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… of our four Lamps, — a rainbow for Beauty; a symbolic face with an arrow coming straight out of the mouth, for Truth; an iron-bound heart for Fortitude; and a tadpole, the Indian symbol of Spring, for Love.
I put a black border ¾ of an inch around the edge, and had a striking symbolic mat.
Now I cut a rectangle of the same size from brown leather, decorated it with a beaded circle depicting my Council Fire Name, and a simple beaded border all around.
These two rectangles, I sewed firmly together on three sides. The fourth side I provided with snap fasteners which could be secured after my rubbing sticks were safely ensconced in the bag.
On the black border of the white mat, I put a number more of the snap fasteners, so the whole could be folded long ways in half, to be a comfortable size and shape to carry about either by hand, or tucked away in a suit case.
Altar Cloth and Prayer Rugs
This leads naturally to the making of an altar cloth and prayer rugs.
If the council be outdoors, the altar cloth is unnecessary, since the sand painting will be made directly on the ground with flour, lime, salt, or other white powder; but the prayer rugs are of practical value in that they keep the law-reciters clean and warm, as they kneel in their places.
If the council be indoors, the fire-proof altar cloth is a measure of safety; and the prayer rugs, though not so necessary, are an added touch of color which is helpful to the general picture.
The altar cloth is a square yard of asbestos cloth or other fire-proofed material (such as burlap), with the sand painting permanently painted thereon in red and white. This is placed on the floor under the fire bowls.
The four prayer rugs are for the corners, each representing one Lamp. The designs are as noted for the priests’ rug, in any brilliant color on a white background, and embellished according to the desire and ability of the maker.
