12 hour Luminary celebration
I create ritual crafts with ethical aesthetics. My work is inspired by spirits, animal, plant world and observed through the ocular lenses of the moving spheres. Every piece has been prepared personally on selected auspicious planetary positions. Onça remedial arts are exploring stories from mythology, wisdom and healing, in an effort to foster connection and understanding regarding our native ancestors and nature, vital to our future.
April 2019 and the first goat milk soap, sprinkled with dried orange peels.
Every day should be a celebration. Since the origin of man rituals were performed. Our modern way of living has great implications on the rituals we perform on daily basis. Consciously or unconsciously, these rituals form patterns, which are part of who we are and how we feel. According to planetary magic, on specific month, day or hour, we connect with certain planetary energies, which have great effect on the outcome of our habitual performances. Also the day and night energies have different impact on our psyche, due to their origin of luminescence. The nature of the lights, inspired me to create a project embodying the opposing essential powers of the Sun and the Moon Luminaries.
Jupiter rising soy candle batch with Saffron flower and Malva buds topping
Jaguar Symbolism
To the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica, the jaguar was more than just an animal; it was divine. The jaguar was believed to be an animal of the stars as well as of the earth, playing a highly prominent role in the mythology of the Aztec and Mexica peoples roughly 700 years ago. Jaguar dens are sometimes found in caves, which linked them to the earth and fertility: The fierce Aztec earth goddess Tlaltecuhtli is often represented with a jaguar’s claws. The cat’s dual nature connected it to transitions, like the daily cycle of the sun rising to usher in the day and setting as it gave way to night. In time the jaguar became absorbed into a complex dual mythology, representing both light and darkness, heaven and earth.According an Aztec myth, the first sun that shone on humanity was the god Tezcatlipoca, who reigned in the heavens. His brother Quetzalcóatl was envious of his power and tried to usurp him with a heavy blow. Tezcatlipoca, however, did not die but turned into a jaguar instead. Tezcatlipoca sometimes manifested himself as Tepeyóllotl, Heart of the Mountains, because his domains reflected the jaguar. He was found not just in caves and the underworld but also in the night sky, for which the jaguar’s dotted pelt became a symbol.The Mexica had another myth to explain the animal’s characteristic “stained” pelt: When the gods created the sun and moon, the jaguar was thrown onto the sacred fire and came back to life in the flames with its fur spotted and singed.
The Onça project was initiated on March 2019 and the first “offering” were dedicated to the Mexican Jaguar. I created two gift sets “Onça Day Vision & Onça Night Vision” with distinct aromas and intentions of use. They are embodying the mythological story of the Day and the Night. Symbolically the Day one is beaming light and the Night one, is reflecting light and working from the dark unknown perspective. The label name originates from the “Onça Panthera”. When I begun my research on the name, I learned that Onça derives from the Latin “Uncia” and it also historically associated with gold coin, 1/12 part and also large wild feline.
Aged goat milk soap with Cocoa and Aztec Betonite Clay
Panthera onca, more commonly known as the Jaguar, is the third largest of the big cat family (after the Tiger and Lion) and is a solitary, secretive, and extremely powerful apex predator. While the etymology of both the Latin and more commonly used name is not definitive, there are some established theories.
How amazing is that a cat is perhaps a base of evaluation in our life. Golden coin-large feline and one twelfth! I am fascinated by this etymological connection and that a large wild cat can actually be a base founder of our measuring system. Also the number 12 is a special number obviously, because we count 12 hour day and 12 hour night time. The Zodiacal wheel is also divided in twelve. Twelve is a special number for me, so I decided to use the word “Onça” in its original form, as the name for my ritual crafts label.
Day & Night Vision
Onça is Celebration of the Opposites
Day Vision:
Candle & Soap Gift Box – inside is 1 scented soy wax candle + 1. goat milk soap, with pure essential oils, dried orange peels, coffee grains and sea salt
1 SOY-WAX CANDLE
I created also few “Day Vision” candles on the auspicious Jupiter rising hour, enhanced with extra essential oil scents and saffron flower topping. The mighty Phaethon expands our vibrational parameters, while the Crocus sativus- golden saffron flower was known to cure melancholy, improve depressive moods and was ritually offered to divinities by the Minoan culture. The Egyptians used the golden flower as aphrodisiac in perfumes, medicine and body washes.
Only pure essential oils from Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vanilla, Vetiver, Myrte Rogue, Black Pepper and Orange were used to create powerful embodying of the solar energy.
GOAT MILK
From Ancient times until today, goat milk has been used not only an excellent source of nutrition but also for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. The healing properties of this milk have been so appreciated that Cleopatra took milk baths to make her skin look beautiful Goat Milk is common in European and Middle Eastern countries still today.
