on the web.


"The Origins of the Lupercalia
The Lupercalia was started to honor a forgotten fertility god, but the during the Augustan period, the god Lupercus had been invented to explain the festival, according to the Dictionary of Roman Religion. Adkins and Adkins, authors of the book, state that Faunus might have been the god the Lupercalia.

The Lupercalia Festival Itself
The festival was held on February 15th, the day after the modern Valentine's Day Celebration. The month of February occurred later in the Roman calendar. Celebrants would gather at the Lupercal cave on the Palatine Hill in Rome, where Romulus and Remus were suckled by their adoptive wolf mother, according to Roman legend.


Luperci Priests made sacrifices of goats and dogs as part of the festival, and two young people were smeared by the blood of the sacrifice and then wiped away by wool dipped in milk. As part of the Lupercalia celebration, young men would go through the streets whipping people with goat skins to encourage fertility.
The youths then donned loincloths made from the skin of the goat and led groups of priests around the pomarium, the sacred boundary of the ancient city, and around the base of the hills of Rome. The occasion was happy and festive. As they ran about the city, the young men lightly struck women along the way with strips of the goat hide. It is from these implements of purification, or februa, that the month of February gets its name. This act supposedly provided purification from curses, bad luck, and infertility.



Long after Palentine HIll became the seat of the powerful city, state and empire of Rome, the Lupercalia festival lived on. Roman armies took the Lupercalia customs with them as they invaded France and Britain. One of these was a lottery where the names of available maidens were placed in a box and drawn out by the young men. Each man accepted the girl whose name he drew as his love - for the duration of the festival, or sometimes longer.
As Christianity began to slowly and systematically dismantle the pagan pantheons, it frequently replaced the festivals of the pagan gods with more ecumenical celebrations. It was easier to convert the local population if they could continue to celebrate on the same days... they would just be instructed to celebrate different people and ideologies..
Lupercalia, with its lover lottery, had no place in the new Christian order. In the year 496 AD, Pope Gelasius did away with the festival of Lupercalia, citing that it was pagan and immoral. He chose Valentine as the patron saint of lovers, who would be honored at the new festival on the fourteenth of every February. The church decided to come up with its own lottery and so the feast of St. Valentine featured a lottery of Saints. One would pull the name of a saint out of a box, and for the following year, study and attempt to emulate that saint."


My crazy thoughts:
In a sense I think we have gone back to a weird form of Lupercalia lovers lottery I call it computer dating. True, you do get to learn about the person, but do you really? It really is like drawing a date out of a lottery.

Three wolfish movies. Wolf Shifters, Lycans and Animated Wolves Oh, Howl

Howlo,
Breaking Dawn, Underworld 3D and The Grey have one thing in common, they are all fictional. Breaking Dawn had the wolf shifters not happy with Bella's baby. Death to the half-human vampire. Not a fan of the series but 3 Howls.

Underworld, The Awakening had a similar premise: Get rid of the hybrids. Loved lycan claws in 3-D. Fun and Selene is always kick ass. 5 Howls.

The Grey with Liam Neeson was a Hollywoodish man against nature theme, but not as good as The Edge with Anthony Hopkins in terms of being realistic. More of a yelp than a howl, though I love Liam Neeson, who as always does a great job.
Wolves are not natural man eat-eaters.  In Becky Kramer's The Spokeman's Review article,  Wildlife wolf biologist Gary Wiles dreads the portrayal of wolves as do I.

"Wiles describes wolf behavior in the film as "pretty far-fetched."
Despite the presence of 60,000 wolves in North America, only two human deaths from wolves have been documented in the past 60 years.
One person was killed in Saskatchewan in 2007; the other death occurred in Alaska in 2010. The Saskatchewan death involved wolves that had become habituated to people."

In fact most wolf attacks can be blamed on rabies. I fear  that with the re-introduction of the wolf, people will think that packs will come running out of the woods to attack them.  These wolves acted more like werewolves and if that was so, I would have liked it better.

Grizzly bears, lions, tigers, and polar bears have been known to stalk humans for food. Go rent:
The lions in Ghost and the Darkness were man eaters and are displayed in the Field Museum in Chicago.
 Loved The Edge.

 Don't forget what happened to The Grizzly Man. Not saying wolves are not dangerous but rather that the movie did not exhibit real wolf behavior. Even our best friend can turn on us. In 2010, 34 deaths were due to dog attacks(http://dogbitelaw.com/dog-bite-statis...).

Which reminds me, I better go walk my dog before he gets an attitude.