A Bracelet for Vila

Every now and then you stumble across something on the Net that grabs your attention and truly moves you. There are lots of sad stories out there.
Christine writes a blog called Stories They Tell. She makes beautiful beads. Her sister-in-law is sick. Really,truly sick. They are seperated by the tyranny of distance and Christine wants to do something to boost her loved ones spirits and let her know she is in her thoughts. How she has decided to approach this fascinated me. You can read about it here. I plan to send a wee charm across the Atlantic. How could I not?

In ancient Greece the owl was the symbol of Athene, Goddess of Wisdom - she also had a soft spot for Odysseus which in turn implied he was wise. I have always thought that was somewhat at odds with how long it took him to find his way home! Lots of cultures have viewed the owl as a protector against misfortune. Some have associated it with witchcraft. There is a Welsh superstition that suggests if an owl is hooting in the village, an unmarried girl has just lost her virginity! Nice cover story if the neighbours overhear the raucous cries of a couple in the throes of passion! I think they are funny-lookin'. When I was about 9 my Uncle made me creep stealthily through our orchard in order to show me a baby Tawny Frogmouth in its nest. It was the ugliest thing I had ever seen but even as a kid, I must have recognised its vulnerabilty while it waited for its Mama to return and have thought that owls are a bit special ever since.
I got some of the info re owls from Desmond Morris's lovely book "Body Guards, protective amulets and charms."