End of July flash sale!

To thank everyone for all their support during the pre-order and the madness of conference prep, I’m doing a flash sale on my Etsy store. From now till August 3rd, you can use the coupon code ENDOFJULY15 for 10% off anything EXCEPT custom devotional books (this coupon also can’t be applied to Worshiping Loki pre-orders, as that isn’t being done through Etsy).

I’ve got lots of prayer beads and deity icon necklaces available, as well as Odin and Loki devotionals. There are a couple vintage items and some bead and charm destashes, too.

All orders will be processed on Monday and Tuesday. If you order a tarot reading, I’ll communicate with you directly. I *might* be able to do these over the weekend, as I’ll have at least one deck of cards with me at Many Gods West.

New shop listings!

Whew! It’s been a busy few weeks so I haven’t been as attentive to my blog as I want to be. I’ve been busy taking pre-orders for Worshiping Loki: A Short Introduction and I’ve also been preparing for Many Gods West taking place at the end of the month. I’ll provide an update on the status of Worshiping Loki pretty soon; some materials I ordered came in so I’ll share some pictures here.

I’ve also been making lots of new deity icon necklaces for the shop. There’s more than ten just waiting around for me to take their picture. Six were photographed and listed today; the rest will follow in similar batches.

First is a black and white necklace featuring rich, opaque black glass beads. The bicone beads are acrylic so the edges won’t scratch even icons with a delicate finish. 

Spacers with small glass gems add a little extra sparkle. Unlike most of the necklaces I made, this one is a single strand. It looks so dramatic on its own that I decided to leave it this way. This black and white necklace is $15.

Next is a bright green necklace with opaque black stone chips. This one features two metal charms with an antique silver finish.

This necklace is two-stranded so it creates a great layered effect with a rich appearance. This green and black necklace is $19. 

The next necklace is features emerald green glass beads, metallic copper glass beads, and a glittery “crystal” drop as a charm. 

Champagne colored natural pearls and some clear glass beads finish this string. The drop is made of a dense acrylic, so it will not scratch the surface of your important statues and figures. The green necklace with the crystal drop is $19.

I was clearly in a green mood this week! This bright green necklace features lots of bright gold tone beads, including some iridescent faceted gold beads with lots of sparkle.

I‘m especially fond of the little gold tone charm. I like the abstract floral design. I have a few more of these beads so you’ll see them featured on other necklaces before long. The green and gold necklace is $19.  This next necklace is probably my favorite in this current batch. I love how many different shades of purple are featured. From rich, shifting peacock to delicate lilac, there’s a lot of purple in this necklace.

Several different purple beads are found in this necklace, along with clear glass beads and silver tone spacers. A three dimensional heart charm with an antique silver finish hangs at the center. The amethyst heart necklace is $21.
Today’s final necklace offering is made with gunmetal grey glass beads, irregular pink pearl drops, irregular mocha pearl drops, and irregular orange pearl drops.

This necklace is a little on the longer side so it will suit larger icons very well. Hades here is 11.25 inches tall. Two clear glass beads and one opaque glass peacock bead finish this piece. This pearl necklace is $18.You’ll see more deity icon necklaces in the shop soon. If you want any of from this batch set aside for you, just ask! I can also arrange layaway listings for these and most any other item in the shop.

Pre-Order Announcement: Worshiping Loki – A Short Introduction

Today is a most auspicious day for the release of a new book. Worshiping Loki: A Short Introduction contains guidelines for building a fulfilling practice of Loki worship in a polytheistic context.

Presenting material derived from experience and practice, this book sets aside arguments of historicity to provide today’s curious practitioner with practical, applicable information that can be put to work right away. Extending hospitality, building an alter, making offerings, saying prayers, and deepening practice are all covered. Discernment exercises are also provided to help enrich one’s contact with the divine. This slim 18 page volume is comparable to the devotional volumes I offer through Etsy, and extra special book making materials have been chosen to further distinguish this edition.This very special volume is being released in limited numbers. 20 signed and numbered volumes are being issued for sale at $45 each. This batch of books will also be empowered and dedicated in a special ritual. Ebook and paperback editions of Worshiping Loki will be released in late summer though this particular presentation will not be duplicated. Velvety black paper with rich gold printing wraps the front and back covers. The spine is covered with a berry red moire texture Japanese book cloth. Signatures are fully stitched by hand with linen book binding thread. 

