What Do You Mean, Steampunk Faeries?
by Starcat
This spring and summer, we’re playing drums with the Dark Follies, more often than ever before! Several of the events are steampunk festivals. What in the heck does that mean? Well, according to the Watch City Festival Gazette (published as part of the event we performed in last weekend in Waltham, MA), steampunk is “a literary and artistic movement that melds elements of Victorian-era history with modern technology and fantastical fiction.” They add that “in more recent years, steampunk has exploded in popularity as an artistic and lifestyle movement as well as a literary one.” Sounds pretty creative, huh?
BlackLion and I went to our first steampunk festival not entirely sure where we fit in. Our main challenge was costuming. BlackLion created a persona as an eccentric professor of the occult, with a cape and tie, plus a Musketeers-style hat with a feather – quite striking! I settled on a newsboy (girl!) cap and a vest with knickers. My persona is somewhat akin to “real” life – an aspiring writer who is also traveling with the troupe as a drummer. We did our best with the costumes, and more than once I gave thanks for our creative hippie household, as I pulled together most of my garb from things we already had on hand.
Then we arrived at the Watch City Festival – the amazing diversity and creativity of the costumes there dazzled our senses! Now we had lots of new ideas for adding to our steampunk wardrobe. And as we chatted with some of the vendors, we happened upon a phrase that lit us up: steampunk faeries!
Several of our close friends already call BlackLion and I “the faeries,” and we strongly resonate with fae energies. As I understand it, steampunk faeries are the mischievous vagabonds lurking at the edges of the steampunk world. They – we – are a bit more hopeful and mystical than the typical folk, and are the back-to-the-land types within this urban subculture. Think Ralph Waldo Emerson and William Blake crossed with the Theosophists and with a healthy dose of Charles de Lint’s Newford faeries (look it up). Perfect for us!
We saw some delightful wings to add to our wish list, bought a “chaotic good” button complete with the chaos symbol, and planned some fanciful vests we’ll ask Aunt Peg to sew for us. Watch out, steampunk world, here come the drumming, giggling steampunk faeries!
Starcat and BlackLion celebrated another wonderful year together as partners by traveling to Exeter, New Hampshire. Among some of our fun adventures was a trip to the grand opening of the Good Karma Café where our chef friend Christina works. She creates the yummy vegan and raw desserts. The café offers all-organic plant-based foods, featuring juices, smoothies, healthy meals and desserts.
We were both doing our raw cleanse and decided on the great raw dishes available for lunch. We especially loved the taco salad with its yummy orange sauce. We were so hungry that we didn’t think to get a picture of the artistically-presented dishes! The chailicious raw smoothie was a hit with us as well. We caught a glimpse of some of the vegan foods too, which looked yummy. The place was bustling and we enjoyed our time visiting and meeting the owners.
Oh, and let’s not forget the desserts! We shared a piece of raw chocolate tart and some of Christina’s famous Divine Decedent Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. They were amazing! The dessert case was well-stocked with a variety of vegan and gluten-free delights.
If you’re in the area, we highly recommend a stop at the Good Karma Café! Besides the terrific food, they will also be having community events and classes. They are not far off NH Route 101, or right next door to the Downeaster Amtrak station in Exeter. You can find out more at their website.
Lately we’ve been doing more recording in our home studio. We now have all the vocal tracks recorded for a brand-new guided meditation CD! BlackLion is working on editing the audio.
In the meantime, we also recorded this week’s episode of the PawedCats Podcast. In it, you’ll hear about how Percy cat was a huge help in making the CD. We have a totally unique subliminal component in our meditations, one we’re sure you’ll love! Listen in to find out what it is.
04/29/12: Episode 314: Gaining a Level (22:22) (20.4 MB)
In which we sip chai tea, ponder Merlin’s mysteries, pet the gremlins, make Percy a co-producer, and go “ding.”
To listen, click here or visit us on iTunes. And yes, we also have a RSS feed if you want to keep up with our antics each week. Thanks!
The most recent episode of our free audio podcast, the PawedCats Podcast, is up and ready for listening. Come on by and check it out!
04/22/12: Episode 313: Super Self-Love (25:03) (22.9 MB)
In which we join the revolution, nip the cats, share some lovely letters, take a pause, and learn to love ourselves more.
You’ll find it here on our website, or over on iTunes. Meow!
Our ventures into raw food eating have come out wonderfully!
We are excited about our adventures in food and hope you enjoy the ride too.
Here are some of the yummy foods we made today.
===
Portobello and Bean Sprout Salad
3 Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 c. bean sprouts
Marinade
1/4 c. Bragg’s Amino Acids
1/8 c. lime juice
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
a pinch cayenne pepper
1 c. water
Marinate the mushrooms in the amino acids, lime juice, water, and spices for about an hour in the fridge. Add bean sprouts and enjoy.
===
BroCaul Pate
1 c. raw cashews, soaked and rinsed
1 c. of broccoli
1 c. cauliflower
1/4 c. onion
1 clove garlic
sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1/2 c. marinade (see above)
Mix together in food processor until all the chunks go away. Enjoy with carrot sticks and bell pepper slices.
