The Evil Eye. Malocchio. Incantations against the evil or envious eye have been found in cuneiform writings from ancient Sumeria and probably go further back into prehistory. Some of the most popular charms or amulets are intended to deflect the evil eye. In China and India, mirrors are used to reflect any negative energies; using the same magical principle, the image of an eye has the same effect. This is my first attempt at making an eye amulet from wire, and I already have ideas about how to improve on it.
Close up via TitleFx
Some new pieces for April: turquoise, amber, lava and bone. Copper and bronze. All my favorites. I'll just keep quiet and let the pictures speak for themselves. And if I managed to do it right, there's a video of a little egg hunter if you make it to the very end. Maybe not as funny as kittens being tickled, but pretty damned cute, I'd say.
If you travel and you’re female, you may pick up some jewels along the roads you travel. Maybe they’re talismans and amulets with purposes to protect. Maybe they’re pendants made from colorful semi-precious stones with meanings, like turquoise and carnelian. Maybe they’re one-of-a-kind pieces made by artists for the sheer pleasure of creating, no purpose … Continue reading "A Nomad’s Jewelry"
Explore Maggie Zee's 452 photos on Flickr!
I picked up a few goodies a couple of weeks ago at a local gem and mineral society show. I remembered to bring my reading glasses - the prescription pair, not the drug store ones - which is always a good thing. Fewer regrets. My budget was very limited, but there were a few things I felt compelled to pounce on and worry about paying for later: some little drilled quartz crystal points (I use 'em all the time); some very pretty faceted turquoise that I haven't used yet; some yellow opal rondelles that I just love ( I had used up the last of my stash and had despaired of finding more); some gorgeous blue kyanite; faceted amethyst beads; and (be still my heart) some raw black garnet crystals (dodecahedrons, in fact). I could swear they called me from across the room. One second I was looking at some leather cord and the next I was in front of this tall young dreadlocked hippie guy with these amazing beads in my hand. That's the black garnet on the top Turns out, black garnet, also known as Andradite or Melanite is a pretty intense stone. This is what I read on the Internet: "Metaphysical Properties: Black Andradite Garnet is a powerful grounding stone, which can also be used to ... evoke the mysteries of the Earth. It can help one attune to elemental forces and engage their aid. " http://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/andradite Grounding is one of the first practices you learn when doing magical and shamanic work. Putting your roots down deep deep into Mother Earth; looking for balance and tapping into that primordial energy. Some people really need help to stay grounded, so the black garnet, if nothing else, is a reminder. That's a black garnet all the way on the left... A Prayer for the North, Earth Amulet Necklace This piece is really all about Earth energy. Stone, bone, clay, copper. Very grounding. And here's another necklace using some beautiful hand-dyed silk sari fabric I just got from Flea's Fibers on Etsy - www.etsy.com/shop/FleasFibers I'm in love with the colors in this piece - they remind me of that beautiful color that old newspapers become. I've avoided taking a shower and getting dressed long enough. It's overcast here on the South Shore of Long Island - perfect for getting more photos taken. I've gotten a little too grounded to this computer chair.
Soon it will be too hot for soup-making, but never too hot for playing with beads and charms and stuff. ...
urban amulets
Soon it will be too hot for soup-making, but never too hot for playing with beads and charms and stuff. ...
Soon it will be too hot for soup-making, but never too hot for playing with beads and charms and stuff. ...
