Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise

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roveau said:
I’ve never thought about it but I realized that I go counter-clockwise. This could be because I’m right handed. Do any left-handers pray the Rosary in a clockwise direction?
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🙂

Yes, although I barely ever do pray the Rosary. :o
I do it for symbolism, though, like the custom of making the sign of the cross from left to right in the Latin Church. :crossrc:

—Soler.
 
Kit15 said:
So I was reading the thread regarding praying for a boyfriend’s conversion and followed a link to a page full of prayers asking for St. Monica’s intercession including a Chaplet.

Well…reading through the site I came across this little note.

It grabbed me because for as long as I can remember I’ve always prayed the Rosary counter-clockwise! At the point where I choose a direction, I always go to the right. It just came natural to me. I never knew there was a “traditional” way to go about it.

But I’m sure it ultimately doesn’t matter either way so I’m not going to obsess over how I count my rosary beads. But it did sound like an interesting, light-hearted CAF poll. 👍

(And if this needs to be moved to a more light-hearted section of the forum, please don’t hesitate to do so)

So…when you pray the Rosary, do you count your beads clockwise or counter-clockwise?
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This a similar thread to that in the Rosary Group forum. I do counter clockwise not just for the Rosary, but the Franciscan Crown Rosary, and divine mercy chaplet
 
This might sound dumb, but my beads don’t have a front or back to them so how do I figure out which way I’m going?
 
This is an interesting question! I’ve always wondered about this. I pray the rosary clockwise because that’s the way it’s been illustrated in various pamplets and books that I’ve read.

In the end, I think that praying a rosary (whichever direction you go) is the most important thing. Many young people these days don’t even know how to pray it and can’t even name all the mysteries. I’m 36 and people my own age don’t even know how to pray it. It saddens me how many people I know who say they are Catholic simply because they were baptized into it but don’t practice anything really. 😦 I have a friend who didn’t even know what the liturgy of the eucharist is. And she didn’t know what a novena is either. :confused: All of these things make me grateful for finding this forum where I can talk to people who are practicing Catholics and who make me feel hope for the future of Catholicism. 🙂
 
I am just learning to pray the Rosary, but I have learned to do it clockwise according to the pamphlet and the book I have. I am left handed but I use me right hand to count the beads.
 
I usually pray beaded prayers (like the Franciscan Rosary, and Chaplet of Divine Mercy, etc.) counter-clockwise in my right hand. However, I can switch to my left hand and continue praying. Here’s the funny thing I realised…with both hands, I’m praying in the same direction. Counter-clockwise. BUT… it looks different to the eyes.

Its an optical illusion, unless you purposely (and out of preference) go backwards through the beads. Cute! 🙂
 
wcknight said:
How about neither. When I’m driving I use my fingers, start with the right hand thumb through pinkie then to the left hand thumb through pinkie. What does that count as ???
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I sometimes do that too, although I always start with the left hand.
 
Kit15 said:
So I was reading the thread regarding praying for a boyfriend’s conversion and followed a link to a page full of prayers asking for St. Monica’s intercession including a Chaplet.

Well…reading through the site I came across this little note.

It grabbed me because for as long as I can remember I’ve always prayed the Rosary counter-clockwise! At the point where I choose a direction, I always go to the right. It just came natural to me. I never knew there was a “traditional” way to go about it.

But I’m sure it ultimately doesn’t matter either way so I’m not going to obsess over how I count my rosary beads. But it did sound like an interesting, light-hearted CAF poll. 👍

(And if this needs to be moved to a more light-hearted section of the forum, please don’t hesitate to do so)

So…when you pray the Rosary, do you count your beads clockwise or counter-clockwise?
Click to expand...
clockwise on my big rosary, counter-clockwise on my finger rosary & all sorts of ways on my fingers when i’m driving 🤷
 
The rosary is not about praying the rosary: It’s about relationship.
St Terese of Lisieux ( a modern day doctor of the Church) used to get lost and found it very awkward but rose to sanctity in her inability.
St John of the Cross said there comes a time to put it aside.
 
Hi All!
I just want to put in my 2 cents worth and say I find this discussion very interesting! I am just in the process of seriously learning more about the Catholic Church, with a view to eventual formal conversion. I am now learning how to pray the rosary, and I have wondered which way to pray it, IE: if it was “wrong” to do it from the other direction, since the instructions I am using have me going counter-clockwise. It seems to me, that from what I gather so far, it matters less which way you go around the rosary, and more that you DO go around the rosary! 🙂
Have a great day
 
I pray the rosary counter clockwise, I guess it was just the way I was taught lol I am even left handed so you would think I would go clockwise but i dont!
 
growing up, the nuns at my school taught us to go counter-clockwise. i have never known anyone to go the other way.

peace.

