Prayer Flags RT Circle

In the mid 80s, I joined our local calligraphy Guild to attend a couple of workshops at the nearby Mount Angel Abbey, which has a beautiful collection of illuminated manuscripts. One of class was on a Japanese practice of writing poems on paper, creating prayer flags to hang on trees. We cut bookmark size strips from brown paper bags, and wrote simple poems (often haiku) on them, folded over the top, punched a hole, and used string to tie them on branches. "Hanging poems on Cherry Branches" illustrates this tradition.

Ishikawa Toyonobu

As ephemeral as these paper flags seem, they last for months, even in our rainy Western Oregon climate. 
Over the years, I've created tobacco ties to be hung in sweat lodges, using cotton cloth in primary colors and a pinch of tobacco, and hung Tibetan prayer flags, which have been used for over 2000 years in Tibet. That tradition goes back to the indigenous Bon, and "coupled with the natural energy of the wind, quietly harmonize the environment, impartially increasing harmony and good fortune among all living beings. ...They used colours symbolizing the five elements, blue for sky, white for air or clouds, red for fire, green for water and yellow for earth."  Tibet Travel

Brown paper Prayer Flags

One year, our pastor invited a Buddhist monk to speak on the prayer flag tradition. After his talk, we gathered around tables to write a favorite passage from Scripture or a poem on fabric squares prepared by our sewing group, the Sew and Sews. I chose a phrase from a Cherokee blessing, and wrote it in that language. The flags were threaded onto cords, and hung in our long hallway for several months.

Reiki Principle prayer flags and alt

When I attended my Color of Woman Graduation in 2015, one of the 2 hour circles offered by a graduate was on creating prayer flags on watercolor paper. After the introduction, we chose symbols to paint on one side of a 5x6" piece of watercolor paper, punched two holes at the top of each, and strung them on pretty ribbon to hang inside. 

I enjoy inviting my community to create prayer flags of their own, in my Red Thread circles and Red Thread Reiki 1 classes. The Reiki Principles offer inspiration for Reiki Flags. We use watercolor paper from a pad, or brown paper for outside flags. 
The possibilities are endless, one of my Reiki Master friends invited his clients to write prayer requests on strips of cloth, which he then hung on his fence! 

• Choose your materials, paper or cloth, fear or cut into shape and size of your choice
• A variety of markers, watercolor pencils and paint, calligraphy pens 
• Fold the top of cloth squares, and stitch channels for cord or string, and use fabric pens
• Take a moment to center, and focus on your prayer or gratitude
• Choose a symbol to picture your prayer, a drop falling into a pool for calm, a rainbow for hope, a tree for endurance, a butterfly for transformation ...
• Or Write a three line haiku using the formula: 5, 7, 5 syllables 
• Put your image or poem in the paper
• Punch a hole (or two of it's wider) for a string or ribbon (you can also staple it!) And thread through
• Tie to a tree branch, or string several flags and hang on a wall or porch.

This week, we brought making prayer flags to our Red Thread community via a Zoom call. As always, I was intrigued by the variety of flags created during our time together! On cloth, paper, barbers from the local dollar store, and in a smash journal! This was our second circle via zoom, answering the need for virtual connection. 

May these flags indeed, harmonize the environment, and bring peace to all living beings!