HAND DRUMS by TRANSFORMATIVE WOMENS JOURNEYS

PLEASE NOTE ONLY DRUMS THAT ARE LISTED ARE AVAILABLE. OTHER PICTURED DRUMS ARE FOR DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES - these can give you an idea as to what is possible for custom drums

 ABOUT TRANSFORMATIVE WOMEN’S JOURNEYS

All drums have been cleansed and blessed with Frankincense, Rose or Palo Santo

The Masculine Reimagined

This baby is a rework of a drum that my husband made which he wasn’t happy with, so i reimagined it.

It is called ‘The Masculine Reimagined’ and is in direct response to the increasing loudness of the dying patriarchy & the 50th Int. Women’s Day - on the eve of which this drum was birthed.

The dreaming for this drum was to conjure a new form that the masculine must take within the new world. One where it knows that the strength of the feminine doesn’t weaken the masculine but rather that walking side by side, supporting & honouring each other, being allies, it will strengthen us.

This drum symbolises the need for harmony between the feminine & masculine within us all, & the awareness that we have all been conditioned by this colonised society.

I reused everything in the original drum except for the handle. I liked the idea that the potential for the new masculine already exists & it just takes us to do some work to bring it into form. The new handle is less rigid, bent in various directions, symbolising the need to let our inner knowing guide us to the path that promotes our growth.

The drum is made from Kangaroo which live in community - signifying the only way things will change is by connecting through & working with community. Roos can only move forwards - we can’t go back, we must move forward together. There is nothing for us in the past, only memories, mistakes & lessons - from which we must learn.

The cord is dyed black, & connects the face to the ring - symbolising the shadow - it is where the work is, what helps connect who we are to our true potential. It also represents the interconnectedness of everything. The ring representing wholeness.

The plaits on the side have been repurposed & are an homage to culture globally. They symbolise wisdom, strength & unity - again showing that together we are stronger.

The pine hoop - a powerful symbol across cultures - fertility, rebirth, protection, forgiveness, wisdom, longevity & was used by the Celts in healing past trauma.

The animal symbol is Eagle - strength, courage, resilience, leadership
& vision.

The Messenger

 This baby is The Messenger. She is made with Roo skin with a 16” pine hoop.

My journey began with me running through the forest with panther. We came to a waterway, a gentle waterfall area. A woman was there, dressed in robes, an older woman - maga not crone. She had long black hair. Her face was still and strong, and felt powerfully compassionate.

Her message was: You were given these gifts, take them seriously, not yourself. They live within you. Create proper space around your practice, your ceremony - objects, place, simple but profound symbols. It will clear your mind of clutter and confusion to do your work.

Heal your heart. She put her hand on my chest over my heart and it felt like a ‘god’ moment. Like everything i ever needed was held in that simple action and placed within my chest. Believe in what you do. Get ready to move forward with purpose.

She then evaporated as she passed through me but then was still standing there communing with the water.

Throughout the making of the drum, lots of birds were calling - kookaburra started it and was a constant throughout. Birds are associated with the element of air and communication. They are said to be messengers between the worlds. Kookaburra specifically symbolise joy and laughter and use their call to maintain social bonds - they live in family groups.

There were lots of breakages in this making. I felt like it’s taken a lot, you’ve gone through so much, the gravity of your experience was not lost on me, and, you are finally arriving at your place, to your purpose.

Roo is a symbol of only moving forwards, and a strong sense of community. You don’t have to lead the community, you have an equal place amongst it.

Angelite rests within the handle, which has a calming and serene energy. It's believed to facilitate communication with angels and spirit guides, enhance spiritual awareness, and promote peace and relaxation. Angelite is associated with the throat and third eye chakras and is often used in meditation and spiritual practices. 

The cards pulled were:

Mayu - foretells a new phase in life, and a discovery and development of talents. It also speaks to soul healing.

Kanyini: Healing of connection and trust. Spiritually a deepening of awareness.

The Feminine Cycle: Remember. Honour your cycle regardless of where you are on the reproductive path. Pass down your wisdom.

Water: Tap into your feelings. Be aware of what are yours and what belongs to others. Healing. Connection with the ebb and flow of the ocean. Open your heart.

Acceptance

New drum baby just birthed on Saturday, still with her cords attached.

This baby has a very simple message. It is simply about coming to acceptance with the way things have been and are. Resisting is a waste of energy, you become stuck, unable to move forward.

This baby is an inside out drum - a symbol of revelation, of revealing, uncovering truth, your truth, the truth of the situation.

She is a 22” Rosewood frame, goat skin, with a chunk of raw black tourmaline in her centre. Rosewood is associated with the heart chakra. It is a symbol of compassion, healing, resilience and strength. Goats are surefooted and resilient. They are playful, and know what they have to do to ensure their survival. Black tourmaline is protective, clears negative energy and is grounding. It is associated with the root chakra. I chose a raw piece because it isn’t polished, we find ourselves when we are raw, real, with no polishing, no mask.

The face of the drum is textured, mottled. You can see the vein markings and feel the fibres, the realness of the skin. It feels alive, energetic.

Her sound is strong, deep and powerful delivered in a rich vibrato. She has been making lots of noise as she settles into her bones.

