How To Care For Your Feather Wands.

By Vanya - The Faerie Lady. © Copyright 2008

If like me you are a lover of wands and all things 'magical', and if like me, you like to cleanse, smudge etc., you may have built up quite an array of healing smudge wands, faerie wands etc. Over time I have built up a considerable collection. Why? Aside from being a veritable 'Magpie' and collecting many things, I use different wands for different purposes. Some I may use only for cleansing, yet others I may use because a certain type of bird feather offers energies which will help with the task I have at hand. It is hardly surprising then that the feathers can over time become a little dusty and bedraggled.

How do we remedy this? We need look no further than our feathered friends for the answer. How do they look after their feathers? Most birds are outside in all weathers, and yet 'most' if not 'all' of them look rather 'well groomed'.

It was only discovered quite recently that Owls like to 'bathe'. They do this because their feathers must remain in pristine condition so that the flap of their wings cannot be heard by their prey. Any dust or debris in their feathers could hamper their ability to hunt successfully. So how can we humans seek to mimic the behaviour of our feathered friends when caring for feathers?

The simplest method of rejuvenating your feather wands is by using the 'steam from your kettle'. Wait until AFTER your kettle has finished boiling for a 'few minutes' and then hold your feather healing wand six or seven inches above the still billowing steam [ensuring that you only expose the 'underside of your feather to the steam].

A very strong note of caution here, please be careful when coming into contact with steam, it CAN burn you badly. So please, please take care, and do not allow children to do this task.

When you have held the feather over the steam for a few moments it will become slightly damp. Remove the wand from the steamy vapour and gently reshape the feather[s]. You are effectively 'preening' the feather[s], just as a bird would do. The steam helps to cleanse your feather wand, rid it of any dust, and also allows you the opportunity of reshaping any parts of the feather that are untidy. A note of caution again here, please do this gently. Particularly if the feather has been painted, or has embellishments on it. Any feather painting or jewel embellishment makes the feather 'less flexible' so lashings of T.L.C. are needed in these circumstances.

It has long been said that those in possession of a healing smudge wand, or Faerie wand are indeed 'blessed'. It is believed that when the wand is placed in a position of 'honour' and 'reverence' somewhere in your home, or indeed workplace, it symbolizes 'God's Eyes [or the Goddess, or Creator or whom ever you choose to believe in] watching over you, and keeping all the occupants safe from harm.

Bright Blessings and Love and Light

Vanya The Faerie Lady

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