This set of Pan prayer beads consists of three groups of twelve beads, to represent the Greek dodecatheon of twelve gods (there are many more than twelve Greek gods, but most cities had their own group of twelve) and the mythic division of the world into three realms--the sea, the heavens, and the underworld. Separating these sections are three hanging pendants, each a symbol representing the god:
Goat - Pan was born with the horns and hindquarters of a goat, and the goat itself was sacred to him.
Pine bough - In myth, Pan pursued the nymph Pitys but was rebuffed when she transformed into a pine tree; the evergreen is thus one of of Pan's sacred trees.
Pipes - the pipes of Pan still bear his name and are known as pan pipes or pan flute.
The dark green color of the beads represents the natural world in which Pan resides.
It is made with 10mm dark green fire-polished Czech glass beads with an iris finish, separated by silver-toned metal spacer beads, and glass seed beads to provide a comfortable transition from one bead to the next and to make the piece lightweight, supple, and easy to handle. The string itself is approximately 28" (71.12cm) in circumference and can be worn if desired, although it is designed to be used in prayer and meditation, to decorate an altar or shrine, and/or to adorn a statue.
The beads come with a prayer to Pan, written specifically to be used with this prayer bead design (you can, of course, use the beads with any prayers, or for any god or gods, that you choose or that resonate with you) and with a cotton muslin bag for storage.
