Ariadne's Tribe: Minoan Spirituality for the Modern World

Walk the sacred labyrinth with Ariadne, the Minotaur, the Great Mothers, Dionysus, and the rest of the Minoan family of deities. Ariadne's Tribe is an independent spiritual tradition that brings the deities of the ancient Minoans alive in the modern world. We're a revivalist tradition, not a reconstructionist one. We rely heavily on shared gnosis and the practical realities of Paganism in the modern world. Ariadne's thread reaches across the millennia to connect us with the divine. Will you follow where it leads?

Find out all about Ariadne's Tribe at ariadnestribe.com. We're an inclusive, welcoming tradition, open to all who share our love for the Minoan deities and respect for our fellow human beings.

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Minoan Clothing: Ready, Set, Sew!

Posted by on in Paths Blogs

I've been working on a secret project for a while now. It's finally ready to unveil. But first, I need to give you a little background information.

Those of us who practice Modern Minoan Paganism like to collect up reproductions of Minoan art and artifacts for our altars and shrines. But one thing that's a bit harder to come by is Minoan-style clothing, for those of us who would like to add that aspect to our spiritual practice (or even just for fun).

Over the years, I've sewn a few different garments to use in my Minoan spiritual practice. One of the most fun was this outfit, inspired by one of the Minoan Snake Goddess figurines:

Laura Perry wearing Snake Goddess costume

It isn't the least bit historically accurate. But it looks really good by torchlight, which is what I designed it for.

Of course, you don't have to have Minoan-style clothing to have a spiritual practice in connection with the Minoan deities. But sometimes it's fun to make reproduction historical garments. And it's more enjoyable if you can find fabric that matches what's shown in the ancient art.

For several months now, I've been climbing up a steep learning curve. I've finally made it to the top and am ready to unveil the results:

 

My Spoonflower Shop for Reproduction Minoan Fabric

 

The photo at the top of this post shows some of the fabrics that are already available, including the gold-and-dark-red print found on the lovely Ladies in Blue from Knossos:

Ladies in Blue fresco from Knossos
Image CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

and the crocus print on sheer sky blue worn by the Bead Swinger figure on the far left in the Adorants fresco from Akrotiri:

Adorants fresco from Akrotiri
Image Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

I used high-resolution photos of these frescoes to create accurate copies of the fabrics. My modern versions are commercially printed, but we don't know how the Minoans made the designs on their fabrics. Some of them may have been woven in or block printed, while others may have been embroidered or hand painted.

I have more reproduction Minoan fabrics in the works, and I'm happy to take requests if there's a particular fabric you'd like. Now that I've grappled my way up the learning curve, I'm finally enjoying the process!

In the name of the bee,
And of the butterfly,
And of the breeze, amen.

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Laura Perry is a priestess and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. She's the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, an inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. When she's not busy drawing and writing, you can find her in the garden or giving living history demonstrations at local historic sites.

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