Meditation Beads for Witches

Tracey Rollin

Meditation Beads for Witches

Tracey Rollin

Kindle Edition

Copyright 2014 Tracey Rollin

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Cover design by totencreative

Table of Contents

Meditation is an Art for Transformation

Why Use Meditation Beads?

How to Use Meditation Beads

Meditation Beads Are Versatile Spiritual Tools

Choosing Your Meditation Beads

Bead Cleansing

Rituals

Meditation for Emotional Rejuvenation

Two Methods of Divination by Meditation Beads

Conclusion

Appendix

A Personal Note from the Author

About the Author

Meditation is an Art for Transformation

Meditation is an ancient art form wherein individuals train their minds to enter a state of peaceful, conscious awareness. The practice of meditation goes beyond simple relaxation techniques; the tranquil, focused state that it creates can even be detected on a brain scan. Western medicine is now beginning to confirm the benefits of practicing regular meditation. It improves focus and memory, relieves stress, anxiety and tension and reduces blood pressure. There is even some evidence that it strengthens the immune system.

Those who practice meditation for spiritual benefits enjoy increased perception and intuition. This is essential for confronting painful thoughts, feelings and memories because it allows you to examine them from a place of stability and control. This gives you the strength and courage to examine them honestly and see how you create your own situations out of denial, guilt and ignorance. When you attain this clarity you break these chains and gain emotional and spiritual freedom. Regular meditation makes you more empathic. You will find it easier to reach out to others in kindness and compassion as your awareness grows. In this way meditation becomes a vehicle for spiritual transformation and an essential practice of anyone who seeks knowledge of the Divine and the Self.

Why Use Meditation Beads?

When learning to meditate, you learn to focus your attention on a single thing (often a particular sound or the rhythm of your breath) in order to bring stillness to your mind. When your mind stills, you feel calm, centered and aware. This serene state of conscious awareness sets the stage for transformation and growth. Beginners often get discouraged with meditation because the mind is surprisingly resistant to this state of serenity. Your mind is unaccustomed to being quiet and becomes desperate to latch on to any possible distraction in order to break the silence. This tendency towards fidgeting can be combated by giving the mind something upon which to focus. Meditation beads are a good choice because they keep your hands busy. When your hands are occupied and your mind is likewise engaged, the tendency to be distracted is vastly diminished. With your body unable to divert your attention, you may devote your focus to the purpose of your meditation.

Meditation beads are the most common meditation aid in the world. Spiritual seekers all over the world use mala beads to chant mantras, which are syllables, words or even phrases that provoke spiritual change. Buddhists, for example, commonly repeat the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum,” which translates to “praising the jewel in the lotus.” Each syllable symbolizes a particular virtue you seek to attain. Some Hindus perform a spiritual discipline called japa that requires repeating a mantra a certain number of times, keeping count on meditation beads. Some Muslim sects recite short prayers glorifying Allah using meditation beads called masbaha, and a Catholic praying to the Virgin Mary with a rosary is a common sight to many.

How to Use Meditation Beads

Using meditation beads is very simple. Seat yourself either in a chair or on the ground; your posture does not have to be perfect, but you must be comfortable and able to breathe freely. Feel the weight of the beads in your hand and concentrate briefly on their purpose. Grasp the first bead between thumb and forefinger and allow the rest to dangle. Take a deep, cleansing breath and slowly exhale - not so much releasing the breath but rather allowing it to leave. Do not attach any importance to whatever thoughts present themselves. Let them fade out through the edges of your mind. Begin to chant the mantra or prayer you have chosen, focusing on the sounds or words and their meaning. For each repetition of the mantra, advance one bead through your strand.

Meditation Beads Are Versatile Spiritual Tools

If meditation beads can be used to strengthen qualities like compassion and spiritual intelligence, can they be used to improve other mental or psychic faculties? Absolutely! Meditation beads are wonderfully versatile. Because of the strong, stable support they give you during meditation, you can freely direct your awareness towards other purposes.

Suppose you are a college student and you want to enhance your memory and mental acuity to improve your coursework. To create an agile, analytical trance state, you decide to invoke the power of the god Hermes, god of knowledge and cunning. You focus upon the qualities you wish to create in yourself while chanting this prayer. In doing so, you invoke into yourself the mental swiftness to excel in your studies. You might take your meditation beads with you to the university library, for example, and invoke that mental state just prior to studying. Because of their portability, meditation beads are an ideal focus.

This kind of use easily extends to other forms of magic, which can be divided into four general methods.

To Improve Clear Concentration

Magic occurs best when the mind is clearly focused, so improving your concentration strengthens your magic. The easiest concentration exercise to learn is counting your meditation beads. Close your eyes and focus on counting on a small number of beads (around ten is a good start). Synchronize your breath with each number as you touch each bead. Any thought, no matter how fleeting (such as how many beads you have already counted), qualifies as a distraction. As soon as you notice that you are distracted, start over again at the first bead.

While it does take some effort to practice this routinely, the results come quickly; even after just a few days you will notice improvement. Its impact will be seen immediately if you perform other kinds of magical work during this time. You will see it is much easier to enter a light trance state since your mind is developing discipline, and correspondingly, your magical effectiveness also increases.

A Portable Ritual Focus

The second method is to use meditation beads to repeat a mantra, which is a sound, word or phrase that creates a type of change. Classically the goal of this is spiritual transformation (such as the Buddhist mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum“). You can use meditation beads to focus any kind of spell, however, and if you select meditation beads with a specific purpose in mind, you can create a very effective focus talisman. To make meditation beads to channel healing spells, for example, you could select white and pink (for cleansing and rejuvenation) strung in multiples of four to represent unity and wholeness. Entering a meditative trance and chanting the phrase “Linda is healed” while thumbing through meditation beads focuses and releases the energy of your spell towards its purpose (in this case, healing Linda.) This simplicity and ease of use make meditation beads an excellent portable ritual focus.

To Initiate Divine Contact and Ease Spirit Communication

The third method revolves around using meditation beads to facilitate contact with the gods and spirits. The meditation beads allow you to enter a light trance state with a strong focus on that spirit, which opens up lines of communication with it. The meditation beads then become a gateway through which the spirit may act.

The implementation varies according to two major themes. The first variation is to use the meditation beads to bring forth in yourself a quality the god has as a form of invocation. The previously given scenario where you take within yourself the analytical qualities of Hermes is such an example. The second variation is to use the beads as a means of direct communication, often taking the form of arranging for spirit intercession. This is probably the most familiar application of meditation beads in the West, as this is essentially what Catholics are doing when they pray to the Virgin Mary.

