Eilisain Tarot

You could probably see the writing on the wall. As much as I write and talk about tarot it was inevitable that I’d create a tarot deck. So here is your sneak preview!

And I almost can’t believe it’s happening!!!! Back fourteen years ago when I began my jewelry journey I tried to create jewelry that referenced tarot however I couldn’t really figure out how.

Cue to now and I’m creating my own deck. At the beginning of the year I set about working on this project and I had absolutely no clue HOW. If you follow ‘manifestation’ they always urge you to forget about the HOW and to trust in the universe. Well I did and let me tell you this happened way faster than I thought it would and I have to give most of the credit to my friend and assistant Victoria Schultz.

If you recall Victoria began working with me three years ago during the pandemic. Victoria has been my angel, my right hand woman. Victoria took this project and RAN with it, she knows the Eilisain brand so well and she nailed the graphics and look.

In late April and just last month we shot images of me with our sample tarot deck. These are the major arcana cards, with several of the minor cards.

We organized the deck with each suite corresponding to an Eilisain Jewelry collection, so Wands/Fire = snake, Swords/air = owl, Cups/water = Cuttlefish jewels and Pentacles/earth = Turtle.

Each jewelry collection features jewels and photos that easily correspond to the tarot and the messages we receive from each card. This has always been my intention, to meld the divine/spiritual with jewelry. The messages are intertwined.

This year I truly embraced reading tarot and the opportunity to intuit and attune myself to how I can assist you in your daily life and inquiries.

So to wrap this up, Eilisain Tarot will drop in late Fall of this year - perfect for this spooky season. In addition Eilisain jewelry will transition over to a new website that will provide jewelry AND tarot.

I’m just SO thrilled and excited to share this with you!! Stay tuned by signing up for my email list so you can purchase your deck as soon as it drops!

You have more power than you know

I say this quite often and most often to myself, but I don’t think we truly realize the immense effect we can have on each other and on our environment. It’s the butterfly effect, that one flap of a butterflies wing can set off a world of events but it truly is REAL.

It’s little things, and big acts that make HUGE differences in our lives. This hits me on different levels but one situation that had me so happy and grateful was rescuing a husky dog from an elderly couple that needed to rehome her.

Here’s the story: One of my dearest friends moved to our small town of Farmville about a year ago, and she’s got a cute backyard. One afternoon I went back there view her garden when I looked at her neighbors house to see a gorgeous white husky dog looking forlorn in a small enclosure. I couldn’t help but wonder, why is that beautiful dog back there most days?

Well it really started to get to me when I’d leave my daughters bike at my friends house and I’d look in the backyard and see Bella looking utterly sad (at least that’s what I figured she felt like because I’d be very sad too).

It kept nagging at me, Bella the husky must be eternally bored not being able to run free. So a customer suggested I talk to the owners and offer to walk Bella. That was all the motivation I needed to get the courage to talk to the elderly couple. When I offered they were grateful and even asked me if I wanted to keep Bella.

Now look, I would’ve taken Bella in a heartbeat but we have three cats nor do we have a fenced in yard. So I began to devise a way to find Bella a home. It took sometime but I found her one with my other friend Steve. My friend Steve has a large fenced in back yard and I told myself, I believe Steve could use this gorgeous husky in his life.

I also want to take a moment to say that at this time, about a month ago, I was feeling really depressed. I was experiencing a bit of a mid life crisis (which to be honest has not gone away - but that’s another story for another time). Bella felt incredibly healing to me, walking her with my daughter and having this purpose to find her a home distracted me from feeling low. Have you ever felt like that?

HUSKY TOTEM MEANING: It’s not the journey but the destination, husky reminds us to enjoy our path and to follow our instincts. Huskies are also a reminder to have fun and be playful. Husky symbolism also reminds us to be in service of others, and taking leadership roles when others don’t.

