Cosmoi: It's All [Ancient] Greek To Me!

Cosmoi: the word that started me down the path toward "philosophically infused" jewelry. It comes from the ancient Greek word "kosmoi", the plural form of "cosmos" which I am sure is the most familliar to everyone, meaning "universe". But it has another meaning, one that seems to be lost in usage and it can also refer to an ordered, harmonious whole. What sucked me in though, was learning that ancient Greeks used this now lost meaning in a very general way. Any things that were orderly were considered "cosmoi". If you had set the table in a particularly balanced and orderly way, you could call it a cosmos. Jewelry and adornments were considered cosmoi as well.

Deoxy Double Helix Pearl/Gold Necklace, available in my Etsy shop

But there was more to it than a simple relation to orderliness. The ancient Greeks revered the mysteries of the universe. They would look up to the night sky and see the most orderly system that they as sentient beings could strive to duplicate. You know the phrase, "cleanliness is next to godliness"? If you were ancient Greek you might say "orderliness is next to godliness". Jewelry and other adornments were created in a very conscious way so that the orderliness of the design could be maximized and the wearer brought that much closer to unity with the universe.

If you wear a piece that resonates with something you aspire to, it makes you more conscious of the target of your aspiration and in so doing, changes the conditions of your mind so that it becomes more favourable of achieving that target..

We look up at the sky, we see order, we see perfection, we want to get as close to that as we can. So we wear something to represent that order that we see in the sky, and that representation has the power to remind of us our hearts desire whenever we look at it. If we are reminded more often, we will work towards our goals and desires more consciously.

This is one of the driving philosophies behind the jewelry and accessories that I create.
I want you to adorn yourself with purpose, not just to look pretty.
I want your accessories to work harder by becoming a part of your evolution as a human.
I want you to love them not just because of how they look, but also because of what they represent.
I want you to find connections with your world by accessorizing for your soul in addition to complenting your outfit.

*Maria