Founded in 2020 by Photographer and folklorist Mark Hayward, Chew Valley Charms set out to revive a once prevalent custom of charm wearing that used to exist in Somerset’s Chew Valley, Mark managed to track down a list of the original ingredients used in these old charms and made his first originals in that same year which were promptly bought by a customer in the USA!!

Since then Chew Valley Charms have gone from strength to strength and have expanded their services to creating and re-creating a wide range of folkloric items including charm kits, Witch Bottles (a protective charm used in the UK right up to the 17th century) wands as well as unique one off charms for customers who have chosen their own colour schemes, ingredients, charm meaning and bottle shape.

These unique, magickal pieces have been sent around the world to locations such as Australia, Canada, Tobago, Peru, USA, The Maldives, Jersey as well as all around the UK

Each charm is a glass bottle of varying shape and size (shapes held in stock are round, heart shaped, square, tall and phial shaped) which are carefully filled with the chosen ingredients to create a colour scheme of the customers choosing, as well as what the customer wants the charms to represent (Love, luck, protection, healing, help in sleeping or any combination) the neck of the bottle is then sealed with a cork to lock in the charm and a reinforced screw eye inserted into the cork so the charm can be worn as a pendant.

For an extra charge the neck of the bottle can be sealed with a bottling wax dip or the customer can opt for a liquid charm where the contents are filled with a glycerine, oil and water mix which adds depth, intensity of colour and a sheen to the charm.

Chew Valley Charms uses all natural ingredients and whenever possible the ingredients are gathered from Mark’s own garden and from the  fields and hedgerows of neighbouring farms in a sustainable manner.

Ingredients can vary according to season but here is a partial list of items and their meanings that Chew Valley Charms usually has in stock

Hawthorn Thorns – Traditionally used to gain the blessing of the thorns Faerie

Blackthorn Thorns – Used as a protection from poison of the body and mind.

Oak – Used to gain the favour of Cernunnos, lord of the forest

White Quartz – Used as a protection from evil and to cast light on ones path

Pure Copper – Copper is a grounding metal, traditionally used for luck and to protect oneself from evil intents

Hand Forged Iron and Copper Nails – Iron was traditionally carried as protection against spirits and the fey folk and Copper nails were associated with luck

Jade – For luck and glory

Red Garnet – Passion and love

Fluorite – Used to relive stress

Green Cornish Kyanite – A rare deep mineral prized in the west country for it’s supposed strength giving properties

Bone (ethically gathered from owl pellets) – Wisdom

Mugowrt, Chamomile, Yarrow, Thyme, Black Tea, Green Tea, Dried Nettle, European Plantain – All herbs traditionally used for their medicinal qualities

A wide variety of dried flowers and petals including Rose, Pea flower, Black and Purple Mallow, Blue and Purple Cornflower, Carnation

Dried Moss and Lichen -Used in British folklore as a deterrent against witches and in Germanic folklore to gain the blessing of the lord of the woods Cernunnos

These are just a sampling of the many ingredients used by Chew Valley Charms, if you have s special request for ingredients then just ask.
Charms start from £30 for a dry charm with no wax seal, the charm comes with a black cord necklace and a custom box with the Chew Valley Charms tree of life wax seal on the lid. Also included are two hand written cards naming and explaining the charm and the ingredients, the charm can be named by the customer.

Extras include

£3 – A wax seal for the charm in either Red or Black wax, the wax used is a commercial, non toxic bottling wax which unlike paraffin wax (candle wax) does not turn brittle and crack
£3 – Filling the charm with a dyed oil/water/glycerine mix, this adds density, sheen and a magnifying effect to the charm
£4 – A custom wooden box for your charm

If you would like to order your own piece of Chew Valley Magick then please send an E-Mail to Chew Valley Charms to start designing your piece

 

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