Trade with Alchemy!

Are you a big fan of Alchemy? Love all things gothic and alternative? Have a flair for business and a passion for connecting with customers? Or perhaps you already have your own company and want to add some unique and beautiful jewellery to your inventory? Well.. you can become an Alchemy stockist!

Becoming an Alchemy Stockist

If you have decided this is for you then congratulations and welcome to the Alchemy inner circle!  Starting from humble beginnings in Leicester, Alchemy is not only passionate about creating phenomenal designs but we are also dedicated to supporting small businesses. Over the years, we have made connections with both trade and wholesale companies from all over the globe and we are always thrilled to include even more retail friends. 

Alchemy works with a variety of different kinds of businesses such as online companies, physical shops, and even market traders. We make a special effort to ensure we put our customers' best interests at heart and avoid trading with too many companies in one location so as not to cause business competition or conflict. We also are eager to help promote businesses using our own official online platforms (e.g. social media, Alchemy website etc), to increase your company's online presence and encourage more customers to your door!

All the Benefits!

If you become an Alchemy stockist you will literally be able to reap all the terrific benefits!

Firstly, our excellent trade prices will be available to you as a trade customer and great discounts on large quantities - not to mention our exclusive offers throughout the year, especially when we bring out brand new collections. Rest assured you will be the first to know about any new releases before they even go live! Alchemy also offers a low minimum order and flexible trade accounts to help you get started. We even give suggested retail prices and a high price mark-up so your new Alchemy collection is profitable as well as distinctive. You will also get access to our official digital aids such as promo images to further boost your advertising of our collection.

Once you have made your enquiry you will be assigned your own personal trade rep who will liaise with you about your order progress, product availability, time frames and answer any queries you may have. Your trade rep will also be there to offer product suggestions, best-seller information, and general customer engagement - there is nothing like a real person to speak to! 

You will be sent a physical trade pack which includes pricelists, promotional aids and some exclusive freebies. It also includes one of our magnificent Alchemy catalogues for you and your customers to browse (and potentially make orders)!

Trade Shows and Special Events

As a trade customer, you will have the opportunity to attend trade shows such as the Spring Fair at the NEC and get to see our brand-new Alchemy pieces up close in our booth before they go live on our website. We have our very own Alchemy trade stand where you will see all our gorgeous jewellery pieces as well as our sensational homeware to get a real impression of what kind of products will work best for you. More Alchemy freebies and special trade show prices are available when ordering on our trade stand and you will also get the chance to meet your trade representative!

In the past, we have opened the Alchemy Headquarters to our amazing trade customers with the chance to get some amazing bargains and the pick of discontinued Alchemy lines. We showcase artefacts from the olden days and display our incredible artwork with the chance to speak with the artists who create the Alchemy wonders. We even provide a bite to eat for our customers to make it even more of a fun event for everyone!

We keep all of our customers updated about when and where we exhibit and dates for any upcoming Open days, giving you plenty of time to plan out your calendar to come and visit us! 

Don't delay! Simply fill in a trade enquiry form or pick up the phone and drop us a line. Please contact us anytime and a member of the fantastic Alchemy team will be in contact and guide you through the next exciting steps.

With so many opportunities and adventures ahead, what are you waiting for?!

Alchemy England Blog » Trade Enquiries / Become a Dealer

+44 (0) 1162 824824

- Rose Jekylle 🌹

New Year, New Creations!

We have come to what is supposed to be the end of winter and nearly the start of spring... and yet it is still so dull and chilly! With Christmas over and the festivities dying down, it feels like the warmer days will never come. But it is the perfect time to really focus on all the good things in our lives, New Year's resolutions, and of course, revamping our wardrobe! 

There is nothing like a style refresh to blow away those cobwebs - or actually adorn ourselves with!

The matching set of Black Widow pieces are a spectacular way to add drama to any ensemble and are part of the brand-new collection from Alchemy available right now from the website and many other of our retailer friends. Pair these with some red eyeliner, chunky boots, and cosy woollen tights and you have got yourself the perfect spooky outfit for those wintry mornings. 

As the wheel of the year starts to turn the first Pagan festival Imbolc (Feb 2nd) marks the start of Spring and a time for new beginnings. For anyone wishing to observe this celebration, Alchemy has your ritual embellishments covered - see the enchanting crescent moon pieces that come with a choice of different coloured droppers. The crystals can match any outfit or taste, as well as represent the things you wish to manifest in your life. I will definitely be picking The Green Tear to aid abundance and prosperity after the expense of the festive season!

