Full Moon Update – 30th May

May 30, 2018

3 minute read

Wake up Screaming
Full Moon Update

This Month’s Theme: ALCHEMY
Deadline: 12 Noon GMT Mon 11th Jun

We are welcoming in the full moon this month by reaffirming our exploration into the world of Alchemy.

We are open to submissions from artists using alchemical themes in their work and we have already received some very special responses to this theme. It promises to be an edition sparking and steaming, dissolving and eventually condensing into a fully formed creative exploration of alchemy.

As part of my personal exploration, I attended the International Alchemy conference in Glastonbury, earlier this month. Organised by an alchemist called Benjamin Turale (interview exceprt above), the event spanned three days of talks, workshops and some lessons in practical alchemy which involved our first steps into making a tincture with native herbs.

Above is an excerpt from the interview with Ben, he talks about alchemy and its relationship to art and specifically music. The full version of the interview will be released with the New Moon.

To my surprise, this month’s investigation so far has lead me away from Jungian and creative themes and pointed me directly at the plant world. I initiated my own tincture made with Mugwort and brandy, it’s currently circulating in a Kilner jar and will stay in there until the summer solstice when it will undergo it’s final preparation before I start ingesting small amounts daily and observing what happens.

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is a versatile sacred herb. It can be used for spiritual cleansing, protection, healing, and consecration, and it can aid dreamwork, trance, and intuitive development. It has been associated with the Full Moon and with the Summer Solstice since ancient times. I am particularly interested in using it to work with my dreams, as I intend to bring the dream world and the real world into alignment with each other, whatever that means!

One of the speakers at the conference was Sian Humphries who spoke about alchemy in reference to plants. She introduced us to plant sigils which are inscribed or painted symbols considered to have magical powers. She told us about how to work with particular native plants and highlighted the sacred Yew tree. Yews are often found in Churchyards and are the sacred markers of pre-Christian places of worship. In Celtic culture, they represent birth death and resurrection, they are the gatekeepers between this world and the next. I learned that it is ok to eat the berries, they taste like pomegranate, but make sure you don’t eat the seeds and the spines.

Sian spoke in such a genuine and heartfelt way about her relationships with plants, she spoke about them like they are human people, there to be engaged with and to develop relationships with. She told us a story about her connecting with an old Yew tree, how it took the Yew 6 months to notice she was there. She said something like “For a tree, a year is a day, she wakes up spreads her leaves takes a big deep breath and goes back to sleep again”. I really enjoyed this idea, it gives us a moment to think about our fleeting appearance here, how we buzz around the trees like the flies buzz around us.

The full 11th edition of Wake up screaming – ALCHEMY – Will be released on 13th June, it will include some epic alchemy based artworks from international artists as well as some interesting insights from closer to home.

Of course, you are invited to join us in this journey.

Reading list:
About mugwort
About The Yew
Alchemy Guild

Call for artists

#11 ALCHEMY – Submissions open

Deadline: 12 Noon GMT Mon 11th Jun

Release: New Moon Wed 13th Jun

Edition #11 of Wake up screaming will present the opportunity for us to explore alchemy in its various forms, particularly from a creative perspective. We are interested in hearing from artists using Alchemical themes as a reference point in their work.

Please view our submission guidelines and previous editions before submitting your work.