Weaving Life

For the Yaka of Southwestern Zaire, infertility is a tear in the fabric of life, and the Khita fertility ritual is a trusted way of reweaving the damaged strands. In Weaving the Threads of Life Rene Devisch offers an extended analysis of the Khita cult, which leads to an original account of the workings of ritual healing. Drawing on many years among urban and rural Yaka, Devisch analyzes their understanding of existence as a fabric of firmly but delicately interwoven threads of nature, body, and society. The fertility healing ritual calls forth forces, feelings, and meanings that allow women to rejoin themselves to the complex pattern of social and cosmic life. These elaborate rites—whether simulating mortal agony and rebirth, gestation and delivery, or flowering and decay; using music and dance, steambath or massage, dream messages or scarification—are not based on symbols of traditional beliefs. Rather, Devisch shows, the rites themselves generate forces and meaning, creating and shaping the cosmic, physical, and social world of their participants. In contrast to current theoretical methods such as postmodern or symbolical interpretation, Devisch's praxiological approach is unique in also using phenomenological insights into the intent and results of anthropological fieldwork. This innovative work will have ramifications beyond African studies, reaching into the anthropology of medicine and the body, comparative religious history, and women's studies.

Through this journey into the world of rugs, one begins to understand the fascination for this ancient art.The woven language of symbols and color come alive in Weaving Life. Part story, part history, this artistic discovery is woven together with poetry.

With more than 120 beautiful color photos, this guide introduces how the simple art of weaving can help each of us--whether we are weavers or not--to build our inner life. The goal is to recognize, receive, and live in harmony with your own deepest truths. Using a system of seven "keyforms" that span cultures, ranging from an amulet to a mask to a belt of power, the growth process is explored in depth. Instructions for seven symbolic keyform projects help beginners to use tapestry weaving techniques, and help seasoned weavers to find new dimensions in their work. To put it in weaving terms, the inner life is like the vertical warp on a loom. The weft of our daily activities weaves through our inner values and beliefs with each moment. The Weaving a Life process has been used successfully by weavers and spinners, psychotherapists, nurses, hospice workers, educators, artists, and youth leaders, as well as by countless individuals who seek a deeper vision for their lives.

There is a lot to learn about weaving! As a new weaver, you might wonder what the next steps are to grow your skills. Next Steps in Weaving has the answers you're looking for. In this beautiful book by Pattie Graver, former Managing Editor of Handwoven magazine, you'll be explore a variety of weave structures and concepts in depth and detail including twill, color-and-weave, overshot, summer and winter, and lace. This is not just a book of weaving patterns. Each topic is explained and supplemented with instructions for weaving a sampler and a project in order to solidify the concepts and enable you to design your own projects. In addition, the book offers troubleshooting tips in order to expand your weaving expertise. Whether you're new to weaving, have the basics down, or are looking to improve your foundation skills, this book will be an asset to your weaving library. So what are you waiting for? Take the Next Steps in Weaving!

Just as a weaver works the yarn and creates the fabric, so too are we uniquely woven pieces of art produced from the breath of God. Each thread of our humanity is set in his image. Unlike the human weaver, God's calculations are perfect. There are no mistakes, oversights, or uneven salvages. We are precious and loved because he has formed us. In her inspirational weekly devotional, author Ann Marie Bezayiff continues to share her spiritual journey, but his time with her loom and yarn. Her insights of faith in everyday life are like the creative process and skill of hand weaving. Drawing upon her experiences as a writer of words, a life-long teacher, and weaver of cloth, her stories are reminiscent of our own personal walk with Christ in our busy, complicated lives. As we work the yarns of life and weave together our experiences and understandings, her insights remind us that no matter the shape, texture, or design we create, each of us is uniquely woven by the hand of God. Ann Marie uses fifty-two funny and inspirational life stories to illustrate that Weaving a Spiritual Life is a step-by-step process whose finished result is worth the wait.

This is the story of my life and what I needed to do to survive. My daydreams were my escape from life when I was a child. When I became an adult I learned there was always something I could do to make things better like getting a job for more money. If a project doesnt work one way you can weave around and go another way. I feel like Ive been weaving in and out all of my life. The most important thing is to never give up. A person can do anything if they never give up. That is the message that I hope you receive from my book.