Category: Blog

Nothing could mean more than a female scribe, especially to a female writer. She oversees all humans no matter their identity, but the representation can bring you to your places of becoming quicker than ink to pen. This beauty was the very first goddess I selected for this project and she means the world to me. She was inspired by my Grandma Veda. She is the Sumerian Goddess of writing, accounts, and grain. Scribes and accountants most often ended their text with the words “Nisaba be Praised.” These magical words are inscribed on the back of the Goddess Coin in Sumerian as, “𒀭𒉀𒍠𒊩” and they are magick indeed. 

Her crystals are Quartz, Sodalite, and Peridot. These crystals are perfect for writing, accounting, filing, organizing, and formatting. These crystals are Level One, Two, and Four. Making a perfect cross combination for writing, creative thinking, remembering, and keeping track. 

“Write it down.” 

I want to thank everyone that contributed to this project.

BahArak Shah – Historic Archeologist, Contributor

Zara Hadid – cultural anthropologist, Contributor

Aleah Yousefi Andrews – Masters in Middle Eastern Studies with an emphasis on societies and cultures, Contributor

My Grandmother Veda – Muse, Contributor of inspiration, guide, and watcher

Some consider her an actual Queen and historical figure, others feel like she is an actual deity, and the majority feel like she is both. Her lore shares many attributes with the Horse Goddess Epona, but the love of Rhiannon reaches further into our hearts than Goddess status. Rhiannon was strong willed and made her own decisions, even when the world told her no, she said yes. She was untouchable and did whatever it was that her heart desired. She wielded her enchantments and magical powers with the flick of her wrist. When she was wrongly accused, she prevailed, because nothing in the world could hold her down. She displayed the speed and strength of a horse but also the unexpected majestic grace and enchanted movements reached upon in Horse Symbolism. Her coin is adorned with a White Moonstone and a snowy Quartz. Displayed with the magical three birds of Rhiannon that follow her shadow; she rides into our hearts forever as our true hero of the tale. One of the first female heroes, before the world we live in allowed them. She is Rhiannon. 

Rhiannon shows you what you are waiting to be and reminds you that you are your own hero. “I am here to remind you that you can have anything you want, by your own doing.” 

I thank everyone who lent their hand to this project. 

Orla O’Connor – Curator of Celtic Art, Contributor

Shannon Kelly – Writer, Celtic Scholar, Contributor

Nessa Walsh – Cultural anthropologist, Contributor

Raven Quinn – Muse, friend, contributor of inspiration, strong for battle and delicate like a songbird. Love you lady! 

I appreciate all of the kind encouragement through the manifestation of this piece. Posting the rough molds was a little scary because there was so much that was unseen going into this necklace. Sometimes the story is never seen, so your interpretation of the story you are retelling through art, is also cloaked in your mind. 

A very long time ago, I saw a photo of a Great-Great Grandmother in my family tree. There was not a lot of information about her but she was interesting. I was determined to learn more but no one could really tell me anything. Genealogy research also went nowhere. She was quite the mystery. When that happens in ancestry, you start researching their names, clothing, and jewelry in photos. Her name was Amandus (Amanda) Rossetti. Her mother’s name was Mahala. That and a photo of her as a very old woman were all we had. Secondly, I studied the dress she was wearing. It was not of any major significance. Her white hair was piled on top of her head and you can see a necklace around her neck. It was somewhat clear, but I had a friend of mine zoom it in and clean it up a bit. She was wearing a necklace known as a Mano Cornuto or the Sign of Horns. An Italian Amulet that looks like the “Rock and Rock” hand gesture but facing down. Mano means “hand” and Cornuto means “horn” and like the Italian horn, it protects against Malocchio, which means the Evil Eye. These symbols have been around before Italy and before Rome. They have been found prior in Greece and even Ancient Sumerian cultures used them. Not to mention the Karana Mudra, among many others.  

This propelled me to take several classes on hand gestures and their symbolic meanings from antiquity to now. I was taken aback by the meanings and beliefs behind them. This was when the internet didn’t offer classes, so I had to take in-person workshops, so it was over a several-year basis. From there I branched out into learning about hand gestures deities used and were known for. I was so geeked out on these hand gestures that I found myself one day, years into research, that all started from a very old photo of my Great-Great Grandma. This is an exact example of how my brain works, I just keep gobbling up info until I’ve paved a highway. I then look up and see that I am miles from where I started.

This pendant is a huge symbol of that essence of me, combined with something from my family’s distant past, and more than anything a huge dose of the old ways. This pendant is Hekate’s hand projecting protection from all who target you. Her snake is symbolic of you being able to shed anything that tries to attach itself to you, like old skin.

Hekate’s Cuff and Ring have a stone choice of obsidian or amethyst. A few people that viewed the work in progress told me I would be “on trend” if the nails were long and pointy. The thing is, I wanted an edited design that would last the test of time. One day, that may not be on-trend. When that happens things seem dated. I like the idea of timelessness. Just as this hand gesture is timeless. Just as Hekate herself is timeless. 

