The heart shape continues to be full of so much metaphor for me. I got news recently that my brother's mitral valve has torn and gone from just a regular old leaky valve (like mine) to a SERIOUSLY leaky valve. They're monitoring it but he'll need surgery some day in the not so distant future. In the meantime, it certainly gives my heart pause. My late father had a mechanical valve put in his heart and the manufacturer recalled it 4 years after he died! Thus, I'm back to the old grind...I continue on my heart worn ways. I just did another series of my gemstone jet, contemporary mourning beads in my "broken heart" series. The rough is all from Tennessee and all have 3mm drill holes so they can be worn on a thick chain or a cord...and I took this one heart and made a "keyhole" through the center and a 2mm drill hole that goes down the cleft into the keyhole. I envision some beader or jeweler making a necklace chain that would come up out of the cleft and 24 inches or so later connect with the key. The key fits ALL the way through the keyhole, so that it could dangle through the jet heart, creating a centerpiece clasp. Would that be what they call a "y necklace"? They key is from an old key collection that my late grandmother kept. One of these days I'll get off the grinding wheels and the computer long enough to make finished jewelry, in the meantime, I just continue making these goodies for all you beader and jewelery peoples out there....

I also made this nearly 700 carat "green" moonstone heart stone out of a single big chunk of rough moonstone from Tanzania. It's got an amazing, lightning like, schiller that is unrelated to the light blue adulaurescence that is the hallmark of classic moonstone. When I saw the piece of rough I knew I would make a "broken heart" out of it and leave the natural points with the cleavage planes of the feldspar crystal poking out the bottom. This is NOT A BEAD, but is a really fabu meditation aide or shamanic tool for scrying and healing work. That's it for now. I'll certainly be making more hearts and I would LOVE to see what kind of hearts others are making! Share your pics or your links.

Change Your Focus

Good Mourning Broken Hearts Club Band!

Many exciting things are happening with our Band! I'm thrilled to announce that MEMBERSHIP CARDS have arrived and are being dispersed! If you would like a membership card just request one and if you would like to recruit for the BHCBand, request a bunch! More on Membership cards later...

TODAY I will share with you the Daily OM Leo Horoscope, which is about our goals, our hearts, and ambitions...

March 2, 2009
Change Your Focus
Leo Daily Horoscope

You could notice a single-minded focus regarding your ambitions today. It might seem that accomplishing your goals rather than addressing the concerns of others is your most immediate priority. Perhaps today you can think about redirecting your go-getter energy to develop deeper, more long-lasting, and compassionate goals. One way to utilize your focus could be to create a greater awareness of the power of your heart center through meditation. You might consider bringing your attention to the area near your heart. As you inhale and exhale, send your awareness into this area and feel it expand with each breath. Concentrate on being present in the moment, and try to let the notion of reaching a final outcome dissolve with each breath. As you feel your heart opening, you may find that attaining your goals becomes less important then the journey you take to accomplish them.

By altering the nature of our focus, we become more open and have greater tools for reaching our goals. We might find it easy to become so involved in our goals that we forsake things that are most important—the lessons we learn along the way. But when we allow our determination to soften, we create space for a greater awareness of ourselves and the world around us and transform the way we live our lives. We engage in the progress of life and are not simply wrapped up in its outcomes. Placing your focus on your heart center today will allow you to work toward the goal of being present in your life.

I will be posting lots more regularly, so join the band, follow the blog, and let's get this show on the road (from a loving heart space, and letting go of our ego, of course!)!

Always,

Leo Sunshine