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The Magic of Rocks and Stones
Silver & GoldFor
Beltane, I chose to concentrate on two very precious metals with which
we have had an ongoing love affair throughout time. And while they each
compliment the other, each are entwined in our most ancient psyche as true
representations of the masculine and feminine ~ Gold and Silver. It is
no wonder our ancestors chose these two long-lasting, valuable and highly-prized
precious metals to associate with the Lord and Lady. They are
the Lord and Lady of the metallic mineral kingdom! As I unmask and entwine these two even further within this text, for
their full effect please allow their essences to permeate and meld with your
own, for this is merely a glimpse into their world.
For purity, riches and divine courtship, I call upon the powers of Gold, Au, born with untarnished boldness and vitality everlasting, and who cleaves unto none other than his most beloved. ~ And
to whom he does adore for her gifts of insight, magick and
mystical wisdom, I call upon the powers of Silver, Ag, born to
sensuous expression and curvaceous form, through which she
invokes the attention of her consort. Yes, Gold has long been associated with the projective solar masculine
and its properties connected to the attributes of the God and the life-giving
Sun. Its Element is Fire, and it is connected to the astrological sign
of Leo. Chemically, Gold is a Native Element - meaning it is one
of the 118 found in the Periodic Table of Elements where its symbol is
"Au", and one of only a very few solid minerals found in
a native state - making it highly attractive, valuable and the most prized
of all metals. A rich, golden-yellow color, these dazzlers occur in
nugget, grain, flake, massive, or occasionally octahedral or
dodecahedral form, but often in veins within Quartz. Gold is
extremely soft and malleable (registering only 2.5 on the Mohs Scale)
and is remarkably pure, along with being remarkably inert; this means it
does not react nor bond with most other chemicals and thus will not tarnish or
rust. Because of this, in alchemy, Gold is called a "noble"
metal. But to increase Gold's hardness, it is alloyed with
Silver (transforming Gold to White Gold), Copper (to Pink or Rose Gold) or
other metals so that it may become the adornments we so desire. Here, the
percentage of alloy is measured in karats (K, Kt); 24 karats equals 100%
gold (no jewelry is made of 24 K gold), whereas 14 karat gold is 14
parts out of 24 (or 58%) pure gold. Also a Native Element and highly prized, Silver occurs in wiry, curvy form, or dendritic, scaly or massive habits and occasionally, but rarely, in octahedrals or dodecahedrals. It is also a very soft metal, registering only 2.5-3.0 on the Mohs Scale - and like Gold, too soft to be able to be worn well so it too enjoys commingling with another. (Sterling Silver is 92.5% Silver with the other 7.5 usually Copper.) As a beautiful silvery-white metal, Silver has long been associated with the Moon and the sacred receptive lunar feminine, its properties connected with the same attributes of the Goddess - divine inner wisdom, magick, mystery, insight, psychic powers and perception, and of course, connection with Deity. Its Element is Water, and it is associated to the astrological sign of Cancer. Silver's symbol "Ag" derives from the Latin word "argentum" which in turn derives from the Sanskrit word meaning "white and shining". But when oxidized, Silver will tarnish.
Both Gold and Silver stand for purify and have the ability to purify, and
both provide a direct channel to Deity. Hot, fiery Gold is known to attract
wealth, success and power, so much so that it also comes with a warning against
greed. The term "gold
fever" did not enter our vocabulary for no reason and is indicative of just
how much power Gold has and of how much feverish fire it can bestow.
Those working with Gold do best by adding Silver to their studies and use
for its Water Element essence, for Silver's greatest role is in its gifts of
insight, intuition and wisdom which will balance and bring awareness to the
strength of Gold and counteract any ensuing leanings toward greed.
Silver opens a strong connection to the spirit world, from deity to the
elementals to the fae, and promotes all things spiritual. It is a mirror to the
soul. It enhances Astral travel or
tapping into the subconscious along with offering its protection.
