Order of the Horae Pagan Prayer Beads
Although many people associate prayer beads only with the Catholic rosary, many cultures throughout the world use prayer beads of one sort or another. The Buddhist rosary is 108 beads with associated mantras; Muslims, Hindus and even some Yoruba groups have their own prayer beads as well. It's a good way for someone to do a ritualized series of prayers and still keep track of them; sort of a prayer abacus. Raven Kaldera has put together a number of prayer bead sets for various traditions and purposes through Cauldron Farm's Pagan Prayer Beads.
We who had created the Order of the Horae asked if indeed there were, somewhere in the Akashic Records, a layout for a set of pagan prayer beads appropriate to our Order. This is what came down from the Powers That Be: 63 beads (that's 9 times 7, two magical numbers) of different colors and sizes. There are four different series of beads on the string, some repeating more than once. The beads for the Horae are larger than the rest of the beads. Using small spacer bead between each prayer bead creates a string of beads of a comfortable length, and your thumb travels easily over the tiny spacer bead and goes to the next one without losing your place. In total, you will need 127 beads: 64 small spacers, 48 somewhat larger beads, and 15 large beads. The beads can be very uniform, as the set shown to the left, or varied, as the set shown below. Pick beads that you find pleasing to look at and to handle. The pendant between the final two beads is the Order of the Horae sigil, which is a combination sun and moon, for the telling of sacred time. You can make or find a similar pendant, or use any pendant that seems appropriate to you.
Although we do make these prayer beads as a fundraiser for Asphodel and for the Order, we encourage you to make your own. If you like, we can craft a set of painted and varnished wood, colored glass, stone, bone, metal or a combination of these materials. Contact us at cauldronfarm@hotmail.com if you'd like a buy a set, or order a set through the Order of the Horae Prayer Bead Ordering Page.
The beads themselves can be a great aid to remembering the prayers. When you have a good amount of time to devote to it, focus on each bead, one at a time. Tell it who and what it symbolizes, and what its prayer is. You can do this while initially stringing the beads, or any time after, as often as you like. Not only does this help you memorize the prayers, but it puts energy into the beads. Ask that the deities called upon aid you on your path, and the words you speak in telling these beads both guide and bind you. Your beads can be told slowly, meditating on each line, as part of a formal ritual, and they can be told in two or three minutes during a hectic day, to calm and focus you. You can hold them in times of need, or during meditation. You can carry them with you, wear them, or keep them in a special bag or box. If you like, print out a small card with the prayers on it, laminate it with clear tape, and keep it with your beads.
We would like to stress that the telling of these beads is not to be used for punishment. They are a tool of devotion and meditation, not penance. If you want to do penance, go do something that is useful to needy people and accrues nothing to yourself. Pagan clergypeople should not mistake this spiritual exercise as an excuse to bully people to do unpleasant repetitive tasks as a way of "building character".
In this article, we first list the suggested colors of the beads and the what they symbolize, and then the prayers associated with them.
Prayer Bead Colors for the Order of the Horae
I. The Horae
A. Black for Eunomia
B. Dark Blue for Dike
C. White for Irene
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This is the first rotation of three large beads in black, dark blue and white. They represent the Horae, who are the ancient Greek goddesses also called the Graces. Eunomia (pronounced yew-no-mee-ah) is the goddess of Rules; she is also associated with the season of winter. Dike (pronounced dye-kee) is the goddess of Justice; she is also associated with the season of spring. Irene (pronounced eye-ree-nee) is the goddess of Peace, also associated with summer/fall and the harvest season. They are the major divine patrons of the Order. This series of three large beads repeats five times, flanking the four sets of twelve smaller beads.
