Moon and Stars bodhi and brown agate mala

The specific kind of beaded necklaces known as mala’s are quite familiair nowadays. Often they are simply worn as jewelry-with-a-spiritual touch, but they have a very ancient and rich history.

The earliest known examples of beads used in a spiritual context can be found in India, where Hindu monks moved loose shells, stones, grains or beads from one side to another to support in keeping focus and concentration and keep count of the number of repetitions of mantra’s or prayers during their spiritual practice. Another variation was to tie knots in a piece of cord or rope for that purpose. Around the 8^th century BCE, In India and Nepal, these two variations were combined to stringing the beads on a cord, and thus the mala was born.

From early Hinduism the mala also found its way into Buddhism and eventually its usage spread further into the world in lots of different religions and spiritual traditions. For example; in western Christianity the string of prayer beads is called ‘rosary’ or ‘pater noster cord’ and in the Islam it’s known as ‘mishaba’ or ‘tasbi’.

In different traditions there are of course many variations in the appearance of the prayer beads; for example in how many beads are strung on the cord or from which material the beads are made. Mala’s with a buddhist origin often are made with 108 beads, in many eastern traditions a sacred number with different symbolic meanings. It refers to, for example, the 108 names of Shiva, the 108 different kinds of desire that obscure our human minds or the 108 Upanishads, sacred Sanskrit texts sharing wisdom in the last part of the Veda’s.

This mala is made with seed-beads that are known under the name 'Moon and Stars bodhi', but actually they come from the Asian rattan species calamus jenkinsianus. The seeds, when properly dried and polished show a unique pattern of one circular shaped dent surrounded by many small dots, resembling the appearance of the moon surrounded by the stars.

Moon and Stars bodhi beads symbolize the attainment of enlightenment, protection from evil, wisdom enhancement, and the removal of worries. They are revered in Buddhism for their association with self-cultivation, protection, mental clarity, and the aspiration to benefit all beings. Wearing these beads is believed to help practitioners avoid obstacles and difficulties on their spiritual path. 

In this mala, the Moon and Stars bodhi seads have been combined with beads of agate, in a transparant dark-brown color with some white accents. There are many different energetic-spiritual dynamics attributed to agate, but in mala's such as these it is added especially for its grounding, stabilizing and calming properties. It helps to attain mental and emotional stability and an overall feeling of peace and safety.

The beads used in this mala each have a diameter of approximately 8 millimeters and have been strung on beige cotton cord. Total size of this necklace is approximately 80 centimeters.

Please note; this mala is from vintage origin. It might therefore show some signs of its age and previous usage.

Only one available.