The Land Dreams in Ceremonies: Reparation Ceremony #7 *Cobble Hill*

 

Spirals of Time: The Spiral-faced Motanka helps protect through the seasons and cycles of time.  I could not imagine making any other Motanka to honour this special location, next to Ma Honeysuckle as she spirals her way up into the canopy alongside her companion tree.  With the newly emerging spring plants, dyes for the exhibit and gift Motanky included Nettle, Usnea, Scotch Broom, Lungwort, Blackberry, and leftover coffee grounds. 

Spirals of The Mother: Honeysuckle adopted me as her student many years ago.  I refer to her as “Mother,” “Teacher,” and most affectionately as “Ma.”  I have spent countless hours observing and learning from her in ways that are difficult to describe.  She speaks on a heart level, in images and whispers, as well as through dreams.  Her vines always spiral to the right as she grows up her companion trees.  However, her bark can spiral to right or left, depending on the layout of the proteins that help form the bark. This particular Ma is one of my favourite friends.

Pysanka, Gift for Land: This first-lay spring egg from a young hen would usually be considered a “potent” talisman. Intended for exhibit, when I blew out the contents, there was no yolk (miniature sun) inside. I resolved to proceed with the design – a continuous spiral incorporating a Zmey (dragon) as protector.  After dyeing, however, the shell broke.  Deciding to keep the beeswax on the shell in place of the yolk (bees are considered medicine from the sun), I gifted it to the land.

Same-Day Medicine: Referring to “magical workings” of crafting medicine from beginning to end in the span of one day, all effort, thought, and prayer are aligned and alchemized into precise potentized form. While the Motanky I craft are same-day pieces, naturally dyed Pysanky require 1-2 days for colour absorption. One important olde healing ceremony involved crafting a same-day Rushnyk to help eradicate epidemics.  Once complete, everyone in the village passed under the Rushnyk, which was then burned ~ along with all the illness it gathered!

Shadow Walking: I have visited this location and Ma for several years.  Part of my shadow-walk is the unveiling of my “blind-spots” – for all the times I have sat here, this ceremony was the first time I saw several root-caves at the base of Ma’s companion tree.