Sky Spirits

The Anishinaabe title of this titanium wedding ring set, giizhigoo-aadisookaanag, refers to the winter sky and the Spirit Nation that dwells there, headed by Mishoomis Giizis, Wezaawigiizhigookwe Nookomis Dibik-giizis, and anangoog (respectively Grandfather Sun, Yellow Sky Woman also called Grandmother Moon, and the star constellations).

The jeweler used gold inlay for the moon and the sun; he did this by hammering round, respectively white and yellow gold, rivet wires into both titanium ring shanks. The star world is symbolized by smaller rivet wire of red gold; in the men’s ring waaban-anang, the morning star, is positioned behind the sun;  the ladies’ ring shows ningaabii-anang, the evening star who rises behind the moon.

Ningaabii-anang, a seasoned aadizookaan (grandfather) who appears in the western sky at night, and Waaban-anang, a young medicine man who rises in the east just before sunup, are counterparts of a single star known as “Venus” in European Western culture. The Grandfathers are considered antipodes; the first represents old age and wisdom, the latter youth and knowledge, and as such they symbolize the lasting conflict between all opposing, yet also complementary, forces and experiences that exist in the Universe and in human life. Together they embody the winds, the clouds, the stars and all the other natural phenomena that relate to the eastern and the western directions. Both Grandfathers illuminate, along with the sun and the moon, the souls and spirits of two lovers during the day and the night, filling their hearts with goodness, infusing their minds with consciousness and wisdom…