This set of Ariadne 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 goddess:
Labyrinth - In myth Ariadne assisted Theseus in navigating the labyrinth in order to defeat the Minotaur; as mistress of the labyrinth she knew it well.
Bull - The Minotaur--with the head of a bull and the body of a man--was the half-brother of Ariadne by her mother Pasiphae.
Snake - In Ariadne's homeland of Crete the snake was well-honored; some scholars believe that Ariadne herself was the island's "snake goddess."
It is made with 10mm deep violet fire-polished Czech glass beads, 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 29.75" (75.5cm) 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 Ariadne, 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.
