Mon's work in Deb's Natura journal

Deb's Natura journal was one I was hanging out to work in for a long time and yet it took a couple of starts to get into the flow.

 A while back while researching Nettles I came upon a passage from a book by Stephen Harrod Buhner ("The lost language of plants") that stated that Elder trees (Sambucus nigra) were keystone species and as such attract bacteria, mycelia etc. to them and "tell" the plants around them what to do and how to behave. They are the leaders of their plant communities.

Being a big fan of Elder I knew I wanted to base my entry in Deb's journal on it. Elder trees have a vast amount of folklore, superstition and of course also remedies written about them.

I chose to paint the Elder Mother sitting under her tree, teaching and guarding her "Queendom".

 

I added a charm to the spine of the journal with some handmade Elder beads from a stick from my Elder tree. They are fun and quick to make as the soft pith in the center is easily hollowed out.

I dyed them with alcohol ink and carved the Elder symbol "Ruis" from the Celtic Ogham in to the focal bead. There are a couple of Job's tears beads from the garden too and a needle felted leaf.

 I really enjoyed working in Deb's journal.