If the witchy vibe is your thing then the Priestess of Ishtar is an exceptional necklace which showcases the phases of the moon in a collar-style design. The cut-out moons will look mesmerising against bare skin for party attire or resting over your winter layers as an everyday statement. This is a truly distinguished piece that will be the focal point of any outfit - and the focus of anyone's attention!

Named after Ishtar, a deity associated with love and sexuality, this is indeed a powerful symbol to add to your jewellery collection. Paired with the matching earrings and bracelet, the wearer will radiate elegance and leave onlookers spellbound. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this piece can only add to your luck in love. 

What could be more of a formidable piece than Alchemy's new necklace The Undertaker ? This design exudes a dark omen essence with the skull and cross bone detail and the dark chain. Complete with a working stopper, the wearer will look like an apothecary carrying a sinister potion - is it an elixir or poison? You decide. 

For those fans that are fascinated by all things Nordic, then the Journey to Valhalla may be the ideal totem for you. This piece is a tribute to Valhalla - the Viking warrior heaven - and would be the perfect accessory to hang over your favourite band t-shirt or muscle vest. This piece portrays a helmeted skull with a runic symbol and could be used as a protection symbol for those heading into everyday battles! 

If you prefer a more subtle addition to your wardrobe, look no further than the delicate goddess earrings Danu, simple and classy and an homage to Wiccan beliefs. Not to mention the new collection of Alchemy rings which are sure to add a unique twist to your everyday work wear,  Le Chat Noir is a cunning little character to spice up the boring office dress code. 

And of course, no Alchemy collection would be complete without an ode to ravens and the grandmaster of gothic literature Edgar Allan Poe. The Nevermore Raven is pure sophistication as well as a foreboding sign of the dark world beyond the living realm with the inscribed words from Poe's most famous poem. And the terrifically terrifying Curse of Coronis choker will ensure that everyone knows that the wearer is a force to be reckoned with - like the raven: majestic, beautiful, and menacing.

Finally, not forgetting the new Alchemy calendar The Spellbound Heart - it's not too late to order yours! With unique Alchemy artwork for each month, you can work through 2024 with these majestic gothic designs skilfully created by the Alchemy team of artists. 

So let Alchemy help you get ready for the "New Year, new you!"

https://www.alchemyengland.com/new-products

Spiders: Scary and Spectacular!

For some, the concept of finding any type of spider in their room makes them want to torch the house, while for others it is a complete love affair with those amazing arachnids.

There are so many fascinating variations of the species, even bordering on the magical. Let's take a look at the incredible sights and skills of these creepy critters...

Acrobatics 

We all know that spiders are master crafters of weaving webs and hanging from the ceiling, but some of these creatures have even more abilities.

The hilarious-sounding Flic-Flac (Cebrennus rechenbergi) spider has a very unique way to get away from dangerous scenarios, by cartwheeling! This spider can move forward at 2 metres per second which is pretty energetic for such a little creature, especially as it lives in the Moroccan desert and has been known to summersault up sand dunes. This little fellow has also inspired a robot design due to its crazy movements!

Spiders from the Selenops genus have the startling ability to glide and can even parachute down from tropical trees. These creatures will stretch their legs out and steer themselves in mid-air to control their descent and landing, which sounds both astounding and terrifying if you happen to be walking beneath the tree canopy during these spiders' retreats! However, thankfully these spiders typically reside in the tropical forests of Panama and Peru so you are fairly unlikely to encounter these aerial experts on an ordinary nature ramble. Phew.

Fashion show!

All creatures in the animal kingdom love to show off their beauty, especially for mating rituals, and arachnids are no exception. Of course, spider attractiveness is rarely appreciated by us humans but some species are just too stunning to ignore. 

Located in Asia and Oceania, the Peacock (Maratus volans) spider is as eye-catching as you can imagine. The radiant colours and patterns on its body are simply gorgeous and definitely refer to its animal namesake - the bright feathered bird. There are many different types of this spider but the males all sport a distinctive colourful flap that they raise like a peacock’s fan tail during courtship displays. On top of this impressive exhibition, these spiders also love to show off their fantastic dance moves to impress the females. If you have got it then flaunt it! 

The Mirror or Sequined spider (Thwaitesia argentiopunctata) is also a creature of extraordinary beauty, Adorned with reflective scales,  this spider looks truly magical like a mosaic work of art! The reflective quality of their bodies is actually formed from guanine within their digestive system and it works as an effective camouflage against predators. It is even said that one may actually be able to see their reflection in their bodies, although they are pretty tiny only measuring up to 4mm - making them tiny jewelled beings!

