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Native to Western Europe and with its tall, striking spires set beneath dozens of impressive finger-shaped blooms, the extraordinary Foxglove flower carries with it an abundance of tales that claim to set the origins of this mystifying plant straight.

One folk myth suggests that mischievous fairies gave these little bell-shaped flowers to foxes to wear on their paws, enabling them to sneak silently into rural villages. It is indeed an intriguing explanation, but have you ever seen a fox wearing gloves? Perhaps to further explain this troublesome fairy and fox duo lies in the fact that in the 14th century, fairies were nicknamed “good folk” – and according to author Maud Grieve, the prefix ‘fox‘ most likely stems from the word “folk”. Whether the name originates from this legend that tells of gloves given to foxes by crafty fairies, or it is merely the result of a mispronunciation of the phrase ‘folk’s glove’, it is said that carrying on your person a foxglove will bring about good luck and fortune.

The alternate names for foxglove give further insight into just how embedded this plant is in fairy and magic folklore: Fairy Petticoats, Fairy Thimbles, Fairy Fingers, Fairy Weed, Fox Mittens, Witches Bells, Witches Thimbles, Folks Gloves, and Fox Bells, to name a few. 

Foxglove has been the subject of fairy lore for centuries. Ancient legends indicate that fairies are supernatural entities that live in enchanted forests and shadow worlds, where they dance and make magic with childlike abandon. These mythical winged-beings were said to live inside the foxglove flower and were supposedly responsible for their potencies, both good and bad.

In the mortal world, fairy gardens have become quite popular, and foxglove is a must-have for attracting these mythical creatures. Placed on the front lawn and foxglove is believed to protect the occupants from evil influences, while picking foxglove from the garden and bringing it inside is believed to anger the fairies. But for the greatest benefit, it is recommended to place a piece of the foxglove flower inside a charm or talisman to keep the wearer protected and bring good luck. Close to the Scottish borders, foxglove leaves historically were strewn about babies’ cradles for protection from fairy bewitchment, while in Shropshire, England, they were put in children’s shoes for the same reason. Another lovely old legend told in the West Country explains why foxgloves bob and sway, even on very still days. This wind-less motion is no other than the plant bowing to the fairy folk as they pass by.

So whether you believe in fairies or just admire these old tales for their mystery and mystic, the Foxglove fountain pen is the ultimate fairy pen for you. Simply write with it and, who knows, maybe these magically mischievous creatures will bestow onto you good luck and fortune.

Fountain Pen

TALISMAN COLLECTION

$ 162.00 Shop Now 

Dating back to 1725, for its occurrence in the Krušné Horny Mountains (Erzgebirge), Peacock Ore, or Bornite, is one of nature’s most colorful minerals. The stone displays a spectacular iridescent tarnish effect with the colors similar to the bird it is named after by ancient miners. The specific colors vary with each mineral specimen – there are blues, greens, and combinations of both, creating a visual delight! Those who believe in the healing powers of this mineral call it the “stone of happiness”. Believed to head us in positive directions and help channel happiness onto others, crystal enthusiasts claim this to be a truly uplifting stone. Thanks to its rainbow colored tarnish, Peacock Ore is also said to inspire creativity and artistic vision.

As a copper and iron mineral, many crystal fans attribute the power of Peacock Ore to the metaphysical proprieties of both metals. In mythology and alchemy, copper was associated with Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and passion. Iron, on the other hand, was a metal of Mars, the God of War, associated with strength and power. The union of Venus and Mars held greater appeal for philosophers, mystics and alchemists that often used both metals in rituals. Alchemists believed that the metals held the same virtue as the corresponding deity; that a single spirit infused planets and metals with the same energy the deity represented. Thus, those who use stones and minerals in their spiritual practices believe Peacock Ore reconciles and amalgamates the opposing male and female energies, war and love, beauty and brutality, and discipline and pleasure. This amalgamation makes Peacock Ore the mineral of balance and satisfaction.

Tantra adepts and Kundalini Yoga practitioners also believe that Peacock Ore is the strongest stone among the minerals with balancing properties known to align your Chakras (energy points in the body). It is said that the stone will first cleanse and balance each chakra individually, and then align the entire physical body with that of your energy body. The practitioners recommend keeping Peacock Ore above one’s third eye (the space between the eyebrows) during mediation, to help awaken inner vision. Many meditators claim that Peacock Ore can help to not only rediscover long-forgotten memories and knowledge, but also to acquaint oneself with worldly, universal knowledge or consciousness.

Whether you believe in the healing power of stones or not, we invite you to explore one of nature’s most prized possessions, the Peacock Ore, and get to know the ancient beliefs associated with it.

Fountain Pen

TALISMAN COLLECTION

Often known as mandrake, the Mandragora Officinarum plant is native to both the Mediterranean and the Himalayas. With a long history of use in religious and occult practices, this plant is particularly noted for its potent roots, which somewhat resemble the human body. With purple flowers and green leaves, often arranged in a basal rosette shape, we have created the Mandrake pen using these colors as our inspiration.

One of the earliest mentions of mandrake can be dated back to the Bible. “דודאים”, translated as “love plants”, is mentioned twice in the Jewish scripture – both in the Book of Genesis 30:14–16 and in the Song of Songs 7:12-13. In Genesis 30, Rachel, Jacob’s wife, relies on this special plant to help her conceive a child. With its sweet fragrance that acts as an aphrodisiac, the mention of mandrakes in the Song of Solomon is part of a romantic encounter between Solomon and his new wife. It is suggested that the scripture links the mandrake with sexuality and fertility.

In the Middle Ages, the aphrodisiac and fertility powers of the mandrake flower gained new credence under the so-called Doctrine of Signatures, which understood that plants bearing resemblances to body parts could be used to treat their associated limbs and organs. Mandrakes can look rather like babies, so those having trouble conceiving would sleep with them under their pillows. And it wasn’t just about mandrakes getting people “in the mood” and fertile! According to Anthony John Carter, as he writes in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine in 2003, medieval folk carried mandrake roots around as good luck charms, hoping the plant would grant them not only wealth and the power to control their destiny, but also the ability to control the destinies of others as well. Not surprisingly, the church frowned upon this practice and when, during her trial in 1431, Joan of Arc was accused of having a mandrake about her person, the suggestion helped send her to the stake.

Other legendary stories about mandrake are certainly captivating, suggesting the plant has magical, and sometime menacing, powers. Curiously, mandrake is believed to spring from the dripping blood and semen of a hanged man. Dare pull it from the earth and it lets out a monstrous scream, bestowing agony and death to all those within earshot. Literature includes complex directions for harvesting a mandrake root in relative safety. It was believed that the mandrake could be safely uprooted only in moonlight, after appropriate prayer and ritual, by a black dog attached to the plant by a cord. The scream of this perhaps frightening plant was even mentioned in Shakespeare’s famous Romeo and Juliet: “What with loathsome smells, and shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth, that living mortals, hearing them, run mad.”

Mandrake was also considered a key ingredient in a multitude of witches’ flying ointment recipes, as well as a primary component of magical potions and brews. Some believed that witches applied these ointments or ingested these potions to help them fly to witch gatherings and experience bacchanalian carousal.

Having a long history of medicinal and magical use – from witches brew to modern medicine – this fantastic plant is still fundamentally part of our lives and certainly continues to work its magic in our modern day society.