Wedding Rings as Spiritual Connection

The first item you likely encountered when you got engaged was a ring. Engagement and wedding rings represent the circle of love and connection surrounding a married couple, and the circle you cast as you craft your magical rite of partnership. Put two rings side by side, and you create the infinity symbol. Your rings state an intention to stand at each other's sides for eternity. The wedding ring represents the sacred circle of your marriage.

In addition to symbolizing the sacred space of your marriage, your ring is a talisman, connecting you to the energy of your love. A talisman is a small object that carries energy and intention; it forms an invisible line of connection with the person or place with which it is associated. Quantum physics provides a scientific illustration of how two things will always be connected energetically in its theory of non-locality. Space-time is non-local, which is to say that on higher levels of energetic vibration than matter, objects need not be "local," or in the same chunk of time-space, to affect each other. Distance healing and psychic abilities work because of non-locality. A talisman contains energy that will always be connected to other energy, no matter the distance between them.

To charge your wedding rings with loving intention, carry your partner's ring in your pocket or on a necklace for a moon cycle, new moon to new moon. Your rings will then be like portkeys forever connecting you and your partner, and you will carry a small piece of each other's energy with you at all times. Of course this is true without your rings, for we carry in our bodies and spirits the resonance of everything we encounter. The longer you are with someone, the stronger this resonance grows. That is why sometimes two people seem more and more alike over time; not only do they pick up each other's habit, they entrain energetically. However, your rings can also be focused amulets of protection and love; the power is not in the ring, but in the energy you pour into it.

Take care in choosing your wedding bands, and choose them together. My fiance and I found our rings when we least expected to, at a Scottish fair in the Rocky Mountains. We discovered an artisan from Santa Fe who makes beautiful Celtic gold bands, and we fell in love with his rings. It was nearly a year before the wedding, but we ordered them on the spot. We chose a Celtic knot pattern that we both liked, and each chose the colors of gold for our individual rings. I will always remember this fair with its Celtic music, medieval and Scottish clothing, and Guinness on tap. Rain soaked the day, a rare treat in the Rocky Mountains, and my Sweetie and I lovingly held hands after choosing our wedding bands. It is the most comfortable, beautiful ring I have ever worn, and I will wear it with pride and love forever.

Friends of mine had their rings designed after his parents' bands, having them formed of platinum instead of his parents' gold rings. The groom's is slightly wider than the bride's, but is of the same design. Her engagement ring nestles nicely into the wedding band. These rings not only connect them to each other, but also to their parents through the shared design.

Another couple spontaneously decided to state their commitment to each other while at the Ring of Brodgar in the Orkney Isles. The bride wore a special ring depicting these standing stones, and later they also chose plain white gold bands that were sturdier than her silver Brodgar ring, but it is this ring she holds with connection and memory.

My parents did not give each other wedding rings because neither of them wears jewelry regularly, and they felt that a ring implied ownership over another person. It is not necessary to have a wedding ring, especially if you wish to make a statement in not choosing them, though it is a symbol well understood by our culture, an ancient symbol of connection.

Let your rings develop stories, for the love and intention surrounding not only your relationship but the rings themselves will resonate in them forever. Think about your spiritual and cultural heritage, family traditions, or personal symbols that you wish to honor. You can have your rings designed specifically for you, or you can purchase a pre-made ring that holds some significance in another way. The cost is less important than the meaning. When my love proposed, we had very little money. Together we picked out a silver ring with a garnet stone for my engagement that cost less than $20. I love it because it represents a special time in my life, as well as my fiance's love. We had been together four years when he proposed, and this ring, though inexpensive, represents to me the leap of faith he took in asking me to marry him. For him, most marriages end in divorce, his own first marriage included; when we chose that garnet ring together, it represented the healing we had done together and the trust he gave to our union.

In choosing a stone for your rings, you may want to consider their magical significance and meaning. There are books that focus on stone and metal meanings, but here I have included a few of the popular materials used in wedding and engagement bands.

Gold - Represents spirituality, understanding, purity and success. Attracts positive energy and aids in healing. Gold was probably the first metal worked by human hands, for archaeologists have discovered decorative gold objects from the Stone Age. Gold, the color of the sun, represents the God, while silver is the Goddess' metal.

Platinum - Represents longevity. Calming, improves memory, and brings balance. Platinum is the only metal denser than gold.

Emerald - Represents love, prosperity, protection, purification, wisdom, growth, and fertility. Emerald is the most valuable type of beryl, a crystal found in coarse-grained granite.

Diamond - Represents purity, perfection, abundance, courage and inspiration. The word diamond comes from the Greek adamas, meaning unconquerable. Diamonds come from dark, earthy coal under intense heat and pressure, and their clarity therefore lends us the same powers of transformation on a spiritual level.

Pearl - Represents love, faith, innocence, protection, luck and the shining full moon. Born from the water via oysters, pearls are one way the planet makes beauty out of stress. They are feminine and pure, and encourage self acceptance. Sacred to Aphrodite and Benten.

Ruby - Represents passion, protection, balance, vitality and creativity. It aids concentration and brings strength.

Sapphire - Represents joy, peace, and beauty.

Topaz - Represents success, true love, individuality, creativity, and joy. Honors the mystery.

When you find the right ring, do a simple ceremony of thanks to the land. Hold the ring in your hands, and send healing energies to the land from which it came. This ring will always carry the energies of its origin, so sending healing energy to its home can be very powerful and important. Simply envision the land whole and healthy, with the water and air clean. Send out a prayer or intention that we may learn to mine our jewels with care for the earth. Even if you find an estate or heirloom ring, or have it made from some other piece of jewelry, send a prayer of thanks to its original birth place. What you send out as love blesses you in return. You might also consider rings or other pieces of jewelry made from beads or other non-metal.

Finally, try to find a ring craftsman whom you trust. His or her energy will also be a part of this cherished trinket forever, though it will lessen over time as you wear it. The artist's clarity of mind and heart make for a clean ring suitable for love.