Thank you for reading this blog! This necklace is very limited and will not be around again. When these are gone, they are gone. All of my love and many many bright blessings!

‘When the night burns bright to an unbroken ring around the moon, hold on to Tiger’s eye to keep you safe until noon.’ 

I love old sayings about stones. My Grandmother told me several when I was young, this one included, but I love to research all of them. The ones I know about and the ones I do not. The first thing I do in researching the Old Ways is to learn where the saying came from. What region on this planet was it first recorded? This particular saying was found often by the Scottish settlers of the Americas in the early 1700s. Often found in the Border Ballad tradition, seemly the most effective way for a tradition to stay alive as many were pressured to assimilate into the American ideology. Another popular saying about Tiger’s Eye, equally spread by the songs of Appalachia in the same timeframe, also came from seeing a ring around the moon. ‘When there’s a ring around the moon, rain or snow is coming soon.’ Now it is commonly called a “halo effect” but the symbolic language still lives and breathes. The halo often tells of prediction and depending on the placement of the stars… danger. When the ring is seen, it was known to grab a Tiger’s Eye and carry it the three days of the full moon. Tiger’s Eye is about “seeing.”

Upon further research, it is found that these same uses for Tiger’s Eye were found in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Many believe the Romans may have brought these beliefs to Britannia a millennia before. Seeing that the gemstone of antiquity to Britannia was the Smoky Quartz and could be traced back to a thousand years before the Great Pyramid of Giza was built, it makes it unlikely. Still possible but unlikely. 

It does seem like the “7 Stones” were shared by the world’s heritage in some strange universal way. Oddly, every culture and every civilization used the 7 Stones in the same way. Tiger’s Eye being one of them, it would not be surprising if this stone’s lore wasn’t brought from place to place, but known universally by the people of the world. Predominantly found in Africa but also found in Australia, Brazil, Bruma, Canada, China, India, Korea, all about the Middle East, Spain, and the United States, but even found amongst cultures in places it was not naturally occurring. For example, Tiger’s Eye was highly associated with the early Freyja cults of the North. Of the first discoveries, researchers associated this with Middle Eastern trade that was known to take place between the cultures; being that Tiger’s Eye was highly-priced in Middle Eastern and Egyptian cultures, they could have shared the wisdom and the stone. It was said that traders may have brought this stone and its lore back with them. There are a few anthropology essays looking into this possibility. Upon further study, it has been noted that Tiger’s Eye has been found in graves of antiquity far before any kind of trade was known. The 7 stones defy all rules and timelines known to man. 

Tiger’s Eye has always been associated with protection in each culture, but this is sometimes misunderstood. Many believe Tiger’s Eye to be a stone of protection in the sense that is guards or shields you from negativity or low vibrational energy. This is not how it protects. Tiger’s Eye protects you by showing you what is. This can be the future of what is to come, the truth behind friendships, the clarity that is hidden under a foggy situation, or even an overview of the picture. Similar to seeing above like a bird or viewing a map. Tiger’s Eye gives you the Eye to make a plan. If more protection is needed besides “knowing” then Tiger’s Eye must be combined with another stone for protection. Usually a Level 3 stone or higher. For a protection bundle; it is best to use stones for each all-around protection. Example: Protection for the aura, protection from the physical, protection from the mental, etc. 

I will continue with six more posts about Tiger’s Eye on Patreon. I will cover clearing, charging, cross crystal combinations, and directional wear of the stone. Tiger’s Eye is a great ally and Level 1 helper crystal. An All-Seeing Eye. 

www.Patreon.com/Evil_Pawn_Jewelry 

This is blog two of ten about the interesting subject of Rose Quartz. Available here on the website blog and Patreon publicly. The other nine will be on Patreon. For anyone wanting to check out EPJ’s Patreon, please see Patreon.com/EvilPawnJewelry

Like many deep dive posts from 2014, I want to take on a deeper dive into not only the metaphysical properties of Rose Quartz, but I want to add what Birthstones combine with Rose Quartz for maximum effect. Some stones are like polar opposites and other are like magnets attracting. This is dependent on which Level a crystal is. I have posted about this on Patreon, and this weekend I will have a large post about bundles and combinations. For now I want to go into the truths about Rose Quartz Properties and lay down a foundation for a deeper understanding of this stone.

Think of all that we think we know about Rose Quartz. It is pink, it stands for love, it is in the level one quartz family, etc. The interest in Rose Quartz is all that hides under those layers of pink. The layers are much like the Rose flower, even in full bloom there is a center hidden from all of us. A place the sun never sees. 

First, let us speak about what is known and true about the stone. Once we have this foundation laid down, we will speak of what is rarely in the light, but in plain sight. The layers of rose quartz, delicate, but strongly symbolic. 

One part that is known; rose quartz is a stone of the heart and unconditional love. All love, all hearts, all categories of all love. 

One part that is of old; A token of relationships. Attracting new love, strengthening an existing bond, and driving away all those who truly do not love you. Especially those that wear masks of another face for their own benefit. 