In order to use meditation beads in this manner they must be first cleansed and then dedicated. Do not douse or immerse beads in water since metal findings may discolor or rust, and some beads may discolor, crack or simply be destroyed (as in the case of herbal beads.) Other options should be employed. One is to simply ground out residual energy by sprinkling the beads with salt or placing in a pan of salt for a period of time, usually twenty-four hours. Another is to use a cleansing smoke bath; bay laurel and white sage are both good choices for their strong purification properties. Once this is completed, a second smoke bath consisting of incense specific to the spirit is employed. During this you recite a dedication to the spirit, asking it to respond to your call and empower the beads by seating its divine essence within. The beads become a special ritual item, more powerful than a chalice or a wand, because they have become an extension of the spirit; in some senses, they are now alive.

What gods or spirits may be contacted? Any aspect of Divinity is contactable via this method. Using color, number and material combinations particular to the god or goddess you’re trying to contact is key. If you have a statue of the god, you may store the beads draped atop the statue or wrapped around its base.

As a Divination Tool

The fourth method is to use the meditation beads to perform divination. There are two general methods for using meditation beads this way. The first method is a traditional form of meditation bead divination familiar to many Buddhists and Muslims worldwide. After asking a question that can be answered with a simple yes or no answer, the questioner randomly selects a bead on the strand and begins counting towards the end, designating each bead as a “yes” or a “no.” The final bead determines the answer. The Tibetan Buddhist practice of teng mo takes this method a step further. Tibetan Buddhists grasp a strand of 108 mala beads and randomly select a bead from about the middle of the strand while focusing on their question. They then count their meditation beads in multiples of three until they reach the largest bead, which is called the guru bead. One bead remaining before the guru bead is considered a positive answer showing luck, strong support, and success. Two beads indicate negativity and misfortune, with forces aligning against the questioner. Three beads indicate that even though the questioner is likely to succeed, their success will be moderate and most gains – if any – will be neutral. Sometimes this divination is repeated two or three times, with combinations of beads having specific meanings.

Another way to use meditation beads for divination is a simple form of dowsing called radiesthesia, or pendulum divination. Pendulum divination functions by interpreting the motion of the pendulum after asking a question. Oftentimes an affirmative answer is signaled by an up and down motion (like nodding) and a negative by a right and left motion (like shaking your head.) A clockwise circling usually means “you are on the right track” and a counter-clockwise motion means “uncertain.” Other questions can be asked by first defining what the motion of the pendulum means in context of the question. Asking whether your sister is expecting a baby boy or a baby girl can be accomplished by defining a right and left motion as a boy, and up and down as a girl (or vice versa.) Because meditation beads act as a gateway for spirit communication, they are well-suited for this kind of divination. After dedicating your meditation beads, you can use them to call upon a spirit and ask it questions. Since the beads are an empowered gateway through which the spirit may act, the answers are both strong and clear.

Choosing Your Meditation Beads

Traditional meditation beads vary in their construction. A standard Catholic rosary, for example, has fifty-nine beads with a crucifix counting as the sixtieth bead. Each bead represents a specific prayer. Fifty-three of them are for the recitation of the Hail Mary prayer. The remaining six beads are often larger, and are usually spaced apart from the Hail Mary groupings. These beads represent a Pater Noster prayer, and an Apostle’s Creed is recited for the crucifix. The Pater Noster beads are separated from the Hail Mary groupings often by a small length of chain, and the beads are usually bigger so the person reciting the rosary can tell what part they are on by touch alone. Mala beads, by contrast, typically consist of one hundred eight beads punctuated by an extra guru bead that hangs slightly off the main strand. Mantras are counted by flicking the beads between the thumb and middle finger, sometimes reversing direction at the one hundred seventh bead as to not cross the guru bead. While these number of repetitions may sound like a lot, one hundred eight repetitions of a single syllable does not take very long. A Catholic rosary consisting of sixty full prayers only takes about fifteen minutes to complete.

Because meditation beads are so easily customized, the manner in which you plan to use your beads dictates your bead choice. There are several important considerations to keep in mind. Is the number of repetitions important, and if so, how many? Does color matter? How do you intend to use these beads? Test them in your hands and think about using them in a ritual. Do they stay cool to the touch or do they warm quickly? How does the texture feel when your eyes are closed? If you are using multiple bead types, can you easily tell the difference between them by touch alone? Imagine them swinging freely from your hands; in a light trance, would their weight be too distracting? Strike a balance between stimulation and diversion.

You may also select beads whose natural psychic properties will enhance the success of their intended use. A woman recovering from emotional trauma may seek to harness lodestone to drain away her negative emotional energy and rose quartz to rebalance her feelings of peace and acceptance. Adding charms or trinkets is also an option; Catholics often add saints’ medals to rosaries to entreat the saints to pray for them. A dancing skeletal La Catrina pendant makes an excellent substitute crucifix for a rosary dedicated to Santa Muerte.

It is traditional to make meditation beads out of plant material. The word rosary comes from the Latin word rosarium, which means “garland of roses.” Rosaries made out of rose petals are easily found. Mala beads are often made of the seeds of the rudraksha tree, and mala beads made from lotus or bodhi tree seeds are not unknown. Since plants are already used in magic, why not apply their properties to meditation beads? Meditation beads made from lemon verbena harness the herb’s power to soothe and purify, helping to bring your inner beauty forward, for instance. The possibilities are as deep as your herb cabinet.

Making beads from herbs was actually quite popular during the Victorian era, and many recipes can be found on the Internet. My method requires you to gather a fairly large quantity of plant material, grind it to a fine powder, make a doughy paste, roll out the beads, and then let them dry for a few days threaded on a piece of wire. I have used it to make beads out of lemon verbena, mint and roses. Most plant material beads turn a very dark color when you make them, so don’t worry about gathering lots of pale buds. The appendix contains my recipe for making herbal beads.

Bead Cleansing

These two cleansing techniques are well-suited to meditation beads because they will not damage or stain any materials. They are neutral in application because they clean meditation beads of all residual energy (both positive and negative) and thus provide you a completely clean slate with which to work.

Before using your meditation beads for the first time, I recommend using a salt cleansing. This will completely neutralize any errant psychic energies clinging to the beads and make it possible for you to leave your own clean impression upon them, as well as let the natural properties of the beads themselves come through. Salt cleansings are very powerful, but take a full day to perform completely. After performing a spell over an extended period (such as a healing spell performed over the course of a week) it is good to perform a deep salt cleansing on your meditation beads. In the interim, an occasional smoke bath helps keeps things clean.

