Lady of Avalon (Avalon, Book 3)
by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The second sequel to The Mists of Avalon,this edition includes three shorter stories. The first picks up right where The Forest House (The Mists of Avalon: Prequel)left off with the founding of Avalon. It follows the tales of Caillean, the first Lady of Avalon, and Joseph of Arimathea and is an exciting read.

The middle story takes place two hundred years later and is the weakest of the three. It follows the tales of the Lady of Avalon and veers off into basically a pirates and ships tale with the underlying “lady and warrior from the drowned island reincarnated” theme that runs through all of the Avalon books.

The final story, about another two hundred years later, introduces Vivianne as a young girl and her training to become the Lady of the Lake. This tale is full of magic and is true to the Avalon mythos. It’s enthralling and worth the price of the book by itself.

Overall the book is good, but could do without the middle story which doesn’t seem to fit well with the other two and the Avalon cycle in general.

The height of summer has just passed, and as the moon of June brought forth strong sun-fire energy, the Blessing Moon of July now ushers in potent moon-water energy. Much time has been spent over the past few months working tirelessly to cultivate the land. Just before harvest time arrives, we take some time to sit back and rest awhile before the labor of harvesting begins.

The watery influences of this moon lend perfectly to doing dream work and divination. Perhaps in your rest you might wish to take up reading the Tarot, casting I-Ching or keeping a dream journal. While we break from the physical, the down time is ideal for strengthening the spirit. Reconnect and reaffirm your spiritual connection to the land and work to deepen your understanding of the path you follow. Take time to just be.

This is also an excellent time of year for performing house blessings and incorporating feng shui into your life. A house blessing can be an elaborate ritual carried out from one room to the next by smudging with sage, sprinkling the four corners with salt water and the ringing of a bell to declare the space free and clear of negative influence. Or it can be as simple as standing in the center of hour home and visualizing and purifying wind blowing all negativity out of the doors and windows, or burning incense such as lavender to purify and bring peace and happiness into your home.

ACTIVITIES
· Sit in the garden with a glass of blackberry lemonade and quietly observe the hubbub of bird, bee and butterfly activity
· Keep a dream journal or learn a new divination system
· Perform a house blessing
· Feng shui your house and garden

FULL MOON INCENSE (burn on incense charcoal or cast into the fire)
1 scoop sandalwood powder – protection, healing, spirituality
1 large granule amber – renewal, alertness, cleansing, protection, purification
3 parts agrimony – psychic healing, protection
2 parts frankincense – protection, exorcism, spirituality, vision, mediation
2 parts leman balm – love, success, healing
2 drops vanilla – love, lust, mental powers