I have made two shields. The shield to me is a statement of your intention, it is your announcement to the world and it is your protection.

"See by my shield who stands before you."

I made my first shield from elk hide and willow branches. Willow is the wood of love and often Sweat Lodges are fashioned out of willow. There is an old expression, the Mighty Oak will fall but the Willow will bend with the wind. Elk hide is strong, for Elk stands for stamina and the hide is quite colorful. Shields can be made out of untanned or tanned hide, and may be painted or decorated in any manner you choose.

When I started making the first shield I had no preconception about the design. I gathered some things I had saved at home, a string of beads that had belonged to my Mother, a tarnished pin and some broken jewelry. I laced the hide to the Willow circle and started decorating the shield. Somehow the articles from my past that I had chosen found a place on my shield.

I knew exactly what my second shield was going to look like when I started making it. Months before, I had chosen a particular piece of deer hide, because it was circular and the markings on it reminded me of the craters on the face of the moon.

A few days prior to starting the shield I was looking out my kitchen window and spotted a huge Raven under a Cherry tree in the back yard. It was magnificent, I had never seen one quite that large so close up. As I watched the Raven pecking the ground under the Cherry tree, it suddenly took off and flew directly towards my kitchen window. Just as I thought the Raven would hit the glass, it veered off and flew into the west.

Raven's Moon is the name of my Shield. Raven is sometimes associated with magic, so in honor of Raven,