A Union of Opposites

A Union of Opposites

Capitola Girl recently learned that alchemy is the ancient study of how the universe came to be, and in China, alchemy is centered on cinnabar (Yang). Inside the cinnabar is the Ying, so cinnabar and the Ying/Yang forces are something of a union of opposites. This got her thinking about the age old question...

"Do Opposites Really Attract?"

In the case of Capitola Girl vs. Santa Cruz, she's ruled that her conclusion is an unequivocal "Yes!" When Capitola Girl first moved to Santa Cruz, she went through culture shock. She looked around and thought, "I've moved to a place where nobody looks like me, nobody works like me, nobody dresses like me, and nobody thinks like me. What have I done?" She found herself suddenly living in a world of opposites, where she felt like nobody could could relate. Since most of us have a desire to connect with people who are somewhat like us, let's just say that, for several years, Capitola Girl looked at Santa Cruz as a tough nut to crack. Turns out, Capitola Girl might have been the nut.

What Capitola Girl learned from living in Santa Cruz was a lesson about opposites. If she had stayed on familiar ground and within her comfort zone, she wouldn't be as happy as she is today. Sometimes, embracing differences is all it takes. You can learn a lot from the people whom you may not have otherwise allowed yourself to know, and by exposing yourself to different ideas, you have opportunites to make your life even better than you ever thought. It was a little uncomfortable at times, but Capitola Girl doubts she'd be doing half the things she does now if she had stayed where she was. That's why, she loves the idea of a union of opposites.

This choker-length necklace by Capitola Girl features a triple African Bone Bead focal point framed by two Black Cinnabar double cones from China. The focal point is connected to clear chinese crystals, burgundy abalone and black and gray cat's eyes beads. It combines items from the sea and the earth, opposing tones of black and white, all in an effort to show that opposing forces do attract.