Lots of new stuff to share. I am way behind in photography and listing on Etsy and all the things I think I should be doing. Just indulging in the pleasures of creating. For a while now, I've just assumed that blogging was pretty much passe'. People I was following are now using Instagram and Twitter and I have enough trouble trying to keep up on FaceBook. But last night I checked out my blogger account and found to my great surprise that I am still getting hits. Lots of them actually. So for anyone who is still along for the ride with me, here is a lengthy update. I originally had a large labyrinth pendant on this necklace, but I wasn't completely happy with it. I had tried out something different for a bail and only realized after it had come out of the kiln and I was polishing it, that it looks just like the Trilithons of Stonehenge. I think the shape and size work much better. I used the second pendant with red jasper, carnelian, horn, and red tiger eye. This one had been incomplete for ages. It features an old silver and turquoise pendant from Tibet along with silver and turquoise, a jade cicada, old silver earring orphan, Scorched Earth spike, Thai amulet and Whitby jet beads. Jet is a cousin to both amber and coal - very popular in Victorian times for mourning jewelry. The weather hasn't be cooperating with my intent to photograph pieces outside - all the damp and dank has put a layer of green on my slate and whalebone props so I've had to look for some new backgrounds. The one above is the inside covers of a book I've had since I was a child - Sir Richard Burton's translation of "The Arabian Nights". I love the aged look of the paper. Some of the other photos are taken on the back cover, but it's not big enough to show an entire necklace. This piece is kind of minimalist for me. It showcases an unusual pendant of green Prehnite. The photos don't begin to do it justice. I love that it's not clear and perfect. The inclusions and irregularities and color shifts within the stone are fascinating. Prehnite is sometimes described on New Agey crystal websites as "the stone that heals the healer". It's supposed to help release a person's natural psychic abilities and deepen meditative states. I just know that I am drawn to work with it on an aesthetic level if nothing else. Rutilated quartz. Another favorite stone of mine. I love the threads of golden rutile running through the beads. Encased in time and space. Gorgeous porcelain spikes by Petra Carpreau of Scorched Earth on Etsy. I-Ching coins, old African cowrie shells, bone Buddhist mala beads, Kuchi coins, and Czrch glass talhakimt amulets. A little raw. A little wild and tribal. Steel wire was called for here. Faceted chalcedony beads with my hand made bronze clay discs. A twisted copper jump ring and vintage gold washed brass "raised dot" Yoruba beads from Africa. Another shield amulet with impressions of the dancing ladies inspired by North African cave paintings on both sides. A large smokey quartz crystal, recycled amber colored glass Krobo beads from Africa and tiny ones from Indonesia. I like to squish the clay out with my fingertips rather than rolling it out. I want to see the marks of my hands and leave no doubt that these pieces have been a labor of the heart and soul. Another spike from Petra Carpreau. The colors are glorious! A rough faceted carnelian, a Thai amulet of a Kalachakra Wheel in sandstone, a bone spike incised with an Ohmmmm, a little wooden skull from a Nepalese or Tibetan prayer mala, and one of my bronze hands - open to repel negativity and receive blessings. Suspended from a bronze ring on a leather choker. I had sent this one along to Belle Armoire for consideration, so it will be listed as soon as I get it back. And these two. I need to take some better photos so I can list them. The first one makes me think of woodlands - of Spring shoots poking through damp autumn leaves. Renewal and promise. Green garnets, wooden disc beads, and seed beads in many shades of green. The last one is golden - sun shining through dew drops. Sparkling with faceted citrines, amber, and Peruvian opals. It's going to be very hard to part with these two.
Lots of new stuff to share. I am way behind in photography and listing on Etsy and all the things I think I should be doing. Just indulging in the pleasures of creating. For a while now, I've just assumed that blogging was pretty much passe'. People I was following are now using Instagram and Twitter and I have enough trouble trying to keep up on FaceBook. But last night I checked out my blogger account and found to my great surprise that I am still getting hits. Lots of them actually. So for anyone who is still along for the ride with me, here is a lengthy update. I originally had a large labyrinth pendant on this necklace, but I wasn't completely happy with it. I had tried out something different for a bail and only realized after it had come out of the kiln and I was polishing it, that it looks just like the Trilithons of Stonehenge. I think the shape and size work much better. I used the second pendant with red jasper, carnelian, horn, and red tiger eye. This one had been incomplete for ages. It features an old silver and turquoise pendant from Tibet along with silver and turquoise, a jade cicada, old silver earring orphan, Scorched Earth spike, Thai amulet and Whitby jet beads. Jet is a cousin to both amber and coal - very popular in Victorian times for mourning jewelry. The weather hasn't be cooperating with my intent to photograph pieces outside - all the damp and dank has put a layer of green on my slate and whalebone props so I've had to look for some new backgrounds. The one above is the inside covers of a book I've had