Life Force Diviner

An energy diviner for Tricia

One day, at the fresh fish section of the market, I noticed a tiny woman hunched over the packages of tuna and swordfish and sole. She had long, curly tresses, and she wore a cape wrapped around her as if it were a cave in which to hide; she looked a bit like a benevolent witch. I couldn't keep myself from looking, trying to figure out what she was doing. She had a chain dangling from one hand and she was holding it just above the fish, looking at them intently, as if she were reading their fortunes. As soon as she noticed me she scurried off, as if I had caught her in the act of something secret and leaving me feeling just a bit guilty for having invaded her privacy.

I had forgotten about this almost encounter until the day my friend Tricia came to the house for the purpose of performing Reiki and told me she would start by reading the energy fields associated with each of my chakras.  In order to do this, she took out a chain with a key attached to it for weight, and held it above specific areas of my body. The key and chain moved in accordance with the energy emitting from the chakra being assessed. Most of my chakras were pretty ordinary, one or two were somewhat blocked, but the one at the top of my head was apparently spewing forth energy like a geyser, sending the key spinning like mad.

It's a necklace, too

My chakras were out of balance but that's not really the point of this post. This post is about the choker necklace I made for Tricia, inspired by the chakra reading. My intent was to give her a chain she could use for divining energy fields; I wanted it to be beautiful as well as useful. Then I got the idea to make it so it could also be worn as a necklace, always at the ready to serve its wearer ... like when she wants to determine how much life force is still in the fish at her local market. Yes, I'm talkin' 'bout you, Benevolent Witch Person.

I gave the necklace to Tricia at a party in celebration of her latest book, Father Flashes. Many of the women there liked it and they encouraged me to make more and sell them in my Etsy shop. I asked to take the necklace home with me for the purpose of photographing it, assuring Tricia I would return it. That was over a year ago.  I wasn't lying. I did return it ... last week. What does this tell us? Well, for one thing, Tricia is a perfect friend because this kind of thing does not ruffle her feathers in the least bit. She is very laid back and very understanding of my foibles. The other thing we can discern from this tale is that somebody has a procrastination problem and her initials are MCM. How interesting then that one of my favorite sentences of all time is in Tricia's book and it addresses, perfectly and succinctly, the reason why procrastination is so deadly:

"My brother is inquisitive but procrastinates until possibility fades to loss." 

My internal translation:  Morna is creative but procrastinates until possibility turns to loss. What good is creative thought if you do not do something with it? And how easy it is to slay the energy of a perfect creative urge if you merely allow it to float around in your psyche instead of actually allowing it to jump out of your head and into your hands! But ... No More! From now on, I will do better and better.  Yes, I'm laughing a bit as I write those last two sentences ... how many times have I said those words or words similar to those? How many times have you? They might as well be titled The Procrastinator's Promise. 

Still, maybe this time really will be different. Maybe I really will make some more of these necklaces and put them in my Etsy shop. Maybe I should make several and then have a giveaway for one of them. I could do it in honor of my 63rd birthday, getting ready to slam me on July 24th.

Labradorite wrapped in antiqued brass wire, with multiple tiny crystals, on brass chain Just for today, do not anger Do not worry and be filled with gratitude Devote yourself to your work. Be kind to people. Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer. Pray these words to your heart and chant these words with your mouth. (The Reiki Ideals, Usui Mikao)