Category: Crystals/Gems

Gemstone of the Day for January 3rd is Sapphire

Gemstone of the Day

Sapphire


                                       (Sapphires may be all colors except red. If it is red it is called a ruby)

                 The name Sapphire comes from the Sanskrit “sanipriya” (dear to the planet Saturn).

Hardness: 9              
Specific Gravity: 3.9 – 4.1                 
Chemistry: Al2O3 – Aluminum Oxide
Class: Corundum                     
Crystallography: Hexagonal                      
Cleavage: none
Fracture: uneven, conchoidal                              
Streak: white                               
Luster: vitreous


Healing: It is said that wearing a necklace of sapphires will cure a sore throat. Sapphire is used to treat blood disorders such as excessive bleeding and to thicken vein walls. Sapphire is the most effective healing stone for the nervous system. It also aids in regulating the function of the thyroid gland. 

Magical Workings: Sapphire is used to dispel bad feelings and to enlighten one’s mood, it is a crystal of harmony and peace.
It is often called the “Stone of Prosperity”. Sapphire is an excellent stone for meditation. Star Sapphire is used as protection from the evil eye.
The Blue Sapphire is traditionally associated with purity and love.
Yellow Sapphire attracts wealth and brings prosperity to the home.
The Black Sapphire provides centering, protection and grounding.
The White Sapphire is an extremely protective gem.
The Indigo Sapphire enhances psychic awareness. It eliminates negative energies from the aura.
The Green Sapphire improves internal and external vision and helps you to remember dreams.
India considered it to be the stone of Saturn, and believed it to be a portal to the heavenly realms.
Sapphire is thought to be one of the stones on the breastplate of the Hebrew High Priest.
Sapphire is associated with the astrological signs of Virgo, Libra and Sagittarius. It vibrates to the number of 2, though Sapphires of different colors will vibrate to different numbers.

Chakra Applications: The Blue Sapphire is traditionally associated with purity and love. It opens and heals the thyroid and the throat chakra and has a calming and balancing effect on the nervous system.
Yellow Sapphire is associated with the Solar Plexus chakra.
The Black Sapphire is associated with the Base Chakra.
The Pink Sapphire clears emotional blockages bringing peace and unconditional love. It is associated with the Heart chakra.
The White Sapphire is associated with the Crown chakra.
The Indigo Sapphire is associated with the Third Eye chakra.
The Green Sapphire is known as the “Stone of Fidelity”, and stimulates the Heart chakra.

Foot Notes: Sapphire is the birthstone for September. It is also a 45th Anniversary gemstone.
Sapphire is the non-red variety of corundum, and the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind. Many Sapphire deposits are the remains of metamorphic or igneous veins of granite and marble weathered away into stream beds and mountain valleys.
An ancient Persian myth tells of a giant blue sapphire that Mother Earth rests upon, and that the sky is the reflection of this massive blue crystal.
Author: Crick

Crystal of the Day for December 28th is Angelite

Crystal of the Day

Angelite


(White, gray or colorless, as well as blue to violet)

The name “Angelite” comes from the Greek “anhydras” meaning “without water”.


Hardness: 3.5             
Specific Gravity: 3.0                
Chemistry:  CaSO4, Calcium Sulfate
Class: Sulfates                  
Crystallography: Orthorhombic                   
Cleavage: is in three directions forming rectangles, but perfect in one                    
Fracture: conchoidal                              
Streak: white                             
Luster:


Healing: Angelite is used for relief from throat inflammations, and to balance the thyroid. Angelite also repairs and soothes tissues and blood vessels. Angelite is helpful with burns, tumors, respiratory ailments, back injuries, broken bones and pain of any kind. It is also very useful for weight control.

Workings: Angelite counteracts harshness; if somebody is acting insensitively in a situation, angelite will help that person to become more compassionate. It helps to dispel fear, anger, stress and anxiety and encourages forgiveness.  Angelite is considered a stone of awareness, representing peace and awareness. It is said to facilitate contact with angels.
Angelite is associated with the astrological sign of Aquarius and vibrates to the number 1.

Chakra Applications: Angelite is used to unblock energy pathways in the meridians. It is associated with the Throat chakra.

Foot Notes: Angelite is the common name for Anhydrite. It is a relatively common sedimentary mineral that forms massive rock layers. Anhydrite does not form directly, but is the result of the de-watering of the rock forming mineral Gypsum.
Angelite is mined in Britain, Egypt, Germany, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Libya.
Source:
Author: Crick

Gemstone of the Day for Dec. 18th is Fluorite

Gemstone of the Day

Fluorite  


(Color: extremely variable; can be an intense purple, blue, green or yellow, reddish orange, pink, white or brown, as well as colorless. Flourite comes from the Latin word, fluere  “to flow”

Hardness: 4                   
Specific Gravity: 3.1                 
Chemistry: CaF2, Calcium Fluoride                
Class: Halides                  
Crystallography:  Isometric                                
Cleavage: perfect in 4 directions forming octahedrons                       
Fracture: irregular and brittle         
Streak: white                           
Luster: vitreous

Healing: Green Fluorite is used as a powerful stone of Healing. Use to purify the body. Helps to stablilize and calm the body as well as the emotional level. Allows for clearer insight into situations. Flourite is thought to re-kindle sexual libido.

