I would be lying if I said the past 13 months has been a breeze.  In reality, it’s been a bit of a hurricane.

 

July 15th of 2025, while gardening barefoot, I stepped on a rock.   Thinking I’d just bruised my right heel, I continued working, vending, and even yoga classes for 3 months until I just couldn’t take the pain anymore.  A trip to the orthopedic emergency room showed I’d been walking on a fractured calcaneus, I’d shredded my plantar fascia and had developed bone marrow edema inside the heel.

 

I was placed in a boot and scheduled with a surgery consultation where I was told to off-weight immediately. 

 

Try telling an artist in peak season to off-weight when there were shows scheduled!  

 

I did everything I could to vend every show I’d committed myself to, while seeing my clients for bodywork, while wearing an air boot from my knee to my toes.

I did my best, but had to back out of one show and two weeks of scheduled clients once the pain became too intense to push away.

 

I went off-weight just before Christmas, and was scheduled for an injection of steroids that would hopefully create enough scar tissue to glom my shredded plantar fascia together enough to save it in early January.  My dear daughter-in-love came from Chicago to support me through as I couldn’t put any weight on my right foot, and we hunkered in while ICE descended upon Minneapolis.

 

Hours after the injection, I experienced a ripping pain in my foot, and another doctor visit confirmed that the injection had ruptured the plantar fascia.  The next step was surgery, and that was scheduled for January 27th, with 4 weeks of zero weight on my foot for recovery.

 

Removing the plantar fascia does not come without consequences.  While the tearing pain was relieved after the surgery, the bone marrow edema in my calcaneus still throbbed constantly.  Once I was able to begin walking again, it got worse.  I was also witness to the importance of an intact plantar fascia, as its removal began an ongoing change in the structure of my foot.  My arches have been dropping, my instep is widening, and I’m still dealing with pain in my heel if I stand or walk too long.  

 

While in physical therapy for my heel, I was struggling with intense pain in my left hip and low back that really became unbearable while sleeping on the couch in my living room, since my bedroom is up 15 stairs in the attic.  I knew I had been walking funny for a year with my injury, and I believed the pain in my back and hip was from accommodating my foot, sleeping on a horrible couch and maybe even that menopausal hip pain many women my age complains about.  

 

My physical therapist ordered hip and back x-rays and had me schedule with a hip and spine doctor.  The news was not good.  I was completely bone on bone.  The hip socket and greater trochanter were riddled with bone spurs and I had a large cyst in the socket.  My lumbar spine scans showed moderate to severe stenosis, ruptured discs, a vertebra that has shifted forward in the spine and two cysts.  I was not a candidate for a cortisone injection, because I could not wait the three months it would take for the injection would wear off enough to allow surgery.  I wouldn’t be walking in three months.  

 

It was agreed upon that I would address the hip pain with a complete replacement of the ball and socket, and that if the hip replacement didn’t ease the back pain, I would return for a surgery consultation with the spinal surgeon.  My surgery was scheduled for as soon as possible, and the surgeon apologized for not having an earlier opening.

 

On July 17th, Adam took me to the hospital for my surgery.  They could not place a spinal tap due to the stenosis, so I underwent general anesthesia.  When I awoke, my dysautonomia from my long covid presented in full force.  My heart rate plunged into the low 30 BPM, the entire room was spinning, and I experienced full body tremors that would build slowly until my entire body would shake.  These symptoms continued for about 15 hours, making me miss my first physical therapy sessions in hospital.  I was kept in hospital for 2 1/2 days, while the nurses, therapists and social worker debated if I would need transitional care.

 

I was allowed to go home the afternoon after my second night in hospital, and I was so relieved when my son picked me up.

 

While it felt good to be home, I was still in a lot of pain from the incision, and had very little strength in my leg.  I couldn’t stand up without support.  I needed help lifting my leg into the daybed set up in the living room.  I needed help bathing and dressing.  I couldn’t stand long enough to prepare a meal. On top of all this, my dysautonomia symptoms weren’t cooperating. 

 

My son, Jakob and my dear friend Amy from Denver cared for me for the first week.  Adam was in and out as his work and kid’s schedules allowed.  When Jakob and Amy had to leave after the first week home, Adam and a plethora of friends and neighbors made sure I had a visit or two each day, and that my needs were met.  By then I was walking with the aid of crutches, and able to bathe and dress myself.

