Commission Your Own Spirit Drum
A unique medicine ally birthed just for you
Commissioning your Sacred Spirit Drum
We hear the heartbeat of our mother in her womb, and the drum’s beat is the heartbeat of the Great Mother held in your hands.
Not everyone wants to, or is able to enter into the process of physically making their own drum. Through working in partnership with me it is is still possible for your dreams and unique ideas to be woven into a drum created especially for you.
When you commission me to birth your sacred spirit drum we enter into a magical artistic process of co-creation. Designing the perfect drum together, before I begin the work with sacred hide, and wood.
Through my hands and labour your drum is birthed into the world, over several days always working in ceremony; and with prayers and blessings offered to all of the spirits that will be woven together to make your sacred medicine ally.
Below is an outline of what customisation you can request for your drum to make it unique and special, as though you had created it yourself.
When you fill in the enquiry form (you can find a link to this further down this page) we will begin a conversation about your ideas, dreams and wishes for your drum.
Initially I will send you a document via email, that gives you information about the different hides for the drum head, and wood for the frame that may be available; along with their qualities and provenance.
All the skins I use in my drums have been a bi-product of another sustainable purpose (killed for food or due to environmental pressures of overpopulation) and would otherwise be wasted; no animal was ever killed just to provide skin for a drum that I have created.
Drum making can be seen as a reparation, a way of returning some beauty and honouring to an animal whose life has already been taken. The spirit of the animal lives on and is reborn into the drum.
The Wood for the frames is sourced from sustainably managed forests; and the wood for the song callers is personally gathered by me and seasoned every year.
As our dialogue continues you will begin to make choices about your drum, confirming the drum size, the wood and hide.
More decisions will be asked of you – do you want the frame stained or painted on the inside, before the frame is beeswaxed any symbols for the inner and outer frame (visible and invisible) must be added.
The colours of the leather that will be used to wrap the ring and make the song caller head.
The wood for the song caller handle which may be from your birth moon tree or another tree that has special meaning to you.
We will agree a date to birth your drum depending on availabily – and there may be possibilites of weaving in new or full moon energies or the powers of the Celtic Festivals or Sabbats through this choice.
We will also talk about finishing the drum and the handle options, whether you wish to have a particular ‘Heartwood’ or ‘Heartstone’ for the centre. Or you would like the handle to be made from a piece of wood or antler.
We will work together to decide on these options through dialogue and maybe through journeying to the other worlds if that is appropriate.
Please view my Gallery pages for inspiration and ideas
Once we have agreed all the details between us, and you have paid your deposit, then the birthing day will be booked into my diary.
I will begin to prepare the materials for your drum bringing them together with prayers and gratitude to the animals, tree dryads and crystal devas that are contributing to your magical and sacred medicine ally.
On the agreed day, after the hide has been soaked for at least 24 hours in our local spring water with sacred items of your choosing, I will birth your drum.
Labouring in ceremonial space, anchored by my drum altar, accompanied by my drum guide and with blessings of smoke and essences – I will work until the drum is laced, stretched and tightened to just the right tension.
The birthing is completed with cutting the lacing cord and welcoming the drum into the world with a water blessing.
Then the drum is left to quietly rest and dry for a minimum of seven days in my outdoor workshop to reach its final unique tension.
Once the drum is completely dry – a process that continues for a few days longer indoors, then the finishing touches that you have requested are added in.
This is when the ‘Heartwood’ or ‘Heartstone’ is attached and woven into the Bridget’s Cross Handle with leather wrapping, or the Antler or wooden handle, along with any embelishments is added.
Your completed drum with its personalised ‘crane bag’ (Celtic Medicine Pouch) and song caller is then given a final blessing.
I will then let you know the drum is ready to take the last steps, on its journey into your guardianship.
Once you are ready to receive your drum and have paid your balance in full then it will be carefully wrapped up, placed in its drum bag if you have requested one, and shipped Special Delivery insured* and tracked. (If you are coming to an event I am attending then I can arrange to bring your drum there to deliver it to you in person.)
*please note royal mail will only insure against total loss and not against damage to any musical instrument
Throughout history the heartbeat of the drum has been used in personal and healing ceremonies, for journey work and celebrations. The sound of the drum reconnects us to the heartbeat of our Earth Mother and our oneness with all.
The tradition of drum birthing has been handed down person to person since ancient times and I as your drum doula have trained and worked for over 20 years to learn the skills required to support you through this process. I will be birthing you a unique and personal ceremonial tool, crafted with carefully and ethically sourced materials.
Every drum has its own energy and voice, the drum is a powerful tool with which we can work to honour spirit, for healing, or for clearing and generating energy.
The Drum is the spirit horse that carries us between worlds, taking us on journeys into new dimensions, helping us to ride the tides of life, it touches memories inside each and every one of us, of something very deep and very old; of a time when we came together as a people to drum, dance and sing – rooting ourselves into the earth.
make an enquiry to commission your unique spirit drum
Each year I have just twelve opportunities available for commissions for me to birth your sacred medicine ally
– commissions for 2023 are now full and closed until February 2024 –
contact me to be added to the waiting list and fill in the form below to secure your space
included in the cost:-
- all the materials needed to birth your drum and create a song caller and bespoke Crane Bag (small drum medicine bag)
- all the preparation, rituals, ceremonies and blessings that make up the drum birthing process
- some of my handmade Celtc Drum Blessing Smudge for you to use in a ceremony when you receive your drum to welcome it into your guardianship
- A link to a recording of a special guided shamanic drum journey, for you to undertake with your drum in order to begin your connection to one another and take your first steps on your path together
- comprehensive drum care instructions
- drum bags are available for a special discounted price when ordered with a drum.
your investment is between £295 and £500 for a frame drum or £699 and £1100 for a Gathering Drum – plus postage and packaging – dependant on the drum size and materials used
a minum deposit of 50% will secure your commission and confirm the date that your drum will be birthed
Click on the button below to fill in the enquiry from and secure your place – first come first served each year
My order book opens at Imbolc on February 1st each year and remains open until all the spaces are filled for the year
Discover your Birth Moon Tree
find out which of the Celtic Trees was in its power phase in the moon in which you were born