Well, it was a wonderful time last week engaging in some fun with my hobby having to do with old comic books. This week, though, I invite you to turn your attention to another in an occasional series of "how to" articles, this one dealing with the sacred medicine bag.

It’s called a medicine bag or pouch, and you can make a simple one in as little as a few minutes. But the preparation for choosing its contents and actualizing its healing, protective and/or divinatory power can take a lifetime. You can read more about that in my forthcoming book, Make It Sacred. (More details coming soon!)

But you don’t need to know everything before you start, because now is the time for learning and doing. You are, after all, a healer in your own right, and the sooner you allow yourself to discover your true nature and to then be of service to yourself and others, the better. Your time has come! And making a medicine bag necklace is a wonderful way to explore some of the aspects of spiritual expression, healing and service.

The example shown below will demonstrate how to make a small medicine bag necklace, and will result in a bag about one or two inches in diameter and height, depending on what you put inside of it. The size can be adjusted to suit your needs.

You can make the bag out of practically any material, but I prefer the beauty, durability and powerful energy provided by suede deer skin, so that’s what is featured here.

Here’s what you’ll need (photo, left): Hammer, awl (or other strong punch, like the small nail set shown, or even a nail itself, OR you can use a razor blade/Exacto knife to cut slits), a four or five inch diameter circle of leather, and a minimum of 24- to 30-inches of lacing. The demonstration is based on the larger circle shown.

Once your materials are gathered, begin by lightning a candle. Offer a prayer, if you like, and perform a cleansing ceremony. (Here’s a basic one, a water ceremony, that is very effective and beautiful to begin your project. You can also smudge yourself and the materials. The link opens a new window to a podcast, which you can skip to the last 10 minutes or so for the actual ceremony.) Then, ask your spiritual guides, teachers and the highest Creator Source you know to bless and cleanse you and each item, while giving them thanks and gratitude for doing so. Also ask them to energize the materials and to continue to do so forever. Offer prayer, blessings and gratitude to the animal that provided the material for the bag, and to the people who were involved in providing it to you, and to the Creator Source. It is entirely appropriate to thank and bless all of those who made the tools or helped bring them to you, too. Ask that your hands be guided in the making of the necklace, and that the necklace be capable only of serving the greater good and of providing the wearer with healing energy and protection (and whatever else you may perceive as its good and rightful purpose).

Then, sit quietly for a time in order to simply be with All That Is.

When you feel ready, proceed by first punching a series of more or less evenly spaced holes around the circle, about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch in from the edge (photo, above). I have never worried about measuring and planning how many holes to make, as once the bag is drawn closed, it doesn’t matter. I do try to punch several, though, as it seems the more there are, the better the bag will cinch tight. However, if you are a stickler for details, I would recommend measuring the circumference then dividing the result by the number of holes you wish to make, plus one. This will result in a measurement necessary to equally space the holes from each other.

Next, thread one end of the lacing through a hole and pull it through until you reach the center of the lacing (photo, left). Then thread the other end through a hole located beside the first one you threaded and pull it taut.

Lightly cinch the lacing as you go, pulling it completely through each hole and giving it a little tug. As you do so, the bag will begin taking shape. Lace in both directions until all holes are laced. Place the item(s) you want into the bag, then gently coax the folds together while tugging and cinching the bag closed (photo, right).

At this point, you can then wrap the lacing around the bag’s top, tie it off, and use the remaining lace as the necklace (photo, left).

An alternative, shown here (photo, below) with a fancier necklace I made, is to cinch the lacing with a bead, add some lace fringe, and then thread the leftover lacing through the loops on opposite sides of the bag to allow the bag to hang better. This gives your creation a more finished look, too.

You can wear your necklace inside or outside of your clothing, whatever you prefer. My preference is to wear it inside for a more personal contact and when I seek self healing/guidance/protection, or outside when I am willing or wanting to share these properties with people around me. Sometimes I’ll also wear one on my belt to boost the latter purpose, particularly during healing ceremonies or when a group needs some extra energy. This can really help to charge up a drumming circle! There’s no hard and fast rule, though, for how or when you wear your medicine bag. You are the healer, so it’s up to you!

Aho & Namaste,
Bob

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