since I was a child - Sir Richard Burton's translation of "The Arabian Nights". I love the aged look of the paper. Some of the other photos are taken on the back cover, but it's not big enough to show an entire necklace. This piece is kind of minimalist for me. It showcases an unusual pendant of green Prehnite. The photos don't begin to do it justice. I love that it's not clear and perfect. The inclusions and irregularities and color shifts within the stone are fascinating. Prehnite is sometimes described on New Agey crystal websites as "the stone that heals the healer". It's supposed to help release a person's natural psychic abilities and deepen meditative states. I just know that I am drawn to work with it on an aesthetic level if nothing else. Rutilated quartz. Another favorite stone of mine. I love the threads of golden rutile running through the beads. Encased in time and space. Gorgeous porcelain spikes by Petra Carpreau of Scorched Earth on Etsy. I-Ching coins, old African cowrie shells, bone Buddhist mala beads, Kuchi coins, and Czrch glass talhakimt amulets. A little raw. A little wild and tribal. Steel wire was called for here. Faceted chalcedony beads with my hand made bronze clay discs. A twisted copper jump ring and vintage gold washed brass "raised dot" Yoruba beads from Africa. Another shield amulet with impressions of the dancing ladies inspired by North African cave paintings on both sides. A large smokey quartz crystal, recycled amber colored glass Krobo beads from Africa and tiny ones from Indonesia. I like to squish the clay out with my fingertips rather than rolling it out. I want to see the marks of my hands and leave no doubt that these pieces have been a labor of the heart and soul. Another spike from Petra Carpreau. The colors are glorious! A rough faceted carnelian, a Thai amulet of a Kalachakra Wheel in sandstone, a bone spike incised with an Ohmmmm, a little wooden skull from a Nepalese or Tibetan prayer mala, and one of my bronze hands - open to repel negativity and receive blessings. Suspended from a bronze ring on a leather choker. I had sent this one along to Belle Armoire for consideration, so it will be listed as soon as I get it back. And these two. I need to take some better photos so I can list them. The first one makes me think of woodlands - of Spring shoots poking through damp autumn leaves. Renewal and promise. Green garnets, wooden disc beads, and seed beads in many shades of green. The last one is golden - sun shining through dew drops. Sparkling with faceted citrines, amber, and Peruvian opals. It's going to be very hard to part with these two.
To become a shaman, one must see things that the rational mind says should not be there, hear voices no one else hears, suspend disbelief.
DNA Goddess protection amulet earrings via TitleFx
Amulet necklace with turquoise beads, scarab, Thai and Tibetan amulets, goldleaf mala bead, quartz crystal and American lampwork beads
urban amulets
I've been busy. So busy. Taking old things apart and making them into new things. Sometimes the creative flow just takes over and it is glorious. If you heat copper wire on the gas burner on the stove until it's glowing red, it makes it nice and soft and malleable. Why did it take me so long to try this? This one started when I reworked an older piece that I was tired of wearing. By the time I was done, there wasn't one single element of the original necklace that I had kept. Things take on a life of their own. Garnets and some great brass rings and beads. My little kiln is having temperature issues so I haven't been making any components. Also, it's been too hot to test fire it. Labradorite eye with copper beads and charms. Lapis lazuli. Carnelian. A chunk of citrine was the inspiration for this one. Faceted horn beads, Beautiful handmade vintage African brass beads, borosilcate, jade, ammonite, ancient quartz, Tibetan mala beads. I really love this one. Hence the number of photos. Tuareg earrings with no mates are reincarnated. A request for a copper wire evil eye amulet inspired all kinds of variations. This one with Chinese jade cicadas and citrine nuggets. This one with amethyst and bronze clay charms. A bunch of evil eyes with different gemstones - this one green jade. Red jasper for strength and courage. Little body positive pink ceramic goddesses. Serene Buddhas. Buddha hands and Tibetan copper skulls to invoke the wisdom of the ancestors. Leather bracelet with Czech glass beads, bronze clay discs, copper and brass. Jasper and petrified wood. Chinese symbols for longevity. Artisan lampwork bead. Gorgeous colors. I may need to keep this one. Years ago when I had some leftover Ice Resin from a pour, I coated a few Lunaria pods. They have tiny bits of Chinese herbal burn medicine instructions collaged onto them and little faceted citrines. I've had the African hand cast spirals for ages but hadn't known what to do with them. More simple evil eyes. Labradorite on this one. It's called "The Shaman's Stone" or the stone that "Heals the Healer". I was not attracted to Labradorite when my daughter was first working with it. I took me awhile to appreciate the subtle flashes of blue and purple, but it has become one of my favorite stones. I think it works well with bronze, silver and copper. Carnelian and horn. Green Tibetan turquoise. Time to take a breather and see what to try next. If you haven't visited my Etsy shop, Maggiezees, please check out all the new listings. Shipping is FREE right now to US customers. I'm sorry that I can't extend that offer to Canadian and EU buyers.
urban amulets
Maggie Zee on Etsy via TitleFx
Soon it will be too hot for soup-making, but never too hot for playing with beads and charms and stuff. ...
