“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two
chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are
transformed.”

–C.G. Jung

Rings have been exchanged as a symbol of the bond of marriage for
so long, and in so many different cultures, that the origin of
the practice is obscure. Certainly, the circle of a ring
represents undying love and the continually renewed vows of the
married couple. Circles have long been archetypes for not only
timelessness, but also wholeness and homecoming. The circle also
speaks to the constant round of the heavens, as well as the
eternal return of the seasons, marked by cyclical ritual and
celebration.

In addition, the circle in rock art, sacred stone arrays, and
astrology represents both the Sun and the Moon, themselves
astrological and alchemical symbols for the masculine and
feminine aspects of the cosmos. This correspondence with the Sun
and Moon is emphasized by the frequent practice of choosing gold
for one betrothed and silver for the other, as gold and silver
are the metals long associated with the Sun and Moon
respectively.

Rings in general have a deeply rooted magical significance.
Enchanted rings figure in many ancient folk tales. Incantations
and spells for the protection of the wearer of rings are common
motifs. Today, in traditional religious ceremonies, Christian and
otherwise, the wedding rings are blessed by a minister or priest,
thus continuing the symbolic practice of imbuing rings with
protective powers.

The widespread tradition of embellishing the plain gold or silver
wedding band with various designs and patterns has been known
since at least 700 AD, in both Pan-Hellenic and Celtic cultures.
The quite ancient symbol of the ouroboros, the serpent which
consumes its own tail, was a theme used for wedding rings made of
iron in Rome. The ouroboros itself is a symbol of the oneness of
creation and destruction in renewal, and the life principle which
timelessly feeds on its own inspiration. It also represents the
hope for a lifelong marriage union that’s continually renewed.

Celtic wedding rings are often gorgeously decorated with
geometrically knot work patterns that have a long history and
central place in Celtic art. These patterns are strongly
vegetative, suggesting tendrils and vines. In fact, in much of
Celtic art, including the famous illuminated Bible, The Book of
Kells, these Celtic Knots emerge from or transform into
vegetative foliage. The beautiful symmetry of these woven
patterns is often not square, rigid, or overly formal, but
organic, flowing, and a stylized reflection of the curves and
spirals found in nature. Indeed, the Celtic Knots that embellish
wedding rings herald the ideas of spring, fertility, and the
eternal reawakening of the life force- all of which bode well for
a fruitful life partnership.

Wedding rings have most commonly been worn on the third finger of
the left hand. Speculation has it that this is because the Romans
believed that a vein ran directly from this finger to the heart.
An alternate suggestion for this tradition is that each finger on
the hand is associated with a planet in the ancient systems of
astrology, and the ring finger of the left hand was associated
with the Sun. In this way, the wearing of a wedding ring on that
finger signifies the public proclamation of the union in the
daylight, in other words, the conscious and clearly visible world
of human community. This correspondence is perhaps even more
strongly emphasized by the general tendency to craft wedding
rings out of gold, which is symbolically the metal of the Sun
throughout folk history and across cultures.

Wedding rings capture the full range of the ceremonial, symbolic,
and communal aspects of marriage, and preserve these many levels
of significance as a durable and constant reminder. Ancient yet
contemporary, steeped in lore and mystery yet almost universally
exchanged, wedding rings combine the art of the jeweler, the
reverence of the betrothed, and the beauty of love and
partnership in a single, resonant symbol.

Peter Breslin is musician & teacher and an artist in residence
with the Santa Fe Opera’s Student Program. He writes for on
the arts The Santa Fe Reporter and blogs on creative music
at http://peterbreslin.blogspot.com . He also writes for,
(http://www.celticjewelry.com) Reflective Images, a
ethical jewelry company that sells wedding rings at
http://www.artisanweddingrings.com