Cupid's Chorus - Grand Altar Box to Eros & Psyche

Part of our Beloved Lovers collection, Cupid’s Chorus is our largest, most elaborate altar box to the Divine Couple. The box itself is made of terracotta and decorated with a chorus of Erotes. It is made in terracotta, unglazed on the outside but glazed inside. It is in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks. Likely made in the 1980s by Tommasina’s Gifts NY and imported from Italy. It contains all items included in our other Beloved Lovers altar boxes, as well as several additional  offerings exclusive to this version. 

This box contains: 

- 1 large bottle of skullcap and wormwood, each: included for Psyche, goddess of psychedelic plants, due to her association with flight

- 1 medium bottle of broom flowers: used traditionally in love divinations, sustainably foraged by your local tricksters in the PNW

- Whole dried rose blossoms: Two whole dried mature rose blossoms, one in deep red and the other in variegated peach and pink. Associated in Roman belief with love, death, and rebirth; it is only through the death of the image of the person Psyche and Eros imagined their lover to be when they were hidden in shadow that allowed their love to be reborn stronger and truer.

- Psyche Soaring: Silver clay altar tile, depicting Psyche being lifted in the air by Zephyrus or the West Winds

- Eros Aloft: Silver Eros altar tile with bow and arrow in hand

- Psyche in Repose: Gold miniature depiction of Psyche resting in the bed she shares with her lover, hidden by shadow

- The Lovers' Meeting: a golden clay cameo depicting Psyche meeting Eros as a mortal, not yet realizing her destined apotheosis

- In Love's Hands: an Eros altar card, depicting Eros holding a blank sign: Use as a portable depiction of Eros for working with him on the go, or as part of a working. Place any supplications you have for the Beloved Lovers in Eros's hands to ensure they hear your plea by writing your heart's desire in the blank space and praying or singing your heartfelt request.

- Fearless Heart candle: a tealight made in our hand-blended self-love scent, used in our ritual candles; it is scented with rose, apple, citrus, and the salty sea breeze. Let your self-love grow like a flame burning ever brighter, that you may meet Love with a fearless heart.

- Psyche prayer card: Printed on 3x4in brown craft paper, these cards show the goddess Psyche with her butterfly wings on the front, with a prayer on the back for working with the prayer beads included in the altar.

- Eros prayer card: Printed on 3x4in brown craft paper, these cards show winged Eros in flight and bow in hand, with a prayer on the back for working with the prayer beads included in the altar.

- The Beloved Lovers prayer beads: They begin with a vintage brass stamping of a heart pierced with an arrow, for the point where Psyche and Eros fall in love. The pattern of the figaro chain flows forward to a section of 4 rose quartz beads: 4 for two equals in harmony, rose quartz for pure, honest love. The first bead is Eros the Lover, who meets the second bead, Psyche the Lover. Through their meeting they become the 3rd and 4th beads: Eros the Loved and Psyche the Loved. They leave the Honeymoon phase, as Psyche's sisters sew doubt in her heart, passing them into the Dark Night of Doubt. Two black river stones, representing shadowy secrets and flowing tears follow, representing each Lover in their fear before the Lamp is turned on. The illuminating, harshly honest light of the Lamp is represented by a gold-dyed real freshwater pearl at the fulcrum of their relationship and the very center of the prayer beads. Though the light is on, they move into Psyche's Trials and the readjustment period when they learn to fit together as their True Selves, shown here as 2 more black river stones. Together, each black bead can also be one of the 4 trials of Psyche.

              Finally, they pass into Harmonious Union, where each person is both whole and their True Selves. Eros the Lover and Eros the Loved are the 1st and 2nd bead in this section, the two halves of the whole reunited and standing hand-in-hand with Psyche the Lover and Psyche the Loved, the 3rd and 4th bead. Finally, the prayer beads end with a butterfly, the symbol of Psyche's apotheosis that allows her to confidently stand as Eros's equal. Each bead was wrapped by hand as love songs were sung over them. While they were worked and awoken, they were told the tale of Eros and Psyche as told here to enliven and awaken the prayer beads to connect with Eros and Psyche.

• Lover Birds glass cube: a vintage glass cube with the Lover Birds encased in the center; they are depicted as two swans touching beaks with a heart between them. This vintage piece includes an imperfection, a visible bubble in one corner despite the outside being completely smooth to the touch: the human imperfections Love makes whole
• Trials of Psyche:  4 offerings that represent the trials of Psyche. A bronze-tone coin depicting wheat represents her first trial where she must sort huge piles of grain, while a large bottle of wool with gold leaf represents the golden fleece she must gather in her second trial. Her third trial is depicted with a vintage miniature amphora, representing the vessel she uses to gather water from the rivers of the Underworld. Her final trial, where she must collect Persephone's beauty cream, is represented by a charcoal dog skull for Cerberus, who guards the entrance to the Underworld.
• La Mano dell’Amore (The Hand of Love) keychain amulet: This amulet features the Hand of Love, here depicted holding a ring, with charms representing the Lovers. Eros's hand holds a wing, heart, arrow, and lantern for Eros, with the lantern representing the lamp Psyche lights to see each other truly. Psyche's hand holds a butterfly, a prismatic glass teardrop for both her tears and the apotheosis they lead to, a lantern, and a heart. These charms have had love songs sung over them and the tale of Eros and Psyche whispered to them as they were made. With movement, they ring like bells, singing to you of the respect required for an honest, loving relationship. Both hands hang together from a gold-tone key ring with a lobster claw attachment as a keychain
• Vintage Psyche brooch: A hand-painted vintage wooden brooch, with pin for use on the back side. The front features beveled edges, revealing the inner layers of wood, and a hand-painted surface. The image depicts a butterfly (the symbol of Psyche the Goddess) landing among a collection of flowers, highlighted with abstract gold swirls on a black background. 
• Carved Dalmatian Jasper Butterfly: A carved crystal depiction of a butterfly, the symbol of Psyche’s apotheosis to the status of goddess. It is carved here from dalmatian jasper