Cleansing by Salt

Salt is used for cleansing for two reasons. The clear crystal matrix of salt disrupts energy patterns as they pass through. As a direct representation of elemental earth, it channels and grounds this disrupted energy, causing it to disperse without harm. Since the grounding properties of salt depend upon its connection to elemental earth, the more it has been processed, the less naturally effective it is. It is worth getting a dish of natural rock salt with which to perform meditation bead cleansings.

Get a container large enough to hold your beads, such as a small butter dish. Place a thin layer of salt in the bottom. Place the beads in the salt dish and leave them uncovered in full view of a window, or outside, for a full day and a full night. After this the beads are ready for more specific dedication.

Cleansing by Smoke

A cleansing smoke bath is also a good choice, and takes less time than a salt cleansing. Different herbs can be used for different purposes. The most common purification herb used is white sage. White sage smoke has long been used to banish malevolent forces and purify psychic spaces, and likewise makes an excellent universal cleanser for magical tools. White sage is usually bundled so it can easily smolder while resting on a plate. My other favorite purification herb is bay laurel. The strong, clean odor of burning bay laurel repels malevolent spirits and quickly neutralizes and dissipates energy. To burn bay laurel leaves, it is necessary to light a small charcoal tablet in a fireproof dish, then add the crushed leaves. Hold your meditation beads in your hand over the smoke, letting the beads get well-fumigated to dislodge and banish energy.

Rituals

For each of the meditation bead methods outlined previously, I have supplied a matching sample ritual. Each ritual is described in detail. These are provided as starting points for your own discovery.

The first ritual gives an easy way to perform the Buddhist mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” discussed previously as an introduction to using a mantra to create change in yourself. The next ritual uses meditation beads to assist with an invocation of the god Hermes. A unique rosary to Santa Muerte follows as an example of initiating spirit contact and communication. The Rejuvenation Stones meditation ritual I supply differs from the others in that it does not focus on the content of the mantra or prayer, but instead employs the healing properties of the stone beads themselves. Finally, I give instructions on performing two types of bead divination after asking for the guidance of Apollo, the Greek god of prophecy and healing.

Praising the Jewel in the Lotus

The mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” is the most common mantra in Tibetan Buddhism, and its use is widely encouraged by those who seek the wisdom of those teachings, even if they have not been initiated by a teacher. Each syllable of the mantra is meant to purify a particular realm of existence:

The syllable “Om” purifies the neurotic attachment to pride and ego that impede the pursuit of generosity. “Ma” purifies the twin attachments of jealousy and the desire to be entertained which impede the pursuit of compassionate ethics, and so forth. It is traditional when performing this particular meditation to flick the beads over the middle finger of the right hand. The index finger is thought to represent your ego, and since that is your greatest impediment to spiritual growth, you do not want your meditation beads to go over that finger.

Creating Lotus Meditation Beads

The meditation beads designed to repeat this mantra are selected to reflect the colors of the syllables. Since there are only six, this is very easy to make into a short beaded chain or bracelet to bring along with you. String the beads in the order white, green, yellow, blue, red and black to remind you of each syllable and what it represents. You may also choose a longer meditation bead strand consisting of seventy-two beads, allowing for a dozen repetitions of this ancient mantra before coming back to the beginning of your meditation beads. A third alternative would be to obtain traditional mala beads, used by both Hindus and Buddhists worldwide to perform japa, or the recitation of mantras or the names of gods during meditation. Typical mala strands have 108 beads on them, although numerous variations exist. Some sects of Tibetan Buddhism consider completing the entire strand as only 100 repetitions of a mantra, since the remaining eight beads make up for any mistakes - how simple, how practical, and how typically Buddhist!

To Praise the Jewel in the Lotus:

1. Remove any distractions - turn off the TV, turn off the music and send your pets out of the room. Sit in a comfortable position on the bed or in a chair. Make sure your back is supported and you can clearly draw a breath all the way down into your abdomen without having to shift positions. Use a pillow, if you like.

2. Hold the meditation beads in your dominant hand, draping them over the middle finger. While counting, you will use your thumb to move the beads over the middle finger. Do not move the beads over your index finger, as this finger is considered the seat of the ego.

3. Take four deep, cleansing breaths. Allow each breath to fully expand your lungs. Hold it for a count of two seconds and slowly release it. When you do, let your muscle tension leave with it and give yourself permission to relax. Allow your chest and abdomen to completely still before taking the next breath.

4. Grasping the first bead between thumb and middle finger (if you are using meditation beads that are differently colored, begin with the white one, which corresponds to the start of the mantra.) Breathe in deeply, and as you do so, visualize all the stress and tension in your body getting sucked into that deep breath. As you exhale, say “Om mani padme hum.” As your mind clears, focus on the meaning of the mantra, as described above.

5. Advance the meditation beads by one bead and repeat step 4. Repeat as many times as desired, or until you run out of beads.

Invocation of Hermes, God of Wit and Intellect

Hermes is the Greek god of wit, intellect and ingenuity, gifting his followers with quick minds and endless persuasiveness. Invoked by students and scholars throughout the ages, he is also associated with knowledge, hidden lore, and the practice of alchemy. As an airy, agile deity, he is likewise the patron of merchants and businessmen whose livelihood depends on making deals. The story of his rise to Olympus shows how Hermes prefers cunning to confrontation by outwitting his brother, Apollo.

How Hermes Rose to Olympus

Hermes was born of a nymph named Maia and the king of the gods, Zeus. He was also the half-brother of Apollo, the god of prophecy and healing. Even as an infant, Hermes wanted to join the other gods on Olympus but could not do so because no sacrifices were made to him. Hermes came up with a plan to change this.

One day the mischievous baby waited until his mother fell asleep and snuck out of their cave. He wandered a bit before spotting a marvelous herd of fifty snow-white oxen. Deciding that was just the kind of sacrifice he needed, he bound twigs to his feet to disguise his tracks and drove the oxen out of the pasture backwards so they would cover their own trail. He hid the cattle in a cave on the island of Pylos. He selected the two fattest oxen and slaughtered them, roasting a little meat for his dinner and burning the rest as a sacrifice to the twelve mighty gods of Olympus - counting himself among the twelve!

The herd belonged to Apollo, the god of prophecy. Knowing there was no way to conceal the theft, Hermes planned on being caught. Outside the cave he found a tortoise feeding. He killed it and cleaned it out, making the first lyre from its shell and giving it seven strings of gut. He also invented the first plectrum with which to pluck the strings. From the remains of the oxen he selected seven leg bones and made the first syrinx, or pan pipe. Pleased with the sounds of his new musical instruments, he hid them in the cave with the cattle and made his way back home.

