Why Gold? Gold is Ancient. Gold is an Investment. Gold is Magic

Ancient

Never in human history has anyone not been impressed with gold. From the earliest known records, gold has always been offered up to the gods of the time, quite prized, and equated with beauty and power. It can be found anywhere in the world, but tends to be concentrated in South Africa, Australia, Russia, Canada, and the US. An element that has  truly changed history ...it altered how we value substance ...and how we buy, sell, and trade ...no longer would bartering be the main option. From the creation the first coins around 700 BC to the first idea of banking ...depositing & withdrawing gold from place to place became the standard. Such was how Pilgrims and Crusaders to the Holy Lands could retrieve money without laboring with heavy gold across continents ...the first ATM machines!! Overlapping many of the crusade years were the Silk Road Trade Routes. There is a saying ..."Silk went west, while Gold went east." As that gold went east, what came west was a rich and vast network of trading ...from sheer beauty & adornment to valuable commodities we still trade on today. Gold has always been at the core of what we find valuable ...even changing the entire landscape of the US as we moved further west in the mid 19th century ...accelerating the expanse of America and shaping our Nation. It is no wonder that Gold holds such a significant place in world history ..it has influenced a good bit of it.

Investment

IS gold a good investment? Of all the precious metals, gold tends to remain the most valuable and the most sought after in the precious metals markets. As inflation continues to rise, many people turn to gold  to hedge. It is considered a safe investment to stay diversified, and it isn't as affected by movement in other asset classes thereby reducing overall risk. CAN it spike and plummet ...absolutely. Consider this graph showing a significant spike in gold value in 1979 / 1980. What was happening? There was considerable geo-political unrest ...Russia had invaded Afghanistan, the Iran hostage crisis was happening, as well as fears of inflation. The gold price corrected after interest rate increases and thus a continued downtrend into the 1980's. Manipulation & correction of the markets has been up and down since, creating much of the problematic system (and incredible debt) we have today. Adjusted for inflation, this graph shows gold on a steady incline since 2001 ...where gold plummeted due to the furthered regularity of Modern Monetary Theory (fiat currency) ...and gold has been on the incline ...not surprising as we continue to over-saturate & deflate our dollar with no hard backing. While I can't sum up our money challenges in one paragraph, we do know this ...certain things have held value  throughout history ...and gold will be one of those commodities. While we might actually barter for coffee and eggs in the future, it is helpful to know that any gold we may have will always be worth something. And you can take that to the bank!!

Magic

When gold was first discovered, it was thought to be a combination of water and sunlight. This would have made a lot of sense to the ancients as gold was very often found in water. But why is it so magical? Why is it found in cathedrals, temples  and churches throughout the world? From giant golden buddhas to the solid gold tabernacles that house the Eucharist, gold attracts us ...not only at the  visual level, but at a deeper connection ...in the heart. Medieval Alchemists (the spiritual  fathers of modern chemistry) said of gold ..."It is harder to destroy gold than to make it." Pure gold is incredibly resilient, and also remarkably easy work with in comparison to other metals. Incredibly resistant to tarnish and rust, it is no wonder is continues to captivate our imagination century after century. The ancients saw its immutable nature and connected it directly to the Divine. That ancestral memory has most certainly imprinted us moderns, as we continue to feel the depth of purity, immortality and divine connection gold holds. The full answer may beyond the veil ...the very nature of what makes something mystical. But we can surmise that its magnetism and enchantment has charmed humans for millennia. The Bible mentions streets of gold in Heaven. "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Rev. 21:21" Maybe one day those streets might teach us all the secrets!! Until then, we hold onto our favorite pieces in wonder knowing they originally came from somewhere magical!!