The beach holds many treasures, and one of them is our family’s story of “purple money.” I was reminded of this shortly after returning to Wilmington as I walked with my son on the beach. He picked up a shell, gave it to me, and said, “look, purple money.” I was pulled back in time to my younger days.
It is a bright sunny day with a gentle breeze in coastal North Carolina. Listen and hear the ocean as waves roll into the shore and the laughter of children exploring. We spent many mornings on the beach like this when my son and nephews were young. My sister and I would load up the car with all the beach necessities and plop ourselves in our sand chairs. One activity we all loved was shell seeking, and “purple money” became the hunt for the most purple of shells, shell parts, and pieces. The boys would find pieces and bring them back to us to assess the “trade value” of the money. For you see, my sister was the outpost trader with a funny accent, and she would tell the boys what supplies they could barter for. Sometimes she would tell them there wasn’t enough purple or it was counterfeit. We all would laugh.
As I started collecting shells again, I was drawn to do something with these sweet little clam shells called Cross-barred Venus Clams with their purple accents. The flower idea bloomed. There is such a sweetness in these little purple ribbed shells. The foundation of the flower had to be sturdy to hold a dozen of my little shells, so fossil clam shells are what I have been using. I pair the flowers with other beach treasures, such as pieces of driftwood or other fossil finds.
Clams have been the symbol of money for years, and our family story of trading shells comes from the original story of Wampum, a shell bead of Native Americans. These shell beads were made into necklaces and used for storytelling, ceremonies, and exchange (learn more about Wampum with a google search or Wikipedia). In addition to clams symbolizing money, Venus (also known as Aphrodite, “born of the sea”) is the planet associated with love and finances in astrology. My last connection between the flowers and prosperity is purple. In Feng Shui, purple is the color for the wealth and prosperity sector of the Ba Gua. Placing this color in this area of your home is said to attract money.
My purple money flowers are created with these attributes and stories in mind. Symbols tell a story, they hold focus on a desire, and where attention goes, energy flows. Next time you are at the beach, see if you can find purple money. What would you get at the trading post for it? Blessings of prosperity to you.
Interested in learning about my purple money flowers or other things I create? Contact me at beth@Bluejeanoracle.com or follow me on Instagram.
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