Life Beads

Copyright © Jama Lucas

This is a little project I started a few years back when I first became interested in magic and Wicca. I call them my "Life Beads". The idea came from the creative combination of different bead ideas I came across when first studying the craft.

Start with a small piece of waxed cord (any type of cord or chain will work) about one foot long. Then purchase (or make) several colored, tubular beads of many different colors and metal bead separators (optional - to make the individual beads stand out). Thread the beads on the cord, one bead for each year, with the colors representing different cycles in your life. The colors can be coded to represent their meaning (as with colored candles) or just how those years felt to you (if you were to describe them as a color).

Example of Life beads:

First 4 beads - Baby Blue or Pink, for your infancy years

Next 10 beads - color representing your school years as a child (I use light purple)

Next 6 beads - for your teen years (I use off-white for my early years of innocence and learning) ..and so on... you get the idea.

Beads can represent things like: Employment, dedication to your path, marriage (or partnership), study, confrontation, etc. Add one bead per year.

Hints: Try multicolored beads for years that have more than one significance.

I have started making and painting my own beads for a more custom, multicolored effect and it adds to the personal magic of the beads. I use metal bead separators between each 'year bead' to signify meanings as well.

Add pendants, carvings , God/dess symbols, etc to decorate and bring added meaning to your bead chain. Feel free to ignore the 'one-bead-per-year' rule and just use beads to stand for 'change' (or whatever). :)

I personally carry mine, along with other small magic tools, stones, etc in a small leather 'magic pouch'. I use mine in magic ritual and as a constant reminder of this life when I need encouragement and support.

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site only. © 2003 Kathleen Garber. Unless otherwise stated, the material
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