chelidon

A number of you expressed interest a couple of weeks back in the Iron Pentacle prayer beads and prayer that Claudia Manifest made and has used for a number of years now for personal practice and as a teaching tool. She agreed to write up the prayer, and I took pictures of the necklace she made, so here 'tis. The necklace is largely hematite (iron ore), rather a good fit for the Iron Pentacle, natch ;> Speaking personally, I can say that the necklace, after who knows how many repetitions of the IP "prayer" below, just hums with the force of the IP...it about makes my teeth ache just to pick it up. Very, very powerful work.

If anyone has any questions, or wants more info, let me know and I'll pass them on to Claudia.

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Chelidon asked me to share some of my thoughts on Iron Pentacle Prayer Beads. My basic introduction to using pagan prayer beads was from Donald Engstrom, Reclaiming teacher out of Minnesota ("yah sure you betcha"). After creating and working with several prayer beads for both individual and group work, I decided to incorporate the making and using of prayer beads into a 6 week Pentacle of Iron class I was teaching, along with the more typical trance work and talking bits, and Thorn's Devotional Dances, to each of the points. Over those 6 weeks, each person created their own set of Iron Pentacle Prayer beads and during the last class we shared them with each other and talked about the experience of making them and using them. All were wonderful, all were very different. I chose to create an entire ritual within my beads. One of the things Donald teaches is to have a repeater/spacer bead that takes on a mantra/trance like quality as you work through the beads. Because I like it, and because I wanted to honor Donald as my mentor in this process, mine was the phrase "I dare to live in beauty, balance, and delight." I chose hematite spacers because of their metallic look and feel and their heavy solidness. Between them I strung silver and pewter charms to represent the different points on my beads.

(Picture of entire necklace here)

Using the Prayer Beads: for mediation, prayer, divination, daily practice:
To begin with, I sit in a dropped and centered space, holding my beads, doing some breath work and practicing stillness until I feel ready to begin my work. I start at the clasp, touching each bead or charm as I pass by it and holding its meaning in my awareness / saying out loud:
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance and Delight" repeated 9 times with hematite spacer beads
"I cast this circle with the Iron Pentacle" (first charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"I call on the Guardians of Air" (second charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"I call on the Guardians of Fire" (third charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"I call on the Guardians of Water." (fourth charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"I call on the Guardians of Earth" (first charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"I call upon the Guardians of the Center: Above and Below" (second charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"I call upon the Guardians of Time" (third charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"I call upon the Lord." (fourth charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"I call upon the Lady." (fifth charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times
"I honor the Iron Pentacle Sex Pride Self Power Passion Sex; Sex Self Passion Pride Power Sex" (first charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times
"I honor the point of Sex and Life Force" (second/third charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times
"I honor the point of Rightful Pride" (first/second charm from right)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times
"I honor the point of Self and the Black Heart of Innocence embedded in Self" (third/fourth/fifth charm from right -- these are in the center of the ncklace)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times
" I honor the point of Power" (first/second charms from left)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times
"I honor the point of Passion" (third/fourth charms from left)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times
"I honor the point of Sex and Life Force" (charms from this point on are are mirror-image of the other side)
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times
"Blessed Be the Iron Pentacle: Sex Pride Self Power Passion Sex; Sex Self Passion Pride Power Sex"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times
"Blessed Be the Lady"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"Blessed Be the Lord"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"Blessed Be the Guardians of Time"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"Blessed Be the Guardians of the Center: Above and Below"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"Blessed Be the Guardians of Earth"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"Blessed Be the Guardians of Water"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"Blessed Be the Guardians of Fire"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"Blessed Be the Guardians of Air"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 3 times
"I open this Circle"
"I dare to live in Beauty, Balance, and Delight" repeated 9 times

I sit for awhile, reflecting on any information that may have come to me during this mediation practice, sometimes I journal.afterwards. I find this practice very helpful and extremely grounding. The beads at this point are so charged up with Iron Pentacle energy that simply holding them or wearing them is powerful. The whole process takes between 20 -30 minutes and has become a favorite magical practice of mine.

I recently bought some fresh water pearls and am collecting beads to do the Pearl Pentacle as well.

Hope this is helpful to anyone interested.
**BB** Claudia