About the Author
Eleanor Wiley, a former speech pathologist and gerontologist, began making jewelry about seven years ago. Nearing age 60 she faced a vocational and spiritual crisis and began making prayer beads. A fossil ivory "Goddess of Transformation" came her way and her first set of prayer beads was born. She teaches workshops on making prayer beads as a spiritual practice all over the world. Maggie Oman Shannon is the author of The Way We Pray and editor of Prayers for Common Healing. She is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in numerous publications.
A String and a Prayer SYNOPSIS
A String and a Prayer recounts the history and symbolism of prayer beads, teaches basic techniques for stringing beads and a host of other objects into prayer beads, and offers a variety of prayers and rituals to use those beads on a daily basis.
Beads have appeared throughout history. Prayer beads are used in the spiritual practices of cultures as diverse as the African Masai, Native Americans, Greek and Russian Orthodoxy, as well as the religious rituals of Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism. But prayer is highly personal. By infusing prayer beads with personal associations, we can keep our spirituality fresh. The beads are a device to help build and rebuild meaningful ritual in our lives.
With myriad ideas about what makes objects sacred and where to find sacred objects — from the personal, perhaps beads from a grandmother's broken rosary, to the unusual, maybe seashells from far away found in a thrift store — this book offers many suggestions for different ways that beads can be made and used, exploring the creative roles they can play in our relationships, ceremonies, and rituals. "You are the expert, trust yourself. Let the instructions be a guide to your own creativity," write the authors.
Art & Photography
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