Sacred Crafting

Should you like, you can arrange for two days of private tuition, where we will craft a rattle in addition to your drum. This will mean that you are involved in all of the work necessary to craft your drum from start to finish, as you will have time to cut the drum face and soak the hide overnight. The schedule for this two day immersion would be as follows:

 

Day One

 

We will begin by opening the space, and calling in any guides who wish to help us with our sacred crafting.

 

You will be given the hide of the deer that you will be working with. You will take time to forge a connection with this deer, and journey to meet its spirit. This deer will become both your rattle and drum, sister tools which will be forever connected.

 

You’ll get to choose a stick for your rattle, from my collection or from the ancient woodland nearby. We will give thanks to the tree that has given its wood for you, and delve deep into the meaning of that tree, and how it intends to work with you and Deer. Any preparations necessary to make the stick how you want it are done at this stage, whether that involves sanding, whittling, or shortening.

 

You will then choose the shape of your rattle, either from my templates or by creating your own. After drawing around the templates, you will cut the hide to shape. You’ll then create the rattle, punching the holes around the rattle and sewing it together.

 

We will have lunch as the rattle begins to dry.

 

You’ll select the perfect stones for your rattle, whether they are river stones, sea stones, earth stones, or crystal chips. You can also select any herbs that you might like in the rattle.

 

When the rattle is fully dried, you will fill it with the chosen stones slowly, until you find the perfect sound.

 

We will select the leather that you would like as the binding on your rattle, and prepare the strips needed for the tool. We will secure the rattle to the stick, and decorate with the bindings.

 

We will then work with your hide, drawing around the drum hoop to create the face of the drum. You will cut this out, and we will have a ceremony in which we soak the skins. You will get to choose any crystals or herbs that you would like to complement your drum - these will go in or by the water. We will call in the spirits of these beings, honour them, and they will enhance the powers of the drum.

 

It will then be time to rest, for another busy day! We will give thanks at the altar, before parting ways.

 

 

Day Two

 

We will open up the space once more, and call in any guides who wish to help specifically with birthing the drum today.

 

You will begin by working with the hoop; connecting to the spirit of the tree that has given this wood. You will find out what strengths and gifts that it has to bestow on you, and you will have the opportunity to give your thanks. You will sand the hoop, and can choose whether or not to enhance the grain with homemade beeswax polish.

 

You will be able to decorate the inside of the hoop with a marking, should you wish. We can either use pyrography, or acrylic paint to achieve the desired finish.

 

You will then cut the lacing for your hide, and go through the meditative process of twisting it.

 

We will then take the face of your drum, connect it with the hoop and the lacing, and ask for blessings once more. You will then begin lacing up your drum, connecting up the elements.

 

When the drum is fully tightened, it will be complete, and we will have a ceremony to celebrate its birth.

 

We will then choose a stick for the bearer of your drum, either from my collection or from the ancient woodland outside my home. Again, we will connect with the spirit of the tree that has stepped forward to work with you.

 

After preparing the stick, you will choose the leather to create your beater with. We will use wool to fill the beater, leather to cover it, and to bind the handle if desired.

 

We will then have a ceremony to bless all of the tools that have been created, and celebrate them.

 

Before we depart, we will disband the altar and give thanks to all those beings who stepped forward to work with us during our sacred crafting.

 

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Investment:

 

1:1 - £500

Group of 2 - £475 each

Group of 3 - £450 each

Groups of 4 - £400 each

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You are welcome to find your own accommodation nearby, or you are very welcome to book to stay on site either camping or as a B&B guest in our family home. Additional costs for this are as follows:

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Residential options are available, should you wish for a low-cost option to extend your stay in Dorset the day before or after the drum birthing workshop. Camping is available for £12pppn (facilities are in the house nearby). Three B&B rooms are also available in our family home, which cost £40pppn (single), or £25pppn (2+ sharing).