Tina Capricorn 2024 Projects

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2024 Projects for Tina Capricorn

Curious what Tina, the Shadowglass Universe and the Forgotten Queen series are up to?

BY TINA CAPRICORN

“The uncanny discovery that the seeker is the mystery which the seeker seeks to know.”

-Joseph Campbell

Writing These Days

Hello! I don’t often do blog posts specifically about what I am up to (I usually save these types of updates for the newsletter) but as the seasons shift I am ready to announce projects that I feel confident I will pursue in 2024 and into the next year if necessary. Let’s dive in!

Lightbreaker

If you’ve been patiently waiting to find out what happens to Renata and Vincent on the Lupus Obsidian, the next installment plus other projects are on the horizon!

The Forgotten Queen Series is expanding this year! LIGHTBREAKER, the next installment of the Forgotten Queen Series is currently with beta readers and is expected to be released later in 2024!

Shadowglass Sequel

Future projects in 2024 include outlining and drafting the sequel to Shadowglass Time-Magic, Blood-Magic! A dark fantasy with some romance, this book will tell the deeper story behind a legendary historical event of the Shadowglass Universe. Tina is currently deciding what historical event from Vlad, Lachlan, Gaspar, Elohaim, Eva or Athena’s life to depict. She is leaning towards the Harrowing and Vlad’s introduction to Elaria! (IYKYK)

Other Projects

Outside of the Shadowglass Universe, Tina is also outlining and drafting a fantasy adventure romance trilogy. So far all she can reveal is that it takes place in Scotland, will feature magic, the fae, werewolves, and a witch who has no magic in a magical world!

Stay in the Time Loop! Sign up for the Cosmic Newsletter for the latest news on Tina Capricorn’s books & release schedule.

7 Budget Friendly Spring Gardening Tips

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Budget Friendly Spring Gardening Tips

Are you getting inspired by the longer days? Now is the time to start planning your spring garden!

BY TINA CAPRICORN

Here are 7 Budget Friendly Spring Gardening Tips to help make this season the most abundant one yet!

Grow from seed!

Want to save money on early gardening expenses? Grow from seed instead of buying starts. One packet of seeds might have hundreds of seeds!

Save seeds!

Saving seeds from the vegetables and other plants you grow is the ultimate money-saving technique! You will literally get next year’s plants for ‘free’. 

Plant native species!

Plant species native to your area. Native plants are evolved over the centuries to grow in your local climate and soil. This makes them more disease and pest resistant, as well as benefiting the local ecosystem and local pollinators, as well as decreasing fertilization and watering costs.

Buy from local garden centers!

Shipping plants can get expensive. Utilize a local garden center for supplies and seeds instead of ordering online.

Collect rainwater!

Did you know that rain water is actually better for your plants? Not only will utilizing rain water be better for your garden, it will also be better for your water bill! (And the environment too.)

Plant perrenials!

Perennials are the plants that come back year after year! This fact alone makes perrenials a great investment for your budget friendly home garden.

Make your own compost!

Did you know you can make your own nutrient rich soil without spending money on store-bought bags of compost? Making your own compost reduces waste and utilizes natural resources from your yard like grass clippings, leaves, even table scraps! Saving this organic matter from the landfill also reduces your garden’s carbon footprint.

The Pagan Roots of Valentine’s Day

The Pagan Roots of Valentine’s Day

Imbolc, Lupercalia & Saint Valentine

BY TINA CAPRICORN

Love it or hate it, the commercialized Valentine’s Day on February 14th has origins deeper than candy hearts. Long before the Catholic church was ever established, Feb 1-Feb 15th had significance to the ancient Celts and the ancient Romans.

Imbolc

Typically celebrated February 1st-February 2nd this Celtic pagan sabbat marks the midway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. For the ancient Celts Imbolc denoted the first stirrings of spring, pregnant ewes coming into their milk, and a return of the longer days. Imbolc is also strongly associated with the goddess Brigit—later Sainted by the Catholic church. Brigit or Brigid, is the goddess of fire and flame, the hearth, fertility, childbirth, poetry. At Imbolc Brigit travels the world with her cow. She visits homes with an offering of oats and milk, as well as a “Brids bed” or miniature bed in a freshly cleaned hearth. 

