The Kunas believe that everything in the universe is sewn in pairs. Like man and woman, each half “the same and different”. That may be why so many designs of the mola are stitched and worn in pairs.
All beings have a “double” whether human, plant, or animal. There is always a “front and back” in the universe marked by unity and duality: and between them a subtle play of meanings, shapes and colors.
Some Kuna women work with the same patterns over and over. Others say they cut the cloth “just as it comes”. They cut and stitch “until it feels right”.. Some say if you coat a woman’s fingers with spider powder, they will sew as fast as spiders weave their webs. They say “That is what our mothers told us.”
There are women in the community who “know” and have been taught how to heal by the animals and the plants. When someone is bitten by the snake, they tell members of the family to turn their molas inside out. Threads and Needles are associated with snakes and the act of turning things inside out, according to the Medicine Women, returns us into balance. It is an ancient pattern found in the eight levels of the universe.
Prayer: Tonight we pray with you O Gentle Moon and thank you for lighting the night sky.We watch how your face changes and how the Great Ocean tides respond to your gaze. Star Jewels of the Sky we thank you for watching over us as we rest in Mother’s embrace.
