★ Working with Medusa as a Spirit or Archetype, Snake Spirit, For Empowerment, overcoming severe difficulties, transition, transformation, turning rage into power, reclaiming your body & overcoming the poison of shame, intense protection from harm★
I’m obsessed with how she turned out. Obsessed.
I was channeling the need to make this candle, witch is how it be sometimes (that’s deliberate!)
I wanted her to look as though she’s camouflaged amongst the stone of her temple and could awaken any moment.
This beautiful soy candle is scented with amber and contains a labradorite tower, obsidian and shungite crystals, ferns, ivy and flowers.
"... A Gorgon unleashed
They spoke to me of submission
To wrap golden curls in binding
And bequeath my liberated self to another...
To turn my face from such a fate
Apparently merited venom, and violence
To be beloved of one God, is to be hated by another,
And I was gifted the power
By my Serpentine mistress..."- Invocation of Medusa, by Joey Morris
Shame is the conflict within the snake medicine of personal transformation and personal (often sexual) liberation; for shame is akin to a nail that hammers down the process of shedding ones outmoded skin. Personal evolution begins with a sense of self-worth; that we can be deserving of the process.
Nowhere is this more painfully obvious than within the Greek mythology centred around Athena and her priestess, Medusa.
The very name Medusa hints at the nature of the truth behind this myth which has been perverted by that same repressive agenda that has dogged history:
Medusa is from the Greek ‘Medousa’ literally “Guardian.” Fem. Present participle of the verb ‘medein’ to “protect, rule over.”
– Etymology dictionary online
Additionally Medusa was depicted as physically beautiful (which in the patriarchal Greek mythology traditionally ends badly for mortals encountering Gods,):
Medusa once had charms; to gain her Love
A rival crowd of envious lovers strove.
They, who have seen her, own, they ne’er did trace
More moving features in a sweeter face.
Yet above all, her length of hair, they own,
In golden ringlets wav’d, and graceful shone.”
– Ovid ‘Metamorphoses’
Ovid also describes how Medusa had dedicated herself as a Virgin Priestess to the Goddess Athena, and was subsequently raped by Poseidon, defiling her and the temple.
This account then attributes Athena as wrathful, further ‘punishing’ Medusa for this ‘offence’, and transforming her once golden curls into venomous snakes, and Medusa became a scaled serpentine monster.
There are many interpretations of this mythology but the shadow energy of shame and the symbolism of snakes is unmistakable.
The presentation of the myth suggests that Athena felt shamed by the defilement of her priestess and temple, and further shamed the victim of the attack as a result.
However, it is my personal feeling that this does not seem in keeping with a few key points of Athenas mythos; Athena is referred to as ‘La Serpentine’ in some of the Orphic poetry, one of her most dedicated followers was associated with snakes and she wore the Gorgon head on her shield – a key line of personal defense when in battle.
Working with the Medusa is a powerful exercise in reclamation of your body, your sense of self, your power and beauty, and personal transformation.
★ Amber in Witchcraft - Amber has long been prized for its sacred nature, it connects us deeply to the vibration of Earth; deep rooted into our bodies and honouring them as connection points for all experiences.
★ Fern in Witchcraft - an ancient plant revered throughout time for its connection to liminal spaces, ancient knowledge and the fae. Thought to be protective and incredibly lucky, it can be used in spells to unearth treasure (even when that's internal treasure toward healing!)
★ Ivy in Witchcraft - the spiral herb which connects sky and land. It can be a herb of reconnection, spiritual insights, and understanding the inner labyrinth of the self. However, Ivy can also bind, constrict and destroy.
My own work, recipe and design all rights reserved. ©
Glass can get hot when candle is burning, please burn with care and use a heatproof mat underneath
Never leave a burning candle unattended
Remove herbs to lessen the heat / burn prior to burning
Burns for approx 5 hours
Size - Diameter: 125mm Height: 70mm
Dish will hold approx. 440g of Soy wax
Cotton Eco wick
© 2013 by Starry Eyed Supplies