Many believe there is a "silver cord" or "life
thread" that is connected to the etheric and physical body that guides us
back from dream state and ethereal journeys. Behold
Au! He who has scattered his desirous golden seed over the lands on and
within every forest, mountain and hillside. We rejoice in your presence! Heal
us! Purify us! Shower us in your warmth and bathe us in your
light. Rise up and attend - the Goddess awaits you. ~ Behold
Ag! She who brings forth every bud, leaf and blossom of
insight, over every forest, mountain and hillside, with electrifying
allure. We rejoice in your presence! Nurture
us! Guide us! Plant and grant us your deep wisdom. Open all hearts - Receive your lover. Who first discovered Gold remains a mystery, as there is much myth and legend surrounding this royal metal. What we do know is that Gold has been mined for at least 6000 years. Ancient sources of Gold were in the Upper Nile region of Egypt and Nubia ("Nub" being the Egyptian word for "gold") and the lands of ancient Mesopotamia, but during the Middle Ages the main sources were the mines of Saxony and Austria. Today, half the world's Gold comes out of South Africa, with other notable sources being Australia, Russia, Canada and the U.S.. Rare small crystals of Gold have been found in California, U.S., while giant nuggets over 200 pounds have been discovered in Australia. In the past, most Gold was recovered from river and stream gravels, called "placer deposits" where small flakes or particles of the mineral concentrated after being weathered away from its host rock. The ancients also mined veins of Gold by using tools of the day - bone picks, stone hammers, wooden trowels, and some say even a melting process where they would set the vein aflame. Later in time came the use of special pans for panning for Gold near alluvial deposits, a process where extraneous gravels are slowly washed away through the swirling and shaking of the pan in the water, leaving the gold flakes, scales or nuggets in the bottom of the pan since Gold is heavier than most other minerals. Other forms of mining include dredging, sluicing and the typical hard rock mining where Gold is extracted from hydrothermal veins within Quartz or even Pyrite. Pyrite has being nicknamed "Fool's Gold" because of its similar color and for the fact that it's been often mistaken for Gold even though Pyrite is generally a more silvery-gold hue.
Silver is widely distributed throughout the world and yet is considered rare compared to other metals. Most Silver comes from Mexico, U.S., Canada, Australia, Peru and Russia, and while native Silver can be found, most of it is mined as a byproduct in the refining of lead, copper and zinc. And oddly, or maybe not so oddly, Silver and Gold are often found nestled together within certain deposits. As if added proof of Silver and Gold's love for each other, a naturally occurring gold-silver alloy called "Electrum" exists, and it is thought that the earliest coins in history were made from this amalgam in the ancient kingdom of Lydia (modern day Turkey) c. 600 BC. The lands of Lydia and nearby Ionia were rich and prosperous and noted for their wealth which could be attributed to Lydia's King Alyattes' minting of these Electrum coins. They are often considered the first true commercial currency whose earliest issues featured a roaring lion.
Throughout history in both fact and legend, a whole host of sacred images, icons, amulets, jewelry, adornments and artifacts were fashioned out of either Gold or Silver and many an altar has been adorned with them. There are so many beautiful and interesting things these precious metals were used for, that I will only name a few of the most notable here - for instance, the burial effigy mask and coffin of the Egyptian child-king Tutankhamen. Early Egyptians were enamored of Gold and the royal blue stone Lapis Lazuli and emerald green Malachite. They constructed elaborate burial adornments with these minerals to signify wealth or to denote the nobility of the deceased. The ancient Mayans and Aztecs prized Silver as highly as they did Gold and used it to mold images of their gods. In legend, it is said the Druids collected mistletoe with sickles made of Gold. And in Irish myth, when King Nuada lost his arm in battle, the god of healing, Dian Cécht, made him an artificial arm of Silver so that he would be able to return to his throne. Within Hinduism, the ancient Vedas expound upon the virtues of Silver and other pure metals for healing. Tibetan Bonpo shamanism tell of the waters of "a river filled with silver sands that will make anyone who drinks from it as lovely as a peacock". Yes, the love affair goes on and on. And as Gold is indestructible, it is a fact that all the Gold ever mined is nearly equal to all the Gold in use today, so it is not inconceivable that what Gold we wear today may have once belonged to some ancient King, Queen or nobleman...perhaps even our own ancestors!
Gold has been nicknamed "The Master Healer" and is noted for
its aid in purification of the physical body, whereas Silver is our
"Master Conductor" and opens the channels of our mind and spirit.
Silver's conductivity of heat and electricity is second to none; it is used
extensively in electrical applications. The largest single use of Silver
was in the pre-digital photographic industry, and without which it would
have made early photography impossible. Silver is highly
reactive to light. And with Gold as the Sun, need I say more? ;) In
the realm of healing, Silver and Gold can be very helpful.
Use Gold as an aid in purification of all forms, for added vitality, in
combating depression, rejuvenating the Nervous System, enhancing mental
faculties, improving digestion, circulation or heart disease...just to name a
few. It truly is a versatile
mineral. And use Silver as an aid
for emotional distress, anxiety, sleep disorders, to eliminate toxins at a
cellular level, reduce fevers, balance hormones, or help rectify poor vision.
