5 1/2 inch Shaman Rattle, featuring turtle shell and rawhide with buy a natural alder handle and lacing through handle

This is a Rawhide rattle with a 5 1/2 inch shell wrapped in elk rawhide and stitched with sinew. With an alder wood handle . 8 inches in length. Finished with a Bever fur accent .
This rattle was constructed by an initiated Shaman from a Celtic tradition ,at my home in Westport WA while in deep meditation with spirit. The hide was soaked in the rain waters of the Pacific Northwest, situated on the North central coast.

The Turtle Shell, Hide and Bone were sourced from a local supplier.

The Turtle has been prominent in many of the worlds indigenous spiritualities.

The Turtle is an animal of both land and water. It can be found on logs in the sun and quickly dives into the water to avoid predators where it can stay for long periods submerged in silence. In this way, its energy can be used to stay still and wait. To slow your breathing and contemplate that which you fear as you wait for a solution. The turtle also can be seen as a sigh of death and resurrection. When the ponds dry up or wither begins to freeze the ground, the turtle burrows into the mud and hibernates, to emerge once again when the natural world is reborn, rains return, and the wheel turns to spring.

Elk here in the USA are found in marshy areas, where food is plentiful, the wet soil allows them to feed with relative safety, staying together with in the herd. This brings a connection to both the water and community. Water is the holder of emotion and the rain releases, cleanses and helps new life begin. So, the energy of the Elk, can be used to release emotions and pull people out of emotions in which they feel stuck, (like feeling caught in the mires and muck).

The beaver connects us to the dark and unseen places within ourselves. Much like the turtle, it retreats the safety of its lodge. Rears its young in the dark and must access this through diving deep into the water to access its opening. the movement through this passage from darkness to the light. Using this energy to confront the darkness inside ourselves, a rebirthing as our true self without fear.

The wood handles buy connect us to the Forest and the healing properties of that energy. Alder / Birch has been associated with one of the Sacred trees of the celts. It represents the beginning of the Celtic year. The Birch represents a time of rebirth and regeneration. As the Solstice passes, it is time to look towards the light once more. When a forested area burns, Birch is the first tree to grow back.

The rattles voice and song are due to river pebbles. These give it its unique song and grounds the individual that uses the rattle.

When combined, this rattle allows the user to not only access these energies to perform emotional healing work on others; it helps the user connect to the world of Spirit and the Ancestors for guidance and self-healing work.

(all hide and Shells have natural variations, that come out during processing. these are out of our control, they are placed by spirit of the animals giving each a unique quality)