Two very special wands ...

As promised, I've added the two wands which were crafted on the Spring Equinox, also known as Eostre or Ostara.
Above and below: Willow Ostara ogham wand which is crafted from naturally twisted willow wood, a rarity! It is carved with the ogham alphabet, following the twist and has an Ostara Sun added to the handle celebrating the new life at this time of year.

Above: Detail of the Willow Ostara ogham wand
Below and also, the top picture of this blog post: Wild Honeysuckle Ostara wand which is crafted from wild honeysuckle wood which has a naturally deeper coloured core which is exposed in natural patterns. The honeysuckle was gathered and crafted on the Spring Equinox, also known as Eostre or Ostara, and the resulting wand feels full of that wild spirit so noticeable in Nature at the time.
Plenty more new items left to come ... :~)

Eostre greening and woodland walks

What a beautiful week Eostre has been! We were blessed with sun, warmth and bird song :~) As you can see, Andy has been busy crafting ... so busy in fact that I'm having trouble keeping up with the photographing and listing! I've still got another couple of wands to be added in that wonderful, wild style that seems everywhere at the moment ... so full of energy! There are also some Stonehenge Wayfaring Tree staves in a birch bark box, several other stave sets and numerous pendants all waiting their turn to be added.

The pendant above is Bran's Raven. Crafted from warm-coloured alder wood, it marries three traditional associations: alder wood which is connected with the Celtic god Bran and Bran's totem bird, the raven. Bran is an interesting character with links to the Tower of London and the Ravens who live there. You can find some excellent information out about him here.
Another pendant which is newly listed is the Sunwheel shown above, carved from the deepest black Celtic bog oak. You can find both pendants listed here, each with an instant purchase option.

Above is a wand, carved on the equinox and celebrating the sun ...
Walks in Eostre week found such beautiful sights ... Silverweed and lichen ...
... primroses too, all bathed in the warmth of spring. It's been unseasonably warm in England this week and it's a welcome end to the winter.

Above is the finished Eostre ogham wand which will hopefully be listed on the website later on this week. Below, you can see the pussy willow looking so soft against the blue sky.

Softest moss for Faery beds and our faithful big hound the colour of dried Winter grasses ...

... little hound with her spotty bandana, sniffling and snuffling and wagging her tail ...

... ladybirds, venturing out after their winter hibernation and hover flies on primroses ...

... clumps of violets and even more primroses, dotted across the whole of the woodland floor.

Everywhere at the moment, new leaves are breaking out in so many different shades of green. Greening, greening, everywhere ... bliss! :~)

Stonehenge visit and lots of pottery ...

Did you enjoy the Equinox? We were lucky enough to have a wonderful day ... we packed up all five children and the dog and visited Stonehenge. The weather was perfect for Spring and the sun shone for the whole day. I wanted to share these photos with you ... above: the beautiful sunset, below: a perfect example of the landscape in the area

Above: Silbury Hill, the largest prehistoric man-made mound, below: view of Stonehenge showing the hellish A303

I've had a very busy day today adding more pottery to the website. There are some lovely pieces ... above and below are filled witch bottles. They're packed to the brim with herbs carefully gathered at sacred sites and then sealed with wax.

The picture above is a handfasting bowl. It has been sealed with melted beeswax so it can be used as a ritual cup filled with wine and it can also be used for burning loose incense, cones, candles of smudging. The bindrune is considered to bring everlasting love ... perfect!

Links for these items: Pottery Goddesses, altar lamps, incense bowls, smudging bowls, witch bottles, candle holders and handfasting dish

Witch bottles

Witch bottles are protection "charms" traditionally buried in areas of the house where negative forces can enter - doorways, hearths, etc. Witch bottles dating from the 16th and 17th centuries are sometimes still discovered concealed within old houses in England. The usual contents of these bottles includes iron nails or pins, hair and urine. Other ingredients such as small bones, thorns, pieces of wood and, in a few cases, pieces of fabric cut into the shape of a heart are sometimes found.

Today, in keeping with tradition, they could be buried or simply placed on a shelf or somewhere safe where they will attract positive energies into your home and help to dispel any negative ones.

An interesting example of a historical witch bottle can be found here, some info at Wikipedia can be found here and another website containing information can be found here.

Plenty more pottery to follow over the next week ...

Enjoy the Equinox ... have a wonderful time however you celebrate!