The cards:

Pono pono - let your heart have the faith it needs so you may rest in joy. Open up to receive healing

Padma sundari - trust in what is possible

Sacred site - you are entering the next right of passage. Connect deeply with land spirits. Get ready for personal transformation

Drum - need i say more? Connect to the drum, drum beat, heart beat

 He who held the waters

This baby is called ‘He who held the waters’. It’s a 16”, teal, Roo skin drum on African pine, adorned with a chrysocolla stone.

Chrysocolla, known as “gold glue,” is a stone of empowerment, communication, and tranquility. It eases overwhelm while fostering clarity and calm, especially during tough decisions.

Roo: Community & only moving forward,

Teal: Fosters calmness, emotional healing, & spiritual growth

African Pine: with its enduring green foliage & strength, it symbolizes immortality, longevity, the triumph of life, embodying ancestral presence & a deep sacred connection.

This drum supports healthy emotional expression, revealing how suppression creates patterns that can negatively affect us - reminding us we’re all still children in adult onesies.

Meditation: We headed towards some water pipes where there was a man quietly standing. We entered through the middle pipe & a huge torrent of water rushed through. We had to really push through the very strong current in the water.

On the other side, there were rushing water rapids. We followed them upstream to find their source. At the furthest point, we came across a small boy, about nine years old. He had long hair & sat curled up, his legs pulled to his chest & his head bowed, quietly crying.

He was the source of the water. When I asked if he was okay, he said he was upset - felt misunderstood, unable to express his emotions, & told to toughen up. He carried so much & didn’t know how to release it.

As he turned against himself because he was told his feelings were too overwhelming, the more his anger & unhappiness grew. The rushing water reflected all he was trying to hold inside.

The story of Tiddlelick came to mind, holding onto the water. This boy was containing all his emotions, causing him to withdraw, shut down, & disconnect. Tiddlelick reminded me that sharing our feelings, in a healthy way, is a gift.

Then suddenly i found myself outside a school bus with young boys. They were boisterous & rough. When we got on the bus i stood at the front, i looked around & recognised the pain in each of the boys. There was such grief there. They were exhausted from holding their emotions in.

Suddenly, as I met the gaze of one boys, he began to cry. I gently told him his tears were safe & welcome. A hush fell over the bus, & one by one, the boys began to release the pain they had been holding inside. Beneath it all, they were just frightened little boys, longing for someone to reassure them that everything would be okay.

Vision Quest-seek - get to know your true self, speak up
Shaman - completion - spend time outside, connect with nature
Water - expression - tap into sources of deep emotions, cleansing

Council of the Wild Women: Awakening the sacred rage

This drum is called Council of the Wild Women: Awakening the Sacred Rage. It is a 16” Brown/orange, Roo skin with a woven paper coil disc & woven handle.

Within the pouch is a piece of Black Tourmaline for protection, grounding, emotional stability & also Amazonite for clear communication.

The brown/orange dye is for grounded creativity & stability.

Roo represents community & only moving forward

Woven disc - This disc was inspired by the Egyptian Sun Disc - in particular The Eye of Ra, which is said to be protective - symbolises creation, life-giving light, & divine authority. The woven disc also symbolises the Egyptian goddess, Sekhmet- the lioness goddess of war which was sent down by Ra to destroy his enemies. Sekhmet is often used as a symbol of anger/rage.

The story goes that Ra tricked Sekhmet by feeding her barley beer mixed with red ochre or pomegranate juice instead of blood. She became intoxicated, fell asleep & awoke with her bloodlust gone & turned her into Bastet, who became the protector of homes, women, pregnant mothers, & children.

The Journey
I entered through the entrance to mini haha. When i reached the water hole i was sent through a portal to a cave which was filled with indigenous & ancient women from all over the world. It was a womens council. I couldnt see all of them, just someone meant to represent bastet & Aust indigenous woman.

On my way down panther was nowhere, & it was clearly conveyed to me that panther isn’t here, instead Eagle, snake & scorpion came to me.

The women told me that in the matriarchal days, they were empowered. They harnessed their anger & it protected them, kept them safe.

Suddenly i was in a forest somewhere & it felt really unsafe. There were all kinds of threats. Panther came & i was told that this is where i become a warrior. Harness the power of Artemis the hunter, Baba Yaga the wild woman, Bastet/Sekhmet. To not be afraid to connect to my anger, this is when it is important. Use it to protect you.

Cards:

Maat - Justice - examine whether your actions, thoughts, and words are in alignment with truth
Lilith - Power - to embrace your independence, set clear boundaries, and refuse to settle for situations that compromise your autonomy. She encourages you to step into your righteous anger and trust your own inner power
Sedna - Victim - Release the victim role, transform pain into power, acceptance & resilience

The Teaching
This drum is to facilitate a healthy relationship with anger and rage, to stop suppressing it and use it in a healthy way. Healthy anger gives us information, it protects us without hurting ourselves or others.

Commission orders, drum painting and private drum making sessions are also available.

IMPORTANT NOTE

GalleryONE88 staff will be in contact once your purchase has been processed to organise pick up or delivery.  Please note artwork price does not include postage and handling.