Lunicorn

It's only been a year...

2009-03-13T14:55:00.002Z

...since our last blog! Since then we've evolved in so many different ways.
Our cards and prints have been a phenomenal success both in direct sales and shops the length and breadth of the country.

We've been in primary schools via Culture & Sport and Glasgow City Council with our 'Magical Unicorn Workshops' and are set to revisit with our 'Chill Out Sessions'. Our children's parties continue to be popular and our monthly meditation class at Opal Moon is selling out on a regular basis now.

Build it, and they will come!
We feel like we've been building something these past four years with Lunicorn, and every day throws up new opportunities. Ever inspired by the good will and support from those around us, we feel we are going from strength to strength.
We're hosting more talks about unicorns, being invited as far in advance as 2010, and generally getting over our fear of public speaking (well, in truth only one Lunicorn had that particular barrier to break)

If you haven't already heard us bang on about it in our newsletters, Diana Cooper's book 'The Wonder of Unicorns' was published last October, and we feature on pages 23 & 24...Diana Cooper is going to be at Body & Soul in August in Glasgow hosting workshops, and one Lunicorn provided the artwork for the leaflet. Can you guess what it might be? Unicorns of course.

We're getting organised today for Body & Soul in Stirling tomorrow, which should be good, as there is a strong unicorn presence in Stirling.

Word has it that Royal Mail is to release a new series of Myth and Legend stamps in June, and the first one is, of course, a unicorn! Yay.

We have a competition running this month in kid's comic Pretty Pony Club for our Magical Unicorn Meditations for Children CD, so if you haven't got your copy yet, then this is your chance to win one.

We were heartened at the last Glasgow Body & Soul Fair, to see so many people approach us and ask for a cd, either they'd heard from someone about the beneficial effects for children, or they'd lost their last copy. And the number of folks who told us that they'd got the cd previously and how much their child loved using it.
And we were well chuffed by ten year old Esme's review of our cd in the latest issue of the Witchhiker's Guide. To quote our favourite line "Listening to the meditations is like beauty being printed in your mind"

On another note, one Lunicorn has found herself back in the realm of the music and media industries, but with a much different perspective, and is thoroughly enjoying it.

Meanwhile, Badger and his tales continue to develop, and meetings with TV and publishers have been encouraging, so not long now till you can see him immortalised on pages and screens.

So onwards and upwards and very good things ahead for 2009.

Love and unicorn sparkles
The Lunies

Tsk tsk, so long since our last blog

2008-03-29T21:19:00.002Z

Well, we've been busy, c'mon?

As well as launching our new website (thank you Jasper B!), we've been discovering our 'Magical Unicorn Meditations for Children' cd is listed online on the likes of HMV, Japan, Tesco.com and many more. Oh the joys of having a distributor!

Plus we've been doing our 'Unicorns, Fairies & Wizards' children's workshops galore.
Added to which we've been busy procuring an agent to take a look at our illustrated 'Badger the mystical mutt' childrens book.

In between all that, Lyn Lunicorn has been witch hiking, whilst Laura Lunicorn has been setting up her Channelled Art offerings and Meditation classes with our friends at Opal Moon.

Phew!

And we've got a new print and greeting card - 'Beacons of Light', so we've hardly been hibernating.

Oh, did we mention, we've got a new run of the cd, and this lot are sello-wrapped. Sad, that this should excite us as much as it does, but hey ho.

And Lyn Lunicorn has joined facebook, and feeling quite pleased she has been appointed an officer of the group 'unicorns are awesome'.

Oh, and we had a terrific article in 'Spirit & Destiny' magazine which resulted in a heap of orders for us.

Getting more and more e-mails about the effect the cd is having on kids, particularly those with autism etc., so that's got to be good.

Hokey dokey, enough for the noo, but will check back in very very soon.

Lots of love and unicorn speckled sparkles
The Lunicorns

Going round in circles in Dundee

2008-02-01T21:30:00.000Z

So here we are at the end of the week, having only just recovered from our first big fair of 2008 - Dundee Body & Soul.

Decided due to the high winds of last Friday, to avoid the 180ft high Friarton Bridge that bypasses Perth, and instead take the long way up and go via Perth City Centre. As this was an executive decision made en route, it meant that the route planner was therefore kaput, so we literally did end up going round in circles in Dundee trying to find the trusty travelodge. Especially when stopping to ask directions, everyone referred to 'the circle' somewhere in their advice. Circle? Yes, well this is what Dundonians refer to as roundabouts. Confused? Well, actually it probably makes more sense to call them that rather than 'roundabout' - seems a roundabout way to describe something that is clearly, almost always usually, indeed 'a circle'.

Travelodge all peaceful on Friday night, but then bumping into a shinty player in the lift on the Saturday, he forewarned off forthcoming revelries in the wee small hours. However, it was the lassies on the hen night in the room opposite that resulted in no sleep for the Lunies that night. Forty somethings dressed as schoolgirls deliberately presumably, they did not do the usual pre-going out drinks in the room, then in at 3am, so inebriated that they crashed out, but instead had an all night party actually IN their room. One Lunicorn usually has no problem sleeping through anything, including a tenement collapse last year in her street, however at 6am on Sunday morning, even she was in the corridor begging for mercy...

Big thank you to the manager of The Globe hostelry who every night lent us a big jug of ice for one Lunie's tipple, and then as we faithfully returned on Sunday, he told us we could take it home. As if one Lunie didn't have big enough jugs already...

Still we had an amazing time at the fair. Lots of magical messages and very good friends. Friends we've come to know and trust and well....love in these past few years. Our cd went down a storm, our new range of original unicorn greeting cards were tres popular, and we had a lovely time slipping back into our unicorn hooves.

One Lunicorn DID have a brush with the law on the Sunday though, and can only sing the praises of the gals in blue (well, more black really). Rather naughtily she had moved a couple of police cones when unloading at the back of the Caird Hall on the Saturday morning, not realising she was in fact, blocking access to the cop shop. Ooops. She held her hands up when asked to move aforementioned lunimobile on Sunday, lest she had been recorded on cctv...When she found the jimny jeep, that she had left from the day before, it was unlocked, everything intact, and a rocky robin biscuit had been left under her windscreen wiper. The police giving a little gift? No wethinks it was minxy witch hiker! All the same, we had asked our unicorns to protect the lunimobile on the drive up, and clearly the protection worked on.

Meanwhile back at Lunicorn HQ, there's been a bit of converting going on. Previous conservatory now official office, and we are now fully routed and booted so to speak.
Lots of creative ventures happening in this here space, so keep an eye out for future Lunicorn projects.

Thankathon for this blog includes Agenes Slash McCluskey, The Donalds, Dr Roy, Frankmary & Rose, Doreen & Michael, John Ballantine, Audrey (who also has a magical wink she revealed at the weekend), Ewan (who's very good with a pesky wireless router doodah wotsit), Nikki (as ever), Jasper (for reminding us about the important stuff), Mairead (for feeding us), Rachael (for letting us spend time with Holly), Martha, one Lunie's young friend in NZ for her fairy messages and er....everyone who knows us.

In the meantime, to nick a sign off recently sent to us, have a wonder-full weekend and speak virtually soon.
ttfn
The Lunies
x

Jings, crivens, help ma boab....

2008-01-23T00:33:00.000Z

It's all happening here at Lunicorn HQ!
Just when we're told it was the most depressing day of the year yesterday (Blue Monday), it would seem we are having a relatively 'undepressing' time of it.
Ripe with opportunity, we're all set to make our debut in Asda Maryhill and Bearsden next week, as part of National Storytelling Week, with our cd - Magical Unicorn Meditations for Children.
Grateful as we eternally are for the independent 'mind, body & spirit' shops that have taken a punt on us, we are keen to spread the 'magic' that is in the cd to a wider audience....
Added to which the national magazine that is 'Spirit & Destiny' is writing us up a wee feature on our cd in the March issue (out 7th Feb), so hurrah, huzzah, and ring them bells....
Speaking of which, why is it when we look out our back windaes, we can see three spires, all at some point or another, ringing their bells, yet at Hogmanay, at the turn of a new year, all is silent? Point to remember for any first footers standing in the cold with a rock of coal, a whisky miniature, and some food in their pockets....
Meanwhile Lunicorn has been multi-tasking with The Witch Hiker's Guide, and a very merry marriage has it been....new issue out very very soon.
So, here's a thing, what with this whole Sweeney Todd furore, it got my father to telling me how a distant relative was in fact killed by Jack the Ripper (cheery!). It seemed she had mistaken a hat stand and coat for the aforementioned and then died rather quickly from a heart attack. However, it does beg the question, how did anyone know that is what frightened her into an early grave? Note to self - must ask dad for more info....
So, we're itching to get back into the 'Body & Soul' Fairs, and pleased to say we have a double whammy at the weekend in Dundee's Caird Hall. Oooooooh, it'll be good to get back in the groove. Meanwhile, we're predicting a complete website overhaul, with all our new products, so keep tuned to the www.
One Lunicorn has taken on a wee task to publicise a grand master of all things hypno and resonating with initials like NLP, EFT, HGE, so watch this space for more info on that very very soon.
In the meantime, we wish you 'happy year of the rat' (Yes, we watched Ratatouille recently, and it was fab!) and brightest blessings for 2008
Lots of love
The Lunicorns

New moon on Wilton Street

2008-01-07T13:32:00.000Z

Happy New Year Lunicorners! On this the eve of a new moon, the week ahead is ripe with opportunity.
It's been a quiet time over the holidays here at Andromeda Heights (with one exception, New Year's Day at the Duchess's - thank you to the stranger who helped me get up, as I stumbled home, who turned out not to be a stranger after all, and recognised me from my previous life -ahem! Turns out I wasn't the only one from that gathering who had a few mishaps on exiting the Duchess's and hitting fresh air. Champagne quaffing should halt after one glass, and should come with a warning re use of legs thereafter).
Had an adventure in Edinburgh yesterday at the Joan Eardley exhibition with our friend PP. Travelling transpired to be more adventurous than expected, as a simple train journey from Queen Street to Waverley, translated into a train to Falkirk then bus to Waverley. The bus journey was relatively entertaining as one chap rather loudly revealed through a series of mobile telephone calls, his exploits of the night before. Then enroute homewards, we were similarly party to a one sided conversation with a girl and her boyfriend. Me? I am mortified if my phone rings in a public place, and whilst I do answer, I then explain where I am, and can I call back when surroundings are a bit more private.
Meanwhile back in the land of lunicorn, we hatched our million dollar idea last week, and plan to have it complete by the end of this week, so ta da, all will be revealed sooner than we think.
Short blog today, as we are busy, busy, busy, building and all sorts of things, but just wanted to greet the new year and the new moon and our Lunicorners with a flourish.
Ching ching, may all of our phones ring with good news this year.
The Lunicorns
x

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one - There will be answer let it be- There's something about Joe...

2007-12-12T01:02:00.000Z

Greetings fellow lunicorners,
Well, what a magical time of it?

A few weeks ago, we received a call from 'Joe' who had seen our card in an artstore recently, and wondered if we could draw some images for him. Interesting thing was it was the Lunicorn's card who wasn't the artist, not the one who was, and nowhere on the card did it say ANYTHING about being artistic. Yet, as luck would have it, one Lunicorn is very, very gifted in that field and was able to produce what he was looking for. Flashback - We met him, he gave brief reference to what he wanted, paid half up front, we offered a receipt, and he winked, kissed us both, and said he trusted us. Two weeks later, Lunicorn delivered, and tonight he collected. Again, a fleeting visit, but from the moment Joe walked into our house we knew there was magic in the air. He said he'd left some books in the lounge for us that we might be interested in, and that he didn't need them back. Once he'd gone, we unwrapped the books, like it was Christmas morning, and oh my goodness. They were completely up our street - Doreen Virtue's 'Angel Medicine', another 'Saved by the Light' and two more in a similar vein. Now, Joe is a stranger to us, yet how odd, we both feel like we've known him all our lives. Clearly, a spiritual man, yet how did events conspire that we should meet? And now we have books? It's all a bit amazing.....don't you think?

Now, he walked through our door at approximately twenty past five this evening. After he'd left, and we'd got over the excitement of the books, I checked the e-mails. At approximately twenty past five an e-mail had come in from the commissioning editor of a national magazine, who, having received a copy of our 'Magical Unicorn Meditations for Children' cd, was interested in our story and wanted to know more, in terms of writing it up for a feature....don't know what Joe is doing, but we like it. A LOT. It came at exactly the right time for us, and re-inforced even more our belief in what we're doing and why.

We were at Holmwood House's Christmas Cracker at the weekend, and then as the sleet started to fall, we found ourselves heading down the M8 for a Lunicorn Experience party in Ayrshire on Saturday evening. My, my, what a tuned in bunch of people we met when we arrived? Aside from the psychic man reading in the adjacent caravan who depressed everyone who had a reading with him, we managed to (we think) explain a LOT about the ethos of Lunicorn. The reception was amazing. Ranging from a ten year old to a lady in her pensioner years, we were blown away. The warmth that was in that room was electrifying. We were tired. We were mindful of the weather and the drive back to Glasgow, but goodness, the evening we enjoyed took us back to the days of community and caring.

Meanwhile, we've been chasing a national buyer at a particularly large international supermarket re our cd. He has just, ta da, we're pleased to say, given us the opportunity to trial our cd at a local store in the New Year. If it works in the local, he'll buy nationally - yay! That said, we already have twenty shops stocking us nationwide, which just goes to show, that despite being judged on other children's meditation cd sales, we're being given a shot, based on shop-owners actually listening to it. Thank you Findhorn, Opal Moon, Tir na nOg, Waterfront Gallery, Burnside Gallery, Akasha, Merlin's Grove, Spellbound, Doon Hill Books, Esoteric Earth, The Wyrd Shop, Studio 26, Bewitching Beauty, Jim Bews, Woodland Herbs, Shamanic, Beyond The Waterfall, Glory Hole, Middle Earth, The Rapha Centre, Sacred Moon and Doyle's Psychic Emporium in Kent.

And of course, the feedback we've had from Mairi at the local Montessori nursery has been phenomenal, who bought a copy recently, put it on, went in to her office, and returned to hear'and now your unicorn will be with you forever' and witness all 42 children and 6 members of staff out for the count on the floor...

And so, as we limber up to another 'talk' at the Psychic Centre in Paisley this coming Friday, we got ourselves to thinking, why would anyone want to listen to what we have to say?

And the thing is...

We have to believe, that in some small way, we are making a difference. By constantly spouting the merits of positive thinking and creative visualisation, we are helping (along with many, many others)promote the fact that we can assist the shift in energies. Light can overcome dark, and whether we choose to carry on in our materialistic worlds and ignore, or whether we choose to up the ante, is key.

And so we get close to Christmas. Scarily close. Of course, my mother had her Christmas shopping done back in August. Me? I'm waiting till our last fayres of the year, and then I'll start to get Christmassy. How did that happen? I used to be organised. Christmas cards written at the start of December. However, life, things get in the way, and people start to get awful judgemental about the giving and receiving of cards....

So after next weekend, we as Lunicorn shall take a trip to George Square and undoubtedly scream and shriek as we take our shot on the carousel, buy some tacky Christmassy gift at a stall and retire to a nearby pub for a Christmas dram.
So, with the holly and the ivy ringing in my ears, I bid you Noel,Noel, Noel, Noel, and speak to you all again in 2008
with much love and light
The Lunicorns

We feel it all around us....

2007-12-01T00:17:00.001Z

...we feel it in our toes. As a previous publicist of that 80s band (now enjoying a much welcomed comeback), I feel it's ok to purloin these lyrics, but truly, what is going on? Is it the November hibernate, or are energies shifting so much, that it is flooring us completely? Ok, so we probably should technically be gathering nuts and bedding down till Spring, but what with those pesky mortgages and whatnot, we feel we must keep going....

And so we did exactly that today, despite all natural rhythms, we set the alarm, and got up quick smart and reported for Lunicorn duties. And what a day it has been? People giving us information quite unhindered, like direct contacts for buyers at fairly major outlets, and more than that, just being 'nice' with it.

So domestically, we've been chuckling about our low flying toast from our jet propelled toaster. Somehow, a few months ago when Russell Hobbs gave up the ghost, Lyn Lunicorn decided to plump for an Avanti forty five degree angle malarkey which has now translated into awaiting the toast propulsion lest it land on the floor. Not good. Why fix it if it ain't broke? Toast shoudl pop up at ninety degrees. I'm a sucker, clearly, for marketing. Still the Warburtons survives...

A big thank you to Kendal Crystals and his ever obliging DIY skills, we now have the longest shower pull in the world, but it works, and it didn't involve a tradesman and a sharp intake of breath, and a "it's gonna cost you love" conversation. Kendal, god love ye, you're no bad.

Hey, we saw the Recovery Club play in Cottiers, Glasgow on Wednesday night (google them on My Space) and oh my goodness, how they held the room. Love the new song - Red Pen. Ok, we're biased.

Hello Merle, thank you as ever (of course, I know you of yore), hello Maggie (see you at woodlands?), Jen, well done on the abseiling - the things you do for charity, eh? Rach, we miss you, Andy ditto, but hey, who has a social life when you're building a business...? Agenes, well done! with the event and everything else - Laura Lucky Cats, I feel we have forged a new union, and will be honoured to be selling your soap soon...Lorna (can I out you as Shang a Lang?) in York, I love you and miss you and love the fact we can remember events from over twenty years ago (we'll always be true pals), Nikki (Fly Broomstick), have loved the Botanics and toilet adventures with Jasper and secret trips to the Salon, Amy, what can we say, truly genius, ditto Allan and Graham. (The Recovery Club, case you wondered, Ewan (Jasper b)with your very dry humour, we love it, but don't want to flatter, so will simply say 'no bad'. And Velsha for trusting...och, and Linda and Nikki at kallkwik, it's not JUST business, is it? We love you too. Ok, before I start to make everyone sick with my unalduratedthankathon...(sorry, got carried away there)Oops just remembered wonderful letter receieved recently from Stella in Strathblane re her 6th year Lunicorn party - it's ON OUR FRIDGE! Thank you Stella!

Finally (nearly), as we headed out to Helensburgh on Weds for a fair that we then decided not to do, we passed the 'Dumbarton Joint Hospital' and apologies to any kids reading this, but we can't bypass the gag....giggled for some time on the vision of people arriving, somewhat stoned, with broken spliffs...

Anyhoo, we digress, this weekend sees us rock and roll at Kelvinside Academy Christmas Fayre on Saturday (2 - 4pm) and then Woodlands Market on Sunday before we limber up to the Holmwood House Christmas Cracker on 8th & 8th and 15th & 16th December. It's all very, very good, and website orders galore, so watch this space for postings of new products soon, soon soon.

Anyhoo, night night, as ever love and positive light. I can feel Christmas songs start to fester....
The Lunicorns.
xx

Thingummy, Doodah & Wotsit

2007-11-22T20:55:00.000Z

So, what age do you think we need to be, before we start replacing nouns and adjectives with the above? Verbs, thus far, seem immune, but there's still time...
So here's a thingummy about a doodah with a wotsit!
And it's even better when your partner understands exactly what you mean, because their particular thingummy corresponds with yours at that particular time and their wotsits and doodahs are in tune with yours?
Ain't ageing sweet?
On another note, collective consciousnesses - do you, like I, get that feeling in your tummy when a fire engine or ambulance whizzes past, sirening like mad, and every driver instinctively pulls in?
Or is it just me?
When everyone thinks - I don't care what rush I am in, what meeting I have to get to, what problems I may have - that emergency vehicle has a mission and needs to get somewhere - or it wouldn't be whirring and nanowing if it didn't, that you just pull in from whatever road hash you're in at that time?
You see, that must be collective consciousness at its best. Where we put ourselves before anyone else. I get quite emotional when I see that happen, people kerb bumping and everyone going wo-ah, there's someone who needs help, so let's all step aside to speed the journey.
If only we could do more of that, but without the sirens and the obvious route to A & E.
Anyhoo, on yet another note, we did a talk (with a scarey microphone) at Perth College recently about 'entrepreneurship'. Of course, we're sure, it would have gone better had we not written the notes on the route up in the car....
We also had our big Body & Soul Fair in Glasgow last weekend at the Concert Hall. The football affected us on Saturday bigtime but it was cool to see all the camaraderie and kilts ootside.
So, here's the thanks list for this blog, in no particular order:- Jen, Rach, Merle, Maggie, Agenes, Doreen, Liam, Nikki, Ewan and Laura Lucky Cats....where would we be without you?
This weekend, we are limbering up to a split shift - whilst one Lunicorn is at the Gather in Glasgow Market Place, t'other is amidst the switching on of Christmas illuminiations in Kilbirnie. Then, we're both off to a slightly chilly outdoors with the Woodlands Market (Glasgow) on Sunday.
So with frosty fingerless gloves, we bid you ta ta till next blog.
Love and tinselly lights
The Lunicorns.x

Wishing Winehouse Well & Inverary

2007-11-04T18:02:00.000Z

Jings, another blog so soon. Yes, well, when one has keyboard at hand and thoughts to share, 'fraid so. Of course, you could always opt out and choose to ignore....

