House Protection Mala: JAY BIRD - Talisman for your abode with artisan beads - wall or door hanging

The word "mala" means "garland" - an object originally worn or carried as a talisman for protection. House Malas are for protection and blessing of the spirits of a place. They are not a product of a specific culture or religion; anyone can partake of their symbolic concentrated power.

This house mala is an object meant to be mounted on a wall or hung on a door for protection and blessing in a tradition that has been embraced by many cultures for thousands of years.

From handle to focal, this mala is a about 6" (15.4 cm) from top to bottom and about 2" (5 cm) wide. Because the beads are small and detailed, it has a slightly delicate feel to it compared with other house malas I've made.

This little collection of artisan beads, earth stones and artifacts from the natural world is meant to hang on a door or wall, in a very ancient tradition of welcoming the good and warning the evil that may come.

Each element adds symbolic meaning, starting with the antique Tibetan burnished bone spacer bar holding the piece together - it represents the “Pillar of Heaven” holding the vault of Sky above Earth.

The leader of this mala is a serpentine carved Jay fetish from New Mexico - the talkative one who see all. He dances below a bead symbolizing the all-encompassing rays of the Sun.
On his left, an African bead representing the Fertile seeded Earth , and on his right, another African patterned bead representing clouds above the water.

Each of the beads has a meaning: together they tell a story in the order they are strung. Some are old and have lived in other pieces; most have traveled far, representing distant lands and ancient truths, and all were carefully chosen to be a part of this talisman.