Sacred Journey Bead Circlets were designed with
the ancient circle in mind. The circlet part of the beads can be worn around
the wrist and the pendant held in the palm chakra. The palm chakra is a
sensor for healing. Rubbing rose or lavendar essential oil on the palm
chakra stimulates healing energy. If you glance at your wrists, most people
have a thin band circling their wrist which is very symbolic.
The soul is a circle--Plato
The
Science of Prayer
Written
by Pamela Sodi - www.PeaceBreath.com
I
have long been a student of the art of healing techniques
used around the world. It has been a passion of mine.
This quest has taken me from the kahunas of Hawaii to
the medicine men of the American Indian to the shamans
of Peru with many stops along the way. Two things that
I have learned from all of those years of exploration
are: first--that there is nothing new in the universe;
and all of the answers are much simpler than we have ever
been led to believe.
In
all of the healings I have witnessed over the years, there
is always some kind
of request made to a power that is somehow greater than
we are asking that the
healing take place. This request is made with love, compassion,
and deep caring.
These very simple ingredients have caused miracles to
happen before my eyes. You can debunk anything, but once
you witness it first hand you have no choice but to know
it is real.
During
one of my trainings in Hawaii, a young man with cancerous
tumors
protruding from the back of his head and his neck was
invited to receive a
healing. Everyone in the circle prayed for his healing
and each one laid hands on
him. By the time the last person laid hands on the young
man, the tumors were
gone! They had disappeared! He sat there sobbing uncontrollably
for half an hour
after the healing was finished. When I asked him why he
was crying, he told me
that before he had come to the healing circle that evening,
he had prayed to be
well. In his prayer he imagined that his tumors were taken
away.
Dr.
Larry Dossey in his book, 'The Power of Prayer' reports
the results of a
study done at Duke University called The Mantra Project.
Cardiologist, Dr. Mitchell Krucoff and nurse practitioner,
Susan Craven, conducted the study. The names of the heart
patients who agreed to be part of the study were sent
via email to Buddhist groups in Nepal, Hindus in India,
Jewish groups in Jerusalem, Catholic nuns, Unity Village
Missouri, and Protestants in North Carolina. It is interesting
to note that the heart patients who received prayers had
50 to 100 percent fewer side effects than those who did
not.
The
most famous prayer study was done at the University of
California San
Francisco Medical Center conducted by Dr. Randolph Byrd,
a cardiologist. In the
study 393 people who were admitted to the hospital for
a heart attack were all
given the same state-of-the-art medical care, but half
of them were prayed for by
name by prayer groups around the country. The result-the
prayed for group had
fewer deaths, faster recoveries, less intubations, and
used less medication.
So
what is this thing called prayer, and how much power does
it really have? Traditionally we have thought of prayer
as a supplication. We ask for something from a higher
power, or wish for things to be different than they are,
but is asking and wishing the form that prayer took for
our ancestors?
In
'The Isaiah Effect-Decoding the Lost Science of Prayer
and Prophecy', Gregg Braden says that his research led
him to discover a lost form of prayer. This ancient form
of prayer was lost to the Western world around the 4th
century AD when holy texts were edited into what we know
today as The Bible. Braden says that according to his
studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the power of prayer is
in the inner state created by the act of praying, not
in the words spoken. A
powerful prayer embraces the thoughts, feelings, and emotions
one would
experience in the presence of a desired outcome.
To
put this in simpler terms, the key ingredient in a powerful
prayer that
follows the blueprint of our ancestors is the 'feeling'
that what you are praying
for has already happened. Braden says that the real power
of prayer is not in the
words spoken but in the inner state created by the act
of praying. 'It is that
feeling or emotional state that holds the power to affect
every aspect of what we
experience in our lives and on the planet.'
Applying
this ancient science of prayer to living in peace, for
example, peace
would not be created by praying for peace, in the sense
of praying for something
that we do not have, and wishing it was different. Peace
is created by holding
those thoughts, feelings, and emotions firmly within us
that we would have if we
lived in peace. It is the creating of the experience of
peace in our inner world
that causes it to appear in our outer world.