Ok, Amy Winehouse - yes we've read about her loads in the press, seen what an idiot she appears to be when it comes to curtailing certain habits, and also heard Dame Shirley Bassey cite her as a genius (don't quote me!)nevertheless, I have to agree with the latter. She IS a genius, as is her producer Mark Ronson, who rather cleverly has reversed the norm. Where usually modern artists cover age old classics, he has taken a raft of recent tunes and asked current singers to sing them, whilst he gives them a unique retro-fying aspect, particularly with The Zuton's 'Valerie' - Amy Winehouse's version has us dancing in the stationery Lunimobile.

In fact, I defy anyone, NOT to move to this song. So much so, I was so fed up with my parents reading the tabloids about Ms Winehouse, and thinking what a plonker she was, without EVER having heard her, that I forced them, yes, forced them, to listen to 'Valerie' without telling them who it was, and then laterally revealed...Yes, this girl IS a huge talent (not just Valerie, but listen to her albums, the SOUND is amazing), and yes, she would appear to have addictions, but GOOD GOD, can we help her not go the same way as other great geniuses (should that be genii?) of the past a la Billie Holliday etc.? and wish her well?

Only SHE can do it, no amount of forbidding will help. So instead of her father (in-law?) suggesting that the great general public DON'T buy her records and that radio stations DON'T play her, in the hope that that will bring it home to her...and so forth, can we please all send positive thought her way?

No matter how broke she is, she'll always find money to feed her addictions. So no, here in Lunicornland we feel a collective consciousness is necessary. Yes, there's loads of other stuff we should be focusing on too, to help the world, but in the meantime, if you're an Amy Winehouse fan, JUST wish her well, and maybe a little bit of that light will reach her....

Ok, Amy rant over.

Listening to Dame Shirley this very instant. Now, there's a lady who has re-invented herself again and again and again.

Anyhoo, we've just returned from Inverary, where we faced a 'challenging' Unicorns, Fairies & Wizard's kid's workshop....

So exhausted were we after that, that we checked into the Argyll Hotel, who had been sufferering the loss of trade with the A83 land slip road closure. Cue The Recovery Club My Space website where the delicious and delicate 'Rest & Be Thankful' song can be found.

Excited by the fact that dinner was included in the room rate, we were slightly distressed this morning when the same apparent rave music was playing on the sound sytsem as the night before at dinner. Popped into The George Hotel for a wee drink last night amidst the fireworks and had a debrief. Spoke to the fabulous Jennifer and Robert who had been our ambassadors at the Cowal Ladies Circle in Dunoon, whilst we were in Inverary.

Jen is soon to be abseiling down the front of the new PQ BBC Building in aid of Children in Need on 10th November, she's quite a lady, and was an admirable advocate for Lunicorn this weekend. Although we're also assured Robert's 'hot ass' helped with the Cowal ladeez too.

Speaking of BBC friends and folks, we're delighted to hear one Roy T., affectionately known as Mr T. (minus the jewellery) is to be heading South soon to lambast the English media on behalf of the good old British Broadcasting Company... we wish him well, and thank the unicorns he's managed to escape PQ!

A big welcome to Nikki, Ewan and Jasper, back in Glasgow, and selfishly we think, much nearer....hurrah! It's all GOOD.

And so, we finish this blog with a nod to the next couple of months of 2007. Can that really be? Where was the summer?

Christmas is but weeks away, and this year has been interesting for Lunicorn, in that we have changed direction slightly, still with the same focus, but with more strategic goals.

And so, to the last two months of 2007, to some terrific friends who have gone above and beyond the call to help us, to some new folks met who we know have arrived for a reason, and to the adventures ahead. Lunicorn is soaring, and we love it.

Night night.
The Lunicorns
x

Aberdeen and short green men...

2007-10-30T10:09:00.000Z

Good morning Lunicornies,

We've just returned from our favourite granite city and the Body & Soul Fair at the Beach Pavilion.

As ever, we had a blast! The weather was amazing and the sun danced on the surf of the big North sea whenever we stepped outside for a breather.

A big thank you to Doreen who was staying at a posh hotel and purloined a fried egg roll for one Lunicorn from the breakfast buffet and to Hilary & Dave for Flapjacks and croissants. No muffins were involved this time.

One thing we really noticed on the streets when we were walking though was the time given to cross any roads safely. The green men in Aberdeen are well short. Do people walk faster there? Not once, were we able to get to the other side of Union Street, before the green man turned seriously red, and our gait is by no means slow. Stroll, we did not. In fact, it became quite funny to see if even a sprint could make it. Perhaps the green men are having a laugh?

On another note, as luck would have it, only four days ago did Travelodge decide to make ALL of their rooms non-smoking. Now, as we had booked our accommodation yonks ago, we had opted for a smoke free room anyway, as one Lunicorn is ever hopeful to have stopped the nasty weed when thinking six months into the future. However, whether a smoker or not, it does pose a contractual question surely for anyone who HAD booked and paid for a smoking room to then be told that the goalposts had moved, especially as I found it particularly dodgy standing outside late on a Saturday evening in my jim jams being accosted by all sorts of drunken yobs. Is this smoking ban putting smokers at more risk than the effects of nicotine on their lungs etc. I know, I know, I hear the non-smokers yell, what about our lungs? But that's not the point I'm making. I agree completely with the ban on public places. However, the hotel accommodation issue is about having specific smoking rooms in which only smokers ever reside. So I am disappointed that Travelodge have now adopted this policy. Will it stop us booking some of the cheapest accommodation out there? Probably not.

Still we were slightly concerned with the notice by the lifts informing us of a 'temporay' lift level problem and to take heed. We were more distressed by the spelling (you have taught us well Ms Copy Editor Merle)

Standing in the lifts surrounded by mirrors, we looked at each other, our bedraggled hair etc., and thought, "what happened to us? We used to be marginally funky". We've been running about so much with Lunicorn, that our appearance seems to have slipped off the radar. And so, we have decided to get our funk factor back. Watch this space.

Other news is, we're into our 2nd run of our cd, and this one has a bar-code - yay! We've got a new print (baby unicorn) and a range of original unicorn themed greeting cards. We've been asked to give a talk on being an entrepreneur to students at Perth College (yikes!), and Olivia Newton John WILL be talking dolphins with us very soon. Next weekend sees us host a full day workshop in Inverary and then we get into our busiest time.

In the meantime, go see 'Stardust' - it's fantastic, and a unicorn features prominently, not to mention a superb Take That accompanying song. And if only by saying this, we could get free food at La Tasca, but we would like to share a great deal we discovered in Aberdeen... all you can eat tapas for a tenner at La Tasca. Think it's only Sun to Weds, but really, ok the portions are smaller (which suits me) but you can order as many dishes as you want, and then some more, and it's only a tenner. So, if there's a La Tasca near you, and you're a fan of tapas, then heaven has just arrived in your inbox.

Rightyho, off to do some work.
Love & Light
The Lunicorns

Magical winkers, and the benefits of B12

2007-10-22T00:21:00.001+01:00

Now the title above sounds like it should be an anagram of sorts, but truly, this past year we have met some marvellous magical winkers, who we shall now list in no particular order

1)Nikki, particularly after imbibing one glass of red vino, but not randomly, and we feel special to have had a Nikki wink or two, because we don't think she dishes them readily.
2)Dr Roy, as we mentioned before, Dumbledore himself, and he's no easy winker. It was several meetings before we first saw the wink.
3)Rosemary, crystal guru, she is more reserved and works up to a wink, so when you finally get one, it's fabulous.
4)Ruth, whose wink we saw at first hand today, and when I said - you're a magical winker, she said, yes I am!
(Apologies to any omitted winkers).
Aha, we've just remembered our 5th magical winker
5)Mhairi on Arran. She was amongst the first.

Ok, so imagine that Colgate ad back in the old days, when a smile appeared, a twinkle and a halo like effect cha chinged. It's kind of like that, you know when you've met a magical winker. You can hear the sound without feeling like it's a Colgate moment. Well, clearly, it's not in the teeth, it's all in the eyes....and so flitting. And does it tamper with the moment by saying "did you just wink at me there?"
I love winks, and I love winkers, especially magical winkers. The magical winkers are the best.
We had a fair in Irvine today, and the vibe was lovely. As one Lunicorn is indeed an Ayrshire lass, it was nostalgic to return to a venue which had been considered tres posh in her youth, in an entirely different capacity.

We're also very excited because Laura Lucky Cats (see fabulous soap and stuff - we really should have a link to Laura's site...) is coming to visit us at Andromeda Heights tomorrow evening. She is bringing us soap and eggs, laid by her fabulous hens. Now, not sure whether Roger the duck is included in this offspring, who apparently currently thinks he is a chicken, but hey ho.

Another wee anecdote from our trip 'up north' when we stopped off in Tain - we took a pic (still to be developed) of a bloke's statue, probably a provost or something, (more can be confirmed when we retrieve the actual photograph) because he had been noted in the town/village for his 'usefulness'. How cool is that?

Anyhoo, we digress. So what's all this about B12?

Well, after reading an article in Nexus magazine and subsequent research on the topic, we've discovered that it would seem, B12 and B17* are natural vitamin cures for a variety of dysfunctions, disorders and diseases (to name but a few:- Alzheimer's, Aids, Cancer, MS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder (maybe not the pc term) etc. etc.
*B17 not from Nexus but from other research specifically for Cancer - Apricot Seeds!!!!!!

And it would seem that this knowledge is being kept buried.
Ok, so I really hope some dark forces are not about to descend on our door and extinguish us for broadcasting such information, but why is it not OUT THERE?
Because drug companies make a lot of money, and pay governments a lot of tax to keep coming up with 'breakthroughs', or not, as the case may be, when in fact everything that befalls the earth in terms of illness has its cure on this very land. Think of nettle stings, doken leaves grow nearby....? Ok, of course, you KNOW THAT.

Ok, am not trying to teach my granny how to suck eggs (Speaking of which have never actually sucked eggs so...)but it does seem ludicrous to think, we've already found the cure for so many illnesses, yet, it's in the interests of those who run the world, to keep us guessing, and those who come up with the answers, are either expired or scrambled.

Uh oh, ok, now we're definitely being tagged, bugged, whatever.
This is no conspiracy theory. This is fact.

I'm lucky, in that I have a very good doctor, who is not in a fast-track career academia route and must not speak of the (vit) 'B' word, but SO many others out there will just NOT consider this road, because it's easier to prescribe, I presume, some convoluted long lettered expensive drug that may mask the dis-ease, but not actually cure it?

We despair. Sometimes. But most of the time, we're glad of the knowledge. Glad to be able to question. Glad to be free to do so, well, kind of. And there we go getting semi-political. But that's the thing, I don't really believe it matters in this country which party is in power, it's which man or woman is the strongest to be able to stand up to (and not fear for some apparently accidental car accident, or worse, where your entire history is manipulated)the dark forces that perpitrate the world today.

Which brings me to a song I was keen on back when I was sixteen or something. Olivia Newton John, you think 'Grease' and 'Hopelessly Devoted to you', or 'You're the one that I want'. Yep, all of the above, but try listening to the last track on the 'Physical' album and the song that ONJ actually wrote herself, entitled "The Promise (The Dolphin Song)". Listen to the lyrics. For the purposes of illustration, I will now quote them here....
"If I can only make one man aware, one person care, then I'll have done what I promised you...."
This is Livvy singing to the dolphins, in case you wondered.
Imagine the wrangle she probably had with her record company to get 'her' song and these lyrics included on an album that was all about her looking like hot totty...Yet twenty years on, this song has touched me, made me think again, so much so, that I am going to write to Olivia and ask her for the answers the dolphins gave when she swam with them, so watch this space....
Right, enough already...
Night Night
Lunicorn.
p.s. had a lovely time today when a child asked if I 'actually worked for Lunicorn?' Hah, I thought, you don't know the half....

Overlooking Findhorn Bay...

2007-10-15T13:09:00.000+01:00

Jings, crivens, help ma boab, there are so many titles we could have chosen for this blog, as we have so many tales to tell of our recent holibag up North, right at the very tip of Scotland, but we will settle with the above as this was a wonderful start to our journey. And long blog warning flash - it seems churlish not to combine all our stories into one, so if you've not got long, save this one for later, or indeed switch off now, if you suspect we may bore you.

Quick flip back first to the last weekend of September when we hosted our stall at West Kilbride, and the night before, when we gave a talk on unicorns and our journey at the Psychic Harmony Centre in Paisley. Phew, a bit scarey at first, as for anyone who knows one Lunicorn, knows she is terrified of speaking in public. However we both managed it in the end, I just have to slow down my sentences a bit. Lovely vibe there. We will be back.

And so it was then Sunday, and we were off on our adventures for a bit, with no stall to set up, and nothing to do but relax for ten days (well that said, we did manage to sell a few cds into shops en route).

We thought we'd break our journey to Thurso (where we were soon to be staying at a beautiful house of two very good friends)with a stop off at Findhorn village. The weather blessed us, and Findhorn Bay was like a mirror to the sky. The houses were like Brigadoon, no two the same, and all higgledy piggledy in a fairy town style. We dined in the Kimberley Inn before heading back to the Crown & Anchor for a night's sleep ready for our second leg of driving on the Monday.

The next day we visited the Findhorn community and marvelled at the eco houses, popped in to the Phoenix shop, and snuck into The Sanctuary. Now, we've been mentioning Mike Scott's song "Long Way to the Light" lately and in it there is a lyric which reads "I entered the sanctuary, I heard the voice of a girl, sending out a circle of light, clear across the world..."

Yep, you guessed it, it wasn't merely a writer penning a romantic notion....it happened to us too! Wow! The feeling was amazing.

And then with a sharp jolt, as we strolled in the sunshine and breathed in the calm, a Nimrod bomber shot noisily across our horizon, and we got to thinking, was this the yin and yang, and who was there first? Findhorn Community is right next door to RAF Kinloss. Any pointers warmly welcomed on this one, as it's a bit of a puzzle.

So we set off again on our trip to Thurso. Apart from the Berriesdale Braes, the roads are terrific. As we departed Inverness and drove over the very low bridge on the Dornoch Firth, we noticed the lack of speed cameras, roundabouts and traffic lights, sometimes even road markings didn't seem necessary.

We stopped off in Golspie to take a pic of my very best age old friend Lorna's hoose that she was born in.

Then, arriving in Thurso, first port of call was a grocery shop to stock up supplies, and then RELAX.

So once we'd explored Thurso a bit (including taking a pic of another house up the road where our friend Allan was born), we drove to John O'Groats, expecting a wee town of sorts. Not quite, still we popped into the tourist shop there, as a friend had told us it was her family line that owned it. Then we walked to see the stacks of Duncansby. Crikey, one lunicorn was already saying where's the shops, what's with all this walking, and how can we get the tv to work back in the house (we'll come to that later, well why not now, actually!)

Yes, the tv. There was one, but only for watching DVDs, not tuned in. Easy peasy I thought, I'll buy an aerial, and simply tune it. Not so. No tuning would work. I'll buy a tv then and tune that, nope. So after many trips to the Thurso TV shop, I finally realised, maybe I wasn't meant to watch TV whilst I was there. (Did have a secret hand held screen that could be used in dire remote emergencies). So we trawled the selection of DVDS and happened upon one called "13 conversations about the one thing". Can highly recommend and no coincidence that this was what we chose to view, but that's another blog. One line we can share is "Faith is the antithesis of proof".

Dunnet Bay is stunning, other Ms Lunicorn spent a lot of time there chatting to the sea. Spectral white beaches and crashing waves, it's no wonder surfers ride and roll the tides of this bay. And Dunnet Head IS the most northerly point of Scotland, and can clearly be seen on the map, jutting out.

And then it was time for our day trip to Orkney on the H.M. Hamnavoe. Inspired by the words set in the glass on deck "The essence of Orkney's magic is silence, loneliness and the deep marvellous rhythms of sea and land, darkness and light", we set off on the first morning ferry from Scrabster headed for Stromness.

Now with all the island-hopping we've been doing in the name of Lunicorn these past few years, we thought we were seasoned travellers. However Calmac's boats to Arran, Dunoon, Rothesay etc. have nothing on the Northlinks Ferry trip to Stromness. Soberly drunk we struggled to stay upright and THAT was on a clear, calm day. Took us a moment to figure out what these bags were in dispensers everywhere, and then the penny dropped, they were sick bags! Thankfully, we managed to avoid them.

I spent a week in Stromness with friends about 20 years ago, and would you believe it, the very people were disembarking from the same ferry we got on that same very day. I didn't know this at the time, it was only by speaking to a nice bloke called James on the ferry, did I discover.

Lots of pics taken of the Old Man of Hoy, as expected, and Americans taking at least a spoolful in one go. Tricky to spot against the cliffs until you're retreating from it.

As we anchored down in Stromness, a linesman in a yellow hard hat threw his rod over the side, and then literally jumped up and down as his rod bowed and he rung in three huge mackerel. After giving him a thumbs up, we had to turn away as he slapped the fish on the deck, whilst they were still in spasms about to be gutted. Well, what would you expect from a couple of veggies? But it must be great picking waters for fishermen, with the huge propellers churning up the water.

Arriving in the town, we couldn't help but notice the Pay & Display car parking was only 50p for 2 hours, a far cry from city prices. However, we were on foot, and wanted to visit the Ring of Brodgar (standing stones) before the day was over, so we passed a sign for Cycle Hire, thinking it might not be that far from Stromness, and we could maybe use our own leg power to get there.

We trundled doon the steps following the sign, and arrived in what appeared to be somebody's back garden, saw a couple of bicycles, but nobody around. Then we spotted a notice saying "we had to go away, but if you want a bike, just take one and leave the money in one of these envelopes". In the end, we managed to get a bus, but we couldn't help but think, trust breeds trust.

The Ring of Brodgar was amazing and we managed to get it to ourselves for a bit too. Found it hilarious when we got a call from Tir na nOg's Oona on the moby, and we told her where we were....

So, back to Stromness and another trust breeds trust tale. We popped into the Flattie Bar ahead of our ferry trip back. I ordered a Jameson's only to be told they didn't have any but if we popped up to the Stromness Hotel, they would be open and definitely had some. We did, and we're told no, they weren't open, but here was the bottle of Jameson's anyway and we could drop it off at the Flattie Bar. Like a kid in a sweetie shop, I diligently delivered the bottle with not a slug missing to the Flattie Bar. Hmmmmmmmm.

Gets us to thinking if there was less of the "Don't do this and don't do that" and "such and such is Forbidden" then maybe we'd be more like this, where people don't lock their doors or cars and everyone trusts, and to abuse that trust would be a big enough guilt trip in itself.

Also on our Stromness trip we met a lovely lady called Liz in the Waterfront Gallery who inspired us big time with her connectivity and gentleness.

Back at the Ferry Inn in Scrabster, I am in heaven because it has a jukebox (remember them?). It's such an intimate and joyous way to share one's musical secrets, watching others smile (or grimace) at your very own choice of playlist. I chose Bob Dylan's "Hurricane" amongst others and remember how as a child of sixteen, and my school had decided to be a bit edgy(our rector wore safari suits!)and introduce "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" as a module, that I had picked this song to study. My then Greek teacher, Mr Livingston was taking the class and as we discussed it, it has stuck with me forever as a very true story of injustice and racism. Here's a great lyric from it:

"Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties, are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise. While Reuben sits like Buddha in a ten foot cell, an innocent man in a living hell". I won't try to explain what it's about but if you're interested google "The Hurricane" or "Reuben Carter" and see what comes up.

