Unveiling the Secrets of Circe: Crafting Mythical Potion Jars
In the mythical world of ancient Greece, there was a sorceress named Circe. She was an enchantress and some might even call her a witch. Join us for a magical journey through Circe’s world, as we explore her story and make wonderous jars to hold her potions.
Known for his cleverness, Odysseus thought something wasn’t right. Unknown to his crew, he had been warned by the god Hermes. With Hermes’ help, Odysseus got a special herb called moly. This herb made him immune to Circe’s magic elixirs (that’s a fancy word for a potion).
Thanks to Hermes’ help, Odysseus did not turn into a pig. Bravely, he talked to Circe and convinced her to set the crew free and turn them back into humans.
After a rough start, the Greeks spent a year on the island resting and preparing their ship to sail again. Odysseus and Circe shared stories by the campfire and grew to become unlikely friends.
Even though life was easy on the island, Odysseus needed to set sail for home. As Odysseus prepared to leave, his friend Circe gave him important advice to help him deal with the challenges he would encounter on his way home. Without her help, Odysseus and his men would never make it home!
Who was Circe?
Circe, the daughter of the sun god Helios and a sea nymph, lived on a secluded island called Aeaea. Most of the time she lived alone with only the animals of the land and sea for company. She possessed a magical connection to the natural world. The birds perched on her shoulder and whispered secrets into her ear, wolves guarded her home and the lush plants of the island provided the ingredients for her magical potions.
Circe's Potions: Pharmaka
Her fame as an enchantress came from her mastery of potions and spells. She was gifted at mixing plants and herbs to create special potions using “pharmaka”.
Pharmaka means “poison” or “drugs” in Greek and Circe was an expert in using the local plants on her island to make pharmaka or as we might think of it, potions!
One of Circe’s most famous potions was a magical mix that could turn men into animals. She also brewed potions of forgetfulness and healing.
Odysseus and Circe
A lot of what we know about this mysterious enchantress comes from the Greek poet Homer’s Odyssey. The poem tells the story of a Greek warrior named Odysseus who travels for 10 years on his way home from the Trojan War.
As Odysseus and his crew sailed the seas, they stumbled upon Circe’s island. The enchantress welcomed the men with kindness, but she was fearful of strangers and worried they might hurt her or the animals on her island. She decided to deal with the men before they could cause any trouble and brewed a special drink, a magic potion, to transform them into pigs!
Circe, the enchantress of the Odyssey is often considered to be one of the first witches in Greek myth. Her mastery of potions and her link to the ocean, animals, and plants give her a strong connection to nature. While she and Odysseus start as adversaries, they develop a strong friendship by the time he leaves the island. Showing us that we can always make a new friend.
Now let’s craft some potion jars!
Circe's Potion Jars!
Supplies:
- Glass Jars — Save a few interesting-looking jars. We suggest olive oil jars, glass soda bottles, or any other jars that you think look like potion containers. You can also look at the dollar store, second thrift stores or even order them on Amazon.
- Glossy Mod-Podge
- Food Coloring
- Fairy Lights (optional)
- MythologyCrafts Potion Labels (optional)
Directions:
- Clean the jar. Make sure that both the inside and out of the jar are completely clean. You may need to soak the jar overnight to remove any labels. You can also use rubbing alcohol or Goo Gone to take off any sticky residue.
- Mix your own “potion”. Okay, we aren’t really making a potion, we creating a coating for the inside of the bottle. Mix about 1/8 of a cup of Glossy Mod-Podge with a few drops of food coloring. Make sure not to use too many drops of food coloring or the mixture will be too watery. You can use any colors you want, but we recommend blues, greens, and purples.
- Coat the INSIDE of your jar. Pour your mixture inside your jar and swirl it around. You can pour one or two colors into the jar. Make sure not to completely coat the inside, leaving a few blank spaces will make the jar look more interesting.
- Cook the jars. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees or a low warm. While you are waiting for the oven to heat up let the jars start to dry for about 30 min. Cook the jars for about an hour and allow the coating to dry. As they bake, the Mod Podge will become translucent.
- Allow the jars to cool. Once the Mod Podge is baked take the jars out of the oven and allow the jars to cool.
- Add labels (optional). If you want to print out and add one of our potion labels to the jar. You can apply it by painting it on with Mod Podge and allowing it to dry. You can also design your own label with our blank template.
- Add fairy lights (optional). Want to make your jar even more special? Get some inexpensive fairy lights and place them inside the bottle. Now Circe’s potion is glowing! You can also use a glow stick if you prefer.
MAKE SURE NOT TO DRINK OUT OF THE JAR AFTER YOU ADD THE MOD PODGE. IT IS NOT SAFE. THIS IS FOR DISPLAY ONLY!