It didn’t take long for Apollo to catch up with him. The angry god snatched baby Hermes and stormed off to Olympus to demand justice from their father, Zeus. Although Hermes denied stealing the oxen, Zeus knew better. He ordered Hermes to give the oxen back to Apollo. Hermes appeared crestfallen, but inside he was elated. He agreed to take his half-brother back to Pylos so he could take possession of his sacred herd.

Hermes led Apollo to the cave where the oxen were hidden. Hermes watched Apollo count his sacred herd while sitting on a rock, plucking the new lyre he had just invented. Apollo was angry when he discovered two of his oxen were missing, but when he confronted the baby Hermes, he became distracted by the sweet sound of the lyre strings. Apollo desired the new instrument immensely. Hermes offered to trade it to him in exchange for the sacred herd, and Apollo readily agreed. Hermes handed the lyre over, and Apollo began to play.

After a little while, Hermes pulled out the syrinx he had newly invented as well. He blew gently on the pipes, enchanting his half-brother. Wanting this new instrument as well, Apollo begged Hermes for the syrinx. He offered his golden shepherd’s staff to Hermes in exchange, conferring upon him guardianship of all flocks and pastures, but this time his brother drove a harder bargain. Hermes would not part with it until Apollo consented to teach him divination by means of pebble casting as well. Apollo agreed, and now equipped with both lyre and syrinx, he became the god of music and epic poetry.

Happy that the brothers found peace and impressed with Hermes’s cunning, Zeus made him his herald and granted him the rare ability to pass freely between the lands of the living and the dead. Hermes then took his place among the gods of Olympus.

In summary, the baby Hermes uses invention in planning to steal the sacred herd from his brother, and exploits his inevitable apprehension as an opportunity to bargain with Apollo instead. He receives ownership of the sacred herd, several new divine powers, and his ascension to Olympus as a reward for his initial theft. It is pretty clear why Hermes is the god of creativity and cunning.

Attributions of Hermes

Worshipping at simple stone altars is typical of many ancient cultures, with the stones being seen as a house for a particular spirit. Ancient Greece was no different. Hermes’ name comes from the Greek word herma, which is a type of simple signpost or stone used to mark boundaries, and as such many were located along roads and at crossroads. These evolved into simple altars dedicated to Hermes, the divine messenger and the patron of travelers. The crossroads is the intersection of the four directions, so four became his sacred number.

One reason for the association of the color red to Hermes is derived from alchemy. Alchemy draws parallels between chemical processes and spiritual ones, with the great achievement being to produce the Philosopher’s Stone. The production of such a stone (supposedly actually a glossy reddish-orange powder) is said to be secondary to the profound transformation it creates within the alchemist. Hermes’ ability to carry the word of the divine and to guide souls into other realms, as well as his association with knowledge, quickly made him a god of alchemy.

Quicksilver is also associated with Hermes. The beautiful silvery liquid must have looked quite out of place in the deep caves in which it pooled, which lead to the idea that it transcended from some higher place into the earth, just as Hermes could. It could be extracted from cinnabar (mercury sulfide) by applying great heat. That quicksilver could be so cunningly hidden in a dull rock must have seemed like the work of Hermes indeed. If quicksilver is heated in a long-necked flask, it oxidizes into a white powder and a red powder. The white powder is white mercuric oxide and a deadly poison, but the red mercuric oxide is very necessary to the alchemical work. Thus, the beneficial red color became associated with Hermes as well.

Constructing and Purifying the Hermes Meditation Beads

Naturally, the beads used for Hermes should be red. I recommend using 64 beads, partly because it matches the number of syllables in the full meditation as given in the next section, but also because it takes about twenty to thirty minutes to complete. I recommend beads that have a smooth feel to them to represent this deity’s character. Since the art of glassmaking was born from the work of alchemists, red glass beads make a splendid choice.

The general methods for purifying meditation beads given previously apply to these beads, but since these are dedicated to a specific deity, these incense options are more suited for work with Hermes. Frankincense and myrrh are both solid choices because they have been used as general offerings for Mediterranean and Near-Eastern gods for millennia, and were certainly used for Hermes as well. Cassia (often sold in the United States as common baking cinnamon) has long been associated with intelligence and mental acuity, and so also with the god Hermes. Mace is also associated with Hermes and the element of air, and helps to sharpen thought processes as well. Any of these options work for dedicating these beads to Hermes.

Performing the Hermes Meditation

I wrote this meditation with the flexibility and wit of Hermes in mind. It takes the form of a type of quatrain known as a shairi, which is native to the country of Georgia (which was called Colchis by the ancient Greeks, and where Jason and the Argonauts had to go to fetch the Golden Fleece.) Each line consists of sixteen syllables (4x4), with the entire quatrain containing 64 (4x4x4.) Since each line is built around the number four, each line can stand alone as a meditation. This means that if you would like to focus on a particular aspect of the meditation, you can repeat just a single line. For example, if you were using this meditation before a public speaking engagement, you might select the second line upon which to focus.

To perform the full form of the Hermes meditation, do the following:

1. Remove any distractions - turn off the TV, turn off the music and send your pets out of the room. Sit in a comfortable position on the bed or in a chair. Make sure your back is supported and you can clearly draw a breath all the way down into your abdomen without having to shift positions. Use a pillow, if you like.

2. Hold the meditation beads in your dominant hand, draping them over the index finger. While counting, you will use your thumb to move the beads over the index finger.

3. Take four deep, cleansing breaths. Allow each breath to fully expand your lungs. Hold it for a count of two seconds and slowly release it. Let your tension go as you exhale. Allow your chest and abdomen to completely relax before taking the next breath.

4. Grasping the first bead between thumb and index finger, chant the following prayer:

My mind and will, lucid and pure - grant me clarity, O Hermes

My wits and tongue, agile and glib - grant me eloquence, O Hermes

My plans and deeds, cunning and sly - grant me cleverness, O Hermes

My heart and soul, patient and wise - grant me discipline, O Hermes

As you do so, focus on the qualities of Hermes that you desire.

5. Advance the meditation beads by one. Repeat step 4 until the meditation beads are complete.

The Novena of Santa Muerte

Santa Muerte (“Holy Death” in Spanish) is a Mexican folk saint with a wide following in North America. Often depicted as a skeleton wearing in a flowing robe or beautiful dress, her prayer candles are commonly found alongside traditional Catholic saints such as St. Jude and St. Anthony in grocery stores wherever there is a large Hispanic population.