Explore Maggie Zee's 452 photos on Flickr!
shell, Chinese coin, African trade beads, repurposed Afghan serpentine earring
With the first really hard frost here on Long Island comes the necessity of dealing with all the half-ripe and green tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and a ton of windfall apples from a friend's trees. I enjoy food prep and cooking, especially now that the weather is so cool, but it takes me away from my workbench more than I would like. Just got this amulet listed on Etsy. I love the bronze hand clasp and the diamond shaped Thai amulet. I have come to the conclusion that my reluctance to part with a piece is an indication of how much of my heart I've put into it. I hope no one buys this one.
Maggie Zee via TitleFx
Maggie Zee via TitleFx
I've been busy. So busy. Taking old things apart and making them into new things. Sometimes the creative flow just takes over and it is glorious. If you heat copper wire on the gas burner on the stove until it's glowing red, it makes it nice and soft and malleable. Why did it take me so long to try this? This one started when I reworked an older piece that I was tired of wearing. By the time I was done, there wasn't one single element of the original necklace that I had kept. Things take on a life of their own. Garnets and some great brass rings and beads. My little kiln is having temperature issues so I haven't been making any components. Also, it's been too hot to test fire it. Labradorite eye with copper beads and charms. Lapis lazuli. Carnelian. A chunk of citrine was the inspiration for this one. Faceted horn beads, Beautiful handmade vintage African brass beads, borosilcate, jade, ammonite, ancient quartz, Tibetan mala beads. I really love this one. Hence the number of photos. Tuareg earrings with no mates are reincarnated. A request for a copper wire evil eye amulet inspired all kinds of variations. This one with Chinese jade cicadas and citrine nuggets. This one with amethyst and bronze clay charms. A bunch of evil eyes with different gemstones - this one green jade. Red jasper for strength and courage. Little body positive pink ceramic goddesses. Serene Buddhas. Buddha hands and Tibetan copper skulls to invoke the wisdom of the ancestors. Leather bracelet with Czech glass beads, bronze clay discs, copper and brass. Jasper and petrified wood. Chinese symbols for longevity. Artisan lampwork bead. Gorgeous colors. I may need to keep this one. Years ago when I had some leftover Ice Resin from a pour, I coated a few Lunaria pods. They have tiny bits of Chinese herbal burn medicine instructions collaged onto them and little faceted citrines. I've had the African hand cast spirals for ages but hadn't known what to do with them. More simple evil eyes. Labradorite on this one. It's called "The Shaman's Stone" or the stone that "Heals the Healer". I was not attracted to Labradorite when my daughter was first working with it. I took me awhile to appreciate the subtle flashes of blue and purple, but it has become one of my favorite stones. I think it works well with bronze, silver and copper. Carnelian and horn. Green Tibetan turquoise. Time to take a breather and see what to try next. If you haven't visited my Etsy shop, Maggiezees, please check out all the new listings. Shipping is FREE right now to US customers. I'm sorry that I can't extend that offer to Canadian and EU buyers.
