Play Time

When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.
~Jean Shinoda Bolen

In the Fifth House of the astrological Wheel, we are concerned with matters to do with what is created from our love – love for the world, love for each other, love for ourselves.

Naturally, then, it rules matters to do with children, fun, and creative self-expression.

Okay, time out.  Can I be honest for a minute?  I have been a bit blocked writing about this house because right now, play and child-like fun seem very far away.

My schedule has been packed with deadlines, new projects and classes I am teaching, and, well, as much as I truly love it, this is not play.

While it may seem the most ideal thing ever to get paid for doing what you love, the truth is, when you start doing what you love for pay, and full-time, it really is your work.  More fun than most other kinds of work, but work just the same.

And other than last week’s afternoon matinee of Hair that my husband and I went to, I have not had much time off.

So I was feeling a bit hypocritical writing to you about this, as if I am the paragon of virtue. I am not!  In fact, I flirt with workaholism more than I like to admit.

That’s why I pulled out my battered, trusty copy of Jen Louden’s classic, “The Woman’s Comfort Book,” looking for a remedy to work overload.

And of course, she has the perfect antidote.  So I will now give myself a break by sharing her words with you, rather than trying to think up my own. Because frankly, at the moment, I need to do this as much as I know you do. Let’s play together!

Becoming A Guru of Play

from The Woman’s Comfort Book:
A Self-Nurturing Guide for Restoring Balance in Your Life
by Jennifer Louden

What Is It?
When we were children, we knew how to genuinely have fun. We were intimately in touch with our senses.  We could spend hours playing make-believe with a box or exploring the backyard.

Reactivating those wonderful feelings of childlike enjoyment and reconnecting with the part of us that is still a child creates a deep soul comfort that is crucial for our happiness and well-being.

When To Do It:

• When you’ve been grinding your teeth at night.
• When you are restless and the last thing you want to do is watch TV.
• If you’ve been working every weekend.
• Whenever you need to comfort the part of you that is still a small child, aching for love, attention, and fun!

You’ll Need:
Various playthings. Soap bubbles and trees, shadows and dogs, whatever is handy and enticing.

What To Do:
Simple Games – Play with soap bubbles. Watch shadows dance on the wall. Play jacks. Finger paint and get real messy. Color in a coloring book.

… To be continued tomorrow …

So to start us off, I will share a recipe I have for outstanding bubble mix.

Bubble Wizardry

I met the Bubble Wizard when he was on tour following the Grateful Dead. His beautiful hand-made bubble wands were not only works of art, but they made incredible bubbles. Here is his recipe for bubble mix, in his own words:

4 parts water
1 part Dawn dish liquid
1/4 part glycerin or corn syrup.

[I prefer glycerin, because the corn syrup attracts bugs, including yellow-jackets, which then have a tendency to stick onto you, as the syrup is also very sticky. Not fun! – B.]

Pour the soap mix onto a plate. Dip wand — don’t make foam. Spin gracefully.

To make better bubbles:
Dress funny. Think good thoughts. Practice random acts of a kind and silly nature. Cut your job and get a hair. Don’t trust the government.