Superpowers

Some spiders even surpass the normal skills of arachnids and can perform remarkable talents to enable them to catch their prey.

We assume that most spiders can't survive excessive water but the Diving bell spiders (Argyroneta aquatica) have an astonishing way in which to breathe underwater - by creating an air bubble around themselves! They use this technique to stalk and capture their prey and then trap them within the bubble as they devour their meal. Pretty brutal. These spiders spend the majority of their time beneath the surface and their air pockets can even last for more than a day so they can remain submerged. Therefore they are effectively known as water spiders and, at only 10-15 mm in size,  use vegetation to create their very own little underwater nests. If it wasn't for their quite painful bite, they might be kind of sweet.

The Funnel-web spider (Hadronyche and Atrax) is given this name due to the shape of its web and tunnel-shaped hideaway lair, and can definitely be considered a super-spider! They create their habitat by burrowing into sheltered areas, such as rotting logs, under rocks, etc., and then create a series of trip wires over and around the entrance that alert them to any trespassing insects that will make a tasty meal. These silken lines can also warn the spider of any potential danger or even passing mates which is certainly a useful feature to have from within their safe and dampen refuge. When they are hunting for food and become aware of said intruder, they quickly leap into action and rush from out of the entrance of their home to grab hold of the unsuspecting victim subduing them with their poisonous fangs. Not only is this a terrific form of meticulous planning and super speed, but they also have a deadly venom that can kill humans in only 15 minutes!  

Just weird

Now, we have looked at the marvellous things that spiders can do but sometimes there are just plain weird behaviours of these confounding creatures. 

The aptly named Bird Dung Crab spider (Phrynarachne ceylonica) uses its spidey skills to literally disguise itself as a blob of bird poo...nice. The method behind this madness is that it attracts insects with a faecal appetite as well as forming protection from predators who will avoid what looks like a fresh splat of poop. This is a very strange technique of camouflage but it works most effectively! It truly fools other creatures with its warty appearance, shiny wet skin, and stinking smell, and also immobilises itself to add to the facade. Simply, all this spider needs to do is assume a curled-up position and wait for dinner. 

Another BIG weirdo from the spider species is the South American Goliath Birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) -  already sounds horrifying by the name! A real freak of nature this is the largest spider known in the world and can grow up to 12 cm with a leg span of up to 28 cm. Despite being huge, research shows that its bite is not deadly to humans but it very is unpleasant as they use their needle fangs which measure up to 1 inch in length. These would most assuredly come sharp! They also have another bizarre defence method that they employ by rubbing their legs together and shredding their urticating hairs which cause skin irritation and even allergic reactions in humans. Fortunately, there is some warning if you are in this spider's territory...they are known to make a loud hissing sound which can be heard from up to 15 feet away. On top of this, you would also hear them coming as at their largest they can weigh the same as a puppy and their feet make a clicking sound that is described as horse hooves hitting the ground. YIKES! 

So if you want to show your new-found love of spiders or feel you want a talisman to ward off those creepy crawlies, then check out the wonderful ranges available from Alchemy:

 

Emerald Venom (P432) ~ Necklaces | Alchemy England

Spider (HD10) ~ Hanging Decorations | Alchemy England

Emerald Venom (E428) ~ Droppers | Alchemy England

Emerald Venom (R222) ~ Rings | Alchemy England

- Rose Jekylle 🌹

Bizarre Mythical Beings

When we think of mythical beings the usual suspects come to mind: unicorns, dragons, pixies and elves! But what about those creatures that come from other myths and legends? The creepy and down-right bizarre beasts that come from all corners of the earth and dwell in the deep.

Let's delve in and take a look...

Harmless Hybrids 

The Wolpertinger: a hybrid creature from Bavarian folklore, suggested to be originally created as a story to freak out tourists in the 1800s,  it is a hare and deer amalgamation but has also been known to be formed from many other parts of different animals.. a bit like a Frankenstein's monster creation!

This being is often shown on display in places like pubs and tourist attractions as a taxidermy mishmash. A seemingly harmless creature of legend, it is said to be formed from a cross-breeding and that you should be on the look out for it's mischievous behaviour. The Wolpertinger also has a patent for female beauty and is said to be drawn to young attractive women! 