So phew, we did say this would be a long blog. Other highlights include a visit to Holborn Head where the dramatic cliff edges could be perilous on a windy day, lighthouses galore, a disappointing visit to Wick, an adventure at the Campster Cairns, and a walk round Strathy Point. We used our creativity to thank our friends for the use of their house, I wrote a poem and other Ms. Lunicorn drew Holborn Head in charcoal. We met up with them in Tain, as they were heading up to the house as we were driving homewards. Ooooooh the mist on the Dornoch Firth en route was phenomenal, it was liking travelling into nothing, knowing that the sea was very very near on both sides of the road.

And so to our Tain adventure. Well, did we mention that the house in Thurso was beautiful but bathless. Shower, yes, so were clean enough whilst there, but sometimes a deep long soak is needed, maybe it's a girl thing. So we were determined that if we broke our journey back to Glasgow in Tain and stayed over, we had to find a hotel with a bath. Now, there aren't exactly a deluge of hotels in Tain, what with it being one of the cutest towns/villages? we've seen, but the first two we tried had rooms, but none had baths. Someone suggested we try the Mansefield Castle Hotel. Oh dear, we thought, as we headed up the drive, this looks a bit posh. Even more so, when we looked at the tariff (£280 for a suite), still we explained our predicament to Jan, the lady on reception, and she cut us a deal, as they were quiet. Well, wait till we tell you, we only had a suite, didn't we? With a sink each in the bathroom, and wait for it, a jacuzzi. We love you Jan, we think you have the spirit of Joanna Fowler, previous owner, and said to still appear in unsuspecting places within the castle, though now long dead.

Ok, so here's a ticklin' tip to finish on. Don't use bubble bath in a jacuzzi! As I excitedly stepped into a fiercely bubbling bath that evening, and relaxing in the bubbles, I did wonder why I was starting to feel a bit claustraphobic. And then I opened my eyes only to discover I was engulfed by ever rising bubbles. There is, I believe photographic evidence of a sprig of hair appearing from this bubble mass, but that's for another site entirely.

Rightyho, that's us for the noo. Remind us to tell you in the next blog about the amazing weekend we've just had, as we arrived back last Thursday night, and bang, straight back into Lunicorn adventures as of Saturday. But I think that's enough for one reading. Do comment....please.
Ta ta and toodle pip
The Lunicorns
x

The B, B and the C word....

2007-09-21T01:17:00.000+01:00

Sorry.
I suspect most people reading our blog don't give a hoot about what's happening in the world of the bbc.
But really...
Does anyone actually care that a kitten on Blue Peter, named 'socks' by er....popular vote, should actually have been named 'cookie'? Well, it would seem that's the most recent admission of public deception by the bbc trust...but then when we discover it was a multiple choice question, and the name that had been deemed 'inappropriate' for children, was a name that had been offered, by the bbc, as an option on the choice of three??!!
I for one, will surely need therapy after this one. Indeed, I am heartened, in a truly tongue in cheek sort of fashion, that a new kitten will be introduced to the land of Blue Peter and now named 'Cookie', oh yes, that just about puts everything right in the world...and I can forgive BBC for this blatant faux pas?????????
Hey, did anyone notice people were dying through hunger? Needless wars are being fought? Or the world is dealing with some pretty big stuff? Get a life BBC and can all these gung ho producers please stop holding their hands up to stuff that we DON'T REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT.
Had a lovely evening with our friends Rachael, James & Jen tonight. None of us were drinking which is why I feel I can get up in what feels like the middle of the night and pen this blog.
James (did you know his nickname is Cookie? - see previous para) interviewed the high heid yin of BBC, Mark Thompson this evening for his radio show afore coming home to help cook us our delicious (or should that be delishishly James?) roasted veg & (optional) feta. He had to lead with the 'scandal kitty' issue, when in fact, the Director General was clearly there to promote the opening of Pacific Quay, the brand new box that is BBC Scotland. James was matter of fact. He had been running about trying to find a photocopier that worked, to copy MT's speech from earlier that he and production needed for the show that was about to go on air, only to be accosted by some management bod who thought his frantic running in the midst of all these dignitaries for the official 'opening' was not very BBC (Did we mention Gordon Brown was there too). Missing the point guys - BBC is there to produce news, not delay all such deadlines to meet and greet!
And then Rachael, who'd been up since 6.00am doing a photoshoot to pr a weel kent local shopping gallery, who was wearing a herbal patch to ease her backache caused by high heels and nae seets for seven hours!
And Jen, who was due to produce another weel kent radio show tomorrow morning at 7am (yikes!)
Goodness.
Despite all this, the point i guess I'm trying to make, because free of that world, I can now do so, is we had a lovely evening and we laughed about the day's events, and potentially the events of the morrow. There we had no egos, no-one trying to out-do the other with stories of importance, just a day in the life of, a job, and then hey, we all had lives.
You know what? We, as Lunicorn, hardly talked shop, and that has got to be a good thing. We were five friends breaking bread together, also talking about the real stuff, the very real things that affected our lives and it felt good.
Thank you James & Rachael for a lovely evening, and to Jen for running us home.
It's all good.
Night Night
The Lunicorns

C.V.

2007-09-14T08:21:00.000+01:00

Good morning!
This blog should have really been written at 4.00am this morning when my somewhat direct unicorn shouted it in my ear....and then kept me awake until seven, till I got up and switched on the pc. (Thank you Jaz) So I guess it must be important.
Ok, yesterday afternoon, when other Ms Lunicorn and I were having a bit of a meeting re Lunicorn's ever evolving direction, and thinking it was probably time to cast off our diverse freelance activities and take another leap of faith, to focus solely on Lunicorn, Laura mentioned Shakti Gawain. Now Shakti is to Laura what Kate Bush is to me - a wondrous inspiration, and since I've known Laura, she's mentioned her a lot. Shakti Gawain has written a number of books about positive thought, but her most famous to date, is "Creative Visualization". Laura has always been suggesting to me that I read her books. As we were chatting, and Laura was reading me out yet another of Shakti's one liners, I suddenly thought, I know this writer already...off I went, to what we affectionately call 'the library' in our house, and there it was - The Creative Visualisation Workbook by Shakti Gawain. So what, you might think, what's the significance of that?
I bought this book over twenty years ago from a shop in Edinburgh, then owned by the lovely chaps who run the Body & Soul Fairs we attend with Lunicorn. And in it, I had created my very own visualisation page or 'treasure map'(pic of myself, some pix of sports cars, some positive words I had cut out of magazines) and on the opposite page I had written down my affirmations.
Now, here's the amazing bit. I'm now over forty, back then, I was in my early twenties, and being an Aries, I must have used this book for a while, then got bored and moved onto something else, as my input stops half way through.
Every thing that I wrote down or pasted in a picture of, has happened! I got my sports car, exactly like the one I'd cut out of a magazine (don't have it now, but that's another story), I got published, writing became my career, as I have been both a journalist and a publicist. From Joanna Lumley, who called me a gypsy (!), to K.T.Tunstall, I've either interviewed or set up interviews for some of the best known names out there. Yet, as I became enmeshed in that world, I lost sight of the map that had taken me there. It's only since we started Lunicorn, that I understand again. And whether we call it Creative Visualisation, The Law of Attraction, Positive Thought, The Secret, it's working with the same principles - simply that we can achieve anything and everything we truly want if we believe we can. Some of my goals have changed now from back then, but one remains steadfast - you see the unicorns have a plan.
Is it just co-incidence that CV stands for both Creative Visualisation and Curriculum Vitae. Think about what we do with our own CVs? We write down what we've achieved career wise and send it off to a prospective employer in the hope that they'll be dazzled by our skills and offer us that big job. Try writing your CV in the present tense, with everything you want in life. Where you want to be. We're doing it with Lunicorn. On Wednesday this week, before all this happened yesterday, we each bought cork boards to serve as visualisation boards for what we now want. I don't think there'll be any sports cars this time, but you never know! Maybe a pic of some nice clean lungs, as I realise the reason I haven't stopped smoking yet, is because I'm giving all this thought energy to stopping rather than focusing on health.
Ok, I think that's what I was supposed to write, so I'll bid you another Good Morning and go wake Laura Lunicorn.
Ta ta
x

Spooky dooky

2007-09-09T20:33:00.001+01:00

Greetings Lunicorners,

One Lunicorn has just returned, somewhat frazzled, from an event, where she was wearing a completely different hat! And the strange mix of adrenalin and exhaustion has urged me to pen this blog right this very minute as a very extraordinary couple of things happened today.

Firstly, I was upanatem early this morning, and because other Ms Lunicorn had gone off to host our stall at the Viking Festival in Largs, I had the luxury of being able to switch on the television as I munched on my toast. There, on the Andrew Marr programme was a man, previously an actor, who had decided to chuck that particular career, and pursue 'peace', not as an ideal, but as an essential if the world, as we know it, is to survive. So much so, that he and the UN have created an International Day of Peace on 21st September (and practical things will happen that day, it's not just an airy fairy notion). Annie Lennox sat next to him, echoing the sentiment and putting her celebrity weight behind it. Oh no, not another hippy rant, you say...wait till you hear the next bit....

Ok, so my ringtone on my phone is usually Dusty's "The Look of Love", but when my phone rang this morning, suddenly it was Elvis' "If I can dream". I thought, how odd? But in my fresh intuitive state, thought, right, maybe I should just go with this, and instead of changing it back to Dusty, let it be this for just today, knowing that my phone was likely to be ringing off its little rocker, due to the nature of the work I was doing at the event, and maybe I needed a different energy to get me through it. When I left the event this evening and got into the taxi, I went to change it back, and of course, it was as if it had never been altered. My ringtone for 'incoming calls' was still Dusty.

Now, us Lunicorns have just listened to that song in full, and the lyrics speak volumes. If you get a chance, check it out. It was no co-incidence that this was what I needed to hear today.

On another note, the presenter of the event I was working at today, was Danny Wallace. Who he you may say? Well, apart from being on TV quite a bit, his book 'The Yes Man' is being made into a film, and Jim Carrey is playing him. I listened to him, as he explained what the book was about. He, Danny, spent six months, just simply saying 'yes' to everything, like when friends phoned him up wanting to go out, and when he would previously have made an excuse, he simply said 'yes'. Although, he also told a funny tale of when a double glazing salesman phoned him up and offered him a quote, to which he answered 'yes'. When can I come round said the salesman? What suits you said Danny? Tuesday, said the salesman. Yes said Danny. I should mention, he added, that I am already fully double glazed. The salesman said are you wasting my time? Danny said 'yes'. Anyhoo, the point of all that is that after Danny had started saying yes, he suddenly got lots of offers and things really shifted for him in his career. So, once again, the positive wins over the negative. We're not advocating 'yes' as a constant, as of course, there are some occasions when you should most definitely say no.

Meanwhile, the Viking Festival over the last four days has been terrific for Lunicorn. And Dundee Body & Soul, despite an AA route planner nightmare which took us over the Tay Bridge and back, was fantastic. Special guest speaker there, Alison De Marco, had, in the morning, jumped out of an aeroplane, in aid of charity, BoobyBirds, so was suitably shaken when she arrived to do her talk. Google it, and donate if you want, it's a really great cause.

So lots happening as ever, we may blog again just for fun over the next day or so.
Yes, yes, yes, we will.
Peace, joy, gratitude, ain't it sweet?
Till next time
L & L
The Lunicorns

Talking to unicorns

2007-08-29T21:29:00.000+01:00

From Ruth-Niven Smith and her grandchildren, Montana (nearly 10) and Oliver (7 1/2)

"I'm just in from being away with the children and I took your cd with me. We've been on holiday now since Tuesday, and every night, the first thing the children wanted when we got in was the unicorn cd. So we opened our three bedroom doors and played it every night. Now, they want one each. Actually, having listened to it right through, I love it and want my own copy. Children are pretty honest, and both of them are just in love with it".

Great feedback indeed, plus we've had postcards, telephone messages, e-mails etc. from a variety of children and adults who have thus far, genuinely enjoyed our new cd. And that's only been just over a week since its launch.

For one Lunicorn, at the moment, who is in the midst of a media project, she finds it frustrating that she has not been able to go 'full tilt' with the promotion as yet. In fact, one day last week, when attempting to write a press release on the cd, and finding her pc incredibly slow and clunky (she was stealing half an hour from another project), she heard her unicorn spirit guide say "we can wait, get on with the task in hand, and get back to us when you've finished that". And hence, so no press copies have gone out yet. But we'll get straight onto that after Sept. 9th.

Aha, so this weekend, it seems we are to be a couple of street urchins for the Victorian Fair at New Lanark Mills. We initially thought busty hostelry ladies, and then thought, what with the unclement Scottish weather, we may be better opting for Artful Dodger type costumes. Shaping up to be a good fair, so if you're in the vicinity on Sunday and fancy a day out of the olden days, then well worth a visit.

We'll probably blog again afore the Viking Festival in Largs, when the Lunicorns will be of the lesser spotted variety, as though our wares will be there, we will be elsewhere. However our very good friend Joyce has opted to become a Lunicorn for the four days and is very competent in all things unicorn.

And of course Dundee Body & Soul Fair on Saturday September 8th is our next biggie, and for that we will most definitely be there in person. Could we ever miss a Body & Soul Fair? NEVER!

Rumour would have it that there's a bit of a big event happening on Glasgow Green on September 9th via the BBC Film Festival. One Lunicorn, nay two, may be there, but in an entirely different capacity, so watch out for a frantic lady with a walkie talkie....

Have to say, these past couple of weeks have been phenomenal for Lunicorn, and have enjoyed so much, living in the moment, tuning into the magic, and indeed the kindness of strangers, and being able to reciprocate. Don't want this to sound patronising, because most of the people who read our blogs, we're sure already practice this, but if not, just for tomorrow, try thinking goodness about everybody (even the folks who really irritate you) and be kind....let people in to your lane in traffic jams, smile at strangers, and don't worry what anyone thinks about you if you find yourself singing a song to yourself....see what happens...

Ego is a wonderful thing, once you lose it!

So till next time, we wish you light and spiritual heights.

Lots of love
The Lunicorns

It's been a long way to the light....

2007-08-20T21:38:00.000+01:00

Feeling extremely inspired by Mike Scott and The Waterboys recently, and in particular the song 'Long Way To The Light' (the live version on the Karma to Burn album, not so much the recorded version on the Bring Em All In solo album). We were a-travelling (as this is songwriter speak now) on the Cal Mac Ferry back from a workshop on the Isle of Arran last week at the beautiful Burnside Gallery. And as always, we indulged ourselves with a visit to the ferry shop on board, thinking we would find nothing new, but ever hopeful nonetheless. And there it was, amongst a range of cds. I think I'd seen it before but never felt compelled to purchase quite the way I did last Tuesday. And so, as we trundled off the under-deck car doodah, we slipped it into our cd machine and listened on the Ardrossan to Glasgow Road. Although it's the first track, we didn't get to it till about Glasgow Airport, as we'd started it at track nine or something. We just looked at each other when it played, and we heard every lyric and thought, THIS is going to be our song this week. And so it has been, throughout all the minor hitches of ensuring our new cd was ready to launch this weekend at Body & Soul, this was the song that kept us uplifted and cheery.
And so it was at 6pm on Friday night, we collected our fresh-pressed 'Magical Unicorn Meditations for Children' cds and straight into Body & Soul on Saturday and Sunday. Phew! What a weekend? The energies around that fayre were amazing! Young Agnes, the event manager there, sure knows how to host an event. Our cds were immensely popular, as people flocked to investigate. And then when special guest speaker, Diana Cooper came to our stall, drew up a chair, pulled out her notebook, and sat down to talk to US about our unicorn tales (no pun intended), the weekend was set in stone and our memories for years to come.
That was Sunday, but afterwards on the Saturday night, we were treated to dinner by a very good friend and magical gentleman, Dr Roy, who winked a lot and made us feel like we were having a meeting with Dumbledore himself. And of course, we cannot forget our lovely post-show aperitif with Doreen and Michael, who like so many, have believed in us from the beginning.
Fellow stall-holders at the fayre, who purchased our cd on the Saturday, returned on the Sunday, to tell us how much they had enjoyed it - and we're talking grown-ups! We will be doing one for adults, but in the meantime, isn't it amazing how many adults want to get back to their magickal roots?
So, we will leave it there in the meantime, but our grins are still wide, and our happiness contagious and we think this feeling will last till at least next weekend, when we are hosting our stall at a healing fair in Kirkcaldy in aid of a children's hospice.
Lots of magic and shimmering sparkle
The Lunicorns

Intuitive Routes

2007-08-12T00:27:00.000+01:00

Isn't it sweet when we start to truly listen to our inner voice? It's been gasping to be heard for so long, and then suddenly we can hear! Intuition is a wonderful thing, a discerning, no-messing clarity that exists within us, but we block and block and seek answers in all sorts of other ways.

We try to place logic and reason in its way, and these serve only as speed bumps en route to the solution we already have inside.

Oh, that all may sound a bit mad, but take it from one who has had the experience. Secrets and lies are a nightmare and so very un-necessary. So what, if we take a knock for being honest? At the end of the day, at least we've been true to ourselves. Let the manipulators, the game-players, the deceivers, the power hungry career builders have their day, and rest knowing we've played fair.
Aha, why are we having this rant? Well, as one Lunicorn finds herself briefly back in the world of media, she has a different perspective. This time, she is in control and isn't controlled. She can simply do what she is skilled at to the best of her abilities and then inherit none of the stress associated.

You can see the fear in controlled eyes. They covet the freedom, the ability to say no, or the sense to see something as it really is.

Intuitive routes are a wonderful way to map the journey. If it feels good do it, and if there are any hesitations along the way, then stop and think. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Yes, but only when you listen and respect this intuition, can it have any impact.

Ok, bit of a naval gazing this one, so we'll move on....

We've got some amazingly talented musician friends, and if we can point you to a couple of sites which may be of interest then check out Lorna Brooks and The Recovery Club's My Space pages. Not forgetting of course the wondrous talents of Four Good Men. Google is probably your best best as we at Lunicorn are not best placed to be technical and offer you links as such.

Which reminds me as I listen at this ungodly hour to the rain pattering on our windows that it's worth checking out The Waterboys' new album 'The Lightening Book' and the track (can't remember which number) "Rain's gonna fall". Hmmmm. Thinking Noah and Arks and 2012....

And whilst we're on the Bible theme, bought a cool box of matches today from Tir na nOg saying simply 'Christ is the light......at the end of my cigarette'.

And what's all this about Witch Hiker issue 2 flying off the shelves? It seems word has spread, and it really is getting known as the underground esoterical street version of Hello! Oh sorry, in Scotland that's 'Hiyah' isn't it?

Well, Body & Soul at the Concert Hall in Glasgow at the weekend is the biggie, and like you haven't heard us bang on about it enough already, yes, we will be launching our new 'Magical Unicorn Mediations for Children' cd there...advance orders already taken.

We've got a wee workshop with the lovely Mhairi and Caroline afore then on the Isle of Arran on Tuesday. Yeehah. We love The Burnside Gallery in Brodick, they really have been there from the beginning, as has of course Tir na nOg, and several other wondrous establishments like Opal Moon and Inspirations in Motherwell.

Finally, very sad to hear about the death of Tony Wilson (Factory Records, The Hacienda). One Lunicorn had the joy of meeting Mr Wilson in Manchester several years ago for a project she was working on, and suffice to say has never yet again had a meeting like it. As rather than tea and coffee, the shared 'refreshments' were something that couldn't possibly be written about in this blog....RIP Anthony Wilson - a believer, an enthusiast and an intellect. I'm sure he would approve in a typically sardonic fashion of what we are doing now...

And on that note, I'd like to say Happy Monday (as that would be a really appropriate link), but instead we will simply say aw'right in stereotypical mancunian fashion, and bid you goodnight.

May your joys not be divisioned.
Love & Light
The Lunicorns

JK Rawks!