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II. 12 Principles
1. Light yellow for Iduna's golden apples, and the First Principle.
2. Light brown for Hestia's hearth and the Second Principle.
3. Light blue for Agni's breath and the Third Principle.
4. Green for Gaea's body and the Fourth Principle.
5. Light grey or silver for Artemis, Moon Goddess, and the Fifth Principle.
6. Dark grey for Ogoun's iron and the Sixth Principle.
7. Medium blue for Athena and the Seventh Principle.
8. Pink-brown or clay-color for Parvati's flesh and the Eighth Principle.
9. Blue-green for Odhinn and the Ninth Principle.
10. Dark brown for Prometheus and the Tenth Principle.
11. Red for Brigid's flame in her devoted abbey, and the Eleventh Principle.
12. Ivory for Shiva's skulls, and the Twelfth Principle.
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These twelve solidly colored beads represent the Twelve Principles of the Order of the Horae, and are both the first and the last set of twelve beads. The colors were chosen by the Gods and communicated to us. If you want to make the beads out of mixed medium rather than all out of a single type of substance, you might want to make Hestia's bead of wood, Ogoun's bead of iron, Artemis's bead of silver, Parvati's bead of clay, and Shiva's bead of bone, as these are the materials that the colors symbolize.
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III. The Horae
A. Black for Eunomia
B. Dark Blue for Dike
C. White for Irene
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| Second rotation of the Horae beads.
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IV. The Handmaidens
1. White w/ gold for Fulla, sister of Frigga, giver of abundance.
2. White w/ sky blue for Gna, divine messenger.
3. White w/ rose color for Lofn, peacemaker between warring lovers.
4. White w/ pale blue for Syn, goddess of fair contracts.
5. White w/ black for Vara, goddess of honoring one's word.
6. White w/ dark brown for Snotra, goddess of hard work.
7. White w/ yellow for Gefjon, goddess of self-sufficiency.
8. White w/ green for Huldra, goddess of fertility of the fields.
9. White w/ red for Eir, goddess of healing.
10. White w/ light grey for Sjofn, goddess of consolation.
11. White w/ purple for Vor, goddess of prophecy.
12. White w/ dark grey for Hlin, goddess of mourning.
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The lesser divine patrons of the Order are Frigga's handmaidens. Each of them has a specific job and function over which she looks. The Handmaiden beads should be clear or white glass or stone, or unstained light wood, with a stripe or striped pattern in the appropriate color around the bead.
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V. The Horae
A. Black for Eunomia
B. Dark Blue for Dike
C. White for Irene
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| Third rotation of the Horae beads.
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VI. The Horai
1. Grey for Auge, the hour before dawn.
2. Lavender for Anatolia, the hour of dawn.
3. Pink for Mousika, the music hour.
4. Peach for Gymnastika, the exercise hour.
5. Pale Yellow for Nymphe, the washing hour.
6. Yellow for Mesembria, the noon hour.
7. Blue for Sponde, the hour of libation and daily ritual.
8. Deep Blue for Elete, the first of the work-hours.
9. Indigo for Akte, the second of the work-hours.
10. Purple for Hesperis, the sacred ritual hour before dusk.
11. Midnight Blue for Dysis, the hour of sunset.
12. Black for Arktos, the hour after sunset.
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Not to be confused with the Horae, who are three distinct goddesses, the Horai are the twelve hours of the day in ancient Greece. They are not sixty-minute hours, but even divisions of daylight which vary in length as the day varies with the seasons. Of the twelve hours, ten are during daylight, one is before dawn, and one after sunset. To find the length of an hour for any given day, divide the time from sunrise to sunset into ten parts. Add one hour of this length to just before dawn, and one just after sunset. The online Book of Hours has a generator to figure the twelve Horai for any given day. The beads for this section are solidly colored, and should be all one material.
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V. The Horae
A. Black for Eunomia
B. Dark Blue for Dike
C. White for Irene
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| Fourth rotation of the Horae beads.
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VIII. 12 Principles
1. Light yellow for Iduna.
2. Light brown for Hestia.
3. Light blue for Agni.
4. Green for Gaea.
5. Light grey or silver for Artemis.
6. Dark grey for Ogoun.
7. Medium blue for Athena.
8. Pink-brown or clay-color for Parvati.
9. Blue-green for Odhinn.
10. Dark brown for Prometheus .
11. Red for Brigid.
12. Ivory for Shiva's skulls.
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Second rotation of the 12 Principles.
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V. The Horae
A. Black for Eunomia
B. Dark Blue for Dike
C. White for Irene
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| Fifth rotation of the Horae beads.
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An unusual set of custom mixed-media prayer beads.
Order Of The Horae Prayer Bead Recitation
The Horae
I. In the Name of Eunomia, Keeper of Rules,
Hora of the Upraised Hand,
I am bound by the Law of the Universe.