'Most
men consider the course of events as natural and inevitable.
They little
know what radical changes are possible through prayer.
A prayer that is strong
and deep will definitely receive God's answer…By
the application of science in
religion, your uncertain belief in spiritual possibilities
can become a
realization of their highest fulfillment.'
--Paramahansa Yogananda
Can
harnessing the science of prayer as used by our ancestors
really promote
world peace? Braden says, 'This (the ancient science of
prayer) is the language
to move mountains.' And can prayer actually affect change
on the inanimate-a
rock, a tree, our earth? We'll explore this further in
our next issue.
May
the spirit of peace be with you on your journey,
Pamela Sodi
PeaceBreath.com
(Pamela
has committed her life to assisting people in creating
the world that they want. She has over 20 years of experience
in the field of emotional counseling, and has had the
privilege of studying this work in many cultures around
the world.)
The
Sacred Circle….
"A
Sacred Memory" sensed from the very beginning of
our "Sacred Journey Bead" project the importance
of incorporating the sacred circle in the design of these
powerful beads. The sacred circle is universal, ancient,
energized, blessed and very symbolic. Circles have been
honored and revered all over the world since the beginning
of time. As we move forward in this new era, the ancient
circle tradition will continue to grow stronger. "
A Sacred Memory" thought it to be apropos to begin
sharing our findings with honoring one of the many ancient
traditions that pay reverence to the sacred circle, the
Native American. We've found an inspiring quote from Black
Elk. He eloquently expresses how significant the sacred
circle truly is.
We
encourage you to read the material presented. As time
moves forward we will add to this documentation.
In
Trust, In Faith and In Belief of the MIRACLE of HEALING,
The
ASacredMemory.com
team
(Ref
http://www.tapestryweb.org/aboutcircle.html)
"You
have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle,
and that is because the Power of the World always works
in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old
days when we were a strong and happy people, all our power
came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long
as the hoop was unbroken the people flourished The flowering
tree was the living center of the hoop, and the circle
of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace
and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain,
and the north with its cold and mighty wind gave strength
and endurance. This knowledge came to us from the outer
world with our religion. Everything the Power of the World
does is done in a circle. The Sky is round and I have
heard that the earth is round like a ball and so are all
the stars. The Wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds
make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion
as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a
circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. "Even
the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and
always come back again to where they were. The life of
a man is a circle from childhood to childhood and so it
is in everything where power moves. Our tipis were round
like the nests of birds and these were always set in a
circle, the nation's hoop, a nest of many nests where
the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children."
And
in her book, A Voice From The Earth,
( Ref; http://www.carmel.com/scott/medwheelsacreddir.html
)
Judith
Pintar states, 'The quartered circle has represented the
four winds, the four directions and the four quarters
of the world since humankind first scratched on to bark
or placed a standing stone. The symbol is not an arbitrary
one. It is keyed into our most basic human understandings
of space and time."
With the teachings of Black Elk in mind, she explains,
"If we could stay away from calendars long enough
to forget what day of the week it might be, our short-term,
visual orientation of time would fade and the moon would
become our guide, corroborated over time by the sun's
relative position in the sky and the dancing reactions
of the seasonal world around us. This time sense is cyclical,
not linear; our world moving in a circle, not a line.
"The place where the sun came from was named and
also the place where it later disappeared, East and West.
By observing the place where the sun rose and fell against
distant mountains, we drew our symbol as a circle with
a cross in it. This image revealed an amazing truth. It
placed us at the center of the circle. The four directions
spread out and away from us to the unknown lands farther
than we could see.
"Once we had created the symbol, we looked for it
everywhere. She concludes her remarks by saying; "I
hungered, not for something new to believe in, but for
something that would simply allow me to comprehend what
I had seen. When I became acquainted with Native American
spirituality, I was drawn immediately to the open-ended
nature of a symbol system which offered no dogma to take
on faith, required no rejection of other beliefs, but
encouraged a personal relationship and communication with
the earth."
