A Polish legend tells the tale,
of tiny kittens, oh so frail.
Along the river’s edge they chased.
With butterflies, they played and raced. 
They came too close to the river’s side,
and thus, fell in. Their mother cried.
What could she do but weep and moan?
Her babies’ fate were yet unknown. 
The willows, by the river, knew
just what it was that they must do;
They swept their graceful branches down
Into the waters, all around.
To reach the kittens was their goal;
A rescue mission, hears and soul.
The kittens grasped the branches tight.
The willows saved them from their plight.
Each springtime since, the story goes,
Willow branches now wear clothes.
Tiny fur like buds are sprung
where little kittens had once clung. 
And that’s the legend, so they claim,
How Pussy Willows got their name!
-Dot McGinnis, poet
 
The distinctive velveteen gray buds, known as catkins, of the willow tree have long been steeped in folklore, symbolically linking the plant to the spirit of their namesake feline companions. Across numerous, diverse cultural traditions, the soft fuzzy fur-like texture of the pussy willow bud invites comparisons to cats through imaginative myths explaining the plant's annual emergence and its embodiment of spring's renewal. 
 
In ancient Greece, the willow tree was sacred to Persephone, as the Goddess of Spring and Fertility. Her return from the Underworld is heralded by the blooming of the pussy willows. One of the main properties of willow bark is its extraordinary ability to act as a natural rooting hormone - basically a fertility drug for plants. If you have a willow branch cutting, you can literally shove one end into the ground, and it will magically root itself and eventually become a full tree. Willow also regrows with vigor when it is cut back and easily grows several feet in a season. These properties came to symbolise fertility, vitality and immortality.
 
The weeping pussy willow is among the most graceful of trees.  Willows thrive near water, of which they are considered queen. The willow at the water's edge crosses the boundaries between this world and the Otherworld. Its connection with water and the moon, and thus all godesses associated with the moon, also connect this plant to all that is feminine: dreaming, intuition, emotion, fertility, enchantment, healing and revitilization.  Bards, the poets who are walkers between worlds, made their harps out of willow and has long been recognized as a sacred tree by poets, philosphers and religious leaders because of the flexibility of its twigs.  Orpheus, the iconic poet of Greek myth, is said to have carried willow branches on his journey to the Otherworld to rescue his beloved, Eurydice. The willow's flexibility symbolizes resilience and inspires us to move with the flow of life rather than resist what we are feeling.  If you have the opportunity, find a weeping willow tree next to a peaceful pond . Sit beneath her and let the ebb and flow of her branches in the wind enfold you in times of sorrow or when you need to get in touch with your intuition or creative spirit. You will most certainly feel replenished and peaceful. 
 
Our Catkins bars sport a beautiful pastel spring-inspired palette of pink, green, blue & lilac swirls in a white base that takes the shape of - you know it! - cat ears with a stamped smiling cat face. A single delicate pussy willow bud adorns one ear of each bar, like a dainty gray bow. So adorable! This one is sure to become a collectible amongst our most faithful customers and cat lovers! 
 
Catkins' aromatic palette is a fresh, breezy green blend of bright bergamot, sparkling cassis, pink grapefruit, dewy ivy, and powdery-sweet lily of the valley and violet leaf, gently grounded by soft musk. This one truly embodies the essence of spring's fresh cleanness! 
 
 
Approx 4-4.5oz bar
Handcrafted soap will continue to evaporate water and lose weight over time. This makes for a finer, harder, and longer lasting bar. 
 
Ingredients: Distilled water, Coconut oil, Hi-oleic Sunflower oil, Olive oil, Sodium hydroxide*, Shea butter, Avocado oil, Mango butter, Kokum butter, Castor oil, Fragrance, Citric acid,  Sodium lactate, Titanium dioxide & Mica; topped with a pussy willow bud**
*None remains in final product
**Remove botanical toppings before use.
 
This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.