IMPORTANT: This jewel is limited and we are unsure if they'll be available again in the future. We recommend Express Shipping with signature required upon delivery to best ensure it arrives safely in your hands. 

PLEASE NOTE : This necklace will be created with an 18" bar link chain. If you desire a different chain length, it's important that you email us immediately after placing your order. Should you want a significantly longer chain, there may be an additional amount due.  Please note this piece is cast from real thorns and is sharp; a longer length is not recommended.

 A variation of our 'Guardian' necklace: a Spyglass is cradled in a nest of thorns cast from a Hawthorn tree branch harvested from near the Mima mounds in Washington. Please note that as these thorns are life cast, they are slightly sharp and should be worn and handled with care. 

Belonging to the rose family ( Roseaceae ), the Ancient Hawthorn tree, sister to the Blackthorn, has been utilized as a protective hedge for thousands of years as well as being steeped in folklore for just as long. Also known as the Whitethorn, the May tree and The Fairy Tree, Hawthorn has long been considered to be a portal to the Otherworld where the ‘bright ones’ live, namely the Queen of the Faeries. 

Used as hedges due to its thorny branches, it was often planted with Blackthorn to create dense thickets to create land and livestock boundaries. These thorny entanglements would subsequently create protection for wildlife as well, harboring birds and other animals while fencing in livestock. Their thorns, while not inherently poisonous, are sharp enough to penetrate the skin and carry a bacteria that can cause sepsis and death. 

Named the May Tree for its early Spring blossoming, ( though due to changes in seasons this may shift from year to year ), the blooms have an unusual scent of rotting meat and were prohibited from being brought into the homes due to bad luck. However, it was considered apotropaic to decorate the outside of homes and barns with garlands of the flowers to ward against negative energies. Interestingly, the blooms were associated with love and fertility and brides wore them in their hair. 

Once the flowers dropped, the haws or fruits would begin to appear. These shiny red berries provided nutrients that supported the heart and are still used in modern tea blends you can purchase at the grocery store today. In folk magic, the berries would also be used as beads for love and protection talismans.

Known also as the 'Wishing Tree', people would tie 'wish-rags' gently to the branches of the Hawthorn in search of knowledge or wishes. Hawthorn, unlike Blackthorn is a deeply healing tree, otherworldly, intense, but gentler than its darker sister.

The lone Hawthorns, not planted as hedges, were considered to be the sacred homes of the Fey and were fiercely protected as portals to the Otherworld. This spyglass is an amulet for “seeing the unseen”, by being present and observing all that is around us, by "looking closer". It can also be worn as a protection amulet due to the protective aspects of the Hawthorn’s thorns. 

The proximity to pain while wearing Hawthorn suggests being mindful to the emotional realms of it: our ability to stay present and persevere during intense times as well as the hope for healing psychic wounds by piercing them-facing them, allowing them to drain and heal.

While some wounds may never be healed : the presence of thorns over our wounds protects from further damage : a guardianship.

 *Details* :

- 53 mm from top to bottom

- 50 mm wide

- Solid Sterling Silver  

- Both pendant and chain are hand oxidized to achieve our favorite shade of stormy gray and then highlighted to reveal the bright luminous silver beneath

- Set with one 40 mm Spyglass

- Seen on Jess on a 16 inch chain

Spyglass:

Magnifying lenses magnify the small things we are unable to see clearly when placed beneath the glass, acting as a large, powerful ‘eye’. While the glass is fully functional as an object/tool, as a talisman it urges its wearer to look closer, to see/feel the invisible: whether that be by examining our feelings and our Shadow with a deeper gaze or turning our sights to others; to mindfully ‘see’ our friends, lovers, family, and community: to foster a deeper sense of empathy, to spark the current of transformation.

*Please note glass is hand cast and may have slight waves and / or imperfections in it. Please note that while this lens does magnify, it is not a professional grade magnifying lens.

***IMPORTANT***  

This jewel is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Please allow approximately 6 - 8 weeks for creation before shipping.  

Visit the Policy Page to make an educated and informed purchase HERE.

If you have further questions, we are always here to serve you in a kind and timely manner: via info@bloodmilkjewels.com