The Medicine Wheel is a tool that leads its user to the
discovery of the Inner Self, and to knowledge of the purpose
of one's life. It assists one in tuning in to the unseen
forces of Nature, as it assists in uncovering the meaning
behind some of the deepest mysteries of life, as well
as the deepest mysteries of self.
For me, this symbol serves as a reference point that I
use to help me understand, as well as solve the particular
challenges I find myself facing. It offers me a structure
to help find my purpose in my life. It is the most powerful
symbol I can use, for it allows me the greatest freedom
to explore my own individual identity. And in so doing
affords me the opportunity to change and move and grow
in whatever fashion I require. In this way, I not only
honor my own story and my own path, but I also acknowledge
and honor the One who has placed me on this path and who
walks with me every step of the way.
(Ref:
about.com)
The
circle is not merely a physical shape; it is a
universal symbol that corresponds to universal patterns
of energy. It is, in its essence, representations of the
ways in which energy and awareness flows in our manifested
world, and are therefore useful in healing work.
Do
not think that because it is simple, it cannot be powerful.
At various times in the past, man has been much more aware
of the power and uses of simple symbols than we are today,
in our modern technological civilization, where it is
often mistakenly assumed that something must be complex
to be powerful. Symbols have been known, and used as symbols
of power, in virtually every culture on earth, and in
the magical tradition, as well. While there are other
symbols that have been used in healing work, these particular
symbols are potentially more powerful than any. They are
powerful tools of awareness.
It
may interest you to have some idea of the meaning and
the essence behind the symbol-indicative of the energy
patterns it represents-and this is given below. Do not
be bound, however, by these descriptions, because the
true understanding of this symbol transcends description.
The description is only an approximation of the essence.
The essence of the symbol is beyond words or ideas. It
is important, therefore, not to think of any meaning when
using this symbol, and to just be aware of the symbol
itself. The true meaning and power is inherent in each
symbol.
The
Circle:
The
Circle, which is the outline of a circle (not filled in),
is the symbol of wholeness, unending life force, and the
unity of creation-the beginning and end of all things.
It attunes with the all. It is complete, and draws together
and encompasses all that is. It also represents duality,
inside and outside, but shows, in its completeness, that
apparent duality resolves itself in unity, in one being.
In
healing, one often works with separated (polar) energies-energies
not completely connected or harmonious. The Circle not
only calls forth polar energies; it pulls them together
and resolves them. When summoning the energy at the beginning
of treatments, it is used to draw life energy from the
earth and all around, using the body life force to receive
the universal life energy, the two energies meeting. The
Circle uses the energy that is already in the body to
receive the energy that exists all around. It assists
the healer in opening his or her self and in bringing
in the energy.
The
Circle creates an opening of the spirit, a balanced harmony
between the spirit and the earth.
Sacred
Geometry is the blueprint of Creation and the genesis
of all form. It is an ancient science that explores and
explains the energy patterns that create and unify all
things and reveals the precise way that the energy of
Creation organizes itself. On every scale, every natural
pattern of growth or movement conforms inevitably to one
or more geometric shapes.
As
you enter the world of Sacred Geometry you begin to see
as never before the wonderfully patterned beauty of Creation.
The molecules of our DNA, the cornea of our eye, snow
flakes, pine cones, flower petals, diamond crystals, the
branching of trees, a nautilus shell, the star we spin
around, the galaxy we spiral within, the air we breathe,
and all life forms as we know them emerge out of timeless
geometric codes. Viewing and contemplating these codes
allow us to gaze directly at the lines on the face of
deep wisdom and offers up a glimpse into the inner workings
of the Universal Mind and the Universe itself.
The
ancients believed that the experience of Sacred Geometry
was essential to the education of the soul. They knew
that these patterns and codes were symbolic of our own
inner realm and the subtle structure of awareness. To
them the "sacred" had particular significance
involving consciousness and the profound mystery of awareness,
the ultimate sacred wonder. Sacred Geometry takes on another
whole level of significance when grounded in the experience
of self-awareness.
