What will you be? Questions for invocation.

From Baba Yaga by Tin Can Forest One of my favorite seasonal traditions centers around Halloween.  It is, as far as I know, invented to reclaim meaning in an ancient celebration.

Many years ago, I decided that my Halloween costume must be more than dressing up, more than fooling the fairies.  It was an opportunity to embody what I wanted in my life, what I was becoming.  It was a means toward invocation.

Since that time, I have always seen this time of year as a way to articulate what qualities I wish to bring forward in the months to come.  (This process is articulated in a different form in the Inviting the Goddess to Play section of The Moon Divas Guidebook.)

I choose the elements of my costume from what I find, on the street, in my home.  This is part of the creative journey, allowing image and intuition to inform the making.

Often my costumes are centered around a particular story, especially fairy tales or myths.  Often the story will be sitting with me for much of the year, an undercurrent.  When I begin the costume collection process, the first question I have to ask is:  Who am I in the story?

It's not as obvious as it sounds.  For often, the character who is least appealing is the greatest teacher. Vasalisa the Brave Enter Baba Yaga This story has been with me for years.  
I have told it and illustrated it.
I have dreamed of the Baba, the grandmother.
If you don't know it, there is an excellent version in Starhawk's book Circle Round.  You can read a variation of it online here.

I identified at first with the protagonist, Vasalisa the Brave, for obvious reasons.

But this year I have been drawn to Baba Yaga.  The fierce independence of her, the potent teaching.  The alignment with the natural cycles of the world, the source of hearth fire. Baba Yaga artist unknown Sometimes what we need to embody isn't pretty.  And there is a freedom in that.  When we move beyond the beautiful, sexy expectations of others we can claim our power. Baba Yaga by Allen Douglas So what does this have to do with Spirited Business?

One of the primary things I have seen uniting all attempting to set a fire from their own creative spark--be it a business, a project, a book or work of art, is that a huge part of it is embodying the fullness and goodness of the vision.  It is, in short, about faking it.  Or, to put it another way, pretending.  Of course you know what you are doing, of course you are on the right path.  You feel the fear and doubt, and do it anyway.  With moxie.  And verve.

So what qualities will you embody in this season?  Who are you in the stories of your life?  What is your invocation to invention?

Where do you embrace your power and take flight?
Baba Yaga by Hrana Janto