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About the Shop • About Me • About Amulets and Astrological Talismans • Guidance for Choosing Talismans and Amulets • About Copper Electroplating • About Lost Wax Casting • Jewelry Care • Shop Policies
About the Shop
Sword + Scythe is the work of artist and mage Vanessa Irena. She creates handmade magical amulets, astrological talismans, and spirit-led adornments with a focus on her primary magical patrons, Mars and Saturn.
About Me
I am a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and writer. I was born and raised in New Orleans, LA, and currently live in Upstate NY in the Catskill Mountains. I received my BFA with a concentration in painting from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and have been creating art and music since I was 4 years old.
I produce experimental devotional music as ek-stasis (formerly as knifesex) and released my first solo EP, Deipna, in January 2017 and my first full-length album, dedicated to the goddess Babalon, in November 2017. I released my first published work, Saint Raphael The Archangel, a chapbook I co-authored with Alexander Cummins, in July 2018 through Hadean Press. I also released a collaborative musical piece with Alexander Cummins, a ritual invocation to Mars, in December 2018. I released the chapbook Ecstasy: A Devotional Guide to the Female Mystics in July 2022 through Hadean Press. In 2023, I began my journey as a self-taught metalsmith, and Sword + Scythe was born. In 2024, I formed the musical project House13 with my partner, and we produced the original score for the film The Woods. In May of 2024 I released the EP to hydra, dedicated to the constellation.
I am an astrologer and diviner with a specialized interest in medieval and renaissance astrological magic, electional, horary, and medical astrology (the astrology of the body). I have studied astrology with Christopher Warnock, Judith Hill, Chris Brennan, and Bernadette Brady, among many others, and am indebted to their scholarship. I am a gardener, folk herbalist, and proponent of movement as a magical and spiritual practice. I practice both weightlifting and ecstatic dance and view the body as the primary locus of witchcraft. I am also an initiated Lukumi Olorisha apprenticed to elders within the afro-diasporic community. I believe every action we take to create and live fully is a devotional act to the ancestors. You can see more of my work at vanessairena.com.
About Amulets and Astrological Talismans
Numerous definitions of amulets and talismans exist, and these terms have been used in different ways throughout history. More recently, they have been used as catch-all terms to describe any magical object employed for a specific purpose or even simply an object one ascribes personal significance to. I wish to be clear on how I personally use these terms in my practice and offerings. To quote Claude Lecouteux in his excellent work The High Magic of Talismans and Amulets:
The amulet is an object possessing natural virtues…. The talisman is a manufactured object that has been invested with magic powers, thanks to a ritual compelling astral influences to condense within it…. A talisman can be an amulet, and vice versa; it is a question of its size and use. The same object can be presented as either one.
The amulets and astrological talismans created by Sword + Scythe are handcrafted through copper electroplating and lost wax casting. In the case of amulets, objects and materia selected for their occult virtue form the base of each piece. In the case of talismans, the process is the same; however, the objects and materia that form all or part of the final piece have been enspirited through the use of ritual and astrological timing via full chart elections. All talismanic elections are personally selected by me according to considerations described in pre-modern sources such as the Picatrix, the works of Agrippa and Ficino, and as taught to me by my teacher Christopher Warnock.
It is not necessary to consecrate your amulet or talisman upon receiving it as this process is part of its creation, though you may wish to ritualize your introduction to the piece in order to form a deeper connection with it. How you choose to do this is deeply personal and there is no incorrect way, as long as the pieces are treated with respect. It is especially important to keep in mind that because a talisman has been enspirited, it is a living object.
Below are some basic suggestions for connecting with your piece however these are in no way prescriptive:
- For an amulet, depending on whether the piece contains the virtues of Mars or Saturn, you may choose to follow the below suggestions for consecrating a planetary talisman.
- For a planetary talisman: on the day and hour of the planet, recite the Orphic hymn or prayer of your choice to the planet. Other popular sources for planetary invocation are the Picatrix and the Hygromanteia. You may also choose to offer candles and suffumigate the talisman using an incense aligned with that planet or those suggested in the Orphic hymn.
- For a fixed star talisman: When the star is rising, culminating, or conjoined with the moon, perform the Orphic hymn to the Stars, inserting the name of the specific star in the hymn. You may also choose to offer candles and suffumigate the talisman using an incense aligned with that star.
- For a lunar mansion talisman, you may offer prayers to the spirit of that mansion when the moon is in that mansion. You may also choose to offer candles and suffumigate the talisman using an incense aligned with the mansion. Additionally you may also perform the Orphic hymn to Selene.
- For a decan/face talisman: you can follow the process outlined for a planetary talisman using the planetary ruler of the face as well as offering prayer to the spirits associated with the face.
- Prayer in one’s own words, spoken from the heart, is always an appropriate option.
The website astro-seek.com has a number of helpful calculators for electing connection rituals
Guidance for Choosing Talismans and Amulets
When deciding whether a talisman or amulet is the right choice for you, I always advise people to perform their own divination and due diligence and to trust their own inner guidance. I do not offer divination for others in this capacity but am always happy to discuss recommendations or answer questions privately via email. Talismans and amulets are incredibly personal, and therefore, I don’t believe in making standardized recommendations or sweeping generalizations about who should or should not work with certain spirits or virtues. I ultimately defer to the agency of the person to determine what they wish to engage with for themselves. I provide as much information as possible about how the pieces are created and what their intentions are so that people can make their own informed decisions.
About Copper Electroplating
Copper electroplating is a technique that utilizes chemistry and electricity to encase an object in pure copper. This process creates a permanent natural amulet that preserves the original object inside, thereby retaining its virtue. Each piece is personally and individually crafted from materials I have grown, foraged, and ethically sourced when possible, making each one of a kind. Because natural materials form the base of each piece around which the copper is “grown,” it will include natural variations and “flaws,” though I do not personally view them as such. Additionally, the electroplating process often creates unique organic textures, uneven formations, and asymmetry, which I believe add to the beauty of each piece. Over time, your copper piece will naturally oxidize, adding to its story.
About Lost Wax Casting
Lost wax casting is an ancient technique with examples dating back to approximately 4500 BC in which objects sculpted in wax are then cast into pure solid metal. A mold is built around a sacrificial wax model which is then destroyed by heat, creating a cavity which then allows molten metal to flow in.
Jewelry Care
It is recommended to remove your item before sleeping, bathing, cleaning, or exercising. You may find this guide to caring for copper jewelry helpful, along with this general guide to caring for jewelry.
Shop Policies
Legally I must state than any item sold by Sword + Scythe is sold as a curio only and effectiveness is not guaranteed.
Sword + Scythe is not responsible for how its products are used.
Shipping
All items are shipped via USPS priority mail or first class package international. US shipping is free. International shipping is $25 flat rate.
Please allow 3 weeks for shipping and 1 week for email responses.
Purchaser agrees to not hold Sword + Scythe responsible for a parcel lost or damaged by the postal service.
Refund + Return Policy
All sales are final. Due to the nature of the products sold there are are no refunds or returns after a purchase has been made.
Sword + Scythe reserves the right to refund any customer and refuse patronage at our discretion.