Waking up to a foggy morning on the first of June, it seemed "June Gloom" arrived right on time this year (the name for this yearly weather pattern in Santa Barbara — if it arrives in May, it's called "May Gray" — cool foggy mornings, or days, lasting for days or weeks at a time). In spite of that, I love June. It marks the beginning of summer, it has the longest days of the year, and by the end, the weather can be perfect. Not to mention the amazing purple jacaranda trees blooming everywhere. And the smell of jasmine in the air, sweet perfect cherries at the farmers market, the first real tomatoes of the season, I could go on...
When we first moved here, one June, one of the first events we attended was the annual Summer Solstice parade and celebration, which is wild and wacky and fun and I thought - what a great place, that celebrates the beginning of my favorite season in such a big way.
In honor of June, here are some tidbits I found about June's birthstone: the pearl:
Cleopatra is said to have served wine with ground pearls in it to her more important guests and Lucifer to have broken his teeth because of his craving for pearls. Early Chinese myths told of pearls falling from the sky when dragons fought. Ancient legend says that pearls were thought to be the tears of the gods and the Greeks believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying. Arabic legend says that pearls were formed when dewdrops filled with moonlight fell into the ocean and were swallowed by oysters.
In Western culture, pearls symbolize innocence and purity. They are told to promote faith, charity and integrity, especially personal integrity. They are believed to enlighten the mind and inspire the mood, while helping the wearer to learn to love herself more and, in turn, help her love others more, as well.
Cultured or freshwater pearls are considered to offer the power of love, money, protection, and luck. Pearls are thought to give wisdom through experience, to quicken the laws of karma and to cement engagements and love relationships. They are thought to keep children safe.
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Thank you to Judi Muller for sharing this lovely blog post with us.
To view more of her beautiful work with pearls, visit her shop on Zibbet!
Related Posts:
Taking in Light: The Summer Solstice
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