User:Jusstjayaa/Waist Beads

Waist Beads

Waist beads are a piece of jewelry that is worn on the belly, waist, or hip area. These pieces, originating in Africa, are traditionally worn by women to embrace many different cultural traditions. Today, sacred ornaments are not taken as seriously due to the popularity of jewelry wearing on the social site TikTok. Many people lace beads on thread, wire, or elastic string to make the ornament. Waist beads come in many different colors and textures that are fitted to personal liking.

What are waist beads?

Waist beads are stringed ornaments worn on the waist that is traditionally an African piece that embraces womanhood. Wearing the beads is a symbol of the waist size, beauty, sexual sensations, femininity, fertility, well-being, and maturity of a woman. There are many meanings behind the trinkets, but the true value comes from personal beliefs concerning the self. When one wears or makes jewelry, one must define what it means or symbolizes.

What are waist beads made of?

Waist beads can be made of glass, metal, crystals, gemstones, charms, wooden beads, or plastic beads. Many people lace any of the previously listed materials on a cotton thread, twine, thread, wire, clear cord, or elastic cord to make the ornament. The color and the materials used are symbolic in many African cultures and in moral personal meanings.

How to make a waist bead?

Traditionally, the first step to making the trinket is awareness of why it is being made. Next is to measure the waist and choose which material to lace the ornaments on, such as thread, twine, wire, cotton thread, or elastic string. Cut the string to the length of the desired placement of the waist bead on the waist, belly, or hip area. Then choose which colors and materials that the gaud should be made of. Afterward choose how the waist bead should be sealed, such as with a clamp, a tight knot, burning together of plastic, or some sort of crimp lock. Finally, take the premeasured string and begin to lace the preferred materials onto it, and once it is filled to its entirety seal the waist bead so that the beads will not fall off.

Meaning of waist beads

Waist beads originated for a woman to represent their personal beliefs. This can be embraced through different gems, colors, crystals, and individual well-being. The uses for waist beads depend on why someone wants to wear them.

Uses

• Fashion Statement: Many people in 2022 are wearing waist beads as a form of body jewelry or as an accessory.
• Weight: Others use the waist bead to measure their waist size and over time the band will fall or roll up due to weight loss or weight gaining.
• Culture: There are a variety of meanings for waist beads within the different cultures such as maturity and sexual attraction. Cultures that utilize waist beads are the Egyptian culture, Ghana, Yoruba, Ewe, Ashanti, Krobo, Ga-Adangbe, and others.
• Spirituality: Those who are practicing the awareness of the spirit use the waist beads for personal performances.

Meaning of materials

Colors

Colors are sensations of the eye with the reflection of light on many components. Colors causes psychological effects that intensifies our genuine intentions.

• Red: passion, heat, sexuality, strength, and confidence
• Pink: femininity, romance, and youth
• Orange: activity, energy, encouragement, and fun
• Yellow: optimism, joy, friendliness, wisdom and cheerfulness
• Green: growth, renewal, freshness, hope, healing and life
• Blue: business, royalty, reliability, trust, harmony and communication
• Purple: luxury, mystery, spirituality, nobility, wisdom and royalty
• Brown: natural, organic, strength, durable, stability, honesty, and wholesomeness
• White: purity, innocence, truth, and simplicity
• Black: power, sophistication, boldness, classic, and distinctive

Gemstones and Crystals

Gemstones and crystals come from the earth's surface that contains the power of the earth. Many believe there are healing properties and other properties that can be obtained from their materials.

• Zircon: energy-stimulate that can initiate any chakra
• Yellow Sapphire: aids manifestation and success by enhancing desires
• Watermelon Tourmaline: calms the mind and emotions for inner peace
• Unakite: clears spiritual toxins
• Turquoise: stimulates the throat chakra for wisdom
• Tiger Eye: helps establish stable emotions
• Sunstone: instills powers of the sun such as leadership and enthusiasm
• Sodalite: rising the awareness of the mind
• Snowflake Obsidian: infuses courage
• Sapphire:
• Ruby: activates passion
• Pearl: physical healing
• Pink Diamond: means fortune, problem solving, and potential soul mating
• Opal: detachment to negative emotions
• Moss Agate: embraces nature
• Moonstone: feminine abilities and mystery
• Moldavite: known for spiritual awakening
• Lepidolite: aids with stress and overthinking
• Lapis Lazuli: gives a royalty energy
• Kyanite: this has specific powers based on the color, but communication and imagination is enhanced
• Kunzite: hears what your hearts says and divine love
• Jet: gives protection and pure energy
• Jasper: establishes stability and grounding
• Jade: holds the Earth's energy of nurturing
• Iolite: heightens inner vison
• Howlite: uplifts calm energies
• Green Amethyst: connects the solar plexus chakra, heart chakra, and crown chakra
• Gold: "the master healer"
• Galaxy Opal: instills intuition and protection from illness
• Fluorite: cleanses a cluttered mind
• Emerald: triggers the heart chakra
• Diamond: encourages pure inner power and spiritual guidance
• Dark Matter: life, knowledge, protection, fertility and detoxification
• Citrine: aids manifestation and clears true desires
• Carnelian: helps enhance confidence
• Blue Lace Agate: instills truth in communication
• Amethyst: gives protection and heightens wisdom

Where did waist beads originate and why?

Waist beads were originated in Egypt. They were called girdles. Egyptians wore them around their waist or lower waist. Most people wore jewelry if is it was their budget and made out of many different materials. Girdles were made of chains, wire, thread, shells, and contained multiple colors.

In Africa there are many cultures that wear waist beads. Such as the Ghana culture, Senegal, Yoruba, Ewes, Ashantis, Krobos, and Ga-Adanbes. Each culture has their own reasoning for wearing the trinkets.

Ghana Culture

In the Ghana culture woman begin to wear wait beads due to aging and orders from their mothers. This symbolizes maturity and the begin of womanhood. "Dipo" is the initiation ceremony that is held for the young lady. The beads are worn on the neck, ankles, and waist. They are worn on the waist as piece to resemble luck. The waist beads are made of seeds, seashells, glass pieces, teeth, ivory, and stones. Majority of the beads were hand painted. The bigger the beads are the more mature the woman is sexually. As of today, they are a fashion statement.

Yoruba

The Yoruba waist beads are called Ileke, Jigida, and Lagidigba. They are traditionally a piece of jewelry and a piece of their spirituality. Using glass, nuts, different woods, and metals they create beautiful beads for the waist. These are worn as a symbol of confidence and femininity, fertility, and well-being. They are worn for posture, pregnancy, beauty, weight tracking, protection, growth, sexual desire, and royalty.