More
symbolism of the Circle
The
circle has many other interesting associations and appears
in art in a number of forms. Here, we'll look at the circle
in the form of the halo, the rainbow, the ring, the wheel,
and the circle dance.
Eternal Ring
The Power Of The Circle
There are many reasons for why a gathering of
people in a circle is powerful. A circle is a shape that is found repeatedly
throughout the natural world, and it is a symbol of perfection. We recreate this
perfect shape when we join others to form a circle. Being in a circle allows us
experience each other as equals. Each person is the same distance apart from the
next participant, and no one is seated higher than or stands apart from others
in a circle. From tribal circles to the mythical round table of King Arthur, the
circle has been the shape adopted by gatherings throughout history.
The circle is acknowledged as an archetype of wholeness and integration, with
the center of a circle universally understood to symbolize Spirit - the Source.
When a group of people come together in a circle, they are united. This unity
becomes even more powerful when each person reaches out to touch a neighbor and
clasps hands. This physical connection unites thought and action, mind and body,
and spirit and form in a circle. Because a circle has no beginning and no end,
the agreement to connect in a circle allows energy to circulate from one person
to the next, rather than being dissipated into the environment.
Like a candle used to light another candle, the connection with spirit that
results when one person joins hands with another is greater than if each person
were to stand alone. People who take part in a circle find that their power
increases exponentially while with the group. Like a drop of water rippling on
the surface of a pond, the waves of energy produced in a circle radiate outward
in circular motion. While one person may act like a single beacon that emanates
light, a circle of people is like a satellite dish that sends out energy. There
is power in numbers, and when the commitment is made by many to face one
another, clasp hands, and focus on one intention, their circle emanates ripples
of energy that can change the world.
www.dailyom.com
The
Circular Halo
Recall
that a halo is a zone of light behind the head of a holy
figure, like the halos we sometimes see around the sun
or moon. It may have the shape of a circle.
A
circular halo is used for Christ, Mary, and saints. Mary's
circular halo is usually elaborately decorated. The circular
halo of a saint is usually plain.
The
circle has heavenly associations in the rainbow, which
appears to touch both heaven and earth at the same time.
The rainbow was often used as the Lord's throne and in
scenes of the Last Judgment. When tri-colored, is associated
with the Trinity.
This
connection to the rainbow probably came straight from
both Old and New Testaments:
The Circle,
The Wheel of Fortune
& The Rose Window
My
heart leaps up when I behold .. A rainbow in the sky:
William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
Slide
9-1: Alfons Mucha (1860-1939). Slavia, (1908) National
Gallery, Prague
VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Introduction
The
circle is considered a symbol of unity, because all the
regular polygons are embraced by the circle.
It
is also the symbol of infinity, without beginning or end,
perfect, the ultimate geometric symbol. Its a symbol of
democracy and the preferred shape for an assembly of equals;
the council circle, the campfire circle, and King Arthur's
round table. The circle is also the easiest geometric
figure to draw accurately, with stick and string or forked
stick.
In
this unit we'll examine the mathematics and the symbolism
of the circle, and show how it was prominent in Gothic
architecture, especially in the Rose window. We'll examine
figures with circular boundaries like the vesica, and
its use as art motifs. Finally, we'll combine circle with
square for the highly symbolic squaring of the circle.
Cruciform
Halo
Slide
9-4: Florence Baptistry Ceiling
Nova Lux Slide Set, Firenze
The
Greek cross within a circle (cruciform nimbus) is used
only when portraying Christ. In the San Giovanni ceiling,
notice that the figure of God is also in the shape of
a Greek cross, within a circle. Both can be taken as an
example of squaring the circle.
The
Rainbow
Slide
9-6: Last Judgement, closeup. Giotto, 1305. In Scrovegni
chapel.
