Feeling Crafty: Elemental Stones

Hand Painted Elemental Stones

Making a baby takes a lot of energy and keeping up with Miss Busy takes a lot of time, so lately I have been focusing on keeping me well and sane.  With only two weeks until my due date, I am feeling a surge of energy and the desire to create.  Thus, my most recent project. 

I have been collecting nice palm sized stones for over a month now and finally settled on these four to represent the Elementals in my sacred circle.  A few quick sketches and a daub of acrylic paint and I had exactly what I wanted.  Even Superman who was initially skeptical of the idea loves them.  I love working in Aboriginal art, but my brushes are starting to ruffle and give less precision than I like so this will probably be the last go around for them.  Waiting for a trip to the "city" for replacements will give me time to really meditate on what to do with the cauldron of stones sitting under my shrine. 

Feeling Crafty: Wands

So, I wanted to make a wand and ended up making three.  It was just so much fun once I got started.  All of the wood was collected dead fall or in the case of the final wand salvaged from pruning sites.   Each was hand sanded then treated with three coats of coconut oil. 

 

This first one is just plain and unembellished, but the grain of the wood is so pretty I can't bear to cover it up.  It is made from Box Elder wood which according to multiple sources has no magical properties, but I really find that hard to believe.   Knowing where these trees grow and how much they have to overcome to grow there, I feel that the magic of this wood is strength and perseverance.  The marbled coloring on the wood is created when the wood is somehow damaged, on a branch this size the damage was most likely done by one of our fierce prairie winds.   

In the case of this second wand, I added the very simple embellishment by wrapping the handle with a length of raw wool yarn.  With this wand, we are looking at another "non-magical"  wood: Cottonwood.  One source I found went as far to say that Cottonwood was "junk" wood.  As you can imagine, I was indignant.  Cottonwoods are by far the most common tree here on the prairie.  They grow in stands along the creek bottoms and are often hauntingly twisted in form from being pushed and molded by the wind.  To me, the magic of the Cottonwood is resilience and adaptability.   Cotton wood buds are also used to make a healing salve and the pollen is used in gypsy magic to bring rain.

 

Finally, my fancy wand.  This wand is made from pine and wrapped in a strip of torn coral cotton embellished with a mid-frequency river rock, a barred feather, and re-purposed wooden beads.  Pine is known magically for the qualities of protection, prosperity, and fertility. 

Love Reflected

The Stone Charged with Love and Sunshine

This morning, I found a "new" stone sitting with my art supplies on the kitchen counter.  Since Superman is constantly bringing me stones I knew it had been left there for me to find,  but from the moment I picked it up I knew this one was special.  It isn't the most beautiful or unique stone he has brought me and like many others in my collection it emits a low steady pulse of energy, along with something else I couldn't identify right away. 

By the time my husband had emerged from the shower, I knew that this stone wasn't going to be added to the collection on the shrine.  I wanted it near me.  I envisioned wrapping it in wire and wearing it around my neck, but the truth was I was already becoming addicted to the feel of it in my hand.  I needed to know more about this stone that I had so quickly become fascinated with, so I asked Superman about it.  Then I understood. 

This past weekend, he and Miss Busy had been outside playing while I fixed a snack in the kitchen.  When I emerged from the apartment, I found her toddling around his Harley and he very patiently telling her the names of all the parts and explaining what they did.  At some point during their time together, Miss Busy had latched on to this particular rock and had been very reluctant to let it go (she is still in the stage where she mouths everything, so letting her keep it wasn't an option).  When he had finally convinced her to relinquish it, he had slipped it in his pocket then promptly forgot about it for a day or two. 

Somehow, the magic of love and sunshine had become infused in this stone.  It holds the memory of a beautiful daddy/daughter moment that was so generously shared with me.  I have always known that one can attach certain emotions to an item associated with an event, but this is the first time I have experienced being "given" a moment that I did not share in.  What a wonderful way to experience love this Beltane week.