Prayer beads

[Panserbjorne]

anyone made their own? What guided you? How did you decide what to use? What was important to you? How do you use them? I'd love to talk more about this. I have a bracelet that I use as prayer beads, but I'm thinking of making something more....dedicated. How about you?

[hopefulfaith]

good post - i'm looking forward to hearing.

[mamabadger]

We use prayer ropes like this, in which the knots take the place of beads. Maybe that is what you were asking about? I have a video which shows how to make prayer ropes, but have never been able to get the hang of it. There is also an instruction page that explains the process here.

[MyLittleWonders]

I have a set that I made (I also have a wrist mala of blue lace agate that I adore). The beads are bigger than a bracelet but smaller than a necklace. I followed the basic pattern for UU prayer beads as I like the prayer "formula". I found a really neat, bigger blue lace agate bead at a bead shop that is the centering bead. Most of the rest of it is jasper, but the four main beads are wooden. Then, I have beautifully delicate agate beads (I think, I can't remember now) inbetween the sections as spacers. When I have time, I'll try and post a picture.

[Panserbjorne]

I have to find a way to post a pic of mine. I really love the one I have now and I do wear it as a bracelet.

I have used them in the past, but without a specific prayer, more as a meditation. MLW and I just finished reading a book that I know really spoke to me and introduced me to a new way of understanding the Lord's Prayer that I really love, so this has been on my mind recently. I cant' wait to hear more stories and have more to share.

[angelailona]

I love this thread! I have been wanting to make my own for some time now. I just haven't designed them yet. I would love some more ideas.

[Panserbjorne]

Well, in the absence of pictures...

I have a bracelet that I strung with beads. I had an intensely magical experience last year that started this. I won't bore you with all the details, but by chance I walked into this shop that has all these beautiful handcrafted gifts that are very spiritual. One of the women began talking to me about these beads they had and she absolutely enchanted me. She talked about how all the silver was hand-forged and modeled after chain link found on a viking ship. The chain she showed me was all woven together, no breaks in the silver so no solder was used. Each of the locks (and you chose your own) is hand cast as well. Each bead is either hand cast or hand blown using multiple glass blowing techniques. Even of the glass beads that are one style-no two are alike.

The way she wove these stories, explained them all based on themes in mythology, fairy tales, royalty, flower, animals, religion, planets etc. was just breathtaking. For my birthday last year I was gifted some. I have since made a bracelet with a theme to use as my prayer beads. Each unique glass bead is part of a prayer, each cast silver bead is a break for meditation. They move on the chain and are perfect for praying. Since the bracelet runs through the beads, as opposed to them hanging off of it I can spin them while I pray as well.

Anyway...that's the deal with the one I use! The bracelets are getting popular, but you never hear about the originals from Denmark! They are Trollbeads and I feel like they are perfect for my spiritual practice. They have so much magic in them!

Here's a link to the glass beads:
http://trollbeads.com/site/trollbead...op.asp?katid=9
and to the silver beads:
http://trollbeads.com/site/trollbead...op.asp?katid=3

[aweynsayl]

oh, i'd hoped someone else would say it.... we did prayer beads in pagan camp last summer....

there are some links from that conversation...in this post... go down to "water"... that thread talks about having talked about beads the week before... ye gods, if you want to hunt thru that, here's the link for that week....

i've been making strands for specific purposes-- like travel beads for our road trip this summer. i use semi-precious stones, picked intuitively (rather than book meaning), and string them on embrodery floss. i'm hooked on mine. lurve them.

[wombatclay]

You beat me to it Aweynsayl! For those who don't want to search, there is a post specific to beading in the Winter Solstice thread here.... it has info/links from the Summer Camp thread all in one spot. (and this page of the Yule in our Hearts thread has amazing beading ideas and info while there is a whole "day" devoted to beading in this summer camp thread)

I've been making prayer beads (pagan) for about a year now... I have pictures on flickr here, here, here, here and here.

I started out following ideas from the Making Pagan Prayer Beads book (lots of books and websites in the above linked threads), and focusing mostly on wearable prayer beads so I have a constant reminder to mindfullness. I've been making a new set of beads for each major holiday, as well as for personally significant events (my birthday, this pregnancy, etc). I've also made them for friends going through various happy/sad/transformative events. It's become my biggest hobby actually since it's a lot easier to do in small chunks, the beads are easy to store out of toddler reach, the cost is minimal (compared to the fiber arts I also love, but even on their own it's pretty cheap! My May Beads cost about 10-15 dollars in supplies.)

My current projects include a strand to help me learn the runes, another for pregnancy meditation, one for a safe birth, and one for the coming solstice. I find the process of choosing beads and stringing them into patterns really soothing and meditative on it's own, and the finished product is a great help in my spiritual practice as well. Each strand has it's own mood and meaning and helps to focus my attention/intent quickly and bring it back easily.

[AprilDaisy]

I made a set of prayer beads once...with prayers. It was God/Angel/Pray for everyone kind of focused. It had like 7 beads, a little angel bead. I made several, sold some of them, gave some to others, and then quietly put them away.

[Panserbjorne]

Wombatclay, those are lovely! Thank you so much for sharing.

April, I hope things are okay!

So it sounds like different beads for different prayers in general for most. I only have one set that I really identify as "prayer beads." I have others for affirmations and focused intentions....not sure why I make that distinction in my mind. I think it's that when I use the prayer beads I'm looking for guidance, where as the others are aids for re-patterning. I don't really know-just thinking out loud here.