Significantly, Worshiping Loki includes a close look at this Power’s feminine aspect. The feminine Loki encompasses roles like healer, ally, and chthonic queen. A rite of contact is provided to help practitioners gain personal insight into this elusive side of a beloved divinity.

The pre-order periods begins today, June 26, and continues through July 31. After that, the price on any remaining volumes will rise. Shipping in the US is $3.50; international shipping is available and can be calculated upon request; insurance is available for an additional $1. A delivery date of mid-August is anticipated.

To order, please email salinespirit@gmail.com and provide your shipping information along with the quantity you wish to purchase. A Paypal invoice will be generated; these invoices can be paid with Paypal balance, credit card, or debit card; please include your Paypal email address if you wish to pay that way. If you have questions, just ask.

Thank you for welcoming this book into the world.

New altar icon necklaces – Green Gems, Purple Butterfly II, Red Key

Just added to the Etsy shop: Three new necklaces for altar icons!

First is Purple Butterfly II, a double stranded necklace with silver tone floral beads and a butterfly charm. Iridescent purple and lavender glass beads and faux pearls give this a youthful, spring-like energy that would be perfect for any Power concerned with rebirth, rejuvenation, and transformation.

Hades is such a handsome model! He received His own necklace for being so patient with me.

Next is one of my favorites. This little necklace is made with very small beads so it has a very delicate drape. Bronze tone spacers, champagne pearls, and gold tone flowers give this an elegant, slightly old-fashioned appearance. I personally associate this piece with personal power, growth, and transformation though it would make a lovely gift for any Power you’re fond of.
And finally is a green glass bead necklace featuring a silver tone floral charm. I personally thing this charm looks a lot like a fruiting mandrake plant, so I’ve been saving it for a special project. Perhaps you’ll agree that this is a pretty good project to use it on.

This necklace also features some champagne pearls and silver tone floral beads along with shiny green glass seed beads. The piece has a lovely body and weight and would look nice on altar icons ranging in size.

See something you like? Want me to set it aside for you? Just let me know!

Necklaces for Deity Statues – New in the shop!

Just added – four beautiful necklaces perfectly sized for your favorite deity statues. These necklaces have been designed to complement icon figures produced by popular manufactures like Dryad Designs, Sacred Source, and PTC. Of course, if you’re like me, you have home made icons that need dressing up!

Mother Laufey!

Each necklace is handmade using quality materials for lasting beauty. A silver tone lobster clasp lets you easily place and remove the necklace on a wide range of figures. These particular necklaces look best on figures between 7 – 13 inches tall. Laufey, pictured, is 12 inches tall and has a neck circumference of 4.5 inches. She’s wearing the Sunset Pearl necklace.

Also added are the Blue Sea Star necklace (pictured above), the Iron and Amber necklace, and the Purple Butterfly necklace (both pictured below).

Iron and Amber Necklace

Purple Butterfly Necklace

If you have any questions about these necklaces, just let me know! I can also make custom necklaces incorporating colors and semi-precious stones of your choice.

(Sorry, the Laufey doll isn’t for sale!)

Three New Prayer Beads

Just added: Golden Seahorse with vintage coral, Blue Crescent Moon with cobalt glass beads, and Peacock Star prayer beads.

Blue Moon Prayer Beads – meditation, lunar goddess, healing, moon magick, prayers

This string features 40 deep blue pearlized glass beads separated by light blue frosted glass beads. Suggestive of the night sky, this set of beads would be perfect for connecting with lunar Powers, celestial and cosmic energies, and one’s own psychic gifts. This set is $18.

Next is a set made with vintage coral beads selected for their rich pink color. A detailed golden seahorse finishes the string. These have a sweet, healing energy that is perfect for self-healing, ocean magick, and for connecting with Powers related to coastal waters. Only $19.

