Weird Sisters Deciphering the Cauldron: Potion Bottle Project

I'm back with the next Deciphering the Cauldron post and potion bottle project!

I'm going to post more about the ingredients after my upcoming festival show, ArtoberFest/ Winter Springs Festival of the Arts, this weekend. So look for more of those posts over on Patreon after I've hauled everything back home and had a chance to get a few winks.

If you're a Patron, you know what the "eye" of a plant is from our last post.

And you also know there are several plants that have their own folk names that refer to their looks.

I've drawn the blossom that the plant is from, and it's one that humans have used for millennia. 

~Brassica nigra~

black mustard

Nope, not a real newt, but the eye of the plant does resemble a newt's eye. Teensy tiny and black when dried. Black mustard has varied use in folk medicine from colds to inflammation. It can relieve edema by stimulating the kidneys but it can also induce vomiting, so don't try it without an herbalist. 

But the question I come to with each ingredient;

Why "eye of newt"?

There are a few ways to go with this, and I think they are all correct.

It has to do with which side you're on concerning the role of the sisters, and the perspectives the author was simultaneously coddling and leaving open.Are they meddling hags, truly supernatural beings like the Fates, or are they a manifestation of Macbeth's inner demons?

• Black mustard seed is widely believed to be the seed Christ spoke of in His parable, and even that parable's meaning is debated within religious circles.  
• Black mustard seed holds a great deal of potential, energetically speaking, and its seeds germinate incredibly quickly. Once they drop, you'll almost certainly have a plant. 
• Black mustard seed is used in conjure work to confuse one's rivals.

This latter fact is the one I'm leaning toward, and also why I was early convinced that the author was not merely using gross sounding rhymes. This herb/spice is straight up used to sew confusion in enemies in witchy work, and the visions in Act IV are right in line.

 Whatever option you choose, it's an ingredient that is meant to crank the faith and potential of whatever you throw in after it.

Up next-Toe of frog.Any guesses? Now, on to some light fun. 

Snape approved Potion bottles for easy Halloweeny decor 

Start collecting bottles~

I gathered a box and instead of throwing them into recycling, I stashed them in there for a while. Another inexpensive option is the Dollar Tree or the dollar bin section of Michaels. I already had a few of these little containers, like the green bottle to the left, that I got for buck or two.

 It has a seal and everything, so storing actual herbs/flowers/seeds is an option, or even your loose crystals and beads.  I lose the hell out of those, so cute containers are fantastic. But tbh, the seal makes it perfect for making large watercolor washes and not needing to worry about them drying out. If you paint in washes, pick one up for that alone.

Sand paper will rough up the surface so that paint can stick to the plastic. With some plastic bottles, like this orange rx bottle, it looks kind of cool with just the sanded surface.

Craft paints are fine for this project. I made some washes to create a dirty, drippy effect.

 If you have sticky labels that won't come off- leave them! IMO, the more texture, the better.

 

 A couple layers of craft paint...

Glue for oozing drips and sticking on your cap adornments.

Things like rocks, twine, beads, etc. to make them look as bog witchy or sophisticated as you please.

Then you're ready to download and print out the labels.

If you're not a Patron and want to design your own, there are so many options!

I love parchment paper, but make sure to use a waterproof pen, or even better a pencil. Otherwise the glue could smear your drawing. 

The pdf page is a free download for level 2 Patrons. Individual jpgs will be available for level 3 Patrons soon.

(I'm especially fond of this one, b/c the beads I used resemble the hounds tongue flower and a real tongue <3.)

After you print out your labels, cut them and either use scrapbooking tape (great option if you don't want to leave the labels on year-round) or an all purpose glue and apply with a brush on the back and edges. If your glue was too watery and the ink smears a bit, lightly brush it around for an aged look.
OR you could print it out and start again. Patrons can print their downloads at home as often as they like. 

Allow the labels to dry, add any extra decoration you think it needs, and you should be good to go. 

My artemisia seeds are going in my Blind Worm's Sting jar, which is good, b/c those things are tiny and were going to get lost in my seed drawer. 

Put things inside;

 herbs,

the office kitty, secrets you'll take to the grave, etc.

I have my bottles on our hearth. Probably to stay. Fun Christmas with the family...

Visit my Patreon to support nerdy stuff like this & art projects and get weird printables like these.

 Toe of frog is up next!

What potion are you making?

~D. Renée

Singing Down the Moon

"Men say you can even sing down the moon from heaven,

And make the holy stars to falter and run backward, against the purpose And current of nature. Ha?"

