RCG-I Seasonal Salon Fall Equinox 2007

With Bedes in Hand

My family, like most Stregas, attended Roman Catholic services with a smile. The old Crones each held a rosary and fingered the Bedes (a word meaning prayer) all through the mass. They all were devoted to the Divine Feminine.

WTI had a Bead program when I was a participant. The concept was created for us by our former BeadMistress Emmie Harrison. Emmie’s system gave us one bead for each Activity, one for the Cycle, one for the Path. The program fell out of use over the years for several reasons. They are so heavy to wear and easily broke the strings. My Cella Beads are shown here. Like many who earned them, I added more for personal events that took place outside the college. They commemorate our work in WTI and aspect particular energy in the Beads themselves.

Prayer Beads exist in almost all religions and cultures. The content of the prayers relates to the ideology of each religion. It also matters Whom a person prays to, what they say in the prayer as a form of petition or thanksgiving, and what they set for an intention when they pray.

Numbers of Bedes on a strand vary pretty much to the spiritual intent. Names given to the strands of Bedes include: Mala, Subha, Dhikr, Tashbih, Angelican, Juzu, Shu-Zhu, the Rosary and numerous others.

The string I actually have had the longest is older than I am and is made of hand blown glass Beads. The traditional Crucifix was replaced with a Pentacle and 7 Strega symbols. The Charm is a symbol of Demeter & Persephone.

It is widely accepted that using prayer beads will put the mind into an Alpha state and reduce stress. Additionally, it provides a way to practice our faith, whether it is by recognizing our greater good in every day challenges or in celebrating special accomplishments and events.

I believe that most of us consider the word "prayer" as a more passive or poetic form of what we call and practice as "magick".

So what is a Goddess womon to do if she wants to use a string of Bedes as a magickal tool?

We are such an independent group of people that it’s hard for us to agree upon our Thealogies. In a single spiritual circle, most members honor different Matron Goddesses. Therefore, finding one system of prayer or magick that works for each Priestess is nearly impossible.

I am not a beader and recently purchased a strand and use it daily.

I set my intentions for the day on the five Tail Bedes.

It appears that most traditions use a TouchStone, Charm or large Knot to focus the beginning and ending, providing the focus of personal prayer or connection to the Divine Who is with us for a lifetime, a reason or a season.

The rest of my strand holds five sets of 10 Bedes, or "Decades", where I repeat a personalized chant on each of them to get into a trance state quickly.

The Chant Model I use consists of three names of the Goddess, starting with the same word such as Lady or Mistress, etc.

I might say, "Goddess of Magick, Goddess of Healing, Goddess of Light" then follow it by an invocation statement, such as "Diana, be with us." It is a simple invocation using the power of three.

Sometimes I use what is called the "Naming of Places" which is simply a list of places I have been that have touched me in some way: One place per Bede.

An example of this prayer or chant is: "By the banks of the Mississippi River, I have sought You & found You, oh Holy Diana." "Within the deep caverns at Carlsbad, I have sought You & found You, oh Holy Diana." "In the overcrowded streets of LA, I have sought You & found You, oh Holy Diana."

There are three Pause Bedes between each of the Decades where I take three deep breaths and let the energy of the intention settle into my subconscious. On the return journey to that larger TouchStone, I will often recite the Charge of the Goddess. I find that being thankful for the manifestation of my magickal intentions is vital and therefore finish up with the Tail Bedes in a state of thankfulness as well.

I can sit down with my Prayer Bedes during the time it takes my coffeemaker to brew up a pot in the morning.

How to find more information:

Surfing the web for Pagan Prayer Beads provides numerous sources for both the Bedes and the prayers for magick and meditation. If you are not a beader, you can purchase from many styles.

If you are new to this form of magick, web sites will get you started creating chants for whatever your needs are. Your Prayer Bedes can be focused workings for your personal well being, or for a particular event such as healing your body or healing from an emotional wound or mental conflict.

You might wish to use your Book of Shadows & Lights to do some writing for these simple chants or prayers and tailor them to your Matron Goddess and how She is traditionally honored.

Spiritual growth is often a challenge. Most of us find that it is hard to slow down and take the time for ourselves in building our connections with the Divine. Any practice takes a desire to do the working, commitment and discipline to follow through.

If you think this tool might work for you, and you want more information or if you want other suggestions for going deeper, send me an email at bellezza_of_sis@yahoo.com and we can discuss it in more depth.