As you can surmise, when we help others we’re actually helping ourselves. And I’ve found that animals, being in their presence and witnessing their true zest for life whether it’s running, playing or eating is a reminder of life’s simple pleasures.

Bella is now in a space where she can enjoy space and freedom to run and she’s in a loving home. This whole incident got me thinking how when we pay attention to the people and our surroundings, we have the ultimate power to generate love, generosity and ultimately change the life path of others through our actions.

We’re watching this play out on the world stage, Ukraine is being bombed and terrorized by one man’s greed and massive ego. Then on the other hand we have many people giving and doing whatever they can to help the people of Ukraine and it’s neighboring countries. My heart breaks when I see German and Polish mothers leaving strollers for mothers fleeing Ukraine.

So my proposal to you is see how you can make a difference in someone’s life, whether it be small or big. Take a meal to an elderly couple, give a homeless person some cash, be generous because the universe listens and responds to like energy.

My core value with Eilisain and my own self is to nurture you and your life so that you can give the same to others. Come with me on this powerfully divine journey, sign up for my emails and I’ll continue to give you stories of hope, love inspiration and more!

What Does it Mean to be Pagan?

Lately I’ve been getting inquiries from friends and acquaintances about my belief system and recommendations to learn more about Paganism and general woo woo stuff. So I thought I’d write up a blog post for you to share more about what it means to be a Pagan and the resources you can use to learn more.

I’d say I officially became Pagan about twenty years ago, whoa…that sounds forever ago! I was in a strange place in my life, more like a deep dark hole and I was really searching for meaning and guidance. I was raised Catholic but it just didn’t resonate with me. And though I did pray to God at the time and pray in general I wasn’t connected or felt comfort in praying to one God.

Thinking back, I can recall distinctly in middle school reading a book about Greek mythology and finding it utterly fascinating. So at that time, twenty years ago I started picking up books on mythology and specifically Celtic paganism. This was right about the same time Braveheart came out and I was kinda obsessed to say the least. Something about connection to land, to the Goddess and the mystical was calling me.

Pagan is a term that began in the fourth century by early Christians for the Roman Empire that practiced Polytheism (source Wikipedia). I’d say that Pagan refers to any earth based polytheistic tradition or belief. So Budhhism could be described as Pagan or Hinduism as well, as they believe in many Gods and deities. So we can go even further to say Celtic paganism or Greek paganism etc. You could liken it to the Christian faith in that there are many subsets of it, such as Catholicism, Baptist, Mormon etc.

For myself personally I find Paganism too broad a term but I’d rather use Pagan versus polythistic or earth based for a term to describe my faith. I’ve always found Christianity lacked the feminine divine, the honoring of the earth and especially listening to ones own inner divinity and wisdom.

What I love about being Pagan is the deep connection to our inner teacher, our inner guide that puts us in touch with our intuition. The gut is where we KNOW, we understand and feel with our every fiber what is right for us. And not only that but the balance of the yin and yang, the light and dark, the feminine and the masculine. Monotheism is too singular for me, and within Christianity there isn’t room for listening to ones own teacher but looking outside of ourselves, looking to one God and I find it to rigid for my inclinations. In addition Christianity is built upon a patriarchal worship and faith. With Celtic Paganism there is a balance and a worship of the divine feminine which is so lost in our current culture and society.

As a Celtic Pagan I honor the deities of the land, connecting and communing with the elements. The honoring of Mother Earth, Father Sky and Sun and the Moon Goddess. The deities of land and the universe are what we are made of, stardust and divinity. When I sit at my altar I meditate and connect to the deep dark mysteries of the Earth, I connect with the Dark Goddess below. When I pray I commune with my ancestors and pray for guidance, listening to messages and being quiet with the Self.

Now I’m not saying you can’t do the same within a Christian faith, and trust me that I appreciate and lovingly honor my Catholic upbringing but there just wasn’t the same connection. I couldn’t identify with the idolization of one God, there was always something missing for me.

