April Fools!

March 31, 2021.Reading time 14 minutes.

“Here cometh April again, and as far as I can see the world hath more fools in it than ever.” – Charles Lamb. Today, our usual interaction with the concept of a fool is centered on what my daughter calls the “worst day of the year” – April 1st, when you should be even more […]

I Love to Laugh…

March 31, 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

If you’ve been on Facebook for a while, you’ve seen those trends where some meme makes the rounds of all your friends and your feed is full of the same silly content for days. Here lately, it’s been: What kind of old woman will you be? And the women pictured are nothing less than awesome, […]

Valentine’s Gift Guide: For Him. For Her. For Them. For You.

February 3, 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

For the upcoming holiday, we looked all over the country for unique gifts made by companies with a heart. If you’re looking to support a small business whose values are part of their mission, may we suggest any of these, as well as the catalog site of Renaissance Festival artisans you’ll find at the bottom […]

The Revolutionary Roots of Self Care

February 3, 2021.Reading time 8 minutes.

Bubble Baths. Mindfulness and Meditation. Korean Sheet Masks. CBD oils. Red Wine. Yoga. Staycations. Skincare. Gratitude Lists. These are a few of our favorite things! These are also just a few items and practices that are most likely to spring to mind when you hear the phrase “SELF-CARE”. As this is being written, the hashtag […]

Epic Royal Breakups: The historic, the mythical, the Legendary

February 3, 2021.Reading time 30 minutes.

There is a thin line between love and hate, and if you’ve ever been involved in a passionate relationship that ended suddenly, messily, or smashed your heart into a million tiny pieces, then you get it. Heartbreak is one of life’s guaranteed rites of passage – virtually none of us make it through life without […]

Pamela colman smith: the pixie of the tarot

February 3, 2021.Reading time 19 minutes.

Many Renaissance festival goers have sat across a draped table with a reader and listened while this gifted individual shared insights from a tarot deck. Likely, the deck was illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith; her deck is probably the most recognizable of all the tarot. An artist whose style was influenced by the Art Nouveau […]

Tarot Painting Lesson

February 3, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

One of our favorite sights to see when we visit a Renaissance Festival are the evocative, beautiful paintings of the immensely talented artists who show and sell their work at faires; from fantasy-styled works to portraits inspired by Renaissance masters, we’ve seen abundant beautiful works or art. Have you ever wanted to paint a canvas […]

Beyond Cupid’s Arrow: Women in Archery

February 3, 2021.Reading time 19 minutes.

As I stood on the field of competition at Sherwood Forest Faire in 2016, I grasped my bow with a sweaty palm and shook from the nerves. I had shot a few times in front of an audience previously, but no one was watching me, I faded into the background as there were plenty of […]

Featured artist: Lily hufnagel of lilystrations

February 3, 2021.Reading time 16 minutes.

I recently had the sheer pleasure of chatting with Lily over Facetime, she’s a delightfully positive woman who radiates joy. A native of Pennsylvania who loves Barcelona, her playfulness was evident by the cat ears popping up behind her shoulders, courtesy of a cute pillow case. Who are you and what do you do? My […]

Loving a feminine Hero’s Journey: a REview of “The Ten Thousand Doors of January”

February 3, 2021.Reading time 5 minutes.

Even the safest circumstances can feel binding. In Alix E Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January, a young woman living as the ward of a 19th-century tycoon crafted in the mold of a Vanderbilt or a Rockefeller discovers that her seemingly safe abode is confining in ways she never could have imagined. Safe, luxurious […]