Small Prayer Ties are bundles of tobacco (or cornmeal) wrapped in print and strung together on a single string. Prayers of petition are said continually while creating the ties. In this case, prayers to receive the Hoop Reiki blessings or distant healing and offering Creator your reasons for seeking these blessings.

After creating the Prayer Ties, ceremonially offer them to Creator by one of the traditional means (fire, air, water, earth). Tradition has it that as they are returned to Creator they carry your prayers and yearnings.

To make small tobacco ties, obtain print in whatever traditional color and amounts sing to you, tobacco (or cornmeal) and a ball of string (thread for 2 inch ties, string for larger sizes) made of natural materials.

Cut the print into squares about 2 inches (50 mm) on a side (NB: If you are new to making Prayer Ties, I suggest beginning with 4 inch squares rather than 2 inch squares. The larger size is somewhat easier to handle.) Into each square place a small ball of tobacco, then gather the corners and twist. Secure the bundle by wrapping the string around it. Use loops rather than knots to secure each bundle.

Add the next bundle 3″ (75 mm) to 4″ (100 mm) from the previous bundle (6″ to 8″ for 4″ squares). Smudge the entire string of tobacco ties when done. The offering is now ready to be given to Creator.

Making Prayer Ties is not about precision or doing it right. If you are worried about making mistakes, you are defeating the purpose of making the ties in the first place.

So, 2 inches means somewhere around 1 and a half and two and half inches; square means roughly square. Three or four inches apart means about that. After all, often there are no scissors or rulers in the bush. The task is not to create a thing of beauty, although that might happen.

The task is to create a sacred object, a string of Prayer Ties, which contains your desires and prayers. Thus it is being mindful of your prayers which is important, not precision or perfection.

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