WHY THE RED STRING ON THE LEFT HAND?

You may have seen someone you know or maybe even yourself wearing a red string on the left hand.  If you wear one, chance are you know why.  If you don't know exactly what it means and why, this post is for you!  Some people like to wear a red or ruby string on their left hand as a kind of lucky charm. It is a custom used to protect one from the evil eye (a.k.a. "stink eye.")

The practice is prominently thought to be related with Kabbalah, (a mystical form of Judaism) and in strict types of Judaism, although many other cultures use it too, such as in: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Ancient Chinese legend and a few others.  In more recent years, it has become more mainstream. The red string can be worn as a display of confidence, luck, strength, and/or protection. While a few societies have somewhat varying views in regards to the red string, they are comparative in that they see the wearing of red string as a positive thing.

 

There are many cultures with this tradition but the one that resonates with me the most is the one used in Kabbalah.

 

In Kabbalah, the red string is worn on the left hand as a symbol of protection and is derived from the old Hebrew writings, when Rachel, the mother of Joseph, attempted to conceive for quite a long time without success for many years, until she finally had Joseph. She eventually died during labor with her second child, Benjamin.

Her biggest wish was to protect her child from evil, and because of this she is remembered as a sacred mother figure. Along these lines, a ceremonial custom was created in which a red string is tied around Rachel's burial chamber multiple times to inject it with the energy of security and good karma. "In the wake of opening up the string from Rachel's burial chamber, it is then cut into arm band estimated lengths and tied onto the wearer's left wrist while recounting a petition for security. It is accepted that the arm band will at that point protect one from evil."  (Kabbalah .com)
 

Since not everyone can visit Rachel's burial chamber to fold the red string over, it became custom to take the red string and tie it onto the left hand while tying a knot 7 times while setting an intention. "Wearing the red string is not just a tool to keep us from getting the evil eye from the outside, but it is also a reminder for ourselves to not give evil eye to others." (Kabbalah .com)

 

But WHY the LEFT HAND? 

 

The advantage of wearing it on the left hand isn't on the grounds that it is better than the right side. From a Kabbalistic perspective, the left addresses the desire to receive. 

 
According to the chakras of the body, the "left arm is involved with the future or energy coming toward you and your physical body."  The energy from the left center determines what incoming energy you are able to connect with and use. "It literally chooses what you want to use to create your every moment and pulls energy up the arm so you have the necessary energies to create change..." By placing the red string on the left hand, you are, in a sense, protecting your energy!  The color red addresses the desire to receive and the left addresses desire to receive in this way. 

So if you want to protect your energy, check out some of the red strings available: