Well, this lady has been in it...knee deep in snow...had to dig out my vehicle before I could actually get into it yesterday...then had to let the silly bugger warm up for a 15 minute ride to the market for a few little things here and there....what a weekend, and I pray Thee Goddess, it is over.

I wanted to take the opportunity to invite any and all who are lovers of Camelot, and the Arthurian legends and the magick of Avalon to join me in helping a friend launch her site...making it a wonderful place for all lovers of the era...of course, if you aren't lovers of Camelot, I invite you anyway ;p     http://ladysknights.ning.com/  The space is called Avalon's Court, and yes, I am Lady Faraday there as well.

Feel free to join us, and contribute whatever you wish...I am certain that as the place gets hopping, we can learn from each other and make new friends alike...of course, don't be surprised by the pagans you will encounter-we are everywhere there...lol  But if that is alright with you, then come on over.

I am currently reading The Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley...it is the story of Camelot told from the point of view of the women....Morgaine (Morgan le Fey) is an astounding character, and you will see the story in a different light.

However, I think even LESS of Queen Guinevere in this than in all of the stories I have read...of course, Lancelot always left a lot to be desired and caused many confusions in my heart because of his profession to love BOTH Arthur and Guinevere...I know the feeling of love for each is different, but he still betrayed one he loved, and I find that quite confusing to say the least....anyhoo........

I thank all of you for reading one of my favorite poems...I am now searching out others from others....of course, I own every play and sonnet  Sir William Shakespeare ever wrote in one huge tome...I am a fan.  I loved Much Ado About Nothing the most....of course, A Midsummernight's Dream is most enjoyable to this fae magickal heart too...*grins*

To all, thank you for reading this, and helping with my friend's site....I will add the banner here so that you may follow it more evenly....

Fae Blessings to all!!

~Lady Faraday

The Lady Of Shallot

Part I

On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And through the field the road runs by
To many-towered Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.

By the margin, willow-veiled,
Slide the heavy barges trailed
By slow horses; and unhailed
The shallop flitteth silken-sailed
Skimming down to Camelot:
But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand?
Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?

Only reapers, reaping early
In among the bearded barley,
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly,
Down to towered Camelot:
And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers "'Tis the fairy
Lady of Shalott."

Part II

There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.

And moving through a mirror clear
That hangs before her all the year,
Shadows of the world appear.
There she sees the highway near
Winding down to Camelot:
There the river eddy whirls,
And there the surly village-churls,
And the red cloaks of market girls,
Pass onward from Shalott.

Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,
An abbot on an ambling pad,
Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad,
Or long-haired page in crimson clad,
Goes by to towered Camelot;
And sometimes through the mirror blue
The knights come riding two and two:
She hath no loyal knight and true,
The Lady of Shalott.

But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot:
Or when the moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed;
"I am half sick of shadows," said
The Lady of Shalott.

Part III

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He rode between the barley-sheaves,
The sun came dazzling through the leaves,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A red-cross knight for ever kneeled
To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott.

The gemmy bridle glittered free,
Like to some branch of stars we see
Hung in the golden Galaxy.
The bridle bells rang merrily
As he rode down to Camelot:
And from his blazoned baldric slung
A mighty silver bugle hung,
And as he rode his armour rung,
Beside remote Shalott.

All in the blue unclouded weather
Thick-jewelled shone the saddle-leather,
The helmet and the helmet-feather
Burned like one burning flame together,
As he rode down to Camelot.
As often through the purple night,
Below the starry clusters bright,
Some bearded meteor, trailing light,
Moves over still Shalott.

His broad clear brow in sunlight glowed;
On burnished hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flowed
His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode down to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river
He flashed into the crystal mirror,
"Tirra lirra," by the river
Sang Sir Lancelot.

She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces through the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She looked down to Camelot.
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror cracked from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me," cried
The Lady of Shalott.

Part IV

In the stormy east-wind straining,
The pale yellow woods were waning,
The broad stream in his banks complaining,
Heavily the low sky raining
Over towered Camelot;
Down she came and found a boat
Beneath a willow left afloat,
And round about the prow she wrote
The Lady of Shalott.