All milk contains natural emollients, vitamins and triglycerides that moisturize the skin. Goat milk specifically contains the highly effective moisturizer capric-capryllic triglyceride. Many generic soaps are effective at cleaning but very hard on your skin. The Goat milk soap removes the dirt and grim and replaces it with moisturizers. People with sensitive skin or eczema will greatly benefit from using goat milk soap.
Healthy ingredients that are found in goat milk include vitamins A, C, E and B. When you use the Goat Milk Soap these vitamins are naturally absorbed into your skin, making it soft and healthy.
SOLAR OFFERING
This soap is about self expression and celebration of life.
The Nigh Vision skull soap package
Night Vision:
Candle & Soap Gift Box – inside is 1 scented soy wax candle + 1 pine tar soap, with essential oils
1 SOY-WAX CANDLE
100% soy wax to provide a non-toxic, clean burning scented candle was hand poured in painted and glazed clay pot on selected auspicious Moon. I also created few candles on auspicious Jupiter rising hour, enhanced with extra essential oil scents and Malva flower topping. The mighty Phaethon expands our vibrational parameters, while the Malva sylvestris flowers are known to soothes the respiratory system and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It ‘s one of the herbs that are used in the practice of loving back and against evil eye. Malva also “was planted upon the graves of the ancients, stemming from the belief that the dead could feed on such perfect plants”.
Essential oils have the capacity to change the electrical frequency of the body. When frequencies drop, disease sets in. Essential oils have the highest frequency of any substance known. As living substances, their frequency is harmonic with the human frequency. When we come in contact with them, our body frequency is raised to a degree that we become inhospitable to pathogenic organisms.
Pure essential oils of Myrrh, Frankincense, Cypress, Atlas Cedar, Rosemary, Nutmeg, Ylang Ylang, Lavender were used to embrace and reflect the emitting lunar powers.
PINE TAR HISTORY AND PROPERTIES
While living in the northern parts of Finland, I discovered the wonderful campfire aroma of the pine tar. Used in shampoos, soaps, candy and even mustard, the woody scent remained ever since with me. For some people the pine tar odor can be overwhelming. Pine tar is a sticky substance that results from burning the wood of pine trees. The history of pine tar dates back to the Egyptians, who were using for the embalming body rituals. Pine tar used as preservative to protect wood from the harsh winter conditions as well as on the bottoms of Nordic skis. Pine tar soaps have been used in soothing treatments for skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis; it is said to relieve itching caused by bug bites. This property alone makes it a great addition to your medicine cabinet during the warm mosquitoes months.
MAGICAL LUNAR HOURS
Onça Night Vision is used for daily practices on specifically selected hour, the scented candles and soaps enhance the ritual outcome, through astrological and elemental correspondences.
Day Vision skull soap bindi ceremony
Onça Skull Soaps
Singular Skull Soap Box – inside is 1 pine tar soap, creosote free, with pure essential oils.
A common symbol of the Day of the Dead is the skull (in Spanish calavera), which celebrants represent in masks, called calacas (colloquial term for skeleton), and foods such as sugar or chocolate skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Skulls are of course symbol of the Dead and celebration of the Life. During the Scorpio ruled month of November, the veil between this two dimensions is thinner.
The Onça Skull Soap series are celebration of the Life. Inspired by the forest and tree ashes, I wanted to use the symbolism of pine tree tar in the production of the Night Vision Onça offering to the Dark Moon. Disintegration, purification and regeneration are the stages of the psychic transformation, which belong to the Dark Moon’s healing powers. Through evocation of the Dark Moon Goddess, we can reconnect with our ancestors, untangle past karmic knots and work on our anxieties.
The Onça Night Skull Soap is perfect celebration of dead and the dead spirits. This cold processed lye soap, is made with 100% Organic Handmade Pine Tar – Contains Organic Creosote Free Dale Kiln Burned Swedish Pine Tar, pure essential Myrrh, Frankincense, Hyssop, Rosemary and Lavender oils, mixed with Coconut and Olive Oil base.
Singular Skull Soap Box – inside is 1 goat milk, active charcoal soap, with pure essential oils.
This cold processed Day Vision Skull Soap was made with Aztec Bentonite Clay, Active Charcoal, Coffee Grains, Raw Cocoa Powder, Pure Essential Peppermint and Tea Tree Oils, mixed with Goat Milk, Coconut, Castor and Olive Oil base.
There is more of course to this story and I would love to share the process with you. The people who inspired it and supported me on the way and also some practical information regarding ritual offerings, planetary magic and healing cosmic sounds. This are more than hand poured candles and soaps. I wish this to be a platform for ethical product info exchange and a base to inspire connection to the nature, the cosmos and us through arts and offering.
Onça Panthera –
power of intention
one candle, one soap
homemade for
ceremonial rituals
sacred gifts
feline divination
celebration of the opposites
Video & Music: Nuutti Kataja
Art Direction & Magic Hands: Eliza Karmasalo
Onça Mojo Productions, Berlin, 2019
Onça Shop Link:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/OncaRitualOfferings
Pine tar skull soap