 

It’s been 22 days since my surgery, and I’m getting a little better every day.  I still need the crutch or cane to walk, and I still feel incision pain with each step, but the searing hip and back pain I lived with for so long is gone.  My foot is still recovering, and there are days it throbs in rhythm with my hip, but it just shows me that healing is on its own timeline, and that there are things that just can’t be rushed.  

 

After my foot surgery, I had to close my bodywork and yoga studio.  This was a painful decision.  Opening my studio was an accomplishment I was so proud of.  I loved the drive around Lake Minnetonka each day, and my studio had a beautiful view of a woodland full of wildlife.  It also had 19 stairs to climb multiple times a day, and the drive itself had become a painful ordeal.  Even now my foot throbs when I drive short distances.  

 

I’m lucky I have a bodywork studio in my home, and I was seeing clients there right up to my hip surgery.

 

I’m finally at a point where I can return back to bodywork again.  Adam let me give him a session last night to see if I could endure the full 90 minutes, and I did ok.  

 

I’ve decided to ease back into work on Monday, while scheduling enough time to do some serious selfcare between sessions.  I’ll take this weekend to straighten the house back up, and prepare myself for a slow return to seeing clients.

 

I’ll be easing back into my vending schedule with Strange Times Market on August 23rd, Twin Cities Pagan Pride on September 12th, and The Women and Spirituality Gathering September 18-20th.  

 

Because I was out of work for a little over 3 months with my foot surgery, and almost a month with my hip, things have been a little tight.  My savings was drained at the beginning of the year.  The little I was able to scrape together to endure more unexpected recovery time is about gone.

 

That said, if you’ve enjoyed my work in the past, or have wanted to try what almost 40 years of bodywork experience is like, please consider booking a session with me.  If you’ve seen my artwork in person, or at a show, my Etsy store is almost fully stocked, and I’ve got shows scheduled through the end of October.  I’d love to see you there.

 

And for all of you who have called, texted, sent messages and cards, delivered gifts, put money in my Venmo account, or driven me to a doctor appointment, please know that your names are engraved in my heart, and I am eternally grateful to you.

The symbology of the heart is universal. It represents love, compassion and the essence of someone’s soul.

We give our hearts away when we fall in love. Our hearts stand still when we sense the awe of love. Our hearts break when that love falls away. Our heart becomes heavy when our soul is heavy.

It was believed that the essence of a person’s being was held within the heart, and that removing the heart severed the soul’s connection to the body forever. When Egyptians prepared the dead for burial, they employed the ritual of mummification to preserve the home for the soul. If the body was destroyed, the soul could be lost forever, and the possibility of life after death depended on the body, especially the heart, to remain intact. Its importance was so crucial in the soul’s journey to the world beyond life, that the heart remained in the body during the mumification process.

At the moment of death, the weight of the heart was considered when the gods judged a person eligible for life after death. The goddess Ma’at would weigh the feather on her head against the weight of the heart. If the heart weighed less than the feather, the gods granted afterlife. It meant the heart was full of love, and love made the heart almost weightless. If the weight of the heart was heavier than the feather; mostly due to lies, deceit, or injustice, the soul was devoured by the monster Ammit, and fell into oblivion.

The process of mummification takes time. I employ different salts in the process to pull the moisture from this vital organ, preserving the tissue indefinitely as long as moisture is not reintroduced. The hearts I use in this process come from non-protected birds, mainly used as a food source.

This heart rests on a soft bed of reindeer moss inside a reliquary pendant. It hangs a full 13 inches on a hand-knotted cording that matches the color of the moss.

I chose rhodonite, obsidian and rutilated agate beads for this necklace because of their correlation to the heart, love and their connection to spirit.

Rhodonite resonates with the heart. It gifts us with harmony in our relationships. The pain of grief is lifted when this stone is worn near the heart. It is recharged and cleansed in the moonlight.

Obsidian promotes emotional healing. It connects us to the world of the spirit. It is a mirror into the soul. It also is cleansed in the moonlight.

Rutilated agate holds a soft and gentle vibration. It illuminates the darkness in our hearts.

This piece serves as a reminder (although a brutal one) that love is timeless, limitless and often times, painful. It also shows us that the gift of one’s heart comes with a piece of one’s soul, and we should take the weight of that gift with compassion.

