Oh, my goodness, I love that word! OK, so I love words. OK, so I love MOST words…
In DOMUS, The Tempest Crystal , I formulated words in the Domus Latin-based language using two or more Latin words to make a Domus word i.e. Phytabula: A personal herbal journal detailing plant properties. Phyta: the division group of plant classification. Tabula: tablet.
Domus excerpt concerning phytabula:
“Isabella sat down at her desk and opened the Phytabula, Lemna’s botany book—now Isabella’s. The brown leather cover glowed with a well-worn patina reflecting centuries of learning. It felt soft and smooth beneath her fingers. Lemna had added many pages to the original. In a small, neat hand, Lemna wrote her expert herbal knowledge with clarity and illustrated the plants in sharp, loving detail.
Isabella thumbed absently through the pages admiring Lemna’s skill and feeling the pain of her absence.
“Where are you Lemna?” Isabella said.
The Phytabula lay open on Isabella’s desk, and she folded her arms across the beautifully illustrated pages and laid her head down.
Instantly Isabella felt a cold damp wind blow across her face as if she were falling into a hole. Falling, falling.
Isabella screamed, but it caught in her throat as if the passage was too small for the sound. When she stopped falling, it was not abrupt so as to cut off the breath, but soft and gentle as a bird lighting on the edge of her nest not to disturb her brood.
Isabella looked around. “Hello,” she called. “Hello?”
“Isabella.” A voice spoke from the darkness. A soft voice with an accented lilt. A voice that had taught her and guided her and loved her.
“Isabella.”
“Lemna, is that you? Where are you? Are you all right?” Isabella asked.
“Isabella, you are in danger. Domus is in danger. You must go to your father and…” The voice stopped abruptly as if a barrier cold and dark had sliced off their communique.
“Lemna? What? What did you say?” Isabella said. “Lemna. Lemna come back.”
Isabella jerked her head off the Phytabula. Of course, why didn’t she think of it sooner? This had been Lemna’s book. It could bridge the space to her.
Isabella made several more unsuccessful attempts to reach Lemna, but the obstruction still blocked her. She grabbed her cloak and ran out into the storm.”
Since I am an herbalist, I thought it would be fun to make my own Phytabula. Why don’t you begin one, too!!
