Astrological
Bangles Booklet These formulae and attendant responsibilities were passed down to Paramahansa Yogananda, then to Sri Kriyananda. As of this writing, the responsibility is borne to me and it is my sincere hope that this is of service to you the disciple, and ultimately to God and Guru.
Appearance
of the Bangle
Darkness and Discoloration of the strands is due to wearer’s skin
chemistry and environment. See “Care and Feeding”.
Over the years many people have been responsible for making and repairing
the general-purpose astrological bangle. For this reason variations in
how the bangle is twisted—tightly or loosely, and the appearance
of the ends can differ greatly. The way Master had them made while he
was still in the body is the method I use, and has the ends with one strand
folded over into a loop. There is another method that leaves the ends
covered with a ball, but this seems to me to be a deviation from the formula.
The formula for this bangle is very strict and every effort is made to
both hold to the formula and offer a bracelet of good appearance. There
are three strands, one of pure copper, one of pure silver, and one of
pure gold.
If the bangle has a gold strand that appears to have a crinkly or wrinkled
appearance, it is only because the gold has been “recycled”
during the re-building process (see “Rebuilding and Repairing”)
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Care and Feeding
The three difficulties facing bangles are dirt or discoloration, stiffness
and cracking, and lastly, thinness due to erosion by skin chemistry.
Dirt and/or discoloration are not serious problems in themselves, however
they do indicate a probable reaction with either the wearer’s skin
chemistry or environment. The bangle is best cleaned in a jeweler’s
pickling bath, as it is non-abrasive and won’t affect the delicate
weight balance of the bangle that is necessary for its function.
Stiffness promotes cracking and is due to the bangle’s flexing. If
it’s not opened and squeezed shut a lot it won’t harden, get
springy and crack. Many nearly invisible cracks will occur at once, so
a break is simply the winning crack’s reward in the race through
the strand. If the bangle gets springy get it to Kent White and he will
anneal (soften) and clean (pickle) it to a bright new luster. Bangles
need this from every three months to yearly; it depends again on the wearer.
Thinness is cured only by strand replacement—copper and silver usually
are replaced together in a careful process saving the gold. Thinness means
weight loss and does affect the bangle’s protective performance.
Thinness is serious if it’s visually noticeable and can occur in
one year or over many years, depending on the wearer and environment.
Our current service schedule allows cleaning and annealing for $25 and
takes a few days. Replacing a broken silver wire with a new one is $85;
replacing a worn or broken copper, along with adding a new silver is $135
-- I replace both the silver and the copper together when the copper is
worn as experience shows that the silver needs replacing by then, also.
Bangles broken completely in half requires replacing both copper and
silver wires, repairing the gold, cleaning and annealing and polishing,
and costs $185 and takes one or two weeks. Shipping is $17.50 each way,
insured.
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Discomfort—Description Of, New—Older
Bangles—New Bangle
The body may rebel against this new intruder, much as an unbroken horse
reacts to a saddle. Be persistent, and creative. Move the bangle from
arm to arm, and to wrist, if necessary. Bring it back to “home”
position at night—the sleeping body is less sensitive then and will
get used to it. It may take a week or so. It took me a month. My body
hated the thing. top
Discomfort—Older Bangle
This is either cleanliness or the bangle doing its job. If you have skin
irritation, itching, rash or even sores, it’s most likely cleanliness.
Hot weather will affect diet, skin moisture and pH. Bacteria will be more
prevalent during hot weather also. Toothbrush and dish soap will clean
the strands and a brief soak in methanol, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen
peroxide will sterilize it.
Now, if the bangle gets hot, cold or oddly uncomfortable, chances are
it’s defending you against cosmic energies. Some symptoms can be
flu-like or perhaps a smothering feeling. It may become quite hot. A pressure
like manacles or handcuffs or even a fever might happen. Unfortunately,
this is not the time to take it off. Move the bangle from place to place
on the body, if the discomfort is extreme or incapacitating but always
consider what the bangle could be protecting you from.
