magic

 "If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water." ~Loran Eisely
Long before I ever picked up a camera, water has been a huge source of inspiration. I remember as a young child, I loved playing in the sprinkler on a hot summer day. If I was lucky, the water would catch the sun's reflection and create a beautiful rainbow.

As a teenager, my parents sent me to camp during the summer. The camp I attended was located on a river, so we spent most of our days sailing. I remember waking up each day, running outside and feeling the breeze hit my face. We lived for those windy days...and the chance go to go on an adventure. But even on those calm days, there was nothing better than laying on the edge of our boats and watching the reflection change in the water. Those were the days.

I don't get to spend nearly as much time in/on the water as I did when I was young. The beach is a short two hour drive away and we are surrounded by lakes, but we just don't seem to go like we once did. So, I create the magic I once experienced as a child in my home. I turn on the faucet and let my camera become a portal into another world (okay, so that's a bit of a stretch, but you get the point). In so many cases, I find myself sitting there for what seems like hours soaking up every moment. And much like Kyla-UK's shot below, if I'm patient enough, I not only capture beautiful water droplets...I capture art.

Until next time,
Ashley of Ramblings and Photos

Macro droplets by Kyla-UK

l'eau est la vie

Water. For 9 months we live in it. We breathe it, inhaling, and exhaling. For 9 months it is our protection, our cushion. And then once we are born, while we have a different relationship with water, I do believe it remains a powerful, healing, essential part of our lives.

When I put my 3 year old in her bath, such a peace washes over her. She plays with her toys, she pretends she's a mermaid, she swims. When I need a good thinking spot, I jump in the shower. Something about that water through my hair, just puts me in a peaceful state of mind, and the ideas, like the water begin to flow. Even doing the dishes, I find clarity and peace. Water is a healer.

A bath, a dip in the ocean, a shower, a run through the sprinkler-these are healing moments. Moments of peace, moments of clarity in our busy lives. Water awakens our spirits, makes us feel alive. Water brings us joy. And I think it is not a coincidence. I feel like we are supposed to find comfort in water. It's where we grew, where our bodies, and our minds were developed.

I took this photo above of my daughter in her bath earlier this week. Completely happy in her tubby. I loved this photo that Leilani (Heavenly Flower) took enjoying a moment on vacation. Complete bliss.

~Audrey Amaro (MamaOwl Photography) of TodayJustBe

healing water by heavenly~flower
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Thank you Audrey for guest musing with us today. If you'd like to know more about Audrey, be sure to visit her at TodayJustBe. Also, if you are interested in a future guest muse role, please email us at mortalmuses9 [at] gmail [dot] com.

go with the flow...

There's a lesson in listening to water. Waves crash against the beach. Rapids on a river. The rain outside your front door. At the seaside, it stretches endlessly into a world of infinite potential. On the banks of a river, it swiftly flows along a quickly-paced ride. The drumming of raindrops, a dull staccato, drowns out all other noise. It's as if these sounds were designed to induce me into a meditative state, whispering a soothing message quietly in my ear. "Relax," it tells me, "Trust the current. Just let go."

Can you hear it too? You walk towards the edge of the ocean and close your eyes, the sounds of the surf fill your senses as the soft, repetitive ripples lap against your toes, your ankles, sometimes rolling up the back of your calves. You curl your toes into the sand, rooting yourself to the earth, fusing your energy to mother nature's becoming one in this powerful moment. Somewhere in all this, the tension that's been clinging to you releases from your body, relaxation setting in as your shoulders sink back into their true position. Opening your eyes, you look down, feel the power of the moment, and realize you've learned how to go with the flow.

But what if you don't live near the ocean or a river, and a rainy day in nowhere in sight? I like to sink my body into a steaming, hot tub, close my eyes, and listen to the water splash around me. That works just fine, and I think it just might work for 68beats too.

Holly ~ Soupatraveler

provocation by 68beats

seascape

Many years ago, I went to an exhibition of photography by Hiroshi Sugimoto at the Serpentine Gallery in London, a small but beautiful space of just a few rooms where his peaceful seascapes had been hung. He had taken them all over the world and at different times of the day, but there was a universality in the images. Each showed the sea and yet by showing them in this way, he was able to say so much more about the mystery of water and the nature of time. His point was that the sea looks just the same today as it did 5,000 years ago, or 50m years ago. The meeting of water and sky is a scene untouched by time.

So whenever I look at the sea and sky through my viewfinder, I realise I am seeing the same ancient horizon. On a recent cold morning, as I put the Rollei down on the beach to reach for my light meter, I glimpsed the shimmering sun on the water. I was struck dumb as the sun came out from behind a cloud, glowing over the sea which had been so dark just a few seconds before.

Kelly's seascape is also a timeless scene. Can't you just feel the sand between your toes and hear the crashing waves, just as people have for thousands of years?

kirstin of fleeting moments

ocean wash by kelly*green

my quiet place

It is only when we silence the blaring sounds of our daily existence 

that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, 

as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts.  