Santa Muerte is not a recognized Catholic saint, although many of her petitioners are Catholic. Some believe that she is an aspect of the angel of Death, second only to God. Many traditional prayers to Santa Muerte even include the phrase “en Dios creo y en ti confío” (“in God I believe and in you I confide.”) There is also syncretization between the Virgin Mary and the Aztec goddess of the underworld, Mictecacihuatl - many folk art images of Santa Muerte show this saint as a skeleton dressed in a robe and posture otherwise identical to the Virgin Mary. The traditional day of veneration for Santa Muerte, November 2nd (“Dia de los Muertos” or the “Day of the Dead”) evolved from the Aztec festival dedicated to Mictecacihuatl, coinciding with the return of the souls of the ancestors to Mexico in the form of monarch butterflies.

Whatever her origin, her modern characteristics remain the same. As death is the great equalizer, Santa Muerte is considered the patron saint of those who live on the edges of society - students working odd jobs, single mothers struggling to make the rent, and others whom mainstream society has rejected. She is also seen as the patron saint of those who must go out into the night out of necessity, such as paramedics, police, and criminals. Prayers to Santa Muerte focus on practical issues such as keeping spouses faithful, money problems, protection from harm, and release from illness. In this way she is often viewed as a protective maternal figure who does not judge her petitioners for their requests and accepts everyone equally. After all, we will all die someday.

How to Say a Novena

Typically Santa Muerte is petitioned by means of a novena. A novena is a prayer that is repeated a certain number of days (three, seven and nine being most common) over a lit candle dedicated to that purpose. Oftentimes a full rosary is said afterward. Another method used that removes the Catholic framework is to say the novena to Santa Muerte alone, and the rosary as well. As Santa Muerte’s origin is built upon the Aztec goddess, Mictecacihuatl, this method calls upon her ancient divine foundation supported by the modern belief of millions. Santa Muerte responds quickly and reliably when accessed in this direct fashion.

A rosary dedicated to Santa Muerte can be purchased online, or made by replacing the crucifix on a typical rosary with a skeletal figure or Santa Muerte medal, and possibly replacing the central connector as well. After obtaining your rosary, you should use copal incense to provide it with a purifying smoke bath. Copal is a fragrant resin collected from certain trees. It was believed by ancient Mesoamericans to be the food of the gods, and burnt as an offering to them.

When performing a novena to Santa Muerte, it is traditional to offer her a gift in exchange for her help. Gifts dedicated to Santa Muerte are often inexpensive but meaningful, such as a small bottle of tequila, a few lit candles or a meal dedicated in her honor. She also appreciates bundles of a half-dozen yellow or white flowers.

A novena to Santa Muerte begins after lighting a candle and asking her for help with a specific request. It is followed by a promise of an offering in return for her help, the repetition of a short prayer, and another promise of an offering. This follows the bead sequence on a typical rosary. Upon reaching the central portion of the rosary, the specific request for aid is repeated. At this point you may either continue around the rosary, repeating the short prayer provided below in place of the Hail Mary prayers, and restating the promise of an offering in between. This is repeated over seven or nine nights. Naturally, once Santa Muerte has interceded on your behalf you must follow through with your promised offering. In combination with an appropriately colored candle, this simple ritual is a powerful invocation of Santa Muerte.

The following table lists the color correspondences for Santa Muerte:

To Petition Santa Muerte to Return an Unfaithful Lover

Santa Muerte can be petitioned for a wide variety of circumstances. This sample novena is to return an unfaithful lover, which is a common theme of many chaplets dedicated to Santa Muerte. It is to be performed for nine nights.

Obtain a red novena candle. It can be either a plain glass candle or one printed with an image of Santa Muerte. You may anoint the candle with Santa Muerte oil or olive oil, spreading the oil on the outside of the glass in a downward motion. The application of oil dedicated specifically to Santa Muerte is obvious; olive oil is both a traditional anointing oil and specific to matters involving love. The downward motion fills the candle with the energy of your intent, charging it for your purpose.

To perform this novena, do the following:

1. Light the anointed novena candle.

2. Focus inward on the image of your lover, and how you will feel once he/she returns. Touching the crucifix portion of the rosary, recite the following prayer:

Santa Muerte, most beautiful and holy Death,

The favors that you have to grant remove all obstacles

and overcome all difficulties.

Beloved Death, return my lover, [name], to me

Break the chains of desire that bind him/her to another

and bring [name] humble to my feet.

Santa Muerte, make his/her lust smolder and burn

Fill his/her mind with endless thoughts of me.

Quickly lead him/her home, Santa Muerte,

Back to me, where his/her heart belongs.

Your powerful aid is welcomed and appreciated.

Santa Muerte, most beautiful and holy Death,

I honor you and thank you.

Amen.

3. Touch the next bead. Request aloud that Santa Muerte return your lover to you, and tell her what you will offer her in exchange for her help. A common offering in this situation would be chocolate, a few yellow roses, and a small bottle of tequila, although you should let your intuition guide you. Santa Muerte is surprisingly vocal.

4. Recite the following short prayer for the next three beads:

Santa Muerte, most beautiful and holy Death,

Do not abandon me, protect me, and do not let misfortune cross my path.

Do not rest as you return my lover, [name], to me

Thank you, Holy Death, for your aid.

Amen.

5. Repeat step 2 for the next bead.

6. Reaching the connector, explain your desire to Santa Muerte and repeat your intent to provide her with a gift should she help you. At this point you may continue around the rosary, repeating steps 2 and 3 for the relevant beads, or stop here.

7. Let the candle burn for an additional fifteen minutes, then blow it out.

8. Repeat these steps for 8 more nights.

After Santa Muerte has returned your unfaithful lover, be certain to give the promised offering to her. This is accomplished by bringing the promised items to either a crossroads or the front gate of a cemetery, and leaving them there.

Variations on the Santa Muerte Novena

Although the example novena involves returning an unfaithful lover, Santa Muerte’s power extends to a broad variety of situations. Replacing the candle with one relevant to your situation is the first step. Suppose you desire her help in getting out of a traffic ticket. You would select a green candle and anoint it with Santa Muerte oil, or perhaps essential oil of rue (rue is a strong protective herb that specifically guards against unwelcome legal problems.) Your initial prayer in step 2 would speak of Santa Muerte’s ability to remove legal obstacles and how you would like your traffic ticket to be dismissed. The third line of the prayer given in step 4 would be altered to mirror this request. A novena designed to get you a salary raise would require a yellow candle anointed with Santa Muerte oil or patchouli oil with prayers that specifically name your boss. A book listing the metaphysical properties of herbs is an invaluable aid for this kind of work. Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed., Llewellyn Publications, 2008) is a standard resource.

