West Wind Beads
meditation & prayer beads
secular rosaries
fidgets & worry beads
Most of us have seen prayer and meditation beads in the context of major world religions—the Catholic rosary, Buddhist mala or juzu, Islamic misbaha or tasbih. But strung beads can bring beauty and ritual to a variety of practices, both
religious and secular.
FAQs
What are these for, exactly?
If you can name a need, I’ve probably made a rosary about it, but these are the most common purposes:
to count prayers or focus meditations, similar to traditional prayer beads but customized for individual preferences and traditions
memorial beads for honoring memories of loved ones lost or absent
memory aids for following routines or prompting self-care
And, of course, all my pieces are meant to be pleasant to hold, fidget with, and carry with you.
What are they made out of?
I prefer to use glass and undyed natural gemstone as much as possible, strung on multi-strand coated wire for durability. I sometimes use shell and wood, and occasionally bone or horn beads harvested from vintage jewelry. If there are large metal elements included in a piece, I clear-coat them to minimize any metallic smell left on the skin.
I bought a piece from you at a market. What do I do with it?
I make suggestions for uses on the card included with each piece, but the beauty of non-traditional prayer beads is that it’s ultimately up to you! You may find it helpful to choose a focus for each large bead (fittingly referred to as “focals” in beading), whether that’s a prayer, mantra, intention, memory, loved one… the smaller beads can also be assigned meanings or used to count breaths; their main purpose is to create a comfortable glide in the hand between the larger beads.
Get in touch
Stringing custom beads is my specialty! If you're interested in something designed specifically for your needs, please reach out.
