azurelunatic | Levels of Serious (necklace)

Those who know what I wear will know that I always wear, never taking off, a black adjustable-length hemp cord with two silver medallions of the same size on it: an octogram (reflecting every 3rd point) and a pentagram. The pentagram has a Celtic knotwork border, and an amythyst in the center. The octogram is cut out so that you can see the pentagram medallion through it, mostly the knotwork and the amythyst, if the octogram's on top.

I take that necklace off if it gets tangled in my hair, or to wash the cord. For family occasions with

votania, while we were still being very quiet about the whole witch thing around Great-Aunt and Great-Grandma (thanks to blabbermouth cousin, we can now happily wear our stars, just not get into debates with the old ladies), I would pull the cord long, and it would go under my shirt. I wear it under my shirt for job interviews. It does not come off.

This is not because of the necklace's religious significance. I can connect to the Divine and be protected by the holy spirit without anything other than my own awareness. The octogram is nice, and fits with the pentagram nicely, but if I were to wear just one, it would be the pentagram. The pentagram was given to me by Darkside, almost two years ago, and it's stayed with me since then. (Yes, I've left it randomly lying on the bathroom counter overnight at times, but there have been no significant lack-of-wearings.)

Yesterday, for Darkside's graduation, I took the necklace off.

I still kept it with me, of course. It was in my pocket, and from time to time I reached and touched it, just making sure it was still there. I wanted, though, to make my best possible impression on Darkside's parents. As they're Christian, and evidently the variety that doesn't always approve of other religions, especially non-major ones, I wanted for there to be no possible reason to have a conflict. So the necklace came off.

I do tend to wear necklaces, though, so I had to choose another one to wear.

I can't remember where in Africa this style of bead comes from, but there is a style of beautiful, teardrop-shaped glass beads called "wedding beads", because they're worn by brides. I came by a few maybe seven or eight years ago, and have had them around ever since. I only brought one of them to Arizona with me. It's a clear one, slightly frosted, looking like a misty drop of water. It's on a very thin chain, and together, they barely show up against my pale skin. I chose this necklace, which has deep significance to me, to wear instead of the pendant Darkside gave me to Darkside's graduation.

It didn't show up against my skin when wearing a tank top, so I chose another necklace, after deliberation.

But I wanted to wear it.

This is something that should be scary.