A fine elixir can be made from either of our sparkling beauties.
To make the elixir, take 3 Gold or Silver coins, cleanse them well and
then place them into a lidded glass container to which you have added fresh
spring water. Place it in full
sunlight and moonlight for a full 24-72 hours (the longer the stronger) and the
resulting mineral water may then be consumed.
For additional amplification, surround the glass container with 7 Quartz crystal points - the terminated ends facing the water and coins
throughout the process. Gold has a
warming and rejuvenating tendency, whereas Silver has a cooling and soothing
tendency. Together they create a
balancing effect. In magick, both Gold and Silver can be used with great
accuracy in money spells. But no
matter what you use them for, they both assist greatly in the bending of
energies and the directing of magick's flow.
Silver is excellent for use in any Moon magick; Gold is excellent for use
in any Sun magick. Combine the two
and you have a dynamite powerhouse effect!
Although there is much, much more to say about Gold and Silver, and even though I could go on and on about these two lofty lovers - more than I could ever put down within this small article - I cannot close without simply adding a few words about two other all-important aspects of Gold and Silver - their intense sexuality and sensuality. With Gold projective and Silver receptive, we have both virile strength and tender submission. We have passionate movement and sensuous abandon. We have assertive love and inserted sentience. Our own love of Gold and Silver has transcended Time. From Mount Olympus to modern day Olympics, they are the metals of the gods and the medals of our heroes, both signifying royalty, honor, success, spirituality, life and love.
As
the veil now is thin as it is at high Samhain, grant
us your gold visions and silvery tongue that
we may see through your eyes and speak of your glory and
dance to the songs our ancestors once sung. We
will revel this night and bask in love's story, as the fire grows high and
the silver bell's rung. <bows to the Two who are One> Happy Beltane!
Sources: Smithsonian
Rock & Gem, R.L.
Bonewitz. 2005. Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic, Scott
Cunningham. 1988. Love
Is In the Earth, Melody.
2008 http://www.galleries.com/minerals/elements/class.htm http://rjohara.net/coins/lydia-electrum http://rg.ancients.info/lion/article.html http://www.silvermedicine.org/history.html Gold himself & Silver herself.
© Patricia J. Martin, April, 2010
Best wishes and Blessed Be
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Site Contents - Links to all Pages
A Universal Message:
Let there be peace in the world - Where have all the flowers gone?
About me: My Personal Page / My Place in England / My Family Tree (Ancestry)
Wicca & Witchcraft
Wicca/Witchcraft / What is Wicca / What is Magick
Traditional Writings:
The Wiccan Rede / Charge of the Goddess / Charge of the God / The Three-Fold Law (includes The Law of Power and The Four Powers of the Magus) / The Witches Chant / The Witches Creed / Descent of the Goddess / Drawing Down the Moon / The Great Rite Invocation / Invocation of the Horned God / The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief / The Witches Rede of Chivalry / A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality
Correspondence Tables:
Incense / Candles / Colours / Magickal Days / Stones and Gems / Elements and Elementals
Traditions:
Traditions Part 1 - Alexandrian Wicca / Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) / Ár Ndraíocht Féin (ADF) / Blue Star Wicca / British Traditional (Druidic Witchcraft) / Celtic Wicca / Ceremonial Magic / Chaos Magic / Church and School of Wicca / Circle Sanctuary / Covenant of the Goddess (COG) / Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) / Cyber Wicca / Dianic Wicca / Eclectic Wicca / Feri Wicca /
Traditions Part 2 - Gardnerian Wicca / Georgian Tradition / Henge of Keltria / Hereditary Witchcraft / Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (H.O.G.D.) / Kitchen Witch (Hedge Witch) / Minoan Brotherhood and Minoan Sisterhood Tradition / Nordic Paganism / Pagan Federation / Pectic-Wita / Seax-Wica / Shamanism / Solitary / Strega / Sylvan Tradition / Vodoun or Voodoo / Witches League of Public Awareness (WLPA) /
