snippets

  i love the things that come to me in unexpected ways, little snips and scraps of velvety red, a bundle of thread sent across the miles early last week that i soaked in leftover tea and hung to dry before a late winter morning fire.  from a red tin heart's home into my hearth, the thread is weaving its way into my work in honor of an old, old custom, a spiritual belief. 

according to wikipedia, "the red string of fate (Traditional Chinese 紅線; Simplified Chinese: 紅线; Yale: hung⁴sin³; Pinyin: hóngxiàn), also referred to as the red thread of destiny, red thread of fate (and by other variants) is an east Asian belief originating from Chinese legend. According to this myth, the gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of men and women who are destined to be soul mates and will one day marry each other. According to Chinese legend, the deity in charge of "the red thread" is believed to be Yue Xia Lao (月下老) (often abbreviated to "Yuelao" [月老]), the old lunar matchmaker god who is also in charge of marriages.

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet,
regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle,
but it will never break."
                                        - an ancient Chinese belief

The two people connected by the red thread are said to be destined lovers, regardless of time, place or circumstances. It is said that this magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of soulmates or a twin flame.
The legend has since also become a popular myth in Japanese culture and other East Asian cultures. 

Wearing a thin red string (as a type of talisman) is a custom, popularly thought to be associated with Judaism's Kabbalah, in order to ward off misfortune brought about by an "evil eye" (עין הרע in Hebrew). In Yiddish the red string is called a roite bindele.  The red string itself is usually made from thin red wool thread. It is worn, or tied, as a type of bracelet or "band" on the left wrist of the wearer (the receiving side). this thread keeps showing up in bits and pieces everywhere i turn here in the house - stuck to my slipper, bundled atop a jewelry tray, lying at my feet in the late morning sun.  i've taken strands of the stuff and hung them in my nearby dogwood tree, just as i sent those clipped out words into the wind some weeks back, in hopes that a little bird or two will find these treasures and weave them into their cozy nests come spring.  some birds mate for life, do they not?   imagine the surprised look on a female's face when her mate brings a snippet of red thread to her in his beak.  i think i'll start carrying little scraps of things - lace, thread, printed words on tea stained paper - in a bag tucked into my car, so i can pull over from time to time and scatter these remnants to the wind.... so that they can be used and loved all over again.  that is my plan.  xo

Comments

[janie]

Isn't the Universe a miraculous place? It always reminds us of how closely we are all connected! I, also, recently wrote on my blog about the practice of tying red string. This just proves how small things can keep our faith firm !
http://sacredartimages.blogspot.com/2008/11/keeping-faith-firm.html

[Chris]

A lovely idea~~the birds will have the most elegant nests featuring your lace and words. A Nina collaboration~no?
Your words light my day. Thank you for sharing.

[Ann Somerset Miles]

Can you scatter them to the winds that blow from west to east over the ocean, so that one day soon I can look down and see a red thread, a bit of lace, tea-stained paper, words, whatever, and know it has come from you? I will snap it up before the birds, who have plenty here in my garden to entice them; though why should they not have some of your bounty? Wild Somerset Child from UK

[carol]

right before i read your post i rescued an abandoned bird nest from our yard. among the materials they used to build their nest??? dryer lint and cat hair. clever ones.

[Bonnie Moench]

It is still winter here, but I can hardly wait to throw my bits of silk thread to the wind and see if the birds love it as much as I do.....I will make sure that there is plenty of red thread in the mix.....
xoxo
Bonnie

[Leau]

What a beautiful post. I love learning things and seeing them play out in the universe. Lucky birds in your neck of the woods. smooches

[LindaSonia]

What a wonderful bit of information about the red string. Love it.

Also love the idea of sending out bits into nature. What I will be hoping to hear is that one day you will come upon a vacated nest and find that lovely little bit of string or lace or words incorporated. Or better yet that I would find that vacated nest and recognize the bits up here in Michigan??? that would be waaayyy cool. LindaSonia

[Tina in McLeansville]

"an invisible red thread connects....but it will never break."....destiny. "regardless of time or place or circumstance"...bound to be. infinitely amazing, isn't it....emerging as part of your "beginning to be" self. and the picture in my head of you pulling off the side of the road and scattering goodness into the wind...priceless! xx

[julie]

I really enjoyed reading this post especially:
"...this magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break."
XO

[lynnk]

beautiful!! thank you for sharing your 'red threads' of words!
blessings
lynn

[oldflowers4me]

even the words-( red string ) sound dreamy-im opening a bottle of lemonade and im going to listen to the white strips-want to share -

[red tin heart]

i love that..all of it.
xoxo nita

p.s thank you..<3

[wendy]

i love your plan. we must be simpatico because as i was falling asleep saturday night i had a thought of cutting up bits of my colorful tibetan silk yarn and putting them near the bird feeder.

i love you, nina.
xo

[Cindy Ericsson]

Remember -- you are loved.

[sabrina]

when i was an infant,my grandmother pierced my ears with a needle and red thread. granna said that the red thread would help my ears to heal and that i would never have problems with them. over the years i've had other piercings and have always had problems with them,but the ones done by my granna have never been an issue. it might have been the red thread,or maybe it was my granna's unconditional love!

[Holly - UK]

Like i've said before - this leaving coloured thread, and lace and ribbons and printed words is just the most cutest, lovliest, most beautiful thing i've read for a very long time!! It is such a beautiful idea!!!!!!!!!! x

[heather]

mmm...i love the legend of the red string of fate. it reminded me of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYQGgl-quVg&feature=related
(i hope you get the link ~ rufus wainwright cover of ~ origin of love)
love the idea of sprinkling love out the window for the wind to catch and spread.
xoxox

[Jen Crossley]

I found this all very interesting thank you for sharing Nina
Jen

[Susan]

your post reminded me of the red envelopes often presented in China at certain occassions. According to wikipedia the red color is to ward off evil spirits. what a wonderful gift of protection you have given the birds and what a beautiful gift your words are to all of us.

[nina]

susan, thank you so much! i am rewarded to hear from readers like you. x nina

[Ally]

Greetings Nina!

I love the red. So pretty. And I also love your idea of carrying around the bag of scraps. Imagine if we all did that how cozy the birds would all be!

Have a great day!
Ally

[Cindy]

I love the red string info...you know how I believe in that kind of destiny...I think I am going to give my love a red string....

[jen]

funny my partner and i have been wearing red string around our wrists since we have been together. we wear them as sort of a symbol of our intentions to love deeply in relationship. i never knew about that legend. how beautiful!