✧ September 19, 2026 ✧
It’s been a very beautiful summer, filled with magical encounters, new projects and inspiration.
It has also been a time to celebrate the long life of a loved one who recently transitioned to the divine realms.
It brings me to an important reflection: what happens when a soul leaves this physical world?
I believe that consciousness continues, and that what we call death is just another transition. The soul moves into dimensions we cannot perceive from here, into what I like to call the “divine spheres”.
Many years ago, shortly before my beloved father transitioned, the movie Astral City was recommended to me. I watched it perhaps a month or so before what was certainly one of the most difficult times in my life. The story presents an image of souls arriving on the other side, continuing to learn, heal and prepare for what comes next. I found great comfort in that idea then, and I still do.
Maybe this is also why I pay attention to the unexpected visitors in our forest and wooded backyard. A monarch circling nearby. A cardinal appearing at just the right moment. Sometimes it is enough to receive the comfort of the encounter, as these hold special meaning and hidden messages. My father has continued to be present in so many ways, sending me signs and little hellos from the other dimension.
I truly believe in the eternity of the soul and that there is an invisible magical world of love and light that surrounds us and keeps us warm and guided, if we pay attention.
September always feels like a month suspended between two worlds.
Summer is still here, but there are already signs that it is preparing to leave. Days are gradually becoming shorter and nights are cooler. Flowers that seemed as though they would bloom forever are beginning to fade, and the hummingbirds that kept us company all summer have left on their extraordinary journey south.
Our wooded backyard has been especially alive this month.
A beautiful circle of mushrooms appeared near my studio, almost a perfect fairy ring. Nearby, the seeds I winter-sowed months ago have finally given me their first flower. Something I planted during the coldest part of the year was already carrying the potential for this little colorful flower inside of it.
How beautiful is that?
Soon I will move these young plants from their pots into the ground. Another little transition, from seed, to pot, to earth. Hopefully they will return again next year after spending months buried under the snow.
In honoring our beloved souls in the divine realms, perhaps we can stop for one small instant. Step away from the rush and busyness of whatever we are doing, take a deep breath, and send a little prayer or positive thought to someone we love on the other side.
Ask them for a sign or for guidance, if that is within their soul’s reach.
And most of all, send them gratitude, love and blessings for their journey.
What looks like an ending from where we stand may simply be the beginning of something we cannot yet see.
Featured Creation
The Ouroboros Pendant
When One Cycle Ends, Another Begins
It seems particularly appropriate that my featured creation this month is the Ouroboros.
The ancient symbol of the serpent consuming its own tail forms a circle with no visible beginning or end. It has carried many meanings throughout history, but the one that speaks to me now is the eternal cycle of creation, transformation and renewal.
The circle is also one of the most fundamental forms in sacred geometry. It has no beginning and no end, and from it countless other forms can emerge.
From the Studio
Studio Renovations
It’s been very busy for the past few weeks as I am working to fulfill orders while simultaneously renovating my outside studio and workshop.
My friend Natali wrote something interesting when I sent her some photos of the renovation. She compared the layers of plaster and paint hiding the little imperfections on the freshly placed walls to our own self-healing and “renovation”.
That we too, need to add new layers over what needs healing, give them some time to settle, perhaps do a little sanding, and eventually resurface, renewed.
Jewelry Technique
Stipple Texture and Sandblasting
Two finishing techniques I use on my Ouroboros pendant are stipple texturing and sandblasting. Stippling is created with a hammer handpiece attached to my flex shaft, which repeatedly strikes the surface of the metal to create a fine, irregular texture.
Sandblasting creates a very different effect, producing a soft, even matte surface by directing fine abrasive particles against the metal within a sandblasting cabinet. Some higher areas are then highlighted with a bright finish. I enjoy combining different finishes to create contrast and definition.
Sacred Geometry in Focus
Geometry is much more than the study of shapes and measurements. Since ancient times, people have observed recurring patterns and proportions in nature and used geometry as a way of understanding the order that seems to exist within the world around us. From the movements of the heavens to the structures of living things, these patterns connect mathematics, nature, art and architecture.
Sacred Geometry goes a little further, exploring the symbolic and spiritual meaning behind these forms and proportions. Ancient cultures incorporated geometry into temples, sacred spaces and works of art, not simply for beauty, but because certain forms were believed to express a deeper harmony between the physical and the divine.
This is one of the reasons Sacred Geometry has fascinated me for so many years and continues to influence my work. A circle, spiral, triangle or carefully considered proportion can be visually beautiful on its own, but it can also carry layers of history, symbolism, harmonizing energy and meaning.
A Little Rescue
A few months ago, I found this little plant at a grocery store, dry, wilted and looking hopeless. I couldn’t leave it there, so of course it came home with me.
With water, care and a little patience, it slowly began to recover – I confess that at times I was losing hope. After a long while, new leaves appeared and it gradually filled out again, and today it is this beautiful little plant. It feels so good watching a living thing come back to life when all it needed was a little attention.
This has now created a new habit. I carry a small bottle of water with me when I go shopping, and when I come across a particularly thirsty plant sitting forgotten on a store shelf, it gets a little drink. I may not be able to rescue them all, but at least I can make someone’s day a little less dry.
Studio Friends
This month I would like to introduce Kayo, a longtime client and friend from Japan, and the creator of a beautiful blog called Rainbow Awakening.
The blog is a fascinating journey through spirituality, symbolism, Japanese traditions and sacred places. I enjoy discovering some of the magical places Kayo visits throughout Japan, along with their stories, legends and spiritual significance. There are also explorations of Japanese mythology, shrines, nature, spiritual experiences and journeys to meaningful places.
Kayo invited me to contribute some articles to the blog, which I was very happy to do. A connection that originally began through my jewelry grew into an exchange of ideas and experiences across opposite sides of the world.
“A seed neither fears light nor darkness, but uses both to grow.”
~ Matshona Dhliwayo
Share and Inspire
You are invited to contribute to the Studio Journal — with stories, images, reflections, or inspirations. Email me at:
studio [at] marciacormel [dot] com
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Thank you for being here and sharing this moment with me.
With love and gratitude,
Marcia
