OMENS, SUPERSTITIONS, AND OTHER ODDITIES


Following are short paragraphs with odd bits and pieces of information relating 
one way or another to our industry. Some of these connections may seem a little 
oblique in their relationships to jewelry..but I pass them on for, if nothing 
else, their informative and entertaining value. That said...

Agate:

The belief exists that evil can be transferred to this stone. So--as an example-
-if you were to be bitten by a poisonous creature, let's say a scorpion or a 
spider, you would have nothing more to do than place your handy agate on the 
spot where you were bitten, and voila, you're cured. Worn around the neck, they 
lose their natural color in order to warn the wearer of impending danger. They 
also help cool boiling water, sharpen vision, promote fertility in women, drive 
away tempests, stop bleeding, and cure epilepsy. It's clearly a handy stone to 
have around your neck...just in case.

Ankh:

The Ankh symbolizes eternity and life. In olden times it was usually held in the 
hand of a god and applied to the nose of a dead man in order to ensure his life 
in the afterworld. It looks somewhat like a key which, some say, accounts for 
its symbolism as an instrument to unlock the Gates of Death. Today, it appears, 
no one any longer believes it holds any special mystical powers. Heh heh...poor 
naive souls.

Coins:

You want some of the realm? Ok. Here's how. Seeing someone with polka-dot 
clothing will bring you money. Keep a bent coin in your pocket...you'll have 
good luck...as long as you take it out every new moon and spit on it. Place the 
first coin of the day you receive in your pocket, it will attract more. Of 
course, you have to remember to kiss it first, then spit on it, then put it in 
your pocket. Yech!

Jade:

Put it on the eyes of a deceased person, the spirit comes back for another life 
on earth. It attracts rain, it encourages plant growth. The moon is the home of 
Yu-t'u, the Jade Hare, who, it is said, brews the elixir of life from crushed 
jade. In New Zealand, there are jade amulets called "hei-tiki". They are carved 
to look like little men. They are considered fertility symbols and represent the 
continuing life force.

Opal:

It falls under the planetary rulership of Mercury and contains the power to lure 
its possessor into strange and unknown realms. Wonder if Rod Sterling owned one.  
If its owner dies of an illness, the opal loses its luster. Black opals--they're 
gorgeous by the way--are especially fortunate as good luck charms. They 
strengthen sight, cure eyes diseases, and make the wearer invisible. This last 
trait is a neat trick, and I, personally, would very much like to have one work 
its magic for me.

Ring finger:

Stroke it along any sore or wound, and that sore or wound will be healed.