A bit about the journals themselves
First & foremost, you definitely don’t need a Chapter & Feather journal for journaling. Any notebook or sheets of paper & any pen or pencil will do the trick just as well. There are lots of fantastic designs out there, or you might even want to make your own. The key is making sure it feels right.
Here is a little bit about the Chapter & Feather journal sets though if you are interested, or a place to find out more if you have purchased one. They are all handmade intentionally & with a great deal of care at a battered scrub top Victorian kitchen table using one of two old typewriters & a very old sewing machine… all ready to find their person!
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The contents of each journal set
In each handmade Chapter & Feather journal set you will find:
- a simple A5 journal, hand bound with a deckled edged cotton paper cover & 22 leaves (44 pages) of dotted or plain paper or a mixture of both. For those with any plain pages a line guide will be provided. The front cover will show one of the i Ching hexagrams; the inside back cover will say a little about its potential meaning
- a feather ‘quill’ pen, with a black 1mm ballpoint & a jute grip (the occasional rainbow versions have a cotton grip). The meaning of the colours of the feather are inside the back cover
- a small crystal or tumble stone & a small piece of seaglass. The potential meaning of the stone is inside the back cover
- a 100% natural beeswax taper candle with a burning time of approximately 45 minutes (please use carefully)
Below is a little about each of these elements with ideas of how to use them to support your journaling.
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The i Ching hexagram
The i Ching or Book of Changes is an ancient Chinese divination text often referred to as an Oracle. Used by many thousands of people over many thousands of years & translated many thousands of times, it contains profoundly wise words centred around balance & harmony; Yin & Yang.
There is much more to say about the wonderful i Ching than I could even start to write about here – although there is a little section of this website with more. It is known as a powerful, supportive & immensely helpful tool, & its wise guidance is valued & respected a great deal by many.
Each time I start making a journal I begin by divining a hexagram: I then mark the six lines (each of which is either broken or unbroken) onto the front cover with a typewriter. At the back of the journal the hexagram name & number & the briefest of interpretations can be found – I hope it invites its new owner to find out much more about the hexagram’s meaning & about the i Ching itself.
_________________
________ ________
________ ________
________ ________
_________________
_________________
Above is the Hexagram 41, Mountain over Lake: simplicity, diminishing.
There is a wealth of information about this wonderful tool on the internet & in books.
When I divine each journal’s hexagram I keep a note of which line is changing – this will give a far fuller meaning, & I’ll always be happy to let you know the full divination for any journal I have made.
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The feather
I wanted to make simple & beautiful pens to go with the journals. These feather ‘quill’ pens are both simple & beautiful, but they are not perfect – especially for longer spells of writing – as they are rather thin. It is also not possible to refill them as the refill itself forms the body of the pen.
You might decide to use a different pen or pencil to write within the pages &, of course, that is just fine. If you do find they work for you or you like them & would like one without a full journal set, then they are available to purchase individually.
The feathers used for these pens vary a great deal in colour, size, shape, patterning & ‘feel’. There is much written about the meaning of different feathers – each journal includes a simple potential meaning of the feather based on its individual colours & those which ‘stood out’ for me as I created them. This means two similar feathers may be listed with subtly different meanings.
For a great many people feathers are part of their experience of signs & synchronicities. There is a separate part of this site that explores that a little.
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The stones & the seaglass
For a long time I have found certain crystals & stones very good to have near. A small crystal & a small piece of seaglass have been included with each journal set for those who find them useful objects to help them focus or meditate.
There will be a little about the meaning or properties of the crystal in the back of the journal. It invites you to hold it, feel it, look at it – note the colour & texture, any blemishes, imperfections, flashes of colour, patterns or facets & reflect on how they make you feel. If you are finding it hard to start your journal, then maybe writing about your crystal could be a good beginning.
The piece of seaglass will have been collected from a beach on the most Easterly coast of Great Britain at some stage in the past few years. It may have been plucked from the wet sand during bright sunshine or harsh rain… it is impossible to tell how long it was out at sea or where its journey started. As with the crystal it invites you to explore it. Importantly it also serves as a reminder that that which is jagged & sharp can become smoothed & softened with time. The broken glass becoming ‘mermaids tears’ – simple, steady transformation.
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The taper
Some recipients of these journals won’t want to use the taper candle which is no problem at all (they are brilliant to rub along the inside of wooden drawer runners to help them run more smoothly if that’s the case). They are included as some people find that having a simple candle light is key to their journaling & / or meditation or can aid with spiritual connection or even just simply switching off from their busy day.
Of course, it is so important to make sure that candles & naked flames of any kind are used safely. If you do wish to light it then stand it in a holder or a small cup / egg cup full of sand or salt which enables it to stand securely. Watch the flame dance, find some quiet within yourself, & see if it helps the words & ideas flow onto the page.
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The little bag
The mulberry paper used for the inside flyleaf in the journal & to parcel up the crystal & seaglass is also used for the little bag it all comes in. This is stitched on my Grandmother’s old old Singer sewing machine & then turned inside out to become the little pouch of sorts.
The paper is translucent & light yet so strong – strong enough to be turned inside out without ripping… surely there has to be a metaphor in there for getting through the tough bits in life.
Occasionally though there will be a little rip or tear, & wherever possible I will patch these with a small ‘plaster’ made out of the paper itself.
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Where can the Chapter & Feather journals & pens be purchased?
The Chapter & Feather journal sets, & the little ‘quill’ pens can be purchased from Etsy (chapterandfeather – Etsy UK).
On Etsy you can search for
- ‘Handmade Journal Set – Notebook, Feather Quill Pen, Crystal, Seaglass and Beeswax Taper by Chapter and Feather’
or for - ‘Handmade Feather Quill Ballpoint Pen by Chapter and Feather’
If you would like to make a purchase & need help, please email me at hello@chapterandfeather.co.uk & I will do my best to help.
It is my hope that some local shops in Suffolk & Norfolk will be interested in stocking them also – if so, more information will follow here.
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Personalised & bespoke sets
If I am able to then I would love to help make a journal set just for you; I can ensure the hexagram is divined for you or your loved one & the crystal & feather are selected for you, or those of your choice.
Please email me with details of your request at hello@chapterandfeather.co.uk & I will be happy to discuss with you.
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A little about the materials used
I would love to one day make my own papers, but it’s just not possible at the moment. Maybe a project for the future though.
The paper, feathers, beeswax tapers, crystals, jute & pen refills are all chosen for their quality & suitability for crafting.
- The D1 size ballpoint pen refills have black ink & a 1mm medium tip.
- The cotton paper used for the covers & inside pockets of the journals is made in India from offcuts from the clothes making industry – it is actually tree free.
- The feathers are 100% natural & have been appropriately cleaned.
- The tapers are 100% natural beeswax with a cotton wick. Please treat all candles very carefully indeed.
I hope that there are no problems with the journal sets, but please do let me know if you encounter any issues & I’ll be happy to help as best I can.
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I’d love a C&F journal set but I just can’t afford one right now
I get it. I would love to be able to send anyone who needs one a journal set, but sadly I am unable to do that right now.
I am, though, able to give away one free journal set each month at the moment… there is no need to explain anything at all – but if you would like a C&F journal set & it’s tricky to afford one at the moment then please email me at:
hello@chapterandfeather.co.uk
with the subject: MONTHLY DRAW & your name. On the 22nd of each month I will draw a name at random from those received up to the 21st, & I will get in touch with that person about getting their journal set posted out to them. I am only able to do this for people living in the mainland United Kingdom where Royal Mail standard deliveries are available, & can only accept one entry per person each month.