Workings: Purple fluorite is employed as a stone of Intuition. Its energy is projective. It is the astrological sign of Pisces and Capricorn. Each color of Flourite vibrates to a different number:

Purple – Master number 77
Blue – 2
Green – 2
Yellow – 9
Chinese – 7
Colourless – 2

Chakra Applications: Flourite is effective for auric cleansing and assists in reaching a deeper state of meditation. Purple fluorite is used to open the third eye and aids in increasing psychic awareness.

Foot Notes: Fluorite is the natural crystalline form of calcium fluoride (CaF2). Flourite is found in numerous localities around the world. Especially in England, Germany, Mexico, and in Kentucky and Illinois in the United States.  Fluorite is frequently fluorescent, thus adding to its range of colors. Fluorite is found as a common  mineral in hydrothermal veins, especially those containing lead and zinc minerals.  It can be found in a wide range of geologic environments, ranging from inclusions in granite to replacement deposits in limestones. Fluorite is a relatively soft stone.
Author: Crick

Let’s Talk Witch – Projective and Receptive Energies In Crystals and Gemstones

Snow

Projective and Receptive Energies In Crystals and Gemstones

 

One particularly helpful tip for becoming more adept at tuning in to your crystals is to know whether their particular energies are projective or receptive.

Like the concept of yin and yang in Chinese philosophy, these two seemingly opposite types of energy are fundamental to the makeup of the Universe, and each serves equally important purposes in healing and spellwork.

Just as we do magical work with the energies of night and day, sun and moon, God and Goddess, and other forces of polar opposites, the particular type of energy a stone brings is significant to the spell being worked.

Learning to feel these energies physically helps you strengthen your relationships with your crystals, and gain a more instinctive sense of which stones best serve any given purpose.

Projective Stones

Projective energies can be likened to the yang energy of the Chinese system.

These are masculine energies, often characterized as being or feeling strong, bright, physical, active, electric, and hot. The colors of projective stones tend to be associated with strong sunlight – red, yellow, orange and gold. They often emit a “charged” feeling, which can range from subtle to quite “buzzy,” depending on the type of stone and the level of receptivity of the person holding it.

Projective stones are ideal for magic involving healing and protection from negative energy. They are associated with the masculine Elements of Fire and Air, making them also good choices for working for vitality, courage, and intellectual power. Projective stones affect the conscious mind, and are great to carry with you when you’re feeling a need for strength, determination, will power, or self-confidence. Some popular projective stones include amber, bloodstone, carnelian, citrine, garnet, red jasper, onyx, and tiger’s eye.

Receptive Stones

Receptive energies can be said to correspond with the yin energy of the Chinese system, and are described as feminine energies, which may be experienced as calm, inward, spiritual, passive, magnetic, and cold.

Colors of receptive stones are cooler colors, such as green, blue, purple, silver, and grey. (Pink stones, although they are toward the beginning of the color spectrum, are also generally receptive, as the color is more calming than energizing when compared to red or orange.)

Holding a receptive stone in your hand is almost guaranteed to make you feel calmer, as if the stone is absorbing anxiety from your body. As with projective stones, this effect will vary from stone to stone and person to person.

Associated with the feminine Elements of Earth and Water, receptive stones are great for meditation and emotional and physical grounding, as well as promoting psychic abilities.

They are good for working on the subconscious mind, and may be used in spellwork for love, compassion, peace, and spiritual development. Some receptive stones include jade, lapis lazuli, malachite, moonstone, opal, rose quartz, and turquoise.

 

 

—Lisa Chamberlain, Wicca Crystal Magic: A Beginner’s Guide to Practicing Wiccan Crystal Magic, with Simple Crystal Spells (Wicca Books Book 4)

 

Gemstone of the Day for December 14th is Silver

Gemstone of the Day

Silver


                                                         

The chemical symbol, Ag, is an abbreviation of the Latin word for silver, “argentum.

Hardness: 2.5 – 3              
Specific Gravity: 10.5                      
Chemistry: Ag
Class: Native elements           
Crystallography: Isometric                  
Cleavage: none
Fracture: jagged                   
Streak: silver-white                               
Luster: metallic


Healing: Silver is worn to boost one’s immunity. It is used to treat infectious diseases, like hepatitis or the flu. Silver compounds were used successfully to prevent infection in World War 1. Silver is also used to assimilate the vitamins A and E.