II. In the Name of Dike, Keeper of Justice,
Hora of the Even Hand,
That which I give, I receive in turn.
III. In the Name of Irene, Keeper of the Peace,
Hora of the Open Hand,
I live in unity with my own path.
Twelve Principles of Clarity
1. I will maintain purity of body.
2. I will maintain simplicity in my possessions.
3. I will strive for clarity of words.
4. I will strive to live sustainably on the Earth.
5. I will place no commitment of the heart above my commitment to my path.
6. I will commit only to honorable work.
7. I will maintain clarity in all relationships.
8. I will strive for purity in my sexuality.
9. I will sustain clarity of faith.
10. I will submit humbly to honorable authority.
11. I will maintain loyalty to the endurance of my community.
12. I will strive always for mindfulness and clarity of soul.
The Horae
I. In the Name of Eunomia, Keeper of Rules,
Hora of the Upraised Hand,
I am bound by the Law of the Universe.
II. In the Name of Dike, Keeper of Justice,
Hora of the Even Hand,
That which I give, I receive in turn.
III. In the Name of Irene, Keeper of the Peace,
Hora of the Open Hand,
I live in unity with my own path.
The Handmaidens
1. May my days be filled with abundance.
2. May I hear the messages that are sent to my ears.
3. May I be the peacemaker between hatred and hatred.
4. May my name be a word of integrity.
5. May my word be a bond of iron.
6. May my hands gladly tend to the work of the world.
7. May I be strong enough to walk alone.
8. May my labors reap a fertile harvest.
9. May my heart be ever open to healing.
10. May I find solace from all wounding.
11. May I always be able to see from the eye of flight.
12. May I come to be a friend to loss and grieving.
The Horae
I. In the Name of Eunomia, Keeper of Rules,
Hora of the Upraised Hand,
I am bound by the Law of the Universe.
II. In the Name of Dike, Keeper of Justice,
Hora of the Even Hand,
That which I give, I receive in turn.
III. In the Name of Irene, Keeper of the Peace,
Hora of the Open Hand,
I live in unity with my own path.
The Horai
1. In the hour before dawn, I nourish hope for the future.
2. At the rising of the Sun, I open my mind to the light.
3. The song of the morning rings joyously in my soul.
4. My body is a sacred vessel in which I experience love.
5. In the moment of cleansing, my blood runs with the waters of many oceans.
6. In the eye of the Sun, I celebrate that which gives life.
7. The hands of the Gods are upon me, and my gratitude is poured out onto the earth.
8. My work is arduous, yet I am equal to this challenge.
9. My labors are heavy, yet I take solace in this discipline.
10. In the hour before dusk, I stand in awe of that which is greater than I.
11. At the setting of the Sun, I praise the passing of all things.
12. In the eye of the Moon, I walk willingly into the darkness.
The Horae
I. In the Name of Eunomia, Keeper of Rules,
Hora of the Upraised Hand,
I am bound by the Law of the Universe.
II. In the Name of Dike, Keeper of Justice,
Hora of the Even Hand,
That which I give, I receive in turn.
III. In the Name of Irene, Keeper of the Peace,
Hora of the Open Hand,
I live in unity with my own path.
Twelve Principles of Clarity
1. I will maintain purity of body.
2. I will maintain simplicity in my possessions.
3. I will strive for clarity of words.
4. I will strive to live sustainably on the Earth.
5. I will place no commitment of the heart above my commitment to my path.
6. I will commit only to honorable work.
7. I will maintain clarity in all relationships.
8. I will strive for purity in my sexuality.
9. I will sustain clarity of faith.
10. I will submit humbly to honorable authority.
11. I will maintain loyalty to the endurance of my community.
12. I will strive always for mindfulness and clarity of soul.
The Horae
I. In the Name of Eunomia, Keeper of Rules,
Hora of the Upraised Hand,
I am bound by the Law of the Universe.
II. In the Name of Dike, Keeper of Justice,
Hora of the Even Hand,
That which I give, I receive in turn.
III. In the Name of Irene, Keeper of the Peace,
Hora of the Open Hand,
I live in unity with my own path.
[Order of the Horae]