~ K.T. Jong

Living an urban life I find the constant noise, movement, and "get-up-and-go!" attitude sometimes makes it difficult to find the quiet place in my mind. But whether we live in a big city or a small country town I think we all sometimes find ourselves lost amid the pace of our own daily lives.

I've always found the water to be a soothing, relaxing place for me to stop, gather myself, and reboot. Luckily I live on an island so I am surrounded by water. It may not be an exotic or tropical island (there are no palm trees in sight) but when I am seeking the rush of solitude that only water can give me, I am surrounded by rivers on all sides and the lakes and reservoirs of Central Park to give me what I need.

I grew up on the east coast just outside of New York City so I spent much of my childhood and young adult life running to the beach for my respite. It looks like sdanddoublee also knows the calming powers of a good day at the beach. I can just feel it washing over me as I take in this lovely scene.

Where's your favorite place to relax?

~christy {urban muser}

quiet by sdanddoublee

and the next theme is....CHARM

I'm a fan of intangibles. I appreciate the ambiguity of a theme that allows us to be inspired in many different directions and conjures up many different possibilities in our choice of photographic subjects. For me, "charm" is just one of those things. It has the same basic definition and a definite connotation most could agree on, but it also is something that not everyone can really put their finger on in terms of who and what has that charm. Just what is it that makes someone or something charming? How might someone's photography charm you? And then there is the other way to look at it, as a noun. A special part of a bracelet or necklace or trinket that we hold dear.

So, muses, show us YOUR charm! Show us what you think is charming...what charms you? And now I have to stop saying "charm" because it doesn't sound like a word anymore!

Maybe it is an actual charm...

"it is later than you think" said the reaper by ~mimo~

charmed i'm sure by soupatraveler

Maybe it is someone you find charming...

...and now he is 6 by kirstinmckee

make new friends by ~staci lee~

Or a place that charmed you...

my head told my heart, "let love grow" by tumbleweed.in.eden

Whatever it is, we look forward to seeing your CHARM photos in our Flickr pool.

And remember to join us tomorrow when we start musing on Water -  as always, on the last day of the theme we'll be holding our usual linky party where you can add your own links and show us how you've interpreted Water.

happy snapping,
cara of cararosephotos

mosaic muse {words}

1. focus, 2. life is good, 3. Live, 4. how to brighten your day..., 5. Why yes! I am! {019/366}, 6. i will., 7. reflection, 8. At the Corner of Happy and Peace, 9. Shine., 10. 2012's fortune, 11. may peace prevail on earth!, 12. "...for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." - Philo of Alexandria, 13. P.S. I love you, 14. Untitled, 15. 35/366 it's up to you, 16. Hope is Beautiful 3

Looking through the Mortal Muses pool for words, I was inspired by all of the positive messages to be found!  I'm an optimist, so I believe when you are looking for the positive, you find it. I hope today's mosaic lifts you up with these encouraging messages from the universe. 

Have you found any new ones? Add them to the muse mosaic by sharing your "words" images in the link up below. 

Kat of Kat Eye Studio

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a love for words

I was a late reader. I struggled with words as a kid, and frustration set itself right beside my heart, for quite a while. When reading finally clicked within me, there was no stopping my passion for words. I read everything I could get my hands on. I wrote stories, poetry and even made up crossword puzzles, for friends to do. Words became my life. And with these words that came tumbling out of books, plus a little imagination, I would travel near and far. That statement alone, reminds me of a favorite childhood read, Gertrude Chandler Warner's, "The Boxcar Children".

Still today, I adore words. Snail mail, sends my heart soaring. The handwritten words, spilled across an envelope... it never gets old. I am the first one in front of the tv, when the Spelling Bee is about to begin- "Akellah and the Bee" is one of my favorite movies, and I rarely leave an antique store, without an old, tattered book in hand. My collection of books, really makes me smile. It is a true love affair that I have with words.

"All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind."

 Kahlil Gibran

I have never forgotten those days of being a little girl, struggling with reading. It's one of the reasons, why I am so proud to volunteer, at a adult literacy program. It brings me an amazing amount of joy, to assist adults in learning how to read.

When I saw the winter colors, and inspiring words that pthurmund1 captured in her photo below, it really spoke to me.  How lovely! Only six words, but such powerful and inviting words.

Warmly,
Christina {soul aperture}

beyond layers "6 words" by pthurmond 1

storytelling without words

Trying to tell a story when the words don't come is like pulling teeth, it's hard. As photographers we can bypass the keyboard pick up a camera and let the story unfold in the frame. We don't need to explain and sometimes the words just get in the way of the photo. If we just leave well enough alone the photo will talk for itself. Maybe the photo paints an entirely different story than the one that was intended, its completely up to the viewer and their experience.

Take time to look around at how your photos play the role of storyteller.

When I saw this photo in the Mortal Muse Flickr pool I immediately conjured up the history in my mind behind the rusting red Dodge.  I can't make out the license plate but I believe that's a peeling RedSox bumper sticker, I can almost smell the salt air. I'm wondering how many miles and how many stories has this truck seen. I want to see more.

Lindsey aka Modchik

Still runs by Dorian Susan