The History of the Torc
The Torc (also spelled Torque), or neck ring, was an important piece of Celtic jewelry, and was worn from before 1200 BC to as late as 600 AD. It was a powerful symbol, perhaps representing the wearer’s free-born status, and was often complemented with additional rings worn about the arms and wrists. Torcs were made from copper, bronze, silver, and gold. They were worn by both men and women, and are depicted as such in both Classical and Celtic sculptures.
Zoomorphics, or animal forms, were very popular with the Celts. They were used to represent deities, natural and supernatural forces, and personal qualities. The animal heads are placed on the torques so they appear upright when worn.
When ordering a Torc please indicate your size in the pull down menu (a tape measurement of the base of your neck). Other sizes are available, just choose ‘custom’ and give your size in the comments section of the checkout form.
The Celts were not the only culture to adorn themselves with ornate rings around their necks. Our selection of neckrings, both historic and fanciful, will enhance the beauty and elegance of any wearer.
Jo Savage
So, I was and have been under the impression that you’re not supposed to purchase your own Torc, but that it’s supposed to be given to you.
What happens if you’re like me, and you’re the only practicing pagan in your circle? Would it be inappropriate to purchase one for myself, or is it better to wait for someone to gift me one?
Verushka
But if you buy yourself a torc, you *have* been gifted one, albeit indirectly… You have the money (or credit) to buy it, because you have a job (or independent wealth) to pay for it, perhaps because you have education and/or training for that particular job, or simply because you have work ethic… no matter the story, having all these things — the money/credit, the job/wealth, the education/training/experience — are gifts.
You are lucky to have money/credit, a job/wealth, education/training/experience. They are all gifts from the Universe, God, the Goddess, the Fates, the underlying patterns of chaos… whatever/whoever your deity, these are all yours because you have been uniquely gifted these things, gifted the perseverence and/or personal resources (whether financial or personal or both) — when so many have not.
So buy yourself the torc. Know that the ability to do so is only possible through the luck and gifts you have already been gifted, which means the torc is essentially a gift that the Universe, God, the Goddess, the Fates, or the underlying patterns of chaos meant for you to have — *want* you to have. If they did not, you would not have the means to buy it for yourself.