Golden Seahorse with Coral Beads – meditation, prayer beads, mantra beads, distance healing, ritual, worry beads

And last is a beautiful set of prayer beads with twenty glass multicolored peacock beads, ten cobalt blue beads, and oval smoky vintage glass beads separating the sections; a sparkling silver tone star finishes the set. These have a regal weight and appearance, and so would be ideal for connecting with Powers like Juno. The shifting colors also suggest one’s own shifting identities and the power of liminal spaces. At just $21, this set would make and excellent gift for yourself or someone you love.

Peacock Star Prayer Beads – concentration, meditation, prayer, contemplation, healing magick

Every set of prayer beads comes with its own organza bag for storage and transport. I also include a free pamphlet with suggestions on how to use your prayer beads in your personal spiritual practice.

New prayer beads in the shop

Today I finally  updated a few shop listings! It’s been a while in coming. I have a heap of other prayer beads that will be added a little at a time. Click the pictures or in-text links to be taken to the individual listings. (Looking for something in particular? I just might have it. I can also make a custom set with your choice of materials and charms.)

First is a small, chaplet-sized set of prayer beads featuring softly faceted vintage glass beads in a rich wine red. Twenty red beads are divided into five sections by round matte glass black beads; brass tone spacers are found throughout. The string is finished by a gold tone charm with a Chartres-style labryinth; the design is featured on both sides.

Gold Labyrinth and Vintage Red Glass Prayer Beads

My other favorite set from this batch is one made almost entirely of vintage and reclaimed materials. The floral connecting element and the brass key are new; the rest of the materials are reclaimed from vintage jewelry and then rearranged into an elegant and romantic set of prayer beads.

Red Glass Prayer Beads With Small Brass Key

This string is long enough to loop over the wrist a couple times. It’s quite distinctive and lovely.

Coral Prayer Beads With Silver Seashell

Next is a lightweight set sized to wear on a wrist or be carried in a pocket. This string is also primarily made with reclaimed beads. I’m fairly certain the beads are fashioned from coral; I asked a couple experienced beaders and that’s what they thought, as well. These aren’t the plastic-looking coral beads you might be familiar with. Each bead is entirely unique with its own coloration and texture. They range in color from beige to bright pink; multiple shades are swirled together, making this a surprisingly detailed piece that is best appreciated in person.

And finally, this string with pearl beads and a pretty silver tone key charm. This string is made primarily with new materials and features 48 champagne colored genuine pearls. Faceted glass beads surround four silver tone beads with delicate flower images. This is a more substantial piece that can be easily looped a couple times around your wrist.

Pearl Prayer Beads With Key

A little organza bag is included with each order so you can easily store your beads when they’re not in use. Since many pagans have asked me how to get started in a prayer bead practice, I’ve included a pamphlet that has some suggestions. I’m also going to make a couple blog posts about using these special tools, so watch for that if you’ve been curious about these items.

Layaway is available on these items; please message me first if you would like to use this option. 30% is required initially; the remaining amount can be divided into convenient payments.

Weekend projects

I finally received some strings of carnelian beads I ordered a while back. Though these are intended for a personal project, I might share some pictures as the piece develops. With any luck, there will be some left over for bracelets or prayer beads for the shop. I got an assortment of colors, like those pictured below, with an emphasis on darker shades. I also got a couple strings of pinky-orange ones specifically.

I’m especially drawn to the depth of color that carnelian beads have, as well as their stunning natural variation. So many colors and metal tones can be used together with carnelian and the result is beautiful every time. Though I personally find stone a little too heavy for jewelry and large strings of prayer beads, bracelets and small items are just the right weight for me. That said, I think the beads I bought are going to end up in some kind of necklace.

Speaking of necklaces, I have some plans for a line of beautiful glass and chain necklaces modeled after a particular piece I own. This is the necklace that I’ve brought out for very special occasions, including various aspecting and channeling work I’ve done in ritual. It’s the one that people are most drawn to in my very small collection of jewelry and it’s one that came to me from someone who used to be very important to me. It’s not a complicated piece but it’s one with endless creative possibilities. I’m currently collecting all the pieces I’ll need to make several of these necklaces. I’ll make some inspired particularly by goddesses and feminine Powers (and hey, let’s just say Powers in general) and some that are more fashion-oriented.

