Idols and Statuettes

Showing posts with label Idols and Statuettes. Show all posts

Hours of the Tide: Theive's Night II

Monday, August 18, 2025

She came in a dream, after the delerium of ill-gotten gains well recieved...

Headless, headless, but with a good heart...

From the inferi, the below...

And the prayers that conjured her were made with old words...

And her ghostly form glows even in the dark; a corpse-like beauty, an infernal beauty.

Hail Queen of Thieves.

Monday, December 21, 2020

Resurge and Reemerge, come back dear sun, and warm the land again...

The Solar Virtue, the first god, the old god, the spirit of the sky, the great one referred to by so many of our ancestors. It is the life giver, the illuminator of both day and night, bestower of lunar light, bringer of famine and plight, lord of justice, rule and right, god of music, math and second sight, eater of self and eventual devourer of this world. It is our sacred star, the holiest to us because it alone shines the light upon which we depend. Evolver, blessed bringer of fire, crown of the Horned, when our declination is such that the sun is less present, we feel it deep in our primal bones- perhaps many living things do.

One’s perception of the season depends on their culture, their religion, their country, themselves. Where I live, on the west coast of North America, winterstide is rather particular, with a vibe that translates across the land, across peoples. The colors of white and gold, red and green, silver and bronze; the smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, evergreens and roast; the icy mornings and short days- this is what Midwinter feels in my life. It’s a spicy, savory, sweet taste, a chill in the air that is unbearable some nights. I like nut spice flavored rustic winter, not peppermint candy cane consumer Christmas. The woodstoves and the wooly sweaters, the baked goods and sad stories of the frost and ghosts of the season. I like the part where the sun returns, and mornings become bright again.

Spirit: Ivy

Spirit: Holly

Spirit: Mistletoe

The Sun shapes how I mark the days and the seasons, personally- something that’s always kept me grounded, feeling connected to the terrestrial sacredness, to tangible reality when I live so much of my life in the otherworld. Most modern pagans have some kind of sacred calendar, some “wheel of the year” that they use to mark the changes of moon and tide and season. These days, that wheel usually consists of the 8 sabbats. But what about folk witches like me? Beltane isn’t May day, and Imbolc, like Mabon are not the names used to mark those tides in the world I’m living in. My sacred calendar contains many branches; holidays, holy days, feasts, moons and celebrations. Like many pagans, it’s the equinox and solstices that interest me most- the worship of the sun being so deeply rooted in our veins calls to me.

This year, it will be more reflective than usual, a time to meditate on the sun’s return as symbolic of healing renewed and the promise of something after the cold, the dark and the silence. I’ll candlewalk around the home and deep in the wood, guiding the spirits as I go, letting the light glimmer on the frost, letting it guide me through the dark night as the sun does through the day. I’ll build a maze from the boughs and light it to its heart and wander. I’ll pop hollies in the fire and bind wreaths all together. A candle will be lit and, barring ill omen, will remain so until after midnight on the solstice. The home will smell like nutmeg, the wine will be red and the days will be painfully short as we wait for the sun to return.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Everything has a rhythm to it.

We just want quiet. And music. And voices with nothing but happy messages, wise messages, thoughtful messages. Just tired of the sad stories I guess, and everyone's got them.

I want to sleep all day if I want and bake all night if I like.

...Lay in the sun with the rabbits and watch the light behind my eyelids.

and drink whiskey and stare at out the mountain.

Preparing fragrant roses from the garden for a brown-sugar rose jam and filling for tarts.

I was sick with a severe flu the last couple of weeks. Flu and regrets. The flu was bad enough, but missing the VG Symposium, oh that one stung. 2020 is my year to go. I just... didn't know how to handle the social anxiety of being around complete strangers sometimes. even in my 30's... but then I found out some friends were there and I regretted letting my phobia get the best of me this year. I really wanted to meet Fawn and Rebecca in person. 2020 will be different, I can feel it.

No messages. No gossip. No group-chats. No venting. No complaining.

Nothing is personal, nothing is without reason, all things find balance.

bread resting outside on the porch overlooking the goat farm.

Everyone eats, but the spirits eat first.

I want my bread to always rise and the crust to always shine.

I want the last of my poppies to bloom before it's too late.