Magical Workings: Silver is an excellent stone for astral projection for it provides the silver cord between the physical and astral bodies. Silver assists in increased perception and helps to regulate the emotional and intuitive energies. It is used to enhance one’s psychic abilities. Silver is used to channel the energies of the Moon. This energy is then used to energize other crystals.
Silver is an excellent stone to carry for those involved in public speaking, for it enhances communication.
Silver is associated with the astrological signs of Cancer and Aquarius and vibrates to the number 4.

Chakra Applications: Silver is associated with the 12th chakra. The 12th chakra is where a connection to the Monadic level of divinity is made.

Foot Notes: The largest piece of native Silver ever found is a specimen that weighed 844 pounds that was found near Aspen Colorado. It is thought that humankind learned to seperate silver from lead circa 3000 BCE.
Silver is a soft, ductile, malleable, lustrous metal. It has the highest electrical and thermal conductor.
Source:
Author: Crick

Crystal of the Day for December 7th is Dolomite

Crystal of the Day

Dolomite    


(Color: often pink or pinkish and can be colorless, white, yellow, gray or even brown or black when iron is present in the crystal)
Hardness: 3.5-4                    
Specific Gravity: 2.86
Chemistry: (Calcium Magnesium Carbonate) CaMg(CO3)2         
Class: Carbonates           
Crystallography: trigonal; bar 3                       
Cleavage: perfect in three directions forming rhombohedrons              
Fracture: conchoidal                       
Streak: White                  
Luster: pearly to vitreous to dull

Dolomite, is named for the French mineralogist Deodat de Dolomieu.

Healing: Dolomite is used to bolster ones calcium content. Also helps with PMS. Dolomite is used to lift ones spirits and to relieve sorrow. Astrological sign of Aries. Vibrates to the number 3.

Workings: Dolomite is used to enhance the energy of ones spells. Its atrological sign is Ares. Vibrates to the number 3.

Chakra Applications: Used to open and heal the Heart chakra. Also used to align, balance and to remove blockage from the Chakras.

Foot Notes: Dolomite is a very common mineral and can be found in many localities throughout the world, but is well known from sites in Midwestern quarries of the USA; Ontario, Canada; Mexico; Switzerland; and in Pamplona, Spain. The amount of calcium and magnesium in most specimens is equal, but occasionally one element may have a slightly greater presence than the other. Dolomite is used to make magnesia, which has important medicinal applications. Dolomite is also used as an ornamental and structural stone, and for extracting certain metals from their ores. It is useful in the chemical industry in the preparation of magnesium salts. Best field indicators are typical pink color, crystal habit, hardness, slow reaction to acid, density and luster.
Source:
Author: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods

Gemstone of the Day for December 2nd is Thomsonite

Gemstone of the Day

Thomsonite


Thomsonite is named after the Scottish chemist, T. Thomson (1773-1852 CE).

Hardness: 5 – 5.5        
Specific Gravity: 2.2 – 2.4                    
Chemistry: 2(Ca, Na2)Al4Si4O16.5H2O Hydrated sodium calcium aluminum silicate
Class: Silicates                             
Crystallography: Orthorhombic                         
Cleavage: perfect
Fracture: uneven                        
Streak: white                        
Luster: vitreous


Healing: Thomsonite is utilized to lower the heat of fevers. It is also used to treat cysts and oral fungus and to stimulate the thymus. Thomsonite is used to induce mental clarity. 

Magical Workings: Thomsonite produces an incentive to realize one’s dreams without restraint. Thomsonite offers protection against treachery and laziness.
Thomsonite is associated with the astrological sign of Gemini and vibrates to the number of 3.

Chakra Applications: Thomsonite promotes a strong connection between the physical and ethereal bodies.

Foot Notes: Thomsonite is the name of a series of tecto-silicate minerals of the zeolite group. Prior to 1997 CE, thomsonite was recognized as a mineral species, but a reclassification in 1997 by the International Mineralogical Association changed it to a series name. Thomsonite occurs with other zeolites in the amygdaloidal cavities of basaltic volcanic rocks, and occasionally in granitic pegmatites. It is one of the rarest zeolites.
Source:
Author: Crick

Blessed Be

Tidbits On Crystals – Jet & Amber

 

 

Traditionally, Witch’s necklaces were often made from a combination of jet and amber. Although they are usually listed with gemstones, neither of them is actually a stone.

Jet is fossilized wood and amber is fossilized resin. They are both very, very old, which may be part of their mystique. In fact, amber is said to be the oldest form of adornment worn by humans, and beads made out of the resin have been found in graves going back as far as 8000 BCE.

Amber is a clear yellowy orange, and jet is a glossy black. Together, they represent the god and goddess, and they are reputed to increase the magickal power of the wearer. They are both used to absorb negativity and increase health.

