My Mandrake products and the support of my customers raises money for a local women's safehouse. Help increase this aid by buying this greeting card set!
In this set you get four of the greeting cards featuring my pen and ink drawing of a personified Mandrake. This drawing, while primarily drawn in black and white, also has two shades of brown, one darker, one lighter. The image has been printed onto a recycled off white cardstock using windpower. The envelopes are the same off white and with the card, measure at 9 x 6 inches in size. Because Mandrake was believed to heal the bruises inflicted on women in domestic violence, 10% of all Mandrake products sales will be donated to the local women's shelter in Boulder, CO. The cards are not at all limited to Mother's Day, but just a superb option; they work for all women in general, with children or childless. They are great cards for new mothers, old mothers, unmothers, witches, herbalists, feminists and botanists. By purchasing this set, you save a little money than you would by buying them individually.
As do all of Anangka Art's greeting cards, typed up on the back is an elaborate write-up explaining both the medicinal and magickal properties of Mandrake, as well as her history and lore. The insides have been left blank for your own personal message and mark. This is how the write-up on the back reads:
“Mandrake”—this powerful plant has resonated with many wisdom traditions simply because of how her root takes the shape of the human form. The original European mandrake is a member of the potato family, and is not to be confused with “false” mandrake, otherwise and more appropriately known as the May apple.
In her book, The Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects, Barbara G. Walker explains why and how mandrake came to be a symbol of Christianity. Walker recounts that “because [mandrake] . . . is mentioned in the Bible, medieval theologians went to great lengths to interpret . . . [how the] flowers represented the Holy Ghost, its root was Christ [himself], [and] the plant’s growth demonstrated the growth of true piety.”
Indeed the root resembles a person, but that of Christ, is both contrite and limiting. As we examine mandrake in the context of more ancient history, we find it was ironically used in potions. Mandrake was used as a purgative, narcotic and antispasmodic. Magickally, mandrake was employed similarly as is the Haitian Voodoo doll. The church, who had once identified it as “Christ” root, later disowned mandrake, calling it the “phallus of the field” or the “devil’s testicles” while fueled by the madness of the Inquisition.
While the artist left the human image in this drawing androgynous there is no doubt that this was a woman’s plant. According to lore, mandrake could only be successfully uprooted if first a woman soaked the earth with either her urine or her moon blood. During the Middle Ages, Walker explains “that when taken . . . [from Mother Earth], the mandrake would emit a scream that would kill or drive insane anyone who heard it.” Continuing with the concept of creation, Paracelsus believed that if mandrake was mixed with semen and menstrual blood, he could make a real human embryo.
In this modern world there is less of a need for magick potions. Science has given infertile women more opportunity to conceive, but sadly domestic violence continues. According to Walker, mandrake “was the herb of beaten women . . . [because its] berries were believed to remove the black and blue bruises inflicted by husbands’ corrective admonitions.” Perhaps the modern woman can concoct a spell using mandrake to stop such violence altogether. 10% of every “Mandrake” product sale will be donated to a local woman’s shelter by the artist and her company, AnangkaArts.
Sarah Elizabeth Taz Schantz lives in Boulder, CO with her family. Mandrake is a pen and ink drawing from her most recent collection dedicated to Botanicals. In each, the flower, plant or herb is personified in hopes to draw people back to nature—Mandrake innately has this ability already. More printed magick available at AnangkaArts.Etsy.com.
International customers, please contact me first before purchase in case there are any additional shipping charges to apply. All else, after receipt of payment please allow up to one week for me to process and ship your order, although it rarely takes that long. The cards will be shipped to you within cello sleeves and inside an unbendable envelope.
Thank you for looking and for buying handmade!!! We simply can't afford not to in this day and age!!!