How to Make a Pagan Rosary

A rosary is a string of prayer beads used by some Christian churches, most commonly associated with Catholicism. These beads are used to aid one in achieving a meditative state while chanting repetitive prayers. If rosaries worked for you as a Christian, or if you like the idea, there is no reason you can't adapt it to your pagan practices. They are easy to make, and you can customize them to suit your own traditions and beliefs.

Things You'll Need

• Thin cord or heavy nylon thread
• A needle
• Medium to large sized beads
• Small beads for spacing
• Charm or special bead

Instructions

Basic Process

1. Decide what you want your prayers to be about. Do you wish to use them to meditate on the elements, or to focus on your patron god or goddess? As soon as you decide what your beads will be used for, you can select beads appropriate to that purpose. See the variations in sections below for more ideas on this.

2. Make a knot at the end of the cord or thread. String on your first bead based on your intent. String on two or three small, neutral-colored beads. These will be used as "spacers" between each prayer bead. Continue stringing on your intent beads, with the same amount of spacers in between them, until you have the amount you are satisfied with.

3. Tie on a special charm at the end of the string of beads. This charm could be a special bead, a charm fro a necklace or bracelet, a coin or something else that represents meaning of your beads. It might feature your goddess, or a symbol of your tradition, or might be a small pentacle.

4. Choose prayers or chants for your beads, and write them yourself. Learn these by heart. To use your beads, start with the first bead and say its prayer or chant, then move on to each bead in succession. Keep a special prayer for your charm, which would signify the end of the prayer or meditation session.

5. Empower your beads in ritual by running them through incense, or sprinkling them with salt and water, and asking your deities or any universal spirits you appeal to for blessings. Keep your beads in a special place, or wear them if you like.

Moon Goddess Rosary

1. String on 13 white beads, or beads with moon symbols, onto your string. Use dark blue or black spacers in between them. Each bead signifies one full moon cycle of the year.

2. Attach a charm that is a symbol of the moon goddess or of the moon itself.

3. To pray with your moon goddess rosary, begin with the first bead, and work your way through all 13 of them with a chant or prayer. For example, "Lady of the moon, protectress of the night, watch over me, your child, and fill me with your silver light. Teach me your mysteries, grant me your wisdom and heal my body, mind and soul. Show me your vision."

4. Finish with a special prayer to your goddess when you reach the charm. These prayers are best when you write them yourself and they come from the heart.

Elemental Rosary

1. Choose a yellow bead, a red bead, a blue bead and a green bead, and a white bead. Also choose 20 medium-sized beads in black. You will also need small spacer beads to go in between each. A good charm for this rosary is a pentacle, with each of the five points on the star representing an element: air, fire, water, earth, and spirit, the circle being the universe that surrounds and connects them all.

2. Make a knot at the end of the cord, and put a yellow bead on it, then a black bead, spacers, black bead, spacers, black bead, spacers, black bead, spacers. Add the red bead, then four more black beads, with spacers between them. Add the blue bead, with four more black beads with spacers. Add the green bead, with four more black beads with spacers. Add the white bead, with four more black beads with spacers. Tie it off with the charm.

3. To pray or chant with these beads, start with the yellow bead. Chant to the element of air, asking it to fill you with knowledge and clarity. Repeat the chant on the four black beads. Then move on to the red bead, asking the element of fire fill you with courage and passion. Repeat the chant on the four black beads. Move on to the blue bead, asking the element of water to fill you with vision and compassion. Repeat the chant on the four black beads. Move on to the element of earth, asking it to fill you with strength and stability. Repeat the chant on the four black beads. Move to the element of spirit, asking it to purify you and bring out your higher self. Repeat the chant on the four black beads. Reserve a special chant or prayer for the pentacle, asking for the blessings of the elements.