Everyday Witch A to Z
An Amusing, Inspiring & Informative Guide to the Wonderful World of Witchcraft
Deborah Blake

 

Let’s Talk Witch –

Witch in the Woods

Incorporating Crystals into Your Life

So you’ve acquired a new crystal, and cleaned, cleared, and charged it.

Now what?

It’s very unlikely to just start working magic in your life without any effort on your part.

In order to learn to use the energy of this gift from the Earth, you need to get acquainted with it. This can be accomplished through a variety of different practices. Start where your intuition tells you to, and don’t be afraid to experiment.

After awhile, you’ll develop your own ways of relating to your crystals and stones, and they will become simply part of your daily life.

The first way of getting to know your crystal is to simply hold it in your hands, as you may have done when selecting it from the shop. Sit with it for a few minutes with your eyes closed, and just notice the sensations in your body and mind as they arise. If you have a regular meditation practice, incorporate crystals into it by either holding them or placing them near you as you meditate. Some stones are particularly well-suited for meditation, such as ametrine and just about any variety of quartz. These stones can help you clear your mind as you strengthen your connection with them.

Another easy way to develop a relationship with your crystals is to place them strategically in your living space. Many Witches keep crystals on their altars or elsewhere in their sacred space, and you can also simply place them in areas of your home that feel energetically “flat” or are otherwise in need of “sprucing up.” You can find plenty of information on crystal placement using a feng shui approach, and/ or experiment on your own.

Some Witches prefer to keep their magical stones in a soft velvet or silk pouch, keeping them only for use in ritual and spellwork. This does keep the stones protected from exposure and any unwanted energy in their surrounding environment.

However, if you can, try to leave your crystals in plain view, at least for awhile after you’ve acquired them. The more you see them, the more you remember them, which helps you keep growing your connection with them.

You may still wish to keep a select few stones put away for spellwork only, but if you have none in your immediate environment, it can be easy to forget that you have any at all, which can lead to missed opportunities to enhance your life.

Finally, wear and carry your crystals as much as possible. Many crystal retailers sell wire pendants that you can place your favorite stone in, and of course many stones are available as jewelry in the first place.

You can also keep crystals and stones in your pockets, your purse, anywhere that keeps them close to your body at all times.

Be careful not to scratch them— many stones are actually quite softer than you might imagine, so avoid carrying stones in the same pocket as your keys or any other object tht can damage the surface. Cloth pouches are also handy for this reason, and are also usually available where crystals and stones are sold.

 

 

Wicca Crystal Magic: A Beginner’s Guide to Practicing Wiccan Crystal Magic, with Simple Crystal Spells (Wicca Books Book 4)

Lisa Chamberlain

Various Crystals and Their Healing Properties

Various Crystals and Their Healing Properties

 

There are many crystals which can be used in magical workings. This is a brief list of some well-known ones which you may like to use. The list also gives some of the correspondences that are most often used in healing spells in particular. This is because it is much easier to charge a crystal with healing energy as tangible evidence within the physical plane of an intent. Many people do not wish it to be known that they are using healing energy on behalf of others, and this is an easy way of doing so unobtrusively.

 

As you become more practiced in spell making, you will discover for yourself that certain crystals resonate for you more than others.

 
AGATE

A member of the quartz family, it is a general healer, especially good for the self-esteem.

 
AMETHYST

A crystalline quartz, it helps with creative thinking and is also a protector against blood diseases, grief, neuralgia and insomnia. It is said to deal with drunkenness.

 
AQUAMARINE

A clear silicate, it is good for the eyes and helps against nerve, throat, liver, and stomach troubles.

 
BLOODSTONE

A dark green quartz flecked with red jasper, bloodstone strengthens the will to do good.

 
CARNELIAN

A translucent red or orange, carnelian makes the voice strong and is helpful when dealing with rheumatism, depression and neuralgia.

 
CITRINE

A form of crystalline quartz, citrine may bring greater control over the emotions and help blood circulation.

 
EMERALD

This dark green precious stone is a silicate. It improves the intellect and memory and may also help with insomnia.

 
GARNET

 

This is the name given to a group of gemstones of varying composition, ranging from a deep blood red through to orange. It protects against depression and helps with self-confidence and self-esteem.

 
JADE

Nephrite jade is a silicate with a green colour. It is beneficial when dealing with kidney complaints.

 
JASPER

A mixed type of quartz that can occur in various colours. It improves the sense of smell and helps liver, kidney and epileptic problems.

 
LAPIS LAZULI

A mixture of minerals having a deep blue colour, it often contains particles of ‘fool’s gold’. This is an ancient stone and is useful for heart and vascular conditions.

 

MOONSTONE

A silicate, this stone has a milky sheen, the best stones containing a blueish colour. Moonstone gives inspiration and enhances the emotions.

 
ONYX

A type of agate often coloured jet-black and highly polished. It helps with concentration and is an important healing agent in certain ear diseases.

 
OPAL

A hydrated silica, opal helps in lung conditions.

