Dawn of CopperZone:

Virus, Copper and the Mythic Flying Phallus

Emergence of CopperZone had to do with four coincidental factors: Beginning of coronavirus pandemic in Spring 2020, copper’s ability to kill bacteria and viruses, my long lasting fascination with copper as an artistic material and with… the flying phallus, aka fascinum, which ancient Romans used as lucky amulets to ward off disease and an evil eye.

From this amalgam, an idea was born: To create a “Magic Wand”, a more symbolic and less explicit version of fascinum, combining the mythic power of its predecessor and a copper’s natural ability to kill the virus.

Where Tradition, Science & Art Meet

Copper has fascinated me as an artist working often with metal for a long time. (Btw. the etymology of the word fascinate goes back to fascinum, the phallus amulet, and ultimately to latin fascinare – to use the power of the fascinus, the embodiment of divine phallus as an archetypal creative force, that is, to practice magic. Here the magic wand goes!)

When a microbe lands on copper, ions blast the pathogen and prevent cell respiration. It punches holes in its outer coating, creating free radicals and thus accelerating the kill. And not just that. The ions seek and destroy DNA and RNA inside a bacteria or virus, preventing the mutation resistant to drugs. This process is known as “contact killing”, as the destruction of harmful microbes begins immediately upon contact to copper.

My Personal Copper Journey

There is too much thinking and complicated technology in the modern world and we often forget the precious knowledge we inherited. I wanted to help to revive it. The Magic Wand was meant to be my personal contribution, my help to people in the pandemic world we have found ourselves to be in. I wanted to spread the knowledge about copper’s incredible abilities and follow a long tradition of ancient cultures in a unique and personal way.

From here, other ideas have been manifesting – copper face masks, copper malas, copper wipes and pouches, grounding matts, door handles and, and… Ideas keep coming. CopperZone keeps expanding its portfolio as well as my personal discovery of ways how copper can benefit us today. But not just that. Each CopperZone product is made by hand, with care, love and my sense of beauty in an eye. 

Gregory C Kelley 

Greg Kelley is a life-long artist, meditator, taichi and yoga practitioner, sacred geometry researcher and teacher and musician. 
Greg spent the earlier part of his life as a wilderness instructor leading groups of people on rugged hiking and canoeing expeditions. 
During this time he developed a deep love of our natural environment and the important role we each play as members of the planet earth tribe.