These were the words spoken of Creon as written by Euripides in the play Medea. We can argue that in different dramas and tellings, Medea actually helped Jason (she did kill her brother for him) but only in Euripides' version did she intentionally kill her children.

While we work our way into the witchy season, a little snippet background into the Greek pantheon is probably appropriate for those of you that might have forgotten the witchy roots of the classical tradition, which are referenced in Macbeth. (If you haven't seen the Deciphering the Cauldron series on Patreon, head over to that post to check it out while it's still public.)

Medea = Niece of Circe Circe = First Sorceress Hecate = Goddess of Magic (Titan/older than Olympian Gods) also adopted as Crone aspect of Triple Goddess

Medea = Priestess of Hecate, Macbeth witches are considered priestess of Hecate, (but Hecate was a later addition to the play, most likely from Thomas Middleton's The Witch, 'nuff about that.) BUT, like we talked about before, the Macbeth witches are also more likely to be a personification of the Fates, or Wyrd Sisters. Wyrd being a the Anglo-Saxon word that corresponds with fate/personal destiny.

Back to Creon, King of Corinth, and his fear of the witchy, bitchy, Medea-

He's letting her know why he's banishing her. She could do harm to his daughter if she wanted to. People say she's maaaad powerful, and, well, she is. A princess of Colchis, her grandfather is Helios, the sun god. Her aunt is Circe. She was trained in pharmaka, the herbal healing and sometimes dark magical arts.

To rewind- Medea is losing it because Jason of Argonaut fame, whom she had given up everything for including murdering a sibling, ditched her and their kids for a new, younger, Greek wife. (As aforementioned, Medea was foreign. Greeks could be pretty mean about that once they were back home.) Medea is now being banished, which is pretty damn near a death sentence for her and her kids.

It's a very moving and interesting take on the role of women in relationships. Not just in romantic relationships, but also from the aspect of the chorus to Medea. For being written in 431 BCE, I'd say the people crediting it with being one of the first feminist works. I'll just paste this little Medea monologue to the women of Corinth right here-

"Women of Corinth, I am come to show  My face, lest ye despise me. For I know  Some heads stand high and fail not, even at night  Alone—far less like this, in all men's sight:  And we, who study not our wayfarings  But feel and cry—Oh we are drifting things,  And evil! For what truth is in men's eyes,  Which search no heart, but in a flash despise  A strange face, shuddering back from one that ne'er  Hath wronged them? . . . Sure, far-comers anywhere,  I know, must bow them and be gentle. Nay,  A Greek himself men praise not, who alway  Should seek his own will recking not. . . . But I—  This thing undreamed of, sudden from on high,  Hath sapped my soul: I dazzle where I stand,  The cup of all life shattered in my hand,  Longing to die—O friends! He, even he,  Whom to know well was all the world to me,  The man I loved, hath proved most evil.—Oh,  Of all things upon earth that bleed and grow,  A herb most bruised is woman. We must pay  Our store of gold, hoarded for that one day,  To buy us some man's love; and lo, they bring  A master of our flesh! There comes the sting  Of the whole shame. And then the jeopardy,  For good or ill, what shall that master be;  Reject she cannot: and if he but stays  His suit, 'tis shame on all that woman's days.  So thrown amid new laws, new places, why,  'Tis magic she must have, or prophecy—  Home never taught her that—how best to guide  Toward peace this thing that sleepeth at her side.  And she who, labouring long, shall find some way  Whereby her lord may bear with her, nor fray  His yoke too fiercely, blessed is the breath  That woman draws! Else, let her pray for death.  Her lord, if he be wearied of the face  Withindoors, gets him forth; some merrier place  Will ease his heart: but she waits on, her whole  Vision enchainèd on a single soul.  And then, forsooth, 'tis they that face the call  Of war, while we sit sheltered, hid from all  Peril!—False mocking! Sooner would I stand  Three times to face their battles, shield in hand,  Than bear one child.-- "

Euripides, Medea

Daaaaamn. I hear ya, Medea. You right, girl. Totally justified in getting revenge. (That's basically what the chorus says back.)

That's when Creon stomps over to let her know she's outta here. Part of her reply regarding his daughter, Jason's new bride-

"But I wish her well, my lord!

I wish her all the happiness.

I hope that Jason may be as kind to her-=

As-- to me."

At this, King Creon loses it. He knows Jason treated her like garbage, but she talks him down, appealing to his sensibilities. She gets a day.

In that day, she gives the princess a killer gift. I really can't give more away. You need to read this play or at least stream a great production. Even better, go support a local production when it comes around. It's worth it.

