Poppet: a doll fashioned in the likeness of another person or divine being to affect change for good or for ill, usually poked with a needle or pin to direct the focus of energy to a specific place in the body. At least this is how I define poppet. Most poppets are single spell use with a specific target in mind to bless, curse or heal another. There is the phenomenon of Orisha dolls fashioned to represent specific Orisha Gods in their honor. Orisha dolls are generally treated with the highest respect with offerings and rituals designed around them and housed on altars or in shrines.
Oddlings as they have been dubbed, are poppets that are vessels for spirits from the faery realms. I have been known to create Oddlings to house saints and gods, but mostly I work with faery spirits. I keep my personal Oddlings close to me and safely kept in a place of honor. They receive offerings, are included in certain rituals, held during meditations of guidance, and like a good Vasilissa, I tote them around in a pocket to go out and about with me when I feel called to do so. Yes, you could say I still play with dolls.
For me, the practice of creating poppets originated from a folktale of my ancestry: Vasillissa the Brave. Vasillissa's mother made her a doll before she died. This doll became a helper during her days of trial that would follow her mother's death and lead her to a place of vindication and happiness in her life. I made the first helper doll for my daughter as she was experiencing issues with school while she was small and it brought her comfort and the help she needed to move forward. She carried it with her to and from school in a pocket of her backpack. It was not the felt poppet that I make now. It was made of muslin and the stitching eventually loosened by fraying fabric as muslin is wont to do, but she still sits in my daughter's room a happy memory. Once I started playing in felt, I fell in love with the durability of the seams and muslin went right out the window.
On occasion I get asked: "so why the black heart???" Well it's a little faery secret about the true nature of innocence. We see it in small children and animals. Small children and animals make no excuses for themselves. They are what they are and they have no shame about who and what they are. In my particular tradition, this concept is represented by a black heart. On each Oddling you will also find a blue bead for a belly button. There are two meanings here: one in Feri the goddess is represented by the color blue and the color is a reminder that all of us are born of women, two: cobalt blue is used by many cultures to ward off the evil eye. No sense in having something special to have it tainted by the jealousy of another is there? There is one open eye represented by a button to see our world with, there is an eye that sees the faery realms represented by an embroidered X, and a crooked smile of slyness sealed shut to keep those secrets between only two creatures: the poppet and it's guardian.
When meditating with an Oddling, I hold it while focusing firmly on the subject in question. Grounding here is a very good idea, not only does grounding keep you from wandering in your train of thought, it helps filter out any expected results of the meditation making plenty of room for real guidance. There are times when dream work is done and for this I place the poppet in my pillow after telling it what it is I need to see and know in my dreams. Sometimes I don't remember the dream itself, but I am suddenly inspired with a solution upon waking. I never know just how this sort of magic will manifest, but I find that there is always a positive effect for me.
I leave offerings of gratitude when I finish working with my Oddlings. Depending on who they are and what I am guided to do the offerings range from cookies and milk to vodka or wine that later get poured into the earth with thanks. Sometimes the offering is a good old parade around town with a comfortable seat in my pocket followed by ooo's and aww's from the humans that encounter them. Keeping them clear and fed is key for me. Sage and church incense smudgings on a regular basis keeps them fresh and I find that some of them request a sprinkling of powdered flowers and herbs. Those things tend to vary from Oddling to Oddling so I listen carefully to what my intuition says and follow through.
If you have an Oddling already, I hope I have given you some ideas on how to work with your helper doll. If you don't have one yet, why not ???? The only things I ask you to remember should you bring an Oddling into your life is don't poke with pins. . . they don't like it much and it is your friend, not servant.
Oddlings as they have been dubbed, are poppets that are vessels for spirits from the faery realms. I have been known to create Oddlings to house saints and gods, but mostly I work with faery spirits. I keep my personal Oddlings close to me and safely kept in a place of honor. They receive offerings, are included in certain rituals, held during meditations of guidance, and like a good Vasilissa, I tote them around in a pocket to go out and about with me when I feel called to do so. Yes, you could say I still play with dolls.
For me, the practice of creating poppets originated from a folktale of my ancestry: Vasillissa the Brave. Vasillissa's mother made her a doll before she died. This doll became a helper during her days of trial that would follow her mother's death and lead her to a place of vindication and happiness in her life. I made the first helper doll for my daughter as she was experiencing issues with school while she was small and it brought her comfort and the help she needed to move forward. She carried it with her to and from school in a pocket of her backpack. It was not the felt poppet that I make now. It was made of muslin and the stitching eventually loosened by fraying fabric as muslin is wont to do, but she still sits in my daughter's room a happy memory. Once I started playing in felt, I fell in love with the durability of the seams and muslin went right out the window.
On occasion I get asked: "so why the black heart???" Well it's a little faery secret about the true nature of innocence. We see it in small children and animals. Small children and animals make no excuses for themselves. They are what they are and they have no shame about who and what they are. In my particular tradition, this concept is represented by a black heart. On each Oddling you will also find a blue bead for a belly button. There are two meanings here: one in Feri the goddess is represented by the color blue and the color is a reminder that all of us are born of women, two: cobalt blue is used by many cultures to ward off the evil eye. No sense in having something special to have it tainted by the jealousy of another is there? There is one open eye represented by a button to see our world with, there is an eye that sees the faery realms represented by an embroidered X, and a crooked smile of slyness sealed shut to keep those secrets between only two creatures: the poppet and it's guardian.
When meditating with an Oddling, I hold it while focusing firmly on the subject in question. Grounding here is a very good idea, not only does grounding keep you from wandering in your train of thought, it helps filter out any expected results of the meditation making plenty of room for real guidance. There are times when dream work is done and for this I place the poppet in my pillow after telling it what it is I need to see and know in my dreams. Sometimes I don't remember the dream itself, but I am suddenly inspired with a solution upon waking. I never know just how this sort of magic will manifest, but I find that there is always a positive effect for me.
I leave offerings of gratitude when I finish working with my Oddlings. Depending on who they are and what I am guided to do the offerings range from cookies and milk to vodka or wine that later get poured into the earth with thanks. Sometimes the offering is a good old parade around town with a comfortable seat in my pocket followed by ooo's and aww's from the humans that encounter them. Keeping them clear and fed is key for me. Sage and church incense smudgings on a regular basis keeps them fresh and I find that some of them request a sprinkling of powdered flowers and herbs. Those things tend to vary from Oddling to Oddling so I listen carefully to what my intuition says and follow through.
If you have an Oddling already, I hope I have given you some ideas on how to work with your helper doll. If you don't have one yet, why not ???? The only things I ask you to remember should you bring an Oddling into your life is don't poke with pins. . . they don't like it much and it is your friend, not servant.
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