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Effects of the Bangle
Many people have found there to be a great difference in their personal
energy when they wear the bangle versus when they didn’t. One person
said that the bangle afforded him such protection that he needed to do
the Energization Exercises three times a day to make up for not wearing
the bangle (he had loaned it out to a friend). Another person had been
going through a long test and only at the end had been able to afford
a bangle. She was amazed to find a great increase in her personal energy,
despite the crushing power of the test. Another woman noticed that her
intuition increased when wearing the bangle. It is cases like these that
lead me to believe that the bangle acts like an umbrella. top
Explaining the Bangle to others. What’s that
thing you’re wearing? Is it for arthritis?
Over the years, we’ve heard many inquiries ad we’ve found a
few good answers. Here they are:
1. Sentimental family heirloom
2. Yes, it’s for arthritis and things like that
3. Protects against environmental influences
4. Spiritual symbol, religious symbol, the Trinity
5. A gift—I have always liked it. top
General Description of the Bangle
Generally, the “bangle” is a protective device when worn next
to the skin. It is a moderately heavy bracelet of gold, silver and copper
strands twisted together.
“Electrical and magnetic radiations are ceaselessly circulating in
the universe; they affect man’s body for good and ill.”
“Ages ago, our rishis pondered the problem of combating the adverse
effects of subtle cosmic influences. The sages discovered that pure metals
emit an astral light which is powerfully counteractive to negative pulls
of the planets.”
“Through prayer, will power, yoga meditation, consultation with saints
and use of astrological bangles, the adverse effects of past wrongs can
be nullified or minimized.”
“Just as a house may be fitted with a copper rod to absorb the shock
of lightning, so can the bodily temple be protected in certain ways.”
Paramhansa Yogananda
“The bangle is an important part of the spiritual path.” Sri
Kriyananda
The bangle is made in strict accordance with the formula discovered by
Sri Yukteswar and given to Paramhansa Yogananda. top
They may be ordered from:
Kent White Box 101
Ananda
Nevada City, CA 95959
(530) 292 3506 or (530) 292 3500
kent@tinmantech.com
or:
Claudio
Fratellanze Della Gioia
Cassella Postale # 48
1-06088 Santa Maria degli Angeli
Assisi (PG) Italy
Phone: 011 39 742 811 212
Prices vary with the market price of gold. Please
call for price and delivery time.
Home Cleaning & Annealing for the Adventurous
If the bangle gets stiff, it can be softened again and cleaned at the
same time by using the kitchen stove and 5% white vinegar.
Simply select a gas burner (NOT ELECTRIC) and set the flame to the same
size circle as the bangle. Set the bangle on the burner grate and heat
for one minute—the metal colors will change, but it should not glow!
The bangle may smoke or flame a bit but that’s okay.
Pour 1-inch of vinegar in a small saucepan and, with metal tongs, lift
the bangle from the burner grate and set into the vinegar. It will whoosh
and steam and should then be clean and soft. You may scrub it a little
with a toothbrush and toothpaste, but DO NOT USE metal wool or polish!
Dry off and wear.
Bangles need this from perhaps every three months to yearly.
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How it works
1. See: Effects of the Bangle
2. See: General Description of the Bangle
Sri Kriyananda has described the function of the bangle to be like a lens:
sometimes filtering completely out, sometimes transmuting and sometimes
only partially filtering. top
Loaning the Bangle, precautions
There may come a time when a dear friend or relative without a bangle
may go through a serious test. At this time, you may feel guided to loan
your bangle to them during this period. Before loaning it out you may
want to consider having it cleaned and annealed or possibly even blessed.
When you get the bangle back, it would be a good idea to have it again
cleaned and annealed and blessed. top
Metals contained therein
The bangle is comprised of three metals: copper, silver and gold.
Copper—Latin ‘cuprum’,
atomic symbol Cu. Copper is the most “earthy” of the three metals,
and astrologically represents the body. Physically, it is the toughest
and can withstand some abrasion and bending. It is very chemically reactive
and for this reason is not found freely in nature.
Copper may react with the wearer’s skin chemistry to produce green
skin. The copper strand itself can actually wear away in a short time.
(See Care and Feeding). The copper may turn color
in the presence of some chemicals, soaps, foods, etc.
Silver—Latin ‘argentum’,
atomic symbol Ag. Silver is more noble than copper and it astrologically
represents the mind. Its purifying influence kills bacteria in both air
and water, and its influence has a cooling effect on the body.
