[Jewelry making - Article 00686] - Re: [Orchid] Universal interfaith symbol

[Brigid Ryder]

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    I was recently trying to explain to a friend why I am drawn to
    making jewellery. This friend sent me these various thoughts she had
    found in a book by Thomas Mann, and I think it is relevant to some
    of the discussion brought up by this thread.  Maybe we don't need an
    outward symbol of connected belief but an understanding of the inner
    search for connection and purpose that is, i feel, part of most
    beliefs. Take from it what you will. 

    "Jewellery can be used for magic as well as ornament.  Like fashion
    it may appear to be a luxury, and a purely spiritual society may
    judge it as superficial, but in Finicain philosophy of natural
    magic, jewellery may be of extraordinary value to the soul. 

    Polishing and arranging colourful stones, setting them in rings and
    brooches, keeping them on our persons and in our homes all have
    enchantment value.  We don't need to mystify stones, making them too
    spiritual and exotic for we become too abstract, symbolic and
    intellectual about such things.  There may be more enchantment in
    luxury than in mysticism. 

    All stone is precious, but certain stones we value more than others,
    for their brilliance, hardness and colour.  Ficino believed that
    some stones sparkle because it has material of the stars in it, so
    when we see a stone at the water's edge twinkling in the sunlight,
    we may be connecting earth and heaven. Precious sparkling stones
    evoke the theme of the scintilla - the spark of vitality that
    resides in material, natural and artifical.  This sparkle is the
    sign of soul in matter and reflecting the brilliance of the stars,
    it's an indication that the material world always contains something
    of the eternal.  Perhaps this is one reason for giving a precious
    stone as a token of engagement and marriage. In " On the Nature of
    Psyche" Jung treats shine and sparkle as indicators of the very
    depth of the soul.  Quoting several alchemists he describes the soul
    of the world - anima mundi - as scintilla or sparks of the Divine. 
    What is often lost in discussions of alchemy is the simple ideas
    that today we can bring tokens of this divine spark into our
    everyday lives through the use of precious metal or sparkling
    stones. 

    Among the many magical objects Ficino recommends in the artful
    tempering of everyday life are amulets and talismans.  An amulet is
    an object chosen for its particular constituent material.  A ring or
    pendant made of a simple stone worn everyday or on certain occasions
    can be the stuff of natural magic, but the idea of an "amulet" can
    be extended to apply as well to the rest of our material existence.
    As we select fabrics for clothing and furnishings, for example, we
    can use a magician's eye and be aware of the spirit that is invited
    by a particular material. 

    Today our work and the things we build sufferthe burden of
    secularism:  work doesn't arise from a place in the worker deep
    enough to grant sufficient satisfaction. One should take as much
    time as necesssary.  One must concentrate all the while, and be in
    good spirits because a craftsman's frame of mind permeates every
    aspect of the work and the work will bear the imprint of its creator
    as long as it exists.  A maker of things is not only a person of
    craft but a magician as well. 

    Another area where materials are significant is jewellery.  During
    the Renaissance, when magic, humanism and religion enjoyed a
    delicate balance and a fruitful association, it was common practice
    to cast rings, medallions, and other forms of jewellery that
    captured the essence of a person, family or city. 

    The sparkle and shine of jewellery pleases something deep in the
    heart.  As we have seen, Ficino taught that a sparkle on earth
    echoes and reflects the twinkling of the stars, so that wearing a
    radiant diamond is like having a planet on your finger.  Earthly
    sparkle also suggest the ancient notion of the scintilla or spark
    that is the inner luminescence of the soul. Solar gold, lunar silver
    and the red and green stones common is jewellery animate a person
    and make their life potent.  This is the secret of the amulet, it
    keeps death at a distance and makes life scintillating and
    powerful." 

Brigid Ryder


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