Brief Summary… 

• Willow tree brooch – Recycled vintage serving spoon
• Hand cut from the spoon with traditional jewellers piercing saw.
• Presented with donor spoon.
• Optional inscription message on spoon handle
• Classic safety locking catch on back.
• Strong pin which can be used for winter coats or dress wear
• Size : 65mm * 40mm
• Symbolism – Strength, resilience, hope, and the ability to adapt and heal.
• Handcrafted & Recycled in Cambridge
• made with Love

A little more detail…

The Willow, the Saille, the Ogham-letter-S.  The Ruler-of-the-5th-Lunar-Month, 15th-April-12th-May.  The willow tree connects with and symbolises Powers, Healing, Help-in-Grief-and-Death, Inspiration, Fertility, Love, Protection.

In mythology and folklore, the willow symbolizes the dual nature of flexibility and resilience but also sorrow and lamentation. Its association with the moon, water, and the Underworld links it to emotional depths, while its ability to regenerate and grow easily connects it to renewal and immortality. In various traditions, willows are seen as a source of eloquence and inspiration, yet also as a harbinger of mourning and grief, embodying the cycles of life, death, and rebirth.

The willow tree’s bending branches are a potent metaphor for adaptability and strength, able to withstand harsh conditions. Its ability to grow from cuttings and even broken branches symbolizes a powerful capacity for renewal and an enduring life force.

Willows are frequently associated with sadness and mourning, particularly in British folklore, linked to events like the “Willow Song” from Shakespeare’s Othello. Their weeping posture and presence near watery places have led to their use on gravestones and a connection to the transition between life and the afterlife.

In Celtic traditions, the willow is linked to the moon and water, suggesting deep emotional connection and psychic enhancement.

In Greek mythology, the willow is associated with the goddess Hecate and the Underworld, reinforcing its link to mystery and transitional states. In Ancient Greece, Orpheus is said to have gained eloquence from the willow, and Celtic harps were traditionally made from it, making it a symbol of music and poetry. The Greek willow nymph Helice and the Heliconian muse were seen as sacred to poets, providing inspiration from the wind in the willow trees.

The willow tree serves as a complex symbol, representing both the fragility and enduring strength of life and the profound emotional spectrum from deep sorrow to spiritual insight and renewal.

Grief and Mourning: The weeping willow’s drooping branches and lachrymose appearance are strongly associated with grief, sorrow, and mourning. It is a common image on tombstones, symbolizing loss and the passage of a life. In Shakespeare’s “Othello,” the “Willow Song” sung by Desdemona reflects her lamentation and sorrow. The willow’s association with sadness is seen in both Western and Eastern cultures, with some cultures literally referring to specific species as “weeping willows”.

Resilience and Hope:Despite its association with sadness, the willow also represents resilience and the ability to endure hardship. Its flexible branches can bend in the wind but don’t break, symbolizing the capacity to adapt and recover from adversity. The willow’s ability to grow back after being cut down or damaged further emphasizes its symbolic connection to renewal and hope.

Connection to the Past:The willow’s roots and connection to the earth can symbolize a link to ancestral roots and cultural heritage.

Protection:In some cultures, willow branches are used to ward off evil spirits or bring good luck.

Feminine Melancholy: In Russian tradition, the willow is associated with female melancholy and worried expectation.

Psychic Faculties: In Celtic mythology, the willow is sometimes associated with psychic abilities.

Adaptability and Growth:The willow’s rapid growth and ability to thrive in various environments can symbolize adaptability and the capacity for personal growth.

Each one of these beautiful summer blossom, tree of life, Willow tree brooches is totally handcrafted, completely recycled and utterly unique.
Inspired by walks through the lovely greens of Cambridge. Old, unwanted antique dessert spoons are transformed using traditional hand tools and a passion for green principles and ethics.

Each tree is carefully outlined on the surface of the spoon. This is slowly traced with a piercing saw. The final shape is filed and polished to perfection. An old spoon recycled into a gorgeous, wearable brooch.

An integral and interesting part of the brooch is the antique dessert spoon from which it was cut. This simple ‘donor’ spoon is also given a little ‘Hairy Growler’ treatment. It is transformed in to an wonderful Objects D’

Art which acts a lovely resting place for the brooch when not being worn. Both are presented in a lovely box.

A meaningful and traditional tree of life brooch with fantastic credentials and a great conversation piece. Handmade and recycled in Cambridge.

Size : Approx 65 mm * 50 mm