Two lemon poppy-seed loaves and a rosemary garlic poppy loaf.

I'm going to drink this peppermint tea, and eat this lemon poppy-seed bread and bow to my shrine of the poppy mother and wish the best for everyone. That's the magic I'm making in the bread I've been baking. I wish well, quietly. I grow my poppies, quietly. I sleep beneath the shrine of the poppy mother, quietly. This is the ritual of peace.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Papaver is one of those ladies who heralds the arrival of summer's full swing. Some families have sacred herbs; tutelary spirits who appeared in the superstitions or lore or stories over time. My immediate family is mad for poppies; opium, oriental or California- they're all deeply symbolic for us. There's generational poppies, planted by my grandma and sister in my mom's yard. Though I've long left home, I go back and check every summer. I harvest the heads and seeds and stems, every year I grow a batch of my own from one source or another. In my home the poppy resonates with sun, fire and water, sleep, capnomancy, dreams, solitude and love.

Papaver isn't much like most of her other sisters; she's deeply asocial (like me), prefers to smoke and sleep the day away (like me) and is well aware of her charm. She adores to be everywhere and beautiful, to be loved and fawned over- but she'll take you away from everything you love if you let her. She pretends to be submissive but in truth, she can be a tyrant.

Yes those are real poppies on her-not just that, but they were painted with a mixture of acrylic and poppy latex. I wanted to make sure the poppy spirit was immersed throughout her. She also has a pod full of seeds where her heart should be.

I prefer her pure form, as the plant goddess she is; beautiful, big, bouncing flowers bobbing on their long stems in the summer wind, those lush green leaves, those beautiful and magical pods that hold an eternity of seeds and secrets. It's the seeds and pods I like the most; the seeds are part of nearly all smoke blends I use for capnomancy and the pods have about a dozen uses from dream charms to spirit housing.

Poppy is one of my very favorite witches; we grew up together, ate together, drank and dreamed together. So many of the traditional herbs of the Witch's Ointment are completely inaccessible and foreign to me, but poppy is the first witch in Hekate's garden I see in my crossing, the last I see at the gates, and the field that lies between me and the otherside.

"Poppies have been grown for beauty, magic and medicine for centuries,. Egyptians felt hat poppies were a necessary part of funerals and burial rituals and were essential for assuring life after death. Dried poppy petals have been found in tombs dating back 3000 years. Early Romans used juice from the poppy plant for witchcraft. It was thought to be particularly effective in easing the pains of love."

- Laura C. Martin, Garden Flower Folklore

Sunday, June 10, 2018

sometimes, it takes black salt, charcoal, hyssop and the names of ones adversaries to get past an obstacle in life.

othertimes, it takes a strong cup of matcha and some insight from the future to find the way through one's problems.

and sometimes... you just wait. You prepare and wait for your worries to wither away while you preserve.

Friday, April 27, 2018

Little Flowers of the Moon

Little Flower of the Gods

Sunday, April 1, 2018

The Three Witches Series was a side effect of my Sisterhood of the Traveling Mind Series which featured mostly harmless mind altering plant allies like Cacao and Salvia. As I tucked in with my Pendell, Rosarium, Schulke and Ratsch over the winter break, I got really attached to the idea of the Tropine Sisters and how they appeared to me in dreams and rites.

Well, with any great gift comes a great price. What I offered to the spirits who inspire art, to the star of Venus, in exchange for her blessing was that I'd part with some of the work, especially those I most care about. It's a worthy sacrifice I think, to spread her blessing to other people without any expectation of monetary exchange, simply as an act of love, of giving; two things under the rulership of Venus. I guess, I'm trying to keep my promises. I make certain and rare vows, but when I do, I am unwilling to break them. The spirit world was a testy and tempestuous one in the eyes of our ancestors, I've got enough personal experience to have learned my lesson about breaking vows wrought in things deeper than even I understand.

So, I hope whoever participates in this truly, truly is devoted to one of these plant allies. I shudder to think of them growing dusty on some forgotten shelf or given to children to shatter... I can only hope you see the same love and giving that I see when I look back at my work. These statuettes are in harmony with me, so I imagine they'll bring you a good deal of good too. Let's introduce our ladies...