Physically, silver is not as ductile or malleable as gold or copper—it
will harden, crack and break if bent or worked too much. While not as
chemically reactive as copper, silver will turn black in the presence
of sulphur, i.e. eggs, hot springs and some shampoos. Rarely found freely
in nature, its reactivity causes it to combine with some other elements.
Gold—Latin ‘aurum’,
atomic symbol Au. Gold is the most noble of all metals, and astrologically
represents the soul. It enhances spirit and has a healing effect on the
body.
Very ductile and malleable, gold may be worked or bent a great deal before
it cracks or breaks. However, being very soft, gold is easily abraded
or worn down. Almost unreactive, it is found freely in nature and does
not tarnish. top
Navratna: Nine-gem Bangle
An amulet of general usefulness but one that is too costly for the average
person to buy, is the so-called Navratna or 9-stone bangle. It is composed
of the following stones, each of them pure, unflawed and greater than
two carats: diamond, emerald, yellow sapphire, chrysoberyl cat’s
eye, blue sapphire, garnet (or more properly gomed—a stone unknown
in America) coral, pearl and ruby.
“Each of these stones stands for a different planet. Knowledge of
one’s own horoscope and of the right stones to wear in order to strengthen
weak planets and to offset the vibrations of the inauspicious planets
is believed to be beneficial. If all you need personally is one or two
stones, you may be able to afford such a bangle even if you are not rich.
But you must convert your horoscope from the normal Western tropical to
the sidereal and preferably to Indian sidereal, if you want to make proper
use of the Indian science of gem therapy.”—Sri Kriyananda.
Note: all stones used for the purpose of gem therapy should be set with
open backs so that the stone or stones may touch the skin. It is through
contact with the skin that the gemstones’ influence may come to benefit
the person wearing them. top
Other Bangles
The Autobiography of a Yogi has chapters entitled “Outwitting the
Stars” and “Sasi and the Three Sapphires”, where mention
is made of the power of gems and metals to protect the wearer against
cosmic influences. Sri Yukteswar devoted a great deal of effort to this
science of protection. The lead and silver bangle he specified for Yogananda
was specific only to Yogananda’s case at that time. The sapphire
story was specific to that case as well.
Unfortunately, little or no record of Sri Yukteswar’s discoveries
remain today. Except for the Navratna and the general-purpose astrological
bangle, no other of his bangle formulae are extant.
Then there are the little rings made of the three metals and twisted like
the Bangle. These are “friendship rings” but do not have the
power of the Bangle. top
Rebuilding the Bangle
Over the years of wearing a bangle, the copper will get thin, the silver
may develop cracks and even break, and the gold will wear down. When these
effects or conditions are noticeable, then the bangle’s protective
power will be greatly diminished. At this point there are three choices:
repair the bangle, have the bangle rebuilt back to the original formula
or exchange the old one against the purchase of a new one.
If the bangle needs repairing, see “Care and Feeding”.
If the bangle is worn and damaged to the extent that it cannot be repaired,
then it must be rebuilt. Rebuilding the old one will cost anywhere between
$ 75 and $ 150, depending on the deterioration of the gold strand.
Rebuilding the bangle entails the following process:
The bangle is dismantled into its three separate strands. The gold is
inspected for weight and damage. If the gold strand does not meet the
bangle formula, then the cost will be higher due to the additional gold
added to meet the formula.
Once the gold strand meets the formula, new copper and silver strands
are then added. This is the most economical time to renew these strands
because of their comparative low cost.
The appearance of a rebuilt bangle is different, however, from a new one.
Since the gold strand will then have been twisted, untwisted, straightened
and re-twisted, it will have an “antiqued” or “crinkly”
finish. Buffing this all away, of course, will mean loss of gold (therefore
weight) so we leave the crinkly look alone! Some people like the antiqued
look of the gold strand and so don’t mind the appearance of a rebuilt
bangle.
The exchange/purchase plan would cost $ 350 (at current gold prices) plus
the old bangle. This will give you the look of a brand new bangle. Every
so often has a gold strand been so worn and damaged that I’ve been
unable to make repairs, and so I recycle the old gold strand and make
a new one from the remnants.
