Wands, words, wonder, and wanderings
I started making wands. I mean, I call them wands. But they’re not a special stick possessing any magical abilities. Or are they?
I started making wands. I mean, I call them wands. It's not that they look or behave like typical wands, though. They’re not a special wooden stick possessing any magical abilities. Or are they?
They’re made from long bendy stems and are enchanting in their own way. They are a reminder to me, perhaps that there is an enchanted life all around, all the time, if I notice, where serendipity, synchronicity, awe, and wonder in the world really does exist.
Making wands
The long bendy stems come from St. John, US Virgin Islands, where we vacationed over the holidays. I saw them on a boardwalk of a short nature trail. There were so many and their auburn-caramel color and slender arch enticed me. I asked permission as I gathered a handful and said thank you. I looked up to the density of trees and bushes all around but couldn't tell which ones they were from, let alone their name.
The first wands I made were from a couple of years ago, when I wrapped indigo thread around cotton seed pods from Laos and attached them to sticks I had collected in my neighborhood. I loved how they turned out. That deep blue. As a gift I gave them away to my first five Patreon supporters!
The second wand I made was last year. It too has its own expression and I loved how it turned out with the wrapped Lao fabric and thread. While I only made one, it has inspired my third and current iteration.
As I coiled the indigo dyed fabric swatches around the stem, then wrapped indigo-dyed thread to secure it in place, one after the other after the other, my mind wandered to wands (oh look, even wander has wand in it!) and to magic and enchantment.
What are wands anyway and what’s their story?
Word origins
Have to say I love etymology, the study of the origin and development of words throughout history. In my online research, this is what I found about the word wand:
The word itself is from Middle High German want, from Old High German want, from Proto-Germanic *wanduz (“weave; wickerwork; plait; fence, wall”), from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn; bend; wind; twist; braid; weave”). Source
And this:
*wanduz – Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) – Barrier made of sticks, fence. Rod, switch, stick. Mole (animal). Vole. Source
Here’s a useful definition:
A wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood... A stick that is used for reaching, pointing, drawing in the dirt, and directing other people, is one of the earliest and simplest of tools. Source
And about the magic part:
In witchcraft, a magic wand is a long, pointed tool used for focusing and directing magic. Source
Wondering
As I looked at my new wands (three to start, with a handful to go), I wondered if they have qualities from the origins of the word. The long bendy stem is that rod, that stick. It’s supple enough that I can twist and turn it between my fingers. It moves with a swoosh as I pretend to lead an orchestra, directing sound. It’s supple enough and I can imagine braiding a few of them together. If I had a whole lot more than a handful, could I weave them into a fence? But the indigo fabric that is coiled around the stem is woven! The thread around that is spun, meaning it’s twisted cotton! And I twist the indigo thread around and around the stick to hold the fabric in place on the stem!
Wow, the etymology of the word is all here in the wand.
Wanderings
I typically don’t have preconceived ideas or sketches for what I create. Just an inclination towards something to explore and figure out through the creative process. As a result, my process can sometimes appear like wandering, and maybe it is and maybe I do wander a bit, or a lot, or seriously not enough sometimes, too.
I think it’s because of wandering – the turning, changing, curving, and meandering that I do in my art, throughout my life, and in my imagination – that enchantment can show up. There is an enchanted life all around, all the time, if I notice, where serendipity, synchronicity, awe, and wonder in the world really do exist.
Maybe in that way, life is magical. Wands are the symbolic reminder of that.
“Wands, words, wonder, and wanderings” was originally published as an exclusive post to my Patreon supporters in January 2022. Now the writing and photos are public to you, too.
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