Opal -  symbolism of the stone

Opal is a precious stone of wisdom and friendship. Because of the colors of the rainbow this stone is venerated as a symbol of hope. Opal is the stone of the Moon and Neptune; in the astrology it is associated with the month of October, the sign of Libra. The name of this mineral comes from Latin and literally means "jewel". In most cases, opal is colorless and has an opaque structure with impurities and dull colors. The sunlight has an extraordinary influence on opal, creating a play of colors. There are three types of opal: white opal, fire opal (a red stone) and black opal.

Opal, as well as other precious and semiprecious stones, has mystical properties.

The paradox of this stone is that, despite being a symbol of hope, it is considered an unlucky stone, for everyone who was born in October. There are many stories about the misfortunes and even about the death of people who wore this stone. For hundreds of years, opal had a bad reputation. It was considered a symbol of secret passion, illusive hopes and illusions. History tells us that King of England Edward VII because of fear has replaced the opals on his crown with the rubies. It is also stated that during Napoleon's exile the famous opal called “Fire of Troy” disappeared, it belonged to Josephine de Beauharnais, and according to the legend, was presumably lost in the air. Because of these items a lot of jewelry stores in Vienna have lost a lot of buyers at that time. In the XVII century, a series of large opals was in the treasury of Spanish kings. The royal family fell into disgrace: the heir died, a fleet of ships laden with gold sank, etc. To avoid further problems the beautiful opal was given to the clergy of the monastery of Almeida, and it was hung in front of Madonna.

It was believed that opal was a stone of sad people.

In addition, being a stone of visionaries and dreamers, who live in the world of illusions and unrealistic expectations, it is not certainly a stone that keeps our feet on the ground. Nervous people with an unstable character should not wear opal. It is believed that this stone brings the gift of prophecy to its possessor. Opal brings success and wealth only to a noble and strong man. For selfish people opal is a stone of evil that creates suspicion, causes conflicts, fears and nightmares. For a long period of time, superstitious people believed that opal was bad and therefore they didn’t wear it. However, in ancient times it represented different religious symbols, as well as the loyalty and security. In the East, there was great satisfaction to black opal. It protects from infectious diseases, soothes the nerves, restores visual acuity and brightness in the eyes. Opal can cure chronic diseases and it is used to treat heart diseases.

Greek, Roman, Egyptian foot

Has anyone asked you such a question: Do you have an Egyptian, Greek or Roman foot? Few people know that this theory comes from the old sails. There are three sails of antiquity: the Greek kaikoos with pentagonal sail, the Egyptian felucca with triangular sail and the Roman trireme with square sail. If a foot has the index toe longer than the big toe, it’s a Greek foot. If the big toe is the longest, it’s an Egyptian foot. If the big toe and the index toe are almost the same, it is a Roman foot. But there are variations and exceptions.

The cult of the moon, which was characteristic of periods of different cultures, has created rich mythology and symbolism associated with various cultures.

The crescent was a sacred symbol of the Babylonians, Isis for the Egyptians and Diana for the Greeks. Then it was associated with the Virgin Mary. Mystical Christian symbolized Mary with the crescent moon: the feminine principle, which brings light into the darkness of the night. It is also used as a symbol of security of the Byzantine Empire, during the period of Constantine. This image was then replicated by the Turks after the victory of Muslims over Christians. The Turkish Sultan has already begun to use it as a sign of his power. The crescent became the symbol of Islam in opposition to the Cross.

The phenomenon of the moon fascinates everyone - its phases, which are compared to the seasons and the different ages of human life. At the new moon the magical attributes appear (the ability to cure diseases).The full moon, on the contrary, was considered the strengthening of the dark forces of time. Since ancient times, moon phases have agreed with all aspects of life. The crescent moon was considered a good omen for the sowing of crops and new enterprises, the success and the increase of wealth, while the waning moon meant the end and destruction. During the Renaissance, when the magical alchemy has reached the top, the moon phases were used in all magical rituals. People got married, started a new business and travelled according to the phases of the moon.

The moon appears as a land of dead people or the world of the souls waiting for rebirth, the idea about going to the moon after death remains even in the most developed cultures (Greece, India and Iran).The duel between the sun and the moon. The sun rises from the darkness of night in all its glory and the moon appears as a thin crescent, it loses its identity, it undergoes painful transformation. While the sun is related to reflection, the moon is associated with imagination, after the approval of the Patriarchate, the moon is associated with feminine and the sun - with masculine.

In general, the moon is considered the goddess of women.

In the developed mythologies the moon was personified in the guise of a goddess, for example, Greek Artemis, Roman Diana. In primitive cultures the moon represented the hunting.The moon was often the object of worship, but, unlike the sun, was never regarded as a powerful deity, and was rarely associated with the supreme god. In the scheme of the cosmos, the sky was usually under the sun. The moon was associated with many rituals and beliefs.
The appearance of the first quarter moon or full moon was associated with some magic, with the aim of facilitating and the process of development. Standing under the full moon light, girls with small breasts expected their breasts to grow, while under the waning moon the patients with various neoplastic diseases believed that this phase would decrease their cancer. In Medieval Europe it was a custom to turn a silver coin when there was a new moon, and the lack of a silver coin, at that time was considered a bad sign. The three days of "death" of the moon (as its eclipse) were usually regarded as dangerous. These days were associated with the representation of the defeat of the moon in a battle with the celestial monster, or the death of the moon and its subsequent resurrection. At that moment, people believed that they had not to take new initiatives, and they had to abstain from sex.

Some people used to knock on a metal container or blow the trumpet to assist the moon to disturb and discourage their enemies. In many countries a lunar halo was a bad omen. The lunar spots were perceived as signs of past battles with powerful opponents.

The peacock - symbolism

The peacock is connected with astral symbols and may represent the cosmos, the sky, the circle, the sun or the moon (because of the shape and color of the tail). In India it is a solar bird, the bird of many gods, particularly, of Buddha. In Indian mythology, to draw its wings, reminiscent of many eyes, represents the image of a starry sky. While for a peacock a day is a night, and a night is a day.

The peacock with a snake in its beak represents the victory of the light over the darkness.

The beautiful feathers of the peacock act as antidote to the poison of a snake. The peacock depicted on Roman coins was a symbol of apotheosis. In Islam, the peacock’s glorious vision with its magnificent tail indicates either the universe, or the full moon or the sun or the zenith. The peacock is attributed to the real beauty, as well as incorruptibility, courage and endurance. The peacock was associated with fertility and immortality. Sometimes it was inserted into the world tree, symbolically emphasized the abundance and fertility. Probably in ancient Persia a pair of peacocks, imaged symmetrically on both sides of the world tree, represented the duality (in the context of the overall symbolism of the twins) and at the same time its upper unit. For the Greeks peacocks represented the attribute of the immortal gods, and were dedicated to Hera, the wife of Zeus. In India, the peacock was regarded as the real bird, and it was held in the menagerie of the palace. In Hindu mythology, the peacock was connected with solar symbols and was revered as a sacred bird. According to the legend, the world Sufi spirit, created by God, has the shape of a peacock. In Christian art the peacock is a symbol of immortality.

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