Lupercalia

On February 13th-15th, whenever the last full moon of the Roman year occured ancient Romans celebrated Lupercalia. This festival of purification and fertility celebrated the gods Faunus and Juno. Lupercan priests would gather at the cave at the bottom of the Palatine Hill and perform animal sacrifices, honoring the gods. The bloodied knife was dipped in milk at the end of the ceremony. Some historians theorize this could be the early origins of the association of red, white and pink with Valentine’s Day. The festival was also known for its feasting and fertility rights that included strips of hide from sacrificed animals whipping willing bystanders who hoped for its blessings.

Valentine’s Day

In the 5th century AD Pope Gelasius I banned Lupercalia. In 496 AD the Catholic Church declared February 14th a ritual feasting day for the martyred Saint Valentine. Ironically, it is purported that Saint Valentine was martyred by Emperor Callous II during the festival of Lupercalia. Despite the day being named after this unfortunate saint, modern day Valentine’s is not known as a warning of the excesses of pagan celebrations of love and love making. Instead, modern Valentine’s Day has become similar to the original pagan intent of this holiday—a celebration of love, fertility and the return of spring.

Indies Supporting Indies Jennifer Hartman

Indies Supporting Indies Featuring

Jennifer Hartman

CREATOR OF PAGANKIDS.ORG

AUTHOR OF “OLD MOTHER FROST” AND “WHO IS THAT IN THE SKY?”

Indie author Jennifer Hartman started writing children’s books when she could not find any family-friendly resources that reflected the lore and stories she was told as a child. She has endeavored to provide both education and entertainment through her books and her brand, Pagan Kids.

Pagan Kids is a family-friendly, online resource to introduce children to Norse history, lifestyle, folklore and mythology.

Hartman is Canadian by birth with Swedish heritage and had a childhood filled with the lore and stories from her mother’s country.

Enter Pagan Kids,  the brand. 

I myself utilized some of the wonderful printables and crossword puzzles available on the website. There are also coloring pages, so something for everyone in the family!

I caught up with Hartman a few months back and asked her a few questions about her first book, “Old Mother Frost” and her upcoming release “Who is That in the Sky?”

What projects you are currently working on?

I’m currently working on two books: “Who is That in the Sky?” and “Midsommar Sól”.

“Who’s That in the Sky?” is a book for toddlers based on the Norse gods who bring the different phases of the day to our skies. It should be released late this summer or early autumn. 

“Midsommar Sól” is the second book of my celebration series for kids ages 4-12 (The first is “Old Mother Frost” published in October 2020). 

“Midsommar Sól” tells a tale of a Norse goddess who comes to the ground on the longest day of the year to dance and play. It’s based on the sun goddess and the Midsummer Festival that’s popular throughout Scandinavia. It will be released in spring 2022.

At the end of each book in the celebration series, I include a fun fact page that clarifies historical points, and other cultural lessons I sneak into the pages. 

 

How do you research for your books?

The celebration series starts with researching the origins of big Swedish celebrations (like Yule and Midsummer), and then I look for folklore that stem from pre-Christian times. 

Usually I find a few characters with ties to one similar character. (Old Mother Frost had several connections including Santa Claus, Santa Lucia, Lady Diana and others). 

From here I begin reading studies on Academia that include the people of my search and the holidays. I also ask specific Facebook groups for educational reads on the subject. For example, Heathen Women United is an excellent foundation for educational resources, and they’re very active on Facebook. 

Once I find the studies that align to my purpose, I summarize every paragraph, rearrange timelines so they’re in order, and create my own mini-study that breaks down the who, what, where, when, whys and hows. This makes revising all the information simple, easy-to-understand and remember. 

Finally, I begin weaving the bones of this information into stories for kids; and then I have it fact-checked my university professors in my family.

The toddler books are a lot easier. I find inspiration for them when casually reading my textbooks. ‘Who’s That in the Sky?’ was inspired by the prose poems in The Poetic Edda. From there I double-check descriptors online that cite medeivel documents. 

