A Spirit Walker's Guide to Shamanic Tools by Evelyn C. Rysdyk

Author:Evelyn C. Rysdyk
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781609259433
Publisher: Red Wheel Weiser

Figure 46. A contemporary shaman's wrist mala composed of beads of fossilized coral, a “deer's eye” seed (Mucuna sloanei), amber, fossilize mammoth ivory, and bone beads, as well as an Inuit fishing weight made from fossilized walrus ivory and a polar bear claw. (The claw is from a piece of taxidermy that dates from before the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act ban. Pen and ink © 2013 Evelyn C. Rysdyk)

The Mala as Divination Tool

In Tibetan Buddhism and Mongolian shamanism, malas are also used as divination tools.29 In these rituals, a mala is picked up with both hands in a random place on the strand. Spirit walkers count off beads in groups of three as they move both hands together. They continue counting until one, two, or three beads are left between the hands. This number is marked down, and then the process is done a second time.

In this tradition, one bead remaining is referred to as a Falcon. This is a positive sign indicating good luck and success.

Two beads remaining between the hands is a Raven. This is considered a sign indicating an unbeneficial outcome or bad luck in a situation.

The three-bead grouping is a Snow Lion. This suggests that the person making the inquiry is supported by the spirits and that results will be steady and positive.

The diviner then takes into consideration the numbers from the two rounds of counting and uses the following formula to determine the will of the spirits:

Falcon after Falcon (1 after 1) Everything about the situation is favorable.

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