 
ROCK-CRYSTAL

A colourless pure quartz, it is an important healing stone and helps improve intuitive powers.

 
ROSE QUARTZ

A translucent quartz, this sparks the imagination and calms the emotions.

 
RUBY

A precious stone, ruby is an oxide of aluminium coloured red by chromium. It improves mental ability.

 
SAPPHIRE

The same composition as ruby but is usually a rich blue colour due to traces of iron and titanium. The stone of friendship and love, it gives devotion, faith and imagination.

 
SMOKY QUARTZ

An attractive crystalline which has a smoky grey to black colour, smoky quartz is used to give good luck.

 
TIGER’S EYE

A quartz mineral, tiger’s eye is worn for clearer thinking.

 
TOURMALINE

A complex silicate, tourmaline attracts inspiration, goodwill and friendship.

 
TURQUOISE

An opaque stone given blue-green colour by copper, turquoise is a good protector, and so is an ideal stone to give as a gift.

Let’s Talk Witch – Preparing for Crystal Magic

goth fantasy woman

Preparing for Crystal Magic

 

Generally, the instructions below assume that you have already cleaned, cleared, and charged your crystals for use in magical work. Remember that charging is best done right after clearing, and this process is best done as close to the actual spellwork as possible.

However, since many of the most effective methods for clearing and charging take a few to several hours, planning ahead will be important. Most of the workings below involve an additional charging for the specific purpose of the work, though you may be able to “double up” and streamline this step if you’ve just cleared the crystal before using it in your spellwork.

It’s always important to remember to believe in and respect the effects of magic. If you are in a state of doubt about the effectiveness of a particular spell, you are almost certainly weakening, if not obliterating, the potential power of the work being done.

If you are unclear about your purpose when performing the work, you may get unexpected and / or inconvenient results. For example, you might work a spell for increased abundance, and then receive a promotion at your job that you really don’t actually want due to the extra pressure.

That’s why it’s always best to add two “conditions” to any spellwork: with harm to none and for the good of all.

Specifying your intention in this way ensures the best possible results. “Harm to none” means that no negative effects will befall anyone inadvertently as a result of the Universe realigning reality to meet your request, while “for the good of all” ensures that what you’re asking for is also truly in your best interest, as well as the best interests of anyone else who may be involved in your situation.

Of course, it is definitely ill-advised to perform spellwork that would attempt to harm or even manipulate another person. The three-fold law of Witchcraft states than any work you do will come back to you three times over, so make sure you’re working for positive results only!

Even so-called “love spells” performed with a specific person in mind often tend to backfire, blocking rather than creating a connection between the spell caster and the object of his or her desire. In fact, it’s best to avoid working magic on another person’s behalf without first obtaining permission.

Finally, be sure to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for magic.

Spells worked in a hurry without sufficient time to get in the right frame of mind are unlikely to be successful. Take time beforehand to clear your mind of any mundane distractions. Try meditating, taking a hot bath, doing some yoga, or any other way to wind down that you prefer.

Likewise, avoid working spells when you are emotionally agitated— particularly if you are angry or upset. Take some deep breaths and wait until you’ve calmed down. If you’re not mentally and emotionally clear, then you’re not spiritually clear either, and this will have a weakening effect on your personal magical power.

If you’re new to spellwork, you may find that any noticeable effects from magical workings are subtle at best. It takes time to learn how to truly connect with yourself as a power source and to focus that energy effectively as you send it out into the Universe. Don’t be discouraged! All practitioners of magic have to spend time developing and strengthening their skills. So practice, persist, and don’t be afraid to experiment with these and any other magical workings to see what works best for you. And of course, you can always invent your own spells! The ideas below can provide you with a template as you branch out on your own path of magical discovery.

 

Wicca Crystal Magic: A Beginner’s Guide to Practicing Wiccan Crystal Magic, with Simple Crystal Spells (Wicca Books Book 4)

Lisa Chamberlain

 

Crystal of the Day for November 17th is

Crystal of the Day

  Amazonite      
 
Amazonite was named for the Amazon river.

Hardness: 6 to 6.5                          
Specific Gravity: 2.56-2.57                                  
Chemistry: KAlSi3O8                                         
Class: tektosilicate                             
Crystallography: conchoidal
Cleavage: characteristic cleavages are perfect and distinct intersecting at approximately ninety degrees 
Fracture: conchoidal                                   
Streak: none                                 
Luster: vitreous

Amazonite is the birthstone for the month of December

Healings: Amazonite is said to alleviate muscle spasms and to help normalize calcium levels in the body. It is used to calm ones nerves. Often used as an elixir. An elixir taken 3 times a day is said to reduce calcium deficiency. It is also used for nervous system disorders.

Workings: Amazonite is used in reverse- negativity spells. It enhances creative expression and enhances self worth.  It is called the “Hope stone” because it inspires confidence and hope.
Amazonite is associated with the astrological sign of Virgo and vibrates to the number 5.

