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box_cameraI couldn't find any that I really liked, so I just made my own.
I've got to stop photographing things on a semi-reflective surface.
Anyway, they're ocean meditation beads. From the inside, the 3 main sections are freshwater pearls, imperial blue jasper, and abalone. The jasper was chosen mainly on the basis of color, but I figure it's all symbolism anyway so it works. The tiny white spacer beads are mother-of-pearl, and the slightly larger blue spacer beads are also abalone. The 4 large spacer "beads" are actually a bunch of little seed pearls strung together to form a ball.
The large charm is a pewter labyrinth disc, which isn't necessarily ocean-related but is a good all-purpose contemplative symbol. The smaller charm is a silver sea shell that's also a locket, for storing a wish/prayer or a very small object. Next to the charms are some more spacer beads and freshwater pearls in a lighter color, just to kind of "taper" the ends.
I experimented with alternating the beads, but it looked tidier doing them in 3 different sections separated by the large spacer beads. There's 9 in each section, because 3 is a mystical number, 9 is 3 3s, and there are 3 sections. It just seemed right.
Here's a photo without the flash:
In somewhat related news, I just finished reading a book about New Orleans Voodoo, and apparently carrying a $2 bill around in your wallet is a Voodoo thing, it's supposed to attract more money. (Voodoo traditionally being a religion of poor people, a lot of it has to do with money or finding work or just avoiding bad luck.) Anyway, it's funny because Granny carried a $2 bill around with her for decades. She said it was so she always had $2 in case of emergency, but since $2 hasn't been much use in any kind of emergency since Kennedy was assassinated, Mom and I figured it was some kind of good luck charm. Mom gave it to me when Granny died, and now it's in my wallet. (The date on the bill is 1976! I was less than 2 when it was printed!)
I've got to stop photographing things on a semi-reflective surface.
Anyway, they're ocean meditation beads. From the inside, the 3 main sections are freshwater pearls, imperial blue jasper, and abalone. The jasper was chosen mainly on the basis of color, but I figure it's all symbolism anyway so it works. The tiny white spacer beads are mother-of-pearl, and the slightly larger blue spacer beads are also abalone. The 4 large spacer "beads" are actually a bunch of little seed pearls strung together to form a ball.
The large charm is a pewter labyrinth disc, which isn't necessarily ocean-related but is a good all-purpose contemplative symbol. The smaller charm is a silver sea shell that's also a locket, for storing a wish/prayer or a very small object. Next to the charms are some more spacer beads and freshwater pearls in a lighter color, just to kind of "taper" the ends.
I experimented with alternating the beads, but it looked tidier doing them in 3 different sections separated by the large spacer beads. There's 9 in each section, because 3 is a mystical number, 9 is 3 3s, and there are 3 sections. It just seemed right.
Here's a photo without the flash:
In somewhat related news, I just finished reading a book about New Orleans Voodoo, and apparently carrying a $2 bill around in your wallet is a Voodoo thing, it's supposed to attract more money. (Voodoo traditionally being a religion of poor people, a lot of it has to do with money or finding work or just avoiding bad luck.) Anyway, it's funny because Granny carried a $2 bill around with her for decades. She said it was so she always had $2 in case of emergency, but since $2 hasn't been much use in any kind of emergency since Kennedy was assassinated, Mom and I figured it was some kind of good luck charm. Mom gave it to me when Granny died, and now it's in my wallet. (The date on the bill is 1976! I was less than 2 when it was printed!)
