We're very careful
about where and how we gather materials for our items. Our aim is to
produce finely crafted magickal items from the best materials with the
least harm caused to the environment and the entities who inhabit and
share the land.
Most of the wood we work with comes from a
large ancient coppiced woodland in Hampshire. Coppiced woodland is grown
specifically with the intention of the wood being harvested and cleared
regularly. This is a practice which has been carried
out in Britain and also within our area of Wessex since prehistoric
times.
We ensure that it is collected over
large areas rather than a lot from any particular place to prevent any
habitat being affected.
Any wood which is collected from within
or near to sites of magickal or archaeological importance is gathered
with utmost respect and care. This is paramount to what we do.
We also work with bog wood including bog
oak, yew, ash and pine. This is wood from ancient times, often many
thousands of years ago which has lived, fallen and been naturally
preserved in the ground. Much of the bog wood Spirit of Old works with
has been found on farmland when drainage ditches are dug and some of the
wood comes from peat bogs.
The herbs used for smudging sticks and dream amulets are hand-gathered
and organically grown. Many of them are hedge-gathered and they are
always dried naturally and slowly to preserve their magickal essence.
Some of our jewellery is crafted from
mammoth ivory, bear bone and antler dating from the last ice age. The
materials for these have usually been dredged up by fishing vessels,
often from Doggerland in the North Sea and then sold on. They are lovely
materials to work with, full of interesting textures and energies.
Other jewellery is created using
modern-day deer antler, hare and foxbone. We are careful to ensure that
no animals have been harmed to supply these materials and, equally
importantly that no market is created to supply them. Deer naturally
shed their antlers during the course of their life and the antler we use
has always been cast off in this way.
Clay has been worked
by people since pre-history and all our items have been created using
the time-honoured techniques of our Norse and Celtic ancestors,
including hand digging the materials from naturally clay-rich earth
within Hampshire. Once the items have been crafted and left to air dry,
they are fired in an ancient type of kiln by being stacked and baked in
a pit beneath a fire. Naturally featuring the elements of Earth and Fire
in their creation, these pieces are ideally suited to use as magickal
tools as well as making unusual gifts and beautiful objects for your
home.
We use animal bones found naturally in
our local area. We spend a lot of time walking in the countryside and
rambling in the woods and chance upon an animal find every now and then.
The remains are treated with respect and it seems very fitting for a
gift from Nature to be crafted into talismans and charms honouring that
animal's spirit and energy.
If you have any further questions please
feel free to email enquiries@spiritofold.co.uk. |