My first was Datura; the trumpeter of devils and angels. To see more of her, see HERE.

The second child was Mandrake, the rootworker. To see more of her, see HERE.

Lastly, and admittedly, the favorite around here, Belladonna; sexy, poisonous, dreamy, she is a very old witch. To see more of her, see HERE.

Each is made of simi translucent polymer clay, painted in acrylic and coated in acrylic matte and/or satin finish. Do not wash these statues; even with the finish the paint may thin. Hold each gently but firmly by the sides of their base or by their shoulders or you absolutely will crush the clay details.

I'm so sad to part with any of them to be honest, but I didn't make them for me, I made them for Love. I hope whichever wins your heart and Fortuna's good graces inspires you to always relish the green magics of the world and adore our plant spirit allies. Best wishes and good luck.

And remember, even if you don't win on Beltane, you'll get a chance on another Holy Day to win a statuette, including a choice between old and new pieces.

The Via Hedera Statuette Giveaway!

*Participants will win a chance to choose between Mandragora, Datura and Belladonna for their own.

*Participants understand and agree that the statuettes are sent as is in the condition presented in the photographs.

*Participants will not receive customization to any statue and will accept the statuette as an individual and unique piece of devotional art donated by me, Via Hedera, to you.

*Participants agree and understand that once the art is out of my hands, I am no longer responsible for its care and condition. No repairs will be made, no replacements will be sent.

*Participants agree and understand that I reserve the right to refuse to send you my art for any reason I see fit with or without explanation. This is a give-away not a purchase, so nobody is entitled to anything and there is no recourse for my refusal to send.

*Friends and loved ones will NOT be given special consideration, and any requests for preferential treatment will not be considered. Fair game baby.

*If you are found to have made multiple accounts to win, you're automatically disqualified. Using multiple platforms will not garner anyone better chances either.

*This give away is applicable to readers in these countries: United States of America and All USA Territories, Mexico, Canada and to the United Kingdom. Special shipping exceptions can be made on a case by case basis but due to shipping costs and lack of insurance for these statuettes, I'd prefer to only ship to territories with decent shipping rates from the States. Please keep this in mind before participating, as I cannot cover high shipping costs or guarantee the integrity of these delicate, lightweight clay pieces if being shipped long and indirect distances.

*If your number is drawn and you do not respond to my messages by May 5th, your participation will be rendered null and void. You MUST respond to viahedera@gmail.com or the Via Hedera Facebook message within 5 days with a valid address or your number will be withdrawn and another will be selected. I will only attempt to reach you once for the announcement on May 1st and again after three days. From that point on, it's up to you to respond.

To Participate in this give away, readers must follow these steps:

Step 1:

Like Via Hedera Facebook
Follow Via Hedera Facebook

Step 2:

Like the Official Announcement Post on Facebook- this lets me know you're actually applying for a statue and not just one of my wonderful, much appreciated readers.

Comment your preferred statue on the Official Announcement on Facebook- example "Datura!" or "Belladonna", this will make sending yours out much faster for me when I draw numbers!

BONUS: If you Share the Official Announcement Post on your Facebook page, I will assign you a second number to increase your chances just as you've increased my scope of viewership by sharing ;p - Facebook allows me to see who shares my links from my page so please keep this in mind; if you do not share the link provided, you will not register.

Step 3:

Wait for the winner to be announced on May 1st, Beltane 2018! All participants will be assigned a number (two for those who share the Official Post on Facebook- see above) for a random generator and the number chosen Beltane morning will receive a message from Via Hedera requesting a preferred address to send to. Statuette will be sent Saturday May 5th after providing a final photograph of statue's current condition to the winner.

For Those Who Do Not Have Facebook: (first of all, good for you getting rid of FB, we all should sooner rather than later, kudos on getting out of the machine!)

Step 1:

Follow Via Hedera Instagram

Step 2:

Comment on the Official Announcement post on Instagram; this comment should be one word "Datura" "Mandrake" or "Belladonna"

After commenting, you will be assigned a number and placed in the drawing. The day of Beltane, if you are selected, you will receive a private message with my email viahedera@gmail.com, along with an address request.

*Keep in mind shipping limitations, mentioned at the top of this post.

