This set of Athena 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:
Owl - The owl is Athena's sacred bird; even today it retains its association with wisdom.
Spinning wheel - Athena is a patron of artisans and craft, particularly fiber arts.
Helmed soldier - The Greek soldier represents Athena as protector of all those who serve in the armed forces.
The icy blue color of the beads reminds us of Athena's steely gaze--she was known to the poets as "blue-eyed" or "grey-eyed Athena."
It is made with 10mm light blue 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 29.25" (74.3cm) 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 Athena, 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.