Within a Celtic Pagan faith there is an infinite world, a world of complex symbols and colors. For example the Arthurian legend we find ourselves journey to the Otherworld, where the land becomes a symbol of integrity and stewardship. The King and Queen represent the God and Goddess, where the fae represent the fertility and magic of Mother Earth. Colors such as red, white and black are symbolic of the other world. The White Hare represents the hunt for inner knowing and journey to the soul. I could go on and on but the point being there is a synergy and relationship between humans and the earth. We are connected not separate from her.

Tools such as tarot, oracles, sage and lavender wands, the chalice and atham create a physical representation of the elements. When I first began dreaming of becoming a jeweler I mapped out ways to utilize jewelry as spiritual and divinitory tools to connect with the divine.

If you are curious about Paganism and specifically Celtic Paganism here are some books and resources I’d like to recommend for you:

John and Caitlin Matthews are my favorite authors on the subject, that are quite knowledgable and I probably own most of their books.

Ceisiwr Serith Pagan Book of Prayers is an excellent source for prayers and general information on the Celtic path.

Peter Berresford Ellis is another fantastic resource, he is the premier writer on Druids and Celts.

Online resources:

Mystic Mama

The Necormantical

A disclaimer that if you are researching Paganism please be very careful what you read as there is SO much misinformation out there. Reliable and accurate books are necessary to learning the history of Paganism. I’m still learning so much about this rich and in depth tradition. And if you ever have any questions, I’m more than happy to answer them - email me at info@eilisainjewelry.com

I believe that the old traditions, the earth based religions are coming back in popularity and curiosity because we are living in such a disconnected time. We are barraged by constant activity and distraction. Meditation, yoga and paganism is resonating with more people because of the extremism and separation from earth of Christianity. And if you are Christian but you’re still drawn to divination and other religions, give yourself a break and explore them, read more about them. Because at the end of the day we are ALL made up of Spirit, of the great cosmic energy that created this beautiful universe for us. Jesus loved everyone, so did Buddha, Brigid, Ali and all the other enlightened souls that have walked Mother Earth.

If you want to learn more about divination, paganism and how to use jewelry as a diviniatory tool please sign up for my email list and I’ll keep you informed. Thanks as always for reading my loves!

Slitherin' Snakes and How They Are a Potent Ally

I have a confession to make, I’m scared of snakes! Scared and yet intensely curious. Snakes are freaking cool, badass and so adaptable. Did you know the reason snakes can move and slither quickly is due to their dry skin as opposed to human skin which is much slimier than a snake.

Last month I was on a daily walk and I just happened to look down, well honestly I always look around when I walk as I love stumbling upon a cute critter or dead one. I look down and see a dried up garden snake. They’re quite cute and small, small enough to create jewelry with it. So I carried that lil snake on my walk and came home to create a mold of him.

Now for me, when a new animal comes into my life especially one that can be created into jewelry I like to meditate on this chance occurrence which isn’t always chance. Messages come to us daily from the spirit world, many times we ignore them, but if we pay attention to the signs and messages they can have a lasting impact on our life. Snakes are associated with rebirth, resurrection, initiation and wisdom. With what is happening globally we are collectively going through a major rebirth. We are realizing that the old system, the patriarchy isn’t serving our world. And right now we are moving through the transformation phase which can take time and much pain. Snake is here to teach us how to shed our old skin, how to go deep in our subconscious.

“Before the snake begins to shed its skin, its eyes will begin to cloud over. It gives the snake a trancelike appearance. To many mystics and shamans this indicated the ability of the snake to move between the realms of the living and the dead, of crossing over from life to death and then back again. As the skin begins to shed, the eyes begin to clear as if they will see the world anew.” - Ted Andrews, Animal Speak.

