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The Ojo de Dios (God's eye) is a ritual tool, magical object and cultural symbol evoking the weaving motif and its spiritual associations. For the Huichol peoples of northwestern Mexico, the God's Eye is symbolic of the power of seeing and understanding that which is unknown and unknowable, The Mystery. The four points represent the elemental processes earth, fire, air, and water. The Ojo de Dios, or God's Eye, is a simple or complex weaving made across two or more sticks and is thought to have originated with the Huichol Indians of Jalisco, Mexico. The Huichol call their God's eyes Sikuli, which means "the power to see and understand things unknown." When a child is born, the central eye is woven by the father, then one eye is added for every year of the child's life until the child reaches the age of five. Original Huichol Crosses are extremely rare to come by. There are many that are being made for the tourist market, but they do not carry the same traditional and spiritual significance. An example of Christian acculturation is evidenced by Keith (2001) on a craft website for Christians and envisioning the God’s Eye as devotional process art, where the binding of the God's Eye is the physical process of a spiritual binding or covenant, expressing a prayer that the eye of God will watch the binder (or the person for whom the God's Eye is wrought) and grant health, fortune, longevity and auspiciousness. The God's Eye becomes a physical representation of the process of prayer. The craft instructions on this website closed with the Psalm 119: 18: Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Hale (2001) of Exciting Scout Craft Website fame, is a premier example of how this spiritual ritual tool has been respectfully acculturated and given a life and attributed meaning as process art and as a teaching tool for Scouts because they are easily and readily made. The various tribes of North America have adopted them and can be seen all over the world.The all seeing eye of God will protect you and your belongings once this is put in your house or the smaller ones in your car. They come in a variety of colours and sizes and shapes and can be made to order with your own colour scheme. No two are alike. Prices vary according to size and complexity. |