Meditation for Emotional Rejuvenation

Meditation is a vehicle for mental, emotional and spiritual transformation. Selecting meditation beads made from psychically reactive stones can support this goal because their natural qualities can refine your meditative focus and help shape your perceptions. Depending on the stones selected, a strand of meditation beads can help bring emotional balance, reinforce your willpower, sharpen your focus, and help you overcome past pain. Meditation with them allows you to tune and charge the beads according to a simple purpose, permitting the properties of the stones to do their work. Even if you are new to using meditation beads (or to meditation in general) ten minutes of this as a daily practice will have an immediate and cumulative effect on you. The more you use these kind of meditation beads, the more potent their results.

Specific Properties of Rejuvenation Stones

These stones have been selected with the goal of emotional rejuvenation in mind. Too often we dwell upon our past mistakes, failed relationships, and lost opportunities. The advice to “let live and let go” is often given but rarely taken. Without releasing these chains, however, you cannot make progress on a spiritual level. Confronting these fears and doubts is necessary for both healing and self-development. This following list of stones have been selected with the goal of breaking bad habits, reducing emotional extremes, lowering stress, and promoting clarity and personal insight. This creates a peaceful emotional state conducive to positive change.

Lepidolite

Lepidolite is a form of mica that comes as a pale purple, gray or pink stone. Lepidolite stabilizes emotional extremes and grounds feelings of anxiety, worry and despair. With these feelings released, you gain the ability to have clear insight into your problems without the interfering veils of personal grief and pain. This makes it possible to transition away from negative emotional states towards ones filled with love and hope.

White Coral

Coral is an interesting stone because it is formed from the skeletons of tiny polyps in tropical seas. The element of water is associated with emotion, and since our bodies are made of 70% water, we respond strongly to this soothing, ocean-born stone. Coral comes in a variety of colors. White coral quiets the emotions so you can find a feeling of inner harmony. Over time, the repeated infusion of psychic energy into white coral will bring a feeling of self-belonging as well.

Amethyst

Amethysts are primarily associated with calmness, clarity, and breaking the bonds of bad habits - their name came from the Greek word amethysios, which means “not drunken,” from the long-held belief that amethysts could prevent inebriation. This stone is a powerful meditation aid because it helps the third eye chakra transition smoothly into a deeper state of awareness. Amethysts transmute the energy released from the broken bonds of bad habits into healing energy. This creates much-needed relief from mental and emotional stress.

Clear Quartz

Quartz is a piezoelectric mineral, which means that it generates an electric charge when rubbed, conducts electricity and transmits radio waves. The interesting physical properties of quartz extend to the metaphysical realm as well, where quartz stones of different varieties are used to store psychic energy and amplify its effects. Clear quartz is used in particular because its natural clarity lets it function as a receiver and condenser for psychic energy, as well as augmenting the power of any crystal used in conjunction with it. This means that clear quartz can be imprinted with a specific purpose and it will feed the other stones, just like a battery. Clear quartz is also is a top-notch purifier of negative or harmful psychic influences - they break up in the clear crystal lattice and transform into pure energy, which the crystal then stores. In this way it also insulates other stones from negative psychic energy overloads, which can cause stones to discolor or even break.

How the Rejuvenation Stones Work Together

These stones work in a series together. Understanding the properties of the stones is the first step in using them because once you understand how they affect the energy you give them, you will see that the meditation beads form a mechanism to refine, focus, and amplify energy.

Begin the meditation with a lepidolite bead, visualizing your energy entering the stone so it can become cleansed of worry and anxiety. This stone softens the edges of worry and anxiety, clearing away the path so that you can both see and feel a way to change. When you see that you can change, this creates an atmosphere of hope.

Hope creates a powerful foundation for growth and change, and so the energy leads to the white coral. White coral’s powerful abilities stem from its connection to elemental water, which governs the emotions. White coral brings gentle unity, turning your fears and anxieties into peace and tranquility instead. When you envision your energy entering the soft white beads, you will feel it returned soothed and in harmony. This prepares you for your next task.

Supported by hope and soothed by peace and tranquility, the mind’s energy is able to move forward into healing. Amethyst excels as a soothing balm for the mind because it releases psychic energy blocks that cause you to repeat bad habits. Releasing this blocked energy allows you to heal. This inner serenity created by a hopeful, soothed and healing soul creates a powerful joyous state. You visualize your energy entering this wondrous purple stone and leaving it gently renewed.

Your energy, transmuted from troubled and imbalanced to pure and harmonious, is now ready to be imprinted upon the clear quartz bead. By focusing on the clear quartz crystal, you cause it to store this type of energy. It radiates the purified energy to the surrounding beads, strengthening their qualities.

As you can see, these stones were selected with their specific effects in mind. Replacing the components of this particular strand of meditation beads will change the effects. Experimenting with different stones and their effects will help you refine the elements of your emotional and spiritual well-being that need healing, balance or reinforcement. Consult a few good books on stone lore before visiting your local bead shop!

Creating the Rejuvenation Stones

Because this meditation uses four different types of stones to promote these feelings, the beads must be strung in some multiple of four. Of course, if you choose to add or subtract stone varieties to your meditation beads, the new total number of beads must reflect the new multiple. For my beads I chose twenty-five sets of four, for a total of 100 beads. I chose the number of repetitions based on my supply of beads only; I did not want to have any left over. My local bead store supplies gemstone beads in 8 inch or 16 inch strands. Assuming 8 mm beads, an 8 inch strand usually has twenty-five beads (count them to be sure; slight irregularities in bead shape and size mean that some strands have slightly more or fewer) so I then had twenty-five repetitions. I suggest keeping the order of the beads as given (lepidolite, white coral, amethyst and clear quartz) because of the specific way these beads’ energies work together.

Using the Rejuvenation Stones

Using the rejuvenation stones requires a different method than other sample meditation bead rituals because there is no need to chant a prayer or mantra.

1. Remove any distractions - turn off the TV, turn off the music, and send your pets out of the room. Sit in a comfortable position on the bed or in a chair. Make sure your back is supported and you can clearly draw a breath all the way down into your abdomen without having to shift positions. As always, you may use pillows.

2. Hold the meditation beads in your dominant hand, draping them over the index finger. While counting, you will use your thumb to move the beads over the index finger.

3. Take four deep, cleansing breaths. Allow each breath to fully expand your lungs. Hold it for a count of two seconds and slowly release it. Let your tension go as you exhale. Allow your chest and abdomen to completely relax before taking the next breath. If you feel some anxiety, that’s all right. That’s what the rejuvenation stones are designed to cleanse.

