Rattles
Rattles are one of the most ancient of musical instruments and occur naturally in such forms as dried seed pods. Human ingenuity insures that rattles come in all size, shapes, and sounds and have many uses. Over the years rattles and drums have become virtually inseparable and have different but complementary powers. The mood of a rattle can vary considerably from the sound of soft gentle rain to the angry buzz of a rattlesnake. Soft or loud, the stones or grains inside the rattle determine the sound.
Spiritually, rattles help control, guide and regularize the relationship between humans and the spirit realm. When used ritually the spiritual meaning of the contents of the rattle are important. When making a rattle certain shamans journey to each one of the stones they put in it, infusing the spirit of a different animal helper, guide or ancestor in each separate pebble or seed.
While I don't journey to the contents of each rattle (that is left to the new owner), I am careful to use stones and seeds with special meaning, such as anthill pebbles or gravel found is special areas near sacred sites such as Chaco Canyon (It is illegal to collect even pebbles within the sites proper.. Other rattles may have crystals, Apache tears, turquoise, rice, beans, etc. according to the sound needed and my intuition.
At the Shamanic Arts Studio I make rattles principally from rawhide, but also work with other materials, such as gourds, deer toes, and turtle shells. The creative possibilities are endless. My “Coyote” rattle is made from a copper toilet bowl float with rice inside and a handle created from a deer shank bone. Whatever the construction, each is a unique piece and a work of art.