Kukui nut beads – the symbol of enlightenment, protection & peace

A needed symbol.

Light of the heart.

In Hawai’i, Kukui nuts (from the Kukui tree) were used as candles or torches in ancient times. Using the rib of a palm leaf, the nuts were strung in a row to provide hours of light, as each nut burned sequentially in a row. “Kukui” means lamp or light. They allowed telling stories, illuminating dark nights, connection in the midst of a vast ocean.

I arranged the beads without much thought, after my trip. But.. I seem to keep coming back to them – and I rearranged them until they became this heart. This is a symbol I really need – Something from the heart, unplanned but resonnating, deeply life affirming.  To me, it invokes courage to move through darkness.  It channels staying power to face what is there. It invokes light, lineage, ancient experiences to help us through fear (as these experiences are not new, but deeply human).   It is the process of falling away to who we really are… enlightenment, protection, peace.