Textile design as healing

"You have to buy this rug!!!! The woman who wove it, told the story of her life in this rug". So commanded the Turkish carpet seller as I gazed at a beautiful Turkish tribal rug" She wove it for her daughter's dowry" It was $2,000.00. Now I wish I had bought it. This incident years ago, sparked my study of the deep meaning of all textile design. At the time I had been designing textiles fo major retailers for over 20 years. I had been slipping hidden symbols and stories in all my designs for main stream America for years with out knowing that actually that was the original purpose of textile design!

After my encounter with the Turkish carpet man, I started to do a lot of research into the meaning of embroideries, printed fabrics, woven rugs and tapestries from all over the world. They all have the same thing in common-all designs were originally magical amulets to protect the owner or wearer. Diamond shapes are universal protection against the evil eyes. You will find diamond shapes on Ukrainian embroidered peasant blouses, Peruvian ponchos, African mud cloths and Anatolian carpets.

Deep in the Amazon is a tribe called the Shipibo Conibo. They create healing "energy patterns". They see these patterns in their ayahuasca induced trances and then re-create the designs on their fabrics and ceramics. If someone in the tribe is sick, the shaman will place the healing energy designed fabric on the body of the sick person to stimulate healing energy.

Above is a photo of Jewish child's garment from Yemen. The embroidered lizard and diamond shapes are to protect the child from sickness. Image on the right is from the African, Bamana tribe in Mali, who create these "bogolan" cloths with mud resist patterns. These cloths are considered the second skin of the wearer and since they are created with earth, they are considered to have replenishing properties. They are worn by any one who has lost blood- i.e. hunters, women in child birth.

Sound, color and light all create pattern in the universe. Cymatics are the geometric shapes the vibrations of sound make. This was first discovered in the Western world by Robert Hooke in 1680, when he placed flour on a pane of glass and played a bow instrument under it. The flour grains moved into different geometric patterns each time a different note was played. Each note had it's own distinct pattern. 

This was old news in Asia Over 5,000 years ago the Hindu Rishi's transcribed the Yantras -the sacred geometry of the universe. The Sri Yantra is the geometric shape of the sound of OM-which is the creative vibration of the universe. Those Rishi's knew their stuff! Twenty years ago when computers were able to translate sound into geometric forms - the sound of OM- turned out to be exactly the Sri Yantra shape- just as the Rishi's saw it over 5,000 years ago.

 All cultures in all areas no matter how remote- have these sacred geometric shapes. These geometric shapes are carried in our genes! All flowers and plant life have sacred geometry in their cells and forms- 5 pointed stars or hexagons, triangles etc. Certain images and colors produce different vibrations that resonate deep in our DNA. We subconsciously feel better when we wear certain colors and patterns or have those patterns in our homes.

In 2017, I led a workshop at Obeetee Rugs in Mirzapur India with their rug designers, going over the history of sacred and magical symbols in textiles and of course- rugs. On the second day of the workshop we created our own symbol. Symbols that either told the story of who we are or what our hopes and dreams are. There were no rules or guidelines to the exercise. At first everyone was a little timid. When you design for the commercial world there is always a set of guidelines and rules. After realizing their freedom- the designers went into a creative fury! The symbols and stories were so profound and inspired- I will never forget them. The designers created symbols that truly told their own unique stories in clear and pure visions.

While everyone told the story of what their personal symbol meant to them, the voice of that Turkish carpet seller, echoed in my head. "This carpet is telling the story of her life!" We are all connected to each other and the universe. Light color and sound flow through us at all times and fluctuate into different images. Those images represent who we are and who we dream to be.

This is why I have created Magical Yogi Wear, Lil' Sparks of Magic and Psychic Chic home furnishings-to inspire people to tell their own story and be their  dreams! 

Create your own magic!

MJ