2007-07-23T13:07:00.001+01:00

Yes, we were there in a queue at midnight on Friday awaiting the last Harry Potter instalment from the pen of J.K. Rowling. We've been there from the beginning. A friend, back in 1997 sent me a copy of "Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone", and inside was a compliment slip saying simply "Try this for therapy". So it was somewhat emotional on Friday night awaiting my copy of "The Deathly Hallows". The girl in front of us, same age, was red-eyed and had told her boyfriend to leave her alone all weekend. She said she didn't know whether to read it or leave it. I suspect like me, she stayed up all night on Friday and began to devour. Similarly on Saturday and then it was last night that I finished the gripping tale. Relieved that I knew, annoyed that I'd reached my destination so very quickly. So many layers, so many messages, Ms Rowling is definitely a light worker and she certainly answered the call when it came all those years ago on that train to Manchester. You've probably read more than enough on Harry Potter this weekend in the press, or are engaged with the reading of the all important pages, so I will leave it there.
Visited an old haunt near Lochwinnoch last week - Muirshiel Country Park. Climbed to Windy Hill amidst the mist and the rain, and felt as we descended and looked back that we had just been to Brigadoon. Met an honorary druid in the form of Bob and learned all about Harrier Hens.
Went to meet our friend Allan, composer extraordinaire, at the weekend, who was ready to unleash the music he'd been working on to accompany the vocal on our cd. It was perfect, like he'd channelled it. Truly, working with professionals like Allan and Ewan, makes tasks so much more enjoyable. Our friend Dr Roy told us earlier this year, that it's often the things that take the least effort that prove to be the most significant. And how true that has been with our cd. Though I'm not sure Allan would agree, by his own admission, he's not good with deadlines.
Visited Balmaha last week too and went for a pensive walk around the loch.
We're off for more workshops on Arran next week, then it's into August and the big one with Body & Soul at the Royal Concert Hall. I wonder what Diana Cooper (special guest) will think of our unicorn cd?
And so, time to go and arrange my Harry Potter books in order. I seem to be missing the Goblet of Fire, so if I've lent it to anyone, and that person happens to be reading this, please return.
I'm assuming our patronus would be a unicorn, but luckily we've never had to cast it....yet!
Love from Muggledom
The Lunicorns

Drop some sugar in my bowl...

2007-07-13T22:20:00.001+01:00

So, sticking with the song lyric theme, this one's from Nina of the Simone and "some sweetness in my soul" and indeed this is what the Lunicorns have enjoyed over the past week or so.
Inspired by Pat Butcher in tonight's ep of 'Enders, we feel compelled to compare life at the moment to a game of poker. That said, the Lunicorn's would probably fold at this point and not engage with the game, however, let's assume we'd play on...and if so, we'd be upping the money to maintain our 'blind' status. Crikey, why is everyone so interested in seeing our cards? That said, we've got one heckofa hand to play, and play it we will, when the time is right. So there!
Onto other recent news. Well, we've just returned from the beautiful Isle of Anglesey. Sleepy pubs, long walks and a wee bit of sunshine. Red Wharf Bay was our favourite, watching the boats bob in the water in the morning, and then high and dry by lunchtime. Such are the tides of Benllech! Still, it meant we were able to walk home from the famous 'Ship Inn' across the vast sands and listen to the crashing waves. Afore that, we found ourselves in Liverpool and admiring the Liver Birds at the Pier Head. As we approached the Ferry, we were greeted by a piping of 'Ferry across the Mersey'. No matter whether you're from that manor or not, it IS moving hearing that song. Call us sentimental! Had lunch in the Albert Dock in the Ha Ha bar and visited the famed Jacaranda and the Heebie Geebies (one Lunicorn has familial associations with the latter two so it was particularly touching to see the John Lennon murals in the Jac). And on that note, the John Lennon Airport's mission statement is 'Above us only sky'. Just imagine, how cool? I wonder if in Glasgow, we should change ours to 'Welcome to Glasgow Airport - above us only Skye'.
Met a fabulous true Welshman called Cyril, who talked about Bobby Burns and the merits of John Smith.
Oooooooooh, back here in Lunicorn land, we're very excited about our new cd out next month. It's our first Unicorn meditation for children and the two meditations are entitled 'The Rainbow and the Ribbon Tree' and 'The Wishing Lake in the Sky'. Officially launched at Body & Soul in Glasgow, copies available from us direct or at a variety of stockists. Entirely channelled and developed by Lunicorn with a bit bit of help from musician impressario Allan James and design by the extremely artistically talented Ewan Burnside. And this is just the first of many, so watch this space.
Congrats to Rach and James with their new pad, to mr and mrs Witch hiker with issue 2, to Andy (you must be loved up because we haven't heard from you), and to all the decent good people out there who occasionally happen upon our blog and even more sporadically leave a comment....
Workshop on Sunday at Gather for the weans and following week for kids at Studio 26 and then for adults too back at Gather. Can you seriously resist?
Drenched dandelions of summer and lots of loveliness.
The Lunicorns

Moons and Junes and Ferris Wheels...

2007-06-23T23:15:00.000+01:00

"...the dizzy dancing way that you feel". Ok, we'll stop the Jonifest (in a bit). Oh, but isn't that a great line?
"as every fairy tale comes true, I've looked at love that way. But now it's just another show, and you leave them laughing when you go, and if you can, don't let them know, don't give yourself away"
I guess you either love or hate the movie 'Love Actually' but for us here at Lunicorn HQ, we love it, and particularly that powerful scene with Emma Thompson when she realises Alan Rickman's character is cheating on her. And what does she do, she listens to Joni Mitchell and 'Both Sides Now'...we rest our case. Well, not quite, as we'll return to that later. It's basically about totally believing in someone or something and then realising it's smacked you in the face, or has it? Discuss.
I guess we're just feeling a little bit jaded. Probably need to go have a rest, a few days away, but work commitments are such and our mission (as we HAVE chosen to accept it) pushes us onwards and upwards. At the moment we're feeling surrounded by unnecessary complications. Life really IS too short, and what we've learned through Lunicorn is to enjoy the moment and not get embroiled in irritation. But then Mercury IS still in retrograde, so perhaps we should just go with the flow.
Feel like we've started off this blog on a negative, but then a few of those ions do no harm to balance the positive.
Goodness, workshops galore these days, we've had enquiries from Centerparcs, councils and fantastic venues. Adults, kids, weary corporates, aliens, we do it all.
Enjoyed a fab veggie brekkie at Tir na nOg last weekend, but then we were doing a review for The Witch Hiker (issue 2 out in August), and as we were also hosting our stall there, we have some amusing anecdotes. Sandwiched between Laura Lucky Cats soaps etc. (whose gorgeous son Tevye has just booked onto our next children's workshop at Gather) and Kendal of crystals fame, the conversation was animated to say the least. Particularly when a customer of Kendal's (Phillips) sampled his famed 'no flour' cake. Well, an hour later, as he continued to regale the recipe and was just about to move onto Lemon Meringue Pie, we chuckled and thought of alternative names for him. How about Fanny Phillips, Kendal Craddock, Delia Crystals? Anyhoo, we've had other highlights of late, not least of which was one Lunicorn with tiger energy. Steady tiger - where there are face paints, the Lunicorns will play, and so it was at the Gather marketplace, that despite being fortysomething (heard Ken Dodd on parky tonight saying age means nothing, unless you're a cheese) one Lunicorn decided to become a tiger. Worryingly most people still recognised her. Having been likened to Johnny Depp in previous lives, she has no fear of becoming a pirate for the next Gather marketplace on June 30th. (see our links page for details, or even our calendar)
August Body & Soul at The Concert Hall in Glasgow is when we're set to launch our brand spanking new cd - all will be revealed in the Witch Hiker in August. Suffice to say it's very exciting, and thank you to Allan and Ewan in advance.
Congratulations to Rachael and her new job. They are so lucky to have her. Thank you Agenes for our abundance balloon and you and Margaret know what you have done recently, and for that we thank you again. Nikki, what can we say? You're such a good 'un and we think recent feedbacks and written testimonials speak volumes about your talents, not to mention our own intuition. Sandra at Studio 26, thank you for believing in the essence of our products.
We met such an interesting woman today, who talked to us about self-belief. She was a random passer by at our stall in Kilbirnie. And she noticed our unicorn oracle cards, and started to tell us how she'd given her son something similar when he was growing up. Then she talked about 'giving', not to 'receive', but just to give. And if we're not WHOLE in ourselves we can't possibly begin to 'give' without healing ourselves first. Last night, with a wee ritual we asked (thanks to our friend Agenes) the 'big boys' for some advice and some signs, and then we met this woman (Mary) today. So that's kind of sounding like a sign, isn't it? And then, from one extreme to the other, we listened to Take That's 'Patience' - good lyrics. And on that lyric note, we'll leave you with..."oh, but now old friends are acting strange, and they shake their heads and they tell me that I've changed, well something's lost, but something's gained, in living every day"
So with rose and flows of angel air and Ice Cream Castles in the Air, we bid you goodnight.
The Lunicorns

Ever increasing circles...

2007-05-29T10:26:00.000+01:00

Have you ever noticed how when you start to address things in your own life, optimistic, positive, sorted people start to arrive in your circle of friends to help? Since the start of the year, and perhaps even earlier, that's whats been happening to us, and it's terrific! Especially because we're aware of it. Maybe we're more tuned into it now. The negative factions have simply disappeared from our own personal guest lists. Well, that's enough of the Lunicorn philosophy nuggets for now, onto what we've been up to, as we've recently discovered people are actually reading this. Body & Soul at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall was superb, as ever, though one Lunicorn does seem to spend her time indulging herself with various treatments and therapies. Sweetie shop/kid does come to mind. Thanks to Heidi and her healing fingers! And thank you to Agenes and Donald for looking after another Lunicorn who was feeling a bit poorly. We had a lovely time with Doreen and Michael on Saturday night in Lang's before we headed off to treat ourself to a bite to eat. We popped into Pavarotti Trattoria on Cambridge Street and very quickly departed again, having been talked to quite rudely, when we made a simple request for a number of starters (all on the menu). We feltin a tapas mood, and thought we could share. Not to be. At this point, as we were walking homewards thinking we would just grab a pizza from the freezer, we spyed a wee place on Great Western Road called Enjoy. And enjoy we did. We had it to ourselves to start with, and the husband and wife team cook everything fresh. Nothing was any bother, and it had such a great vibe. And guess what, they're starting to offer tapas on Friday nights. So we took some of their leaflets and distributed them in our bags the next day at Body & Soul.
You may recall us mentioning our friends Rachael and James (the ones who have just returned from travelling the world)? Last week, we kind of invited ourselves for dinner at Rachael's mum and dad's - Pat & Bernard. Poor Pat was charged with the task of creating a veggie meal. And we can truly say, she can outcook Delia anyday. It was fantastic, and nice to be fed. And Pat & Bernard are great amiable hosts. I can just see us phoning up Rachael soon and asking if her mum and dad are coming out to play!
The big news is that we did our first adult workshop in Kelty on Sunday. Yes, ten real live grown-up people who know a thing or more about reikki. No pressure then! The feedback was good, I think they enjoyed it. Our workshop has a strong fun element to it, whilst also including the more serious side.
On Saturday Pippa Gather was strutting her stuff on the streets of the West End telling everyone about The Marketplace which was going on inside. Lots of people came for a browse, and thank you Maggie for the corks. Good to see Andy, Fraser, John and of course Great Auntie Merle.
Some friends are spending their first day at that big new building across the river at Pacific Quay. I had the joy of seeing it myself last week, and it has to be said, it is impressive. It's a good job that I no longer have to ensconce myself in said place as the restaurant is indeed licensed. Back to the kid/sweetie shop analogy.
The month of June is taken up with a variety of corporate visits, PTAs and Rainbow Guide's events before we get back into the spiritual side of things with Witchfest in July. Don't forget Nikki's mediumship demonstration at Gather on 4th June - 7.45pm. Not to be missed. And if you haven't got your copy of The Witch Hiker's Guide yet, then check out their website and let them know. We do have some copies here too.
So in the meantime, here's to circles merging, circles widening and circles over-lapping. It's great fun, if somewhat olympic.
Chin Chin
The Lunicorns

Missing a syllable...

2007-05-16T22:55:00.000+01:00

Yes, it would seem we are now becoming known as Laura Lunicorn and Lyn Lunicorn, except folks call us collectively Laura Lunicorn, as apparently, it 'slips off the tongue' easier. Well since Lyn Lunicorn is actually Marilyn Lunicorn, maybe that would work? But then we lose the whole 'L's Belles' malarky. Do give us your thoughts, happy to consider deed poll alterations etc. in the name of Lunicorn.
So what HAVE we been up to since last we blogged.
Well, the Mystic and Holistic day in Hamilton was rather good, we met lots of tuned in folks and June, as ever, was fab. Then popped into Tir na nOg for an impromptu barbeque and inadvertently started the veggie sausage wars.
And we launched our new pull-up banner (stop yawning!). It's very exciting and KallKwik on Great Western Road have been SO good with us. We also now can boast of Lunicorn gift vouchers -very sparkly, very magical - just what you always wanted for that friend you have who loves unicorns but you can't think what to buy?
And we'd like to thank another Laura - Lucky Cats Laura, who has been a source of objective suggestions for us, and sellophane! And cool masks!
Then we were off to New Lanark for their May Day Food and Gift Fair and a Unicorns, Fairies & Wizards children's workshop. Speaking of which, good ole Pippa at Gather in Glasgow has only gone and booked us in for another one of aforementioned on 15th July. See her website (and ours!) for details.
We had a very interesting platform sesh with renowned medium Nikki MacKay last week. Spooky dooky or what. Her accuracy left many in tears, in a good way. We believe the next date is 4th June at Gather in Glasgow at 7.45pm.
Meanwhile the Witch Hiker's guide goes from strength to strength, we heard reports of customers actually scrapping over the last copy in a Byres Road shop recently.
We hosted our stall at Tir na nOg's increasingly wonderful Craft Fair last weekend, and this weekend, it's ta da - Body & Soul at the Concert Hall in Glasgow. Always a good one for us, and well, now we do have our new pull up and stuff.
Also, for one particular collaborative writing project, we made a major leap this week. Watch this space, all will be revealed very very soon. Oooooh, isn't it all very exciting? The vibes are good. Although the common trend of thought seems to be (and we would agree) that Mercury is having a laugh. It's not supposed to turn retro till 15th June, but hmmmmm, for us shower/toaster/outside lights all blew this week, and all of our friends have had similar glitches. Well, maybe we're just being tested. Till next week.
Toodle pip
Love & lucky lotteries
The Lunicorns

Limbering up to Beltane

2007-04-27T12:00:00.000+01:00

so it's officiallly summer! And it certainly feels like it. Last weekend we hosted our stall at the Assembly Rooms and the Body and Soul Fair in Edinburgh. It's been a few years since we last 'did' Edinburgh, so we thought it was time to revisit. It had a different vibe from the usual Body & Soul Fairs, but the weekend was so full of exciting and magical people that it didn't hamper us. And of course, it was the launch of The Witch Hiker's Guide too. If you haven't got your copy yet then check out the link on our website and order one now! It's your essential map to the world of mind, body & spirit, and it's got a sense of humour! Great to catch up with Pauline, Lorna, Mandy, John, Carole and Dr Roy, and all our Edinburgh buddies. The highlight of this week, amidst all the meetings and greetings, has definitely been 'The Recovery Club's gig last night. When Amy took to the mic, the room was mesmerised and captivated. Watch this space, when they're collecting their Brits, Grammies etc. - you heard it here first. Tomorrow we're off to Hamilton and a Mystic & Holistic Day, and we believe there's a bit of 'do' on at Tir na nOg too. Really sorry to be missing their Open Day this time, but we haven't yet sussed how to clone ourselves so we can be in two places at once. Working on it though. Crikey, next week, we're in to May, and word has it, May is going to be a whirlwind month. It's fitting, we feel, that the two year anniversary of Lunicorn is Monday 30th April. The day when we will stay up till dawn and welcome Beltane with glee!
Till next time
Toodle-pip
The Lunicorns

Pink sheep?!?!?

2007-04-22T08:47:00.000+01:00

Quickie....
Are we seriously behind the times, or has anyone else spotted the pink sheep on the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh?
We've heard of the power of the pink pound, but does this mean that farmers are getting in on the act?

Magic and Mayhem

2007-04-18T23:20:00.000+01:00

Greetings fellow Lunicorners,
We've been busy. Quelle supreeeeeeeeez. We had our first Gather in Glasgow childrens workshop - you know the theme - Unicorns, Fairies & Wizards. Despite the fact that the yogies had been in the space before us and thus had the heating up full bung, we perspired through it. It's a marvellous space at Gather, if you've not been, it's well worth a check oot. And we're reliably informed, it's not usually as tropical as it was that particular Saturday. Kids seemed to enjoy themselves, so much so, we've sparked a forum discussion on a website called 'Damsels'... And as reports filter in of children from workshop with unicorn tattoos still intact after several days, we really do have to revise that line when administering aforementioned tattoos "and this means you must not wash for a week". And so, to our next workshop at New Lanark on May 7th. Another great space and location. Meanwhile, over at the 'oldest hoose in Glesga' - the Provand's Lodge & St Mungo's Museum, we're setting up stall on 28th July for its Family Fun Day. Had a great meeting with Tony there this week. Quite a guy, and of course we like him hugely because he bought us carrot cake. Hoping the lovely Agnes can join us there too with her therapies galore. After all, it was back in dem olden days, a place of 'healing'. One Lunicorn was treated to a 'family constellation' by the wondrous Nikki at the start of the week. It was BIG - and there were tears too. Now, there's a fine example of a lady who is 100% spiritually authentic, but then she does bring us chocolate so....speaking of which, what with Easter and stuff, we've been noticing (maybe it's an age thing) that rarely do eggs have the goodies inside nowadays. Usually there's the empty chocolate egg, and packaged somewhat over-eggedly to the side in a plastic compartment is what you would have got inside the egg. Therefore it was with much glee we discovered Nikki's gift of a Smarties egg, had its contents inside. Oh joyously did we strategically split the choc with a child friendly knife to discover some pink smarties which looked worryingly like Ibuprofen and some jewellery. Not only did we receive a heart shaped plastic bracelet, but a pink heart ring (like something Goldie would wear in his yoof). And then to top it all a matching necklace. Note to Nestle....don't be kiddist - we couldn't get the necklace round our double chins, so we were somewhat bereft and to be honest, felt a bit marginalised, as forty-somethings wanting to enjoy the splendour of a Smarties egg. Do we feel a letter coming on? On that note, and apologies to any guys reading this, as we know how you still smart at the mention of female monthlies, but on opening a box of T**p*x recently, we discovered one A**l*c*t*r paper torn. Thinking that it could well have been injected with some explosive device (perish the thought, but such is our propaganditary current climate), and hopeful of some vouchers, the Lunicorns penned a letter to Proctor & Gamble. It was with great delight that we did indeed receive an assurance that there had been no tampering with the tam***s, and a fiver voucher. Sweet! Took it over to our local shop who said "we don't normally accept vouchers" but to quell his embarrassment, said "ok then, we will this time". One box of Super Plus and one box of Regular later, we exited saying "keep the change". Moving swiftly on....we're at Bewitching Beauty on Friday then off to Auld Reekie for the Edinburgh Body & Soul fair at The Assembly Rooms at the weekend and word has it, good things are bound for May (hence the title). April could be construed as May's hem, or would that really be June? And here's another quick link - June Moore, owner of Inspirations in Motherwell is hosting a Mystic & Holistic Day in Hamilton at the end of this month (see our calendar for full details). Obviously we'll be there, but there's other magical unicorn stuff going on too. And so to the days ahead - Dr Mark - looking foward very much to our meeting in Borders, Allan, you don't know this yet, but we'll be calling on your talents, and Amy, well cannae wait till your gig in the Liquid Ship on 26th. Oh yes, and isn't that the date of a certain magical lady's 30th birthday too? Did we mention the Smoking Unicorn print? That's a whole other story.
Till then, luxurious luminosity and lovely things.
The Lunicorns
x

