In mid-July, I travelled to Sweden to meet my good friend and fellow witch, Laura — The Witch of Hagadalen. We were brought together through Copenhagen Occult Club, run by Mariia Snebjørk, who organises regular social and community events for all the weird, strange, and mystical beings drawn to the occult and esoteric.
Having recently thrifted some gorgeous glass bottles from Oles Genbrug in Frederiksværk, I was keen to create some witches' bottles that honour historic and traditional uses of magickal herbs. Laura and I clicked almost immediately. We shared a common story: both of us had studied medical degrees — Laura in veterinary medicine and me in clinical medicine — and both of us eventually chose to leave those paths to pursue something more aligned with our passions.
Laura now studies folklore in Sweden, while I am building Serpidea through creative workshops, artistic practice, and tarot reading services.
Knowing Laura's keen mind for study, I asked if she would like to join forces to create some magickal bottles, beginning with a zodiac series designed to enhance the inherent qualities attributed to each sign. I'm very excited about our partnership, because it is founded on mutual admiration and appreciation for each other's work and interests. I'm equally excited to bring these creations to you and to expand the physical offerings that Serpidea is beginning to share.
I have started bringing my camera everywhere on my travels because I am passionate about documenting the process. Without seeing the behind-the-scenes, it can be difficult to appreciate the love, effort, and dedication that goes into an offering. My writing and photography are ways of expressing that journey, and of helping you connect with what exists behind the outer facade — the slower, quieter work where the depth begins to reveal itself. The magick often lives in that secret world, where nothing seems to happen unless you look a little longer.
Going with a zodiac theme, of course, Laura had the essential books and reference materials to cross-check the information we needed. The bottles themselves were something I had spotted more than a year ago and kept in the back of my mind because of their beauty and solid craftsmanship. Originally, I believe they were unused perfume bottles, handmade in India. Each one carries its own markings and imperfections, giving it a little character and personality of its own.
It is important to me that people have the opportunity to access well-crafted objects without a luxury or exclusionary price tag. I therefore do my best to keep my eyes peeled and find the good things that have been buried away, waiting to be noticed.
I also found some beautiful vintage cloths in good condition. Originally made as dining table covers, they have a good strength and subtle design which complement one another without either becoming too dominant. Luxury and expensive products often display a refined balance of complexity, allowing a certain restraint to create a sense of elegance. Despite this general taste, I also love a raw and obtuse message — something loud, flashy, and unapologetic — so there is always an element of that attitude running through the designs I offer.
What I source is often the driving force behind the creation of a product. Having found the blue and white materials and collaborated with Laura to produce candles that fit an angelic theme, we decided that Eladiah would be a fitting angel to work with.
Eladiah is generally identified as the tenth of the 72 angels of the Shem ha-Mephorash. Within modern systems of the 72 Angels of Magick, Eladiah is associated with the powers to heal disease, overcome negativity, and understand science. These qualities felt particularly appropriate for the first ritual kit, given the themes of healing, knowledge, and the relationship between magical and scientific understanding.
The Angelic Ritual Kits seek to make elements of the Western Ceremonial Tradition more accessible through devotional craft, while approaching the material with respect for the traditions from which it developed. Eladiah is also the first of a small number of angels with whom I have personally established a connection, so it feels fitting — and happily synchronistic — that this angel should become the first in what I hope will be an ongoing series. Interestingly, Franz Bardon also describes Eladiah/Aladiah in connection with occult anatomy, the causes of ailments, chemistry, alchemy, magic, Kabbalah, and the magical uses of plants. This convergence of healing, scientific knowledge and plant magic was particularly resonant with the concept behind this creation.
This first kit is therefore a meeting point between research, friendship, craft, and personal practice. From the bottles I happened to notice more than a year ago, to the herbs and references we gathered, each part of the process has contributed something to the final offering. There is something especially rewarding about watching an idea move through these different stages — from a thought, to a conversation, to a collection of materials, and finally into something that can be held and used.
This is only the beginning of the series, and I am very happy that Eladiah is where we have chosen to begin. I hope that these kits can offer a small doorway into the traditions, ideas and practices that continue to fascinate us, while also leaving room for the individual relationship each person develops with the work.
Thank you for following along with us behind the scenes. There is much more to come.