Other things of interest:
Gods and Goddesses (Greek
Mythology) / Esbats &
Full Moons / Links
to Personal Friends & Resources / Wicca/Witchcraft
Resources / What's a spell? /
Circle Casting and
Sacred Space / Pentagram
- Pentacle / Marks
of a Witch / The Witches
Power / The Witches Hat
/ An
esoteric guide to visiting London / Satanism
/ Pow-wow
/ The
Unitarian Universalist Association / Numerology: Part 1
/ Part 2 / Part
3 / A
history of the Malleus Maleficarum: includes: Pope
Innocent VIII /
The
papal Bull /
The
Malleus Maleficarum /
An extract from the Malleus Maleficarum
/ The letter of approbation
/ Johann
Nider’s Formicarius /
Jacob
Sprenger /
Heinrich Kramer /
Stefano Infessura
/ Montague Summers /
The Waldenses
/ The Albigenses
/
The Hussites / The
Native American Sun Dance
/ Shielding (Occult
and Psychic Protection) /
Sabbats and Festivals:
The Sabbats in History and Mythology / Samhain (October 31st) / Yule (December 21st) / Imbolc (February 2nd) / Ostara (March 21st) / Beltane (April 30th) / Litha (June 21st) / Lammas/Lughnasadh (August 1st) / Mabon (September 21st)
Rituals contributed by Crone:
Samhain / Yule / Imbolc / Ostara / Beltane / Litha / Lammas / Mabon
Tools:
Tools of a Witch / The Besom (Broom) / Poppets and Dolls / Pendulums / Cauldron Magick / Mirror Gazing
Animals:
Animals in Witchcraft (The Witches Familiar and Totem Animals) / Antelope / Bats / Crow / Fox / Frog and Toads / Goat / Honeybee / Kangaroo / Lion / Owl / Phoenix / Rabbits and Hares / Raven / Robin Redbreast / Sheep / Spider / Squirrel / Swans / Unicorn / Wild Boar / Wolf / Serpent / Pig / Stag / Horse / Mouse / Cat / Rats / Unicorn
Trees:
In Worship of Trees - Myths, Lore and the Celtic Tree Calendar. For descriptions and correspondences of the thirteen sacred trees of Wicca/Witchcraft see the following: Birch / Rowan / Ash / Alder / Willow / Hawthorn / Oak / Holly / Hazel / Vine / Ivy / Reed / Elder
Sacred Sites:
Mystical Sacred Sites - Stonehenge / Glastonbury Tor / Malta - The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni / Avebury / Cerne Abbas - The Chalk Giant / Ireland - Newgrange /
Rocks and Stones:
Stones - History, Myths and Lore
Articles contributed by Patricia Jean Martin:
Apophyllite / Amber / Amethyst / Aquamarine / Aragonite / Aventurine / Black Tourmaline / Bloodstone / Calcite / Carnelian / Celestite / Citrine / Chrysanthemum Stone / Diamond / Emerald / Fluorite / Garnet / Hematite / Herkimer Diamond / Labradorite / Lapis Lazuli / Malachite / Moonstone / Obsidian / Opal / Pyrite / Quartz (Rock Crystal) / Rose Quartz / Ruby / Selenite / Seraphinite / Silver and Gold / Smoky Quartz / Sodalite / Sunstone / Thunderegg / Tree Agate / Zebra Marble
Wisdom and Inspiration:
Knowledge vs Wisdom by Ardriana Cahill / I Talk to the Trees / Awakening / The Witch in You / A Tale of the Woods / I have a Dream by Martin Luther King /
Articles and Stories about Witchcraft:
Murdered by Witchcraft / The Fairy Witch of Clonmel / A Battleship, U-boat, and a Witch / The Troll-Tear (A story for Children) / Goody Hawkins - The Wise Goodwife / The Story of Jack-O-Lantern / The Murder of the Hammersmith Ghost / Josephine Gray (The Infamous Black Widow) / The Two Brothers - Light and Dark
Old Masters of Academia:
Pliny the Elder / Hesiod / Pythagoras
Biographies
A "Who's Who" of Witches, Pagans and other associated People (Ancient, Past and Present)
(Departed Pagan Pioneers, Founders, Elders and Others)
Pagan
Pioneers: Founders, Elders, Leaders and Others
Abramelin the Mage / Agrippa / Aidan A Kelly / Albertus Magnus - “Albert the Great” / Aleister Crowley - “The Great Beast” / Alex Sanders - “King of the Witches” / Alison Harlow / Allan Bennett - the Ven. Ananda Metteyya / Allan Kardec (Spiritism) / Alphonsus de Spina / Amber K / Ann Moura / Anna Franklin / Anodea Judith / Anton Szandor LaVey / Arnold Crowther / Arthur Edward Waite / Austin Osman Spare / Balthasar Bekker / Biddy Early / Barbara Vickers / Bridget Cleary - The Fairy Witch of Clonmel / Carl " Llewellyn" Weschcke / Cecil Hugh Williamson / Charles Godfrey Leland / Charles Walton / Christopher Penczak / Christina Oakley Harrington / Cornelius Loos / Damh the Bard - "Dave