The need for the Rosary
I’ve been looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of the time I spend in thoughtful meditation. I have a tendency to zone out after just a few minutes of peaceful contemplation.
Various meditation strategies have been used throughout time to overcome this problem. People have used mantras, sudras, mandalas, drums and all kinds of other repetitive technologies to give the “monkey mind” something to focus on so it doesn’t check out entirely.
Within the Catholic tradition, the rosary beads can serve this purpose. With just a little “training”, the person praying the rosary can get lost in the prayers and reverence and allow the tactile sensations of the beads in their hands keep them their mind on track.
I decided I wanted to benefit from that same strategy. And I decided to come up with a Kabbalistic meditation that uses a standard Catholic rosary so that no one needs to go and make some custom rosary just to try out the meditation.
I warn you that this meditation is NOT praying the rosary. I’m not even attempting to make a “Mormon” rosary. I’m making a kabbalistic meditation that uses a rosary as a tactile prop.
Rosary 101
To understand the meditation outlined below, you need to be familiar with what a string of Rosary beads looks like, and how it is used.
At the end, there is a Cross. Often times the cross has Jesus on the cross being crucified, but not always. the cross is connected to a string of 5 beads which lead to a center piece. The center piece has a string of 54 beads in a loop, both ends of the loop connect to the center piece. 6 of the beads are bigger than the other 53.
To pray the Rosary, you recite different prayers such as the Our Father, or the Hail Mary, depending on which bead you are on as you count your way around the circle.
To use the Rosary for meditation, try this...
Hold the cross in your hand, and pray:
“YHVH Elohim, Creator of All Things from the Beginning …”
Then move your fingers to the first bead, and take a slow deep reverent breath. Inhale, exhale.
Then move your fingers to the next bead, and take a slow deep reverent breath. Inhale, exhale.
Work your way along those first 5 beads, breathing in mindful meditation, pondering on the opening to the prayer.
When you reach the center piece, hold it in your hand (or between your fingers) and pray:
” … Unity of the Divine Counsel …”
then move your fingers down one of the path’s of beads that go around the loop.
for each of the small beads, take a slow deep reverent breath. Inhale, exhale.
When you reach the first large bead on the loop, pray:
” … Uniter of the Heavens and the Earth … “
When you reach the second large bead, pray:
” … O Jesus, I pray thee, nourish me with thy Living Torah … “
When you reach the third large bead, pray:
” … That I may Know Wisdom and all her children … “
When you reach the fourth large bead, pray:
” … And that I may receive Understanding … “
When you complete the loop and return to the center piece, pray:
” … that I too may be One in The Unity of the Divine Family … “
Breathe your way back down the beads that lead to the cross, and when you reach it pray:
” … For, to this End was I born.”
WARNING!
The words above are not intended to be “the” right way to meditate. Please don’t hesitate to adapt them to wording that captures the most meaning for you as you contemplate the meaning.
In fact, I tried several different variations on what I outlined above before I decided that I liked that particular sequence of thoughts. So, I’d like to explain why I chose each of those lines for my meditative prayer so that you can get started on customizing it to be your own.
"YHVH Elohim, Creator of All Things from the Beginning ..."
YHVH are the English equivalent of the Hebrew letters that spell out the unspoken name of God. You could substitute “Lord” if you wish to avoid saying the divine name. You could substitute “Adoni” (which is just Hebrew for “lord”). Some people pronounce it YahWeh. Personally, I pronounce it like Jehovah, except the J is a Y sound, because J was not a thing in ancient Hebrew.
Elohim is Hebrew for God(s). Or “Divinity”.
Creator of All Things is a title that Neum likes to use, so I included it. And I want the meditation to include “The Beginning and the End” as another of the names of God.
" ... Unity of the Divine Counsel ..."
In 5 Moses, Chapter 2, v5 we read: “Hear, O Israel: YHVH is our Elohim; YHVH is Unity.”
In the Book of Melchizedek chapter 4:11-15, we learn that God can be seen as 2 or 3 or 4 or 5. Or as 1 that is the Unity of Elohim.
In Psalm 82, we learn that the Elohim is a council of divine beings. A family.
In her declarations, Neum often refers to YHVH as Unity. And I find great depth in that way of understanding God.
I also tried these variations of this statement, which you might find preferable:
” … Unity of the Divine Family … “
” … Spokesperson of the Gods … “
" ... Uniter of the Heavens and the Earth ... "
Jesus/YHVH is the Yachad Yachid Echad, the Unique Uniter. The savior, messiah, anointed one, the promised descendant, the Only Begotton of the Father, the one who atones, or restores unity, the fulfiller of the law.
And the result of this atonenent is to reunify the heavens and the earth, and overcome the fall, and invite mankind back to the Presence of God.
" ... O Jesus, I pray thee, nourish me with thy Living Torah ... "
I also considered these variations:
” … Bestow upon me your Torah … “
” … Grant me your Teaching … “
” … Instruct me in your Way … “
” … Guide me along the Tao of Heaven … “
” … Teach me your Ways … “
I considered using “Bestow” as a recognition of the twin Kabbalistic ideas of Bestow and Receive. I went with “Endow” instead, because bestow is (in my mind) more hollow. Its an action, where “endow” is an inheritance or a gift.
I went with “your Torah” as a recognition that the Torah is NOT the “law of Moses” or the old law. I never really liked the word “Torah” until reading the way the books of Neum and Melchizedek speak about it, and how it is more than a list of old commandments. Now I understand that the Torah is the Living Teaching of Elohim.
" ... That I may Know Wisdom and all her children ... "
I wanted to include both Knowledge and Wisdom here, because Knowledge and Wisdom are the precursors of Understanding. I also wanted to specifically say that my intention is to know Wisdom. Wisdom being the divine feminine which has been hidden and forgotten over the centuries and millennia.
This particular statement in the prayer as I meditate is currently the one that seems to awaken the deepest parts of my soul as I say it.
" ... And that I may receive Understanding ... "
I wanted to say “Receive” to compliment the word “Bestow” from a few beads back. And I wanted to say “Understanding”, since that is the center of the Kabbalistic tree of life (Binah). The balance of Wisdom (Chochmah) and Knowledge (Da’at).
" ... that I too may be One in the Unity of the Divine Family ... "
This is in reference to the Intercessory prayer from John chapter 17, where Jesus prays that we might be one in him like he is one in the Father. I wanted to say this at the center piece, since that is where we first observed the unity of the divine, and we are recognizing that the path we just prayed to is an effort to bring us into with that same union.
" ... For, to this End was I born."
This is quoting Jesus in his conversation with Pontius Pilate. So while saying this while holding the cross recognizes his offering, and also recognizes that our end/purpose (as stated in the previous prayer statement) is tied to that event. And it recognizes that to become one with the divine is our purpose.
It also includes the word End, which completes the name “The Beginning and the End” right there on the same spot in the Rosary as where we said “The Beginning.”
Conclusion
I have found that including this at the beginning of my daily prayer is a great way to enter a reverent frame of mind, and dispel the worries of the world so I can have more meaningful prayer.
So, I figured I’d share.
A very useful adaptation to an ancient practice. Thank you for sharing this!