Step 1:

Be an official Page Follower of Via Hedera Blog- this does appear in my stats section so you must be a registered user to follow.

Step 2:

Leave a comment at the end of this post stating which statue you would choose: Belladonna, Mandragora or Datura as well as a valid email address so that I can assign your number.

*Keep in mind shipping limitations, mentioned at the top of this post.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

She is one of those very old witches, those famous ones, and she's enjoyed a reputation as a deadly lover. Atropa has cutting wisdom and used her beauty to seduce unwitting admirers. The lore surrounding her is much too apparent to bother going into here, so I will make her introduction brief: she is Saturnian in nature, allied to water, works the arts of sleep, seduction and spirit flight. She is the sister to Mandrake and the original performer in the famed "flying ointment". Like Datura and Mandrake, she is a priestess in the garden of Hekate. Her historical uses are in cosmetics; ones to give the skin pallor and dilate the pupil.

They call her "beautiful lady", and I imagine in person she must be very beautiful. I've never had the pleasure of her company; she's got restricted status in my state last time I checked. Really, I was inspired to make her during my reading on Hexing Herbs. Annnnnddd I like her so much that she'll be part of my "Thank You For Reading Via Hedera Belatane Give Away!". That means you potentially have a choice between three original hand sculpted and painted statuettes from Via Hedera: Datura, Mandragora or Belladonna.

Monday, March 19, 2018

"And words they muttered, but what nine knew,
with motion slow of hand and foot:
Then into the cave the three withdrew,
And carried with them the mandrake root."
-Birds and Flowers: And Other Country Things by Mary Botham Howitt

Literary Quotes About Mandragora

"The myths surrounding Mandrake grew, until it was said the plant hid by day but shone like a star at night, and that when being pulled from the ground the plant let out such unearthly shrikes that whoever heard the noise might die."-Richard Evan Schultes, Albert Hofman, and Christian Ratsch, Plants of the Gods

"In ancient Egypt, the mandrake was a symbol of love and was a valued aphrodisiac. It was usually depicted in association with eros and sensuality."- Christian Ratsch, Plants of Love

"The fruit is a berry, commonly known as a 'love apple', typically ripening to a bright orange at harvest time, which in the Mediterranean countries, occurs in May. It is, however, the long taproot that gives Mandrake a special place in plant lore."- Michael Jordan, The Green Mantle

"On a day when the moon is waxing, preferably just after the new moon, some time between the winter solstice and vernal equinox, look for your mandrake in a hedgerow or piece of wasteland. That night, making sure you are not observed, draw a deosil circle with your Athame around the plant and, using the knife as a digging implement, loosen the earth around the root. Without injuring the main section of the root, gently draw the plant from the soil. You will probably have to tug quite hard, and you may even hear the traditional "groaning" of the root as it leaves the earth."- Paul Huson, Mastering Witchcraft

"This root was the most powerful of all aphrodisiacs and amulets. Awakening the root through a series of rituals, produced the little man of the gallows."- Christian Ratsch, Plants of Love

Mandragora, the Golden Apple of the Gods. She is a Circean priestess in the garden of Hekate, a black magician and love sorceress just like her sister Belladonna. She is an eventide wandering witch, an aphrodisiac maker, a lucid dreamer, a friend of Hekate's Hounds. As a witch, she is mercurial, fiery in temperament, fertile and protective, but loving- the fruits of her poisonous love in magical use are said to stimulate the libido and bring fire to the body. Her presence is said to make women ripe for child, make children peaceful in dreams and make the lonely irresistible. Like her sisters, she has the power to fly from the body and into that ethereal place where dreams and shadows come from.

She is known as Alraun the Hexen, and is a loyal ally when cared for in her proper way. A lady of tradition and ritual, Mandragora demands to be fed and tended to, cared for as any friend ought to be. Some of the rituals involving her can be quite ghastly, involving corpses and semen and hanged men and black dogs. Mandragora is usually allied in root form, choosing this avatar to work her will in the homes of witches who keep her hidden in water and fed on blood in the dark corners of the home, or even in prominent places like headboards and mantles. According the some folklore, placing money near an object that even resembles Madnrake will draw and increase wealth to the wielder. I've never had the pleasure of her company, but I've been inspired by the great deal of lore and legend around her.

