On October Opals

I was born in October, so opal is my birthstone. Opals offer magical protection, so they say, but more than magic, spiritual protection is given by clear sight. In Matthew’s Gospel, “the light of the body is the eye” so an eye of light leads to a body full of light. Consider how uncomfortable this must be. On the other hand, an evil eye is full of darkness, and this is directed outward. (Reading the news is often enough to fill us with darkness). Traditionally, the evil eye does harm just by looking. Inwardly, looking at evil harms the body with tension, fear, and anger. The body, unlike the soul, has only a limited ability to forgive.

I recently saw the Cartier exhibition at the National Gallery, and this was full of diamonds. A diamond is hard, strong, sharp enough to cut metal. Crowns and tiaras glittered with diamonds, worn by princesses and kings. And on engagement rings. The diamond represents strength; the opal, hope.

Hope relies on trust in goodness for the outcomes of our actions. Hope is bathed in love and covered by faith, for the theological virtues act with one another. So I wear opals, in hope.