The word rosary refers to the garlands that were traditionally woven from roses and offered to the Virgin Mary in the springtime. But long before Mary, those same garlands were made as offerings to other goddesses by many other names. Roses were offered to Venus, the Roman goddess of love and fertility, whose emblem was also a circle with a cross pendant. Before that, they were offered to Isis, the Great Mother of the ancient Mediterranean world. The rosary is an enduring, multi cultural symbol of the divine feminine and our own connection to the divinity within us.

This one-of-a-kind handmade rosary was inspired by the divine feminine archetype of the Black Madonna - in particular, Our Lady of Montserrat, whom I visited in 2018 at an important crossroads in my life. The Black Madonna holds our hand through the darkness and shows us that we can move through anything, held by her love.

This rosary contains 109 beads of two types: 54 hand prepared beads made from a combination of Cornish red, Devonian white and Welsh pink roses and 55 black obsidian crystals. Much like the energy of the Black Madonna, obsidian is a stone of clarity, with the ability to release emotional, physical, and spiritual blockages, drawing out stress and tension. It is also known for clearing ancient traumas, detoxification, and encouraging personal growth.

The rose beads are lovingly made using a slow, intentional process. First, I choose the flowers, or they are given to me out of love, and I set them in one of my altars and they become part of my sacred space. The roses for this necklace were infused with love and transformation by dear friends who came to gather in Cornwall in July 2024.

I go on pilgrimages to collect sacred well water - for these beads I used water from two Lady Wells in Devon and Cornwall.

When the flowers are ready, I blend the petals with the well water, before purifying the pulp using gentle heat.

Once cooled, I drain the clay of liquid multiple times and save the dye for paint. I smooth out the clay and allow it to sit for up to a week, before rolling it out into beads and then baking them.

Each rosary takes over two weeks to make and is infused with love, ritual and ceremony - and the divine feminine spirit of the land in the UK. The rosary can be worn, placed in an altar and/or used for prayer/intention setting.

Each rosary comes with a hand-dyed altar cloth, prayer card and crystal.

NB: Please do not get the rosaries wet as they are made from natural materials.