Chakra Applications: Amazonite is used with the Heart and Throat Chakras in order to enhance ones communication in regards to love situations. Amazonite aligns the astral bodies and is used to dissolve energy blockages.

Foot Notes: Amazonite is most easily recognized by its color, cleavage, and occurrence. 
It is said to be one of the stones used in the breastplate of the Hebrew High Priest.
Amazonite is the rare green variety of microcline, which is the low temperature pure potassium end member of the alkali feldspar group. Amazonite is found in the United States (notably in Amelia Courthouse, Virginia), Brazil, Zimbabwe, Russia, Australia, and Namibia.
Source:
Author: Crick

Gemstone of the Day for November 10th is Garnet

Gemstone of the Day

Garnet


Hardness: 6.5-7.5                                                     
Specific Gravity: 3.5-4.2
Chemistry: Ca3Fe2+2(SiO4)3           
Class: Silicates           
Crystallography: Isometric – Hexoctahedral
Cleavage: None                  
Fracture: Conchoidal                        
Streak: White                        
Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)

Garnet comes from the Greek word “Granatum” which refers to the color of the pomegranate seed.

Healing: Garnet is known as a Healing stone. It is used to purify and cleanse the body and/or spirit. It’s healing abilities work on all levels of mind, body and spirit. Believed to regulate the heart and blood flow and aid in curing depression. It stimulates the pituitary gland, relieves rheumatism and arthritis pain.

Garnets were believed to protect one from poisons.

Garnets are also known as a Stone of Commitment.

Workings: Garnet is used to protect homes from fire and lightning, heal snakebites and food poisoning, protect people from nightmares, and warn of danger. Garnet is also believed to promote true love. Astrological signs of; Leo, Virgo, Capricorn and Aquarius. Vibrates to the number 2. Its energy is projective and it is ruled by the planet Mars. The element is Fire.

Chakra Applications: Garnet is used to draw negative energy from the chakras.  Stimulates both the Base and Crown chakras, thus energizing the body.

Foot Notes:  Birthstone for the month of January. Garnet may be given as a gem on the 2nd and 6th wedding anniversary.Garnets belong to the isometric crystal class, which produces very symmetrical, cube-based crystals. They are double silicates; one of the metallic elements is calcium, magnesium, ferrous iron, or manganese and the other aluminum, ferric iron, or chromium.
Garnet occurs in many different kinds of rocks ; in metamorphosed impure limestones, in basic igneous rocks, in granite rocks, in schists and other metamorphic rocks as well as in igneous rocks. Garnet jewelry has been found that date back to the Bronze Age (3000 BCE).
Garnets can be found in the U.S. (Arizona), South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Myanmar (Burma), Scotland, Switzerland and Tanzania .
Source:
Author: Crick

Gemstone of the Day for November 3rd is Benitoite

Gemstone of the Day

Benitoite

                       
                                                              
Benitoite is named for its occurrence near the headwaters of the San Benito River in San Benito County, California.

Hardness: 6 – 6.5        
Specific Gravity: 3.6        
Chemistry: BaTiSi3O9, Barium Titanium Silicate                
Class: Silicates                
Crystallography: Hexagonal; bar 6 m 2           
Cleavage: poor       
Fracture: irregular                    
Streak: white                    
Luster: vitreous


Healing: Benitoite is used to treat disorders of the blood and to ameliorate excessive bleeding. It is also used to expedite the healing process.

Workings: Benitoite is used for astral traveling and connecting with other-world beings. Benitoit is worn to enhance feelings of emotional sensitivity, empathy and understanding. It aids in instances of telepathy. Benitoite is used to help one overcome one’s fear of water. 
Benitoite is associated with the astrological sign of Virgo and vibrates to the number 9.

Chakra Applications: Benitoite is associated with all of the chakras.

Foot Notes: Benitoite is a rare blue barium titanium silicate mineral, found in hydrothermally altered serpentinite. Benitoite is thought to have been derived during a phase of low temperature and high-pressure metamorphism which relates to a blueschist metamorphic facies. The elements that comprise benitoite are thought to have been mobilized from the host rock and deposited in a late stage cooling of hydrothermal fluids in veins fracturing the wall rock of serpentine.
Source:
Author: Crick

Crystal of the Day for October 19 is Sapphire

Crystal of the Day

Sapphire 


                     (Sapphires may be all colors except red. If it is red it is called a ruby)

     The name Sapphire comes from the Sanskrit “sanipriya” (dear to the planet Saturn).

Hardness: 9              
Specific Gravity: 3.9 – 4.1                 
Chemistry: Al2O3 – Aluminum Oxide
Class: Corundum                     
Crystallography: Hexagonal                      
Cleavage: none
Fracture: uneven, conchoidal                              
Streak: white                               
Luster: vitreous


Healing: It is said that wearing a necklace of sapphires will cure a sore throat. Sapphire is used to treat blood disorders such as excessive bleeding and to thicken vein walls. Sapphire is the most effective healing stone for the nervous system. It also aids in regulating the function of the thyroid gland. 