Through making these prayer beads and scarf pins I’ve discovered just how much I love working with glass. It’s a fascinating material, at once incredibly ancient and always new and exciting. I like the weight and feel of it a great deal and its visual texture is very engaging. I’ve had a passing interest in lamp work since childhood and I’m fascinated by glass blowing. Of course, since my life is nothing but a series of projects and creative endeavors, I have no idea when I’d find time to learn even the fundamentals but hey, it could happen eventually.

Watch this weekend for another couple prayer beads added to the store. One piece I’m especially pleased with (pictured below) is designed to facilitate deeper levels of meditation through a spiral or labyrinth visualization. I think it would be quite a powerful tool for someone who resonates strongly with spiral and labyrinth imagery.

New prayer bead listings

The long weekend has allowed me to finish, photograph, and list many new items. I might even get caught up entirely. (Haha, no; probably not.)

I recently found several jewelry items from the 80s – 90s that integrated perfectly with my bead stash. I’ve made around eight new stings of prayer beads using some really excellent materials. I now have a bunch of coppery-gold natural pearl beads, some unfinished coral, and loads of beautiful glass beads. Some went into this pastel set.

The primary beads are softly faceted and richly colored. They look and feel beautiful. This set features a shiny silver tone charm with an abstract floral design; it’s long enough to loop around your wrist two or three times. Round light blue frosted glass beads divide the string into portions for easy tracking of rounds and cycles.

Next is a string combining pearl beads with some vintage glass beads.

The pearls have a light, delicate feel and so would be perfect for someone who finds glass or stone beads too heavy and uncomfortable for use in meditation. The natural coloration of each pearl varies somewhat – some are green, others mauve, others slightly yellow – they all share a coppery-gold-champagne color. A silver tone charm completes the set.

And last (for now) is a set of pocket prayer beads featuring a tiny cat charm. This chaplet set incorporates some sunny yellow vintage glass beads with bright blue round glass beads.

People who frequently say prayers or send healing energy to animals in need will find these beads a helpful aid in focus. Though a cat charm is featured, the well-being of all animals was in mind during the design and creation of this piece.

The charm is only half an inch tall and features extraordinary detail. A fluffy tail and even a tiny cat smile are visible.

I have several other prayer beads that will be listed this week. Looking for something in particular? Comment and let me know; I just might have the perfect piece waiting in the queue. I can also make custom prayer beads that reflect your personal practice.

Beautiful magnetic “pins” now available!

Just listed – eight sets of magnetic “pins” topped with sparkling glass drops. Each set includes three pair (two matching and one in a complementary color) and comes with a snapping hair clip for additional use options. An organizer card and storage bag is also included. (Click on the pictures to be taken to each specific listing.)

These pins were inspired by the many pagans in my life who head cover for religious reasons. Watching them deal with the negative reactions within and without their faith communities has been uplifting and challenging. Challenging because our faith communities should celebrate our expressions of devotion and fidelity; uplifting because these people have remained strong in the face of criticism. Simply speaking my support didn’t feel adequate. I want to offer something meaningful that, I hope, will serve you well as you explore the many expressions of head covering and modest dress available to you.

Whether you veil occasionally or frequently, as a matter of habit or as the need strikes, you deserve to feel confident and empowered. Beautiful accessories can help bring this about.

Head covering for religious, emotional, or sartorial reasons is a practice people of all genders have adopted in many places, at many times. Covering the head or hair carries many messages; these little pins can help you express exactly the message you wish to convey.

Each pin consists of two paired magnets capped with pearlized glass drops. These magnets easily stick to many metal hair accessories. Use one half of a pair for extra security at these points or experiment with hidden clips like the one pictured for additional style options. 

These magnetic pins are 1cm wide. If you would like a different size or a different style of magnetic pin, just send me a message. I’d love to help you create something special.