The Weatherwax Rosary

Artist: Unknown

Rosaries, Prayer Beads, Worry Beads - these are all popular forms of meditation, prayer and reflection for a number of different religions and people.  The Catholic faith is the most well-known for using these - but there's no reason why they should hold the monopoly! *smile*

You will find many different forms of these in books and on the internet.  Silver RavenWolf has designed an Angelic Rosary (in her book Angels: Companions in Magic) and I also found a set of Goddess Prayer Beads whilst surfing the internet one day, which honoured the Maiden, Mother and Crone. 

However, although there is nothing at all wrong with the rosaries described above, I prefer a more balanced set of beads .... and so the Weatherwax Rosary was born.  My Rosary honours all of the 'people' that I work with and who are significant in my life.  Hence we honour the Goddess, the God, the Angels (who I work with at my Circle Quarters) - this includes my Guardian Angel(s), the Elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), my Spirit Guides, and finally I finish off with something designed to uplife and nourish my own Spirit.  I use my Rosary as my Bedtime Devotion as it settles my mind and signals to my body that the time for sleep is fast approaching. 

The Goddess and God aspects of my own Rosary are designed specifically for my Patron Deities (Hecate and Cernunnos) which I keep private between Them and myself.  Therefore, here, I have used prayers/mantras which are written for the Lord and Lady in their un-named forms.  You can, of course, substitute your own working designed for your own Patron Deities.  If you do not work with the Angelic Realm, you may also wish to change the Angelic references to fit your own path (perhaps in honour of the Faery Realm?)

To Make the Rosary

You will need:

Nylon or silk thread (any colour you prefer)

A pentacle or pentagram (or whatever else you class as your special religious symbol)

A charm (the Angelic Realm, including your Guardian Angel)

19 silver 6mm beads (Goddess)

34 gold  6mm beads (God and retainers)

1 green Crow bead (Earth)

1 yellow Crow bead (Air)

1 red Crow bead (Fire)

1 blue Crow bead (Water)

1 purple Crow bead (Spirit Guides)

4 Crow beads in your own favourite colour (your Spirit)

220 small silver spacer beads (moonlight)

220 small gold spacer beads (sunlight)

Use the layout below to string your beads.  Attach the pentacle or religious symbol first (plain and simple knots work just fine) and then add 10 silver spacer beads and 10 gold spacer beads (alternating the colours so that you end on a gold).  Then add one silver 6mm bead, then the spacer series again (10 silver and 10 gold alternating).  Next is the 6mm gold bead, followed by another spacer series and then attach this string to the bottom of the lucky charm.

Make a knot at the top of your lucky charm and add a spacer series (10 silver and 10 gold alternating), one silver bead (then a single spacer series - one silver spacer bead and one gold spacer bead), continue in this fashion until you have three silver beads, then add three gold beads in the same fashion (separated by single spacer series).

Now add the spacer series (10 silver, 10 gold alternating), a gold retainer bead, the Green (Earth) bead, followed by another retainer, spacer series and then continue as per the diagram.  Remember when you finish off a string with the knots at the end to pull it tight as you don't want your beds wobbling around on the string.  Not only will this not look as professional, but the friction will also wear through the thread and your bead-string will snap in no time.

Have fun with this - it takes around one-and-a-half-hours and is surprisingly relaxing!

The Prayers/Mantras

The following Prayers/Matnras are to be recited one time for each of the corresponding beads (so the Goddess Chant needs to be recited three times in a row between each Elemental Chant, and so forth).

1.  The Blessing Chant (adapted from Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner)

May the powers of The One,

the source of all creation;

all-pervasive, omnipotent, eternal;

may the Goddess,

the Lady of the Moon;

and the God,

Horned Hunter of the Sun;

may the powers of my Guides,

and the rulers of the elemental realms;

may the powers of the stars above and the Earth below,

bless this place, and this time, and I who am with You.

2.  Song of the Goddess (from Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner)

I am the Great Mother, worshipped by all creation and existent prior to their consciousness.  I am the primal female force, boundless and eternal.

          I am the chaste Goddess of the Moon, the Lady of all magic.  The winds and moving leaves sing my name.  I wear the crescent Moon upon my brow and my feet rest among the starry heavens.  I am mysteries yet unsolved, a path newly set upon.  I am a field untouched by the plow.  Rejoice in me and know the fullness of youth.

          I am the blessed Mother, the gracious Lady of the harvest.  I am clothed with the deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the fields heavy with grain.  By me the tides of the Earth are ruled; all things come to fruition according to my season.  I am refuge and healing.  I am the life-giving Mother, wondrously fertile.

          Worship me as the Crone, tender of the unbroken cycle of death and rebirth.  I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon.  I rule the tides of women and men and give release and renewal to weary souls.  Though the darkness of death is my domain, the joy of birth is my gift.

