The Planchette became one of the earliest jewels I made in sterling silver back in my Etsy days, the first one was cast and set with its glass 'eye' in 2010. After all these years, it remains, for me, a metaphorical image & one that holds both my imagination and my heartsblood, as I continue to weave it into jewels 13 years later as a way of tethering myself to the past.

The history of the planchette has been obscured by its more "modern" connection to Ouija Boards. It was first used as a writing device in the Victorian Spiritualist era that mediums could use for Spirit communication during séances. It was made of wood and was larger in size than the versions that accompany Spirit boards. The 'eye' of the first versions held pencils and casters were attached to the bottom. Spiritualist mediums  held their hand or hands lightly on them during séances messages from Spirit were physically written out. This form of the planchette predates its connection to the Ouija board and its printed alphabet by decades.

Here ~ it becomes the centerpiece for another kind of Victorian embellishment ~ the bow of our Seance Room skeleton key. Nestled in the center lies a secret planchette symbolizing a portal for messages, akin to the way the Victorians used Planchettes over a hundred years ago. The way, perhaps, some of our ancestors visited sanctuaries thousands of years ago in search of meeting the healing God Asklepios in dreams, to seek messages of cures while dreaming, for wounds that never heal ……physical wounds & psychic wounds alike ~ the ones that strike us with grief that vary across the spectrum. This is what the planchette has become for me ~ not just the ferrying of messages between worlds ~ but the promise of the messages themselves ~ of sleeping & dreaming of loved ones who whisper to our sleeping selves. The hope of communication ~ of continuing our relationships with those who are gone, however that may feel/look or be like for you; ‘hearing’ our loved ones & how that may heal you ~ how this healing may not come for many months or years if ever fully suturing comfortably~ & how also, it may not be a linear healing ~ how it may open up as unexpectedly as your grief does. 

The planchette is a promise to me, a hopeful thing ~ a lit candle, a held hand, a letter slid under a door I long thought locked forever. It’s their voice in a dream, it's their words you will wake up remembering.

A tiny jewel shaped tear dangles below the ornate portal made in collaboration with my husband, Aaron Horkey, a physical metaphor of: waking up with evidence of a message that came while you were asleep ~ or something to toggle between your fingers when feeling lost in a moment of reverie, or melancholy, or when you're floating outside of your body and need a tether to bring you back home. 

Details:

- 24 mm at its widest 

- 32 mm from top to bottom ( including jump ring )

- Shown on Miguel with a 20 inch chain

- Pendant, chain, jump rings, and clasp are all solid Sterling Silver, hand oxidized to achieve our favorite shade of stormy gray and then highlighted to reveal the bright luminous silver beneath 

Labradorite:

Labradorite is known for its healing properties, in particular for its ability to relieve anxiety & melancholy. It is also said to be used to dispel negativity & fear, acting as a kind of psychic armor to protect against more troubling & turbulent emotions. As a 'sister' to moonstone, Labradorite is often associated with the more "darker" aspects of the Goddess, in her Crone form, full of the experience & wisdom of life and death, associated with the darker moon: waning through new moon phases.

It is also a stone of transformation, and is said to help those with intuitive gifts to awaken and realize their full potential as well as helping enhance creative talents. It also ranks as one of the most protective stones, shielding its wearer from negativity. Much like its 'sister' Moonstone, Labradorite has been used and worn in many cultures and tribes for both its incredible natural beauty, and for its potent magical properties.

As they are entirely natural, earth made stones, color and clarity will vary from stone to stone.  Labradorite has natural lines and inclusions and varies in shades of green (teal, swamp green, olive green) to shades of (light grey to dark) blue. If you have any concerns over the stone that will be chosen for you, please contact us after making your purchase so we may best assist you.

These jewels are hand cut and therefore may have very slight differences in size and may have small signs of the carver's hands along the edges. These are not fabricated by a machine, they are made by hand and therefore aren't uniformly perfect. The photographs accurately portray the quality of the stones and the cuts. 

***IMPORTANT***

This jewel is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Please allow approximately 6 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 bloodmilkjewels@gmail.com