The artwork shown will be available to my level 3 & up Patrons as a download within the next day or so. Patrons, look for the post notification in your inbox.

The original artwork will be going to a Patron in a random drawing in November!

Each $5 on a level gets one entry.

Level 2 = 1 entry

Level 3 = 2 entries

Level 4 = 4 entries etc.

Everyone else can purchase unsigned, open edition prints or apparel through the shop section of my website,

Society6, and Redbubble.

Enjoy this full Harvest Moon tonight. Anyone going to try to sing it down? It is an Aries moon. It might sound kind of metal.

Let me know how it works out if you do.

Love you all!

May you be kind ;)

D. Renée

Agrimony meaning and folklore

Agrimonia eupatoria, or more commonly known as agrimony, church steeple, or cockleburs. 

In the language of flowers, sending them symbolizes gratitude. Their role in folk medicine for millennia might have something to do with this. (Disclaimer- not medical advice, though it's non-toxic, don't go eating to replace your meds, k?)

A powerful coagulant, it was given to heal wounds and stop internal bleeding, skin diseases, snake bites, sore throats, diarrhea, and the list goes on so I'll cut it short. There was a medieval remedy for internal hemorrhaging that involved agrimony, human blood (menstrual- whole n'other post on suppressed sacred feminine and what the holy grail probably was for realzzz), and pounded frogs, soooo-  level 4 Patrons might get a new frog print sans the smoosh. 

 I digress.

Having so many uses, it was also thought to be kind of magical, so giving it to someone that was thought to have fallen under a hex made total sense. It is said to ward off negativity, and lots of wildcrafters and homeopathy practitioners use it today. It's part of the infamous Bach flower remedy, and it's used as a yellow dye.

Oh, and another name for agrimony? Fairy's wand. Put it under someone's pillow and they won't wake until it is removed. If only, right? 

The flowers have a rich, spicy scent, and afterward their seed pods turn into those little spiky burrs that stick to errything, you know what I'm talking about? You know.

  Want to grow some? Native to Europe (eupatoria) but it grows pretty much everywhere. A perennial with sunny, yellow blooms, it can tolerate dry and alkaline soil.

Zones 6-9

Well drained, Full Sun, Tolerates part shade

If propagating by seed, germination can be tricky and take 1-3 weeks, transplant outside as soon as seedlings are visible. It can be invasive and take over, so keep an eye on it if you don't want too much of it. 

tip- I like to use the little biodegradable seedling starter/transplant pots. 

It keeps the roots in check for a while.

 Speaking of roots, there's so much more history and folklore on agrimony, but that's for you to google or hmu to chit chat in DMs. The next Patron only post  over on Patreon

has a zip file filled with agrimony watercolor design elements (png & jpg) and printable thank you card goodies. 

Whatever your ailment, gratitude is damn good medicine.

Thanks for stopping by,

D. Renée

Twin Peaks Day

Twin Peaks Day! 10 steps to posting...

February 24, 1989 was the day they found Laura Palmer’s body by the Lake and it all began.
I don’t want to give spoilers to anyone living under a rock the past 29 years, but it’s all amazing & the return/season 3 is definitely worth watching for Lynch fans. I really enjoyed it. There are some explanations, even more weirdness, and some interesting outcomes. My take on Carrie Page influenced this piece (right in the pic collage) and now fire walk with me through each step of the process.

1. Ink drawing of Laura Palmer’s pretty face. (I’ve had this one under wraps-pun intended- for quite a while waiting for the right time to use it. Glad I didn’t throw it out during studio purge 1 last month.)

Pdf print available on Patreon

2. Paint several watercolor galaxy backgrounds. I enjoy the fuck out of these. They are super relaxing and I don’t care too much about representationalism because it’s incorporated into fantasy art.

3. Scan all artwork, vectorize line drawing, color correct galaxies. Maybe
do yoga and or take more serious pain relief measures at the end of the day because lumbar spine is wrecked from sitting in a chair all day. 🌌

4. Create separate files for each. Level 3+ Patrons will be getting the ink portrait download to print.💕(coming in next Patron's only post) Watercolor galaxy files will be used in other projects, and possibly one original for Patron giveaway depending on feedback.

5. Make new file and use inverted line drawing file as masked layer on both backgrounds. Mess with transparency levels until it looks just so...

6. Enter file info, save it as a pdf.

Canvas mockup on Redbubble...

