Did You Ever See Beads Like This?!

Click on the image to enlarge

Oh my! I checked out my favorite bead artists who work together at Masque Beads in Edinburgh, Scotland, creating some of the most gorgeous beads I've ever seen. I’ve been working with them for several years, and lately they’ve outdone themselves, so I’ve purchased some to make malas for you! That’s if I can manage not to keep them for myself, gosh I adore them!! They look great with jeans and tee shirts, dresses, absolutely anything - you don’t have to be all dressed up to enjoy them and look (and feel) amazing. 

The photo above shows Barbara and Katie’s hosta design, which brings sweet images to my mind of my pup Lil Bear doing his rounds of the garden and coming gently through the thick hostas that grow under the pergola. This particular mala wanted a rich carnelian bead and some gorgeous deep green jade beads for accents and marker beads. It includes stabilizing beads of a brass color to complement the metallic shades in the large teacher bead.

The traditional 108 prayer beads are, yep!  Tiger’s eye, which takes dye so beautifully while retaining the shimmery flash inherent in traditional brown tiger’s eye. So here we have what is called rainbow tiger’s eye for the prayer beads. 

The tiny seed bead spacers are a subtle bronzy gold color that complements the teacher bead. Tassel is a gorgeous rich burgundy color. According to Judy Hall, my go-to for gemstone energy properties, tiger’s eye “is a protective stone that assists us in accomplishing goals. She says it also “integrates the hemispheres of the brain and enhances practical perception.” It’s a wonderful grounding stone, regardless of what color it is.

Here’s the magical dragonfly mala!

I’m sticking with the nature theme for a while as it speaks to my heart. The gorgeous teacher bead on this mala depicts a dragonfly flitting about in her happy place, surrounded by the colors of the rainbow, hence, again the use of rainbow tiger’s eye for the traditional 108 prayer beads, but this time they lean more towards the blues and purples rather than the greens and reds. It includes a translucent agate accent bead and an amethyst to bring peace, as well as four marker beads of the deep green jade for wisdom. Copper  stabilizing beads and accent beads as well as jet-lined topaz seed beads pull it all together, and she’s finished with a beautiful tassel of just the right shade of royal purple. 

And here is the marvelous magpie mala!

Magpie is a symbol for good fortune in many cultures, and this one doesn’t disappoint. She’s flying among a collection of peach and burgundy blossoms against a soft white background, perfectly complemented by the white rainbow moonstone traditional 108 prayer beads. Her accent beads next to the teacher bead include carnelian, labradorite, and angelite, all with very special energies. Moonstone is “a stone of new beginnings,” according to Judy Hall in her book The Crystal Bible, and its most powerful effect is the calming of the emotions. Carnelian is a stone that "grounds and anchors you in the present reality.” Judy also lets us know it gives courage and promotes positive life choices, so I love to use this gemstone in my creations. Labradorite “raises consciousness and connects with universal energies.” And angelite is a “stone of awareness,” representing peace and brotherhood, according to my favorite gemstone expert. All that in a necklace you can pray with, or. not, as you please.

These malas hang about 30 inches long, and the more you wear them and pray with them the more they retain those good energies and the stronger they get. Every now and then you can clean their energies by putting them in gentle sunlight or moonlight for a couple of hours, or saging them. They like that as most of the gemstones do absorb negative energies and keep you protected from them, hurrah!

Malas, or prayer beads as they’re also known, have been used by many cultures for centuries, and each has its own traditions. They’re not necessarily associated with a single religion, more a way of life and the connection with however we define our higher sources, Creator, God, and Earth energies. 

Some like to meditate with them for healing, and/or connection, and one of the ways to do this is to choose a prayer that is personal to you. It can be anything that reflects goodwill, love, and positive thoughts either for yourself or others, the planet, or anything even bigger. Once you’ve chosen the words that define your prayer, the practice is to start with the first bead past the accent bead (the first of the 108) and say your prayer or mantra aloud or silently in your head. Then you move your fingers to the next bead and repeat your prayer. You can do this all the way through the 108 beads, adjusting your words/thoughts to reflect exactly what you wish to express. When you come to the teacher bead you change direction and go back the other way, one bead at a time, repeating your prayer each time. The marker beads help you to know where you are in your ceremony so you can gauge the time you’d like to spend focusing on these lovely thoughts. Each time you pick up your mala you can choose a different prayer or mantra to focus on. Some like to do this privately at home, and some out in nature. Some simply love to wear the beads for the sweet energies they surround us with.

I will be making them available through a couple of places here in town, and will post an update when ready. I’ll be making a few more of these, plus some awesome earrings, so check in again to stay tuned! If you’d like me to add you to my email list to notify when they’re available, PM me in FB or send me an email at dreamkeepercreations@gmail.com. I currently no longer sell through Etsy and my time is quite limited so I currently don’t do commission orders, but I may be able to open that up again a bit later, will keep you posted.

These make really special gifts for those who are going through life changes, challenges, celebrations, and graduation especially. I’ve sold hundreds over the past 10 years and just can’t not continue to make them, in-between house projects, garden projects, (new post coming next on garden), and life stuff, lol. 

Thanks for your interest in these beauties, more info to come!

Namaste,

~Jen