The Hippocampus: From Greek legends, this creature is depicted as a horse with the tail of a fish and is said to be one of the creatures that pulled the God of the Sea Poseidon's chariot. Although it's name loosely translates as 'Sea Monster' the legend claims that this creature is benevolent and is a symbol of hope and strength. These kind-hearted beasts are respected by all other sea beings and they are known for saving sailors from drowning and helping underwater creatures. 
The Hippocampus was said to have been formed within the waves of the ocean and relate two both Greek and Roman mythology with their appearance reflecting the God Neptune as well as the aforementioned Poseidon. Despite resembling a horse, they are often portrayed as having scaly green or blue skin and looking very much like a gigantic seahorse! So even though they travel in groups and are large in size, these seem to be the creatures you would want on your side when you set sail.

Monsters of the Deep

The Bakekujira: From a Japanese folk tale, this terrifying looking creature is also known as the 'Ghost Whale' and takes the form of a whale skeleton. It is suggested that the legend was created when fisherman on the Shimane peninsula tried to harpoon what appeared to be an enormous white whale but every attempt went straight through the creature as if it were only bone - they soon realised that they were attacking a skeletal monster!

In the olden days, when whales were plentiful, the sight of one would be considered a blessing but this creature brings a deadly curse. According to the legend, the Bakekujira are the spirits of whales who were killed for their meat and oil, and that they will seek vengeance on those who had killed them and curse them with great misfortune, bringing disease and disaster to their community. 

The Basilisk: Now some of you Potter-fans may have heard of this one, the snake creature depicted in JK Rowling's bestselling books. However, the European legend itself is a lot more varied. The being comes from Hellenistic and Roman times and is known to have a lizard form and even referred to as the Serpent King. The beast is truly dangerous and has the most poisonous venom coursing through it's body that it's very breath causes plants to wither!
It also possesses a deadly stare that will kill anyone that looks directly at it. But differing from what we may know about the myth, it isn't actually that big in size and was supposedly formed from a egg laid by a cockerel and then hatched by a snake giving it's other name 'Cockatrice.' It is also thought that the sound of a cockerel crowing would kill the Basilisk. At least that's some defense from it's destructive powers! 

Doom Mongers

The Mare: From Norse legend, this creature is literally the personification of a nightmare! The name refers to the 'Mara demon' and the Slavic and Greek roots of the name relate to "death" and "nightmare."  This sinister sounding being comes in the form of different creatures, sometimes a horse, cat, frog and even human form, and were said to enter the rooms of victims and sit upon their chest giving them terrible nightmares.

Some victims reported that they felt as if they were being crushed or suffocated in their sleep and even that they had dreamt they had been riding a demonic horse and aptly visions from these creatures have been known to be called 'mare rides.' The legend stems from the concept of old witches or hags with malicious intent to inflict torture and anguish on their sleeping victims. Creepy to say the least. 

The Banshee: This creature comes from Irish Folklore and is portrayed as an Omen of Death. The being shows itself in the form of a female spectre, either a young woman or very old and haggard, often shrouded and with red eyes from endless sobbing. The legend says that the Banshee knows when death is coming for you or a family member and warns people by shrieking.
Their screams are said to shatter glass! The origins go as far back as the 8th Century and seem to refer to women known as 'keeners' who would sing lamentations for the dead or dying. This seems to have evolved into a terrifying notion that these women somehow know when death is coming and thus created the frightening creatures of legend that will send fear into the hearts of many who are unfortunate enough to hear their wailing cries!

There you have it! A collection of some weird and deadly creatures of past legends to feast your eyes on. And if you have a particular fondness for creatures big, small and bizarre then check out these Alchemy pieces below:

https://www.alchemyengland.com/pendants/1494-gorgon-s-eye.html

https://www.alchemyengland.com/pendants/1341-white-hart-black-rose.html

https://www.alchemyengland.com/pendants/1621-mammon-of-the-deep.html

https://www.alchemyengland.com/garden-light/1743-black-cat-garden-light.html

- Rose Jekylle 🌹

Deadly Dolls in horror

Dolls. Cute, cuddly, childhood companions...but deadly? Horror films have used the anthropomorphic toys in many different ways from chilling china dolls to demonic marionettes! But what makes these supposedly adorable playthings so sinister? What is it about them that makes them so unnerving?

The Innocent ones

The first dolls to look at are the ones with innocent child-like faces that many of us and our parents had as infants. Whether china dolls or baby Tiny Tears, these look disturbing enough with their frozen expressions and empty watching eyes but also their faces attempt to mimic human features with blinking eyelids and dimpled cheeks. In the film 'Killer Dolls - Barbarella,' in 60s b-movie fashion, the scantily-clad heroine is attacked by a hoard of tiny dolls with dead holes for eyes and sets of razor sharp teeth - complete with a snapping jaw with each bite! 