Coos and ducks at The Glasshouse

2007-04-11T18:09:00.000+01:00

And so we found ourselves on Sunday and Monday at The Glasshouse in Queen's Park, Glasgow. We were reputedly going to set out our stall at a 'craft & crystals' fair, and discovered that we were alongside the Easter Pets Parade for the weans. After we became accustomed to the fragrant smells of nature what with the Highland cow and her calf, the sheep with her two lambs and a variety of hens & ducks, we then had to get used to the baa-ing and the moo-ing and the quacking. Not that we're complaining, mind. Living in close proximity to Maryhill Road, the only sounds we usually hear are cars tooting and sirens blaring! After we oooh-ed and ahhhed over the cuteness of the calf and the suckling lambs, and thanked goodness we were veggies, we then discovered some hatching, literally hatching, chicks. Now that was a sight to be seen. Poor little chick battering its way through the shell, soon to emerge exhausted and unable to stand. God help it, it had perpetual voyeurs peering through its incubator from 1oam till 4pm each day. It'll be a travesty if these chicks don't find themselves with an agent and an equity card some day - yes a career treading the boards must surely be the way forward after being born in front of such an audience. All the same, we were somewhat surprised that at our ripe ages we DIDN'T fully understand the whole egg/chick/fertilisation process. Pleased to say we are ok with ourselves about loving eggs. No bit of life was ever involved in the eggs we eat. In fact it's definite those eggs never saw a cock in its life! Oops contradicting ourselves there but just the way we like it. And that was our Glasshouse experience, over and above the actual selling of our wares. It was a beautiful moment. Spring, new life and all that.
Before that we were at Gather in Glasgow's Marketplace. A great day in the heart of Glasgow's West End. The sun shone, people came and the atmosphere was fab. For one Lunicorn it was working a birthday, but it so didn't feel like work, not when we had the quick witted Pippa nearby and the pet therapy of Jacob.
After that we were off to the Isle of Arran and our second leg of children's workshops at the Burnside Gallery. One enquiring mum said 'what's the age group?' after we'd explained all that the workshop involved, eager that we may have two extra kids on board, we said 'five to ten years old', she shrugged and said 'Oh, I've got a seventeen and an eighteen year old in the car, wanting to come!"
Last week, whilst at Tir na nOg for a craft fair, we were able to enjoy their fabulous all-day veggie breakfast (no, we're not on commission, but if meant we could have even just one of those a week, we would happily accept). And for Easter the fabulous chefs there had made fairy lollipops and angel honeycomb thingies and easter eggs. Mmmmmmmmm.
Have you heard about the soon to be available Witch Hiker's Guide magazine? A wondrous down to earth contemporary read about all things of mind, body & spirit. And guess what, it's free? We'll have copies at Lunicorn, so if you fancy picking one up, then check out our calendar for where we'll be when.
We're off to a meeting with New Lanark this week, where we're dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's on our 7th May workshop.
It's all go at Lunicorn HQ and as one Lunicorn said to the other recently in true Eastenders 'Honey' fashion - "We've got lots of pies in the sky at the moment", er yes, we're sure there are some fingers involved there somewhere. Till next time...
Skies, pies and Lunicorn candy floss filled dreams
x

Browse and Dowse

2007-03-26T21:13:00.000+01:00

And yes, this was our brand new experience in Aberdeen this weekend at the Beach Ballroom - dowse as you browse! One customer picked up one of our little rose quartz hearts in its starry pouch and swung it over our boxes to decide which of them she should buy for a friend. She then used the same method to pick one of our pewter unicorns, and then post purchase, she moved to the book stall, and asked to borrow her previous dowsing implement from our stall. Fabulous. Whatever, however, we love it!
So, we drove to the Granite city amidst wonderful sunshine pre British Summertime commencement, and returned today in a haze of glory post British Summertime. Thank you unicorns for guiding and returning us safely.
Now, you know how much we adore Aberdeen, but what's going on eatswise on a Sunday night? We were later packing up on Sunday and so it was after eight by the time we'd returned to our Travelodge, had a quick de-brief, and then set off to Union Street in search of grub. On Friday and Saturday, we'd happened upon an area just off Belmont Street, called Gaelic Lane which had everything we could wish for - a pub selling Caffrey's and Jamieson's and wonderful cheap vegetarian food. This is where we dined on Friday, and on Saturday, due to a huge screen showing footie and hunners of people, we opted for the nearby Slain's Castle (a very gothic incredibly detailed stained glass red low lit uppy downy nookie crannie hostelry - our kind of place - which we then discovered was part of a chain - shame!). Anyhoo, there we were trawling the streets of Aberdeen, hungry, very hungry, and stopping at every lit building and asking if they were serving. No, no, no. The thought of a takeaway and a screw cap bottle of wine back in our room, starting to feel quite appealing, when lo and behold, there it was - La Tasca (again a chain, but an authentically individually driven one, if there be such a thing). So, we crept into the warmth, secured a table and ordered a heap of tapas. Why is it when you're starving, you think you can eat ten times what you would normally. Suffice to say, there were a few left-overs, but we returned to our Travelodge satiated and knackered.
We're pleased to share our de-brief with our reading public - this was our BEST ever Body and Soul fair on so many different levels. Hard cash sales being one. Selling more of our own hand-crafted products being another. Meeting up with our usual gang, hooking up with old friends and encountering good vibes from newbies too. (sorry Witch-hiker, stole that one from you) plus the joy of being able to go outside and smell the air and watch the sea (for one Lunicorn, this is an experience, she's only just starting to notice). Yes, have just booked our Travelodge for our return leg in Aberdeen in October (and for any would be house robbers out there, we do have house sitters and cctv, so there!). Met the lovely ladies from the Granite Sisters, a new psychic Irish chap called Kieran, and broke bread with Doreen and Michael (thank you guys for your unending support), and Agnes (what can we say, keep on salsa-ing and we're awaiting your tassle workshop next month), good to meet Alison De Marco too. And Donald and Donald, we love you! Rosemary and Frank - get that Travelodge booked NOW! Hilary and Dave - ta for the flapjacks - there's a joke in there somewhere. Liam, what a joy it was to see you again. Thank Goodness, selfishly we say, you're not London bound yet. And Ruth....a Body & Soul fair just doesn't seem complete without your fabulously glamorous presence. Once again, all of the people mentioned above have had faith in us from the beginning, and don't think we don't appreciate it. Not related to the Aberdeen event, but whilst we're on a thankfest - Nikki - we are going to do the freezer thing tomorrow re others random negative vibes, Oona thank you for our fab book on unicorns, Kendal thanks in advance for our e-bay tutorial, and Joe & Ike, just because.....Rachael, thanks for coming home, Pippa - ta for believing, Suz - for being the duchess, yet bizarrely real, did we previously mention Jennifer, who amidst her high fallutin' media career, had time to help out the Lunicorns at the end of last year? And Amy, well, SO looking forward to your gig in the Liquid Ship on 26th April. Right, we've probably missed people (like Andy, Maggie. Carole & John etc.) but you guys have been mentioned before....and you know we love you. Getting carried away now with all the love and light, so probably best to sign off.
Love and British summertime light.
Solar shinings
The Lunicorns
x

Boing Boing...

2007-03-02T16:57:00.000Z

The title reference is that we are now springing, indeed we are 100% sprung into March - how did that happen?
Letter now been dispatched to MacDonald hotels (see earlier post) and we await some sort of explanation. The ratio of good news to not so good is ever increasing. Starting with the not so good first - we were sad to hear that one of our cutest stockists in York - Odds Bodkins, is no more. A quaint mystical shop in Bootham Tower, but it seems quaint mystical buyers would rather seek their quaint mystic on the internet. I know, pot kettle and all that (as we do indeed have an on-line store), but it's not good to hear of a smaller retailer being forced out of the market place. Good luck to you Ms Hyde and at least you tried.
On a brighter note, we've got workshops galore over Easter. Details are on our website and bookings are filling up fast. We're back at the Burnside on the mystical Isle of Arran for a whopping eight, two at magical Tir na nOg, and one at the rather funky Gather in Glasgow. If you're a dog lover, than drop into Gather and meet Jacob, a beautiful pup soon to be adorning our pet parade. Actually, if you're not a dog lover, then you soon will be, when you see him.
Last night, we displayed our wares at the fabulous Bewitching Beauty on the South Side of Glasgow and met some fabulous folks.
Last weekend was our big Body & Soul fair at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. It was really well attended and it was great to catch up with everyone again, especially Agnes, Doreen & Michael, the Donalds, Norrie, Hilary et al. This month, it's Body & Soul in Aberdeen, and you know how we love Aberdeen.
Our friends Rachael and James return from their year long trip overseas next week, and we're looking forward to hearing all about their adventures. Having recently invested in a Skype phone we've been able to keep in touch via the ethernet. Do you think one day, when the world is Skyped, we'll be able to transmit our entire selves in this way? Maybe Star Trek wasn't so far from fact with the whole 'beam me up Scottie' doodah.
Meanwhile, we've been hatching all sorts of plans, and the air is thick with opportunities. At the start of this year, we decided we would take a more laid back approach to events, and be more selective as to those we would attend with our stall. So far, without actively pursuing, we've notched up an amazing sixty from January till the end of this year, and more are coming in fast and furious. Yes, there's definitely something afoot for 2007 - it is after all the year of the pig and more than that the Golden Pig, which we believe, only happens once every six decades and signifies luck and prosperity. Here on planet Lunicorn, we like to think of it as the year of the horn of plenty.
And on that positive note, we sign off till next time
Love and full moon tidings
The Lunicorns

Addressing smart dress!

2007-02-11T15:41:00.000Z

Have just returned from a lunicorn excursion at Loch Rannoch. The MacDonald Loch Rannoch Hotel is a beauty. Set amidst 250 acres of Perthshire trees and moors and lochs, it is pretty much in the middle of nowhere (well Kinloch Rannoch village IS a mile down the road) It's a walkers and outdoor pursuits folkies retreat. Why therefore did we choose to escape there, you may ask? Our room overlooked the fabulous Loch Rannoch itself, literally 100 yards from our window, the skies were the deepest black of an evening (well, when it wasn't snowing) , no traffic to be heard and signs warned of stray animals. So with this in mind, you get the picture that folks visiting this particular hotel would be dressed casually i.e. not packed with a dinner suit or such like. So last night having shyed away on Friday night from the lavish three course dinner at the hotel to opt for a toastie in the community run cafe in Kinloch Rannoch (and very nice it was too), we were attracted by the candle-light and luxury of the hotel restaurant. Especially because last night, they had two rather appealing vegetarian dishes on the menu. So excitedly, having just had a sumptuous swim, sauna and steam, with hair somewhat bedraggled and wet, and albeit with the intention of heading upstairs for a bath, change and hair-dry, we asked at the restaurant if they could accommodate us. Nope. No jeans allowed. We said we hadn't packed for formal wear, that we'd come away for a relaxing break, nope still, we weren't allowed into the restaurant, which begs the question, what exactly is 'smart dress'? Presumably for guys this means a tie, but for us ladies, particularly for one Lunicorn who last wore a dress as a bridesmaid for her best friend's wedding back in the early nineties, where do waiters or restaurant managers draw the line? And would a mini skirt revealing all be more acceptable than a smart pair of jeans and boots? Now, dem is da rules and rather than kick up a fuss, we chose to accept. And to be fair, they DID let us order one of the dishes in our room, but it was the ambience we wanted, and this particular rule was NOT flagged up on the website at time of booking. Nor was the fact that it was an entirely non-smoking hotel. Which, again, for one Lunicorn, expecting to have a relaxing break, found herself standing in blizzards for a fix. We know the rules in Scotland, but still hotel rooms are classed as personal space and so most accommodation offers the choice of a smoking or non-smoking room, or at least a partially covered area for the throaty lepers. Again no mention of this at time of booking. That said, we cannot fault the staff or service, but c'mon guys, we think you could have lightened up a bit over the dress code in the restaurant. We sat at breakfast today, in the same room as the dining room, and everyone had jeans and walking boots on, so really, what's the difference?
Oooooh, we feel a letter to MacDonald Hotels coming on....
Peeved, from Glasgow.
Luni Luni
x

How do you dhudi?

2007-02-06T23:12:00.001Z

Indeed it was that we found ourselves at the fruit and veg dept. of our local supermarket, and as we listlessly toyed with the courgettes, we found ourselves face to face with a 'Dhudi'. Allegedly like a courgette, but looking more like a size zero marrow, we decided to give it a go. Tonight, we cooked the aforementioned Dhudi, sauteed with garlic and proceed to eat. Yuk! A bit bitter. Wondering if it's like an aubergine, and there's a salt preparation issue. Any Dhudi eaters out there, reveal yourselves now.
Talking of aubergines, we also procured some baby ones, as they looked less offensive than the big size, and we're thinking of conjuring up a wee pate or a dip. We think our Magic Bullet smoothie maker may have a purpose within this process. But again, any veggies out there who have suggestions, we'd very much appreciate it.
We had a trip to Stirling Castle on Friday to see the now famous unicorn tapestries. Two have already been done, and the others are underway. We visited the Tapestry Studio, where real live weavers weave. We watched, and one Lunicorn terrified that her mobile phone could ring had to exit when she saw the sign 'please do not speak to the weavers'. All the same, we found it a bit sad, because the story the tapestries tell is that of the Hunt of the Unicorn, and it involves deception, greed and of course, a slaying. We dined in the Unicorn Cafe and deposited some of our leaflets at the till. All in all, an invigorating experience, especially as we'd parked the Lunicornmobile in the town centre. Top Tip: There IS a car park at the castle itself.
Yesterday we visited Portencross to look at the sea and clamber over rocks and then West Kilbride to investigate its title of 'Craft Town of Scotland'. Then we visited pals one Lunicorn hadn't seen for over 13 years. How bizarre to meet a young lady who last seen was the tender age of seven and is now the fully formed age of 24!
Glad to see readers are now interacting and leaving comments, so we're awaiting those recipes.
Anyhoo, enough already.
Till next blog
Love and Tights
The Lunicorns

No comment

2007-02-01T13:26:00.000Z

Ok, so we know at least two people out there do actually read our blogs....so please, so we don't look like 'luni no mates' can someone try leaving a comment. It's been months since our last comment, and frankly, we're feeling a little bit unloved. Even the unicorns, we know you don't speak, but it's 'neigh good' because we know you could use your horn to tap a wee message to us....
Seriously, it's easy to do. You can even do it anonymously. The whole thing about blogging is 'interactivity' and we'd like to hear what you think.
So there.
Rant over.
Back to love and light.
x

Smoothies and Paul McKenna

2007-01-29T22:58:00.000Z

Well, here we are limbering up towards the end of January, and we've made it. Despite encountering, according to experts, the most depressing day of the year (22nd January) we've emerged happier, healthier and soon to be wealthier. We invested in a 'magic bullet' and we've been smoothying our way to health with three a day ever since. For one Lunicorn, who had a brief foray with fruit back in 1986, it's been a revelation. How easy it is to drink banana, apple juice and er.....'summer fruits' (£2 a bag at Iceland)and not even consider a full fry up of a morning? You can actually feel the fruit cleanse all those well worn rivers of well, let's face it, intoxication and then enjoy an energy boost. Add to that a free cd with a well known newspaper daily of Paul McKenna's Deep Relaxation Guide and Self Help to an inner better you (or some such like) and we, at Lunicorn HQ, have never felt so good. Admittedly we are now starting to do impersonations of Paul McKenna and his new found Mid Atlantic accent, but hey ho, if it works, don't fix it. Since we've been listening to Sir Paul, things have been a-happening. Good things. We hosted our stall at Body & Soul in Dundee on Saturday and unleashed our new colour unicorn print. It was fab. Spent more time catching up with the regulars than we did actually interacting with potential customers, but you know, that careless abandon seemed to pay off. How often have you walked into a clothes shop and been put off by an over zealous assistant offering to be Trinny & Susannah? So best to just let folks browse and we were there if any questions needed answering.
Anyhoo, a very interesting documentary is about to start on TV, and we have to go watch so.....
Love and fantastic full moon (approaching)light
The Lunicorns

Pilot got it wrong....

2007-01-17T10:14:00.000Z

Greetings for 2007, and frankly we've never felt better. All this 'January, sick and tired you've been hanging on me' to quote Pilot is a load of nonsense (for anyone under the age of 40 reading this, you may struggle to recognise that lyric).
We've had a terrific rest and have been raring to go since the start of last week. We did our first event of the year out at Moodiesburn, off the A80 last Saturday, and it was terrific to be 'back in the saddle'. There, we launched our new leaflet which was received very well, especially as it shows how we have evolved over a year. Help has been coming at us in a number of guises, and we're thankful for every bit. Exciting, really truly madly exciting projects are brewing in all corners, and we're confident we'll have something spectacular to unleash by the end of the year. Whilst in Moodiesburn we dropped in on our friend Agnes at Natural Solutions and enjoyed an aura drawing each which was spookily accurate. This was then all compounded, for one Lunicorn, by a chat with Kimba Syng the next day and for the other Lunicorn, John Ballantine (he talks to angels). Thank you Margaret also for our paraffin wax hand treatment and luxurious Indian Head Massage. And now for the website redesign. That's all in hand, and some extra sparkle should be heading through the ethernet within the next week or so. The biggie for us this month is Body & Soul Show at Dundee on 27th January, looking forward to seeing the old gang and meeting some new folks too. Plus, we'll have a new colour unicorn print to show off, not to mention some fresh tree wisdom magnets. 2007 already feels like it's a great year, and things can only get better. Sure that's another song lyric we finished with there, but can't remember artist, answers on the comments bit please!
p.s. if you fancy a bit of speed-dating with a twist for Valentine's Day, then check out Tir na nOg's link to see what they have up their sleeve.
Let's hear it for January...
Toodle pip
The Lunicorns

Yule love it!

2006-12-22T10:57:00.000Z

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?
So here we are on the first day after Winter Solstice, a time for both reflection and new beginnings. Which brings us to thinking about Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now'. This year has been an eye-opener. It's been challenging, inventive and wildly adventurous. We've experienced true friendship and discovered those who wanted to know 'us' and 'lunicorn' i.e. it's been crystal clear that some of our 'aquaintances' were only interested when we were involved in more 'glamourous' pursuits. That clarity has been refreshing and discerning. This may all seem a bit cryptic, but those who know us will understand. We took a leap this year and entered a world that was much less secure. However, we've survived. Someone said to us earlier in the year that we had to be prepared to jump off the highest mountain, safe in the knowledge that somewhere between the peak and the crash, we'd be caught. I think we're still mid jump but we're no longer waiting to leap and we certainly haven't landed yet. So watch this space. We have SO many truly exciting plans for 2007, so much so, we're giddy with anticipation. We're looking forward to some magical collaberations, new platforms for Lunicorn and of course, new products.
So with that we wish you well and hope you have a fabulous Yule!
Much love & tinselly sparkly light
The Lunicorns

The Travelodge Diaries

2006-12-06T01:23:00.000Z

...and so it seems that day after day we happened upon yet another travelodge with the same 'dream' pictures on the walls, those unmistakable quilts and the window in exactly the same place, until we found ourselves somewhat excited to discover ourselves in a corner room in the first floor of a travelodge in Perth recently. Yes, the prints on the walls were the same, everything else was exactly as we had left it in Inverness, BUT the window was different! We had two windows in the corner. It was fabulous. Albeit we may now be sounding like Travelodge bores, and the wind was howling all night, but hey, it was a changed environment for us, and we loved it. So, we've been to the Highlands and back in the midst of some dreadful weather. The little Lunicorn mobile struggled to withstand the 80mph winds in the Cairngorms but thankfully the unicorns were looking out for us and we made it back safe and sound. Our friend Liam very kindly gifted us some selenite unicorn horn crystals and a rather wonderfully bizarre flashing unicorn magnetised badge to see us on our way, so we felt well protected. Our highlights of the past while or so have been the vegetarian menu selection at the 'Snow Goose' in Inverness, adjacent to aforementioned travelodge. However, they must have got a job lot on mushrooms because for three nights running the specials were "mushroom lasanga" and er..."mushroom soup". Still, never a word be said against them, as they were good enough to supply us with a tub of ice on request...And that tub of ice was never more required a few weeks ago when one Lunicorn found herself falling her full length outside the Perth Travelodge with important caskets in hand including a bottle of whisky. Lying on her back in agony with sprained ankle and bloodied knee, she could only utter those immortal words "is the whisky intact"? To which of course, the other Lunicorn fell about in peals of laughter....A first aid kit later....and the scabs of which injury can still we're sure be found in the Inverness travelodge (nice). So you'll be pleased to hear the knee has now gone pink and shiny and and the ankle, well it's still clicking, as one Inverness reflexologist muttered. So we spotted the unicorn statue at the eastgage in Inverness, and outside St. john's in Perth, and even in the stained glass in the Royal Highland Hotel of Inverness. They're EVERYWHERE! Thanks again to Ruth for inviting us into her home to host a 'Unicorns, Fairies & Wizards' party, and for introducing us to the mystical Velsha and to Duncan for putting up with us in the kitchen. And hey Lyn Haworth, when will we get time to chat? And Christine today for visiting us at Holmwood House (did we mention they're having a Christmas Cracker in Cathcart? Santa's there, in his grotto, it's all very, very magical...). Thanks to Jen for her belief and her time, Merle for her continued web spinning, Carole and John similarlly, and Andy and Allan. And finally, thanks to Yasmin, though she will probably NEVER read this blog, but she knows what she's done. So till next blog....
Love and full moon light
The Lunicorns

Crikey! It's almost a month since our last blog...

