These reliquaries are inspired by the sorceress Circe, witch of Aeaea and expert in potion making (and in turning annoying men into pigs). The Daughter of the sun god Helios and the sea nymph Perse or Asterope (depending on which source you consult), she was said to be the aunt of Medea, and some ancient versions of their story describe them as Hekate's daughters. Linked to the sea and to herblore, she is also frequently associated with lions and wolves, which, if we believe Homer and Virgil and others, are men she has transformed into docile beasts. In addition to being cast as a tempter of men, Ovid and others later describe her as the jealous sorceress who transformed the object of her beloved Glaucus's affection (Scylla) into a hideous sea beast.
I have always read these male accounts with deep skepticism, and always (from childhood onwards) found her fascinating, in no small part because of her power and autonomy. I always sensed there was a more sympathetic and nuanced version of her story out there, which is why I fell in love with Madeline Miller's telling a few years ago. It was the version I'd always wished to read.
These reliquaries, then, are my own attempt to represent a bit of that more sympathetic and nuanced version of Circe -- a little bottle to remind the bearer of their own abilities, and powers, transformative and otherwise.
Ingredients:
Dittany of Crete and Mandrake: two herbs that came up frequently in my research as having ties to Circe.
Snowdrops: Moly is a mysterious herb that Circe is said (in many sources) to use in her magic and potion-making, but there isn't a consensus as to what it is. Some think it might have been garlic, others mullein, and still others the snowdrop. I loved the idea of the dainty and ephemeral snowdrop being a staple (and a powerful one!) in her craft, and so I opted for it, and sourced pressed snowdrops for the tiny jars and, much to my delight, dried snowdrops that retained their shape (shipped all the way from Europe!).
Sea glass: Collected by yours truly over the past several years of beach walks here in the Puget Sound.
Driftwood: I searched the beaches near my home for tiny bits of drift wood that looked like miniature wands. Circe, after all, was famous for wielding one and using it to turn men into beasts, and I could well imagine her crafting one from a piece of driftwood given her proximity to the shore and her ties to the ocean through her mother.
Seashells, whole and skeletal: Collected on the same beaches mentioned above, for all the same reasons.