Beaded Prayer Pouches

The concept of a beaded prayer pouch or amulet is nothing new, and in fact, has its origins in Africa. Historically, African amulets were pouches made of leather (sometimes cloth) and filled with written words of empowerment, or sacred prayers. The pouches were then sealed to prevent the writings from being read, giving power to the mere presence of the written word. Within the pouches we have two worlds, the physical (the pouch itself) and the spiritual (the prayer, hope, wish, or dream). These amulets were carried, and sometimes worn on the clothing of the Africans.

The beauty of the Prayer Pouch projects is that anyone regardless of age or ability can make one or assist in making one. Beyond the therapeutic benefits of learning to be creative thinkers, people have made these projects part of the healing process for events in their lives. Those who have experienced traumatic events or maybe the loss of someone close find healing power in writing positive expressions that nobody but themselves will ever read or know what is in the pouch. This is a powerful tool for someone who is trying to overcome a situation in their life, being able to keep their thoughts private, but making a physical object relating to the situation.

Today, the idea is still going strong. Currently the Beaded Prayers Project invites people of all backgrounds to participate in creating pouches and creating their own displays and shows (the Beaded Prayers Project has not accepted submissions for their own display since January 2004), and provides inspiration through their traveling exhibit.

The most recent project that I was involved with was The Beaded Prayer Pouch Project on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. The project encompassed the entire community and brought a sense of unity and positive thinking to all who were involved. Participants were free to create anything they desired as a pouch, following only three guidelines: the pouch could not exceed 4 inches by 5 inches, it had to have at least one bead, and it must contain a positive wish, statement, or dream. Curator Lori Wilkes displayed pouches in large groups on the walls, as well as hanging strands of them from the ceiling, creating a visually impacting display.

With encouragement, I suggest that anyone interested in these projects create their own. Visiting the gallery in Mount Vernon was a positive experience. While not knowing what was in the pouches, a feeling of hope was throughout the gallery knowing that every single pouch contained optimistic thoughts and wishes.