Pagan Team Challenge 2013

VOTING IS OPEN UNTIL APRIL 14, 2013 

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE!!!

We kick off the new year with a team challenge. The theme for this challenge is 'Your Pagan Way'. What that means is that team members are to create something that embodies their pagan-ness. It may be who they call upon, what they most admire in nature, or who knows what might come from this theme.
Guaranteed, this will be a unique and beautiful collection of pagan 'style'.
As entries are submitted, they will be posted here. After the deadline and all entries are in, we will begin the voting. Voting will be in mid March.

ENTRY # 1 By Ramona Friggasdotter and in her shop Urd Handicrafts.

"Brisingamen", Freyja's necklace of desire

 

This is what Ramona has to say about the creation of her piece~

Full Persian 6in1 is definitely one of the most beautiful chainmaille weaves. It is a rope type weave made of lots of stacked rings, looking similar to a Viking wire weaving, and it is a great choice for jewelry because of its thick, tight appearance.

Because of its similarity with Viking knit, we made a necklace inspired by the most famous necklace from Norse tradition - Brisingamen, the necklace of desire owned by Freyja (Freya), Goddess of love, fertility and beauty, also connected to war and death of fallen heroes. The word Brísingamen comes from Old Norse brisinga "flaming, glowing" and men "jewelry, ornament", and it was probably made of gold and amber.

Our Norse-inspired chainmaille necklace is a unique, deluxe, heavy piece of jewelry made of silver-plated copper rings, tightly weaved to make a Full Persian chain that is 7 mm thick. It is adorned with a huge rectangular pendant made of polished red jasper.

ENTRY # 2 is from leighswiccanboutique

Elemental Power Stone

This is what Mandi has to say about her piece~

These Stones are very powerful. You can feel their energy!While in a state of Meditation Hold your stones lightly in your hand and you can actually feel them pulsate, or tingle once they have been attuned to you. The stones themselves sometimes become very warm when you are working with them. I can state this fact as being true from my own personal Experience with these stones. In fact while I was photographing a previous set that I sold here on Etsy upon request, the screen on my camera had these little moving spots on it all around the area of the stones when I had zoomed in on them, actually detecting their energy field. I have not attuned these stones. I only worked with them during the design process.
Basic Info on the stones:These stones are found at the base of a natural pyramid mount in the center of the continental USA, and are the same type of rock, having the same properties. Kansas Pop Rocks usually come in pairs, a smoother stone which has Yin or female energy and is referred to as the female, and a rougher stone that has Yang or masculine energy and is referred to as the male. Kansas Pop Rocks are excellent for balancing energy and polarities of all kinds. They are used a lot in energy healing and psychic healing to release blockages. They are also used a lot to balance the chakras and align them. They are also excellent for grounding excess energies, grounding people who are feeling "spacey", and for shielding. In the both the household plant pots and out in nature, Kansas Pop Rocks are used to promote plant growth. Kansas Pop Rocks are also used in healing arthritis, back pain, general healing, regeneration of cells, adrenal glands, chronic fatigue, and physical energy.

ENTRY # 3 is from Elizabeth from NaturaPlumaDesigns

Natural Birch Bark Mask with Purple Flowers and Moss

This is what Elizabeth has to say about her piece~

This unique mask is made from natural birch bark which has naturally fallen from a birch tree in my yard. It has been carefully cut to fit the face, and eye holes have been burned into the bark. Dried purple flowers trail upward to a point at the top of the mask. Dried springy green moss is affixed to the base of the flowers, and in spots just underneath the flowers as they come to the top of the mask. The flowers were part of a bouquet that I dried in my dehydrator, and the dried moss was purchased at a craft store. Twine string acts as a ribbon to tie the mask together. The mask has been sprayed with a light coat of sealant to prevent breakage and decay.
This beautiful mask is wearable art. It can be displayed or worn depending on your preference.

You can also read her blog about this mask and others.