My
heart leaps up when I behold, A rainbow in the sky:
Iris,
Goddess of The Rainbow
Iris
was the Greek goddess of the rainbow, a messenger of the
gods, like Hermes. She descended to earth on a rainbow,
which touched both realms, representing a communication
between the heavenly and the earthly.
As
a symbol for eternity, the ring is used for betrothal
and marriage. Betrothal rings were an old Roman custom.
Wedding rings came into use later.
A
bishop's ring signifies his union with Church. A Nun's
ring signifies her marriage with Christ. This slide shows
Catherine of Alexandria receiving a ring, symbolizing
her marriage to God.
The
Ring as a Symbol of Authority or Status
This
comes from the use of the signet ring, one used to make
an impression indicating authenticity, which goes back
to ancient Greece. Moreover, it is a symbol of designated
authority, since a ring is easily passed to another.
In
Rome, wearing of rings of various metals was strictly
regulated. Citizen's rings were iron, and were forbidden
to slaves.
Church
rings show the ecclesiastical office of the wearer. The
Papal ring or Fisherman's Ring, bears an image of St.
Peter fishing. It is broken at Pope's death.
Magic
Rings
Rings
of Jasper or Bloodstone were worn by Egyptians for success
in battle or other struggle.
The
Koran says Solomon had a magic ring which could give him
power over enemies, and transport him to a celestial sphere
where he could rest from the cares of state.
Romans
wore rings dedicated to the goddess Salus (Hygeia) engraved
with a pentagram and a coiled snake, to ensure good fortune.
Rings
made of nails from coffins or church doors were popular
talismans in the Middle Ages for curing cramp and other
disorders.
The
circle is the symbol for infinity, because the
circle is endless, and may be considered a polygon with
an infinite number of sides.
The
snake or dragon with its tail in its mouth continually
devouring itself and being reborn from itself is a symbol
of eternity and of the cyclic nature of the universe.
It expresses the unity of all things, which never disappear
but change form in a cycle of destruction and re-creation.
It
is also the alchemical symbol for chemical change. A dream
about this serpent gave the chemist von Stradonitz the
notion of the benzene ring, in the 19th century.
Slide
9-20: Wheel of Dharma
The
Wheel of Dharma is a common symbol of Buddhism.
Like the wheel of a cart that keeps turning, it symbolizes
Buddha's teaching as it continues to spread endlessly.
The eight spokes represent the eightfold Path of Buddha.
Here,
a Tibetan woman spins an endless prayer written on a strip
of paper coiled inside the cylinder.
The
circle dance, like the round table or council circle is
democratic, where no one has a more prominent position
than anyone else.
The
importance of number symbolism was matched by a dedication
to geometry. Kenneth Clark points out that ". .
to medieval man geometry was a divine activity . ."
According
to Cowan, churches had been built on geometric principles
since early Christian times. Geometry was the basis of
all Gothic cathedrals, everything being created from basic
relationships. We've seen that the ground plan was always
cruciform, the baptism font always octagonal, and the
baptistry itself often was, and the circle was everywhere.
This
was symbolized in art by God holding a pair of compasses,
a common motif in the Middle Ages. The art historian Ernst
Gombrich credits a passage from the Old Testament as the
inspiration for these portrayals. In Proverbs, Chapter
8 par. 27, Wisdom put forth her voice;
"When
he established the heavens I was there: when he set a
compass upon the face of the deep:"
Slide
9-40: Chartres Cathedral (1145-1220)
Campbell, Joseph, with Bill Moyers. The Power of Myth.
NY: Doubleday 1988.
A
year after St. Denis was finished work was started on
rebuilding Chartres, and it was here that the Medieval
craze for numbers and geometry seemed to reach its peak.
According to Cowan, "The scholars at Chartres
were clearly fascinated by number and . . geometry . . as a key to understanding nature. Their preoccupation
with numbers led to a trend of almost reducing theology
to geometry."
