About Suzi & Fergus

Suzi



I have been working as a healer and maker of sacred objects since 1992. I  teach workshops on drum and rattle making and also offer trainings (introductory days and a year long apprenticeship) and mentoring both in person and over Skype on shamanism, land based spirituality, healing, journeying and oracular work - details of which can be found on my website. 

As a maker using wood, hide, metal, cloth, stone, leather and paint (and probably a few other things) I seek to animate my creations with spirit - to make living liminal tools that sit at the boundary between this world and the other.

I am frequently asked to undertake a shamanic journey to find out what the drum, rattle or particular tool should look like. If the vision of the finished item includes a painting then I explain to Fergus (this involves much arm-waving, "umm"ing and stick-drawings) who does the incredibly beautiful and soulful paintings on my drums and rattles.

Despite my use of the word 'shamanic' above, I have never been entirely comfortable with it as a descriptor of the work I do, as it is a word that belongs to the Tungus people of Siberia and not one that sits comfortably within these isles. If we still used our old words for what we are now calling shamanism then I might be described as Druid (I am actually a member of both OBOD and BOD, but this doesn't really convey the spirit of the work I do) or perhaps Kenning Woman, Enchantress, Witch, Woodwose, Seer, Shape Shifter, Oneiromancer, Pythia, or maybe even Wise Woman. If I lived in Wales (where I spent a great deal of time as a teenager) then I might be called Awenyddion and if I lived in Ireland (the place of some of my ancestors) then I'd be called a Fairy Doctor or perhaps Filidh. Like the word Shaman, none of these are titles that you would claim for yourself, they are offices or honours offered by the community you serve. Many have become considered to be insults rather than blessings over the years of the predominance of Christianity - Witch in particular has suffered this fate. 

Fergus and I live in a stone cottage on Dartmoor with two dogs, a cat, four feral chickens and three ever growing and coming and going young men. The young men will not be mentioned much here as they would not wish it. This will mostly be about drums, shamanic practice, animism, and an attempt to convey my love of (and belief in the sacredness of) our one and only Earth and of The Spirits.

Fergus


Fergus uses paint and his extraordinary intuition to convert Suzi's ramblings and stick drawings into the paintings on the drums that you see here.

When he is not painting drums he works with young people, mends ancient stone walls, lays hedges, listens to and plays an eclectic variety of music and goes for long walks with grateful dogs.