Pleiades Archives - Fates and Graces Mythologium

Jonathan’s talk is called “Seeking the Seven: The Lenape myth of Ansisktayèsàk (Pleiades) and Wisdom for a Changing Age”

This paper explores the Lenape myth of Ansisktayèsàk, the constellation known as Pleiades in English and Greek, and looks at four specific symbols that pervade the ancient record and ancestral lands of the Lenape—namely Awèn, Ahsën, Hìtëkw, and Alànkw—or Human, Stone, Tree, and Star (Lenape Language Preservation Project, 2021a; Speck, 1931, pp. 170-173; Hìtakonanu’laxk, 2012, pp. 86-87, 128).

The myth of Ansisktayèsàk reflects the Lenape creation myth, wherein the Great Turtle rose above the waters and on whose back emerged a Great Tree that sprouted both a man and woman, from whom “all humanity descended” (Miller, 2017, p. 1). Furthermore, the myth of Ansisktayèsàk illuminates a belief that humans should be in relationship with Stones, Trees, and Stars. These powerful beings are ancestors whose wisdom and mediation should be sought. Looking at and reflecting on this myth offers both a potent meditation on the importance of human relationships with other forms of life and a model for how to thrive in an age of ecological crisis.

About Jonathan

Jonathan Vaughn, MA, MPA, is doctoral candidate in Depth Psychology—Jungian and Archetypal Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute. He is an experienced nonprofit and university fundraiser, as well as an actor, writer, and photographer. His current research focuses on the psychology of place, particularly in the age of climate crisis.

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Danielle’s talk is called “Remembering Eve: How the Myth of Seven Sisters Connects Homo sapiens and Could Be an Avenue for Empathy Across Cultures”

The mythology surrounding the Pleiades is almost canonical, despite tales emerging from various cultures across time and space. Myths of the Seven Sisters are found in ancient Greece and Aboriginal Australia, and variants of the tale are found in Incan, Mayan, and eastern European cosmology. Even in locations where the story is not clear, such as in the Canary Islands, the Lascaux caves, and pre-Islamic Arabia, the Pleiades were culturally influential features of the sky.

It has been proposed that this mythos predates the Homo sapiens migration out of Africa 100,000 years ago when the tale of the Seven Sisters began crossing Europe and Asia. This would mean that the mythos of the Pleiades is one of if not the oldest story told by humans. The tale could be a means for all of humanity to connect to their shared ancestry, regardless of culture, politics, or religion. I seek to highlight how this mythos could encourage empathy by creating a space where diverse voices and traditions can connect through shared mythology and ancestry.

About Danielle

I am an English woman who lives in near Glastonbury, Somerset, United Kingdom. I have received a first-class Bachelor’s degree in Ancient Civilisations and I am currently studying for a Master’s in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology; both degrees are with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter. Mythology has been a keen interest since I was young, and going to university to study the ancient world only affirmed my love for the mystical tales, practices, and traditions from around the globe. My main interest lay in architecture and the Neolithic or Early Bronze Age periods. I am also a cat-lover and enjoy sky-watching, both day and night.

To hear Danielle’s talk and many others, join us at the Mythologium!