Studio Journal

Witch Marks: Protective Symbols, Folk Magic & the Fear of the Unseen
Witch Marks: Protective Symbols, Folk Magic & the Fear of the Unseen
Carved into ancient doorways, timber beams, and stone walls, mysterious symbols known as witch marks were believed to offer protection against witchcraft, evil spirits, and unseen dangers. From intricate daisy... Read more...
The Poison Garden: Wolfsbane, Monkshood & the Queen of Poisons
The Poison Garden: Wolfsbane, Monkshood & the Queen of Poisons
With its striking violet-blue flowers and sinister reputation, wolfsbane, also known as monkshood or aconite, has a history steeped in poison, medicine, and folklore. From ancient Greek mythology and legends... Read more...
The Poison Garden: Baneful Herbs, Witches & Healers
The Poison Garden: Baneful Herbs, Witches & Healers
Foxglove, henbane, belladonna, datura, monkshood, mandrake, hemlock, and poppies have histories as fascinating as the flowers themselves. Used as medicines, feared as poisons, and woven into centuries of folklore and... Read more...
Rowan: The Tree at the Threshold
Rowan: The Tree at the Threshold
Red Berries and Threshold Folklore: Exploring the Rowan Tree Rowan trees have stood at the threshold between the ordinary and supernatural for centuries, associated with protection, witchcraft, spirits, and old... Read more...
Why Henbane?
Why Henbane?
People often ask why I chose the name Studio Henbane. It's an understandable question. Henbane is hardly a household name. It isn't a common garden flower, and many people have... Read more...
Ancient Traditions of Style: 29 Tiny Shells
Ancient Traditions of Style: 29 Tiny Shells
Nearly 60,000 years ago, someone picked up a tiny shell because it caught their eye. Twenty-nine shells discovered in a Mediterranean cave offer a fascinating glimpse into the ancient origins... Read more...
Summer Foraging for Materials, Medicine and Meals
Summer Foraging for Materials, Medicine and Meals
Growing up in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest taught me to watch the seasons closely: when the berries ripen, the tides fall, the fireweed blooms, and the landscape offers new... Read more...
Midsummer Flames: Ancient Traditions, Solar Symbols, and the Longest Day
Midsummer Flames: Ancient Traditions, Solar Symbols, and the Longest Day
Each year, as the sun reaches its highest point in the sky and daylight stretches deep into the evening, the further north you travel, the longer the experience lingers. As... Read more...
From Antler to Adornment: Ancient Traditions of Bone Craft
From Antler to Adornment: Ancient Traditions of Bone Craft
Long before metalworking and written language, ancient peoples transformed bone and antler into beads, combs, needles, tools, and trade goods. Explore the history of these remarkable materials and the enduring... Read more...
The First Adornments: Beads, Memory, and Early Human Technology
The First Adornments: Beads, Memory, and Early Human Technology
Explore the origins of beads and personal adornment in Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures, from ancient shell beads and early drilling techniques to trade, status, ritual, and the emergence of symbolic... Read more...