Available now in my Etsy store
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jezebelpride

When I begin creation on a new piece of work, I look for inspiration in dreams, in myth, and in history.  I’m oftenoverwhelmed with information that comes to me while a piece is in its early stages, because there is so much symbology coming together from many different currents of thought and belief.

 

While this piece was influenced by the Three Fates or Moirai of Greek and Roman mythology, I was feeling intentionally drawn to the Nordic Norns.  I love similarities between the two cultures in the way they use threads and weaving to depict the linear aspect of life.  They differ in approach, however, with the Moirai focusing on the moral weight of the life they are holding, where one’s expectancy was tied to their virtues or their vices.  The Norns were more neutral in their approach, simply weaving the fabric of each individual life without any concern or judgement for that entity’s shortcomings or lack of judgement.  

They seemed to take control of this piece of work.

 

The Norse Norns, Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld are three sisters who dwell at the Well of Urd underneath the roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. They are the keepers of time, and weave the destinies of the gods and man with their hands while remaining neutral to any outside influence. 

 

Urd weaves with the thread of the past.  She holds everything that has already happened.  Verdandi weaves with the thread of the present.  She represents everything that is in the process of the choices we make in the moment. The third sister is Skuld, who weaves with the thread of the future.  She holds the promises of future possibilities, or the uncertainties and promises of death.  Their three threads ply together to create the life of gods and men, and none can escape their influence.

 

This piece depicts the three Nordic sisters. Their individuality blending together to form one piece.  I’ve interwoven their faces with the aspect of Níðhöggr, the snake that lives and feasts on the roots of the world tree.  While the Norns embody the path the lives of every god and mortal will take, Níðhöggr reminds us all of the inevitability of death, and that it comes for man and god, alike.

 

This pendant depicts the three Nordic sisters, with the rib bones of the great snake in their hair, and its vertebrae representing the all-seeing eye of fate in the center forehead.  I sculpted the faces with ADC. It is hand painted and coated in resin for protection. It is surrounded and backed with tiffany soldering.  It hangs 10 ½ inches from clasp to top of the pendant, with the pendant adding another 2 inches in length.

 

The pendant hangs from golden thread, knotted with intention.  The beads I’ve chosen to use are aventurine which means “By chance”, citrine which is believed to help us manifest our dreams, dragons blood jasper, as stone used to increase life force energy, and tigers eye, to keep us grounded and focused.  I’ve also included wooden beads of yew, a tree that is associated with death and resurrection, and is a bridge between worlds.  

 

Yggdrasil was believed to be a yew tree.

 

Thor, the hammer-wielding God of Thunder in the Norse tradition is known for driving his chariot across the sky. As sparks of lighting erupt from its wheels, the chariot is pulled by two magical goats named Tanngnjöste and Tanngrisnir.

These mighty beasts were more than trusted sumpters; they were also a never-ending source of nourishment for Thor and his companions. These goats allowed themselves to be slain by Thor each night. They were cooked and then consumed by Thor and his dinner guests.

After the meal, Thor would gather the bones of the goats and lay them gently inside their skins. He would then bless them with his hammer, the Mjölhir and they would return to life. The one rule was that the bones of the goats must remain intact during the meal, as a bone that was broken to retrieve the marrow would never heal upon resurrection.

There are stories told of how Loki tricked the son of farmer into cracking one of the goat’s leg bones, forever laming one of the animals, but that isn’t what I was thinking about when I constructed this piece.

I was thinking about the trust that had to be embedded in the hearts and minds of these animals every time they allowed their necks to be slit by the one entrusted to their care.

I also thought about the gratitude that Thor must have felt at willing sacrifice his goats gave each night as they sustained and nourished the god and his guests.

Would I have the courage to be a willing sacrifice every evening and have the trust my remains would be honored and protected until my resurrection?

In honor of these selfless creatures , I have created this necklace.

I have taken the vertebra of a goat, and leaving the bone completely intact, I have made it the centerpiece. Adorned with tiffany soldering and a large piece of red jasper, this vertebra hangs 14 inches from a silver toggle clasp. It is strung on hand-knotted cording with dragon’s blood jasper, red jasper, labradorite, tiger’s eye and olive wood.

Dragon’s blood jasper is a stone of courage. It helps us form strong boundaries, allowing us to ‘walk our talk’.

Red jasper removes us from toxic situations by building a wall between us and those who would want to hurt us. It is a nurturing stone that urges us to be who we really are.

