Ochre (iron based earth and pigments) is an incredibly potent wild medicine. The Celts referred to ochres as representing the 'life blood of the earth' and this is true when you consider it - the life blood of the earth IS its soil, and like our own blood, ochre is rich in iron. The Celts ritually adorned their body with ochres for protection, healing, grounding and journeying spirit. It was believed that wearing ochre connected the life blood of the planet with your own (and vice versa) and through this connection one could safely travel between worlds with an enhanced ability to gain insights from all realms.
 

I have been working with my own hand gathered ochres for years, ritually applying the dried pigments directly to the skin, or mixing the finely ground ochre with a fluid base for easier therapeutic application. I've even worked with ochres to establish and enhance connection with drums, rattles and other ceremonial tools I work with. I've created ritual ochre balms for the skin, therapeutic wild colour cauldrons for laying on the body, ochre paints for sacred tools, ochre wax for the frames of the drums I birth, ecodyed fabric and paper with ochre, added it to ritual skincare experiences, and much more.

My personal interest in the healing properties of ochre goes beyond ancestal tradition perspective of ritual adornment, and I work with it as a tool to heal imbalances of cellular and soul memory, and more. This journey began as a way for me to assist clients (and myself) to really ground into their bodies, the human experience, and heal trauma and imbalance relating with core foundational being, inherited trauma (aka bloodline trauma), geographic trauma, and group inheritence (family karma or the karma relating with the consciousness of an entire nation).

Earth element imbalances are eloqently and effectively balanced by the earth itself. As our root is the primary location where trauma, fear, disconnection, relationship issues, core mis-alignments, etc are stored, and the root IS the earth element within (energetically root chakra, planetary ruler is Earth), then working with earth to heal earth harmonizes, grounds, reconnects, and assists the release/letting go process. From a clinical perspective, I found that by anchoring the client, I was also assisting a stable framework for self healing to occur, and from that base, I could tweak each ochre for a specific purpose - essentially creating a set of tools for the Elements of BEing representing the elements of Air (East/Spring), Fire (South/Summer), Water (West/Autumn), North (Earth/Winter) and Spirit (Center, Above and Below/All Seasons).

Each of these ochres is a capsule of a time, place, and experience, some as far back as the Jurassic period, and beyond, and that is alot of healing knowledge from the earth itself that we should not take for granted. The ancients knew this which is why ochre was so revered, this is what we draw on when we work ritually and holistically with these sacred earth pigments. In creating these ritual offerings in the way I have here, I am hoping to raise awareness of this old earth healing method once more and offer a meaningful and respectful way of incorporating the nature around us into our own healing journey.
 

One of the many crystal and mineral powders that I incorporated in these is my own hand ground crystal powder of Quartz. This makes the uses and therapeutic applications infinite across most if not all therapeutic modalities. For those who may not already be familiar with crystal healing, from a technical perspective it is worth noting that Quartz is programmable, meaning you can program it to carry any healing function you wish to work with. You can program quartz to transmit a certain healing colour, the energy of a certain crystal, channel the energy of a certain tree, plant or animal spirit, spirit guide, or even transmit specific healing properties to the person receiving the treatment. This is the beauty of working with quartz and its versatility with technical energy direction.

The majority of the clay, stones, shells, minerals and earth pigments were gathered along the shores of my home in Ireland in a landscape rich in both minerals and myth. The dark grey clay in the smoke grey 'Robin' ritual colour wand is volcanic clay that I gathered last time I was in Iceland (the black obsidian fine crystal powder in this wand is from the same location). The white clay is kaolin clay (in the Snowdrop' ritual colour wand) that I gathered in France, the red clay (in the 'Pimpernel' ritual colour wand) and the selenite in the 'Snowdrop' ritual colour wand I gathered in Spain, and the green clay and epidote (in the 'Wren' ritual colour wand) I gathered both in Portugal and here in the Alps. The malachite and azurite in the 'Mugwort' and 'Forgetmenot' ritual colour wands were gathered here in the Alps on August 8th 2019 (Lions Gate) while out in the mountains with students of my Crystal Therapeutics course. These are just a few additional insights into some of the ingredients.

Several of the stones and earths were gathered at locations along the Apollo-Athena/St Michael Axis (earth energy line), the most significant transeuropean earth energy lines in Europe which runs from Sceilg Mhichíl (Skellig Michael) off the coast of South West Ireland, through St Michaels Mount in South West England, Mont Saint-Michel in France, and several historical and ritually significant sacred sites in France, Italy, Greece and on to Mount Carmel in Israel. For instance, the pink granite in the 'Wild Rose' ritual colour wand was gathered along the coast near Mont Saint-Michel in France, as was the white clay. The apple blossom flower essence that was used in the 'Wild Rose' ritual colour wand also came from the same area, created with the blossoms of apple trees that grew near La Chapelle Madeleine, a relatively unknown tiny chapel dedicated to the Magdelene that I literally discovered as a happy accident on my drive back from Ireland. All of the stones, pigments, clays, minerals etc that were gathered along the shores of Bantry Bay, my home in Ireland, are on the same earth energy line.

These ritual colour wands were developed for therapeutic purposes as (topical) energetic tools for the mind, body and soul. They combine the healing modalities of color therapy, elemental healing, ancient earth based traditions, folk medicine, and crystal therapeutics in one. These color palates are 100% organic and created from ingredients gathered on the land and sea. These are completely natural, organic, cruelty free, green tools for healing. Plant, crystal, tree and mushroom essences were added to the spring water that was added to each pigment during the process. Incorporating quartz into these pigments also crystallizes the contents of these ritual colour wands, activating them as healing tools with their own specific toric fields (aka energy fields). The shades of ochre in each are an added tool for those who meaningfully work with therapeutic color and the elements in their practice. Due to the high concentration of iron (as well as goethite and hematite in some), the ochres themselves also act energetically as a grounding element for each wand.

My personal practice is to walk lightly, and this is reflected in all that I do, including what is available via this online shop (and in person). All offerings are made from seasonal, sustainably hand harvested local native plants, flowers, resins, our medicinal plant tinctures, extracts, our tree, flower, mushroom and crystal essences and much more. Absolutely every single ingredients is gathered by me, crafted by me, packed and shipped by me, nobody else touches them. This is something I am very 'strict' about, and for good reason too as it relates with energetic integrity and ritual creation. This is why I 'work' ritually, in silence, and alone at all times and at all stages in the process.

These ritual colours are easily applied - to adorn the skin, simply dip the very tip of your chosen colour in a little water for one second and gently make your mark on skin. Think of it as painting your skin with brush strokes! When you are finished using that colour, lay it back on its stand to dry for a few moments with the rest of its colour family. The same 'water colour' process can be used if applying colour to other delicate surfaces such as leaves or if you wish to have a more solid colour on other surfaces. Drawing 'dry' on rock surfaces will achieve an effect similar to that of chalk, if you wish to achieve a more solid colour then you may want to use the water colour effect by dipping the tip in water as mentioned above. How you work with them is unique to you and your vision though, so just allow yourself to play with them! Ensure you store your ritual colours in a dry place, out of direct sunlight.