In the sky of the constellation Taurus, during the summer months, one can see with the naked eye a cluster of seven shining stars – the Pleiades.They are not merely points of light; they are a story that has lasted for thousands of years — from the myths of ancient peoples to the whispers of the desert and Arabic prayers.
In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were the daughters of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione, born between heaven and sea. When their sister nymphs, the Hyades, died of grief over their brother Hyas, the Pleiades, overcome by sorrow, took their own lives.
The god Zeus took pity on them and transformed them into stars, so they would shine forever in the night sky.
There are seven of them: Maia, Merope, Electra, Taygeta, Alcyone, Celaeno, and Sterope.
Of all, three held a special place in Greek mythology:
– Maia became the mother of the god Hermes,
– Merope – the mortal king Sisyphus, to whom she bore a son, Glaucus,
– while Electra was the mother of King Dardanus, the ancestor of Ilus, founder of Troy.
According to some legends, the Pleiades brought ambrosia to the gods from lands in the West.
Their name “Peleiades” means “doves” – divine messengers of light and spiritual nourishment.
Other interpretations connect their name to the Greek word pleo, meaning “to sail”, since their rising in the night sky marked the beginning of favorable winds and safe voyages.
The Pleiades were thus a sign of journey and beginning – both on the sea and in the soul.
In Arabic tradition, they are known as al-Thurayyā – الثريا, a symbol of abundance, rain, and blessing.
When they appeared in the sky, Bedouins knew that the fertile season was coming, that the heavens would open their reserves of life. For the Arabs, al-Thurayyā was a celestial necklace, a cluster of pearls connecting the desert and infinity.
But the Pleiades are not only a myth.
They are the archetype of the feminine soul – seven expressions of light and shadow, silence and creation, intuition and love.