Copper Baubles Are a Fashionable Way to Mix Medicine and Magic

Bauble Lady Renee Sosanna Olson Explains Why

You might be able to save a few pennies on your health care with copper, and most of the time you can do it in style. Copper is one of the few metals the body needs for health. It was the first metal ever forged for use by people, going back to 6,000 B.C. And, while some recent studies suggest copper may not be any more effective than a placebo for arthritis, its wellness benefits have been touted since the age of the Egyptians.

The human body uses copper to maintain metabolism, process iron, strengthen bones and keep connective tissue healthy. Its usefulness to curb bacteria has been promoted by medical scholars since the Edwin Smith Papyrus, written sometime between 2600 B.C. and 2200 B.C.

Fashionable folk have been wearing copper bracelets to heal arthritis pain for thousands of years. Anecdotal evidence suggests the copper from the bracelet is absorbed into the skin and helps regrow joint cartilage.

A study entitled “Copper Bracelets and Magnetic Wrist Straps for Rheumatoid Arthritis – Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects: A Randomised Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Crossover Trial,” published in the journal PLOS One, cast some doubt on claims that copper bracelets help heal arthritis. Participants were assigned to wear a copper bracelet, a magnetic wrist strap or a placebo piece containing neither. Each of the subjects suffered rheumatoid arthritis, and none were told whether they were using an active ingredient or a “sugar pill.” They were questioned weekly on how their pain was affected. The study found all three worked equally well.

Renee Sosanna Olson has been crafting copper jewelry for years. A magical practitioner, Olson doesn’t think the “placebo effect” prognosis is that big a setback for folk remedies. Placebos work because the mind convinces the body a cure is on its way.

“Magic is taking your own internal energy to change the physical world,” Olson says. “So then a placebo would be magic.”

“As humans we have the ability to tap into the magical world at anytime. We bog ourselves down with too much stimulation from things that separate us from our natural ability to connect with the metaphysical world.”

Olson sometimes fashions specialty copper jewelry for healing, and her success rate is encouraging.

“I have had many clients who have told me my pieces helped them,” she says. “So much so, that they come back for pieces for friends and family members.”

When using copper as a curative curio, the bauble lady mixes the metal with other elements.

“I use copper, brass, silver and bronze for metals and then working with stones each has their own set of properties,” she says. “I outline the properties on my website so that my clients know what they're getting. I also will locate specific stones for clients or use their stones if requested.”

But it’s not only the chemical components contain the cure. It’s also a little bit of personal magic.

“Because it is a conductor, copper can be used to amplify energy. Using it as a talisman, on a wand or pendulum will boost the effectiveness of the tool,” Olson explains.

“I think the energy you put into a piece ‘charges’ it,” she says. “I don't send out pieces charged to a specific deity, only with positive energy. They are cleansed and ready to accept any energy put forth by the client. I don't add my own energy unless I have an arrangement with the client to do so. Since many of my clients are witchy/pagan in nature most have access to add their own energy to the pieces.”

“I was introduced to the magic of copper as a small child,” Olson says. “My grandmother had a copper bracelet cuff that she would put on when her hands were hurting. I remembered seeing the green line on her arm and she said that's where the magic gets in. It always stuck with me and remains my favorite today.”

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, and they have vastly different causes. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Gout is triggered by uric acid crystal buildup. Osteoarthritis occurs naturally through normal joint use. While it doesn’t hurt to wear copper jewelry to relieve joint pain, it helps to eat healthy foods, exercise, cut down on alcohol and avoid tobacco. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) also suggests acupuncture.

The PLOS One arthritis study can be found at: http://jou
als.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071529

Renee Sosanna Olson is available for more information at: http://www.baublesmith.com/