:nun2:
 

I am somewhat at a loss to answer this question. Here at the abbey the sand in the glass runs straight DOWN (under the force of gravity, of course). The bells in the tower mark time by swinging BACK-AND-FORTH. When I (and my fellow friars) say the rosary the beads move in somewhat of a circle, so you see, they don’t move clockwise or counter-clockwise at all!!! (-:
– Further, when I say the rosary, I am so blessedly transported into the realms of the eternal (through no fault or virtue of my own, mind you!) that things of such ordinary temporality such as clocks and watches cease to have any meaning. “Clockwise” – what’s that???
– And all this on the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows! Pish-posh, may Our Dear Sweet Lady intercede for us to be forgiven.
– God’s richest blessings to all!!! – Rusty​

PS – Did you know that our English word “bead” comes from the Rosary (or more exactly from the old strings of PaterNosters)? “Bead” literally originally meant prayer, as in our modern word “bid” or the German “bitte.” So when you wear pretty beads to a party (or at Mardi Gras!!!), you have intercessions dangling from your ears and neck. Ha!
 
Rustyxcv said:

I am somewhat at a loss to answer this question. Here at the abbey the sand in the glass runs straight DOWN (under the force of gravity, of course). The bells in the tower mark time by swinging BACK-AND-FORTH. When I (and my fellow friars) say the rosary the beads move in somewhat of a circle, so you see, they don’t move clockwise or counter-clockwise at all!!! (-:
– Further, when I say the rosary, I am so blessedly transported into the realms of the eternal (through no fault or virtue of my own, mind you!) that things of such ordinary temporality such as clocks and watches cease to have any meaning. “Clockwise” – what’s that???
– And all this on the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows! Pish-posh, may Our Dear Sweet Lady intercede for us to be forgiven.
– God’s richest blessings to all!!! – Rusty​

PS – Did you know that our English word “bead” comes from the Rosary (or more exactly from the old strings of PaterNosters)? “Bead” literally originally meant prayer, as in our modern word “bid” or the German “bitte.” So when you wear pretty beads to a party (or at Mardi Gras!!!), you have intercessions dangling from your ears and neck. Ha!
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But, Rusty it is important - to say things backwards is demonic. The clocks go tick tock, not tock tick. 😉 Nonesense isn’t it:thumbsup:
Did you know that pasternoster is also the name given to a small batton (something like a truncheon) used to concus fish? I wonder how it got its name:whistle:
 
I usually go clockwise, but occasionally go counter-clockwise. I’m a leftie so clockwise feels more natural.
 
LookingForFaith said:
I usually go clockwise, but occasionally go counter-clockwise. I’m a leftie so clockwise feels more natural.
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A leftie?..Then traditionally you’ll need to pray !!! That’s the mark of the devil (traditionally).:stretcher:
 
Reply to Kevin Wilcox–
We’re are adrift, at sea, floating away from our topic of the Rosary recitation direction, but anyway, . . .
– I was not able to confirm your use of the Paternoster as a fish-killing club. The Paternoster in fishing IS a line with a series of knots attaching two or more hooks to the end of a longer casting or dragging line. This makes sense as the fish line with multiple knots looks like the knotted cord of the old Paternosters (or Rosaries).
– The small club used to give the fish the coup-de-grace is called a “priest.” whether because it is used to give the fish their “last rites” or because the size and shape of it and the motion used when employing it resembles the priest swinging the aspergil over the heads of the faithful at the sprinkling, I don’t know.
– When I tell my beads in clockwise fashion, God’s blessings are advanced to me; when I tell them in the counter-clockwise fashion, my sins are unwound and undone. It seems that either would be of good benifit. I am very sure that Our Lady is pleased with both. (-:
– God’s blessings to all!!! – Rusty
 
Rustyxcv said:
Reply to Kevin Wilcox–
We’re are adrift, at sea, floating away from our topic of the Rosary recitation direction, but anyway, . . .
– I was not able to confirm your use of the Paternoster as a fish-killing club. The Paternoster in fishing IS a line with a series of knots attaching two or more hooks to the end of a longer casting or dragging line. This makes sense as the fish line with multiple knots looks like the knotted cord of the old Paternosters (or Rosaries).
– The small club used to give the fish the coup-de-grace is called a “priest.” whether because it is used to give the fish their “last rites” or because the size and shape of it and the motion used when employing it resembles the priest swinging the aspergil over the heads of the faithful at the sprinkling, I don’t know.
– When I tell my beads in clockwise fashion, God’s blessings are advanced to me; when I tell them in the counter-clockwise fashion, my sins are unwound and undone. It seems that either would be of good benifit. I am very sure that Our Lady is pleased with both. (-:
– God’s blessings to all!!! – Rusty
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Thank you Rusty, at least I remembered the Paternoster was implemented in some form of detruction. But what do people mean by going clockwise or anticlockwise? I look at my rosary, I pick it up, I recite it, I pray it. But as to clockwise or anticlockwise I can’t see a difference; it looks the same both directions. Have I missed this bit? Help.
If I go clockwise one day and then anticlockwise the next do I undo what I have done. (Positive then negative cancelling each other)?? If I were to pray anticlockwise is it a sin?
 
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