“These are a few of my favorite things”
Marcia Moore liked Phoenician purple, also representative in the crown chakra or Sahasrāra in Sanskrit, known as “the bridge to the cosmos,” and often used different hues of the royal color in much of her daily life, from the books she authored to her attire.
Here are a few other things she liked…
-
Swans
“The Sanskrit word for swan is hansa and extremely holy men are known by the title paramahansa which literally means ‘great swan….’ Occultists use the Sanskrit word “deva” which means ‘shining one’….The bird kingdom is specifically allied to the deva evolution….This idea is inherent in the philosophy of India which symbolizes the liberated soul as a bird or swan.” Marcia Moore, circa 1960s.
-
Scarabs
“To me a scarab has always been a purely sacred symbol…” Marcia Moore, 1978.
In ancient Egypt, scarab beetles represented the rising sun and a protection from evil. These beetles were often represented in Egyptian art. The scarab beetle, a symbol of Khepri, the Egyptian sun deity, is also a symbol of transformation, regeneration, and rebirth.
Butterflies
“These are real butterfly times,” was a saying Marcia often repeated in her writings.
-
Incense
Marcia’s home was known to always be filled with a fresh “green” fragrance, as she frequently burned a favorite incense, sandalwood.
-
Gardening
In her community, Marcia’s mother Eleanor was in the Garden Club and somewhat of an expert—growing herbs, flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables. Doing her own gathering, drying racks, mixing and packaging of flowers, she’d often make potpourri, dried flower arrangements, or fragrant flower boxes, etc. and attach poems as gifts.
Marcia also did a bit of gardening. While she didn’t care about things or possessions, she had an appreciation of nice places. In Concord Marcia maintained a few small variety flowers and pansies. When she lived in Maine, Marcia kept a patch of corn and tomatoes. In California she tended her group’s organic garden.
Venus
In 1972, Marcia Moore attended an “Ovidian Party” given by some family friends. Gold leaves were used to decorate, and each guest received a laurel wreath on gold ribbon to wear atop their heads. Marcia Moore was chosen to be Venus, the Roman deity for whom Marcia had an affinity. Each guest was given a card—like Marcia’s which instructed “find Adonis,” played by another guest. Cupid, Psyche, Ulysses, Pythagoras, the god Pan, god Faunus, god Neptune, goddess Pomona, goddess Harmonia, goddess Hebe, and Muse Calliope, were also in attendance. Apollo was portrayed by Marcia’s own father, while her mother was “Heliotrope, the lovely fragrant flower metamorphosed from Clytie who loved the sun god and always turned towards the sun,” the host described. Guests sang songs, played the flute, and recited poetry.
-
Cleopatra
“Marcia Moore in her present life resembled Cleopatra dark hair cut in a sleek cap perfect features a great beauty,” one reporter described in 1979. “I have a great new haircut and everyone seems to be overwhelmed by how much better I look. It must be true, because I also feel quite rejuvenated,” Marcia once remarked.
“She claimed to have had communication with Cleopatra,” another reporter wrote about Moore.
“My sister felt she had made sort of contact with the lady,” Marcia’s brother Robin also said.
-
Enchanted Beings
“Just as people evolve out of the animal kingdom through the various human stages and on into higher realms of consciousness, so, it is said, do the fairies, sylphs, undines, salamanders, and all the tribes of nature spirits, evolve into angels,” Marcia Moore, 1968.
From a young age Marcia enjoyed reading stories of pixies and sprites, etc. and later read books about such creatures to her own children. “The boys are full of brownie talk for we have been reading a book of brownies every night,” Marcia Moore, 1957.
-
Trees
Every friend she’d visit that lived in a place like Thousand Oaks, or Sherman Oaks, Marcia Moore would comment on how much she loved the name… because she loved trees. Or even when she lived in “Alderwood” Manor or “Lynnwood,” where she’d practice yoga under an apple tree.