7. Upload file for sale onto my pod print site.
Society6, Redbubble, etc.

8. Give my Level 4 Patrons a free download of the final large print pdf because they are the wind beneath my monthly web fees.

9. Give the link to Meals on Wheels volunteer signup- because Laura would have wanted it that way.

10. Repeat second half of step 3, have a damn fine cup of coffee ☕️ maybe a piece of 🥧 pie. Think about Carrie Page, how much I love David Lynch and my Patrons.

On the first day of Christmas...

 Okay, okay, so technically the 12 days of Christmas happen after Christmas, but that wouldn't really be as fun for you guys, and the build up helps you get in the spirit. 

 Fun fact, the gifts in the song seem super weird because they are actually symbols for the tenets of Christianity. The "true love" is representative of the Judeo-Christian god, and a partridge was chosen because this bird displays a behavior to protect its young wherein it will lure predators away from the nest and go so far as to feign injury to keep any threat away. 

Man, I love birds. Nature is so cool.

 The printable page of the line drawing is available to download on my Patreon page for supporters at the $10 level. It can be used for coloring, wrapping paper, or various small pet bedding when properly shredded. Printed at a very small scale, they may enjoy the artwork, too.

 Not into coloring or supporting independent artists monetarily? That's cool. Interject your new carol knowledge at the office party to make people uncomfortable when they thought they were singing strictly secular songs. 

 FYI- the Cyber week sale has ended and the extra Patron codes have expired, but as an extra thanks during the holidays, there is a 30% off code for $10 Patrons on the Patreon page with the Partridge download. 

 Thanks again for stopping by!

See you birds soon,

D. Renée

Gemini Journey

Gemini and some Cosmic Communication

(to see a bigger view-visit Gemini Journey; Pollux Pleads in my shop.)

Wowza. It's June already.  It's also already pretty hot here in Florida.

The heat has me a bit spaced out and that's totally fitting since I got a request to make this month's Patron rewards theme "something cosmic".

 With no more cosmic specificity than that, I chose the May/June sign of Gemini and melded astronomy and astrology into one, because that's how Gemini floats. The air sign has a unique mythology and history behind it. I TIED IT ALL IN, there's a lot to unpack, but I'll try to be brief.

The gemini (Latin for twins) Pollux and Castor are the namesake of the stars in their constellation. To make a long story short,  Queen Leda, the mother of the infamous Helen - was seduced by Zeus/Jupiter in the form of, wait for it, a swan, and became pregnant. In the same night, she was also made pregnant by her husband, Tyndareus the King of Sparta, hence the twins. One was immortal- Pollux, one was not- Castor. These twins were super tight, fought in the Trojan War, had major adventures, and when Castor finally died, Pollux couldn't handle it. He went to dad (Zeus/Jupiter) and begged him to do something.  He did. He made them both immortal, flinging them into the sky to shine as stars, forever and ever, (well you know) and that's the happy shiny ending.

(Click here to see rewards for $10+ Patrons- )

 Geminis are ruled by "air" making them a thinking yet very chatty bunch, and that chatty part is in tune with the next connection- Mercury. 

Hermes, or Mercury, was the god in charge of messages. To the gods, between gods, between gods and mortals, between mortals and the dead (he also took the dead to the underworld/Pluto-that's coming up) you get the idea.

 Okay, I mentioned Mercury/Hermes and communication. Mercury got his moniker as the quicksilver messenger with winged feet because Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. This makes its orbit much faster, hence the speedy association. Messengers need speed, hence communication was probably just a natural trait to ascribe to this planet. So, as DMB would say- Sa-te-lliiiiiiiiiiite. Find the Astronaut. In the second, I just put together a nifty mandala of the stations of Saturn with some fun doodles and comet thingys. Lots of artistic license in that one, but the planets positioning in the Gemini Journey printable ($10+ ink line drawing, $20+ reward print download ) was fairly accurate as of a few days ago, so think about the symbolism in twins positioning, Pluto & Jupiter. What do you see? What does it say to you?  Talk to me about it!  

• $5+ Patrons click here      $1 Patrons click here

Okay- this month also couched RN week! Yay, nurses!!! I love you, we all love you! Thank you. <3 I'm sure you've all seen the caduceus on some nursing stuff. It's a staff with two snakes wrapped around it. Here's the fun part- it's not actually the symbol for healing, that would be the staff of Asclepius, which is one snake wrapped around a staff. The caduceus is actually Mercury's/Hermes' staff, and is a symbol for merchants, commerce, and communication/messengers. However, snakes are super symbolic of healing because of their regenerative powers, and nurses are very much the intermediaries between life and death (Hermes and Hades!) so that makes the caduceus an entirely appropriate symbol. Boom. Caduceus away, nurses. One of the repeat patterns is a caduceus. Do with it as you will.

