A Curious Detail of Natural Magic
Dec. 8th, 2018 11:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ecosophia
These days people in most Western countries assume as a matter of course that engagement and wedding rings have to have diamonds on them. That didn't become the universal custom until after the Second World War, though; it was in 1947 that the DeBeers diamond syndicate launched the first of a series of massive ad campaigns under the slogan "Diamonds Are Forever." Well, maybe they are, but...In the lore of natural magic, every kind of gemstone has a different effect on consciousness; these are normally categorized by the old scheme of the seven planets. Diamonds correspond to the planet Mars. Their magical virtue is that they give strength and victory in battle, but they are also traditionally unlucky, and make their wearers unhappy.
Maybe it's just pure coincidence, but I find myself noticing that it was right after a stone of war and unhappiness became standard wear for married women that the divorce rate began to soar, and many branches of the feminist movement took on a distinctly angry and bitter tone.
If you want a better-omened stone for an engagement or a wedding ring, the magical lore suggests going for an emerald. Emeralds correspond to Venus, and are fortunate for love; they were held to strengthen the eyes and the memory; and they make the wearer truthful and difficult to fool by trickery, all of which would be helpful in marriage. I'm sure the diamond merchants won't approve, but it might be worth trying to reverse the trend...
Re: Other Bad Stones for Rings
Date: 2018-12-11 08:23 am (UTC)They are also very finicky and require you to provide them a calm environment, whereas other stones will provide a calm environment for you.
For opal enthusiasts, if you do own opals you have to learn where (what country) your opal is from and what specific humidity requirements it has. Never keep your opals in a bank deposit box because they will crack and disintegrate in the overly dry air. These are practical, chemistry related requirements, not magic requirements.
They are also very beautiful and I wear mine, sparingly. It rules my Moon Sign, not my Sun Sign, so I’m not sure if the misfortune applies to me. I wear it when lunar energy seems appropriate, and the cut of mine really makes it look like the full moon.