The new Planchette Moth is an homage to a drawing my husband (drawn in homage to my original Planchette Moth design), Aaron Horkey drew in New Orleans hotel room in the French Quarter in November of 2016 for Sam (of Haute Macabre) & myself to get tattooed by her partner, Jordan Barlow. It has since evolved into a beloved symbol; imbued with friendship, love, and my obsessions with transformation and the afterlife.
Moths are ancient; fossils of them have been dated to be around 190-201 million years old, making them older than butterflies. Their bodies undergo intense transformation: first, the caterpillar weaves itself a silky cocoon to change within. This radical transformation includes a near total disintegration of their previous bodies into a kind of jelly, while still retaining memory. The body begins to reshape itself into what it will become while within this dark and creatively fertile place, and once it is ready, it emerges, a creature with wings and the ability to fly.
This communion with the self in the dark velvet of the cocoon, and with transformation, often links the moth to those seeking or undergoing major psychic shifts in their lives or within their bodies/psyches. Moths are nocturnal and are said to be ‘led by moonlight.’ This natural proclivity also links them to the underworld, the realms of the unconscious; in some cultures, they are believed to be the signs of the spirits of the recent dead.
This design is also inspired by my continuing struggles with grief and my interests in the many tales of the afterlife, as well as the question many of my planchette and Spiritualist inspired jewels asks: Are we capable of continuing a relationship with our dead? For most, periods of grief are often lonely and isolated times. During the intensity of the start of my dance with grief, the planchette became a personal symbol to me and for the love that endures after death. The Planchette (as a separate object from the Spirit Board) has long been used as a tool for automatic writing, for connecting to the unconscious. Later, it would become associated with spirit communication and Séance. Here, the moth has become a symbolic winged messenger, ferrying messages from different planes of existence, between the inner and outer selves, between the living and the dead.
This listing is for one planchette moth, paired with our signature sterling silver bar link chain, oxidized to our gloomy grey finish, in the length of your choice 16", 18", 20" { photographed on Melissa and Sophi at 16" }
Moth is 47mm from wing tip to wing tip and 25mm from top of antenna to bottom of wing.
***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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