Labradorite helps us make transitions by shifting our perspective and building our self-confidence. It dispels negativity and protects us like a spiritual shield.

Tiger’s eye is a stone that allows us to harness profound inner strength. It gives us valuable insight as it encourages us to follow our hearts with grace. It also attracts abundance and wealth to the wearer.

Olive wood is seen as a symbol of the strong bond between friends. It is associated with renewal, rebirth, hope and new beginnings. It also stands for forgiveness and understanding.

This piece is a beautiful reminder of selflessness.

Available at https://jezebelpride.etsy.com/listing/4502323373

In the language of flowers, the rose is well known for being symbolic of love and beauty, but it is also recognized the world over as a symbol of secrets and confidentiality. The rose became a visual cue of discernment and clandestine meetings.

The Latin phrase “Sub Rosa”, under the roses, became code to keep things quiet and confidential.

At political banquets, roses were often placed in bouquets strung over tables to remind those present that anything spoken would remain a secret.

Confessionals at churches often contain carvings of roses to remind the penitents that their confessions would remain a secret.

Lovers gifted roses by the dozens to show devotion, even when their affairs had to remain under cover.

There are many stories linking roses to secrecy but the one I found most intriguing is the story of Aphroditie, Eros and Harpocrates, the god of secrets and silence.

Aphroditie was born in the sea foam, and where she walked upon the land, roses would spring up at her feet. These flowers became her signature.

Aphroditie, along with the other gods and goddesses had a fair share of indiscretions that they wanted to keep secret from the mortals below. Aphroditie gave her son Eros a rose and sent him to Harpocrates to ensure the dalliances of the deities would always remain quiet.

I think we can all see how well that worked out for them.

This necklace is a reliquary of roses.

A reliquary is a container designed to hold sacred objects. They serve to display the artifacts for veneration and keep them safe from harm.

Enshrined in this little box are a dozen tiny rose buds, carefully preserved and protected.

The number 12 represents completeness and authority. There were 12 gods in Olympus, 12 apostles in the Christian stories, and 12 zodiac signs in the heavens. A dozen roses are a symbol of love and commitment.

There are 12 pearls on each side of this reliquary. Pearls are a symbol of love and devotion, but also trust.

The pearls are strung along side sunstone beads in shades of pinks. Once used to guide sailors at sea, sunstones are a tool of navigation and trusting one’s gut instincts in all matter of things.

I created the reliquary box by layering melted tin and silver solder until a strong vessel formed. The roses were placed inside and a piece of plexi-glass was set on top to protect the vessel from shattering if dropped. It has been patinaed and polished with Renaissance wax infused with frankincense and mhyrrh

It should be removed during bathing or swimming.

The beads are strung on red cording, symbolic of the Red String of Fate, said to bind predestined lovers together. The Red String of Fate may stretch or tangle, but it never breaks. It always draws true lovers together. It hangs 12 inches from clasp to top of the reliquary pendant.

This is a special piece, created with attention to symbology, mythology and meaning. It would make a lovely gift for a lover you feel destined to be with.

“Beware prejudices. They are like rats, and men’s minds are like traps; prejudices get in easily, but it is doubtful if they ever get out”. Francis Jeffrey

An ossuary is a container designed to safely store remains.  The ossuary necklace allows the wearer to keep these special elements close for meditation, veneration or devotion.  They combine faith, artistry and spiritual significance while connecting the wearer to the divine energy in all things.

The Rat Jaw Ossuary Necklace

The rat is often misunderstood and unacknowledged.  Many see it as a pest, spreading disease, but the rat is a creature of contradictions.

A resourceful and resilient creature, the rat can teach us so much about our inner strength and our ability to adapt to changes in our lives in ways that lead to prosperity and opportunities beyond our wildest dreams.

Strung with obsidian, dragons blood jasper and Picasso jasper on hand-knotted, rust colored cording, this necklace hangs approximately 18 inches from clasp to the end of the tassel made from recycled sari silk.  Above the ossuary is a large ceramic bead.

I constructed the ossuary using a tiffany soft soldering technique by layering a tin/silver alloy solder over a round base.  I enclosed the ossuary with plexi-glass, making it shatter proof. It is patinaed and has been polished with Renaissance Wax.

Inside you will find the jaw bones of multiple rats, carefully cleaned and preserved.  You may hear their little whispers, if you listen carefully.