2006-11-23T11:18:00.000Z

We've been on the road. Wish we could say we felt like rock stars but apart from meeting some fabulous folks along the way, there's been very little glamour. Lots of set-ups, break-downs and travelodges, and many many miles pounded in what feels like forty days of rain. We've been in corporates, schools, Ladies Nights, Craft fayres, our trusty Body & Soul shows and even found ourselves in a Bingo Hall. Speaking of the latter, one lady came up to us and told us how she'd just been in front of our stall touching our wares then went in to the game and won £400. She, of course, then bought one of our lucky pewter unicorns. Well, it's no co-incidence that a unicorn (albeit with the voice of Graham Norton) features in the Lottery ads. We've enjoyed some amazing kindnesses from people we know and people we don't. Things have been disappearing from the Lunicorn HQ and our heating has been switching itself on (even when it's switched off). The engineer's been out and can find nothing wrong. We spoke to a friend who 'knows' about such things. She informed us that someone was maybe looking out for us and wanted us to 'notice' them. We finally figured out that the biggest items to 'disappear' had been TEN GUARDIAN ANGEL PYRAMIDS. So guys, we know you're there. Thank you very much. Can we have our pyramids back now please? We also hosted an evening of magic and sparkle here at the HQ, and had the fantastic Agnes and Margaret offering a range of treatments upstairs. From Reiki to Chakra Balancing and Aura Drawing to Reflexology to name but a few, they were booked out all night, and everyone who had a therapy returned looking somewhat calmer and spacey. We made our notorious cocktail which is NOT the ideal beverage to be consumed post therapy, however, three full silver punch bowls later....ahem! We'd also like to take this opportunity to publicly tip a wink and a huge thank you to Lady Maggie Mutch, and similarly to Ruth in Perth. You know what you've done and we hope you know how much we appreciate it. Anyway, time to go pack a tardis and don some fairy wings.
Toodlepip till next we speak
Love & Light
The Lunicorns

Granite City Rocks

2006-10-25T09:37:00.000+01:00

Have just returned from Aberdeen where we hosted our stall at the Body & Soul Fair at the Beach Pavilion. Not only that, but we also presented our first ever talk to a handful of interested parties. Entitled 'Return of the unicorns', in it, we explained the spiritual, historical and Scottish significance of unicorns. We hope it was well received. A packet of plain chocolate digestives accompanied us, and we offered everyone who attended to partake. Nothing like a bribe to ensure a captive audience. Have we mentioned before that we adore Aberdeen? Everyone is so friendly, the city so beautiful, and the air, so fresh. The only blot on the landscape for us this visit was the high incidence of spiders in our travelodge. Having already released three from our room, by the fourth we had to consult reception for assistance. They explained that because the lodge was near a river, no sooner had they put the little (actually, large) legs out, did they scurry back in, so get over it, was their response! Thankfully soon to be in our possession, is an eco-friendly spider 'catcher'. Well, 'catcher' isn't really the word, because it's more of an arms length 're-locater'. There are batteries involved, but we are reliably assured that no harm comes to the spider in the process.
This week we're in a flurry of corporate visits before setting up stall at the Braehead Christmas Food, Drink & Gift Show. However no mulled wine will be passing the Lunicorn lips, as once we've finished there at five-ish, we're off to evening events with our mystical wares. Well, it is nearly Hallowe'en after all, and if there was ever a time to sparkle, it's now! Speaking of which, last year, we crafted a bonafide pumpkin lantern and hung it outside the front door. This seemed to act as an invitation for a barrel load of kids to knock, and entertain us with er....a one-liner. Yes, that was it. In our day, we had to sing every verse of 'Blowin' in the wind' or something equally long, before we even got to sniff a piece of tablet.
And back to our Aberdeen visit. Our 'Believe Books' had their proper launch at Body & Soul, and were extremely popular, so watch this space for more of the same.
Looking out the window today, the only word that comes to mind is 'dreech' (spelling to be confirmed), it's definitely speeding towards winter, but the leaves outside are so very red. It's well worth the central heating costs to see such beautiful colours.
So with that in mind, we're off to look out our thermals and are city bound for a day in a friendly insurance company afore heading down the M77 to Ayr Racecourse, where we're sure to spot some unicorns.
Toodle-pip
The Lunicorns

More on the wizards...

2006-10-16T11:36:00.000+01:00

Intrigued to read Chris Evans' (yes, Chris Evans!) latest blog about the wizards. Wow, what with him and Noel Edmonds, it would seem that higher consciousness is touching DJs everywhere. Or maybe it's just that those two have a high profile. All the same, it can only be good for the movement of energies. If you get a chance check it out, it's entitled 'what's is all about amalfi?"
The Lunicorns were hosting their magical stall at Mugdock Country Park this weekend, and never thought they'd find themselves, on Sunday, searching for individuals with a criminal background, for it would seem that the key to the cashbox, containing various coppers and silver, had been left back at the Lunicorn HQ. Screwdrivers, knives and nails all failed in their mission to undo the tiny inoffensive latch that prevented us from giving customers the correct change, until, Eureka, a fellow stall holder produced a trusty penknife. The kind that can also sew a hem, change a wheel and even probably construct a house. Eventually, one of the assorted tools seemed to kind of fit, and after much tinkering suddenly Pandora's box was open. Now we're not advocating lock picking as a future career for us Lunicorns, but this new found skill got us out of a tight spot within minutes. Which poses the question, is there any point in locking the cashbox overnight in the first place. We've lost a few items from our stall along the way through pilfering, but we're of the general belief that karma will win through in the end. So, we tend not to get too hung up about the odd trifle going missing. I suppose we should take it as a compliment. Not that we're particularly seeking compliments of that nature. Well, the sun is shining, it's the middle of October, and the air has definitely got a nip in it. And so, it's time to get one of the last (we suspect) washings hung out this year and go off on more Lunicorn business.
Till next blog
Love & Light
The Lunicorns

Wizards of Oz

2006-10-04T13:12:00.000+01:00

Heartened by a phonecall from one of Lunicorn's best pals all the way from Sydney in Australia this morning, the Lunicorns got to thinking about time and distance. Our pal Rascal, as we like to call her, sounded like she was just in the next room, and due to some internet program, it only cost her a penny per minute, which meant we could talk and talk....Fantastic!
We've not seen her since March this year, when she set off with her beau on a big adventure round the world. Yet it seemed like it was just yesterday. So going back to our 'clocking in and out of friendships' debate - Rascal may be on the other side of the world (oooh, we feel a KT Tunstall song coming on) but we've probably had a longer conversation with her this year, than some of our closer to home friends. The moral, it doesn't matter! As long as friends know you're there and thinking about them, it's not about how much mileage we clock up on the chatometer, or how many times we schedule 'catch-ups', real friends just know and that's the important thing.
We can't wait to see Rascal again next March, but also know that she's on a possibly life-changing journey at the moment. So, if you're reading this lady, thank you, thank you for your call.
What have we been up to since our last confession? A few corporate drop ins with our magical wares, and a Farmer's Market in Falkirk this weekend coming. That, plus, our believe book is finally ready to be unleashed. See website for further info. We're extremely happy with it, even more so, that it's entirely to our spec and design, and that we found a real live bookbinder in Glasgow, with ancient looking machines and everything. Our 'Tokyo Hot' chillies have now gone red, the leaves on the trees are starting to turn, and autumn is here. It's time to find the jumpers from the back of the wardrobe and make soup. Meanwhile, if you're a subscriber to Cygnus Magazine, you might have noted Diana Cooper's article entitled 'A little light from Diana'. In it, she talks about how the unicorns are returning to earth....And on that note, as we go to join in the celebrations of our friend Maggie's 50th birthday tonight, we bid you 'g'day'....
Love & Light
The Lunicorns

Mums know best....

2006-09-24T19:05:00.000+01:00

And so, the two Lunicorns went off to their respective parents to receive some TLC, and in the case of one Lunicorn, some incredibly awful tasting cough medicine called Ammonia and Epichechenana or something....Still and all, it was time to recharge the batteries, fight over dad's crossword and play with their ringtones. So here we are now back in the fold of Lunicorn Heights with strict instructions to keep taking the medicine!(And no doubt, two hourly phonecalls to check that it is indeed being ingested as per instructions) At what point do we stop being children? I guess, the point when we have children of our own, and have to assume the mantle of carer, rather than cared for...? Can't help but feel that we're at an age when we should be looking after our parents, but as long as they have their faculties (and indeed they have) we should be thankful that SOMETIMES, it's ok to go home to the nest, pull up the duvet, and just, well, be 'looked after'. Maybe that's selfish, but sometimes mums love being able to do what they do best. And sometimes, if we're lucky enough to still have our parents, it's ok to let them.
And so, on that note, feeling a wee bit bereft that it's back to being an independent Lunicorn, I must go and ensure that I take my medicine.
Cough, splutter, and sneeze....
Toodlepip.
The Lunicorns

Canter Bury Tails....

2006-09-18T16:11:00.000+01:00

Unicorns can canter, they also have tails and we've been in Bury. (For the purposes of title translation!)
At one point, we thought this particular Lunicorn mission would have to be cancelled, as both Lunicorns have come down with a nasty chest infection. However, we braced ourselves, swallowed some antibiotics and made the trip.
Now back in our own manor, we've just run over to our local shop to eagerly pick up our Sunday Herald that we'd pre-booked (even though it's Monday!)only to discover alas and alack, it had been sent back!!! Ahhh, sometimes home comforts just aren't meant to be. Still, whilst in England, we made do with some lofty other Sunday papers, BUT, you just can't beat the Sunday Herald. So, instead of catching up with yesterday's Scottish news, we thought we'd write yet another blog.
So there we were at the Manchester Birch Travelodge East (reputedly the worst in the country - we found it excellent, and the staff very friendly)searching for a loaf of bread to pop in our own toaster (naughty!). We walked for what seemed like miles to procure one. Not a lot of shops on the M62! And in so doing, also found a local hostelry which was big on mushrooms and stilton. But forgetting we were in England and that the smoking ban had not yet reached them there parts, were stunned to find people happily lighting up INSIDE!!! It's amazing how quickly we've got used to the smoking ban here in Scotland, and we really noticed the difference this weekend. As one Lunicorn has still to kick the dreadful habit, it was part joy to be able to have a smoke and a drink at the same time, and part annoyance at being allowed to. Bizarre!
So the Life Quest exhibition at Castle Armoury was why we were there. We were gladdened to see friendly familiar Scottish faces in the shape of Hilary and Dave from Four Winds Meditations (Tibetan singing bowls) and thanks guys for allowing us to follow you out of Bury with its confusing roads last night. Then we took to the guidance of our AA route planner, only to discover it had taken us to the other side of the M62 - Birch West services!!!
There were some funny energies hovering at the exhibition so we called in our unicorns to help and protect. That said, there were also some fabulous experiences around us this weekend. One Lunicorn met a very good friend who she hadn't seen for twenty years! She had only just moved to Bury that week, and it transpires is also following an intensely spiritual path. Spooky or what?
Speaking of which isn't the autumn drama collection pretty good? Afterlife, Spooks, Cracker, Prime Suspect.....etc.
We digress....
So....thank you to the unicorns for leading us there and back safely. The roadworks were minimal, the road was clear (ish) and the Lunicorn mobile served us well (considering its recent injuries)
One Lunicorn also spent some time in Edinburgh last weekend and where-ever she turned on the Royal Mile seemed to spot a unicorn (usually on the coat of arms). She had a visit to Dynamic Earth, the Parliament and Ocean Terminal then returned to the calming sanctuary of the Belford Hotel (thank you Richard!)
Another Lunicorn is off to Anglesey on Thursday to celebrate her father's 75th birthday with the entire family. Never a dull moment!
Meanwhile, the next place to catch the Lunicorn spirit and wares is at the Mind, Body & Spirit Exhibition at The Moodiesburn House Hotel on Saturday. If you're free and in the locale, please come and say hello (AND REMEMBER THE PASSWORD IF YOU WANT A DISCOUNT)
Though we now may both have Lancashire accents (well, for at least a day), we never managed to sample any Lancashire 'otpot! Might be something to do with the meat factor, wethinks!
Running out of original sign-offs these days, so we'll stick with....
Love and light
The Lunicorns

Getting carried away.....

2006-09-12T10:33:00.000+01:00

Yes, it would seem we have blog fever!
We're very excited you see.
Our 'Believe Book' which we've been mentioning for the past few months, is finally almost ready. We've got our lush purple velvet cover all designed and ready with silver embroidery and we have now located a bookbinder in Glasgow who can add the essential finishing touches like paper etc.
We hope to have them on our stall within the next two weeks, so watch this space.
It was funny at the weekend when customers approached us and said "I believe in unicorns" and then we remembered that this was the secret password from our newsletter that offered 10% discount!
So with that update, we're up, up and away on a beautiful, beautiful balloon.
x

Monday mornings......

2006-09-11T11:56:00.000+01:00

So here we are with a million things to do and we're writing a blog.........it seems Lunicorn is taking the magic of the unicorn's horn and light to new heights. Collaborations and workshops are appearing almost out of nowhere, and it feels mighty good. As we move into our busiest time of the year, we realise how strong we need to be of mind, body and spirit (no, not the whisky fuelled type), so for any of our pals reading this, er.....we won't be free for good old fashioned socialising till January 2007!!!
We were warmed to see Tir na nOg's new postcard with a misty, magical image and the words "45 minutes from Glasgow, a million miles from the everyday". Fantastic and seems to sum up the retreat to a tee! We can't stress enough that if you haven't been yet, it's an experience to definitely take in, even just to sample the delights of the magical organical veggie cafe! See link on our website.
Our brand new tree wisdom magnets were very well received at their Crystal Fair yesterday, and we now also have Diana Cooper's Unicorn Meditation cd, which having tried out on Friday, we can say from the heart, definitely works.
We'd like to thank Mr P. for helping us out yesterday above and beyond the call of duty. True friendship, we think, is about an unquestionable automatic give and take with no clocking up of favours on either side and Mr P. definitely illustrates the best of that. So once again, thank you.
Anyhoo, this started off as a Monday morning blog and is now straying into noon, so we must don our Lunicorn horns, hooves and go swish our tails into the universe.
Till next time
Love & Light
The Lunicorns

Do things always come in threes?

2006-09-05T11:16:00.000+01:00

What is a series of mechanic breakdowns and technical failures trying to tell the Lunicorns, we wonder? First it was the Compressor on the fridge freezer, then the Clutch on the Lunicornmobile, and finally (we hope!) the hard drive on the Computer. They say losing all your files and info via a hard drive fry-up only ever happens once. i.e. the big lesson learned is BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP. So enough of the negative. Mind you since all these things have been happening, we've enjoyed some truly remarkable kindnesses from friends all around us. Out of calamity often comes joy, we've realised.
Since last blog the Lunicorns have been busy doing what they do best. Three days at the Edinburgh Festival for the Alternative Lifestyle Show, our last of three workshops on Arran, the launch of our new 'believe' keyrings from reclaimed wood, our inspirational tree wisdom nuggets (thank you Joe for making that possible), a terrific Body & Soul weekend in Glasgow, a Druid Conference, another wonderful Botanics Craft Fair, a Ladies Night at the Primary in Woodlands, Glasgow, and a trip to Dundee for more Body & Soul. All this with a well dodgy clutch and no pc. This week sees us set up at Tir na nOg's Crystal Fair on Sunday 10th September, plus a split Lunicorn shift at Mugdock Country Park on the same day with the Mugdock Makkers. Then we're venturing South to Bury for a Life Quest exhibition. We'll more than likely write another blog before we regale you with our movements for the rest of September. We hope to have our 'believe' book ready for October, and will soon also reveal our 'believe' buds. Finally, the last of the cute cuddly unicorns has now been homed, with us! We couldn't bear to sell it. It was sitting on our display like the runt of the litter, so we decided to keep it ourselves, with the knowledge that those little darlings are 'end of line' and can never be got again. So for anyone reading this, who has one, it really is now a bit special. In the meantime, we're off to try and resurrect some files from memory and start at the beginning, which we're told, is a very good place to begin.
Love & Light
The Lunicorns

Gazebos, gals and DIY

2006-08-13T23:16:00.000+01:00

Finally, Lunicorn wrote its first newsletter. Now if you're not on the list, and you'd like to be, drop us an e-mail with your details, and we'll get one off to you pronto...
As we attempted to erect yet another gazebo at Kilsyth International Carnival today, with fond memories of the last two flying off into the sunset, we got to thinking about 'when's the right time to ask a man for help'. If one Lunicorn had her way, it would be 'immediately, this is too much hassle', but the other said 'no, we could do it ourselves' and so it was today, that we learned the joys of erecting a gazebo - ALL BY OURSELVES. There were guy ropes and all sorts involved (we did borrow a hammer from the guys!), but we did it ourselves. And there was a satisfaction in that, plus a learning curve because next time, hopefully we'll be able to do in half the time. (Yeah right!)
The sun shone, the wind strayed, but never enough to lift our guy ropes & pegs from their rightful roots, and lo and behold, our gazebo was intact at the end of the day. Amazing how quick it was to uproot when it came to packing up time, compared to setting up, and we're eternally chuffed that we got it all back in the bag it came from. Truly, without sounding like a gazebo bore, unless you've erected one of these, you can't appreciate the joy of being able to fit it back in the self same way. Ok, we might not have had our elastic banded numbered poles together, but sure that'll be easy enough to figure out next time!!???)
So, Kilsyth International Carnival - well there were looky likey Bay City Rollers, Belly Dancers and pipers galore. There were the compulsory fairground attractions (Not Eddi Reader and her like) such as the waltzer etc., portaloos, hamburger stalls, but all in all, a good atmosphere and a terrific setting. It seems to be growing from strength to strength every year.
Returned from Kilsyth today to a wonderful book posted through the Lunicorn Letterbox from our very good friend Andy about Publishing and a heart touching note about 'believing in ourselves'. Thank you Andy. All will be revealed at a later date.
And a terrific e-mail from Crystal Therapist extraordinaire, also our very good friend, Lyn Haworth, about positive affirmations, we recognised that the love and light was all around us, and for that we're very thankful (at the risk of sounding twee!)
So the moral of this blog? Even if you think you can't do it, or just simply can't be assed, then push a little further, and hey presto! That Gazebo CAN be erected!
Why has the Generation Game never had a Gazebo erecting slot? We tell you, there's a reality/game show format JUST WAITING to be born.
And on that note, we bid you goodnight, as Western General Hospital in Edinburgh awaits the Lunicorn wares tomorrow. And as anyone who knows the M8 on a Monday morning , we have to be up with the lark.
Night Night and toodle Lunicorn pip and all that.
Love and luminostic light etc.
The Lunicorns

Nag Champa's all around us.....