 The second repeat pattern is about cosmic communication on a much larger scale. Om . The sound of cosmic creation, but, ummmmm, more meta? All that is, was, or ever will be. It's nebulous yet simple. It's also relaxing to hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

So that's the story behind this month's rewards! Stay tuned to the next few Patron only posts  over on Patreon for your downloads and let me know if you have questions.

This is a communication themed month, so please let me know how you're doing, or just say hi.   :)

Email me, hit me up on insta  or facebook .

As always, thank you so very much to my Patreon Patrons for their support. I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, even though I'm floating and I don't quite know which way is up or down...

In gratitude,

D. Renée

I love him to the Moon & Back...

Keep reading below to see what inspired this design, and why I love Husboo to the moon & back...

It's Freebie Friday again, and although this month has been chock full of 

freebies for the super awesome supporters over on my Patreon page, they still get another freebie today because V-day is pretty much here and I really like giving them free things.

                              

                        Today the Moon & Back click & print card PDF is free for all patrons,

                       and $10+ patrons received a download of a PDF file for an 8x10 print.

If you dig my art, like coloring, or just want to support me as a human being, please support! :)

Here's a little sampling of a few of the free

 printables and coloring downloads rewards they've received in the past couple weeks.

Some of these are also available in my Etsy shop, but patrons always get the first dibs and uploads.

I came up with this very simple design because I was thinking about Husboo.

(that's my husband/boo, husband is too formal and I don't like the serious tone. :/)

Every year, I paint him something and get him a card and gift.

It's nice, but it's sort of becoming routine.

I don't like routine...

I like gestures that pull heartstrings and inspire.

However, we are going to continue a tradition that I like very much and clues you in to why my Husboo is the bees knees in every way.

This is a major reason that I love this man to the moon and back, and then on to Venus and back.

It's the tradition of taking my very special single sister out for dinner 

on V-Day.

My sister is special needs, and is usually single on Valentine's Day. 

Being a single adult is not something that she's overly preoccupied with, but couples' holidays have a tendency to rub a bit of salt in her wounds.

I think it's nice for her to hang out with us as a couple,

 because she is treated like a normal adult

 and we don't make an issue of her not having kids or a significant other-

 we are childless, too!

She also loves to team up with my husband and tease 

or "troll" me about whatever they are finding particularly hilarious at the moment. 

It's nice to be the butt of joke if it's making them laugh.

Our Valentine's Day won't be spent over a romantic candlelit dinner and wine.

Chances are, we'll be testing out the color-changing rotating stars light I got for my sister as her Valentine gift, and maybe watching Star Wars. 

Husboo thinks it's more important for her to have a good day 

and some happiness than it is for us to have another night by ourselves. 

It was his idea. It always is.

Isn't he the best?! <3 <3 <3

Support me on Patreon to get the free printable PDF.

Well, that's it for today!

I've got a few things to gather for my moon and stars, if you know what I mean. ;-)

What are your plans?

Have a fantastic weekend and a Happy Valentine's Day!

XOXO,

All you need is love...

Simple, true, and it stands the test of time; All you need is Love.

For my Patreon supporters, a free PDF to print out and give to anyone this Valentine season. <3 

This design is also available as an art print and accessories in all of my print-on-demand shops, and as a printable card in myEtsy shop.

If you have any questions, just email me, message me on my Facebook art page  or contact me through my website.

 Thanks for the love!

XOXO,

You've Got This

YOU'VE GOT THIS

It's one of my go-to phrases for encouragement when I'm cheerleading someone. When it comes to encouraging others, I don't like to simply say "good luck", or "I hope you do well." When we say that we hope they do well, get the job,
 get a new PR, etc., it is so, well, it's just meh, and there's no power in it at all. So, why wasn't I doing that for myself?

  Lately, I felt a little down and out. I was getting in a rut of picking out all of my shortcomings, and it was really starting to gnaw at me. I had some disappointing news at the neurologist last week regarding my spinal and nerve issues. I needed to take some of my own medicine and remember what I am capable of, who I am, and what I already have.
 Creating is the main way I process and focus on things, so here's this little watercolor text printable just in time for Motivation Monday. ;-)

"You got this" is so sure. 

It's like an instant reminder of your personal power and of all the things that you ARE capable of doing. 

You got this. No question. Done deal. Pow.