I first remember the bells at church. They were so beautiful. My next memories are of the doorbell, with 9 people under the roof, it seemed like it never stopped ringing. Then it was the bells at school, notifiying us we had 10 minutes to get to class and then when class started and ended. From there it moved into table chimes at school, wind chimes in the back yard and then my own singing bowls.

Bells are used to call the faithful to worship & toll the time.The bell can announce a guest at the door. The sound of a bell can express great joy, sound a warning, or signal mourning. Bells have also been rung to bring on or stop the rain, keep evil spirits at bay, invoke curses, and lift spells.

Bells hold an honored place in religious ceremonies. In both Buddhism and Christianity, bells are used to bless before each ceremony. In Roman Catholicism, bells are symbols of paradise and the voice of God.

According to Tibetan Buddhism, ringing the bell represents an offering to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattva in order to accumulate positive karma. Also, the bell represents wisdom, so ringing the bell is the sound of wisdom which purifies confusion.

It you look around the world at the different religions, cultures and peoples – all have some sort of bell, chime, cymbal, singing bowl or other instrument to bring joy and beauty in, forcing negativity & shadows out. I use a singing bowl before I go to bed. It helps to ground me before I go to sleep.  I use a chime every morning when I get up. I think of the morning as a new gift – a beginning that I get to participate in. For a time, I didn’t do this, after my brother died, but I should have. It is the rituals which give us comfort in our lives and help us move throughout our day.

Rituals can help us to stay the course, keep to the path and simply put – feel better. Add some sound in to your life to clear out the cobwebs & the crazy!

Love, Light, Laughter & Blessings! Nancy