An Interview with the OG Wyrd Sisters – The Fates!

An Interview with the OG Wyrd Sisters – The Fates! December 14, 2018

Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

The following is a partial transcript from a recent episode of Liminal Dreamspace RayDio. 

Host: “Welcome back everyone! You’re joining in our conversation with the Fates: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Now, just before the break, Atropos you were starting to say that humans focus too much on your job, ignoring your sisters.”

Atropos: “Yes, they’re so focused on death that they forget about what makes life what it is! They don’t realize how much work goes into them.  Every single thread is a labor of love and dedication.  Do they talk about that? No, it’s all about bad me and my scissors.”

Host: “Clotho, what are your thoughts on this?”

Clotho: “I absolutely agree with Atropos.  Every thread that is created – it starts with destruction.  Whether the fiber is separated from an animal, like a sheep or alpaca…or comes from the stalk of a plant – each soul is pulled from the primordial force, essentially stripped away from it to become a new thread. From there, each thread must be refined, carefully worked over and spun so that it becomes as even and strong as possible.  Then it is dyed.  And to take on brilliant colors, well there are sacrifices to made there as well.  Colors must be extracted, and the thread may be bleached, boiled, treated with acid, rubbed, dried, etc – so that it becomes the amazingly beautiful thread that we work with.  It can be pretty brutal, but makes for vibrant, strong threads. Then Lachesis takes over.

Host: “Absolutely fascinating Clotho! Yes, I doubt humans realize how much goes into making them who they are.  So Lachesis, tell us more about what you do.”

Lachesis: “Most people think I just measure out their lives, but that’s not really true at all.  Like I’m a tape measure in a factory or something dull! Sure, I determine length, but I do that by helping the threads weave their patterns. Every interaction they have with each other, creates a visual story.  Some patterns repeat again and again, and others are like comets – rare occurrences that create pops of excitement in the design.  Oh damn it Zeus, I just said ‘pops’ in terms of design!”

All: { cackling laughter }

Host: “Designing is hard work for sure, and the “customer” is never really satisfied are they?

Lachesis: “Nope, but we realize that comes with the job.  It’s hard to truly grasp pain, suffering, loss, death when you’re on the loom – it’s not until after the thread is cut and it joins back with the Universe do they get a sense of it all. And the thing about those short threads – whose patterns just show up for the briefest of times – they cause all of the threads around them to respond.  Everything becomes more special, more nuanced, more powerful. New threads come in to fill the void and balance the pattern again. I never grow tired of watching it.”

Host: “So if I understand you correctly, humans can’t take any pattern for granted.”

Lachesis: “Exactly!  That’s what makes for an amazing tapestry – the variety, the consistency mixed with moments of  motifs interspersed. Then I call Atropos over to do her work.  And that’s not just a snip snip either. ”

Host: “Could you tell us more about that Atropos in the brief time we have left?”

Atropos: “Sure, no pressure! {laughs} So sometimes I need to do a very fine cut that’s abrupt and quick with my sharpest scissors.  Other times it takes a while to cut through a thread. But they all wear down eventually – drawing thinner and thinner, the dyes wearing off from years of handling.  I know the humans think this is some sort of tragedy while they’re in the middle of it.  But when you step back and see the whole picture, it makes perfect sense.”

Host: “You weave quite the tale! {laughs and groans}  Well thank you Fates for joining us here at Liminal Dreamscapes RayDio! As always, this program is brought to you by Pan’s Beard Oil – for when you want to smell of goat, grottos, and well everything horny – Pan’s Beard Oil will drive them crazy!”


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