The Hunter and the gatherer

It takes a stylish and confident person to style their jewelry in a way that is bold, interesting and truly unique.

Jesse is wearing three of his new talon necklaces. I met Jesse in October at the Vintage Charlotte holiday market and we instantly bonded over jewelry and style. Jesse is an entrepreneur and small business owner as well. Jesse restyles, redesigns and creates custom created clothing from vintage finds.

I asked Jesse if he’d style his new jewels and wow did he take it and run with the assignment. I love how he went out to the woods to photograph himself wearing his Eilisan Jewels. What do you think? Smokin’ right?

So fellas, YOU TOO can wear jewelry and be an absolute BOSS!

Jesse purchased the Squirrel bone pendant, Hunted owl talon charm and the hawk talon charm. These necklaces truly make a statement with any outfit that showcases them.

Jesse and I are currently working on a custom gold chocker necklaces with charms so that he can style his jewelry with his custom re-worked clothing. I can’t wait to see how our collaboration comes together!

So treat your man to some spiritual and badass jewels.

I'm Launching a podcast ...yes I wrote that

This project has been in the works for quite some time, I truly love podcasts. They are what got me thru working from home and being a stay at home mom. I kid you not, podcasts are my teachers and coworkers. So it is no surprise that I decided to launch my own podcast.

My favorite type of podcast is a mix of motivational/funny/real/applicable to real life. Nourished Intentions is my way of giving back to you what I’ve learned over my lifetime. Here on the blog I experimented with offerings, meditations, advice and so much more. On the podcast I’ll be offering you some of the ways to bring INTENTION into your life. Now more than ever we are in a place of rebirth, we’re discovering we don’t have to be part of the ‘system’ when it comes to our personal time. How can we truly value every moment? How can you maximize your time efficiently and with ease & comfort.

My favorite episode is the interview I did with Erin Harker of The Magick Makers. We chatted about being small business owners and witches in this new world. Erin is so knowledgeable, funny and creative we really vibed on chatting business and magick!

I offer you a guided turtle meditation along with a detailed guide of my patronus pantheon.

The premiere of my podcast is next week on Tuesday, August 31st. You can listen to all of my new episodes and subscribe to stay informed of new ones.

Thank you as always for stopping by, reading about my new podcast AND signing up to learn more about how to live an intentional life!

Why You Should Invest In An Oracle Deck

Happy New year earth angles!!! It’s about dang time I do a blog post AND let’s kick this 2021 off year with ORACLE DECKS.

I got several new decks and I want to share them with you. I gotta tell you when I began my journey with divination and oracle cards over 20 years ago, it was NOT AS common and popular as they are today. Some people buy decks like lattes! They’re that addictive.

Ok so how do oracle decks differ from tarot? Well there aren’t as many cards as there are in a tarot deck and each oracle deck differs from each other. The one commonality is that it’s used as a tool of divination, oracles are more broad and touch upon the bigger themes in life.

For example my newest oracle deck, Dreamscape features themes that span from animal patronus to deities from across cultures. I’m really in love with this deck as it features stunning Art Novueau style illustration and design plus the messages are so deep and intense.

When/how to use oracle decks - I like using my decks as part of my morning alignment session. So after I meditate and pray I’ll close my eyes, shuffle my cards and ask the spirit realm what lessons I need to think about for the day. You can do readings just as you would with a tarot deck, for example laying out three cards to represent mind/body/spirit or past/present/future etc. You can also chose a card of the day. There truly are no rules to how to use an oracle deck.

Oracle cards provide a deeper meaning and understanding to our lives AND it grounds us in the present moment to listen, get quiet and dig deeper into our dreams and desires and fears.

Here is a brief list of my favorite oracle decks:

!. Dreamscape Orackle deck by Matt Hughes - As I stated above Matt’s art work is absolutely dreamy, gorgeous and harkens to the art nouveau period. I also love that Matt incorporates Goddesses and themes across all cultures.

2. Healing with Angels Oracle deck with Doreen Virtue - This is probably my first oracle deck, I can’t recall as I purchased it over 20 years ago. Doreen has a more christian view on the deck however these cards are so encouraging and provide a beautiful guide to tapping into our unconscious.

3. Threads of Fate - The ladies (Blaire Porter and Brit June) behind this oracle deck did a beautiful job of incorporating several elements in one card. For example with the patience card it features a turtle and a gemstone and herb. You get three in one teachings! The designs paired with gold embossing adds an ephemeral quality to them that is just divine.

4. The Celtic Tree Oracle - Being the Celt obsessed pagan that I am, this deck has been with me for awhile. Trees are ancient and across cultures & religions have been connected to the divine so it makes sense that they would be incorporated into an oracle. What I love about this deck is that they provide a notepad and guide on how to lay out your reading.

Just as there are many, many tarot decks available so are oracle and my best recommendation is to purchase one that resonates with you and treat them as you would any other divination tool, with curiosity and reverence.

