This listing is the 'Pathfinder' hand crafted 18 inch Snow Drum™ from The heART of Ritual. The drum you will receive is the exact one seen here in the photograph. This ritual rhythm colleague is a one off and I will not reproduce it.
The facing side of this beautifully ethereal ritual colleague is seen here in natural moonlight. The handle and underside in the second image are pictured in natural sunlight.
My Snow Drums™ are very unique ritual drums, both in their energy and in their creation. They are made using virgin snowflakes and carry the energy of clarity, purity, serenity, and new beginnings.
Each ritual drum always has a story, and to better understand the medicine of this particular Snow Drum™, I will give you insights into the one you see here:
The one you see here is called 'Pathfinder'. Its colour is created with the magic of ancient Oak tree pigment (from the old growth forest on the north shore of Bantry Bay, Ireland), a beautiful mauve/lavender earth pigment that occurs not far from where I live, and pigment made from West Cork purple slate. These pigments were slowly infused into the rawhide, both outside in daylight and inside in moonlight. The organic patterning on the rawhide created itself through a wholly (hands off) natural process - this is nature doing what nature does best, incredibly beautiful, slow medicine!
This alchemical process is influenced by the natural patterning on the rawhide, how virgin snow melted and the amount of time it took to melt, how the melting snowflakes distributed the pigments, and how the pigments infused and mellowed as one with the rawhide. The crystal this Snow Drum™ is paired with is Lepidolite, and I wove this sparkling raw crystal into the drum handle. Lepidolite is a beautiful lavender coloured crystal colleague that (among other things) assists us to remain calm, focused, and have peace of mind.
The drum handle can be seen in the additional photographs, it is created from hand sewn rawhide (in the shape of soft upward facing triangle, a nod to the masculine element of air, elemental ruler of thoughts, communication, dreams, insights, and the mental body). The Lepidolite crystal is held in place by the rawhide stitching. The crystal is open and facing outwards so that you receive the healing energy of the crystal into your body through your hand each time you hold the drum.
When you look at this drum, you can very clearly see a path, and the natural patterning on the rawhide itself revealed a heart shape on the path, located almost at the center of the drum. Its name and purpose was crystal clear. Without consciously knowing the story of the person that receives this drum, this drum came through for someone that is experiencing doubt, feeling lost, questioning their life path, and/or transitioning onto a new path and feeling trepidation about it. The drums' message and intention is clear. It always is.
I am sharing these insights into this particular drum to show you how space is fully honoured for the drum to speak for itself, and name itself. What needs to come through always does, it cannot nor should be forced. This is how I birth drums.
ABOUT
The drum hoops I make are made with locally sourced sustainably managed Birch wood. These are steam bent and shaped by hand, ensuring a uniquely formed and solid foundation for your ritual drum. The glue I use is hide glue, made from the offcuts of the Reindeer rawhide that forms the drumhead of your drum. each drum hoop is infused with my 13 Moon Wild Rose ritual oil, and finished with one of my crystal and plant pigment ritual drum waxes; Sol, Luna or Earth. The choice of wax depends on the overall energy of the drum. The drum head is Reindeer rawhide that is directly sourced from the Saami in Finland. I infuse each rawhide with flower, crystal, mushroom and tree essences when soaking, and depending on what each drum calls for, healing botanicals and crystals are also placed in the water with it too. The pigments that I work with on the rawhide are from my own wild colour cauldron library of colour, and created from wild native medicinal herbs, the Celtic Trees of the Year, healing flowers, and crystal, mineral and earth pigments. If the drum calls for it, I might also add colour to the hoop using my own wild colour pigments and/or botanical inks. Each drum is then placed in the custom made drum rack in our dedicated ceremonial space, and carefully monitored as it slowly drys and acclimitizes. Once fully stable and tested, it is prepared for shipping. Each drum is finished with a conditioning layer of my beautifully fragrant 13 Moon Wild Rose ritual anointing oil and comes with a care sheet.
If you wish to order a custom Drum Sounder for your drum, please see the relevant listing in the RITUAL RHYTHM section of our shop. Our 18 inch and 24 inch drum stands are also available and made to order, feel free to contact us to know more.
For those who feel drawn, the 13 Moon Wild Rose ritual anointing oil is also available to purchase in our store.
