Bringing it Home

Many cultures and faiths have the custom of hanging flags in the wind infused with good and hopeful intentions or prayers written on them.  The image is a reminder that as the wind blows, the prayers and intentions are carried away in the wind and everyone who is touched by the wind benefits from the positive energy. Flags are left up, even when they are weathered and worn, and then eventually burned. In this month of love, I encourage you and yours to spread positive loving intentions for yourselves and our global community by making prayer flags and hanging them outside.

Materials:

• 5 x 10-inch squares of fabric
• Hot glue gun or fabric glue
• Yarn
• Fabric markers or fabric paint and paint brushes

How to:

Explain the prayer/intention flags to your crafters: “these flags are special, because we will write or draw on each flag our positive intentions, hopes, and prayers and hang it outside.  Then when we look at our flags outside, we will see them moving in the wind and remember how the universe always hears our highest intentions and we can imagine that our prayers for the world will be spread around the whole earth, just like the wind”.

Ask each family member and participant to answer the question, “What is one thing that you hope for our world?”

Give each participant a fabric square and fabric marker and say, “Let’s draw a picture of what our prayers would look like or write a word to represent our hope.”

It is easiest to orientate the rectangle vertically.  When the flags are completed, the top two inches will be folded over the string to hang, making a five inch by eight-inch rectangle.  Instruct family members and participants to allow this room at the top of the flags to be folded.

After designs are complete and dry, hang the flags.  Cut a piece of yarn long enough to hold all the flags with 2-3 inches of room between each. Fold the top of each flag over the yarn and secure it with hot glue or fabric glue.

Find a place outside to hang your flags.

Notes:

Fabric that is not sewn or finished in some way around the edges will fray easily in the wind.  This is part of the evidence that the wind has moved through them!

Doing an internet search of prayer flags from around the world for inspiration.

Variations:

Make flags out of construction paper or canvas

Make one large prayer flag that all the family members decorate together

Hang the flags without decorating them, and guide family members in allowing them to represent whatever prayers are on their hearts and minds that day.

Spiritual Practice

Chalice Lighting

This symbol of energy

of light, of life

to remind us

of the energy within us

of light of our life

the light that is in us

of the light that is us

~Janet Goode

Family Grace:

May we have eyes that see, hearts that love,

And hands that are ready to serve.

~Jackie Creuser, adapted