These Sacred Body Adornments Are Sensual And Spiritual
Originating in Egypt and worn throughout Africa, waist beads are beautiful, sensual even, but did you know they’re spiritual too?
#1: Fertility & Sensuality
Historically waist beads were used to celebrate femininity and fertility. Yoruba women would rub scents into their beads to attract a partner.
Ghanaian women placed bells on theirs, the sound indicating they sought partnership. Spiritually protected waist beads were worn to conceive and carry children to term.
#2: Health & Wellness
Waist beads are a natural way to check how your body is doing. Waist beads can improve posture and breath patterns.
Waist beads can also naturally inform you if you’ve gained or lost weight without tying into toxic, anti-Black diet culture.
#3: Spiritual Protection
Waist beads celebrate milestones like naming ceremonies, beginning one’s menstrual cycle, or getting married. Each bead and charm are intentional.
Charms can be used for spiritual protection or to manifest blessings. The color of the beads is important as each has a different meaning and attracts different energy.
#4: Honoring Ancestors
More recently anti-Blackness has appropriated waist beads. But while they rock “waist chains” for the aesthetic, we understand waist beads honor traditional customs anti-Blackness tried to erase.
They’re literal ties to our ancestors.
Wearing waist beads are just 1 of many ways we can adorn ourselves.
Just like you’d adorn your altar with care, how are you adorning your body in ways that help you to align spiritually?
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