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It was such a clear night. Where the stars gathered in their thousands, like a silver dust across a raven sky. Spring was blooming and the young had danced the day away their footprints lay energetic in the red earth. They were now long to bed but not all life at spring is new, a shaky, cracked foot now trundles slowly past the prints of festivities.   She has filled her soft moth cocoon satchel with her dearest treasures. A spiral of snail, the last bluebell and a bundle of roots that once guarded her sett. They may not seem much like silver and gold to you or I but to her they are priceless. A life's worth of teachings, her medicine pouch. At one time her back would have carried the pouch with ease but now she feels the weight of these ancient teachings and the realisation that her strength has left her twisted back to reside in the recesses of her mind.  She knew this day would come, all medicine women do. Admittedly she was scared for a time but her heart is now filled with a warm anticipation she has never felt before, one that is reflected in her weary eyes. She is comforted that in her ripest years she is still experiencing new feelings. As she passes the garlands of heaving hawthorn she drinks in the scent of her youth. Her content sigh mixes with the sound of a delicate midnight breeze. Here she nods in recognition and gently places her staff alongside her bag. Brushing her trembling hand across her pouch she begins to rest her broken body upon the blanket of blossom. The comfort envelopes her breath. The tawny whistles deeply and the stars ignite all that remains is a twisted pouch, medicine for the future to find.  I have recently come to realise that I have been a little untrue to myself and my creations. The herbalist hare (my previous sculpture) helped me to realise. You see since a child animals have appeared to me as characters but I haven't tended to share quite how deeply these characters reveal themselves to me before. The journey through this grandmother badger has been profound and her teachings have been life changing. I want to create the connections I feel when I'm in nature and to do so means that processes will be longer but I must forfeit speed for depth. Here are just some of the details in this wise old lady...
*A nettle dyed moth cocoon (nettles picked from above my local badger sett) *The snail shell and broken bluebell were found in the passageway of the sett. *The bundle of roots were at the entrance to the sett, probably brushed by badger * The staff was made from an ash tree that grows adjacent to the sett. The piece was broken off already and waiting for me. * The beads in her fur have been dyed with elderberry and the red earth from inside a real badgers pawprint. I hope you can feel the magic in this one and thanks for reading until the end, apologies for it being a long one! I'd love to know what you think. Much love and badger magic!
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