I hope you enjoyed my post and you subscribe to my email list so that I can share more of my references and resources with you. Tapping into your inner teacher can have a profound impact on your life and is never time wasted.

You Have An Undiscovered Patronus Awaiting

Since I began working with owl talons nearly ten years ago I researched about owls, their behaviors and how to tap into their strength in my everyday life. From then on it continued to crow, bear, cats, badgers, hawks, cardinals and now snake.

I want to clarify that I use the word patronus instead of totem or spirit animal because I don’t want to use a word that is primarily Native American and that appropriates their culture. So to be respectful we can use JK Rowling’s beautiful term patronus or guardian animal.

I had been brewing up a plan to create a quiz a long time ago that would aide you in locating your patronus in the Eilisain Jewelry world. When you find your patronus, I provide you with guides as to how you can harness the incredible wisdom and power of your patronus. For example, cuttlefish is a beautiful mollusk that can change it’s color to hide from prey or to hunt it’s own prey. With cuttlefish as your patronus you will want to utilize color to empower you or to mask any hindrances.

We can learn SO MUCH from animals, they have infinite wisdom if we look closely, if we notice their behaviors. Something I learned from snake is the uncomfortable shedding of their skin which they endure on a regular basis. What this teaches is us that we are constantly growing and shedding. Look at our current world, so many of us are going through a rebirth and an awakening just as the snake does,

Okay so you want to know which animal in the Eilisain Jewelry collection is yours? Take the quiz! Click the link below and you’ll answer select questions.

Getting My Hands Dirty Heals My Spirit

Dang ya’ll if 2020 isn’t the year for a revolution I don’t know when it would be! I bet many of you have been feeling a big mixed bag of emotions and you’re not alone. I have good days and bad days but in the center of it all is my home and that I can control.

Several weeks ago I had my friend, fellow momboss and photographer Erica Letchworth come to my home, at a safe distance to photograph me for all things Eilisain but most importantly the spaces where I find refuge and solace.

GARDEN is no. 1 - watching my plants grow and turn into edible food is incredible and not just that, the sacred act of consuming my own home grown vegetables is even more special. When I go out to our garden to gather some herbs for our meal or for my cleansing wands I thank them, i thank the earth for her nutrition and her sustenance. The simple act of thanking plants returns the kindness, the gratitude and appreciation for their incredible nutrition.

If you can or if you have the inclination, go out and purchase herbs and keep them in pots on your porch or deck. Research and studies have proven that being in the presence of plant life gives you energy and vitality. Not only that, caring for your plants will give you an excuse to put your phone down, get outside and take your mind off everything going on in the world.

Oh and one other point I want to make about our garden, we’ve been using our compost as a way to return what we consume back to the earth. We’ve been blessed to access dirt from my in-laws but you can easily do the same, even if it’s a small raised garden bed. Returning your scraps to the earth is SO beneficial for our planet.

My biggest piece of advice and suggestion for you to gain clarity, peace of mind and serenity is to be with yourself. Take time to do nothing! Some nights before I turn out the light to sleep I just lay there thinking and ruminating, passing over what happened throughout the day and reflecting. This gives me time to appreciate the beautiful moments, the quiet moments that make up the collective of our life. And my last ritual for the night, I write down three things I’m grateful for and then I pull a tarot card. Again, reflecting on the abundance in my life and then divining a message from Spirit gives me space to honor the sacred in myself.

I want to return to what I wrote at the beginning of this post regarding how much in chaos our world is, now my first inclination always is to bury my head in the sand but only momentarily. I know that my life comes with immense privilege and access to way more abundance than many other Americans experience (especially black and brown Americans).

With that said I’m not going to side step the huge revolution our country is going through. Every SINGLE ONE OF US (especially white folks) must participate in order for progress to occur.

What can you do? Here are some steps:

-Read and understand what Black Lives Matter means and what it means to our collective.

-Contact your state and local representatives. Tell them you want change and action.

-Read, listen, purchase and consume African American literature, products, music, podcasts, movies - EDUCATE YOURSELF

-Talk to your neighbors and friends. Be open minded and LISTEN. (I’ll raise my hand that I do this often but I am not that good at listening, I’m working on that one)

-Make a donation if you can, I’m donating 10% of June’s sales to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. Every little bit helps, even if it’s $10.

Beauty of the Beast

I don't often participate in exhibitions so when I was invited to submit several pieces for the Greenhill Gallery at the Greenhill Center of the Arts exhibition Beauty of the Beast, I was extremely honored and thrilled to participate!   Below are the details and concept behind the exhibition.

So many amazing and talented artists from North Carolina and abroad. 

