The box that contains these pendants is made of cedar. Due to its natural properties of not being subject to infestation, insects or deterioration, cedar has traditionally represented strength and incorruptibility. Each stone was taken from the gravel pathways that connect the classrooms that the students have walked every day throughout their two years in Chavón. Consequently, part of the meaning behind the stones is obvious; they represent not only the connection with Chavón, but also one’s own path and direction. These stones are imbued with the energy of this magical place and are charged with the tenacity of the footsteps of every individual who has walked these paths.  

 

In biblical terms, the stone represents strength, stability and wisdom. The raw stone, that in ancient traditions also represents freedom, is mounted on a copper ring. Copper is a metal that has traditionally symbolized the word in its divine essence. Those who have passed through Chavón have created a solid connection with their ‘family of the stones’ where each is a link within a strong and formidable chain. Like a wedding band, the ring represents relationships, ties, community and a powerful bond impossible to break.

 

This amulet is a reminder that we are each responsible for our own path and direction. Our paths are molded by our thoughts and desires, energetically pointing toward a desired direction. The stone serves as a symbolic indicator of the destination. Mimicking a steering wheel or a compass, the stone can be hung facing upward, downward or sideward, symbolically pointing toward one’s desired direction. We always have the right and the power to decide our own destination. Each direction represents and opening to a new world, an opening toward one’s own potential.