And down the river's dim expanse,
Like some bold seer in a trance
Seeing all his own mischance,
With a glassy countenance
Did she look to Camelot.
And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away,
The Lady of Shalott.

Lying, robed in snowy white
That loosely flew to left and right -
The leaves upon her falling light -
Through the noises of the night
She floated down to Camelot:
And as the boat-head wound along
The willowy hills and fields among,
They heard her singing her last song,
The Lady of Shalott.

Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her eyes were darkened wholly,
Turned to towered Camelot.
For ere she reached upon the tide
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott.

Under tower and balcony,
By garden-wall and gallery,
A gleaming shape she floated by,
Dead-pale between the houses high,
Silent into Camelot.
Out upon the wharfs they came,
Knight and burgher, lord and dame,
And round the prow they read her name,
The Lady of Shalott.

Who is this? and what is here?
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer;
And they crossed themselves for fear,
All the knights at Camelot:
But Lancelot mused a little space;
He said, "She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott."

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Thank you everyone!!!!

Fae Blessings!

~Lady Faraday 

Well, being here certainly gets the blood pumping and the ideas flowing.

I have the urge to go sew today...and I am not that good at it to begin with, and the last time I attempted to sew, I realized that I needed to get A LOT of practice in if I was going to be any good at it, and didn't even look at a needle and thread until yesterday when my mother's sewing machine was sitting on the table...as a Witch, I should take that as a sign...hehehe

I am also in the mood to go back to my original hobbies and such.  I miss my herbs and oils...I miss making my own soaps, and I want to get back into it.

A friend gave me the idea to learn how to make jewelry...it shouldn't be hard, my mother has all the tools I would need to do so, and the beads and notions...I am sure that I can get the creative juices flowing. 

I have also been up to my eyeballs in research.  If anyone has ANYTHING that they think could be useful in my research of the Renaissance or any books that they love to read over and over again, your recommendations would certainly help...from clothing, to basic toiletries...I want to know...

Thank you!!

Fae Blessings

Lady Faraday

It looks like I am going to spend some time in the Realm checking things out...I will feel like quite the newbie as I flit from place to place searching out some great and gallant adventures in yon Renspace...

I am so very thankful to all of those who have been so kind as to become my new Court friends and am very honoured by your presense in my little world.

This is such a lovely place, and as I learn and grow, I believe that the stories I am to tell shall be all the richer just because I meet wonderful people here...

Thank you to all for making me feel welcome and at home....

~Lady Faraday

It's safe to say, in this first blog that I am very new to Renspace, and I am looking forward to meeting people here.

I am a childe of Covenspace, so that would make this one a witch, a poetess, and a bard of sorts...I do love to tell stories...there, my name is being changed, so you would know me there as Raven1746...I am changing my name to Faraday, and using it on a regular basis.

I can also be found on blogspot under http://faradayssanctuary.blogspot.com/ which is aptly named Faraday's Sanctuary...there are going to be two other blogs coming on that site that will center on different things....I am also there under http://dreamsofthebluerose.blogspot.com/  which is my poetry page called Dreams of The Blue Rose, and I can be found in several other places...you just need to take a close look, or ask, and I will tell you.

My one true dream is to write a great novel, and since my heart has always flown over the Mists of Avalon, through Faire Camelot, and through those days of knights and ladies....I feel like this would be a great place to play and romp...to learn and to find great friends.

I have not been to many faires, except to go to the Ren Festival in Ohio, such a fun time, but only runs in late September, early October, and I have not had the opportunity to try my hand at decking myself out in such finery for the occassions, but I would love to go, to do and be a part of that aspect...maybe I should find out how to become a part of the entire faire by working it...sounds like a fun and hard time.

I do have a general center for my Renaissance love-and that is Scotland...where I am rich in the knowledge of history and lore....Gael and Celt, but I have a love for Druidry too...I am a witch, after all....lol

So, merry you meet, and merry ye part, I look forward to friendships in yon glen, dale and shire....

Lady Faraday