for malas sake....

been a long time i know.  a lot has occupied my life.  my apologies.

so malas.  or not.  you all know i make jewelry and a number of you have been recipients of my creativity. for that i am grateful.  well, i kept getting nudges from everywhere that i should be making malas.   i have looked at them for a long, long time and admired so many varieties out there.  have worn them and yes, even as a youngster, we prayed with them, except they were called rosaries in my mother's world.  

so i decided that if i was going to make them, i needed to sharpen some skills required to make a traditional mala - knotting. i actually sat for almost 3.5hrs making the first one and i didn't even get to 108 beads.  but it looks really cool.  i don't have to knot them.  i can do whatever i like and i have since then.  the knotting is pretty addition.

then there's the whole belief system around the mala having 108 beads to be a true mala - spiritually or otherwise. a friend shared some of the many theories that folks believe in when using a mala with 108 beads.  these are just a handful:

Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.

Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.

Pentagon: The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a pentagon equals 108 degrees.

Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.

Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole.

Chinese: The Chinese Buddhists and Taoists use a 108 bead mala, which is called su-chu, and has three dividing beads, so the mala is divided into three parts of 36 each. Chinese astrology says that there are 108 sacred stars.

Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.

and there are many more theories behind the mysterious 108.  most of my malas are not made with the traditional 108 beads. the simple reason is that i believe if you are using them for praying or talking to the divine or whomever, then those folks are just genuinely happy that you are paying attention to them and honoring them period.  the fact that you want to say your thoughts or prayers 108 times makes them all the more merrier.  

that's just me. 

so. i custom design each mala for the person who has asked me to make one for them.  so generally speaking, no two malas of mine are the same.  the other reason that they are not the same is that i cannot guarantee that i will be able to get the same beads again as i only buy what's sustainable and available from my local shop owner.  when they are gone they are gone.  who knows if i will see those beads again.  i also don't always add a tassel.  sometimes, i use a small pendant or charm at the base to anchor it.

the stones vary all over the place: rose quartz, amethyst, lapis lazuli, chalcedony, austrian crystal, red tiger eye, jades, lava, african turquoise, african glass, wood etc.

you can private message me on FB or if you have my contact info - reach out email or cell.  here are a just few that i have made recently.  enjoy. be well.