IMPORTANT: This jewel is limited and we do not know if they'll be available again in the future. We recommend Express Shipping with signature required upon delivery to make sure it arrives safely into your hands. 

PLEASE NOTE : This necklace will be created with an 18" oversized bar link chain. If you require a longer chain length please reach out to us via bloodmilkjewels@gmail.com, we are happy to quote the cost for a longer length. 

Twin snakes each with smooth bodies lightly freckled with dimensional tears, eternally cradle and protect an inky black obsidian disc, and is married to our more robust bar link chain.

At the time of my writing this, we are collectively approaching the end of the year. Today marks the celebration of Saint Lucy ( see our interpretation of her here ) and the return of the light.  Where I live, colder weather has been settling in, and the flora around my home, even my beloved housebound Datura, are starting to recede to the Underworld. Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the past year as I’m sure many of you are and while so much of it has been bleak, I’ve also been trying to collect the inspiration and memories I gathered to hold close like kindling to the flame of my spirit as we descend into the darker . Personally I’ve been contending with all sorts of challenges and have been nursing my grief as if it were a wounded bird, stitching parts of my ship wrecked heart back together as if I were mending a wing : carefully and with hopes of feeling whole. To fly a bit lighter. We can never truly escape the past, especially the previous versions of ourselves, but we can work towards forgiveness, we can experience moments of joy no matter how fleeting, we can engage in community, we can love…

These two Abyss designs ( see here for The Hollow ) are offerings to this dark time of year. Akin to look down at the bottom of a well or into the mouth of a cave, each obsidian disc is an akin to a portal. They are meant to represent what it means to journey into the darkness and to behave as companions to those who feel they are feeling within the hollow of a tree, or at the bottom of the earth looking up. 

GRIEF SNAKE: 

The Grief Snake, was designed with being a symbolic balm to grief in mind: a personal grief carrier to help "carry the burden" of intense emotions you may have accrued during this strange, horrifying and transformative year. Or perhaps it can be your anchor, something to literally hold on to while the snakes hold onto the protective obsidian, as you navigate the rough seas of past memories that may appear suddenly like a lightning storm. It may also symbolically help assist you unravel the unwanted emotions / thought patterns needing to be shed- much like the snake brings with it the symbol of transformation- as it regularly sheds its old skin in its entirety as it grows, expanding after each shed, becoming, in a sense, fresh with potential and possibility. 

The necklace can also be used as a piece of 'sentimental' jewelry to mark the passing of a loved one as a piece of modern mourning jewelry (Snakes were sometimes included in Victorian Mourning motifs.)- as it was designed with this intention in mind, the tears symbolizing the snake sharing your sorrow in an eternal way, cast forever in sterling silver. Even as you may be able to move on to other emotions during the complex and long dance with grief, this jewel will remain a touchstone. 

Additionally, remarkably detailed and tactile, the body of each snake was designed to be touched and rubbed during moments of reverie or intense emotion for a calming experience if you’re so inclined to somatic soothing techniques. 

Lastly, snakes and snake magic/medicine have meant a lot to me for a long time, but lately I've been thinking of their connection to Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of medicine. He is usually depicted with a rod on which a snake is twinned around it; symbolizing the secret knowledge of the healing arts and resurrection (Medical practitioners still use this image as their symbol.) His healing temples were known as  Asclepieia or Asklepieia-to which people seeking to be healed would pilgrimage to. Once there, these pilgrims would stay a night or two to under go 'dream incubation'  in a sacred part of the temple, most likely under the effect of hallucinogens (poisonous plants perhaps?) during which they would be visited by the god Asclepius in the form of a snake, and either told what would cure them (which they could then have prescribed and administered on hand at the temple ) or healed in the dream space. Non-venmous snakes were often known to be free roaming in these temples and would 'whisper' cures and heal those who came to the temples, further aligning the healing nature of the snake, counter balancing its poisonous and deadly attributes.

*Details* :

- 51 mm from top to bottom

- 51 mm wide

- Solid Sterling Silver  

- Both pendant and chain are hand oxidized to achieve our favorite shade of stormy gray and then highlighted to reveal the bright luminous silver beneath

- Set with one 45 mm Obsidian disc cabochon 

Obsidian:  

Obsidian is ancient (first evidence of its use dates back 1.5 million years) and forms as a volcanic glass. Its rich black color and reflective surface have lent to having potent magical and divinatory uses throughout different cultures as well as having been used to form tools and cutting instruments due to its sharp edges. Metaphysically, Obsidian is a strong form of psychic protection, forming a shield against negativity, especially useful for highly sensitive people. It's also a bit of a time traveling stone, aiding in old wounds to be recognized so that healing may begin. This jewel is hand cut and therefore may have small signs of the carver's hands along the edges. The obsidian was not fabricated by a machine, they are cut and polished by hand and therefore aren't uniformly perfect. The photographs accurately portray the Obsidian.

***IMPORTANT***:

This jewel is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Please allow approximately 6-8 weeks for creation before shipping.                   

Visit the Policy Page to make an educated and informed purchase HERE.

If you have further questions, we are always here to serve you in a kind and timely manner: via bloodmilkjewels@gmail.com