Eleanor Wiley

As a speech pathologist, Eleanor Wiley learned something amazing! Through helping people with developmental disabilities overcome their impairment and communicate with their surroundings, she realized that being interconnected with the world is one of the most important things in life.

This early experience eventually led her to design The Sacred Wheel of Peace® … A Place to Begin, a prayer bead that promotes unity amongst different cultures. According to Eleanor her intent is clear, “We must all work together in order to move forward in peace and harmony.”

Wheel of Peace

Eleanor’s Sacred Wheels may look ordinary upon first glance, however the bead’s simplistic design is the key to its profoundness. The Wheel’s symbolism can be understood in a number of different ways. This, in turn, represents the diversity of the world in which we live. Eleanor gives an example of a possible meaning, “When using the wheel as a metaphor for one’s own life or the community, it allows you to see what happens when we remove any part of the wheel. When this happens, the wheel becomes unbalanced and falls apart.”

Eleanor has since used these beads in conjunction with numerous peace projects and lectures around the world. Her work towards promoting unity and tranquility can be seen around the necks of people from all walks of life. For more on Eleanor Wiley and The Sacred Wheel of Peace®, read her story in “Women as Healers: Voices of Vibrancy.”