Tying Loose Ends While the World Is on Hold December 21, 2020 15:32
If you prefer to listen to this blog post, please click here.
This past Tuesday, I had a COVID-19 test because of an indirect exposure to the virus. My husband had a colleague who tested positive after exhibiting symptoms, so we both booked appointments at a local Immediate Care center.
Two days later, my husband was able to view his results online. Fortunately, his results were negative. However, when I tried to access my results, it said my birthdate information was inaccurate.
So, I called the Immediate Care center and waited...and waited...and waited...I was #12 in the queue, and after listening to the same ten bars of plinky, tinny, and very annoying hold music for well over an hour, an LPN finally answered my call.
She was able to access my results quickly, and she also fixed the error on my records. Fortunately, I was also negative for COVID, and after a very tense hour of waiting, was quite relieved.
The universe had t been testing my patience big time on this day, and, I'm not going to lie, I was struggling to keep it together. I'm glad I did. It was well-worth the wait--but it certainly was not easy.
This year (2020) has not been easy, either, for many of us around the world. Some have lost their businesses, their jobs, their homes, their health, and even their loved ones to this pandemic.
This Winter Solstice is an especially important one. There is hope on the horizon--vaccines are now available to combat this virus, a New Year, (and a new administration) are quickly approaching. Even planets are aligning, literally, in the sky at this time.
The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn will be the closest since 1623, and the closest to be observed since 1226! This celestial phenomenon, occurring on the Winter Solstice, and welcoming the return to light, feels like a hopeful blessing after an extremely difficult and challenging year.
Earlier this week, I posted a short video on the Middle Moon Malas Facebook page about the significance of tassels in a mala design.
The sutra, or cord, that runs through all 108 beads, that creates the knots between each bead, and that eventually connects to the guru bead at the base of the design, is the line that holds everything together. The sutra represents the Cosmic Creative Force that supports or sustains every being in the universe.
The tassel, then, is an extension of the sutra which binds the garland together. It represents our connection to the Divine, or Source, or to the earth, as well as to all other living beings. It is a reminder of our Oneness and Unity. We are all connected and interconnected to each other and to the universe.
This is why, to reinforce the importance of this connection, I make each tassel by hand, using the same cord as the sutra in each mala design. I also bind and wrap each tassel by hand using this same cord.
As a result, each part of the mala is intricately connected and unified.
I'm not a fan of attaching pre-fabricated, factory-manufactured tassels onto my designs. They may be beautiful, but they can't capture the essence of unity and connection that is so important in a mala.
It takes time, effort, dedication, and patience to make and then join the tassel to the garland. I don't mind (unlike being on hold for an hour on the phone).
The process is satisfying and meaningful to me. It gives me a sense of purpose to create a design knowing that it may benefit someone's personal practice and make a positive difference in their life.
Creating malas is not a chore or an obligation for me; it's a joy to create these one-of-a-kind designs. It may not be easy, but it is certainly worth all of the time, effort, and patience required in the end.
May the skies where you are be clear on this Winter Solstice evening. May you be able to witness the bright light of the Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, and may 2021 bring you joy, health, success, peace, and much-needed relief from this extremely trying year.
By the way, the New Year is also the perfect time for renewing your personal practices with a new mala. Please consider visiting the current online collection here--or send me an email through the Contact Us page for custom design inquiries.
Be happy!
Be safe!
Be well!
Warmly,
Teresa