Prayer Beads
Christians have Rosaries, Eastern orthodox Catholics have Chotkis, Buddhists and Hindus have Malas, Muslims have Tasbihs. Different names, configurations, and designs, prayer beads have been used for thousands of years by many cultures around the world as meditation/mindfulness aids, prayer counters, decoration, jewelry, and markers of prestige.
A Rosary is a string of beads or knots used both to activate the memory and as a device to count recitations of prayers, or repetitions of the name or attributes of the Holy One. Although the number, grouping and materials of the beads vary from tradition to tradition, many of the ideas they embrace are universal. In whichever faith they are used, the very act of pausing on a bead brings you back to the centre where you are and who you are.
The etymology of the word “bead” helps to clarify and reinforce the meaning and transcendental function of prayer beads, deriving as it does both from Sanskrit buddh, which refers to self-realization and from the Saxon verb bidden, “to pray.”
Beads of Faith Gary Henry and Susannah Marriot
Meditation can be quite a tricky practice because the mind is like a naughty child. By its very nature, the mind tends to wander off during the meditation practice. If ones energy is low at the time of meditation, falling asleep can result. If the energy is too high, fantasy and distraction become the barriers. At such times, the mala provides the much needed anchor.
The use of prayer beads is not a practice recently invented or introduced, but is archetypal in nature and common to every great faith tradition. Historically, people the world over have enjoyed the assistance of a rosary, or prayer beads, usually accompanied by the invocation of a Divine name.
I like to think of prayer beads as portable altars. Anywhere I take them they can replicate the feeling I have when sitting in my sacred space at home.
Because Pagans are such a diverse group no one kind of prayer bead chain will work for everyone. My designs incorporate ideas and symbolism from several different spiritual traditions.
Of the nine aspects of Raven, the two I find most easy to connect with are the Messenger/Traveler and the bringer of Knowledge & Wisdom. That’s what prayer beads do — allow the practitioner to send and receive messages that contribute to the knowledge of yourself.
These days I usually only work on commission and accept very few due to time constraints. If you’d like me to create a custom piece, please submit a request and I’ll let you know if I can take on the project.
Prayer Bead Information and Resources
On Wings of Prayer — Anglican Rosaries
