Sunday, September 20, 2009

Gods eyes decorations







Begin by holding two sticks together in a cross shape, and continually wrapping different-colored yarn or ribbon around the arms.


God's eyes are one of the easiest crafts you can make, and they're versatile because you can create them in any color. For a harvest celebration, make them in fall colors -- yellows and browns and reds and oranges. At Yule, you can make them in reds and greens. If you'd like to make one for your household altar, you can make it in colors that correspond to your family's deities and traditions. You'll need two sticks of equal length --

I like to use long cinnamon sticks, but you can use a dowel rod, popsicle stick, or just branches you've found on the ground. You'll also need yarn or ribbon in different colors. If you like, you can include decorative items like shells, feathers, beads, crystals, etc.

By using alternating colors of thread or yarn, the finished result looks like an eye. In some traditions, you might associate the four points of the cross with the four classical elements, or the directions on the compass. You could even see them as representative of the four major Sabbats -- the solstices and the equinoxes. One great thing to do while making god's eyes is use them as a spell working in themselves -- visualize your intent while wrapping the yarn, whether it's protection for your home and family, to bring love your way, or even a prosperity talisman.

Wrapping Your God's Eye

By using seasonal colors, you can create a god's eye for just about any sabbat or celebration.


To begin, hold your two sticks together in a cross. If you'd doing this with children, it's a good idea to put a small dab of glue on here to prevent slipping. Look at the diagram for an idea of how this will look.

Wrap a length of yarn one or two times around the top arm of the cross, right where the two sticks meet, going counterclockwise (be sure to hold the loose tail in place and wrap the yarn over it to keep it from unraveling later). As you come around on the left side of the upper arm, cross down and over to the bottom side of the right arm. Bring the yarn out behind the top of the right arm, and cross over to the left side of the bottom arm. Finally, bring the yarn from the right side of the bottom arm across to the top side of the left arm.

This is actually easier than it sounds -- look at the diagram in Picture 1 and follow the arrows. Continue wrapping the sticks in the same order until you have a good amount of the color you're working in. Then switch to a new color, and continue the process until you want to change again. Finish it off with a length of yarn tied in a loop, so you can hang your god's eye. What you'll end up with will look like the photo in Picture 2.

Finally, you can decorate the ends of the sticks with feathers, ribbons, beads, or crystals, whatever you prefer. Hang your god's eye on a wall, or use it on your altar for Sabbat celebrations.

3 comments:

VintageSage said...

I love this. Great tutorial. I haven't made one in so long. I think it's time I do. :)

xoxo

Lyn said...

I haven't made Gods Eyes before - thanks for the tutorial. Great project for me to do with the kids :-)

Anonymous said...

Lovely Judith...
Now I look at my old one it seems so dusty and aged compared to your bright little one...I think it's time me and the sprogs made some new ones...time to go stick hunting!