What is a Ritual Bundle and how do you use it?
A ritual bundle is a collection of material things that offer doorways to the unseen. Through physical connection and meditation they can offer places to connect to the spirit of the things they depict.
Nettle Bundle
Nomi McLeod and i both having a deep love of the plant nettle and so decided to stir the cauldron together and create these nettle bundles to offer such doorways of connection.
How could you use this bundle?
When you receive your bundle take the time to create sacred space in whichever way you prefer.
Altar card
Through contemplation of the image the spirit reaches out.
This card is designed to be placed on your altar, bedside table, beside your computer as you work or anywhere you see fit to connect to this plant spirit. She can sit beside you anywhere.
However, the deepest you will go with her is if you enter sacred space, in which ever way you see fit, and contemplate the image, meditate on her and see what emerges for you. Do you get feelings? Words in your mind? Interpretations of the symbols? Scents? Sounds?
Here is a little starter view from Nomi and I.
She is flanked by the nettles larger than herself, offering a sense of humility to the plant.
She stands in a natural ‘Mudra’ of clear defence, she turns as if to say “Don’t follow me.”.
I find when i look at this image that i am lost in her eyes, they draw my into relationship in seeming contradiction to her hand gesture, suggesting a more nuanced interpretation of the image as - approach with caution and respect.
Lastly, placing this card on your altar recognises and honours this spirit. This simple ritual action acknowledges the nettle as a being deserving of respect and attention. It opens the doorway to your work with this plant.
Verse
The verse that comes in this bundle is from the voice of the plant, it acknowledges its attributes as sacred and medicinal actions - praising the sting instead of fearing it. It also contains information about the plant, as well as mysterious allusions to insights hidden in fairytales.
You can use this verse in a few ways…
You may read it allowed as you contemplate the image, as a way of invoking the spirit of nettle near.
You may feed your head with the information contained there in and use it to understand how nettle will be good for your body.
You may wish to look into the whispered allusions to the fairytale wisdom by seeking out the tale.
You may simply wish to read it each morning that you are working with this plant to reconnect with these aspects of its essence.
Nettle Print Necklace
This necklace bares the texture of a nettle plant. Running you finger offer the textures allows your body to read something that your mind cannot.
Here are some suggestions of how you might work with this necklace…
When you first receive your bundle and have create sacred space, place the card on the altar, read the verse, and when you place the necklace around your neck, do it with a true sense of ceremony, your body is the altar on which you place this adornment. This ritual action is honouring and acknowledging the plant and it’s medicine for you.
You may wish to wear this necklace everyday for a few days, as you place it on in the morning remember it as a reassertion of this ritual act.
Last thing at night as you take it off, contemplate its textures, run your finger over them, allow your body to read, without words, the textural form of this plant. The veins are where its life force moves.
You may wish to scry with the piece, look deeply into the textures, relax, do not try to see, observe the patterns and wait patiently for what might emerge. If you do this near a candle or fire the light will dance over the copper and bring out images.
Cotton Bag
This little cotton bag can also be used in a variety of different ways…
It can be a place to put your necklace when you are not wearing it, ceremonially laying it into a dormant state.
It can be a place to store some nettles once picked to dry them, if you hang it up in dry well ventilated place.
It can serve as a ‘Journey Bag’.
What is a journey bag? Go for a walk to contemplate something (this can be opening to the spirit of the plant, a problem you think this spirit can give advice on etc). As you walk you look around you at the environment, it might be trees or buildings dependent on where you are. Your mind will pop up with little thoughts, and possibly some insights will come to the fore ground.
As you walk you will also see little treasures (especially if you are in a natural place) - a leaf, a snail shell, a snatch of fur on a barbed wire fence, a bone, it might even be a bright slither of discarded crisp packet or a small lost kids toy!. Place these things in your journey bag.
This can then be used in two possible ways when you return home.
1) As a map back - a reminder of the insights you had - each piece reminding you of what you were thinking about when you saw it.
2) Bread crumbs - the pieces can serve almost like dream imagery. Perhaps you had no insights whilst you were out walking, but you saw lost of lovely treasures? When you get them out from the bag, contemplate their symbolism and their meaning to you. What was it that made you pick them up? This may be an immediate thing or something you need to come back to over the following days or weeks.
Now either place the things on your altar or keep them in the bag and draw them out every now and again to contemplate.
This bundle has been woven with the intention of supporting you in your journey to acknowledge, honour and learn about this plant in a more than material way. We sincerely hope you enjoy your journey with both the bundle and this deeply humble quietly powerful plant.
Nettle Bundles are available in my shop here if you’d like to experiment with delving deeper with Nettle spirit.