"Binding Spell" Beannacht (Blessings) On the day when the weight deadens on your shoulders and you stumble, may the clay dance to balance you. And when your eyes freeze behind the grey window and the ghost of loss gets in to you, may a flock of colors, indigo, red, green and azure blue come to awaken in you a meadow of delight. When the canvas frays in the curach* of thought and a stain of ocean blackens beneath you, may there come across the water a path of yellow moonlight to bring you safely home. May the nourishment of the earth be yours, may the clarity of light be yours, "Binding Spell" close up may the fluency of the ocean be yours, may the protection of the ancestors be yours. And so may a slow wind work these words of love around you, an invisible cloak to mind your life. - John O'Donohue Anum Chara (Soul Friend) "Lucky DNA Charm Earrings"
Amulet necklace with green garnet and prehnite
Frida and Diego amulet earrings via TitleFx
Time traveler. Way back in the 1970's, I used to watch Dr.Who. I was a fan of the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, with his unruly scarf and unrulier hair. (I watch it on BBC America now too and am very impressed with the last three doctors, but I may just be watching so that my grandchildren think I'm hip.) The idea of time travel has always intrigued me. If I had access to a Tardis, the first thing I'd do is visit Broadway in the 1920's and catch the Marx Brothers live on stage. The second thing is attend a ritual at Stonehenge when that culture was at its height. When I hold one of these beautiful Russian fossilized ammonites in my hand, I am transported 60 million years (give or take a few million) back in time. It's incomprehensible. The quartz crystal bead above it is from Mali and I am told that children sift these beads from the sands of the Sahara, string them, and sell them to tourists. Since there is no way of dating them, they may be anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand years old or more. Here's another necklace that I wasn't satisfied with and decided to rework. I added some more quartz crystal to the Labradorite and one of my copper wire DNA charms. Now it makes me happy. Just wish I could get the colors in the Labradorite to photograph better. I have a cool new photo prop though - a nice little piece of driftwood with an interesting shape. And one more new piece - this one feels so earthy - like the way that the woods smell in Spring.
www.maggiezee.blogspot.com via TitleFx
The other night I was watching a pledgeweek replay of a tribute concert for Bob Dylan on PBS. It got me thinking about an interview I had seen where Dylan was asked where he got the inspiration to write songs like "Blowin' In the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changing", songs that expressed the deepest feelings of many of us who came of age in the 60's. He gets this really really sad look on his face and he says, I don't know --- they just came through me and I wrote them down. The way he looked, you knew that hadn't happened to him in a long while. For a time, he was a clear channel. Or he was "visited by his Muse". He didn't know how to make it happen again and though he's written some pretty good stuff since, nobody's looking to him as a prophet anymore. It must be a relief to some degree. I used to spend a week each year at Nancy Crow's Quilt Surface Design Symposium in Columbus, Ohio when I was making "art" quilts. One of the workshops I took was with David Walker and he had us start each morning with meditation and drawing with our non-dominant hands to left-brain type music. Vollenweider. That sort of thing. The idea was to imagine ourselves as clear channels --- open to the creative juices of the Universe. For some reason, it hadn't occured to me before that workshop that there was a spiritual component to the creative process. At the best of times, I feel like the piece already exists in its whole and perfect form, in a parallel universe or heaven or someplace. The Platonic ideal, maybe. Like that quote that's going around on Pinterest, "If you get out of the way, the art will make itself." My job is to bring it into being. I NEED to do that to be happy.
urban amulets
Shell, collaged mother-of-pearl beads, charms and amulets
I just got back home after being away for the last four weeks and as usual, am having a challenge getting back into the groove and the rhythm of making, photographing, editing, blogging, listing. I may be rambling just a teeny bit, so please be patient. I'll get there eventually. Or not. I know I've written about the ancestors before. About how shamans live with one foot in ordinary reality and one foot in the world of spirit and energy. We usually access that unseen world through trance/drug/drumbeat induced journeys. In some instances when we have been doing a lot of journeying, we flip back and forth - sometimes unexpectedly for some of us less experienced travelers. It can lead one to doubt her sanity. The great benefit is that it enlarges our personal definition of "reality". Quantum physics bears out the shamanic experience again and again. But I'm seriously digressing here. I just wanted to explain my use of the skull as a symbol of the protection of the ancestors. I use it as an invocation of the spirits and guides who I believe have our backs as we make our way through our lives. Some traditions say that they are not allowed to help us unless we specifically ask them for it. I use the skull beads as a reminder that there is more than can be seen with the naked eye - that we do not walk alone. The bead I used in this necklace is made of pyrite. See: Properties of pyrite for more information on this powerful stone. I've also used a couple of vintage coins, one from West Africa with a six-pointed star on the back (the union of the Divine masculine and the Divine Feminine) and one from Nepal with an image of Mt. Kailash, sacred to both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Coins are my shorthand for invoking abundance and wealth in all things. There is a Hamsa for protection; a Thai Buddhist amulet, blessed by monks, again for protection, good luck and wealth; a Chinese jade cicada bead, to remind you that you can always reinvent yourself like the cicada sheds her old skin; a little bronze heart - for love, of course! An Ethiopian cattle amulet, a quartz crystal point to amplify all the good mojo; some Labradorite beads (supposed to help facilitate self discovery and is a powerful protective stone). I love the ancient feel that the soft grey/greens give this piece. It has a powerful presence.
via PhotoToaster
Soon it will be too hot for soup-making, but never too hot for playing with beads and charms and stuff.
