This set of Hestia prayer beads consists of three groups of twelve beads, to represent the Greek dodecatheon of twelve gods (there are many more than twelve Greek gods, but most cities had their own group of twelve) and the mythic division of the world into three realms--the sea, the heavens, and the underworld. Separating these sections are three hanging pendants, each a symbol representing the goddess:
Fire - As guardian of the hearthfire, Hestia's essence is well represented by the flame itself. The word "Hestia" was not only the name of the goddess but the name of the hearth itself.
Home - Hestia is a defender of the home and family, their sustenance, safety, and stability.
Columns - Not only is Hestia a protector of the individual household, she also watches over the house of government--the hearthfire of the state itself.
The sparkling orange color of the beads represents Hestia's role as goddess of fire and flame, and her seat by the hearthside of every home.
It is made with 10mm dark orange fire-polished Czech glass beads, separated by silver-toned metal spacer beads, and glass seed beads to provide a comfortable transition from one bead to the next and to make the piece lightweight, supple, and easy to handle. The string itself is approximately 28.5" (72.4 cm) in circumference and can be worn if desired, although it is designed to be used in prayer and meditation, to decorate an altar or shrine, and/or to adorn a statue.
The beads come with a prayer to Hestia, written specifically to be used with this prayer bead design (you can, of course, use the beads with any prayers, or for any god or gods, that you choose or that resonate with you) and with a cotton muslin bag for storage.