According
to Eco, "The School of Chartres remained faithful
to the Platonic heritage of the Timaeus, and developed
a kind of 'Timaeic' cosmology. For the School of Chartres,
the work of God was order, opposite of the primeval chaos."
The
Rose Window
Slide
9-44: Rose Window Exterior
But
the ultimate expression of the Medieval love of geometry
and of the circle is the rose window, also called the
Catherine window and the Wheel window. They look grand
enough from outside the cathedral, but magnificent from
inside, with sunlight streaming through.
According
to Painton Cowan, Rose windows use geometry in three different
ways; manifest, hidden, and symbolic.
Manifest:"That
which makes the most immediate impact on the eye. .
the web of complexity and precision. . each space defined
by a yet smaller geometric figure - trefoil, quatrefoil,
rosette, spherical triangle. . within these can often
be seen an even finer pattern woven into the glasswork
. . right down into every fibre and corner of the cosmic
rose."
Hidden:
"The secret geometry of the relationships and
proportions of the parts."
Symbolic:
"A kind of shorthand, where geometric figures
represent different things."
It
is also the symbol of infinity, without beginning or end,
perfect, the ultimate geometric symbol. Its a symbol of
democracy and the preferred shape for an assembly of equals;
the council circle, the campfire circle, and King Arthur's
round table. The circle is also the easiest geometric
figure to draw accurately, with stick and string or forked
stick.
In
this unit we'll examine the mathematics and the symbolism
of the circle, and show how it was prominent in Gothic
architecture, especially in the Rose window. We'll examine
figures with circular boundaries like the vesica, and
its use as art motifs. Finally, we'll combine circle with
square for the highly symbolic squaring of the circle.
Ezekiel saw the Wheel
Slide
9-19: Ezekiel's Initial. Page from the Winchester
Bible, c. 1165. Campbell, Joseph, with Bill Moyers. The
Power of Myth. NY: Doubleday 1988. p. 109. There is
a strange passage from The Book of Ezekiel that really
excites all the flying-saucer enthusiasts.
"Now
as I looked . . I saw a wheel upon the earth beside
the living creatures . . their construction being as
it were a wheel within a wheel . .
The
four wheels had rims and they had spokes, and their rims
were full of eyes round about.
And
when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside
them, and when the living creatures rose from the earth,
the wheels rose.
Wherever
the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along
with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was
in the wheels."
Dürer.
Circle
Dance
Slide
9-33: Shiva Nataraja, Lord of the Dance, South India,
11th Century Campbell, Joseph, with Bill Moyers. The
Power of Myth. NY: Doubleday 1988. p. 226
The
circle dance, like the round table or council circle is
democratic, where no one has a more prominent position
than anyone else.
God
The Geometer
Slide
9-37: God the Geometer, Manuscript illustration.
Clark, Kenneth. Civilization. NY: Harper, 1969. p.
52
The
importance of number symbolism was matched by a dedication
to geometry. Kenneth Clark points out that ". .
to medieval man geometry was a divine activity . ."
According
to Cowan, churches had been built on geometric principles
since early Christian times. Geometry was the basis of
all Gothic cathedrals, everything being created from basic
relationships. We've seen that the ground plan was always
cruciform, the baptism font always octagonal, and the
baptistry itself often was, and the circle was everywhere.
This
was symbolized in art by God holding a pair of compasses,
a common motif in the Middle Ages. The art historian Ernst
Gombrich credits a passage from the Old Testament as the
inspiration for these portrayals. In Proverbs, Chapter
8 par. 27, Wisdom put forth her voice;
"When
he established the heavens I was there: when he set a
compass upon the face of the deep:"
More on Next Page
With
all of this in mind, "A Sacred Memory"
has created innovative products as we feel its time to
help facilitate change. Our company is here to help
others to begin to consider and finally re-connect to
each other as well as to our deep-rooted ancestral customs,
but with a new flair where all people will feel they are
connected, not separated or alone, and finally home…
We
are in the business of healing, building healthier relationships
and stronger bonds, for the future of mankind….ASacredMemory.com