 

What are other things you like to do besides write?

 

When I’m not writing my books, reading educational material and blogging about the information I’m finding, I typically enjoy gardening, going for regular hikes with my family, and most recently daily yoga! [I love to] watch sitcoms to try and get some comical relief into my over-worked brain.

To find out more about Jennifer Hartman visit her website pagankids.org and check out our interview on my IGTV series Authors After Dark.

 

 

Indies Supporting Indies: Jenn Berlin

Indies Supporting Indies

Featuring Jenn Berlin

“Beware the Ides of March”

We all remember where we were this time last year. Maybe for you too, this week is the one year anniversary of everything changing. 

Jenn and I both spent 2020 growing and expanding beyond our cosmetology careers, into passions and projects that were side hustles or hobbies in the past, that over lockdown were given time to thrive. 

When it was time to return to work, Jenn, like me, integrated her passions back into her work and recently opened her own voiceover and salon studio–Berlin Studios in downtown Asheville. I recently caught up with Jenn to get the scoop on all of the projects and creative things she is doing besides being a talented cosmetologist, loving mother, and all around badass human.

Even though I worked next to you for years, I never knew about your background in singing! Can you tell me a little about your history with music?

Jenn: I have trained with a vocal coach for 25 years. I have sung with the Fairfax Choral society in Washington, D.C. as well as the Asheville Symphony Chorus. My vocal training has given me the tools and framework for flexibility in my voice. I am a natural Soprano 1, however, my training has allowed me to properly explore all facets of my voice. I have a wide vocal range spanning almost 5 octaves. I can access my whistle register which is most famously executed by Mariah Carey. 

Damn! That’s amazing! Is that what led you to open your voiceover studio?

Yes! I have always loved using my voice as a form of expression. Over quarantine, I was given the opportunity to dabble in voice over work for an online continuing education company and loved it! I decided to open my own studio and branch off on my own. My dream is to do audible books and cartoon character work. However, I am open to any and all voice over opportunities. 

What’s your favorite aspect of voiceover and singing?

I love using my voice to create art. For my entire life, singing has been therapy for me. The vibrations of my voice soothe me and I feel at peace when I am singing. I have been told by numerous people that my voice is soothing and I want to bring that feeling to others through my VO work in narration, character work, and music.

So, it’s a year later, what are you currently passionate about? 

I am continuing to explore the realms of my voice and find fun and new creative projects to work on. I am planning to attend voice over workshops with Atlanta Voice Over Studio as well as beginning to write original music and publish it. 

You are a model as well, I have seen some pretty amazing photos on IG recently from some local photographers you have modeled for. I think I may have heard you mention modeling in passing when we worked together!

I know, right?! And I have been modeling for almost 20 years now! I have never pursued modeling seriously until recently and I am loving it! It is a form of acting for me, and I have a theater background as well so it’s great. I love the whole process: costumes, make up, hair, portraying a character or theme, etc. Due to my background in acting I have a diverse modeling portfolio as I can portray and access any look the photographer wants/needs. 

I’m so curious, what’s your next or current project?

I have just been contacted to narrate my first novel. The details are still being worked out however I am very excited to explore this kind of voice over work. I also worked with a nationally renowned photographer Douglas Cooper recently and am very excited to share the amazing art we created through modeling and photography. 

 

Want to know more about Jenn Berlin (she’s fabulous!) or hire her for voiceover needs or to model for a book cover? She can do that!

Jenn Berlin Contact info:

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Yelp

TikTok

Writing blog


 

Writing Healthy

Writing Healthy

Featuring Jill Phoenix

Winter Blahs and Practicing Mindfullness

I do not normally feel like I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (appropriately called SAD) or even depression in general. I like to refer to myself as a white knuckle optimist, and that even if things are going  to shite, “Well, we’d never get such a spectacular view from home.”