4. Start with any lepidolite bead, taking it between your thumb and index finger. Take another deep breath. This time envision the doubt, fear, anxiety and worry traveling down your arm as a ball of dark gray light. Visualize the ball of dark gray light entering the lepidolite bead and brightening a bit as the lepidolite reorganizes the energy. As it does so, release your breath and allow the feeling of clarity that comes with it to fill your mind.

5. As you switch to the white coral bead, visualize the medium gray ball of light moving from the lepidolite bead to the white coral one. Take another deep breath, and visualize the white coral glowing with soft blue energy as it transmutes your fear into peace and tranquility. As you exhale, allow that peace and tranquility to expand into the space left by the fear. The gray ball of light now glows brighter still.

6. When you switch to the amethyst bead, visualize the pale gray ball of light moving there as well. Take a deep breath. This time, envision the amethyst emitting a soft purple glow that becomes brighter and brighter as the stone breaks your bonds and turns what negativity remains into healing energy. As you exhale, let what negativity remains drain into the amethyst to be healed. Allow yourself to feel the joy of a great burden finally laid to rest. The ball of light glows white with purity now.

7. When you switch to the clear quartz bead, make sure to bring your ball of pure white energy with you. Take a deep breath again, and as you exhale, visualize the pure white energy entering the quartz. The quartz bead now glows as brightly as a star as it finishes the final purification and condensation of your psychic energy. The energy returns to you, calm and clean and pure.

8. Begin again at step 4 with the next lepidolite bead. Repeat this sequence until your meditation is complete.

Two Methods of Divination by Meditation Beads

The two general methods for bead divination are bead counting and pendulum divination. The first way is common to many Muslims and Buddhists worldwide and is performed by randomly selecting a bead about midway through the strand and counting by three until the end is reached. A single bead remaining reveals a positive or affirmative response, with good trends coming into alignment. Two beads remaining indicates a negative response and portends misfortune and failure. Three beads remaining means a mixed answer marked with frustration and partial success. If no beads remain, the question cannot be answered at this time, or cannot be answered in the way it was asked.

The second method of divination treats your meditation beads as a pendulum. With pendulum divination more specific inquires can be made, but it does take practice to master. The meditation beads are dangled from one hand and allowed to still. The meditation beads are first asked out loud to show an affirmative answer by swinging one way, and then a negative answer by swinging another way. Often pendulums will swing away from you in an up-down fashion for a positive answer, and left-right for a negative one. A “perhaps” answer and an “I don’t know” answer can also be defined through both clockwise and counter-clockwise motion, respectively. Test your meditation beads independently; divination is a personal art and tools respond differently to different practitioners.

Divination in this way depends on asking a series of questions that can be answered with yes or no answers, with intermediate responses used to guide the line of questioning. With questions that are properly considered, much insight can be gained in just a few minutes of use. Other meanings can be ascribed to the motion of the meditation beads prior to questioning as well. Determining whether your sister is pregnant with a boy or a girl can be determined by defining a circular motion as a girl, with a linear motion being a boy (or vice versa.) This can be further focused to provide quick, accurate responses by using an object related to the subject of divination. The meditation beads can be tuned to answer the gender of your sister’s baby by holding them over a picture of her, for example.

Choosing Meditation Beads for Divination

Any style of meditation beads can be used for the counting method of divination. Rosary-styled meditation beads work very well for pendulum divination because they have a long tail end with a heavier pendant already, although any kind of meditation beads can be used. If you would like to construct meditation beads specifically for divination, labradorite and quartz are well-suited and easily available. Labradorite, sometimes called black moonstone, is a dark but iridescent form of feldspar. It reflects pure creativity and psychic potential back into the void of creation, making it a stone of unlimited possible outcomes. As it operates on the edge of what is to happen (in other words, that which is being created right now), labradorite is an excellent focus stone for questions related to unfolding or upcoming events. Quartz is a responsive stone that acts as a tuner, receiver and amplifier of psychic energy. Because of this, it easily responds to psychic energy and so is a good choice for clear divination results.

For purifying beads prior to divination, bay laurel is the herb of choice. It is widely available in grocery stores. Bay laurel is one of the most powerful purifying herbs, with a strong, clean odor that is noxious to malicious spirits. It is also associated with divination because it is sacred to Apollo, the patron deity of the Oracle at Delphi. Apollo was honored as a god of prophecy throughout the ancient world. His influence was so widely felt that no Greek king would embark upon major projects, such as settling foreign colonies or declaring war, without first consorting the Oracle at Delphi. Apollo was thought to be crowned with bay laurel leaves, his temple was swept with brooms made of bay laurel, and the high priestess burned it before making her prophecies. Bay laurel is then a particularly good choice for this meditation bead ritual because it is dedicated to Apollo, the patron god of the Oracle at Delphi.

How Apollo Became Patron of the Oracle at Delphi

The Oracle at Delphi was not always controlled by Apollo. Ancient historians relate that it used to be a temple site sacred to Gaia and the navel of the earth itself. A Titaness named Themis ruled there whose sacred duty it was to interpret divine law. She was guarded by a fierce dragon called the Python that was so large it straddled the mountainside and terrorized the villagers that lived nearby.

A minor goddess named Leto became pregnant with the twins Apollo and Artemis after an affair with Zeus. Hera, Zeus’s wife, hated Leto and sought to destroy her and her children. She first ordered that no land in the world give her refuge for her to give birth. Leto wandered weeping from place to place, unable to rest until she found the tiny island of Delos, newly formed in the sea and still floating so it was not yet under Hera’s rule. Hera then kidnapped the goddess of childbirth so she could not attend Leto as a midwife. Leto managed to give birth to Artemis, but could not continue with the birth of Apollo. Finally the infant Artemis helped her mother with the birth of her own twin, becoming a goddess of childbirth herself.

After Apollo and Artemis were born, Hera became furious and ordered the Python to pursue and kill Leto and her children. The dragon rampaged through Greece as it chased them, but Apollo received the gift of a magic bow and quiver from the forge god, Hephaestus, and he used it to pursue the Python back to Delphi. The battle continued for days, but he finally slew the Python with a thousand poison-tipped arrows. By doing so, he displaced Themis as the patron deity of the Oracle at Delphi.

