How can ancient hands support you today?

I am getting ready to leave for my brief tour to the US next week to present at the Music and Medicine Symposium at Beth Israel Medical Center in NYC and thinking about sticky New York summer weather makes me grateful for the current heat, and the popsicles which are cooling down the inner heat.

There is alot of heat bubbling these days. Not just from the summer heat, but from so much change going on ... we are all experiencing it... Sometimes the confusion created may seem so great that we reach up our hands in frustration.

While in the midst of change and confusion, ancient hands can provide us with a great deal of support and clarity.

How do ancient hands provide protection?

Many cultures have regarded not only as a source of human power, but also as representative of a higher power. Ellen Frankel and Betsy Platkin Teusch write in The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols, that the notion of the Divine hand protecting, formed the symbol of "hamsa" from the Semitic root meaning "five". The hamsa is a hand shaped amulet to protect and ward off the "evil eye".

The hamsa is used throughout the middle east and mediterranean, and is common to Jewish, Christian and Moslem cultures. It is used as a decorative motif, a popular house warming or gift for good health. The traditional color used in the mediterranean to adorn the hamsa, is turquoise, blue, green - which is also aymbol of health, and of nourishing water.


The photos of hamsot (plural of hamsa) are those I created as a healing gift item from Galilee. The shards you see, are 1000+ year old pottery shards which I have hand picked (pun intended), from the healing music sites of Galilee.

I love the feel of my hands on the dry earth as I pick up each shard. I feel that each one is a gem, crying out to be rediscovered... "Pick me up please! Help me put the broken pieces of my forgotten self back together." Each one I treat like a jewel. My hand caresses them. It is one of my favorite past times to find these ancient shards. I have collections of them in beautiful bowls next to the hamsas adorning the living room walls.

When the ancient symbol of the protective hand is placed with the shards, it can provide you with deep focus and concentration.

I have a hamsa hanging in my bedroom, just opposite my bed. Upon the hamsa are three pomegranates (another ancient symbol of fertility and abundance) and the word "success" printed upon it. Every morning when I awake, before getting out of bed, I meditate upon that symbol. I find that it grounds me, and fills me with quiet power for what I am about to meet that day.

Where could ancient hands provide you with support?

Perhaps you could draw a hamsa to relax. You could even outline your hand with a crayon (remember doing that as a kid)?

You could also use your own hands to pat yourself on the back for all the great things you are doing!

Or, if you are so willing to express your authentic creativity and natural voice, you could use your hands to play rhythms, using your body as an instrument. You can use this video clip of a healing music program I gave to a group of physically handicapped youth. It is so amazing to see how their playing relaxes them and provides stress release and nourishment to their minds and bodies.



What will you do today to provide protective hands to yourself?