However, if your bangle has become a “spiritual relic”, the
veteran of countless pilgrimages and recipient of many blessings, then
perhaps the silver and copper should be retired to the altar or maybe
even divided among friends. The gold strand is then refined and made into
a new wire in order to create a new bangle, while retaining the blessings
of the old. top
Stories about the Bangle
See: Effects of the Bangle
Two stories about the bangle.
In the early pioneering days in the community, many hardy souls did forestry
work; tree thinning, planting and woodcutting. On this particular day,
the work involved thinning, a more dangerous task and so one fellow’s
wife loaned him her bangle. He wore it for three or four days until it
finally became a nuisance, slipping up and down and getting caught on
things.
The next morning during meditation he took it off only to hear a voice
later in meditation say, “Wear the bangle!” Since he wasn’t
at all used to hearing voices and thought certainly it could be imagination,
he dismissed it. A bit later, the voice again said, “Wear the bangle!”
He dismissed it again. Finally, after some more minutes the voice loudly
commanded, “WEAR THE BANGLE!” Thinking it over this time, he
decided, “Okay, I’ll wear the thing.”
Later that morning he was thinning a smaller tree away from a big one
and when the small tree fell away, a large widow maker dropped free smashing
down squarely on top of his hard hat, seating him abruptly on the ground.
If it had been a glancing blow it would surely have broken his shoulder.
He shrugged it off and went back to work, no harm done. With the chain
saw fired up again he walked to the next tree only to stumble and fall
with the howling saw landing directly between his legs. Once more, he
shut it off, stood up, brushed himself clean and started to work again.
Sawing away at a clump of brush, it suddenly whipped back smashing his
safety glasses.
As he stood there wiping his face and sorting out his safety glasses he
reflected on the morning’s meditation, the “voice” and
how he had come through all this with no injuries.
The second is a very odd sort of story, concerning the full moon, a man
and severe headaches.
When I first met this fellow, he said he’d suffered from headaches
for nearly ten years but only during the three-day period around the full
moon. They were so bad that he could neither sleep nor concentrate for
the entire period.
I suggested the General Purpose Bangle and when he agreed, I loaned him
mine. Within five minutes (it happened to be a full moon at the time)
the symptoms were gone. He took it off and the symptoms returned. Many
years have now passed since his purchase of one and no symptoms have returned.
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Where and How to Wear the Bangle
Sri Kriyananda recommends wearing it nearest the heart. The upper arm
is best. I have tested this and my heart indeed did feel protected after
having worn the bangle on my ankle for a year. We have tested the bangle’s
effect on the size of the aura with dowsing rods. The largest aura comes
from having the bangle on the upper arm.
The bangle must be worn in contact with the skin, to complete the electromagnetic
circuit with the aura. It should be worn at all times, swimming, bathing,
exercising, etc. If it’s not worn, it can’t protect you!
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Which Side:
There has been a story circulating around for many years that women wear
it on the left and men, on the right. However, I asked Sri Kriyananda
about this, and his reply was, “The male and female energies do not
apply to bangles, for the bangle is neutral. Where these energies are
important is if a man and woman are teaching together, then the man should
stand to the woman’s right. And for instance, when a married couple
is sleeping together, the husband should sleep on the woman’s right,
as when they are both lying face up.”
There may be exceptions to this rule, so if you wish, take the time to
intuit or perhaps dowse your answer with a pendulum or a pair of rods.
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How to circle the bangle:
If the bangle is long for you (all new bangles are the same length, however
some reconditioned or rebuilt bangles may be longer) don’t let the
strands touch where they overlap. Many people have felt a better energy
if the bangle does not touch itself. Our testing with the rods shows that
the aura diminishes very much when the bangle touches itself.
For further reading the following are suggested:
Autobiography
of a Yogi
By Paramhansa Yogananda
The
Path: A Spiritual Autobiography
By Sri Kriyananda
Your
Sun Sign as a Spiritual Guide
By Sri Kriyananda
Ananda
Course in Self Realization Parts 1 & 2
By Sri Kriyananda
For these and other works visit Crystal
Clarity Publishers