​This listing is for one of four limited edition 'Nine Herb Charm' Ritual Talismans created for Winter 2024, by The heART of Ritual.
 
Each is lovingly crafted from the naturally tanned skin of wild West Cork Salmon and sewn together with plant fiber cordage made from mugwort, wild nettle, and rose. Each is adorned with a miniature limpet shell gathered along the shores of Bantry Bay, a mini posey of wild lunar botanicals, and a hand written plant fiber paper label embossed with our Celtic Wheel of the Year mandala art. These are lovingly held in place with a beautiful plant fiber cordage made from mugwort and rose. 
 
ABOUT THE NINE HERBS CHARM
This ancient healing charm is recorded in the tenth century Lacnunga manuscript which can be viewed in the British Museum. The Lacnunga is a collection of folk medicine, charms, and prayers that are believed to date from as early as the fifth or sixth century. The manuscript itself came to be named the Lacnunga, however a special passage of text included has come to be known as the Nine Herbs Charm. You can read the full original text together with an excellent translation here.
 
In addition to referencing Woden himself, the Nine Herbs Charm lists nine different medicinal herbs, which translate into the modern mugwort, betony (although some scholars say it’s cockspur), nettle, ribwort, thyme, fennel, crabapple, hairy bittercress, and mayweed.
 
I came across this charm some years ago while researching ritual talismans and protective amulets in Irish folklore, specifically those used to ward off 'undesirable attention' (aka hexes). It was during this time that I came across witch bottles that were uncovered in Ireland, and this led me on to discover this ancient herbal talisman, the nine herb charm!
 
All nine of these herbs were gathered and dried on the full moon eclipse, and combined with hand gathered ground azurite (for insights), malachite (to cleanse/purge, and due to its high copper content, it will speed up healing process), and almadine garnets to assist with protection, release/transmutation, and earthing. All of the ingredients in these charms were hand gathered here in the Alps, in the mountains around our nest.
 
The Nine Herb Charm was considered some pretty powerful healing magic. Essentially, a practitioner would sing a chant calling out the names of these nine herbs and their various attributes, and then crush them into a powder. This powder could then be used in a salve which was applied directly to the patient in an effort to heal or stave off infection and illness, as well as any curses and hexes cast upon their person.
 
Releasing, realigning, reassessing our needs, and evaluating our current state of our physical, conscious and subconscious BEing are aspects of the reflective/inner self healing work that relates with the earth element, the dark, and lower personal chakras (energy centers in the body). Winter is a time of dream journeying and traveling the dark, and to do so in full knowing of the need to be protected and earthed whilst doing so. This is what inspired me to create my own version of this ancient talisman.
 
Each of these hand sculpted vessels contains the above list of offerings and medicines, and I have also included sea salt that I have made from sea water gathered and dried in Bantry Bay, my home in Ireland. This part of the world is very dear to me, and incredibly wild in its medicines, so there was never a doubt about what salt to make and use if adding one to a protective talisman. Bantry bay, for those who are interested, is the second deepest bay in Europe, and Europes most southerly fjord. The land around it has the most dense concentration of sacred sites and megaliths in Europe.
 
Each of these hand sculpted ritual vessels is sealed with a cork seal and dipped in wax seven times (one for each direction). Each is ritually anointed with a special anointing balm made with wild rose, mugwort and yarrow, which not alone blesses each talisman, but also conditions the salmon skin and leaves a beautifully fragrant finish.
 
The Nine Herb Charm is not Irish or Celtic, however I came across it some years back in my research into Irish, middle European, and northern Germanic folk traditions (which includes where we live in the Alps) and was absolutely enchanted by it. Although I have included all nine of the original herbs in this charm, I have added my own twist to this by including crystals, minerals, salt, and making this into a hand crafted talisman rather than a salve. This way it becomes an intimate form of protection that you can include as a beautiful altar piece, but its also the perfect size to slip into your pocket, or even bra, when you need to carry it on your person.
 
Those of you interested in further reading on old charms and early folk medicine might like to visit the following resources:Various Metrical Charms - https://oldenglishpoetry.camden.rutgers.edu/the-metrical-charms/Old English herbal book of Leechdoms, Wortcunning and Starcraft of early England (fully digitalized) - https://archive.org/details/leechdomswortcun02cock/page/n17/mode/2upBoth make for absolutely riveting reading! A word of warning though, you will literally lose time with these two resources, they're great.