TALISMAN
I create unique talismans: Jewelry meant to inspire and change the wearer My goal is to take us back to the fundamental human imperative to adorn themselves; for inspiration, protection, and courage. All metals are recycled, and stones are recycled or lab grown, thus theres no mining impact.
Jewelry by Annie Band
I work with silver, gold, bronze, & precious gems. Every piece is hand inscribed with inspirations, quotes, or poetry on the reverse. These inspirations mesh with the designs to create powerful wearable talismans.
Where I live
I live and work in Jackson Hole, WY, in a log cabin workshop set in the woods. Im often inspired by animal visitors there; moose, bear, deer, butterflies, mountain lions, weasels, and many birds and wildflowers are often featured as totems in my designs.
My Background
I have degrees in biology, poetry, and a Masters in science in Wildlife Biology. My background deeply informs my designs and continually inspires me 5% of all sales are donated to environmental causes.
Annie Band Totem Meanings
Feathers are linked with ascension, spiritual evolution, & celestial wisdom. Native Americans consider that feathers represent the power of air & wind & the ability to move freely in life.
Raven represents intelligence, creativity, playfulness, and a far-seeing eye. Countless cultures point to the raven as a harbinger of powerful secrets.
Hawk medicine is in guardianship, & teaches us to open our eyes and see that which is there to guide us. The hawk is heavenly; its wings were the sky, the sun and moon were its eyes.
Owl is the symbol for wisdom, knowledge, and guidance in times of darkness or mystery, & the muse of Athena, the goddess of wisdom & battle. They are spirit messengers & it is lucky if an owl resides near a house.
Eagle: A totem of great strength, power, and keen vision. This totem speaks to us about dreams, mental liberation, & mental acuity.
Crane: An auspicious symbol of peace and harmony, the crane represents the quietness of self-knowledge and calm wisdom.
Hummingbird: Their fluttering wings move in the pattern of an infinity symbol. They remind us to be persistent & assertive in the pursuit of our dreams.
White-Crowned Sparrow: Energetic and incredibly musical, this sparrow is fastidious, productive, and joyful.
Woodpecker points to a need for sense of place and grounded earth energy. Native Americans feel the drumming of the woodpecker mimics the beating of the human heart.
Peacock represents immortality in some cultures, and self-confidence without vanity.
Chicadee represents the acceptance of hardship and work with grace and song in your heart.
Wolf has been long regarded as a teacher & pathfinder. They are fiercely loyal & have a strong sense of family. This totem encourages a strong sense of self, good communication, dignity, courage, & fierceness. A warrior totem, engendering deep trust.
Fox is a spirit guide and represents clarity, intelligence & guidance. The ancient Celts revered the fox for its pathfinding and woodcraft.
Bear teaches introspection, to go within & discover that we contain the answers to all of our questions. We are our own best teacher. A grounded, healing totem.
Mountain Lion: The elusive, secretive cats demand self-reliance, independent thought, & acceptance of our innermost selves, regardless of pressure to conform.
Moose is a primal symbol of feminine creativity, intuition, patience, strength & illumination.
Elk and Deer represent stamina, alert awareness, agility, and conservation of energy. This totem is a calming influence & can help reduce stress.
Buffalo is a symbol of abundance. Buffalo asks you to connect with lifes meaning, to praise your gifts, & recognize & honor the sacredness in all paths.
Ram is a totem of inner strength. This totem brings power, agility, & energy for new endeavors. Yet within that energy and strength is great balance.
Elephant is unparalleled in raw strength, yet this is tempered by deep affection, wisdom, family affinity, and memory.
Bats are highly auspicious symbols of luck, success, health, long life, & happiness. The bat is a symbol of intuition, dreaming and vision.
Horse represents loyalty, trust, grace, & honor.
Porcupine means innocence, sweetness, and comfort in solitude.
Shark represents fierce attention, focus, and the strength of the predator. Highly assertive, the shark is a great model of power.
Octopus is a water totem & is symbolic of flexibility, adaptability and creativity. The octopus moves skillfully in a realm that is in constant motion, ever changing & shifting.
Dragon teaches us about using the magic within to change & grow. Dragons are considered the bringers of wealth, power & good fortune.
Snake means that healing opportunities, change, important transitions, and increased energy are manifesting. Transformation and change are within.
Dragonfly lets us see past illusions, so that when we think we cannot change, Dragonfly medicine teaches us to pierce our self-created illusions.
Bees represent communication, joy, love, and sweetness. Dream bees ask us if we are communicating effectively and keeping in touch with our loved ones.
Butterfly is about the ability to go through important changes with grace and lightness.
Spider is a remarkable figure of feminine energy and creativity, characterized by skilled weaving & patience.
Skulls of all kinds, including the Memento Mori, pare the essence of a being down to their elemental truth. They remind us to live fully in every moment as all things pass, and inspire deeper connection to the spirit realm.
Mandalas are symbols of perfection, eternity, unity and completeness. Mandalas are meant to help envisage a sacred space separated and protected from the ever-changing and impure outer world of Samsara.
Spirals & Circles represent the power of the sun. The circle is universal, sacred, and divine & symbolizes the cycle of seasons, life, and death.
Buddha is a Sanskrit word meaning The Awakened One, one awakened to reality, & understands true nature of the mind, the world, & all beings.
The Crescent Moon is a symbol of power that has been recurring in art & spiritual thought for over 30,000 years. It represents the Goddess Isis & the Sacred Bull among many meanings.
Sacred Lotus flowers are a divine symbol in Asian traditions, representing purity. The bloom suggests the expansion of the soul. From the mud, spotless the lotus grows.
Plum Blossom represents strength in the face of adversity & the blooming of the true self. The plum tree is deeply auspicious in Japanese culture, & blooms with snow on the branches.
Tree of Life is a mystical concept alluding to the interconnectedness of all life on our planet, a metaphor for the spiritual connection to our ancestors and loved ones.
Heart-Leaf Arnica: This member of the sunflower family has incredible healing energy.
Aspen: A Beautiful native deciduous tree, aspens represent strength in flexibility, Beauty, change, fluidity. Also embodies a deep spirit of light and happiness.
Mountain Ash represents vitality, persistence and huge life force energy.
Douglas Fir is a beautiful, long lived native tree. It represents rootedness, sense of place, strength & fidelity.
Chrysanthemum represents the unfolding of inner perfection, and the myriad layers of every human being.
COMMONLY USED STONES
Sapphire is believed to bring protection, good fortune & spiritual insight. Called the fearless stone, sapphire represents protection & courage.
Ruby: Ancient cultures felt that rubies brought power, protection, peace & prosperity. They are a warming stone and bring passion and fire to the wearer. Also considered good luck.
Spinel is used to bring vitality to any endeavor, power spiritual quests, & help us move forward. Also calms challenging situations.
Diamond is a symbol of perfection and illumination, & activates the Crown Chakras. It enhances inner vision and stimulates creativity, imagination, & ingenuity.
Amethyst: The ancient Egyptians considered the amethyst the stone of the intellect. It has a calming effect on the wearer, & is a good stone for clarity.
Zircon inspires intuition, durability, & steadiness. Also zircon eases depression & insomnia.
Moonstone is foremost a talisman of the inward journey, taking one deep into the self. Balances yin and yang energies.
Chalcedony absorbs negative energy and dissipates it, soothes and restores balance.
Peridot is representative of renewal, growth and change. Calming energy.
Turquoise has the far seeing energy of the sky, engenders creative thought and assists the artist within.
