July first.
It’s Wings’s birthday, and the spirits have given him the gift of a truly beautiful day: bright and clear, blue skies studded with bands of puffy white, the air wonderfully warm but not hot, and even the now-rising afternoon winds still barely more than a brisk breeze. On top of it all, what was a zero-to-one-percent chance of rain for today has risen to fifteen percent for this afternoon, and even such a small amount qualifies as a distinct possibility in these days of altered patterns and vanished norms.
“Vanished,” of course, is not the right word for it; our norms were destroyed in a concerted campaign of deliberate acts. But today is a good day, and beyond a nod of acknowledgment to truth, I’d prefer to spend it on the beauty that surrounds us now.
And if we are fortunate enough to have these nascent thunderheads coalesce into something full of rain, our evening world will be even more spectacular: a storm-tossed wildfire sky, one of the powerfully elemental gifts of the this season of extremes — water and fire in summer celebration.
It’s also the name of today’s featured work, one in Wings’s signature series of coil bracelets. From its description in The Coiled Power Collections in the Bracelets Gallery here on the site:
A Storm-Tossed Wildfire Sky Coil Bracelet
Summer here is the season of water and flame, of the light manifest in the magic of a storm-tossed wildfire sky. With this coil bracelet in Wings’s newest collection, he summons dawn’s smoky sun to the circle to dance with the pink berry moon of the post-monsoonal night, and all the stages of the light in between. Hand-made barrel beads of Ethiopian silver anchor both ends, flowing inward to alternate with, at top, the smoky golden glow of a Pietersite sun, and, at the opposite end, a shimmering pink sphere of icy red tourmaline. In between are all the shades of storm and sky, from iridescent clouds of Labradorite to the pale morning blues of cloud-webbed impression jasper; from the bronze glow of smoky quartz, like a hazy veiled sun, to the flames of old amber and fire agate and peach moonstone fading into the grays of night; from the warm pale evening hues of lepidolite to the new night’s deep violet by way of ultra-high-grade red and black tourmaline. Bracelet consists of four full coils of beads strung on memory wire, which expands and contracts to fit nearly any wrist. Designed jointly by Wings and Aji. Another view shown below. Coil bracelet coordinates with The Mystical Flames of Falling Stars necklace [sold] and Where the Lightning Strikes earrings [sold]. From the Fire series in Wings’s new collection, The Summer Elementals (all pieces shown below).
Memory wire; Ethiopian silver; golden Pietersite; smoky quartz; Labradorite; impression jasper;
amber; fire agate; peach moonstone; lepidolite; red and black tourmaline
$350 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Throughout Wings’s entire body of work, there are personal favorites, and these small signature series are no different. I love this one beyond description, for its fiery, stormy shades and shapes, its rich textures and ability to catch and refract the light.
Now, as I look out the window, the wind has caught the spinners, turning them in an equally infinite spiral. The sunlight gleams off their copper tops and their colored glass orbs, and it will periodically draw the interest of a hummingbird, who will first wonder whether those orbs contain nectar, and then settle onto the copper strands to enjoy the breeze.
On the other side of the house, the young scrub jays are stretching their wings, learning to fly, squawking at the prospect of having to learn to feed themselves. Their blue feathers flash among the greens of vine and red willow, as do the occasional hints of fire from the wings of flicker and towhee. We have a bird house alive with the frantic cheep of new hatchlings, and despite the drought’s return — or in truth, more likely because of it — we have species here out of season, raising whole broods in a place they know to be sanctuary.
That, too, is a gift.
We observe most so-called red-letter days here, and that includes birthdays, in very modest ways: perhaps a personal gift; a nice meal this evening here at home; a commitment to honoring what the day brings; a spirit of gratitude for being granted another such day, another year. On this day, that includes the sheer beauty of this day . . . and perhaps a light show in the skies at twilight. This is the heart of the season, with water and fire in summer celebration, and we celebrate with them now.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