After the death of the Python, Hera ordered a fearsome giant named Tityos released from the subterranean dungeon of Tartarus. Another son of Zeus by a mortal princess, he was so large he split his mother’s womb before he was born and had to be carried to term within the earth itself. Hera ordered Tityos to rape and murder Leto. When Tityos arrived where Leto was hiding, Apollo and Artemis both fought him. When Zeus saw the battle from Olympus, he ordered an end to Hera’s destructive rampage and allowed the twins to cast Tityos into the underworld, where he was condemned to have his liver eaten by vultures for all eternity.

Invoking Apollo’s Guidance for Divination

Apollo was revered as a god of prophecy throughout the ancient world. He is invoked before divination to ask for his clarity, insight and accuracy. Either method of divination by meditation beads is applicable to this ritual.

1. Get in a comfortable position, such as sitting in a chair. Remove all distractions from the room.

2. Take several deep, cleansing breaths and free your mind of thought.

3. Invoke the aid of the god Apollo with the following prayer:

I call upon you, Apollo, Lord of Morning,

Radiant light-bearer, you are the first majesty of dawn.

Leave Delphi’s summit where priests voice hidden secrets

And give answer to my questions.

Hear, blessed one, I call you he who rules Heaven

Send me your divine spirit to fulfill what I have in my heart and soul

Reveal to me with truth and clarity the keys I seek

And grant me the wisdom to understand my discoveries.

Apollo, you are the golden glory of daybreak

I honor your oracular seat and call upon your name.

4. Focus deeply on your question, and employ either the bead-counting divination method or the pendulum divination method.

Conclusion

Meditation gives you focus, emotional well-being and spiritual wisdom. It is a gateway to altered consciousness and the first step towards interacting with your psychic self and communicating with the divine. Meditation beads are one of the most commonly used foci for entering into altered states and are easily adapted for magical practice. In addition to distracting the physical body, they provide timing and pacing for ritual work. Meditation beads are easily customized to suit your needs, and are convenient and portable. After experimenting with different methods of using meditation beads you will find that they make an interesting and versatile magical tool.

Appendix

The recipe for making herbal beads is as follows:

Herbal Bead Recipe

Materials Needed:

*2-3 quarts of herbal material such as rose petals (about a full grocery bag)

*Large stainless-steel pot

Water

Blender or food processor

Jelly bag or cheesecloth

Iron pot or skillet with lid

Rubber gloves

Tray

Newspapers

Paper towels

Essential oil matching your herb

Plastic containers with tight-fitting lids

1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon

3/64-inch brass wire, cut into 12-inch lengths

Empty small box or Styrofoam tray

Glass jars with lids

Fine sandpaper

Making the Herbal Mash

1. Place the herbs or petals in the stainless steel pot and fill with enough water to cover. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and boil for 2-6 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer you boil the mixture, the more the plant cellulose will break down and it will be easier to puree the plant mash. Because of this I have before boiled plant material, let it cool overnight on the stove, and resumed boiling the next day.

2. Let the herbal mixture cool. In either a food processor or a blender, puree the mixture. Add just enough water to let you puree it on the highest setting. You want the end product to be as finely ground as possible because this will make for the smoothest and most uniform beads. Drain the mash with either a jelly bag or cheesecloth to remove excess water.

Making the Herbal “Clay”

1. Put the herbal mash in the cast iron pot or skillet (make sure it has a lid!) Slow cook the herbal mash on the stove on the lowest possible setting, stirring occasionally, for the next two days or three days. It is done when the color has turned black and the mash has achieved the consistency of cream cheese. As stated above, it is okay to turn off the pot, let it cool, and return to it later - just keep it covered so it doesn’t form a crust.

Note: Many plant parts are lightly acidic (rose petals in particular.) When you add the mixture to the iron pot, there will be a chemical reaction that occurs that causes the mash to turn black. This is okay. The black stuff will stain anything it touches (including the iron pot!) so make sure you wear rubber gloves and old clothes while working with it.

2. Line the tray with newspapers, and then cover with a double layer of paper towels (the herbal clay will not stick to paper towels.) Put the mash on the tray to drain, and cover with another layer of paper towels. You may need to change the newspaper mat a few times. Normally this process takes about a day, with about three newspaper changes. At this point you may add some essential oil to the mash and knead it in; rose essential oil is often added to rose beads to enhance their odor, and I have added mint essential oil to mint beads with great success. You will use about six drops of essential oil per cup of finished mash.

Once this draining is complete, you may either make the beads or store the mash. You can put it in the containers with tight-fitting lids and keep it in the fridge for about five days. It can also be frozen for up to three months, and thawed and refrozen as necessary in between.

Making the Beads

1. One rounded half teaspoon makes one bead about 7 mm in diameter (the bead will shrink to one third of its size while drying.) Wearing gloves, knead the clay and remove any twigs or debris. Roll the clay into a ball between your palms with firm, even pressure. If any cracks appear in the beads, use a little water to smooth them out; otherwise the cracks will only get worse when the bead dries and it will probably break. Fortunately, beads can be rendered down again with water, so you have the opportunity to try again.

2. Slide the beads onto the brass wire, piercing each through the center. I recommend brass wire since it does not rust. Ten beads should fit onto a twelve inch length of wire. Lay the beads across the open side of a shoebox or tray so they remain suspended as they dry (or else you’ll have a flat spot on your beads!) Keep them away from drafts or excessive heat or cold. Turn them gently on the wires once each day to prevent them from sticking. The beads will take two weeks to dry.

3. Once the beads are dry, they may be finished with fine grade sandpaper to smooth them, or left with their natural slightly nubbly texture. Store unused beads in a glass jar with a tight lid to preserve their fragrance. When you do use your herbal beads in a meditation bead project, make sure to store them away from other strong smelling substances such as cigarette ash or incense - they will quickly absorb these odors. I keep mine in a small jar with a cotton ball glued to the lid. Occasionally I dab a little essential oil on the cotton ball to keep the beads’ scent fresh.

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A Personal Note from the Author

Thank you for reading my ebook. I hope you have learned much from it. Please leave me a review with your favorite ebook retailer so that other people may find my work and enjoy it too. Thanks!

Best Regards,

Tracey Rollin

About the Author

I have actively practiced witchcraft for over nineteen years. Raised by traditional European witches, I am lucky to have studied curanderismo from native practitioners around the American Southwest. I believe that magic is a skill that can be learned to cleanse and elevate your spirit as well as change the world around you. I helped hundreds of clients find peace, harmony, healing, love, growth and wealth. I teach my successful spirit-raising and spell-casting techniques to beginners and intermediates everywhere. There is no day better than today to begin applying the simple techniques that I have developed to change yourself and your life into that which you have dreamed of having.

Connect with the Author on her website at www.traceyrollin.com.