CORAL


 

Once thought to be a plant, coral has been called the "garden of the sea".  The ancient Egyptians placed pieces of coral in tombs as a protection against evil spirits because they believed that each piece truly contained a drop of divine blood.  

According to Greek mythology, when Perseus chopped off the head of the Gorgon Medusa, some drops of blood splashed into the sea, and thereby solidified into coral.

Records dating back thousands of years confirm that coral was used in decorative art objects as well as jewelry. 

Ancient legends tell us that people once believed that Mars was composed of red coral due to it's striations and colorings.

Coral symbolizes joy and happiness, it enables the wearer to enjoy life.


Mystical Properties:
Since coral is a stone of organic origin, it can be used to reconnect with nature and the variety of it's wonders.

Red coral was considered by the Pueblo Indians to be one of the four element stones.  Among the Hopi and Zuni, the Road of life is symbolized by four "elements", coral, jet, abalone and turquoise.  

Coral is  said to quiet the emotions and to bring peace to within the self, it facilitates intuition, imagination and visualization.  Coral helps one to both understand and use the qualities of the mystic. It can bring one into communication with the Ancient Ones of the world and expedite and accelerate the transfer of knowledge. 


Healing Properties:
Coral symbolizes life and blood force energy in many cultures. Dark red coral is used for heating and stimulating the bloodstream. Pink shades restore harmony to the heart. 

The red or white varieties have long been considered useful in healing mental disease, as well as anemia. It strengthens the circulatory system and the bones of the body. It can be used to stimulate tissue regeneration. 


Magical Properties:
Coral has played an important role in the religious an magical rites of many cultures throughout the Pacific Islands. Often placed on graves to guard the deceased, and temples were often built of lava rocks and coral.

Because coral is neither a stone nor a plant substance, but the skeletal remains of a sea creature, many people object to it's use in magical rituals. But we've gone beyond the time when we have to sacrifice living things, in this instance coral, to practice magic.

An organic material that has washed upon the beach from the sea has not harmed anything. The commercial harvesting of coral is another matter. It is up to each individual to decide if they wish to use commercial coral in their magic.

Coral is used quite frequently in magic today. When worn so as to be plainly visible, it is meant to be a protective amulet. Protection from the "evil eye" demons, furies, succubi and incubi among other ills.  It guards against accidents, acts of violence, poison, theft, possession and sterility.