Unsurprisingly this scene distressed the audience of the time but what made it worse is that the ringleader controllers are weird frenzied children who embody the murderous behaviour of the dolls - the little girls being the real life version of the toys! This in turn explains why this scene is found so freaky...children being murderous and violent is a terrifying and unexplainable notion. 'Pet Sematary' definitely shows how much it horrifies us and these type of dolls literally have the faces of babies. Creepy.

                                                 Film (1989): 'Pet Sematary'

                                                            

This leads us nicely into dolls that go that step further into mimicking human anatomy. In the film 'The Boy' a couple hire a nanny to take care of their son...who turns out to be a life-sized porcelain doll. The plot reveals that the parents lost their real son years ago and this doll is supposed to be a "therapeutic" type of replacement. Not only is the concept unsettling, but a series of peculiar incidents lead the nanny to believe the doll is in fact alive!

The more recent film 'M3GAN' also looks at the theme of real-life companions where a young girl is given an AI friend in an attempt to help her psychologically cope with the loss of her parents. Of course, the loving life-sized doll doesn't stay that way and becomes overly protective and possessive of her human leading to violence and murder. This utilises two doubly fearful concepts: the unhealthy and downright freaky attachment to a toy but also how something that is supposed to safeguard you becomes out of control and dangerous.

Safe to say that imitations of human life just really give us the heebie-jeebies.

The Abnormal ones

But what about dolls that don't look all that real? Ones that are just plain bizarre looking. Why is it that those make the hairs on the back of our necks stand up? Puppets and ventriloquist dolls immediately come to mind. Painted faces and often jerky-moving limbs are nothing like humans...or are they?

A theory by the psychologist Sigmund Freud is that of the Uncanny - how certain experiences we have as adults remind us of earlier stages in our psychological development, an example would be how things we believe in our childhood are still in the backs of our minds and uncertainty can shift what we perceive to be real.
The combination of things that are both uncanny (unfamiliar/uncertain) and canny (familiar/safe) creates a really odd and often frightening experience for us. Is it real? Is it make-believe? Did it move or did it not? Did the doll smash the glass itself or did it fall over?

In the 'Saw' franchise, we see the use of a puppet called Billy or sometimes referred to as Jigsaw (the man behind the homicidal torture in the film). Billy is distinctive due to his red eyes, spiral cheek design and his movements around on a red trike! He appears either in person or on a television screen, drilling fear into the trapped victims with his humanistic yet utterly devilish appearance. He literally is the face of the violence and creates a more frightening performance than the real human killer. A human profile is understood by us and no matter how horrible humans can be we can find understanding in the sight of something manlike, but this is wholly unfamiliar and yet it has aspects of something unconsciously familiar - anatomically it resembles a person!

In the series 'Annabelle' the doll itself is purely a conduit for evil spirits...bad enough already right? Although, strictly not a puppet, her ventriloquism style countenance and spine-chilling moving eyes rank her a truly harrowing doll that haunts your every step, tapping into that confusion of what is real and what is a childish fantasy. This doll would give any child, and adult for that matter, nightmares for years. It is strange but in other genres such as family films, the idea of toys coming to life is a lovely thought e.g. Winnie the Pooh, Toy Story, but in an adult setting it is just bloody terrifying!

Of course you have a lot of other iconic dolls in horror such as 'Chucky,' posing as a child's doll it is actually the soul of a dead serial killer who transferred himself into a toy who commits brutal murders, yet looks like some knock-off Cabbage Patch Kid mixed with a Babyborn. Surely the unsuspecting victims are given some kind of clue of what's to come as most of these dolls already look horrible to begin with!

So if you fancy your style being a bit tongue in cheek as well as actually being generally spooky then check out this month's suggestions I have for you below:

https://www.alchemyengland.com/pendants/1182-voodoo-doll.html

https://www.alchemyengland.com/miniature-ornaments/1681-demon-skull-miniture.html

https://www.alchemyengland.com/studs/1521-demoneye.html

https://www.alchemyengland.com/socks/1816-562-feet-are-killing-me-socks.html#/15-size-m_l

- Rose Jekylle 🌹

Wassailing - the Winter Blessing

What is Wassailing?

Wassailing is a fun folk tradition that has been practiced for centuries - it involves raucous merry-making and uplifting singing to awaken the spirits of fruit-bearing trees to encourage a bountiful harvest!

