Fossilization - Bead Journal Project March 2012

My rune stone for March is "Fossilization".

As I progress with this project, it seems that my runes are tending to have multiple meanings and that is also the case with this one.

"Fossil" is a term sometimes used for people who are old or perhaps those who cling to dated attitudes - it's certainly not a compliment!

But consider the forces that create a fossil - over eons of time, minerals replace organic tissue. Pure luck is a large factor, the plant or animal needed to die in just the right environment. Fossils are actually incredibly rare; only a infinitesimal number of the organisms that have existed through the ages will be found in the fossil record.

Humans have been discovering fossils throughout time and the interpretations of those finds have changed over time, ranging from mythical dragons to "giants of the earth" to out current scientific thoughts - will time bring further theories? 

My rune stone focal is a fossil found here on Mackinac, probably some type of sea creature that once lived in the ancient sea that formerly  covered this area.

My color palette is based on the colors of limestone, a variety of greys and used beads of varying sizes and finishes.

If you look closely, I tried to incorporate coral fossil forms in the beadwork. I once again left areas on the back open to allow the base stone to be visible.  

I photographed this particular rune stone sitting on a very large fossil ammonite my husband found as a child.

My overall interpretation for this rune is positive - a rare phenomenon, a beautiful object, a lucky find. But it does include a mild cautionary component, a reminder to not allow ourselves to become too rigid in our thoughts and attitudes less we become set in stone.