As the wheel turns and the darker nights approach, the Pleiades will be more visible in the night sky with November being the best month for viewing. I have always loved to see these bluish stars twinkling in the autumn and winter skies, maybe this is because October/November is my favourite time of year; Samhain for me is the most magical time.

Last year myself and Rachel Cheer collectively known as Raven Retreats, hosted a three-day women’s gathering in Rosslyn Glen. The theme of our 2022 retreat was Persephone’s Journey; this year we are working with the myths, star-lore, and motifs of the Pleiades. From now until early November we will be delving into the mythos of the Pleiades to prepare for our “Star Weavers” retreat.

The curious thing about myths is that every time I revisit them, I find another gem to work with. This is the magic of myth, even while myths are ancient- the Pleiades are among the oldest of all- they continue to meet us where we’re at in our personal and collective journeys. Myths contain messages and guidance for our modern experience and contemporary cultures. The power of myth weaves the personal and collective, from beyond time and space into the here and now embedding us into a wider context than our limited and separate realities. Myths are a panacea for modern cultures that have been cut off at the root and provide a thread out of the cave of unconsciousness- they invite us into a multi- dimensional experience of ourselves connecting soul spirit and body.

Previously when working with the Pleiades the motif of the lost sister proved potent when addressing issues around sisterhood. Another theme to work with is the compromising of one’s spiritual values. Additionally, the action of weaving itself can be brought through the myth as a thread from our ancestors and the spinning of Fate. For the Celts, the Pleiades were linked to the Fates; women were allegedly forbidden to sew on the days when the stars were either heliacal or acronychal rising (first star to rise in the east after sunset) in case they broke their thread and consequently humanity’s thread of life.

In her Book of Fixed Stars, Bernadette Brady’s tells how the Pleiades were a major Calendar point marking the beginning and ending of a season. In Babylon, the heliacal rising of the Pleiades heralded the beginning of the new year, and the Celts used the acronychal rising to mark the month of mourning for dead friends- Samhain.

Across time and in most cultures, stories have been told about the Pleiades and while many of the details change, the central mythos is consistent: A group of young women or girls are pursued by either one or many male hunters. Finally, after seven years, the girls are protected by Zeus who turns them into doves and sends them to the heavens to become stars. In many versions of the myth, it is Orion the Hunter, son of Poseidon the sea God, who pursues the girls. Wounded by an arrow fired from Artemis’ bow, or in other versions by the sting of a scorpion, Orion himself is immortalised after death and placed in the heavens as the constellation Orion. Thereafter it is said is said that in heaven as on Earth Orion continues to pursue the young women to this day.

What causes the sisters to become vulnerable to unwelcome advances is the unavailability of their father Atlas, who having sided with the Titans in the war against the Olympians is condemned to hold up the sky. I find this an interesting metaphor in the light of our modern capitalist society that demands that people, and until relatively recently men, to work every day in a hierarchical system where the gods of the corporate world (the few) are elevated by the many. How many young girls felt the absence of their father’s protection due to the endless demands of the commercial world. From slave owners, to pit owners, to bankers and merchants, and now the new gods of technocracy and science, man continues to devote a great deal of time and energy to elevate the masters and hold up the sky. This is just one rich strand from the myth of the Pleiades that can be woven into our personal stories to unlock healing. Myths are medicine.

In many Australian Aboriginal cultures, the Pleiades are often associated with sacred women’s ceremonies and stories. That the Pleiades are the half-sisters of the Hesperides who guard the Golden Apples, on the western fringes of the world close to the cave of Medusa and her serpent mysteries, spins a web connecting the Pleiades with hidden gnosis particularly relating to the feminine mysteries.

Helena Blavatsky, co-founder of the Theosophical Society has much to say about the role of the Pleiades believing that the Seven Sisters have a key role in the karma of nations and individuals and therefore in the unfolding destiny of humanity.

While myths can be used in a psychoanalytical, shamanic, and therapeutic ways, they are themselves multi-dimensional entities penetrating the esoteric and astral realms… something for further exploration perhaps. However, I was interested to see that the Pleiades are referred to in the bible, in Amos 8

He who made the Pleiades and Orion and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name.

The Star Weavers retreat is now full. We will be offering more retreats going forward, certainly every Samhain, and if there’s enough interest a few more. If you would like to participate in a future retreat, please note your interest or join our mailing list to stay in the loop of what we’re up to. You can check out our Raven Retreats page on Facebook.

It is also possible to work with myself or Rachel separately.

Find Rachel at: hopeceremonies.com