ENTRY # 4 is from Moon'sCraft's from MoonsCraftsUK

Pendulum in Oak

This pendulum is crafted from oak and depicts the wheel of the year in pyrography. At the end of each of the eight points which represent the eight sabbats or pagan celebratory festivals are different coloured rhinestones.

This pendulum has been lightly varnished to ensure the integrity of the design, however the top has been left unvarnished to allow the energy to be charged and to flow. 

The pendulum is attached to the cord with a handmade copper spiral, which connects to the crystal and moonstone beads. The centrepiece of these beads is a single spiral of life in silver to represent the cycles of life, the ebb and flow. 

Finally the pendulum is finished with a grey silk silver cord and finished a large tibetan silver Triquetra representing the power of three. 

A stunning pendulum.

All Moon's crafts pieces are ethically foraged and created in the UK entirely by hand. No stencils are used for the art work and all art is original. Each piece is magically correct and researched to ensure all energy within the piece can be utilised spcifically and magically. 

ENTRY # 5 by Pamela Kaylor from inkleing 

Labyrinth Walk Pagan Prayer Beads 

 

Labyrinth Walk Pagan Prayer beads can be a useful tool for meditation or focusing spiritual energies. This set is comprised of: 9 6mm Serpentine, 9 6mm Yellow Jade and 9 6mm Peach Aventurine with tiny daisy beads and 4 beautiful pieces of Yellow Flower Jade. This set begins with a Spiral Goddess charm and ends with a Labyrinth charm with tiny peridot bead . The total length is 16”. The more you use prayer beads, the more they feel at home in your hand, and bring your mind to the spiritual and contemplative. Give them a try!

Natural gemstone beads also help us make a connection to the earth itself. This link opens us to the Web of Life, the positive energy of Nature, and to the Divine. Using prayer beads joins us to an ancient spiritual tradition, and sets us on a new path of discovery. As we use prayer beads, each individual bead links us to our fellow spiritual travelers.

Yellow Jade is a stone of joy and happiness

Peach or Apricot Aventurine gently increases the energy, help with decision-making and can boost creativity.

Serpentine is an earthing stone that aids meditation and spiritual exploration.

Peridot assists in rebirth and renewal of all kinds. Peridot also brings abundance and prosperity. It also assists in finding what is lost, and strengthens ESP abilities

Flower Jade ~ Nephrite Jade from New Zealand~ Maori appreciation of jade centers on these features patterns that seem to evoke images of forests, rivers and clouds. 

 ENTRY # 6  is from faeriewise and her shop EarthMoonandStars'  

 Green Man Embroidered and Quilted Wall Hanging 

 

Here are the lyrics to a favorite song, and what helped inspire me as I listened to it while creating this piece :

Noon of the Solstice by Damh the Bard

In times long past
Lived a Man of green,
And his footsteps brought life wherever he'd been.
In the deepest wildwood
Was the place he was seen,
And the people did love
And protect him.
And they saw his face change,
With the turn of the Wheel
Of the Seasons,
They heard his voice sing.

(Chorus)
I'm the Horned God,
I'm the face in the trees,
I'm the breath of the wind that rustles the leaves,
I'm the Green Man
In the wildwood I roam,
Cernunnos, I'm Pan and I'm Herne.

I shall be as the Dark Holly King,
Darkness and cold
In my cloak I will bring,
And on Winter's nights
To me you will sing,
Till the air around me starts changing,
And on the noon of the solstice
I'll give up my crown,
To the Light
And the Mighty Oak King.

All Summer long
I shall rule just and fair,
Bring your crops to fruit
With the light that I share,
With fire and water,
From earth into air,
But the Wheel it keeps
Steadily turning.
And on the noon of the Solstice
I'll give up my crown,
To the cold and the Dark Holly King.

T'is now modern times
And the Summer is here,
The Winter has gone
And the air it is clear,
On a fine day I walked
Through a woods I live near,
When a battle I spied
Through a clearing,
Two giants of leaves,
One light and one dark,
Even now the Wheel it is turning!

STAY TUNED...... I think we have our last entry, dead line for Challenge submissions is just a few days away....VOTING WILL Begin shortly after.