The River Lethe flows around the cave of Hypnos, the God of Sleep, which was veiled in silence, save for the sound of the river moving across the rocks on its banks. This river was also known to be the river of forgetfulness and oblivion. Those who crossed from life into the Underworld and who drank from this river would forget their lives, sloughing off their memories like snakeskin, readying themselves for reincarnation. There’s something about this notion, the choice to forget, to willingly let go of memories, that I find interesting, that I simultaneously long for and feel repulsed by. Who are we without our memories ? & yet, there are so many memories I wish I could wipe away forever; unexpected memories that float to the surface at night, when the patterns of my thoughts change, catching me unaware. The memories of mistakes, of horror, of shame. Likewise, there are also memories I’d love to conjure in more crisp detail, that wear smoother & threadbare every time I revisit them. What a tricky thing it is to remember, to forget. Sorrow < > Joy. Beauty < > Horror. 

This necklace features a 'doubling' of the image of tears/water. The center 'tear' has movement, allowing for it to be handled while wearing, a tactile jewel for grounding practices.

Lethe is one of five rivers that flowed through the Underworld and that the psychopomp, Charon, would carry the ferry dead over. In myth, to drink from the River Lethe would cause forgetfulness of your previous life, often preparing your soul for reincarnation. Lethe is also the Goddess of Oblivion, for whom the river is named. 

Bats:

Bats and their cast wing and leg bones have long been a component I’ve used in my visual library as a way of creating a personal visual language. As nocturnal creatures, I feel a kinship with their natural predilection for the night time hours, but I’m also interested in how they use sonar to ‘see’, how as a metaphor bats as liminal creatures also remind us to look closer with our other senses, a way of ‘seeing the unseen.’ It’s my hope and intention that pairing them with other chthonic imagery and myth further adds to the visual meaning I’m aiming for, creating a collage of personal ideas while also tethering these physical jeweled objects to the spirit of the bat ( and other natural objects in the case of other jewels in my collection ) and to the spirit of the myths I’m invoking.

*Details* : 

- 74 mm from top to bottom 

- Solid Sterling Silver  

- Seen on Jess on a 16" chain

- 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

***IMPORTANT***

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

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