Smith" / Dion Fortune / Dolores Aschroft-Nowicki / Donald Michael Kraig / Doreen Valiente / Dorothy Morrison / Dr. John Dee & Edward Kelly / Dr. Leo Louis Martello / Edain McCoy / Edward Fitch / Eleanor Ray Bone - “Matriarch of British Witchcraft” / Eliphas Levi / Ernest Thompson Seton / Ernest Westlake / Fiona Horne / Frederick McLaren Adams - Feraferia / Friedrich von Spee / Francis Barrett / Gavin and Yvonne Frost and the School and Church of Wicca / Gerald B. Gardner - The father of contemporary Witchcraft / Gwydion Pendderwen / Hans Holzer / Helen Duncan / Herman Slater - Horrible Herman / Heinrich Kramer / Isaac Bonewits / Israel Regardie / Ivo Domínguez Jr. / Jack Whiteside Parsons - Rocket Science and Magick / James "Cunning" Murrell - The Master of Witches / Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone / Jean Bodin / Jessie Wicker Bell - “Lady Sheba” / Johann Weyer / Johannes Junius - "The Burgomaster of Bamberg" / Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim - the “Hexenbrenner” (witch burner) / John Belham-Payne / John George Hohman - "Pow-wow" / John Gerard / John Gordon Hargrave and the Kibbo Kith Kindred / John Michael Greer / John Score / Joseph “Bearwalker” Wilson / Joseph John Campbell / Karl von Eckartshausen / Lady Gwen Thompson - and "The Rede of the Wiccae" / Laurie Cabot - "the Official Witch of Salem" / Lewis Spence / Lodovico Maria Sinistrari / Ludwig Lavater / Madeline Montalban and the Order of the Morning Star / Margaret Alice Murray / Margot Adler / Michael Howard and the UK "Cauldron Magazine" / Margaret St. Clair - the “Sign of the Labrys” / Marie Laveau - " the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans" / Marion Weinstein / Martin Antoine Del Rio / Matthew Hopkins - “The Witch-Finder General” / Max Ehrmann and the "Desiderata" / Michael A. Aquino - and The Temple of Set / Monique Wilson / Montague Summers / Nicholas Culpeper / Nicholas Remy / M. R. Sellars / Mrs. Maud Grieve - "A Modern Herbal" / Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and Morning Glory / Old Dorothy Clutterbuck / Old George Pickingill / Olivia Durdin-Robertson - co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis / Paddy Slade / Pamela Colman-Smith / Paracelsus / Patricia Crowther / Patricia Monaghan / Patricia “Trish” Telesco / Paul Foster Case and the “Builders of the Adytum” mystery school / Peter Binsfeld / Philip Heselton / Raven Grimassi / Raymond Buckland / Reginald Scot / Richard Baxter / Robert Cochrane / Robert ‘von Ranke’ Graves and the "The White Goddess" / Rosaleen Norton - “The Witch of Kings Cross” / Rossell Hope Robbins / Ross Nichols and the " Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids" (OBOD) / Rudolf Steiner / Sabrina Underwood - "The Ink Witch" / Scott Cunningham / Selena Fox - founder of "Circle Sanctuary" / Silver Ravenwolf / Sir Francis Dashwood / Sir James George Frazer and the " The Golden Bough" / S.L. MacGregor Mathers and the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn” / Starhawk / Stewart Farrar / Sybil Leek / Ted Andrews / The Mather Family - (includes: Richard Mather, Increase Mather and Cotton Mather ) / Thomas Ady / T. Thorn Coyle / Vera Chapman / Victor & Cora Anderson and the " Feri Tradition" / Vivianne Crowley / Walter Brown Gibson / Walter Ernest Butler / William Butler Yeats / Zsuzsanna Budapest /
Many of the above biographies are briefs and far from complete. If you know about any of these individuals and can help with additional information, please contact me privately at my email address below. Many thanks for reading :-)
"FAIR USE NOTICE"While I have taken due care and diligence to credit all sources where possible, this website may contain copyrighted material which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. My use of making such material available here is done so in my efforts to advance our understanding of religious discrimination, the environmental and social justice issues etc. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this website for purposes of your own then you must obtain permission from the relevant copyright owner yourself.Any queries please contact me at email - George@controverscial.com
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