Obsidian is a volcanic glass.  It is a stone of protection, grounding and truth.  It opens our eyes to the truth that is hidden beneath the surface, calming the mind and clearing confusion.

Dragons blood jasper allows the wearer to push through self-doubt and persist through hardship.  It resonates with the statement “Be Here Now”, reminding us to be fully present in the moment.

Picasso jasper is a stone for transformations and creativity. It fosters inner strength, healing our karmic wounds while insuring we understand the lessons we needed to learn. 

If you are someone who self-sabotages your success or hesitates to take the next step towards your dreams, this little ossuary can be a wearable shrine to elevate your ability to thrive, and will serve as a reminder to persist through all odds and obstacles life can throw at you.

This is a highly unusual piece.  As with all of my work, it is one of a kind.  Please remove the necklace when bathing or swimming.

This ossuary necklace is available at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jezebelpride

“Relics are treasured as something close to the divine.”

Sarah Vowell

A reliquary is a container designed to hold sacred objects. Wearable reliquaries serve to protect these artifacts while making them accessible for veneration and safe for transportation during pilgrimage.

I build these reliquary pendants by hand; layering metal with the intent to create a sacred vessel to hold a cherished object.

I use plexiglass to cover the container so the piece won’t shatter if accidentally dropped.

These reliquaries are a “lover’s eye”.
They are a nod to forbidden love and remembrance of the window to the soul of our dearly departed.

I commission genuine prosthetic glass eyes directly from the artist in India who paints each one by hand. I then enshrine them in a shadowbox pendant made with a tiffany soldering technique. Each necklace is hand-knotted to protect the stones and crystals from damage from rubbing against each other.

Please let me know if you are interested in having a reliquary custom made to hold your personal treasures.

These are available in my Etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jezebelpride

“Death consists, indeed, in a repeated process of unrobing, or unsheathing. The immortal part of man shakes off from itself, one after the other, its outer casings, and – as the snake from its skin, the butterfly from its chrysalis – emerges from one after another, passing into a higher state of consciousness.”

Annie Besant

As we grow spiritually, we leave behind the things that no longer serve us. We shed the old to make way for the new.

Transformation is never a simple process. It is wrought with challenges and choices. One must be willing to find the courage to keep moving forward, through darkness and uncertainty.

We must also trust our inner voice, especially in times of darkness. When the snake sheds her skin, she becomes almost completely blind for a period of time. She sees only light and shadow. She must trust her intuition to know where safety resides.

But once the scales lift, and she crawls forward and away from her past, she leaves it all behind her.

Never to crawl back inside.

This necklace contains the shed skin of my bow constrictor, Lilith. She was an amazing creature. It is forever enshrined between glass and surrounded by tiffany solder.

It hangs 11 inches and rests just under the clavicle.

The necklace is made up of black obsidian and black rudilated quartz. It is hand-knotted with intention.

Obsidian is made of volcanic glass. It is renowned for its qualities of reflection, protection and grounding. It allows the wearer to see the innermost truths as it cuts through illusion like a scalpel.

Rudalated quartz is a master healer. It enhances intuition by removing the scales from our eyes.

This is a powerful talisman for those stepping into a new light.

Available in my Etsy shop at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jezebelpride

“So we know that purity emerges from impurity, and light is born from darkness”
Zicheng Hong

There is a very old story that teaches us that cicadas were once human beings who fell under the spell of The Muses.

They sang and danced without sleeping or eating until they died, without even realizing they were dead.

The Muses transformed them into cicadas, and gifted them with the ability of life without needing food or rest.

In return, these human cicadas keep an eye on human beings, and report to The Muses about who is honoring the gods.

Cicadas are symbolic of transformation and rebirth. They give us access to the spiritual realms. They remind us of the power of our voices.

Strung with dragons blood Jasper and Palestinian olive wood, this hand-knotted necklace hangs 12 inches, with the enshrined cicada adding an additional 3 inches in length.

Dragons blood connects the root and heart chakras, combining strength with compassion. Like the cicada, dragons blood facilitates admittance to the spiritual realms of our ancestors. It reminds us to “be here now” in a world that is ever turning.

Palestinian olive trees grow with deep roots. Their wood symbolizes resilience and deep connection to the land.

This necklace will help to facilitate change in a person’s life, while remaining grounded in the strength of our ancestors.

This necklace is available in my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jezebelpride