What I love most about the concept behind the exhibition is merging art with the wild - because when you truly think about art - nature and the wild is the ultimate creation, the ultimate form of art.  And North Carolina has such a rich history of both art and appreciation for wildlife.  I truly became in touch with animals and my own inner strength because of them when I moved to Eastern North Carolina.  I hope that the exhibition brings attention to preserving our parks, rivers, streams and oceans.   Now more than ever we need to be aware and also be active in our wild environments.   If you live in Greensboro, I hope you can attend the exhibition and events the amazing staff at the Greenhill Center of NC Arts have organized.

The Bast One of Kind necklace will be on display along with other signature EJ pieces. 

For Your Galentine

I'm a big believer in female friendships; sounds corny to say but I love quality time with my girlfriends.  We can talk, and talk and talk and get complete understanding from each other when we may not get that from our boyfriends, husbands or significant others.  And it's not just that but it's more that understanding of what it's like to be a woman.

Cate, myself and Caroline, two of my favorite Galentine's!

So I propose that we show the love and appreciation for our girlfriends just as we would to our male counterparts.  Even if it's just a card, why not let them simply know that you love their friendship?  I grew up watching my Mom send thank you cards, little gifts and momentos to her own friends and family.  She made it a point to remember peoples birthdays.  And it has rubbed off on me.  And nowadays with the written word dwindling in favor of electronic correspondence it means even more to get that piece of snail mail.  I LOVE getting an envelope from a friend of family - because it's the first thing I open other than another bill!

Okay so to the point of this post, I have some suggestions of small yet memorable gifts to give the best babes in your life and the best part? They're all $20 and under!  So here they are:

1.  Cat claw earrings - This one is a no brainer, most of my girlfriends are cat lovers and these are super affordable and sweet. 

2.  Smudging Kit - Aroma and scents are very powerful, and what woman doesn't need a good cleansing of the spirit and home? These are only $10 and smell so earthy and good!

3.  A beautiful print - Just as much as I love a good scent, I also adore hand drawn prints.  It's calming to soak in an image of a powerful animal.  And Nest and Burrow prints have gorgeous detail.   I really love the Quietus of Munin crow print. 

4.  Wine profile card set - I got this for one of my girlfriends for Xmas and she loved it.  Most of my lady friends are wino's and it's fun and sweet.  Plus it passes on the point of sending out cards.  You could even use these to send to your galentine!

5.  Gem and Honey infused bath salts - I just bought these on my last visit to Everyday Magic and I love them! I'm a big bath person, it's my self care ritual and most women enjoy a good soak, with a glass of wine of course!  Your galentine needs that self care too. 

It's not too late too order any of these items and get them to your bestie - show her you appreciate all the times she listened to you and gave you advice or rescued you from a bad date!

Surrounding Yourself With Beautiful Objects

I'm in TOTAL NESTING mode - as ya'll know I'm pregnant (7 months to be specific) and my husband and I moved into our newly purchased home last year in August.  Since that time I've slowly decorated and painted several rooms in our house. 

I'd never been able to paint any of the rooms I lived in because I rented but now, I'm crazy about using colors (hence my previous post).  And not just colors but artwork that inspires me and makes me happy or serene.  I love looking at my walls and seeing artwork by other makers and people that are talented and create beauty in the world.  I consider it an investment in my happiness and gallery of objects.  I grew up this way, my parents traveled often due to my Dad being in the army and they purchased beautiful pieces of furniture, jewelry and objects from Japan, Taiwan, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, Panama...the list goes on and on. 

Thus, I have a brief list of new artists I've discovered that I've either acquired pieces or plan to.

1.  Christina Mrozik - Absolutely stunning hand drawn artwork that reflects beauty in death and animal still life.  Her use of opposing colors (bright versus dark) and shading is exquisite.  I'm very excited that I'll be acquiring one of her pieces in the not too distant future!

EEEk! I'm getting this one soon!

2.  Yoann Lossel - Yoann's pieces reflect an ancient quality, one that seems as though the scenes he captured actually happened.  I find that I could create an entire story just looking at his prints.  I just receieved La Morrigan in the mail!!! I can't wait to frame it and hang it up.

I plan on purchasing this one soon!

3.  Silver Linings Ceramics by Katie Marks - This artist creates intricate crystal and gold leafed ceramics and when they are listed on her Etsy site, they are snapped in SECONDS, meaning you have to watch her like a hawk when her pieces are listed.  I doubt I'll ever get one but it's a dream to have her crystal mug - to not even drink out of it but just to behold it and own it!

4.  Tanel Veenre - I've long admired Tanel's dreamy pieces.  He's a poet too.  He writes as if speaking of other dimensions, which his jewelry pieces also reflect.  Tanel composes jewelry that are disparate but seemingly well paired and appropriate.  Being from Estonia, there is an ethereal quality to all his adornment.  I don't think I'll ever own one of his pieces, for now I am happy with one of his books. 

Globus Gruciger - My Kingdom 2011/12

I hope you enjoyed my post of beautiful things - we all need that in our life!

thanks for reading.