cosmic mother: a gift guide

I may never determine, dear reader, whether you share my affinity for the sidereal arts; you may find my interests purely foolish. But whatever your official stance on astrology, you must admit, it has its uses as a guide to symbolism--and perhaps, more importantly (jk) to shopping! Take mothers day, for example. Because no mother could ever forget the time of year, let alone the time of day, her child was born, choosing a gift inspired by her sweetbabychilds star sign is particularly appropriate. I have this thing where I wont wear jewelry unless someone gave it to me, or it has some true symbolic/sentimental value, so Ive always wished I had a slightly more romantic reason to wear this rams head bracelet that I purchased for a very reasonable price at Maude Vintage several years ago (unfortunately, in silver):

Perfect for the mother of an Aries, and so Jackie-O (similar styles to be found on Etsy). Or how about this most beautiful crab-claw ring for the mother of a Cancer (ahem)

Beautiful (and vaguely sinister) in its own right, but the symbolism makes it meaningful. Obviously, the animal signs lend themselves most readily to representation in jewelry; other signs require a little more creativity in their interpretation, but its not so tricky really. Why not this simple brass arrow cuff for the mother of a Sagittarius?

Or these sweetest ampersand studs for the mother of a Gemini (bonus points if her geminis are twins!) 

*catbird also makes mix-and-match alphabet letter studs and stacking rings in gold and silver--a great option, especially for the mother of more than one children

But what about those trickier signs, whose mascots defy literal interpretation? Or what if scorpion/goat/cow jewelry wont suit? Maybe youre thinking birthstone jewels are the way to go... but theyre a little passé, no? And anyway, what if she doesnt care for her babychilds birthstone? Personally, I find that gems in rainbow colors are too distracting. Do you know what I mean? But Im overwhelmed easily. Plus, crystals are so fanciful. Instead I prefer gold jewelry; it runs no risk of clashing with whatever it is you wear, and its so much more classic and primal. But! That doesnt mean you cant use birthstones to guide your gifting! For example, though Im never sure what Id do with it if I had one (maybe wear it to the beach?) who could say no to one of these gem-print silken scarves?

Keep in mind, I suggest these options as a means of guiding your gifting process--you need not make your motive explicitly clear to the mother in question (I almost think its better to let them realize for themselves why you chose what you did) But lets get real for a second. Maybe (probably) youre not the richest person in the world, and cant afford to shower your lady mother with the finest jewels and silks? Its the purest shame, but I fall in to that category, myself (though much of the jewelry I suggested is available on the cheap, if you take the time to look for it) So instead, why not be guided by a similar, but more attainable theme, in the form of birth flowers? You can gift them in the flesh (or, petal) of course, picked or potted. But for a more permanent, lower-maintenace alternative, consider framing a lovely print of her childs birth flower, instead! Really, anything floral is fair game for mothers day, so dont get too hung up on coordinating the correct flower--just pick her favorite, if you happen to know it! Anything by my favorite, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, is the perfect thing! Or what this boxed set of twenty blank notecards featuring five of his most beautiful botanical paintings? At $15.95, its thoughtful and (unlike many of my previous suggestions) extremely affordable. 

Just some ideas! After all, Mothers Day is only one week away!

Zodiac by Alphonse Mucha; Fritillaria Meleagris by Charles Rennie Mackintosh