Page 73 - September 2022 Magazine - Bumper Edition

Powdered Orris - which is dried and ground Iris root - you won’t find in ASDA but it’s easy to get hold of - we know our friends at Etsy stock it.
Bead wire - this is to dry your beads on and to create the hole not to string them, so meat skewers also work. If you’re in doubt, head over to Amazon.
A large roasting tin. You’re not going to be roasting anything but it’s ideal to place the beads on when drying out.
Here is how you can make them
Firstly:
If you are removing the petals - let’s be obvious and say if you are working with stems, then avoid thorns and wear gloves. It’s important you take the entire petal, including the base.
Next:
You need to fill your cast iron pot with the petals, put on a low heat with just enough water to cover them and leave to simmer for a good hour or so.
Next:
If you are using a food processor, zip the cooked petals in it or grind them to a pulp with your pestle and mortar, and leave them outside (or on a window ledge) overnight, or simply stick them in the fridge.
If you intend to use your rose beads with Moon magic then, yes obviously, leave them under the night sky, indoors or out.
Next:
You will need to repeat this process of slowly simmering and cooling over a couple of days until what you are left with is a thick dough or clay-like texture. Irrelevant of what colour petals you have used the mixture will darken, so don’t worry about that.
Next:
Before you add the dried orris root, if you feel the mix is too wet to mould into shape then simply let it
dry for a day longer. If it’s too dry, add a few drops of Moon water. (Don’t worry, tap water also works).
Once you are happy that the clay you have created can be shaped in your hands, then add the dried orris root. We’ll never know how, but our ancestors discovered that this addition to rose beads extended their wonderful scent for years.
Next:
This is the fun bit! Take enough of the clay to roll in your hands and form a marble sized sphere. As a rough guide, when your beads are dried out, they will be a quarter of that size.
Push all beads onto the wire or skewer, making sure they are not touching and place across your roasting tin. It doesn’t matter what you use, so long as the beads are surrounded by air.
Turn all of your beads daily so they don’t stick to the skewer or wire.
When they are all dried out, you have your beads!
String them as you will.
Whilst rose beads make great jewellery, when created by you personally, they can add a new dimension to your spells and rituals, as you can infuse your wishes as you create them.
The Flickering Cauldron® Magazine - Magical Rose Beads | 73