Magical Workings: Sapphire is used to dispel bad feelings and to enlighten one’s mood, it is a crystal of harmony and peace.
It is often called the “Stone of Prosperity”. Sapphire is an excellent stone for meditation. Star Sapphire is used as protection from the evil eye.
The Blue Sapphire is traditionally associated with purity and love.
Yellow Sapphire attracts wealth and brings prosperity to the home.
The Black Sapphire provides centering, protection and grounding.
The White Sapphire is an extremely protective gem.
The Indigo Sapphire enhances psychic awareness. It eliminates negative energies from the aura.
The Green Sapphire improves internal and external vision and helps you to remember dreams.
India considered it to be the stone of Saturn, and believed it to be a portal to the heavenly realms.
Sapphire is thought to be one of the stones on the breastplate of the Hebrew High Priest.
Sapphire is associated with the astrological signs of Virgo, Libra and Sagittarius. It vibrates to the number of 2, though Sapphires of different colors will vibrate to different numbers.

Chakra Applications: The Blue Sapphire is traditionally associated with purity and love. It opens and heals the thyroid and the throat chakra and has a calming and balancing effect on the nervous system.
Yellow Sapphire is associated with the Solar Plexus chakra.
The Black Sapphire is associated with the Base Chakra.
The Pink Sapphire clears emotional blockages bringing peace and unconditional love. It is associated with the Heart chakra.
The White Sapphire is associated with the Crown chakra.
The Indigo Sapphire is associated with the Third Eye chakra.
The Green Sapphire is known as the “Stone of Fidelity”, and stimulates the Heart chakra.

Foot Notes: Sapphire is the birthstone for September. It is also a 45th Anniversary gemstone.
Sapphire is the non-red variety of corundum, and the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind. Many Sapphire deposits are the remains of metamorphic or igneous veins of granite and marble weathered away into stream beds and mountain valleys.
An ancient Persian myth tells of a giant blue sapphire that Mother Earth rests upon, and that the sky is the reflection of this massive blue crystal.
Source:
Author: Crick

Gemstone of the Day for September 25th is Flint

Gemstone of the Day

  Flint


(Color: Dark brown to black siliceous nodules, usually found in chalk)

Hardness: 7                        
Specific Gravity: 2.65                           
Chemistry: SiO2 silicon oxide                          
Class: Silicates                                
Crystallography: none                                        
Cleavage: None                                  
Fracture: Conchoidal                
Streak: colorless or greenish                              
Luster: Waxy, dull

Healing: Useful when severing emotional ties. Used in the treatment of kidney stones, skin lesions, lung disorders and indigestion.

Workings: Flint is also known as Elf Shot, Thunderstone and Faery Shot. It is used to keep faeries away. Flint is also used as a protection amulet. Its energy is projective. It is ruled by the planet Mars and its element is Fire. Use in protection and healing spells. Astrological sign is Scorpio. Vibrates to the number 7.

Chakra Applications: Use in connection with the Third Eye Chakra, especially during thought transfers.

Foot Notes: Flint is a granular cryptocrystalline variety of quartz, typically dark in color. It is a form of silica more opaque than chalcedony  Flint is found in many localities throughout the world. Flint and chert nodules occur typically in limestone and chalk.

 
Source:
Author: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods

Gemstone of the Day for September 17th is Valentinite

Gemstone of the Day

  Valentinite

 
Valentinite was named in the middle of the 19th century in honour of Basilius Valentinus, a German chemist and alchemist, who discovered the properties of antimony.

Hardness: 2.5 – 3                    
Specific Gravity: 5.6 – 5.8                     
Chemistry: Sb2O3
Class: Simple Oxides                
Crystallography: Orthorhombic – Dipyramidal                
Cleavage: perfect
Fracture: uneven                    
Streak: white                
Luster: adamantine


Healing: Valentinite is used in the treatment of issues related to the heart, lungs, larynx, esophagus, stomach and the upper intestines.

Magical Workings: Valentinite is a excellent stone for use in meditation. It is also useful in telepathy and other forms of communication.
Valentinite is associated with the astrological sign of Gemini and Cancer and vibrates to the number 5. 

Chakra Applications: Valentinite is used in the stimulation of both the Herat and Crown chakras.

Foot Notes: Valentinite crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and typically forms as radiating clusters of euhedral crystals or as fibrous masses. It is a weathering product of hydrothermal antimony bearing veins, where it forms as a seondary mineral through oxidation in the upper parts of the deposits.

Source:
Author: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods

Crystal of the Day for September 14th is Malachite

Crystal of the Day

Malachite


Named for the Greek word for “mallow”, a green herb.

