Heartwood Wardstones
When stones were first found inside the DEADSTICK™ stock, it seemed a bit magical. The first one "came out" during the use of a grinding wheel on a cut piece of stock, to, it was thought at the time, "see inside"...
And the first DEADSTICK™ WARDSTONE™ appeared!
Then more appeared, and more. So many, in fact, that the realization came that ALL DEADSTICK™ DEADSTOCK™ has these inside them in an endless array of shapes and sizes.
The "source stock" for a wardstone comes from those parts of a tree branch that is "not a cane", or "not a stick", in that after a branch in made into a cane or stick the left behind parts still have spirit in them. They are still calling out to be used...
What is a Wardstone?
A Wardstone is not the literal object; a Wardstone is an association between a human and
their world. (Though Wardwood
might be more technically accurate here,
"technology" is not usually associated with these things.)
Odin knew finely where all missing cattle were concealed under the earth, and understood the songs by which the earth, the hills, the stones, and mounds were opened to him; and he bound those who dwell in them by the power of his word, and went in and took what he pleased.– Northvegr/Ynglinga
These Wardstones take a very long time to create. This image is closer than the above image, and it show's the wardstone's shine from a different light and background.
It takes days to polish these wardstones smooth, and that is after the days of cutting and forming the basic shape, finding the shape that is inside the stone.
In some, the stone is not fully formed, or firmly in place; but there remains something inside still. These then seem to want to say something...
...to me. It's faint, at first, but it's there, that something... And as I look and listen close, their images start to form...
