Do you pray the Rosary clockwise or counter-clockwise?

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It depends on which way the medal comes out when I get there; it may be obverse or reverse side up. in either case, I’m right handed, so I go towards the right because that would be “up”. It isn’t really clockwise or counterclockwise, it’s more like a hoop that you have your hand around.

This picture from the Rosary Center seems to indicate “Counter”, but you can probably find others that show “Clock”.

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God loves lefties just as much as righties. 🙂
 
Grace & Peace!

Personally, I go counter-clockwise–this was the way I learned it, myself, but it also seems to jive with liturgical convention–movement about the altar is, more often than not, to the right, counter-clockwise. I’ve heard this has to do with a stance against “pagan” ritual (in which much movement was clockwise), but given the ancient symbolism of right and left (nothing against southpaws!) movement to the right in Christian ritual makes a distinct symbolic sense.

–Mark

Deo Gratias!
 
This annoying thread question keeps popping into my head now as I pray the rosary! I start on the right side, but rather than say I pray it counter clockwise, I think I do it more over and around. Now that I posted this perhaps this question will leave me alone when I’m trying to pray! :gopray:
 
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romano:
Do you pray the Rosary clockwise or counter-clockwise? In other words, do you begin the first decade with the bead on the left side of the front of the medal or on the right side?

Do you have any special reason for the method you use?
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Clockwise.​

Walking around a church counter-clockwise is said to be unlucky.
Deo Volente:
I’ve heard this has to do with a stance against “pagan” ritual (in which much movement was clockwise), but given the ancient symbolism of right and left (nothing against southpaws!) movement to the right in Christian ritual makes a distinct symbolic sense.
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In Hindu mythology, one has gods being walked around clockwise as a mark of respect.​

Maybe there is a connection with walking round the altar in the OT (see Psalms); the altar in the Liturgy represents Christ. ##
 
I pray it clockwise but I’m told that’s backwards. If you look at the pamphlets on how to pray the rosary, they usually go counterclockwise.

It really doesn’t matter unless you’ve got a custom rosary that’s set up for a certain direction. Like a Pro-Life rosary, or a Mother’s rosary. Or like my Holy Spirit Chaplet - I’ve color-coded it to the mysteries so I can remember what they are. Blue for the Incarnation, clear for Jesus’ baptism, brown for the 40 days Jesus fasted in the desert, red for Pentecost, and green for new life in the Spirit. I go clockwise so I have the colors set up in a clockwise direction.
 
Why does it matter? This is one of those piddly little things that people waste precious time with when they sdhould be more concerned with other spirituality. Give me a break!:tsktsk:

By the way, it also does not matter what mysteries of the rosary you pray on any given day - the church just set those up for those who need a system and for unity, if you will, for public praying of the rosary. For private devotions it doesn’t matter. You could mediate on just any one of the mysteries for 20 decades if you wanted. You could meditate on things not contained in the “official” mysteries. Do you really think that God and Mary care whether you are using the “correct” mysteries for the particular day of the week? And Bernadette and the Fatima children and others and the uneducated/third world Catholics prayed/pray the rosary without worrying about those inconsequential things.:rolleyes:

Never in all the apparitions of Mary and Jesus and various saints concerned with the rosary has there ever been recorded any wish or command to make sure you pray the “correct” mysteries for the day or your rosary will be no good. Same goes for the counterclockwise/clockwise business. Just pray!!:banghead:
 
counter-clockwise

I think it is because I am right handed, and it is more comfortable to have my hand on the “outside” of the chain.
 
Counter clockwise…to start at Mary’s left hand and end on her right. ie Symbolic of slowly transforming by God’s grace! 👍
 
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TobyLue:
When people make rosaries how do they start? Do they go clockwise or counterclockwise. Is one rosary better than the other?
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as a rosary maker (although I never realized it until you asked)… I usual make my chain rosaries (ones with metal links) clockwise and chord rosaries (string and beads or string only) counter-clockwise.

as a LEFTY, I pray my rosay counter-clockwise (most of the time).
 
Hi all.

If I may, I think handedness plays an essential role. As I am left handed, getting accustomed to a right-handed world has been quite tricky. For my natural tendencies, it is easier, although a little laboured, to continue in left-handed manner. So, with my Anglican Rosary, I tend to favour a clockwise rotation.

I think, as with any form of worship, it’s the intention to consent to God’s presence and action within that determines my sincerity to worship rather than my handedness or rotation that determine the honesty, sincerity, intention of my prayer.
 
My mind of blown!!!

I always prayed it clockwise because when I made my communion they gave us a little book that had a diagram that showed the mysteries going clockwise. Years later when I taught myself to say it again I picked up a different book (one of those little $2 ones) that also showed clockwise.

So I just googled “how to pray the rosary diagram” and all the images that came up show it as counter clockwise…

Not that it really matters which way you pray it, but I have to say that most interesting thing I’ve taken from this thread is that everyone seems to be aware of which way they go around the beads.🤷

Somewhere along the lines someone must have told us it mattered.
 
jpjd said:
I’m left-handed, but I use my right hand to hold the beads! Go figure! I go counter-clockwise – that’s the way my Rosary brochure instructs.

Meggie, you made me laugh…“most of the time I get past the apostles creed and fall asleep so its neither direction for me…”

And I thought I was the only one who fell asleep while praying the Rosary in bed! What a delicious way to fall asleep, though.
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I have had several instances of saying the Apostles creed, falling asleep and then continuing to pray the rest of the rosary in my dreams, complete with visual effects, and even a soundtrack of my own making. It’s sort of like lucid dreaming. I also remember praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in my dreams and remember a beam of light falling on me while I prayed.
 
Never thought about it, but it appears I go counterclockwise. I spin a hula-hoop clockwise, however. 🙂
 
I was taught to do it counter-clockwise, and that’s what feels natural to me.🤷
 
This thread is 11 years old!! You guys really shouldn’t have posted here haha. 😉

May God bless you all! 🙂
 
I honestly do not care, but I almost always do counterclockwise. I have a miraculous medal hanging from the right side of the centerpiece, and I tend to go for that medal as I pray, so I end up on the right side.
 
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