She comes in many forms and varieties, this one is a mix of elements from English and Mediterranean Mandrake species, inspired mostly by Autumnalis and Officinarum. I plan on making variety specific Mandragoras in the future but I wanted someone a little universal this time. When I read about her lore, I was really inspired by the lore of her regarding time of day and the brightness of the plant at night, which is how I came up with the color placement; being reminiscent of both the purple and white and yellows of the flowers themselves and inspired by the way they are said to light up in the twilight evening and hide as men approach. Rather than make little faces at the base of each bunch, I placed howlite and clay skulls to represents the little man of the gallows who rests beneath the dark crinkled leaves of the mandrake. A golden pearl was used to represent the ripest golden fruit (apple) in her care. In her lap are five ripening fruit in a bed of leaves and resting in her right palm is the mandrake root herself, ready for activation in the water, in the dark. Mandragora's lips are just barely parted, ready to sing her shriek of death if need be, ready to fly from her body if she must.

Are you interested in taking home Mandragora or Datura to your altar? You will have a chance to WIN your choice between the two (or possibly more) this April! Stay tuned for details! To instantly qualify for give aways and freebees, you must like AND follow the Via Hedera Facebook page, OR follow Via Hedera Instragram, OR be subscribed to Via Hedera Blog. Unregistered readers will unfortunately not be counted in the random draws.

Monday, March 5, 2018

Ever had one of those flirtations that was always tawdry and strong but never pursued? I have that relationship with datura. I am in no way initiated into her mysteries, I have a limited range of experiences with it on an occult herbal level but they were pretty easy to find back home in California when I was a kid. I remember them as lovely angel and devil trumpets; flowers associated with love and dreams, madness and sweetness, travel and smoke.

Datura communicates with the spirits, through dreams mostly. In a haze of smoke she will rise from her body into the wind and find the path to your ancestors. Her company is nauseating though, she is toxic when abused and needs more to be tended to with worship than imbibed greedily. That's her gift, she can speak with the spirits, she is wed to the dead. She achieves her work by transforming and leaving her body. She travels through roots and on the scent caught on a breeze. She is deeply protective and does what she can to help those who need her, and will happily drive mad those who seek to abuse her wisdom. She's lovely to look at, deadly to kiss. Feminine, Saturnian, allied with water and sun, takes time to mature and requires great care in colder regions.

Datura comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes white, purple, peach or periwinkle, sometimes smooth edged leaves, sometimes spiky points. The wood is dark, the dried pods can be pale, the seeds can be dark or tan. I adore her full thick trumpets and her fat flat leaves. I love the way yellow-peach trumpets gather in long bunches and hang like drapes when well kept. I love the way white moon flower trumpets face the sky like they are summoning angels and demons. I love the violet frill around purple trumpets that make them look like elegant ladies dresses turned upside down.

Her wooden bowl hols the seeds, dried leaves and flowers of different trumpet flowers I've collected over time. in the center of her chest is a single black datura seed given to me by a fellow witch.

She isn't meant to stay here with the sisterhood, She isn't part of the world of vice like her cousins. Rather, she is in the coven of poisoners; the old witches herbs who require a deep level of mastery and a greater deal of caution. That coven includes Papaver, Mandragora, Belladonna and the others sisters of the deadly delights... And so, Datura is part of the two statuettes who will be given away at Beltane to a lucky dedicated reader and participant. Remember this beautiful lady and wait patiently for her sister, because one of your choice can be yours when you participate. Details will follow soon, so check in leading up to Beltane!

VIA HEDERA

Hours of the Tide: Theive's Night II

Monday, August 18, 2025

Return, Return, Let the Evergreens Burn

Monday, December 21, 2020

Quiet Poppy, Bread and Roses

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Poppies of Summer

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Banish, Endure, Preserve.

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Mushrooms and Morning Glories

Friday, April 27, 2018

Three Witches: Beltane Statuette Give Away

Sunday, April 1, 2018

The Beautiful, Inflexible Lady; Belladonna

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Mandragora, The Earth Apple Witch

Monday, March 19, 2018

Trumpets of the Devil: Sister Datura

Monday, March 5, 2018