I asked a bunch, or should that perhaps be a 'bibliography' of authors...whatever the collective noun for a group of authors is...a few quick snapshot questions.
This week is...MARIA DEBLASSIE...
Website: www.mariadeblassie.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EnchantmentLL
1. What or who inspires you the most and why?
I love everyday life, corny as it sounds. The magic of a Monday, the quiet bliss of an afternoon cup of tea, the illicit joy of reading late into the night…these are the simple pleasures that make life wonderful. It’s easy to overlook them, get swept up in our to-do lists, but when we pause and take in the beauty around us, we remember to be more than that to-do list. We glean wisdom in the whispering trees and the synchronous happenings that punctuate our day. We remember to dream. And that kind of ordinary joy is pure magic.
2. Do you have any set daily spiritual practices?
I treat every part of my day as a spiritual practice. I call my routines rituals, as they help me conjure the type of life I want to live. I love thinking of something as mundane as doing laundry as a form of radical self-care. Waking up to the finches singing outside my window is a lovely way to experience the joy of a new day. All these little things work together to keep me connected to myself, my inner world, and the universe.
3. What is your favourite subject to write about and why?
I love writing about the wonder of daily life, especially about the things we don’t think of as magical. You know the ones—when the car battery dies or when its time to clean the house. There’s a subtle magic at work when we tune into the synchronicities and signs of life. The dead battery makes us slow down. Cleaning the house is literally cleansing stagnant or negative energies from our sanctuary. The ladybugs crawling along tree branches serve as a gentle reminder than that there is joy in the little things.
4. Do you have a sacred or spiritual place/area (anywhere in the world) that you feel connected to?
Does my kitchen count? Seriously! If I’m agitated or in need of soothing, I turn to my home apothecary of herbs and spices in my pantry. I put on hot water for tea. I rummage through the fridge and sift through cookbooks to get dinner inspiration. I have a good putter around my pots and pans and, when there’s a soup on the stove or a hot mug of tea in my hands, I’m at peace again.
5. Where do you work your magic/practice your faith? Do you have a special room or area set aside?
I like to invite the magical and the mystical into all aspects of my life. So while I don’t have a set space for spiritual practice (other than maybe my yoga mat), I make my home my sanctuary and fill it with things that make me happy and give me comfort. I fill my kitchen with lovely produce and spices to whip up magical recipes and fill my small patio with all sorts of herbs for cooking and reviving the senses. It’s all about tuning into daily life with intention and joy.
6. What book/talk/article of yours are you most proud of and why?
Everyday Enchantments, hands down. It’s my first book and represents many years of writing, healing, and relearning myself. It’s my everyday magic manifesto. And then it won a bunch of awards! I remember when I learned it won its first award, the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in the New Age Category for 2018. I reread the announcement about a thousand times, and then I sat down and cried for about twenty minutes before calling my family and celebrating.
Maria's book:
Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings (Moon Books 2018):