Does anyone else have pre-set prayers they use, or is it more mutable....thoughts/affirmation/meditations on whatever strikes them in the moment?

[wombatclay]

Thanks! I have so much fun making them and it really has become my fav "mama time" activity.

Pagan Prayer Beads: Magic and Meditation with Pagan Rosaries has suggested "prayers" for some of the strands... for instance, the Song of Amergin is paired with their "thirteen moon" strand so that you move one bead for each line of the prayer. Or pairing the "Universal Druid Prayer" with the Four Elements rosary. They also suggest getting a copy of The Book of Pagan Prayer and matching prayers to rosaries.

With my very first prayer strand (I converted my life long catholic rosary into a pagan rosary) I did (and do) use a set of unchanging prayers. Basically a modified "Hail Mary" that focuses on the Mother/Child dynamic. It's more of a meditative tool because of the repetition and the long familiarity with the beads. So while the focus changes, the words don't. With my seasonal beads I usually come up with a haiku/poem/mantra/affirmation that embodies the energy of the season and use that. Others are just whatever occures to me at the moment or even just a visual reminder of a specific focus... like my birthday beads. I don't have any specific prayers I "say" while wearing them, but feeling them on my wrist/seeing them reminds me of the meaning behind the stones I selected and helps me focus on how I want to live this year.

I think it makes total sense to differentiate between your beads and strands and rosaries and so on. I know some mamas were planning on making beaded strands that would act as "reminders" of their Treasure Map intentions and it would seem to me that there would be a difference between how you'd use a "reminder rosary" as compared to a "meditative rosary" or a "mantra rosary" or a "ritual rosary".

[Panserbjorne]

How neat! I've been treasure mapping for a long time, but never beaded it. What a great idea!

[FreeSpiritMama]

Great thread, I really love the bracelet idea.

Did anyone do beads for TMs I remember a few talking about it :vibes:

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by Panserbjørne

Wombatclay, those are lovely! Thank you so much for sharing.

April, I hope things are okay!

So it sounds like different beads for different prayers in general for most. I only have one set that I really identify as "prayer beads." I have others for affirmations and focused intentions....not sure why I make that distinction in my mind. I think it's that when I use the prayer beads I'm looking for guidance, where as the others are aids for re-patterning. I don't really know-just thinking out loud here.

Does anyone else have pre-set prayers they use, or is it more mutable....thoughts/affirmation/meditations on whatever strikes them in the moment?

PB, I do both - some beads are for pre-set prayers and some are free form. On my UU prayer beads, the centering bead is where I'm working on learning The Prayer of St. Francis. The entering in beads are for the first four lines of the Serenity Prayer. The four main beads are make-it-up-as-I-go prayers, but each with a set intention: the first is my gratitude bead, the second is my introspection bead, the third is my "quiet, still voice" bead, and the fourth is my intercesory prayer bead. Then I repeat the Serenity Prayer on the last four beads, and repeat the Prayer of St. Francis on the centering bead. (This is of course, when I actually make it through the whole strand. If I do it while going to bed, I often get as far as maybe the 3rd bead before falling asleep.)

I have a wrist mala that has the same mantra/affirmation attached to every bead: I am safe, all is well.

And of course, there is the Six-Petal prayer that I'm learning.

Originally Posted by wombatclay

I think it makes total sense to differentiate between your beads and strands and rosaries and so on. I know some mamas were planning on making beaded strands that would act as "reminders" of their Treasure Map intentions and it would seem to me that there would be a difference between how you'd use a "reminder rosary" as compared to a "meditative rosary" or a "mantra rosary" or a "ritual rosary".

I really like the idea of stringing a set of beads to correspond to our Treasure Map! I like having different strands for different purposes (the hard part is finding/making time to use them all). I have a beautiful olive wood rosary that I like, even though I'm not Catholic. Plus my Buddhist wrist mala, my homemade UU prayer beads and a new strand I made inspired by a book PB and I have both read.

[aweynsayl]

that was me. i got sort of thematic beads for my tm. it wound up being different from what i'd thought it would be, but i am very happy with what i did, and they've been more helpful for me this year so far than my map.

the first beads i did were general, and i loved them. made them at yule (i cant believe i forgot we did beads at yule camp, clay! wow. i'm slipping. ). with those, i did categorical affirmations per bead-type. they stopped working in the spring, and i tried to make summer ones, and it just didnt happen, so i wound up making theme-specific ones. just kinda happened. lately i'm more just meditating with them, on that "theme"...

beading (to wear as well as prayer beads... i "wear" them just as intentionally as i do the prayer beads) is absolutely my "hobby," my crafting, my me time-- ds even loves it. he has his own strands, and lets me bead while he plays. i love it.



eta: just got lost for a while in old beading posts! i am in love with a few new ideas... including a "group" prayer bead idea from this link... and, maybe now, having been doing this since the winter solstice, i'm ready to branch out to something more... involved... than my usual 5-12 beads on embroidery floss... <grin> such fun.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

I'm working on learning The Prayer of St. Francis.

I have a beautiful bangle with the whole prayer engraved all the way around. I that prayer! It's so beautiful!

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by Panserbjørne

I have a beautiful bangle with the whole prayer engraved all the way around. I that prayer! It's so beautiful!

Oh, that sounds lovely.