          I am the Goddess of the Moon, the Earth, the Seas.  My names and strengths are manifold.  I pour forth magic and power, peace and wisdom.  I am the eternal Maiden, Mother of all, and Crone of darkness, and I send you blessings of limitless love.

3.  Call of the God (from Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner)

I am the radiant King of the Heavens, flooding the Earth with warmth and encouraging the hidden seed of creation to burst forth into manifestation.  I lift my shining spear to light the lives of all beings and daily pour forth my gold upon the Earth, putting to flight the powers of darkness.

          I am the master of the beasts wild and free.  I run with the swift stag and soar as a sacred falcon against the shimmering sky.  The ancient woods and wild places emanate my powers, and the birds of the air sing of my sanctity.

          I am also the last harvest, offering up grain and fruits beneath the sickle of time so that all may be nourished.  For without planting there can be no harvest; without winter, no spring.

          Worship me as the thousand-named Sun of creation, the spirit of the horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest.  See in the yearly cycle of festivals my birth, death and rebirth - and know that such is the destiny of all creation.

          I am the spark of life, the radiant Sun, the giver of peace and rest, and I send my rays of blessings to warm the hearts and strengthen the minds of all.

4.  Invocation of the Nine Choirs of Angels (from Silver RavenWolf's Angels: Companions in Magick)

Brilliant Seraphim I call to thee

Circle 'round, bring love to me.

Mighty Cherubim guard my gate

Remove from me sorrow and hate.

Thrones stand firm, stable be

Keep me steady on land or sea.

I call Dominions, leadership true

May I be fair in all I do.

Circles of protection, Powers form

Help me weather any storm.

Miraculous Virtues hover near

Element energies I summon here.

Principalities bring global reform

Bless the world and each babe born.

Glorious Archangels show me the way

To bring peace and harmony every day.

Guardian Angel, Goddess delight

Gift me with your guiding light.

5.  Goddess Chant (adapted from Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner)

Gracious Goddess,

You who are the Queen of the Gods,

the lamp of the night,

the creator of all that is wild and free;

Mother of woman and man;

lover of the Horned God and protectress of all the Wicca:

Descend, I pray,

with Your Lunar ray of power

and bless your Child this night (morning/day).

6.  God Chant (adapted from Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner)

Ancient God of the forest deeps,

Master of beast and Sun;

Here where the world is hushed and sleeps

Now that the day is done.

I call You in the ancient way

On this Rosary I've wound 

Asking that You will hear me pray

And send Your Sun force down.

7.  Chant of Earth (adapted from a prayer by Dorothy Morrison)

Come to me Earth, plants, animals and gold

Allow me to grow with the grace of a doe.

Serene and content, with standards so high

Give me purpose, stability and the will to try.

8.  Chant of Air (adapted from a prayer by Dorothy Morrison)

Come to me Air, so cool and clear,

My words come with ease and also no fear,

Give me sharp mental focus, creativity too,

So that positive ends spring from all that I do.

9.  Chant of Fire (adapted from a prayer by Dorothy Morrison)

Come to me Fire, brilliant and bright,

Give me strength and forthrightness all through my life.

Warm me with truth and power to set right

Whatever is wrong through love and its light.

10.  Chant of Water (adapted from a prayer by Dorothy Morrison)

Come to me Water, silky and free

Compassion and empathy now give to me

For soothing life's troubles, both mine and my friends'

Understanding and peace from your rivers you send.

11.  Chant for the Spirit Guides

Spirit Guides that attend me

Astral friends I once knew

I give thanks for your assistance

In all that I think, say and do.

12.  Your Spirit

Now is that time to nourish your own Spirit.  If you have a particular problem that you are trying to overcome (eg. lack of self-confidence) say an affirmation on each of the Spirit beads, such as: "I am a beautiful creation of the Lord and Lady.  I am loved and all I need do is open my heart to feel it - then I can also give it to others."  Remember to keep the affirmation in the present - you ARE that person now.

If you have no such problems at the present time, you can nourish your Spirit with a particularly uplifting piece if poetry that you like or a little story - don't make it to long as you need to say it once for every bead - 4 times in all.  You need something that makes you feel good, refreshed, whole and nourished.

13.  Final Blessing (adapted from an altar blessing by author unknown)

From the mystic light to fertile foundations

On the shores of the waters of our Hopes and dreams

On the wings of the wind of light and inspiration

With the inner flame kindled divine spark and gleams.

Back to the light for manifestation

Swiftly fulfilled, moves the Unseen.

By the Moon, the Stars and the Sun

By the God, the Goddess and Ancient Ones

I thank you all for attending here-on

Blessings I send to you, Mighty Ones.