Maggie Zee
I picked up a few goodies a couple of weeks ago at a local gem and mineral society show. I remembered to bring my reading glasses - the prescription pair, not the drug store ones - which is always a good thing. Fewer regrets. My budget was very limited, but there were a few things I felt compelled to pounce on and worry about paying for later: some little drilled quartz crystal points (I use 'em all the time); some very pretty faceted turquoise that I haven't used yet; some yellow opal rondelles that I just love ( I had used up the last of my stash and had despaired of finding more); some gorgeous blue kyanite; faceted amethyst beads; and (be still my heart) some raw black garnet crystals (dodecahedrons, in fact). I could swear they called me from across the room. One second I was looking at some leather cord and the next I was in front of this tall young dreadlocked hippie guy with these amazing beads in my hand. That's the black garnet on the top Turns out, black garnet, also known as Andradite or Melanite is a pretty intense stone. This is what I read on the Internet: "Metaphysical Properties: Black Andradite Garnet is a powerful grounding stone, which can also be used to ... evoke the mysteries of the Earth. It can help one attune to elemental forces and engage their aid. " http://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/andradite Grounding is one of the first practices you learn when doing magical and shamanic work. Putting your roots down deep deep into Mother Earth; looking for balance and tapping into that primordial energy. Some people really need help to stay grounded, so the black garnet, if nothing else, is a reminder. That's a black garnet all the way on the left... A Prayer for the North, Earth Amulet Necklace This piece is really all about Earth energy. Stone, bone, clay, copper. Very grounding. And here's another necklace using some beautiful hand-dyed silk sari fabric I just got from Flea's Fibers on Etsy - www.etsy.com/shop/FleasFibers I'm in love with the colors in this piece - they remind me of that beautiful color that old newspapers become. I've avoided taking a shower and getting dressed long enough. It's overcast here on the South Shore of Long Island - perfect for getting more photos taken. I've gotten a little too grounded to this computer chair.
I've been busy. So busy. Taking old things apart and making them into new things. Sometimes the creative flow just takes over and it is glorious. If you heat copper wire on the gas burner on the stove until it's glowing red, it makes it nice and soft and malleable. Why did it take me so long to try this? This one started when I reworked an older piece that I was tired of wearing. By the time I was done, there wasn't one single element of the original necklace that I had kept. Things take on a life of their own. Garnets and some great brass rings and beads. My little kiln is having temperature issues so I haven't been making any components. Also, it's been too hot to test fire it. Labradorite eye with copper beads and charms. Lapis lazuli. Carnelian. A chunk of citrine was the inspiration for this one. Faceted horn beads, Beautiful handmade vintage African brass beads, borosilcate, jade, ammonite, ancient quartz, Tibetan mala beads. I really love this one. Hence the number of photos. Tuareg earrings with no mates are reincarnated. A request for a copper wire evil eye amulet inspired all kinds of variations. This one with Chinese jade cicadas and citrine nuggets. This one with amethyst and bronze clay charms. A bunch of evil eyes with different gemstones - this one green jade. Red jasper for strength and courage. Little body positive pink ceramic goddesses. Serene Buddhas. Buddha hands and Tibetan copper skulls to invoke the wisdom of the ancestors. Leather bracelet with Czech glass beads, bronze clay discs, copper and brass. Jasper and petrified wood. Chinese symbols for longevity. Artisan lampwork bead. Gorgeous colors. I may need to keep this one. Years ago when I had some leftover Ice Resin from a pour, I coated a few Lunaria pods. They have tiny bits of Chinese herbal burn medicine instructions collaged onto them and little faceted citrines. I've had the African hand cast spirals for ages but hadn't known what to do with them. More simple evil eyes. Labradorite on this one. It's called "The Shaman's Stone" or the stone that "Heals the Healer". I was not attracted to Labradorite when my daughter was first working with it. I took me awhile to appreciate the subtle flashes of blue and purple, but it has become one of my favorite stones. I think it works well with bronze, silver and copper. Carnelian and horn. Green Tibetan turquoise. Time to take a breather and see what to try next. If you haven't visited my Etsy shop, Maggiezees, please check out all the new listings. Shipping is FREE right now to US customers. I'm sorry that I can't extend that offer to Canadian and EU buyers.
