Pagan Prayer Beads
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Meditation and Prayer Focus
At a recent gathering, I got into a discussion with several other women about mediation and prayer, and it wasn't too long before the words "pagan prayer beads" were thrown out in the conversation. It's funny how as a bunch of witches, we had to specify that they were "pagan" but it reminded me that often people don't think of prayer beads as being something a person of Pagan-orientation might use as a spiritual aid.
Each of us who had this conversation had something we'd made by stringing items together, most often including beads. These were items that went beyond the occasional power piece and were things that were used regularly for private spiritual work. The creation and handcrafting of them was frequently cited as being a significant moment of spiritual meditation or awakening and all had become cherished items.
What the strings of prayer beads were made from was as eclectic a mix as you could imagine. Hand-crafted carvings and formed ceramics, given beads and tokens, and found objects all were woven together and connected. One woman especially made sure that all the beads she strung together felt distinctly different as well as looking different from each other. She often used her prayer beads as a mediation aid when she couldn't sleep and her beads were all identifiable to her by touch in the dark. Many of her beads represent friends and family for which she says prayers and she knows every single person's bead the instant she touches it.
Pagan Prayer Beads in the World
- The Gods' Mouths: Retooling the Rosary
Gorgeous rosaries for sale: http://magnificatrosaries.com/_wsn/page11.html. Pagan Prayer Beads: http://www.pagan-prayerbeads.com/ Unpacking the Pagan Prayer Beads: http://www.getreligion.org/?p=2344. Posted by Galina Krasskova at 6:55 ...
- awake is good: Learning to Pray with Beads with Kimberly Winston
I really like this post! i bought a book on pagan prayer beads a long while back, it was good, but not too inspiring. I might just go out nd get Kimberley's book, by the sound of it she has some wonderful insights and practices to share ...
The History of Prayer Beads
- Prayer beads - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prayer beads are traditionally used to keep count of the repetitions of prayers, chants or devotions by adherents of religion. - Prayer Beads Minigallery - Museum of Anthropology - University of Missouri-Columbia
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are the major religions that use prayer beads in important ritualistic roles. - Sun Lotus Juzu: The Meaning
The prayer beads are a religious implement used during gongyo and daimoku as one expresses, through heartfelt prayer, her appreciation for the Three Treasures of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Law, and the gathering of followers of Nichiren and Nikko. - Malas
The mala in its most common form consists of a series of beads threaded onto a closed loop that can be worn around the neck or the wrist.
Books about Pagan Prayer Beads
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Pagan Prayer Beads: Magic and Meditation with Pagan Rosaries
Price: $9.89
List Price: $16.95 |
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A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads
Price: $8.53
List Price: $14.95 |
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Bead One, Pray Too: A Guide to Making and Using Prayer Beads
Price: $17.34
List Price: $28.00 |
How Prayer Beads Are Used
Christian prayer beads are called rosaries, and they are necklaces that incorporate prayer beads and a cross. Buddhists also have prayer beads, and there's are carved from fragrant wood and strung on a red string to be carried or worn on the wrist. There are even Muslim prayer beads called Misbaha, and they are used to count the names of Allah. Many traditions and cultures made every day necklaces or ritual jewelry that represented prayers or mantras.
The bead work as a memory tool, which each most often representing a type of prayer to be recited. By feeling along the string of beads, the person can focus on the saying or thinking of their prayers and the beads do the automatic counting or tracking of recitations for you. With each bead you feel, you can say a mantra or a prayer, or think of an affirmation or a key word to focus your mental state or intentions.
How to Knot a Bead String
Making & Using Pagan Prayer Beads
- Pagan Prayer Beads « Sui Generis
Creating Your Own Witch’s Rosary - Carving Prayer Beads « Skyclad Crafting
Here is the process of making this set of Druid prayer beads starting with an ordinary branch through all the steps that lead it to becoming a beautiful set of beads. - Astarte Moonsilver: Pagan Prayer Beads
What good would it do for Pagans to adopt the use of these rosaries and prayer beads? Well, for one thing, it serves as a good reminder for the order of ritual worship, from casting a circle, to calling the Quarters, to invoking the Lord and Lady. - A Garland for Zeus
Modern Prayer Bead Devotions (The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum)
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Share Your Experiences with Prayer Beads!
"Mala" is from Sanskrit and Sufiism is part of Islam. Although many Western writers refer to Sufi prayer beads as "mala' the correct Sufi name for them is "Tasbi."
Thanks, I've only seen them on people and didn't think to ask, or feel comfortable asking, about them.
Jason, calling them "prayer beads" should be safe for just about any variation and situation.
Really something I never knew about! I have been familiar with the Rosary, and Muslim beads, but never the 'Pagan' variety. Very nicely written with lots of good links to further explore! :)
I love this hub. It's inspiring me as a crafter to consider making my own string of prayer beads. I especially loved the part about the woman who knew each person's bead by touch, they were that distinctive. That is an idea I'd love to incorporate into my own, and will give my search for new beads a good deal of meaning. :) Thank you so much for writing this!
cool. I find prayer beads fascinating.
Angel blessings.
The possibilities would seem almost endless here, and prayer beads have been around for a long long time.I personally dont use them, but I used to.
Interesting and informative material. Thanks for sharing.
These Pagan prayer beads seem very personal and unique...I'm hunting some down - or - since they're so personalized, I'm with Pagan Crafter above and am going to select my next beads very carefully with this hub/prayer beads idea in mind.
interesting hub.
This was great! I saw the book "Pagan Prayer Beads: Magic and Meditation with Pagan Rosaries" at a book store a few weeks ago and I was positively drooling over it.
Thank you for your wonderfully informative article!
Well written and an excellent article. thank you.
Jason Stanley says:
2 years ago
Prayer and meditation are often used as one, but by some are considered quite different. In my tradition, as in many, we say that prayer is when we talk to God and Meditation is when we listen to God.
The talking is easy - just start talking and express your wish. The listening is a whole different story - quite the mind so the chatter and natural talking shuts up and you can listen with your full being; heart and soul. Quieting the chatter of what is often called the “monkey mind” from jumping all over the place can be quite a challenge when not used to doing it. That is where prayer beads can come in.
I greatly appreciate that you included the Christian prayer beads in your discussion. Most people either chose to forget or most likely never though of the fact that the rosary was initially a meditation devise that helped the user clear the mind of worldly issues by repetition of a memorized set of prayers. Equally, most non Catholics forget, or don't realize that at one time all Christians were either Catholics or Essines (which is no longer recognized by any Christian church tradition) so in that sense all Christians today come from the tradition of using prayer beads.
It is much like the "pagan" ritual of walking the labyrinth. The New Thought tradition Unity church in Dallas and another in Austin that have had labyrinths for many years have been joined by a large and conservative Baptist church in Waco and a progressive Episcopalian church in Dallas. Both of these mainstream Christian churches now have permanent labyrinths on their property. Labyrinths are for a meditative walk, just as beads are often used as an aid in meditation.
I'll end with a question. Are the beads worn on the wrist by the Sufi what you would call the Mala?