2006-08-06T23:24:00.000+01:00

....we feel it in our toes.....
Yes, that beautiful scent of the above is currently permeating the corridors of our environs, and not just when we light it!!!! So if you know anyone in need do call us. It's not on our website yet, but will be soon. Still at a quid a box, it's not to be sniffed at, so to speak.
This weekend we found ourselves with a split shift in Rabbie Burns' neck of the woods. One Lunicorn was at a Psychic Fayre at the Station Hotel in Ayr, whilst the other was at a Craft Fair in Eglinton Country Park. Today, it was the vintage car show at the latter, and whilst one would think that would be all 'men and motors', there were a few mind, body and spirit orientated souls in their midst.
And we're limbering up for another 'Fairies, Elves & Unicorns' workshop on the Isle of Arran on Wednesday (only six places left, so if you haven't booked and your kids fancy it, now is the time to call The Burnside Gallery!)
Next weekend, we're off to Kilsyth International Carnival (and if anyone knows of anywhere that HASN'T sold out of gazebos, tell us quick smart. Of course we're confident of the Scottish weather, but then again...). After that it's a three day stint on the Royal Mile at the Radisson Hotel in Edinburgh for the Alternative Lifestye Show (Jan De Vries speaking at it). We can't believe it's August already, where did the year go? Soon we'll be ambling towards Christmas and then a whole other year..... Top Tip - fold any money notes you have into a triangle (Some very kind bod told us recently that this invokes the pyramid energy, and since he's been doing it, his wallet has never been empty - worth a go, no?)
Rightyho, that's all for noo, but don't forget in a moment of Lunicorn loyalty to a)sign our guest book or b) leave a wee reply to this brief log. It helps keep us sane.
Love & Luminous Light
The Lunicorns

The Isle of the Fairies

2006-08-01T11:07:00.000+01:00

You learn something new every day. No co-incidence then that we launched our Fairies, Elves & Unicorns workshops on the Isle of Arran last week, aka the Isle of the Fairies. Legend says that when crossing a humpback bridge on Arran, it's courtesy to greet the fairies and similarly when leaving, to bid them farewell. So, eight kids, three hours and a magical mix of wonder. Exhausted but exhilarated. Gearing up for our next one on the 9th August. As well as the fairy treasure hunt and the crafting of the magic box, the children set about creating a unicorn in the outdoor glass mosaic at The Burnside Gallery. It reminded us of the beautiful wide-eyed innocence kids possess, and since we've left cynicism far behind us in our previous worlds, it was a joy to behold. Mind you 5am starts to catch a 7am ferry certainly knocks it out of you! And so to Balloch on the Saturday for the Lomond Festival's Craft Fair. What an atmosphere in the town! And the rain stayed away right until the moment we were packing up the Lunicornmobile. Sunday it was off the Botanic Gardens Craft Fair in the Hopkirk Building which was just buzzing all day. Those guys at Bullwood (see links pages) really know a thing or two about organisation.
We've got some new items in the Lunicorn range.....lots of people have been asking us if we had any 'tarot' bags to keep their cards in, so seeing this as a sign, our wonderful pals at Tir na nOg sourced some lush deep purple velvet bags with a silver embroidered unicorn for us, and we're pleased to say, they're selling well. Plus thank you to the lady we met at The Tall Ship who advised us to start stocking Nag Champa incense. Since Friday we've sold over twenty packs, and have just ordered another 100. With some help from fabulous Joe at Bullwood, we will soon have some new hand-crafted unicorn 'believe' keyrings made from reclaimed Glasgow wood, specifically from the branch of a ewe tree. Watch this space.
Well we're about to savour the delights of our friend Jennifer's cupcakes so must trot off and comb our manes.
Fairy kisses and unicorn wishes to all readers
x

Crystals a go go

2006-07-25T20:47:00.000+01:00

Well now, had we not been without the relative luxuries of broadband for the last WEEK (thank you NTL) we would certainly have posted this sooner, because to be sure (we have suddenly become Irish?!), did we not experience the most wondrous, magical, otherworldly therapy in Milnathort in Kinross-shire last Friday? Our good friend Lyn Haworth (see website under news) very kindly offered us each a crystal therapy, wondrous company, terrific meal and of course, an odd dram, as we found ourselves in that there neck of the woods afore the Perth Summer Craft Market. Truly, it was the most surreal and amazing therapy ever experienced. Both of us seperately saw different colours, experienced different sensations and over all finished the therapy feeling altogether better than when we first went in. Thank you Lyn. And the Hedgehog watch therapy helped too. (see Pet Parade on website - Ali B.) And yes, despite what Graham says, those trees really DID have faces. Meanwhile we've had a week of things just not working......but with today's New Moon, all fixed today. The plumber arrived as did the NTL engineer and here we are with a brand spanking new modem and er.....our pipes are more fluid, so to speak. How ironic then that we should be hosting our stall tomorrow at none other then NTL Telewest Broadband (just as well they fixed it today, or we'd have been kidnapping some staff whilst there) Since last we spoke, we've been at the Mugdock Makkers event at Mugdock Country Park in Milngavie which involved a lot of marquees and a bouncy castle in glorious sunshine. On Friday, we're off to the mystical Isle of Arran to host our first of three 'Fairies, Elves & Unicorns' workshops for the weans. Not entirely sure how it will pan out, but suffice to say, there'll be fairy tiaras, magical wizard wands and angel boas to boot. Not to mention some intriguing interactive fairy boxes, a fairy treasure hunt and some colouring in. Phew. As if that wasn't enough, we're off to Balloch Craft Fair on Saturday and the Botanics on Sunday. Who said living a magical existence was easy....? Answers on a unicorn feather please?

Ahoy!

2006-07-15T23:44:00.000+01:00

Yes, somewhat giddy that we've been below deck on THE TALL SHIP today, it seems another blog immediately beckons. For one Lunicorn, she is definitely inspired and dressing in full pirate garb tomorrow for the second day of the River Festival in Glasgow. The sun shone, people came and it seems the Lunicorn word is spreading... Today we met folks from Hamilton to America who had heard or seen the Lunicorn wares, and it felt good. Aside from the perspective of running a business, how exciting to be on an actual ancient ship, albeit we had to blu tac our crystals to our light boxes to prevent them from sliding off (slopes/tides etc.)?We saw kids scrubbing the decks, ringing the bell and trying to steer an 'anchored' wheel. Thankfully we never saw any weans scale the big portruding thing at the front like they might have had to do in the olden days (along with shimmying up chimneys and the like). Seriously though, we don't know we're born, when we think what it must have been like to work in them there days. Our greatest wonder today was watching the gradient of the gangways change with the tides from very steep to plateau to downward slope. Anyhoo, we're back there tomorrow, so if anyone is reading this and is in the locale, you might want to think about checking out the Tall Ship, because it's FREE entry for the duration of the River Festival....and there's loads else to do if you don't fancy the sealegs aspect.
Right, goodnight and cheerio, (don't know the sailing equivalent - answers please)could it be something like Ahoy there Captain?
x

It's been way too long since our last blog...

2006-07-14T00:12:00.000+01:00

So, here we are in the wee small hours putting digits to laptop....since last we mused, we've been a-ferry hopping, over to the Isle of Arran, and meeting the wonderful Mhairi at the Burnside Gallery. Now there's a place that isn't elitist, and is wholly interactive with the local community. And as Arran is a magical Isle, it seems the Lunicorns will be hosting workshops in the near future entitled 'Fairies, Elves & Unicorns' so if you've any stray weans with some time to kill, you might want to think about booking them into one of our workshops. Dates on the website, and we promise, apart from a bit of idle unicorn tattoo-ing, we won't lead them astray. Speaking of which, we hosted our Lunicorn stall at Witchfest in Glasgow last weekend. What a terrific atmosphere! And we were only sorry in the midst of packing up that we missed the Hellfire Fashion Show taking place on the main stage. It seemed decidedly decadent.
This week, we're on the Tall Ship at Glasgow's Riverfest. Built in 1876, we're sure the Tall Ship has lots of tales to tell. Here's a spooky thing....my mother recently gifted me a fruitbowl which was gifted to her by my Great Great Uncle Andy (who used to take me for walks as a child in the Ayrshire hills, as well as gift me half a dozen fresh eggs, a golden cream caramel and 10p every Saturday). Out of curiosity, we checked out the markings on its underside on the web, only to discover, wait for it, it came from the Unicorn Pottery....!! How amazing? And the trademark of H & K Tunstall, its maker, is a.....unicorn! Obviously meant to be. We've now let it breathe/live with the other unicorns in its midst and it is sitting pride of place in the conservatory. Pleased to see that our Lunicorn word is spreading to distant shores as well as local on the world wide web, Lunicorn is indeed going global. It's been a great summer so far, and we're watching our vibrant corn flowers soar and our tomatoes take to the skies with unerring ambition. Just call us Tom and Barbara. It's definitely the Good Life, either way. Just wait till you see those tomatoes on e-bay....
For all of those who have been kind enough to join our mailing list, one of these days in the not too distant future, we WILL get round to writing a scintillating newsletter, so watch this space.
In the meantime, live well, stay happy, and be kind to even those who sometimes just don't deserve it. Plus pleasantries confuse aforementioned bods so keep smiling safe in the knowledge that you've rocked their 'ken'.
All of that too puzzling? Well, accept that one Lunicorn is now four days without the nicotine, and possibly therefore somewhat shell-shocked, if not at least healthier.
Love & Light
The Lunicorns

2006-06-26T00:42:00.000+01:00

It's been a whirlwind couple of months. New stockists galore including the Spirtualist Church in Glasgow, Inspirations in Motherwell and Crystal Heart in Wishaw. And we heard there was a Unicorn workshop afoot in them there shores too!That, plus MORE events from corporate to community to charity - it does feel quite in order to be giving SOMETHING back. (we donate 10% of our sales to charity - this month alone has seen has give back to Pride Scotia, Bishopton Scouts, Breast Cancer Fund, various schools and Children in Need). Now that might seem like we're banging our own drum a bit but to be honest, it's par for the course, once you get into the habit, donation is something that should be done without blinking an eye. The way we see it is, if we sell loads then a percentage is nothing and at least it's going to a good cause.
We've also been gathering more mutts on our pet parade (check it out!) and we invite you to tell us when you spot a Unicorn in your midst. Thus far, we've seen them in Dundee, Inverness, Perth, Melrose, Aberdeen, Glasgow and more. They tend to be in the Mercat Squares of towns or cities, or what used to be....
We've met some terrific people along the way too, including a wonderful lady we met at Tir Na nOg recently who told us about how she bought one of our Unicorn Believe Boxes for her daughter at Christmas last year. Since her daughter has been using her box, she's changed her job, started yoga classes, lost a stone in weight and finally gone to the dentist.... she came up to us to tell us that our boxes were definitely working. That plus the wonderful June, Gordon and Pat from Inspirations, and Annie and Annette from Crystal Heart, we're so lucky to have this life, this journey and all we meet on the way. Hey we might be broke, but we're learning so much about the true values.
In addition to which our wonderful webspinner Merle is so snowed under with her own work she still makes time to update and add/amend our wee website. She's a star and we're so lucky to have such fabulous people around us.
I wonder often if I miss the career I left behind (see previous notes), and yes I may miss the security of the salary, but the adrenalin from doing Lunicorn is second to none and frankly I've never looked back

Anyhoo that's enough for noo
Brightest Blessing
Lunicorn

Barbeque Time

2006-05-09T18:17:00.000+01:00

That's two days on the trot, and we've had quite warm sunshine for Scotland. Albeit with a very windy wind. Still, it's time to drink in the sun's rays and hope for a long hot summer. Today after hosting our stall at News International, we retired to the garden with a dinky disposable barbeque doodah, some veggie sausages, some veggie kebabs with haloumi cheese (perfect for barbeque)and some tatties (the latter are still cooking, and may well be there some days, nay weeks). Skins are darkening (ours not the spuds) and sun-kissed is feeling good. One Lunicorn is on a detox which involves drinking many glasses of water and frequent trips to the loo. It's all good. Last weekend we hosted our stall at the Pagan Federation Conference in Edinburgh, next month it's the Druids in Glasgow and this weekend it's the local Rainbow Guides followed by a stint at a West End Primary School, not to mention a two-dayer at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow for the Body & Soul Fair. It's certainly varied. We're also very, very pleased to announce, that you can now order securely via our website and brand spanking new on-line shop. Hurrah! We're honoured to have an extremely clever webspinner in our midst. I don't think Merle will mind us mentioning her by name. Plus, what else is new, is the Lunicorn Experience! Want to know more, then check out our news pages on the site. Did we mention that the newest addition to our pet parade is a hedgehog named Ali B? Worth a visit, just to see how cute she looks in her Lunicorn bandanna. And we've recently received some splendid artwork from nine year old Leah from Bury, with her own unique interpretation of Lunicorn. Again, it's on our news pages for all to view.
Phew, think that's all on the update front.
Till next time. I'm off to check the potatoes.
Brightest blessings
Lunicorn

Sun is shining....

2006-04-29T18:15:00.000+01:00

Yes, it's nearly May, and as my mother says 'never cast a cloot till May is oot'. Still, the Lunicorns were to be found in the garden in shorts and vest tops this very day. It's Beltane tomorrow and we're once again at Tir Na Nog - pleased we're there, because it's our very first trading anniversary! Hurrah! We're still here....
Loving being on the road with Lunicorn, loving the people who are coming into our lives, loving doing what we do. Have you heard that Mars are re-branding their choccy bars as 'believe bars'? Albeit it's to make the English believe they can actually win the World Cup, but it's still in line with creative visualisation, which is what we're all about. Between that, and Noel Edmond's talking about Cosmic Ordering on Parky a few weeks back, it seems asking the universe for help is becoming mainstream. Anyway, as the sun is shining, it's too nice to be sitting at the laptop, so with that we bid you cheerie till next, and we're off to worship at the ray of Yang!
Sun kissed blessings
The Lunicorns

Nessie bound...............

2006-04-05T12:44:00.000+01:00

It's finally time to test out our 3 in 1 breakfast maker as we head North, or is it East? for Inverness and Medusa's Spring Fayre...! We love adventures, and this feels very much like one when we'll get to see our pals and fellow good guys Hilary, Doreen, Michael, Liam and many more. And hopefully introduce a few more folks to the magic of Lunicorn. Tir Na Nog was fabulous at the weekend in that we met a terrific crystal therapist called Lyn Haworth. Her calming energies were just what one Lunicorn needed after birthday celebrations the night before. The same Lunicorn had to have a wee lie down in Tir Na Nog's meditation chamber to sleep it off. Thank you universe for ensuring cushions usually accompany meditations, along with sweet sweet silence. Then after the weekend of the crystal fair, we popped into Wendy's Psychic Night on Sunday, and lo and behold has Wendy just not gone and got herself sorted with a fabulous website? One to check out, (see our links page) as Lunicorn and Astral Moon have a host of beautiful collaborations ahead.
That's all for now as we have essentials to buy for our adventure and more leaflets to collect from our cheeky but charming printer mannie.
Lots of pink light heading your way.
The Lunicorns

The eve of a new decade

2006-03-30T23:34:00.000+01:00

well, at least it is for one Lunicorn, and it's the one with four in it - yikes!!! The other Lunicorn is en route to the one with five in it (was that a slap I felt on the back of my head?)
It's been a busy week, mainly in and around Glasgow in a variety of call centres and hospitals with the Lunicorn wares. But tomorrow is most definitely a day off! Then it's up and at 'em again when we are hosting our stall at Tir-Na-Nog's crystal fair in Drymen. For those of you who know it, then you are already aware of Tir-Na-Nog's beauty, but for those who don't and live nearby, and want to do something magical this weekend, then you could do no better then visit Tir-Na-Nog. There's always freshly cooked bread and soup warming in De Danaan's Den straight from the stove of Big Rock Candy Mountain. And to pay for your cuisine, simply pop some cash in the honesty box on exit. Then take a trot across the courtyard to their wonderful shop in which you can find Lunicorn's presence along with a myriad of other mystical products. Tir-Na-Nog is like stepping into Brigadoon, except it's there to stay. So that's where we'll be on Saturday and Sunday along with our good friend and all round crystal guru Kendal with his wares. Then kicking into April with gigs on Monday, Tuesday before heading to Inverness for the Medusa Spring Fayre....where another crystal charmer Liam is hosting an event at the Royal Highland Hotel. We could write a book on Travelodges.....but now we have our 3 in 1 breakfast maker, it'll be like being a gypsy without the caravan and the horses. Anyway, if we decided to go down that route, we'd have to have unicorns leading our caravanette and folks might find that a strange site on the M90.
Ah, the time approaches to be pampered and milk the birthday thing for as long as one Lunicorn can.
For the last fifteen minutes of being thirty nine, I bid you goodnight from the Lunicorns.

Approaching the spring equinox...

2006-03-15T00:30:00.000Z

So it's almost that time. The time for real new year resolutions, the time when they might actually happen....if you do nothing else on Mch 21st - sit down, light a candle, maybe burn some incense, be conscious of your breathing, and affirm. This is the best time to write down what you'd like to achieve this year. We as the Lunicorns do it with our 'believe' box, when we seal our ambitions for the year ahead. So make a note in your diary....
So, what's been happening? Well, we've been travelling about plenty. It's true, the snow did come to Aberdeen whilst we were there. On the journey up at the ungodly hour of five in the morning, we did kinda wonder what the fuss was all about, then 40 miles from Aberdeen, complete whiteout. Being a bit of a woos when it comes to driving, I realised the only way was forward, as we couldn't even see the road edge. If anything, the weather bonded all us stallholders at the Body & Soul fair even more. After the fair, we clambered over fields of snow like weans and threw snowballs and built snowmen. Aberdeen is a fabulous city and we love it! And Travelodges are pretty cool too, particularly as we have now employed our very own toaster on the premises for hot buttered breakfasts in the morning. And wait for it, soon to arrive, is our very own three in one breakfast maker, so not only can we make toast, but we can fry an egg too. As one Lunicorn approaches her 40th year on this planet, she realises how very sad she has become. Anyhoo, as if snow up north wasn't enough, we had blooming 12 inches in Glasgow this weekend too! What's happening, is this not supposed to be Spring? The time to start the gardening? Still never cast a cloot till May is oot, as my mother always says. That said, one Lunicornette had a coffee with her friend Suzanne in the midst of the Glasgow snowfall. As she sat there with bedraggled hair, trackie bottoms tucked into walking boots, hat, gloves, scarf etc., in wafted Suzanne with a glamorous black coat and foxy black boots. In an instant, the coat was off, a hair not out of place, and revealed a summer floaty top. How does she do it?
In addition to our usual Mind, Body & Spirit type fayres, we've been setting out the Lunicorn stall at a variety of call centres and hospitals in Scotland and so far the response has been good. The dates aren't on our website, as more often than not, they're not a public event, only open to staff. However, that's not to say you can't enjoy the Lunicorn experience yourself - you know the website!
speak soon
love & snow stacked light
The Lunicorns

On the road again

2006-03-02T10:06:00.000Z

Well here we are in March - where have the last two months gone? It's been fairly frenetic here at the Lunicorn camp. Now lunicorning full-time, we've been getting out and about big time. Realised that there are spiritual people everywhere, not just the mind, body & spirit type shows, so we've been taking the Lunicorn roadshow to companies far and wide. From multinationals in Aberdeen to contact centres in Airdrie, Lunicorn is being well received. Still, with news of snow up North, the Lunicorns may have to read the car manual to find out how the 4 x 4 thingy works on slushy roads.
What are we enjoying most this year? People. People with really good energies and no agendas. Collaborations are appearing as if by magic with people we are very proud to be associated with. It feels like now we've made the full-time commitment to Lunicorn, doors are opening and a warm welcome awaits us. We've changed OUR thinking and the universe is responding bigtime. So thank you universe!And on that note, we're off to re-stock before our next big adventure.
Love & light
The Lunicorns