One part that is unrealized; Some can use this stone, as a protection talisman, to keep people who do not love you far away from you. A protection device. Energy and color therapy of rose quartz can repel and help break some long time associations from walking alongside you on your path. Freeing you from emotional and psychological vampires that constantly feed off of you. A dissolvent that can free you, even when you are unable to free yourself. 

One part that is practiced; A stone with energy relating to the heart chakra, giving you the best tools to clear all of the dark sides pertaining to the perceptions of love that isn’t really love. Clear out the hurt, resentment, and false love that has disguised itself before you wearing a mask. These things have nothing to do with love and shouldn’t be associated with it. Trust and love freely. Those who take it to a dark place do not live in love but try to make you think this is a part of love or the ‘dark side’ of love that does not truly exist. This is for their own benefit, not yours. If they have you believing this is so, then you will not practice love for the fear of hurt. Hurt does not come with true love. (Not speaking of the ‘passing of a loved one’. This is a different kind of healing. What I am speaking of pertains to standing relationships that bleed because of ego) Let go of all dark perceptions of love. There is only a dark side of the moon. The heart is a place of bright water always and the sun never sets there in that one place. 

Hop onto Patreon to check out all ten posts about Rose Quartz! From cleansing and concentrating the stone, charging, combination/helper stones, Birthplate placement for Geminis and Scorpios, Metaphysical Properties, shape meanings, Symbolic language of direction, and more. All posting this month and next! Happy Week’s End! 

As a child, we always referred to them as worry rocks. Since I have become an adult, I have heard them referred to as thumb stones, palm stones, takers stones, and worry stones in kind. These companions fare in an overall way. The way is absorbent; a true taker. This is important to realize because there are times that worry rocks should be put away like a faring quartz but there are times when it should be held like a companion. The ancient use of worry rocks is vast but all associate with water. Rocks shaped by water, left smooth from the sea, metaphysically erode the jagged edges in the mind.

Traditionally, Worry Rocks were made of Soapstone, which is an absorbent of all excess energy that sits at the top. Before this, in antiquity, any soft stone from the ocean would do. Marble has also been discovered as a popular worry servant of old. Over time, I have seen so many different types of worry rocks made available, but each has specific absorbent characteristics.

Worry Rocks are great concentration tools for the mind, spirit, and body. More on this subject posted on Patreon. Happy Week’s End!

When I was a kid I had this recurring dream that I was in my Grandparent’s kitchen, and there were these yellow swirled breads on a dish. I saw my little hand grab one. Although I was a child, I knew in my dream I was even younger, these layers are never to be underestimated. I remember not liking the raisins on the bread and I spit them out. I held these two nasty little half-chewed raisins in my little hand. Looking at them. I looked up and saw a double-cross on the wall. That was it, or that was all I could remember. My Grandma had a necklace like that cross, so I chalked it up to that being about her jewelry. 

When I was about 13, I found this incense company I loved. Mostly because the logo to this specific scent in the line was a stag depiction of Cernunnos. The design was more animal than godhead. I liked how his horns curled into a puffy swirl. I liked how there were swirls around the entire design. It hit me that it reminded me of that yellow bread with the raisins from my dream. 

If you look through all of my sketchpads from my youth, you’ll see nothing but these swirls and swirl patterns of this dream bread. Swirly flowers, swirly trees, all the way to swirly people. I even have a painting of swirly people standing in the sea, steps away from a shoreline, with rosins raining down on them. Swirling shrimp swimming in swirls around their ankles. 

Fast forward to a few years ago. I drew up this necklace, and there it sat ‘morgued’ as I call it, in my design cabinet. I didn’t think it was going anywhere. I cannot tell you how many shelves I have of morgues designs that exist for me and me alone. It lay in its bin, waiting to be brought to life or buried forever in the whirlwind of my own mind. 

About last year my friend Mia started sending me recipes for some traditional Scandinavian breads that I was wanting because I wanted to change the ingredients a bit and make them at home. One of the recipes was for Lussekatter (Swedish Saffron Bread aka buns) One of them looked like that shape from my dream and the shape from the incense package. At this point, I realized that it may not have been a dream, may have been real. Who knows? Not too far fetched, me at age 4, hopping up on a counter to snatch some bread. Sound like me! 

I went out to learn more about the shapes of the bread because it was driving me batty. Mia sent a cool video by an artist on IG named Saga-Mariah Sandberg. She had a video in her storyline about the shapes of the bread. An amazing storyline indeed! Some say they are supposed to be curled up cats. Some say they protect the body from evil. Ah, that symbolic language has me. As I read more and more about the shapes and their meaning I was just floored. These swirls could stretch out far back into time, loop up the past then curl back up, bringing now and then to a meet. Seeing what it was that I was not remembering and reviving it into consciousness. The Lussekatter is only for a specific holiday each year, but with my Lusse Necklace, I can find those protective swirls when I need them. How those swirls got me. Twisted up all these years over some bread. Really, it was more than bread. It was my family telling me things that memory had failed to hold tight. Those swirls stretched out and curled back up bring them back to me.