Mindfulness is cultivating an awareness of the present moment. It can be as simple as stopping and focusing on the task at hand, or on the natural world around you, or on your own breathing. Redirecting your focus to the now helps dispel anxiety about the future. It can also help you stay safe. When I may feel anxious, fearful, and desperate for all of this to be over,  I remember to drop into the moment and practice Mindfulness.
-Jill Phoenix, Wellness Coach

 

Enter 2020: Destroyer of Worlds

This year, like last year, is special. If you’re living in a place where the pandemic has hit hard, this has been a difficult winter, a dark winter. Even though I normally cherish this time of stillness and rest, lately I have felt melancholy, lethargic and very much like I am in a weird version of Ground Hog day. Even my youngest bonus son, M of MALT house, said the other day, “I’m ready for winter and the pandemic to be over.”

Try making a mindfulness exercise out of washing your hands or listening to the sound your breath makes when wearing a mask. 
-Jill Phoenix, Wellness Coach

And as much as my heart aches for the missing year M and L of MALT house, I am grateful for all of the extra time I got with them in 2020 (Side note, I recently learned the term ‘bonus’ instead of step so hence my bonus-sons M and L…) They are in their late teens, a time usually abundant with friends and socializing. Technology has helped but there is nothing quite like hanging out IRL and not online. I can see even this ‘blah’ as well as the looming sadness that is this pandemic and it’s indelible mark infiltrating their resilient and normally cheerful dispositions. And my bonus kids are resilient. They have had to be, but this last year has been tough. A big life changer.

Banish the Blahs with Gratitude and Prioritize Your Health Like It’s Your Job

 
It is easy to say you don’t have enough time, but if you make yourself a priority on your to do list, then you will find a way to eat healthier and move your body. Prioritizing time to exercise or meditate by putting it on your schedule and protecting that time as if it were your job, is going to make a huge difference to your mental health.
-Jill Phoenix Wellness Coach

Exercise is an obvious one. But did you know something as simple as schedule can keep the blahs at bay?

  • Set a routine. Feeling like one day melts into the next? A daily schedule can help. I started this in January and I write the weekly schedule on the fridge every Sunday, with everyone’s school, work, and work from home schedule and household goals.
  • Set small daily goals and build on them as you accomplish them. Every goal you meet contributes to a feeling of accomplishment and positivity. I do this almost everyday!
  • Exercise and body movement boosts serotonin. A walk in the sunshine, or forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku as it is called in Japan, can have mood boosting affects as well. Lately it has been too cold for walks, so I have been doing yoga in my room in the morning! This week is looking sunnier, and I am planning some hikes with friends!
  • Get enough rest. If you are having difficulty sleeping, it may already be affecting your mood. What can you do? Start by making some changes, and commit to a sleep routine. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, remove distractions like TV or computer from the bedroom. I have definitely adopted a sleep routine, and Peaches and Bella, my cat and dog, have held me to my wake up time, since they love to be fed promptly at 7am.
  • Meditation to change negative thought patterns. Challenge your negative thought patterns! With depression, a lot of the work is mental and it’s important to change how you think. My favorite guru on positive mental thought patterns and positive self-speak is Louisa Hay.
  • Eat healthy! Eat your veggies! Nothing definitive but some studies suggest that foods with high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids (such as salmon and tuna) and folic acid (such as spinach and avocado) could help ease depression.
  • Do something new. Depression often comes from being “stuck in a rut” and that is definitely what it feels like right now! I am starting some new projects around the house that have nothing to do with writing or hair, to challenge my brain and get it thinking in another way. Already the thought of my new project is helping me banish the blahs!
To practice mindfullness this year I have started each day writing one word down that describes something that I am grateful for. This can be as simple as coffee, sunshine, safe water to drink, heat, even t.v. as it has kept a lot of us company this year. Mine has my dog Luna’s name over, and over!
-Jill Phoenix, Wellness Coach

Until next time writers, keep writing healthy and try these lifestyle tips to keep the end of winter blahs at bay…

 Did you know?

Jill can help you structure your day, achieve your goals, build healthy habits and find exercises that fit into your schedule to help you be a better you in 2021. To find out more visit her website.

www.jillphoenixwellness.com