The Moirai (The Fates)

The Moirai- Clotho, Lachesis, & Atropos The Moirai, also known as the Fates, were three goddesses in ancient Greek mythology responsible for determining and controlling human destiny. They governed the lifespan of every individual from birth to death. The trio consisted of Clotho, who spun the thread of life; Lachesis, who measured and assigned the length of life; and Atropos, who cut the thread, marking death. In Greek belief, even the Gods generally did not interfere with the decisions of the Moirai, as they represented the fixed order of fate and necessity. A walk through the art~ Clotho: On the pommel and handles are three crescent moons. The crescent represents the divine feminine and in this design each moon also represents each of the three Fates. Beveled on the moon is one of three variations of the mulberry leaf. A second variations vines across the handles. Mulberry leaves are the food of the silkworm, who you can find crawling on its way to munch on some of the leaves on the moon. The silkworm creates a silk thread when spinning it's cocoon and represents the thread that Clotho uses to spin the threads of life. On the top of the blade is her spindle, which represents destiny. Underneath the spindle is her needle, which represents her role as a creator of life. Down the blade her thread begins to weave and new life begins to take form. Lachesis: The theme of the three moons travel over to the pommel and handles of Lachesis. Except the moon on the pommel has tilted ninety degrees. This change in positions represents entering into the adult phases of life. In front of the moon is an hourglass. The hourglass symbolizes measurable time and the passage toward an inevitable end. Just as sand moves steadily through an hourglass, Lachesis measures life as a fixed quantity of time. The upper chamber symbolizes potential life, the falling sand represents lived experience, and the lower chamber reflects time already spent. Fanning underneath are two mulberry leaves. The silkworms have crawled away from Clotho and spun themselves into cocoons that are nestled in the center of each leaf. Down the blade are ruler marks that measure to actual scale. Flitting across the blade, the threads of life continue to weave and dance. Atropos: The triple moon theme completes with the crescent facing in the crone position, representing life in its final phase. Perched on the moon is newly metamorphosized silk moth eating more of the mulberry leaves. The symbol of the silk moth reinforces the theme of last phases. (Note: the death moth is generally the moth that is commonly associated with Atropos, but I took the artist liberty to use the silkworm theme because it creates threads we use in our everyday lives) Across the handles is an array of belledonna. Atropa belladonna is a perennial plant in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The genus name, Atropa, comes directly from Atropos. The name was chosen because the plant is highly toxic and can be fatal in small amounts. On the crest is a simple circle. It represents the wheel of life and an infinite repetition of beginnings and endings. Down the blade the threads of life finish their last dance. On the tip a pair of scissors, a symbol commonly associated with Atropos, ends the story. Materials: Zinc and steel blend; nickel and lead-free Size: 6.5 inches long Uses: while it is designed to be a hair-stick, hair-sword, or hair-dagger, it can also be used as an athame, altar decor, letter opener, bookmark, decor for a potted plant, a prop for an art doll, or tucked into a belt, thigh garter, or hat band. I'm sure there are even more ways to slay.