Linger a while, rather than racing towards the light of the sun, using your star-light to help you search for the wisdom to be found in the darkness.

The star, in one form or another, is a very common symbol and most children are familiar with it very early on, through books, songs, and otherworldly paraphernalia: like faerie wands, wizard costumes, wishing stars etc. and later on, gazing at the night sky.

The star is the LIGHT that wondrously lights up the dark night sky, like the guiding lights in the night of the unconscious. The image of the star symbolises a sense of HOPE- (shining through the darkness).

The celestial nature of the luminous star also denotes the Heavens and they become symbols of Spirit and Otherworldliness.

There are many different types of representations and meanings attached to the star symbol. Some of which I will explore in following posts:

• The six pointed star:- Seal of Solomon and Star of David
• The ancient Egyptian five pointed star
• The five pointed pentagram
• The Blazing star of the Masons

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark,—
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Jane Taylor,

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,

1806

As well as t-shirts there are lots of other items you can buy through Cafe Press. I just love the simplicity of the concept of having someone else provide the products and service to the customer whilst I concentrate on my art work and design. What I also love is that anyone can use this type of service to create their own products, for themselves or for gifts for friends.

I realise that many people out there have been aware of this concept for a long time. I am a bit slow, but I am ready to embrace the process heartily because one of the major stumbling blocks for me as an artist and craftsperson has been the amount of money I’ve needed to outlay in order to make a living, especially as a jeweller.

With regards to my jewellery, I also discovered Ponoko . The concept is basically the same, you set up a shop and upload your designs but instead of having them printed on t-shirts your designs are laser cut into timber of acrylic. People can order your product and buy directly from the Ponoko site as well.

I read an article on Ponoko’s Blog – (small excerpt below) about ‘Generation C’ (which means Content created digitally) that really inspired me to get moving down this path.

I think the Make-It-Yourself movement is very much linked with other shifts towards sustainable design and consumption, a return to crafts and appreciation for uniqueness and individualization, and filling the needs of many long-tail consumers. I think this trend will most definitely prevail beyond 2008 and become a major part of the status quo.

I will work on setting up shop on Ponoko next once my shop at Cafe Press is up and running smoothly. I’ll keep you all posted with both.

My first Cafe Press design is actually one I illustrated a number of years ago for a t-shirt for my friend’s child. The illustration was influenced by a photo I took when I was in Egypt in ’82. The character carved into the huge stone block lying on the ground before me was incredibly striking and very different to anything I had seen before.

He was the God Bes and was regarded by the Egyptians as protector of families, especially women and children. I’ve always loved his playful, if somewhat menacing figure. I like the idea of him protecting me and my family from any lurking evil spirits out there, and as I say in the blurb next to the t-shirts for sale- If your kids wear this symbol they’re sure to frighten off any bullies in the sandpit or playground!

If anyone has a symbol design or product request please let me know and I will do my best to oblige.

I was pondering my role as a mother and my close bond with my son and I realised that this first experience of letting go is just the beginning of a lifetime of little ‘letting go’s’. I thought I could use some help so I went in search of a symbol or ceremony to remind me of the importance of being able to ‘let go’.

I found a Thai Buddhist ceremony which occurs once a year on the full moon of the twelfth month of their lunar calender. Amazingly the Loy Krathong (Loy meaning to “float” and Kratong is the Thai word for a sort of raft or boat) was celebrated in Thailand last night.

The people make the little Lotus shaped rafts made of banana leaves, decorate them with flowers, incense and candles, and release them to float away on a river’s surface. The ceremony serves as a way of ‘letting go’ of negative aspects of oneself or negativities in life and inviting good luck.

I am adapting this idea for my own purpose by releasing a boat as a symbol not of releasing negativity but as a symbol of my acknowledgement of my son’s independent path.

Loy Krathong Away http://www.flickr.com/photos/enda/290935555/

He’s more independent now. His communication skills are improving so quickly it’s hard to keep up . Kids are surrounded by symbols, shapes and pictures of all descriptions from the moment they are born. As they grow they start to learn the words and names for these objects and now I think it’s time to take my son’s understanding of these symbols to the next level.

Because of my keen interest in the magical qualities of life, I enjoy encouraging and nurturing his imagination. I’m making him a series of simple books that will take a symbol, for instance the moon, and give him some simple facts about it as well as weave in some the magical symbolic qualities of the moon.

Below are my first draft ideas for the content of the first book, though I am no expert on childhood education. Any suggestions on wording would be most welcome.

• This is the moon.
• We usually see it at night in the sky.
• Sometimes we also see it in sky in the day time.
• It looks like a big circle. But it’s actually a giant ball.
• Sometimes it’s shaped like a banana. Like it’s hiding behind a curtain.
• Some people say it’s made of cheese. It’s actually made of rocks and dirt.
• Sometimes it s small like a baby ball.
• Sometimes its big like a Papa ball.
• Sometimes it’s high in the middle of the sky.
• Sometimes it’s low, resting on the sea or the buildings.
• Some people say there’s a man in the moon.
• Some people say the moon is a woman.
• Whatever people say the moon is a very good friend to all of us.

So the reason for the heart is simply because I came across a tattoo of a heart within a heart whilst looking for a symbol to help my friend who is going through a difficult time coping with a six month old babe with sleep issues.

I wanted to be able to give my friend a symbol that would help her feel supported and loved by her family and friends, and for that love to flow around and through her to her daughter as well.

I liked this symbol because of the way it connects the mother’s heart to that of the the child. If a mum is feeling anxious or depressed about their role, taking time out to focus on the love that is present underneath all the responsibility and ‘doing’ that is required, can be a positive step.