Traditionally practiced on the Twelfth night, the ceremony is to drink to the health of the trees and originally performed on cider apple trees to encourage the apples to grow and also to ward off evil spirits. 

A Pre-Christian practice, this event is celebrated by those of pagan beliefs and folklore communities but is open to anyone who wants to give blessings for a good harvest and to the land itself. 

The phrase "wassail" is a Middle English toast, meaning "be in good health," and the appropriate response is of course a similar merry retort "drinc hael." So during a ceremony if wassail is called then everyone must shout drinc hael back!

Music is a key part of the tradition as it is used not only to inspire cheer but to literally wake up the trees to invigorate the start of their growth. Instruments, bells, drums and even pots and pans are used to bang out a beat! It makes a wonderfully enjoyable event to take part in for all ages and the more energy and dancing the better. 

The blessing itself involves hanging toast on tree boughs and sprinkling cider or apple juice on the tree roots, often accompanied by the rhyme: "apple tree, apple tree bear good fruit, or off with your head and up with your root!" 

Community involvement 

The Wassailing heritage is believed to be a very important custom on a community level, particularly in counties where cider apples are grown, such as Herefordshire and Somerset. This tradition may even be going on today in farming communities.  

Feast and revelry were common place during these events and often a bowl of punch was served that was a mixture of cider, ale and mead which would be infused with spices and crab apples. Perfect compliment to your merry-making!

I even had the privilege of being part of a Wassailing ceremony myself, on Sunday 8th January, a local nature reserve opened the event to the public and this was officiated by a local Druid grove. This occasion included such entertainments as Morris dancing, story-telling and then a procession to the orchard where the main ceremony took place. 

Everyone (even little children) took part in the blessing by tying toast to the trees and by creating a cacophony of sound using handheld instruments. And amongst the jubilation a very special guest was joining in...

The Mari Lwyd

The Mari Lwyd was the very exceptional, if slightly sinister looking presence, that graced our Wassailing event. A Welsh character, originated in Celtic Folklore, the name translates as the 'Grey Mare' or 'Grey Mary' and it is constructed from a horse skull which is draped in a white robe and is thought to be able to pass to the Under World. The head is adorned with ribbons, bells and symbols while the body and mouth is controlled by an actor hidden under the robe who creates the playful and blessed role. If the Mari Lwyd is present at ceremonies it is seen as a sign of optimism and good fortune.

She is thought to have taken part in such customs as singing outside of people's homes in order to gain entry and have food and drink - similar to a type of caroling tradition! In Welsh lore, the sight of the Mari Lwyd is a symbol of hope through the dark and cold season, especially her colouring (white coat) which creates an ethereal bearing.

During our ritual, she joined the circle as an honoured member of the ceremony and afterwards wandered between the trees as an animated being, delighting and spooking adults and children!

Druid blessings

One main part of the event was the blessings which were conducted by some friends of mine from the Druid grove. Firstly, the lead Druid acknowledged the spirit of place - this is to ground oneself and to encourage those involved to close their eyes and appreciate the environment around them. Next was calling the Quarters which is where we welcome the spirits of North, East, South and West and again connect oneself with the elements of the place (Earth, Air, Fire and Water). The Druid prayer was also spoken and the lead Druid helped everyone with the reciting of the following words: "I swear by peace and love to stand, heart to heart and hand in hand. Mark of spirit and hear us now, confirming this our sacred vow."

Finally the Awen incantation was spoken to encourage and celebrate divine creativity. This was performed by breaking the word into two syllables and stretching the note like a song prayer - when everyone got involved it created a wonderful melodious harmony.  Then the circle was closed and we bid hail and farewell to the elemental spirits in turn, and this was when the offerings of the toast and cider began.  

It was both a sacred and lively occasion where the energy of the event was enjoyed by all and we were all tuckered out afterwards - even the Mari Lywd needed to take the weight of her feet and have a coffee break! 

If you fancy having a go at Wassailing or performing a winter ritual, or simply decorate yourself with symbols that reflect sacred blessings, then feast your eyes on the marvellous creations below: 

https://www.alchemyengland.com/candle-holders-tea-lights/1879-faust-s-familiar-cat-candlestick-.html

https://www.alchemyengland.com/droppers/1865-eve-s-triquetra.html

https://www.alchemyengland.com/pendants/1267-wiccan-elemental-pentacle.html

https://www.alchemyengland.com/plant-pots/1872-witches-spell-garden-plant-pot.html

- Rose Jekylle 🌹