Astrology plays a big part in many people’s lives and they may well be interested to hear of the relationships that are apparent between astrology and wedding rings. It is suggested the endless nature of wedding rings represents the constant round of the heavens and the eternal return of the seasons. Wedding rings have a long and rich association with astrology and many who marry today are wholly unaware of the astrological implications often associated with matrimony.
Wedding Rings – The Sun & The Moon
It is suggested that the circle represented by wedding rings is mirrored in astrology to represent the Sun and the Moon which are astrological and alchemical symbols for the masculine and feminine aspects of the cosmos. This relationship is often said to represent the reasoning behind the choice of gold and silver wedding rings which are believed to symbolise the Sun and the Moon. Much research into astrology and its relationship to wedding rings believe that there is a certain symbolism in relation to the choice of wedding finger. It is suggested that each finger on the hand represents a different planet in ancient systems of astrology and the ring finger of the left hand relates to the Sun. This is said to be significant as the wearing of wedding rings on this finger symbolises a union between the couple in ‘daylight’ i.e. a proclamation of the union that is visible to all.
Wedding Rings – The Art of Decoration
The practice of decorating wedding rings has been around for a long time and it suggested that it heralds from at least 700AD. The wedding rings used by Celtic and Pan-Hellenic cultures often incorporated decoration and there are many famous examples of this. For example, the wedding rings that were popular in ancient Rome often incorporated a decoration of a snake eating its own tail (ouroborus) and these wedding rings were said to represent the hope for a lifelong marriage and a relationship that is continually renewed.