New Year New You

2006-01-12T21:37:00.000Z

Yep, heard it all before, but this time we're putting our money on Paul McKenna's 'I can make you thin. Speak to one Lunicorn in a month, and if she's a mere waif of her former self then you'll know it works!
Thanks mucho to Pat & Bernard for their fetching well-wishing card of a horse doing something unspeakable to a Rhino's rear end with the caption " Where did you think unicorns came from?" It did make us laugh....
So here we are, a new year full of expectations of change, resolutions to be better, and a drive to start afresh. And with that, the needle just slides off the record quick sharp, as we've all been there before. But apparently all we need to do is make one small change every day, every week, every month, rather than tackling the whole mammoth task at once. It could be something as simple as how we stir our tea, or read a magazine, or even changing our usual walking routes. And as one Lunicorn still succumbs to the dreadful nicotine fix, she has begun by changing her brand, which is a start at least, as aforementioned brand, for anyone who has ever been to an Allan Carr clinic knows, is more addictive than any, so finger's crossed that by March the whatever when the ban kicks in, the current brand will be easier to kick, or will perhaps have been kicked out of touch mid-february....So, going back to Paul McKenna, his methods are all about creative visualisation, which is what Lunicorn is all about, so that can only be a good thing, as after all, Meester McKenna has been given a prime-time channel slot to perform his method. One can only surmise that as a people, we are starting to look more inwards and realise that the key to reaching our goals lies simply in re-programming the software within our own brains.
We haven't posted our new 'tour' dates yet, but hope to soon, as we look back over the last year and decide what was successful and what wasn't, so watch this space.
Meanwhile for anyone of a Glasgow locale, we had an interesting experience t'other week. We found ourselves in the toilets (classy!) of one West End hostelry, namely Junkyard Dawg on Great Western Road, where we spotted the cublicles pasted with a long gone West End Paper, the Partick and West End Advertiser. Couldn't help but notice an advert and article for a shop called 'Unicorn' - a children's clothing outlet. Address was 29 Bank Street, albeit back in the olden days of 1974. Of a Unicorn bent, we went a-searching, only to discover that aforementioned address no longer exists. Street goes from no. 27 then Glasgow Street intersects, then it begins again at no. 31. If anyone can shed any light on this we'd very much appreciate it. because the question on our lips is, well if there's some question over whether unicorns exist, where's the shop of that name and that address. Hmmmmmm. Perhaps the West End Mail can shed some light....
Till next time
Love and bright bright light.
The Lunicorns

Unicorns in Perth

2005-12-20T22:24:00.000Z

The Lunicorns found themselves hosting a stall at the Perth Christmas Craft Fair in King Edward Street on Sunday, and lo and behold, the Lunicorn wares were located directly in front of Perth's Unicorn statue outside St. John's Shopping Centre. We couldn't help tell people who may have looked somewhat quizzically at our stall, that there was a unicorn already in our midst, and pointed backwards to the Perth Unicorn heading up the spire of what presumably at one point was the market square. These unicorns get EVERYWHERE! And as if that weren't enough, above it on the shopping centre itself was an illuminated angel. Suffice to say, we had a good day, despite being somewhat afraid of the over-sized cherubs aloft Perth City Halls...
And at Merchant Square on Saturday, the week before, in Glasgow, the Lunicornmobile was parked outside a hostelry called Bargo whose inhabitants were suitably intrigued by our branded jeep with our logo and the words "raising your spirit". Ever keen to explain, as we were packing up, we showed them some of our fine wares, and lo and behold no. 2, we indeed did make a sale! Whilst endeavouring mostly to create the products we would ourselves wish to have (see boxes etc.on our website), a secret supplier procured us not one, but twenty eight gorgeous cuddly unicorn soft toys, and well, they've all gone, with only one to keep ourselves. The link here is that 'Sparkle' as we named her, was indeed the very unicorn that found itself into Bargo that night, and has since been seen with a red wine stained mane. Hope those scampish students aren't leading Sparkle astray...Also ten rocking unicorns have recently come into our possession, and if you tickle their ear, not only do they trot, but they neigh and puff too!!! But remember, a unicorn isn't just for Christmas! And on that note, the Lunicorns wish you a very wondrous Yule and Peaceful tidings for 2006. We'll certainly be using our Believe Box on Hogmanay when the bells ring to set our goals for the adventures ahead, particulary as the chains of one Lunicorn are unfastening as we speak.
Warm blessings and luminous greetings
The Lunicorns
P.S for anyone who spots the Lunicornmobile out and about and thinks it to be going irritatingly slow, then this may be because one Lunicorn received a recent errant speeding ticket and is consequently heeding the speedometer. But if you do spot us drop us an e-mail and we'll send you a free Lunicorn tattoo...

Christmas countdown...

2005-11-29T13:13:00.000Z

Long time no blog, so here's a wee update. On Sunday we hosted our stall at Tir-Na-Nog's Winter Christmas Faerie Fayre which was as magical as it sounds. Tir-Na-Nog is just outside Drymen, near Glasgow, and is an alternative therapy centre and shop in a converted stable. Run by Oona and Nikki, with Carolyn as chief appointment monitor, the day felt like it had been sprinkled with Tinkerbell dust. Everyone was so friendly and we couldn't help but get swept up in the bonhomie. With stalls and fairylights in the courtyard, constantly replenished nibbles, mulled wine and storytelling, not to mention all the taster workshops and therapies,it was like being at the top of the Faraway Tree...
On another note, thanks to Ros for pointing us in the direction of a terrific short story about unicorns, written by James Thurber, called The Unicorn in the Garden, worth checking out...
Last weekend also saw us host our stall at Alcraft's Merchant City Square in Glasgow which was also the Festival of Light. We've recently introduced Magical Unicorn Oracle Cards to our range, and we invite passers by to select a card. How interesting that the one card that came up again and again was "Light - look for the light within yourself and others".
Anyhoo, December is almost upon us, and for one Lunicorn, the countdown is even more prevalent, for the end of the month is release from the 9 to 5, allowing the lunicorns to focus even more on the business of Lunicorn. We are of the belief that one door has to close before many more can open. Say hello and wave goodbye, roll on 2006.
Starry-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever, the lunicorns wish you the very best of everything.

Northern Lights

2005-10-25T10:30:00.000+01:00

Returned yesterday from Aberdeen after a magnificent weekend brimming with ideas. The Aberdonians are a very friendly bunch and our location at the Beach Pavilion for the Body & Soul Health Fair, as its name might suggest, was smack bang on the beachfront. A great way of getting energised in the morning was to walk out to the waves and let the roar of the sea refresh. Getting to know a few fellow stall-holders now too and the camaradarie is infectious. And in the Market Square of Aberdeen we spotted a unicorn in a carousel, where back in 1646 market traders peopled the roundhouse with stalls. On Monday we visited Merlin's Grove (previously Kabbalah) on King Street where we met Drennan and Emma. It was their very first day of opening and we showed them our boxes which they liked and are now stocking - wonderful! We can't think of a more perfect host in that neck of the woods. Also met Kimberley and Tom from a new magazine called Awareness - publishing from a spiritual perspective, it's currently distributed as a freesheet around Aberdeen but a copy can be obtained by dropping them an e-mail. Check out our news page for details and our list of stockists for info on our latest addition.
Love & light
Lunicorn

Great balls of fire

2005-10-15T18:46:00.000+01:00

Just returned from Body & Soul's fair in Stirling and on the journey home spotted the most enormous fiery red setting sun on the day that our sun boxes were our most popular wares. A good day filled with magical meetings including Rosemary from Lotus Crystals in Ayrshire who questioned references to our business as "new age". "I would have thought" she rightly mused "that Lunicorn is more about reclaiming ancient wisdom and bringing it into the consciousness. After all, we have a "new age" every decade..." That got us to thinking, true enough, as anything deemed "new age" these days is usually drawing from times gone past, traditions of yore, and simple stuff like nature. So that's our thought for the day, we haven't figured out exactly how to explain what Lunicorn does, is etc. yet, but it's certainly NOT new age! Thanks to Agnes from Body & Soul and her thoughts on our display. As a colour therapist, she knows what she's talking about. And Hilary from Four Winds Meditation with her wise words on integrity and how crucial it is in the business of spirituality. Most of us would take it as read, but apparently not always the case. Hmmmmm.
This was our first fair since returning from Corfu, its mosquitoes, its end of season lack of veggie food, the gecko in the apartment, the thunderstorm plane landing (eventually!), the cockerel with the wonky clock who chose to cock-a-doodle-do at 3.30am every morning, the lack of sunshine and ahem....the basket by the loo. Yep, more tales to tell, but don't want to be sued by the Corfu Travel Police, so we'll leave it there.
Heading for the Northern Lights of Aberdeen this coming weekend when we are looking forward to meeting some cool folks. Many people have told us today about how spiritual Aberdonians are, so we're hoping for a good turnout.
Would also like to recommend a book recommended to us in Harrogate, for anyone who likes unicorns. It was thought out of print but it can be found in most good bookstores - written in the 1940s, it's "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge. A wonderful, gentle story of Moon Princesses, believing in ourselves, and unicorns.
We could chat all night, but alas we have a car to unpack, dinner to make and a wonderful programme on telly called "Afterlife" to view, not to mention a wee bit of Parky later.
Unicorns R Us
x

Wands & Wizards

2005-09-27T12:34:00.000+01:00

Yesterday as mentioned we visited Auld Reekie, braving the Scottish autumnal elements. The M8 was awash with driving rain and severe gusts, which the Lunicornmobile struggled to withstand, however now back snug and watching our washing dry.
Our trip was fruitful. As you'll see from our stockists page we have a new shop in the Lunicorn fold - The Wyrd Shop in Edinburgh's Canongate/Royal Mile. Now, word has it, that it's not unlike The Wand Shop in J.K. Rowling's Diagon Alley and well worth a visit for wizards and muggles too. The Lunicorns could not resist a small purchase themselves...namely - "Magico Maximus" a wizard's wand charmed with feather of phoenix. T'was the last one of its kind in the shop, and cleared a wee glass shelf for the Lunicorn wares. Our wand came with a caution - "never to be used to bash, club or poke anyone". We were duly warned! So if you see us brandishing our wand unlawfully, you can report us to the Ministry of Magic. Speaking of Ministers, with the excitement of The Wyrd Shop, the Lunicorns found themselves in need of spending a penny, and with the proximity of the Scottish Parliament, thought it apt they should make use of their facilities, forgetting that this involved a certain amount of security checks. The guards were somewhat bemused, as we turned out our pockets and bags, to find our "Magico Maximus" etc.....
So off we headed back up The High Street en route for the labyrinth of exits out of The Capital when we spotted a unicorn above the Edinburgh School of English. And opposite a pub called The White Horse....those unicorns get everywhere which leads us back to the previous blog when a Dundonian claimed his city as their residence....
So from the Purveyors of Fine Enchantments since 1485 to Holyrood's W.C.s we had a splendid adventure.
Till next time
Bright blessings.
x

September whirl

2005-09-26T12:13:00.000+01:00

Yep, that's what this last weekend felt like! Friday night we set up stall at the music Hootenanny in Buddha's Backyard where we enjoyed some fabulous folk music and some new faces. Then off to Dundee on Saturday, where after several foiled attempts to find the carpark for the Caird Hall, trying to follow a route planner, we finally realised that as long as we followed signs for the Unicorn Frigate we were heading in the right direction. Also discovered that the unicorn and griffin which feature as sculptures in the City Square are significant in that these are the figures on Dundee's coat of arms. According to a conversation with a city security guard, that's because Dundee is where unicorns actually reside....well, if anyone can shed any light on this, we'd be eternally grateful cos they must have also caught the overnight sleeper South to appear in Diana Cooper's back garden! Sunday, we hosted our Lunicorn stand at our first Merchant City Square craft fair in Glasgow. The Merchant City Festival was in full swing this weekend too, including a stilted kiltie and an oversized dog with an uncannily human bark, which resulted in scaring the weans. Met some terrific people there and it's a venue we'll be returning to often before Christmas. Check out our calendar for details of when. Signing off now as the Lunicorns are off on a recce mission to where certain quarters call Auld Reekie.
Celestial Salutations
Lunicorn

Wuthering Delights

2005-09-20T16:22:00.000+01:00

Well...........
Just returned from deepest Yorkshire and have many tales to tell.....not least of which is a meeting with author Diana Cooper who talks of unicorns in her latest book "Discover Atlantis" published by Hodder Mobius. A very magical lady indeed with an incredible aura....just ask the viewers of "This Morning" who jammed the show's phone-lines trying to get info on her after her appearance (reputedly 100,000, the largest number of callers EVER in one show). So there we were, at Harrogate Pavilions (a lovely venue)The Body & Soul Fair and Diana Cooper paid us a visit. Attracted perhaps by the unicorns of Lunicorn? Who knows, but we felt enriched by the experience and that we are definitely on the right path with what we are doing. So, a mad week. And happy to announce yet more stockists, namely (and you can see full details on our website under where & when) Odds Bodkins in York. Wow! What a place! In a medieval tower near Gillygate, Fiona Hyde knows her stuff and furthermore liked our stuff, and so the two stuffs met, and there you have it. Then ventured to Harrogate, and discovered Natural Spirit, run by a cool biker lady called Nikki, she too was of the Lunicorn way and is now a stockist. Then, whilst offering our wares at the fair itself, we were approached by Kimberley sporting the most amazing multicoloured shirt, who revealed that she had a shop in Whitley Bay and would very much like to stock our boxes in her window. The Aloe Vera Natural Health Centre, check it out. Tho' we may face competition next year at the fair from her seven year old daughter who is already drawing beautiful spiralling unicorns and wants to trade.......We should mention that our accommodation for the weekend was provided by our good friends Lorna & Mark at York University and their lovely family Caitlin & Dylan. Caitlin's speciality was baking us some Scooby Doo biscuits with interesting GREEN icing. Thank you Caitlin, We suspect you too could have a stall at next year's fair....! And we can't leave this blog without mentioning the wondrous talents of organisers Body & Soul - a Scottish company. They truly are the kings of event organisation. And nice people too, which is rare! Feel like we've joined the Body & Soul family and the warmth and personal connection from all those involved is just lovely. Stopped off en route back to Caledonia on Sunday night in a wee place called Bedale, at the Green Dragon, again a wondrous hostelry. And a big thank you to the moon for lighting our journey down the A road 74 on Thursday night, and to the lovely man at the travelodge at Southwaite who cut us a deal when we dropped in at the midnight hour to ask if there was any room at the inn....And news from across the Atlantic - ceilidh suprise in Saskatchewan in Canada wants to stock us, so as soon as we can paint, line and fill our boxes, they'll be there!
And one final note from one Lunicorn in reference to this blog's title, the enigmatic talents of Kate of the Bush has a new album out on 7th November. At last!!!!
Love and luminous delights
Lunicorn

And another....

2005-09-13T18:35:00.000+01:00

...new stockist that is! Mystique Moments in Aberdour where the green witch resides. A magical shop with very informed staff. Worth a visit and quality is the key word. Check out our links page on our website and you'll see a link to theirs.
Learned some really interesting facts about cheap tea-lights. You know the kind you get in supermarkets and such like. £1.50 for 300,000. Well, they could be giving you asthma! They've got lead and all sorts of nasty things in them, that it's too expensive to take out, so allegedly certain countries abroad just package them up and sell them back to Europe. Not nice. Worth paying a wee bit extra to get the real thing, no? I guess it's the - always read the label - syndrome.
So, as mentioned before, we're off to Harrogate this weekend for the Body & Soul Health Fair at the Pavilions. We're staying in the grounds of York University with old pals, so will be looking for cloisters, lots of latin, and pretending to be intellectual. Next weekend is a bit of a marathon, as we're 'exhibiting' our wares at a Hootenanny in Glasgow (check out our website for details) on the Friday night, participating in a showcase in Dundee on Saturday, then at Merchant City Square back in Glasgow on Sunday as part of the Merchant City Festival. We're going to have to give our friend Wendy's psychic night a miss this time round on Sunday night, as it is a Lunicorn birthday and one must celebrate in some shape or form. And after that we're going to take in some sunshine and try out some O-level Ancient Greek in a wee place called Roda. Did we mention we were writing a book? We'll dot the i's and cross the t's of that one whilst partaking of some ouzo.
Off to pack the Lunicorn travel bag, as one Lunicorn has a mission in Elgin before travelling forth to Yorkshire....
x

Plane Crazy

2005-09-10T23:25:00.000+01:00

Ok, so having departed the Lunicorn studios at the ungodly hour of 4.30am this very morn and returned weatherbeaten and knackered, here are our thoughts on our RAF Leuchars Airshow experience.....
Can anyone tell us where the Red Arrows actually reside, cos we saw them head off for their dinner at around 7pm tonight. Not one at a time, nah, not two at a time, but in trebles. Show offs! Also, what exactly is a 'fod grid' - if anyone can shed light on this, we'd be eternally grateful. Wouldn't think there'd be much cattle on a runway....so what is a fod? We at Lunicorn are somewhat intrigued. And somewhat excited at having to drive on a runway to exit the show....
So, never mind, the low flying aircraft with their fancy smoky stuff and formations and REALLY SCARY head to head flypasts, how about the Lunicorn low-flying gazebo? Yes, one bit the dust (albeit the incredibly cheap 'made out of supermarket bags' modelle). Oh, how we watched it soar! Them gazebos really can fly.....Anyhoo, then we spent the entire day guying the posts, with our actual bodies, of the posher gazebo borrowed from a friend, to ensure it did not follow its predecessor's path into orbit.
This was naturally quite tricky when it came to doing the business of Lunicorn with attentive customers. However, we managed, somehow and the borrowed tent is now safely back in its bag ready to be returned. Lends a whole new slant to the term 'loitering within tent'.
Have invested in some 'Ear Defenders' - them planes can be quite noisy, and sore on the 'ole ear, and knowing someone recently to have 'depressed eardrums' we thought it best to protect in the hope that no St. John's Wort would be necessary.....
Still, apart from the noisy planes, RAF Leuchars Airshow was a fabulously well-organised event. Those military folks sure know how to put on a show. Don't know if it's entirely in keeping with Lunicorn's ken, but hey ho, we're trying lots of different things at the moment, so bear with us.
On another note, pleased to say that Body and Soul Books (previously Second Sight) in Stockbridge, Edinburgh are now stocking Lunicorn's wares. It's a wonderful shop with a terrific vibe. A sofa and possibly a coffee, give it a shot if you find yourself in that particular area!
Next up, it's a trip to Harrogate for the Body & Soul Fair, so we suspect the Lunicornmobile may be seen around York sussing out potential stockists. "The Shambles" does kinda sound like the story of our lives so maybe we'll be successful.....
Someone gave us a great quote today from a poem about unicorns "There will be no peace on earth until the unicorns return..." If anyone can tell us who wrote the poem, there's a free unicorn tattoo in it for them.
Lighty light.
x

magic on the Isle of Anglesey

2005-09-02T17:21:00.000+01:00

A magical island inhabited since the Mesolithic period,7000 BC,rich in wildlife and beautiful beaches...........a haven of peace and tranquility.....accessed from the mainland by the Telford suspension bridge across the beautiful Menai straights.....sounds heavenly ? it is !!! and Lunicorn were lucky enough to be there recently.Not only to see the many historic sites, but to see our NEW STOCKIST IN MOELFRE at TWM PEN STRYD ( across the harbour and up the hill towards the post office ) .You can be sure of a friendly welcome from Jan Roberts and her staff in their beautiful gift shop,which also has a fabulous tea room ......so if youre in the north wales area pay a visit to Moelfre,on the Isle of Anglesey,and see our products!!!!!! (...and the wildlife,and the beaches,and the roman age Din Lligwy settlement............the list goes on...)

Tuesday 23rd August

2005-08-23T23:22:00.000+01:00

Hello Lunicorns,
Pleased to announce we have two new stockists, namely Karma in Inverness and For The Present in Pitlochry. We heard a rumbling that a shop in Canada is keen on us, so watch this space if you are across the Pond......
Limbering up for the Cowal Highland Games in Dunoon Thursday, Friday & Saturday this coming week. If you're planning to toss the caber do come visit us, apparently we're quite near the entrance.
After that, we're parochially in the West End of Glasgow at Hillhead Library at the Alternative Mind Body & Spirit Fair. Last time we were there, we met an angel. E-mail us if you want to know more.....
Flagging up our new Pet Parade on the website. So if you happen to purchase one of our exclusive handmade celestial pet bandannas, send us a pic, and we'll post it to our website, so the world wide web can see your pooch, moggie or boa constrictor.....
love and light
Lunicorn

Hi folks

2005-08-21T19:37:00.000+01:00

Just returned from Body & Soul fair at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. A weekend rich in psychic energies, and an old firm match.....and a show somewhere on Glasgow Green. Nevertheless, the Lunicorn fans came, they saw and they bought. The rain is currently pouring down, but hey, a full moon blossoms and look out for Mars on 27th August, when it is closer to Earth than EVER before. i.e. none of us will ever see it THIS close again in our lifetimes. Anyhoo, c'mon, give us your thoughts, tell us your stories and share the glare.....love to hear from you. Join the Lunicorn vibe. Love and light as ever.