(Color: banded light and dark green or (if crystalline), just dark green)

Hardness: 3.5-4                
Specific Gravity: 3.9+                
Chemistry: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2, Copper Carbonate Hydroxide.        
Class: Carbonates              
Crystallography: monoclinic; 2/m                    
Cleavage: good in one direction                   
Fracture: conchoidal to splintery              
Streak: green                                
Luster: dull to silky

Healing: Malachite is known as a powerful healing stone. Use it to relieve stress and depression. It is also used in cases of rheumatism, asthma, Parkinson’s, MS, cholera, as well as some heart problems. Malachite is used for deep emotional healing. Malachite is useful for treating cramps such as menstrual cramps and is used to faciliate child birth. It is also used to lower ones blood pressure.

Workings: Malachite is used for money and love spells. Also for grounding and centering. Use it to absorb negative energies. Use malachite to enhance ones psychic abilities. It is used in protective magic (especially concerning children) and guards against negative influences and physical dangers. Ancient cultures believed that by drinking from malachite vessels we would be able to learn to communicate with the animal kingdom. Malachite is sometimes used for scrying purposes. It is often used for deep introspection. Its astrological signs are Capricorn and Scorpio. It vibrates to the number 9. Its energy is receptive, its planet is Venus and its associated Element is Earth.

Chakra Applications: Malachite is used to clear and activate all of the Chakras. Use it to stimulate the Throat and Heart chakras.

Foot Notes: Malachite was used as an eye paint in the Badarian age, circa 4000 BCE. Malachite dust is toxic, avoid breathing this dust.

Source:
Author: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods

Gemstone of the Day for September 4th is Alexandrite

Gemstone of the Day


Alexandrite

Hardness: 8.5
Specific gravity: 3.68 – 3.75
Chemistry: Beryllium Aluminum Oxide, BeAl2 O4
Class: oxides
Crystallography: orthorhombic
Cleavage: good in one direction, imperfect in another
Fracture: conchoidal, brittle
Streak: White
Luster: vitreous to greasy

Healings: Alexandrite is used to align and center the three states of our being (mental, emotional and etheric bodies) thus creating a more harmonious state of being. It is also used to re-enforce ones self-esteem. It has been used to address ailments of the nervous system as well as complaints of the testicles, pancreas and spleen. it is thought to be excellent for tissue regeneration.

Workings: Orientals use Alexandrite to bring Good Fortune. Alexandrite can be used to enhance love spells.

Alexandrite is associated with the astrologicals sign of both Scorpio and Virgo. It vibrates to the number 5.

Chakra Applications: Alexandrite is applied to the Heart, Third-Eye, and Base chakras. This is done to enhance astral travel and to generate past life regression.

Foot Notes: Alexandrite is named for the former czar of Russia, Alexander II, and was first discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia, allegedly on the day of his birth. Chromium gives alexandrite its color and while, in most minerals, a trace element like chromium would provide only one color to the mineral, in alexandrite it gives it two. Alexandrite occurs in granite pegmatite’s and mica schist’s. Alexandrite is found in Brazil, Madagascar, Myanmar, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and New Mexico USA.

Alexandrite is the birthstone for the month of June. Alexandrite is also the anniversary gemstone for the 45th and 55th year of marriage.

Source:
Author: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods

Gemstone of the Day for August 31st is Opal

Gemstone of the Day

Opal

(Color: White, colorless, light yellow or red, or gray)

Hardness: 6
Specific Gravity: 2
Chemistry: SiO2∙n(H2O)
Class: Silicates
Crystallography: Amorphous
Cleavage: None
Fracture: Conchoidal
Streak: White
Luster: Vitreous – pearly

Healing: Opal is a stone of inspiration which enhances the imagination and creativity as well. It helps one release inhibitions and enhances the memory. Opal is said to be helpful for eyesight and Parkinson’s disease. Fire opals (ranging from orange to red) have also been associated with improving circulation. Green opals help give an energy boost.

Workings: Opal is also said to be a very spiritual stone, and can help one be “invisible” in situations where they don’t care to be noticed. It has been known to bring happy dreams, and also to ease the process of change. Opals are also helpful for enhancing dreamwork or assisting spiritual journeys.

Opal can be a very creative stone, especially for writers and those who need to get their thoughts down on paper.

Fire Opal is said to be energizing, giving strength and endurance in stressful times. It is also a great meditation stone.

Chakra Applications: Blue opals can help open up the third eye, soothe the throat chakra, and encourage telepathic communications. Pink opals address emotional issues, offering nourishment and support to the heart chakra.

Foot Notes: Opal is a gemstone and the birthstone for October. Opals can form anywhere but are mostly found in places where there are hot springs. Opal color depends on how pure the stone is. Most stones look white but have an iridescent shining of other colors, too. If they show colors, they are called precious opals.

Source:
Author: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods