Hillcrest’s Vaughn du Preez and Tersia Engelbrecht are on a mission to provide functional and protective beauty to the world, with a little help from their handcrafted orgonite
While it may sound like something plucked from the pages of a science fiction novel, orgone energy has long been a thing of curiosity. It caught the attention of Tessa Engelbrecht and Vaughn du Preez, who are now passionate about harnessing the energetic life force found in cells both inside and outside of the body, and, through the handcrafted orgonite they make, are improving their own lives and helping others do the same.
Although Tersia’s journey with orgonite began almost a decade ago, Vaughn’s started a little over two years ago when he and Tersia started dating. At the time, Vaughn’s son, Noah, was experiencing terrible night terrors … which came to a halt when he happened upon a heart-shaped orgonite piece that Tersia had made, claimed it as his own and began carrying it to school with him and leaving it next to his bed when he slept … where is still says. Now, he also sports a pendant around his neck for personal protection.
At the time, Tersia had been producing orgonite for just over a year. Before that, she’d been producing high end bead embroidered fashion accessories out of a small yellow suitcase at the Bryanston Organic Market in Joburg, where she spent lots of time with open-minded and aware individuals.
In 2016 Tersia suffered a broken heel bone, listed as one of the most excruciating breaks possible. Unable to walk for 10 months, and not able to work at the market, she was left with no choice but to re-evaluate her way of life. She began exploring her spirituality, and eventually found her purpose in life with orgonite, a manmade metaphysical substance created from resin (organic), a metal matrix of brass, copper and aluminium (inorganic) and quartz crystal, which is necessary due to its ability to create structured wave forms.
‘These are the base ingredients but we do use other crystals as they have their own unique healing or shielding properties. Some of our favourites are clear quartz, which changes erratic energy waves and turns them into smoother ones, Selenite, for its ability to cleanse all other crystals of the energies that they carry, Black Tourmaline, which is used for grounding, along with Lepidolite and Shungite for their ability to block electromagnetic radiation. When it comes to the sacred geometry symbols we incorporate into the pieces, we mainly use the Seed of Life which, in its sacred context, represents the consciousness of God, the creator.’
The couple have come a long way since their days in the City of Gold and today, from the comforts of their cosy, nature-inspired home in Hillcrest – once that simply oozes calm and wellbeing, and driven by their desire to support community empowerment, the couple work alongside their enthusiastic apprentice Neliswa Zingelwayo, who was introduced to them by the hardworking women of Woza Moya at the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust.
Neliswa handles the sanding and polishing of the items and works autonomously from the couple’s little garden studio. Very often one can hear her singing along to her favourite gospel songs. She is currently being trained to operate more of the power tools that are used within the production process, as well as on how to finish off and package the final products – of all shapes and sizes – that Tersia and Vaughn – who’ve named their thriving little business African Goddess Creations – supply to stockists countrywide and ship internationally.
Their biggest fans are generally those that have knowledge of these subtle energies and they often do talks at Yoga, Reiki, Sound Therapy and Acupuncture specialists’ requests.
‘There is a myriad of disinformation surrounding orgonite. Even I was a sceptic until I experienced the benefits myself,’ says Vaughn. But there have been many studies worldwide as to the effectiveness of orgonite on all living things and today there are a host of known benefits. ‘These include clearing negative energy, helping with meditation, supporting restful sleep, enhancing lucid dreaming, relieving stress, and protecting you against EMF (Electro Magnetic Frequency) and EMR (Electromagnetic Radiation).
It purifies the atmosphere and water, accelerates plant growth and gives a general sense of spiritual and physical wellbeing.’
Since Tersia is an artist at heart, the couple’s focus has been on producing aesthetically beautiful items that look like works of art (they give a dash of character to any space) and not just EMF-busting tools … from cell phone orgonite to attach to your devices and pyramids that are very powerful and aesthetically pleasing to personal protection pendants, charging plates that re-structure water and keep food fresher for longer when placed inside the fridge and tower busters that pack a huge punch and are popular for home protection and gifting.
They do custom-made and commission pieces too, and while the final product looks simple enough, there’s a lot of layering of elements and resin pouring before any single piece is complete.
Although there is a lot more awareness today than ever before about EMFs and other stressful frequencies, Vaughn says what we are really dealing with is close-range and chronic exposure to EMF radiation that can cause a slew of biological changes to the body.
‘These biological changes include cell damage and oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation, neurological changes that can become chronic illnesses, and fertility issues. These effects can also cause symptoms of Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, like headaches, tingling, body rashes and fatigue. As more and more research is showing the harmful effects of this radiation, and as EMFs become more and more ubiquitous, people are searching for any way to reduce this toxin in their environment. This is where orgonite comes in.’
And just how do you test the effectiveness of orgonite decor? Vaughn says one the best ways is to do the freezer test… put food colouring in a glass of water and place it in the fridge with the orgonite above or below the glass.
‘The vortex of energy produced by the orgonite sucks the food colouring in showing the scalar waves emitted by the orgonite. What does this mean? Simply put, it means you are ingesting water that is positively charged and therefore structured. Humans are made up of an excess of 70 percent water, so it is imperative that we consume good water!’
Orgonite works as a small recycling plant for negative energies so there are no real operating instructions. Depending on where you are using the orgonite, Vaughn says you need only place it where it will be most effective…. on your device for device protection, around your neck for personal protection, at the four corners of your home, at your water inlet and near your Wi-Fi router for home protection.
You can also keep orgonite in your vehicle and place orgonite items on top of your electricity box, in and around your vegetable patch to enhance the growth and health of your edible and medicinal plants, as well as near water features and or ponds on your property and attach an orgonite pendant to your pet’s collar to keep them safe from EMF and allow them to more easily transmute negative energy.
Personal protection pendants range from R200 to R550, while the décor pieces are priced from R280 to R1750 and pets from R150 to R180. You can shop the full range at africangoddess.co.za
A quick how-to…
Place your orgonite in direct sunlight for about 20 minutes. Or clear it by bathing it in healing sounds, such as sound bells, tuning forks or classical music. Tune into and connect with your orgonite. Two very simple ways to do this are to hold the pyramid close to your heart and mindfully connect, or to envision an infinity sign (a figure 8) between the orgonite and your heart. Set an intention. The orgonite will help you as long as it is in alignment with your highest and best, with no harm to anyone else.
‘To bridge the science with the spiritual aspects, crystals used in orgonite are like windows of light anchoring in higher planetary and possibly frequencies from other dimensions. In this way, they may support optimal health in the human body and in nature. If nothing else, they are a means to simply revitalize your environment, so why not give it a bash?’
