Sabbats Almanac: Samhain to Mabon - Kristoffer Hughes 2018

Crafty Crafts by Natalie Zaman
Beltane

CORN DOLLIES: THEY’RE NOT just for the harvest anymore—at least, when they’re made from something other than corn. Flowers lend themselves to “dollery” just as much as wheat sheaves and corn stalks. This craft combines the concept of the corn dollie (a human figure made of natural materials that symbolizes spirit, or, in this case, the Goddess) with the traditional voodoo doll or doll baby.

Voodoo dolls are sewn and stuffed with personal items, or pinned with trinkets and photos making them highly personalized and powerful magical tools. Doll babies are rubber or ceramic figurines submerged in a charged brew of oils, herbs, trinkets, and more likely than not, glitter, and sealed in a jar. Our Goddess doll baby will combine a bit of all of these elements: seasonal, natural materials, intentions, glitter (needed for the doll baby aesthetic!) and wax to hold it all together and seal it. The result is a charming effigy bound with your intention that you can send to the universe on Beltane’s goodly fire (or in any bonfire ritual).

What follows are instructions to raft a basic doll baby. You can make them with pretty much any kind of plant or flower (or combination thereof). Refer to the table for help in determining what herbs and colors to use for specific intentions. You can also use your favorite reference, and more importantly, your own intuition and feelings. Magic is always most efficacious when it comes from the heart.

Time Lavished: A Goddess doll baby making session will take some time, especially if you’re growing and drying your herbs and flowers (this can take 2-3 weeks). Actual construction will last about two hours and that includes time for the wax to melt and cool. If you’re creating these dolls as part of a ritual, allow time for the creation of sacred space and any other preparations your tradition dictates.

CoinageRequired : You can buy flowers and herbs to use for this Craft, but consider wild harvesting or growing them. Besides being frugal, this extra step adds magical potency to your work. If you purchase everything, supplies will costs about $20—$25.

Supplies

Dried herbs and flowers

Essential oils

String or cord for binding

Heat-proof receptacle to melt candle wax. Never melt wax in a microwave or over direct heat—it’s a fire hazard!

Bees or soy wax

Tongs

Glitters

Begin by dripping drops of essential oil onto the plants you’ll be using, keeping in mind the purpose of your doll. Refer to the chart on the next page to create dolls for specific intentions:

Gather the herbs and flowers into a bunch. Trim the stems so that the length from flower tip to stem tip is about six inches. Bind the bundle near the flowered end to form the doll’s head. Alternatively, you can bind the doll about an inch below the cut stems and make that the head; the flowers below will form the fullness of the doll’s skirt. If you choose to craft the doll this way, trim the stems after you bind them so that they are even.

Take some of the plain stems that you just trimmed and gather them into a bundle; these will be the doll’s arms. Lay them on your workspace and then set the doll on top of them so that together they form a cross. The bottom of the doll’s head should sit just above the arm bundle.

Bind the arms to the body with a piece of cord. Slip the cord behind the doll underneath the first binding that you made. Criss-cross the cords in front of her, then wrap them around the back to do the same. Wrap the cords several times around the body and arms to secure them, then knot the cord off. Trim the arms so that they are neat on the ends and even on both sides.

Melt the beeswax in a container that will allow you to dip the entire doll into it. Allow the wax to cool slightly before dipping your doll in the wax using the tongs (Even slightly cooled, liquid wax can burn!). You may need to dip her several times to cover her completely. If you don’t have a container that’s deep enough, use a ladle or spoon to pour the wax over the doll. Roll or sprinkle the doll in the appropriately colored glitter and your Goddess Doll Baby is ready to burn!

The intentions in the chart provided were designed with the spirit of Beltane in mind, however, you can make Goddess Doll Babies for any intention: clarity, contentment, friendship and healing … the possibilities are endless. Use your favorite reference (and your own intuition and experience) to determine the plants and colors to work with.