Shadow's Reprieve Ep. 15: Tanzanite Ring Poetry Analysis

Circle of self: Jungian Self archetype poem

Tanzanite Ring: Image Created by Marilyn Glover with Canva Design

Last week, I concluded my 15-week poetry reading journey on Substack, closing my debut chapbook, Shadow's Reprieve. Tanzanite Ring concluded my lyrics, rounding out my poetry exploration of Carl Jung's primary archetypes: Persona, Shadow, and Self. Today, I will explore the deeper meaning by taking a behind-the-scenes look at the verses.

First, let's take a look at the poem exploring the Self archetype.

Tanzanite Ring

Right hand, right finger.

A tanzanite ring.

An incidental find.

Perhaps, it found me–

blue alchemy,

amid dirt and debris.

I picked it up.
Called it SHE.

Circling my finger for ten years,

Ring groove.

Impression.

She’s made her mark.

Indentation, another thought;

She’s part of me.

I call her Tanza.

Tanza’s roots,

foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Pleochroism.

Angle-dependent.

Shifting colors,

Deep royal blue.

Indigo.

Vivid violet.

Throat chakra heals.

Speak; I finally speak my truth.

A rare stone,

rarer than diamonds,

more delicate

than sapphire,

guides me.

Tanza speaks–
Handle with care.

Sensitive stone isn’t polished–

raw form,

brown,

reddish halo.

Heated up,

flaws

return to soil.

Vibrant blues,

violets,

Visudhha

processing,

Development.

Right hand, right finger.

A tanzanite ring.

Circling for a decade.

Reminds me

I AM whole.

Rough

to refined,

shining,

from within,

gemstone mining

freed

my mind.

Only truth spoken–

self-shifting views.

Behind the Scenes Inspiration

Tanzanite Ring was inspired by my personal finding of a ring embedded with this lovely gemstone. This happened while I worked in hotel hospitality as a cleaner before moving into management. One morning, while I was cleaning a jacuzzi, I found a lovely blue-hued ring near the tub's faucet. Per hotel rules, I had to log it in lost and found, but no one ever called for the ring or came to claim it.

This was some years ago; I still have the ring, and I wear it every day. 

 I did my research and learned what type of ring it was. My lighter blue stone set in silver isn't nearly as expensive as the vivid violet, but knowing that the gem is rare and found only in Tanzania made it all the more precious to me. There are very few days when the ring wasn't on my finger.

In the light of energy, I guess you could say that my personal "Tanza," and I have been through a lot together. We walked through a career promotion together. We watched children grow up, becoming adults, and leaving the nest together. We shared heartache, laughter, disappointment, sickness, anger, elation, surprise, and wonder—together. A full scale of human emotions, with a precious gem wrapped around my finger; literally and figuratively. 

Spiritually, tanzanite represents higher consciousness, the smooth flow of inner truth, and spiritual awakening.

Chakra alignment: Tanzanite is widely known to open and stimulate higher chakras, the Third Eye and Crown, helping one connect with inner wisdom and higher states of awareness. The Throat Chakra benefits, too, because the blue crystal acts as a bridge, encouraging one to speak personal truth with compassion and clarity.

This is key personally; in 2020, I went through a major spiritual awakening when I had a splenectomy to remove a rare benign tumor, Littoral-Cell Angioma, just weeks before COVID hit our nation.

Here is where "Circle of Self" becomes most relevant.

During a time when many were displaced from work, I not only joined the ranks, but joined as a newly immunocompromised person who would live in isolation for almost two years. Uncertainties opened new doors; I began writing online, discovering what would soon become not only a creative joy to pass the time, but a midlife career shift. Six years later, I am an editor, freelance writer, published author, and full-time college student pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree.

Circle of Self also speaks to the vow of celibacy I took in August 2020, which is an undetermined period of time dedicated to caring for the whole self. Looking back on past relationships, I realized that I had a pattern of choosing men more out of loneliness rather than shared interests, values, and mutually beneficial dynamics. I've learned a lot about myself, how I've changed, and what it is I really want out of life. Moving forward, I know that I will be in a better position to date again one day because I made myself a priority and took the time to mine my inner gems, shining them from within.

Audio Version & YouTube

If you'd like to hear the audio version of Tanzanite Ring or any of the 15 poems from Shadow's Reprieve, you can listen to them for free on my Substack .

Recently, I began rerecording each poem for my new YouTube channel. I will publish these short audio poems with online read-along lyrics, and when finished, I will move on to read the poems from my full-length book, Archetype of the Unlived, slated for release in December.

My YouTube videos are short and basic, without any fancy extras. I've chosen an audio format so the focus will be on my words and my voice, not my physical presence. You don't need to see me to hear me, but if you can hear me, then in a sense you already see me.

If my words resonate or pique your curiosity, you can purchase your copy of Shadow's Reprieve, available now on Amazon.