Reclaiming the Operculum On the last new moon I went to a gem and mineral show that I try to catch every year if I can. I was unwell for most of Labor Day weekend and was very glad to make it to the last day of the show, and appreciated that that fell on…
Tag: Seashells
Journeys to Sedna
Here is the original, unedited version of an article I wrote for SageWoman magazine, which was published in the current “Wisdom of Water” issue, sent out at the end of December 2018. She is the fingerless, (hu)man-hating, icy, Inuit goddess of the sea. She is the benthic “Big, Bad Woman” and the transfigured mother of…
Conchomancy: Scotch bonnet, the Pioneer
The Scotch bonnet shell came to me unexpectedly this past summer, in a little bundle of shells that I bought from, of all places, Michael’s craft store. I had chosen this particular bag of shells because it had several perfect moon snail shells, along with a few other good specimens I recognized and wanted to…
Mermaid Medicine: The Sacred Conch Mudra
In recent months I have revisited my interest in mudras, spiritual hand gestures within the practice of yoga. Of the mudras I was researching, one in particular caught my eye and made me laugh with surprise and delight when I read about its meaning and use. It is called the Shankh Mudra; Shankha meaning “divine…
Conchomancy: Messages from the Sea
There are, probably literally, countless forms of divination throughout the world. While you have undoubtedly at least heard of many, such as Tarot, astrology, crystal gazing and dream interpretation, you may be less familiar with conchomancy – the art of divining with seashells. Just like the myriad spectral crystals that grow deep in Mother Earth’s…