I picked up a few goodies a couple of weeks ago at a local gem and mineral society show. I remembered to bring my reading glasses - the prescription pair, not the drug store ones - which is always a good thing. Fewer regrets. My budget was very limited, but there were a few things I felt compelled to pounce on and worry about paying for later: some little drilled quartz crystal points (I use 'em all the time); some very pretty faceted turquoise that I haven't used yet; some yellow opal rondelles that I just love ( I had used up the last of my stash and had despaired of finding more); some gorgeous blue kyanite; faceted amethyst beads; and (be still my heart) some raw black garnet crystals (dodecahedrons, in fact). I could swear they called me from across the room. One second I was looking at some leather cord and the next I was in front of this tall young dreadlocked hippie guy with these amazing beads in my hand. That's the black garnet on the top Turns out, black garnet, also known as Andradite or Melanite is a pretty intense stone. This is what I read on the Internet: "Metaphysical Properties: Black Andradite Garnet is a powerful grounding stone, which can also be used to ... evoke the mysteries of the Earth. It can help one attune to elemental forces and engage their aid. " http://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/andradite Grounding is one of the first practices you learn when doing magical and shamanic work. Putting your roots down deep deep into Mother Earth; looking for balance and tapping into that primordial energy. Some people really need help to stay grounded, so the black garnet, if nothing else, is a reminder. That's a black garnet all the way on the left... A Prayer for the North, Earth Amulet Necklace This piece is really all about Earth energy. Stone, bone, clay, copper. Very grounding. And here's another necklace using some beautiful hand-dyed silk sari fabric I just got from Flea's Fibers on Etsy - www.etsy.com/shop/FleasFibers I'm in love with the colors in this piece - they remind me of that beautiful color that old newspapers become. I've avoided taking a shower and getting dressed long enough. It's overcast here on the South Shore of Long Island - perfect for getting more photos taken. I've gotten a little too grounded to this computer chair.
www.maggiezee.blogspot.com via TitleFx
Ice Resin filled bezels with paintings & dental crowns
I've been sitting on some packages of Fimo for a while. Literally sitting on them because I bought them some time ago and they're a little dried out and tough to work with. I can soften them up while I'm doing something else. Multitasking at its finest. I layered translucent and cream to make a faux ivory kind of pattern and then I made them into facsimiles of some of the antler and bone pieces I love to use. Grunged them up with a little burnt sienna paint and then polished the hell out of them. The solid pieces survived, but the larger amulets with the indents - well - let's just say they lacked structural integrity. Which is too bad because I really liked them. The shields that survived my loving touch got made into earrings. Lightweight and completely vegan. Except for the bone beads. I decided that I didn't really like working with plastic. It felt like it had no soul, compared with the old, natural materials. So for now anyway, the Fimo goes back into the storage bin. I usually don't get so creatively stagnant until halfway into the month of August, but my Summer Doldrums came along early this year. I gathered together beads with a red theme, thinking of Women's Mysteries - in particular, Croning. The dictionary definition of "crone" is "an old hag" or "dried up old woman", but fortunately it's one of those words which has been reclaimed by the Goddess revival in the last couple of decades. Now a woman who has gone through menopause is celebrated as a Wise Woman. Two women I admired greatly as embodiments of the Crone, Maya Angelou and Margot Adler, passed on recently, and so the two necklaces that were born from this little flicker of creative activity are dedicated to them. The reds are really more rusty in person. They look kinda cherry red on my monitor. This piece could be worn everyday. To the office. Or the supermarket. And everyone would know just by looking at you, what a juicy woman you are. "Dried up", my ass! The other one I picture being worn at a Croning Ritual. With all black clothing. Or all white. Or best of all - sky-clad! How magnificent that would be!
