Customer Reviews

Pagan Prayer Beads: Magic and Meditation with Pagan Rosaries

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm an experienced beader, but have never ventured into making rosaries. This book is great for folks who know their way around beads, and probably for beginners too. The authors give practical advice and suggestions, as well as creative ideas for personalizing your rosary. They give detailed information about what materials to use (beads, stringing materials, crimps, etc) and good descriptions of how to make the different designs. My only minor complaint is I wish the pics had been in color (such beautiful designs, and I'm sure they would have looked even better in color), and some pictures of the actual process of making them would have been nice, especially for beginners. But overall a great book that I would definitely recommend!

I bought this book in hopes of learning, not just how to create a meaningful and useful personal prayer tool, but also the variety of ways I can use one of these beautiful creations.

What I got, instead, was a book about beading. That's about it. The bulk of the book focuses on how to design and construct a pretty necklace or bracelet or other jewelry, interspersed with personal stories of how others have gone about the asthetic process. There seemed to be no mention or thought about what purpose the final product would serve. Some of the book does touch on various corrospondances that can be easily gained from other books (colors and their associations, gemstones and their uses etc) and there are many examples of how certain beads or charms can be used as symbols, but there is only one chapter, a footnote really of less than 20 pages (out of the 180 pages), on various things to do with the pretty necklace once you've made it.

While the book was written, apearently, by members of the pagan community and contains recipes and tips for constructing Wiccan, Druidic, Goddess and Fairy jewelry, there is hardly a mention of how to use these creations for the "prayer and meditation" mentioned in the title once you've tied and hidden your final knot.

I ask, how can I design a set of prayer beads if I don't have a plan for what I'm going to do with it when I'm done? What purpose is my rosary going to serve etc? This question is left without much guidance or suggestions by the authors... I was very dissapointed considering what I'd hoped for... I would have liked MUCH greater depth in the possible uses for each of the designs as, to me, the purpose dictates the design and rosaries or prayer beads are much more to me than a pretty string of beads.

But if you need a book about bead/charm corrospondances and need some friendly expert advice on how to make beaded pagan jewelry that could possibly be used for prayer and meditation, this might be the book for you.

This book is a fantastic resource for anyone who has ever considered designing his or her own prayer beads but had no idea where to start, how to work with beading wire, or which types of beads correspond to the specific purpose and/or intent. Different styles and techniques are shown (symmetrical/asymmetrical, for example) and explained in enough detail to help you through, but not enough that it becomes a substitute for your own ideas. The tone and language are uplifting and encouraging.

The only thing I'd change about the book if I could would be the images. As beautiful as the images are, it would be so much more helpful to someone with little to no understanding of color correspondences to actually see specific colors in use.

Even without the color images this is now one of my new favorite books - I will definitely be going back to it when I'm ready to start working a bit more with the beading wire.

PAGAN PRAYER BEADS: MAGIC AND MEDITATION WITH PAGAN ROSARIES comes from a beading expert who covers the meditative qualities of Pagan rosaries - and is the first book to do so. New Age libraries will find it an excellent and unique survey which provides explanations and keys to understanding the rituals associated with different kinds of rosary beads, covering everything from making and stringing a rosary to using it properly.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is basic, to the point, and very informative. It is filled with personal insights and examples which give energy to the subject. The book presents a a brief history of malas or prayer strands and then techniques for making them as well as magical elements to consider when designing them. It also gives patterns for meditation/prayer strands which the author and associates have designed and created. Also included are chants or meditations for several of the designs presented in the book. Over all a very useful tool for creating meditation tools for yourself or others. A wonderful introduction into a fascinating subject.

I enjoyed this book, it was well-written, and easy to understand for beginners in making prayer beads geared towards the pagan religion. I found many new ideas on how to fashion my own set of beads to use for personal meditation and peace during times of stress and anxiety. They are a comfort.
Beads can be found most everwhere now, and one can stock up on real stones to fashion their own creative mandala.
I recommend this book for pagans to start their own personal journey into the art of beading and fashioning a prayer bead mandala for their use.
dr_scully

This is a very imformative book not only for those interested in the use of prayer beads but also for those wanting to learn to make their own prayer beads. This book has a brief history of prayer beads and it's uses in many religions. It includes the symbolism used: colors, shapes, stones, numbers. Druid rosaries (Revival and Celtic Reconstructionism), Wiccan rosaries, and other special interests rosaries. It explains in very simple terms how to make your own prayer beads> There is a section on spells and chants that may used with your rosaries. It's endless what one can do with this. As far as the comments made on the photographs being b/w, really, use your imagination! It may be why it's in black and white.

I made 3 rosaries from this book, and everyone I gave them to , loved them ..wish the pictures would have been in color, also the book gave some ideas if your on a buget , and I liked that too! over all very happy with the book.

This book not only gives specific way to make a workable set of prayer beads, it also gives you a place to start with your own ideas. It is easily understood and can be used by both beginning pagans looking for something sacred that they can make and keep and by people who have been on the path for a while who want something new. Overall I really liked the book.

I enjoyed the beading advice, though I wish the photos had been in color. But I wish there had been a lot more on using prayer beads.