This rattle was made using Elk Skin and the handle is birth. The leather decorations are deer.

Elk:Elk have stamina, Strength, Nobility, Elk teaches us how to pace ourselves.

Birch:The Celtic symbol of Birch is the white stag and the new moon. Birch is associated with the element of water, and the n moon because of it’s silvery paper.
Birch is considered to be a Goddess tree, the symbol of new beginnings, birth and creativity.

Deer:Deer’s special medicine is gentleness,gracefulness and the ability to listen.

Rowan Berries:Sometimes referred to as “the whispering tree,” the rowan was well known is among the Celts as a tree of the Goddess and to be sacred among the faeries. Its berry is shaped like a five-pointed star, which is known as a symbol of magical protection.

Corn:Since ancient times corn {maize}has been held as being most sacred and represents the goddess of fertility. To the ancient Mayan each kernel of corn was considered sacred and not to be wasted. This was because they believed that corn not only contains the power to sustain us, but also represents the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth.

The dying process
Using a combination of beet and pomegranate juice that I extract myself, as well as several different local herbs I allow the skins to sit overnight so that they soak up as much color as possible. it is said that Pomegranate and beet juices were among the first plant dyes used in ancient times.