“Snakes are associated with rebirth, resurrection, initiation and wisdom. With what is happening globally we are collectively going through a major rebirth. We are realizing that the old system, the patriarchy isn’t serving our world. And right now we are moving through the transformation phase which can take time and much pain. ”

— Lisette Fee, ownder and designer of Eilisain Jewelry

Okay so now that you know some of the benefits of snake magic and snake totem knowledge how can we use that to benefit ourselves? How can we work with snake mythology? First of all let’s recognize that despite snakes being kind of scary they’re so essential to our animal kingdom. Snakes offer pest control, they are part of our larger ecosystem so if you do spot a scary snake (especially a copperhead) try to find it a new home or call a professional to move the snake, as for garden snakes they’re harmless and as it goes they’re good for your garden. Secondly, study snakes and channel they’re ability to shed what isn’t working or isn’t necessary. Personally I’m trying to shed my previous mindset (unable to control situations etc) and work with what I can control. Summer is especially a good time to shed the winter coat of our lives, create new rituals, start a new program (diet & exercise or creatively), sunbathe (with sunscreen) like some snakes do.

As you can imagine I’m very thrilled about creating a new collection with my garden snake. I had always wanted to and low and behold the snake presented itself to me so I’m planning a very intentional snake collection for which I’m naming the Medea Collection. Medea was the niece of Circe and learned much of her magical knowledge, herb lore and much more. Medea was the Greek Goddess for which she stole the golden fleece for Jason and the Argonauts. I felt Medea was apt as she is a witch goddess and she has transformed and shed her skin multiple times.

The Medea Collection will release in early to mid August, I’d love to create a large quantity of pieces for this collection so prepare yourselves! I’m also planning a very sexy and seductive photoshoot with some of my favorite bossbabes (Meagan Wilson for makeup and Ashley Bowden for photography). And I may also do a giveaway sooooooo come along with me and sign up for my email list below and I’ll keep you posted.

My New Favorite PODCASTS

I've been saving this post for awhile now so I could research new podcasts to share with you.  And the ones I've been listening to are so inspiring and honestly super helpful to everyday life.

I feel like podcasts are the new 'radio stations' not that radio has been completely replaced.   They're fantastic for me, as a working mom, because I can listen to them while I'm doing stuff around my house or working in the studio or feeding Ms. Tulah (Tallulah).

So here goes - my new favorite podcasts:

1.  Stuff Mom Never Told you - Bridget Todd and Emilie Aries break down all sorts of topics from Congresswoman Maxine Waters to Latina feminisim and the power of Beyonce in the world.  I love how they aren't embarrassed to share their own stories but that of women from all backgrounds, cultures etc.  Bridget and Emilie also do their research and provide interesting facts and knowledge about being a girlboss to current politics.

2.  Dream, Freedom, Beauty - I just recently discovered this new podcast via Empress of Herbs (as she was a guest not to long ago) and I LOVE IT, I'm learning so much about esoteric, magic, meditating, witch related topics and my favorite part is that Natalie Ross is local and based out of Durham.  Natalie is so down to earth and relatable and asks her guests all the questions we're thinking in our head.

3.  The Courage Makers - this is a fantastic podcast to listen to when you need uplifting stories and interviews of people that have risen from the ashes to become stronger and wiser.  I love listening to this podcast in the morning. 

4.  Work Wives -  Because I primarily work from home, I don't have a work spouse but I remember what it was like.  These women keep it real and get down to the nitty gritty of being a woman AND it's hosted by two women that work for my favorite magazine, Glamour!

5.  The Mythology Podcast - As a major fan of mythologies and ancient stories this has to be in my top five favorite podcasts.  It's like a history lesson every time and I become majorly inspired by all the grand and epic stories.  In addition you can help but feel a wonderful sense of calm listening to this podcast, I'd have to say this is a perfect nightcap. 

6.  2 Dope Queens - When you need a good laugh and want to be silly, listen to Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams talk about everything from sex, race, romance and living in NYC.  They feel like your two besties that you want to hang out at a dive bar and get tipsy with!

So get crackin' and add these amazing podcasts to your lists.  Thanks as always for reading!