[Pagan] Hermes prayer beads

[changeling]

Hermes' sacred number is four, but I also associate him with eight. Eight has always been a number of fascination and magic to me. I can't remember where I got the connection with Hermes from (Is that your UPG, Sannion?)

Here there are three quartz crystals on the drop for purification prayers, then on the round, four sets of two silver beads (=8), and four sets of eight blue stone beads. I've done the blue bead prayers as a repeating call and response, which divides them into two sets of four again. The silver beads flank the blue beads as opening and closing prayers to each section. The beads are strung on white linen thread.



This one we call "Bead Porn".




The full layout. I have a clasp between the middle two silver beads so I can wear it as a necklace.


The prayers are heavily excerpted from the Orphic Hymns to Hermes, although there's a couple of things from the Homeric Hymns, too. They're arranged into four sets of four. Each section is dedicated to one of four aspects of Hermes, with four stages to the prayers: an opening prayer, a call, a response (these are repeated four times for the eight blue beads), and a closing prayer.

One final note: the first one is actually kind of more than one aspect, but I'm using "heart-delighter"/giver of good things as an umbrella term which luck-bringer and prophet come under. Also "hawk-faced" is entirely my UPG, but it's related to his association with hawks, and "birds of omen" (mentioned in the Homeric hymns). "Hawk-faced" is just what intuitively felt right when I was writing the prayers.


Quartz: Hekas, hekas, este bebeloi! (Let the profane ones depart)
Q: Kherniptomai! (Let this water be purified)
Q: O theoi genoisthe apotropoi kakon! (O gods, turn away evils)

Silver: Hear me, Hermes Kharmophron (heart-delighter), luck-bringing messenger of the deathless gods, friend to mortals in need.
Call: Hail Hermes, giver of grace, guide and giver of good things.
Resp: Almighty is your heart, O lord of the deceased and judge of contests. Gentle and clever, you are a profiteer who frees us of cares.
S: I remember you, hawk-faced one, man-loving prophet to mortals. Help me gain far sight over the turning world.

S: I sing of Hermes Logios, messenger of Zeus, son of Maia, who holds in his hands the blameless tool of peace.
Call: Hail Hermes, giver of grace, guide and giver of good things.
Resp: Lord of Korykos, blessed helpful and skilled in words, you assist in work, and you wield the dreaded and respected weapon of speech.
S: I remember you, silver-tongued one. Help me tell my stories as a sacred act.

S: I sing of Hermes Enodios (of the road), fleet-footed friend to travellers.
Call: Hail Hermes, giver of grace, guide and giver of good things.
Resp: You are vigorous, O Argeiphontes. You delight in exercise; you are a guide whose sandals fly.
S: I remember you, traveller of the broad-brimmed hat. Speed my steps and smooth my path.

S: I sing of Hermes Psychopompos, guide throughout the Earth of ill-fated souls, which you bring to their haven when their time has come.
Call: Hail Hermes, giver of grace, guide and giver of good things.
Resp: You dwell in the compelling road of no return. You frequent the sacred house of Persephone.
S: I remember you, gentle guide. Hear my prayer, and grant a good end to a life of industry, gracious talk, and mindfulness.

Comments

[erl-queen.livejournal.com]

Beautiful beads, and beautiful prayers to go along with them. Thank you for sharing!

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[erl-queen.livejournal.com]

Btw, have I ever shared one of my rants with you on "hekas hekas este bebeloi"? Not that it *can't* be appropriate or meaningful, but just that it doesn't quite mean what many people think, and it isn't something they used in ancient Greek ritual, with the exception of the Eleusinian Mysteries, where it was used to eject anyone who might have a stain of miasma on them (rather than being a magical incantation against unclean or evil spirits, as many people use it today). The only reason I bring this up is that a lot of people got this from Drew Campbell who never explained his source, and so I feel obligated to spread the knowledge around. That being said, I could see reasons to want to use it anyway...just not my sort of thing.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

No, you haven't. I knew it was from the Eleusinian mysteries ... I might go back to the old "incantation" I used to use, which was in English. ;)

[sannion.livejournal.com]

As such, connecting the number 8 with Hermes is my own UPG because of some stuff that he showed me. (Hence I have an 8-spoked wheel tattooed on my neck for him. There's a lot of meaning there, stuff I only learned after I got the tattoo.) However, 8 was connected with Thoth in antiquity - so if you accept the equation of those two, it might extend to him as well.

I ADORE your prayer beads. Very lovely and powerful! Thanks for sharing!

[sannion.livejournal.com]

The hawk-faced reference is indeed very interesting, in light of the oracle. Did you come up with that before or after?

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I think it was the next day, but it was in honour of the vision I had of him circling in the clouds beforehand, as well as the synchronous reading about being connected to birds of omen and hawks. It was an image I wanted to honour. I don't know if H is who the oracle is referred to. I am (impatiently) sitting tight, and waiting. Steph is far more stoic than I.

[sannion.livejournal.com]

Interesting indeed!

[droops.livejournal.com]

Saw your post on the Neos Alexandria message system and had to come look. The beads are lovely! I wasn't expecting anything special, but I must say they're fantastic.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I like them. It took me ages to find beads that really resonated with Hermes for me.

All the obsessive jewellery-making I did in late high school with those awful fiddly seed beads is finally paying off. :)