Thank you to everyone who has been reading our Metaphysical Corner the past few years. We decided to combine all of its content with our geology blog to create a single resource for information. Please visit us at www.entertheearth.com/blog/ in the future.
You can also follow Enter the Earth on Instagram and Facebook for additional posts on crystal grids, the metaphysical properties of stones, and sacred geometry.
Thank you.
Stacie and Christopher
Ibis Jasper through Christopher Lee Matthews
“Ibis Jasper” is a trade name for a new Madagascan brecciated jasper. Breccia (Italian, breccia “gravel, pieces, fragmented”) refers to stones broken apart and naturally cemented back together by another mineral. They are usually created by weathering or the movement of water. Breccia are similar to a conglomerate but they have more angular pieces. Ibis Jasper is fragmented jasper repaired with crystal, chalcedony, or agate, all varieties of quartz.
Although it has a similar color palette to Polychrome Jasper, found in northwestern Madagascar, Ibis Jasper is believed to come from southern Madagascar instead. It also has a shattered appearance, with terrazzo like chips or wave like folds.
The ibis are long legged waterfowl, similar in appearance to a crane. While the better known Egyptian species are white and black, Madagascan ibis are brownish red instead, with touches of white and blue. The stone has a similar color palette. Some pieces also look like feathers or even flocks in flight. The ibis bird is associated with the Egyptian deity Thoth, the god of wisdom, so the stone carries the signature of accessing esoteric information, from the akashic records to ancient sources of knowledge, developing intuition, and communicating spiritual messages.
Ibis Jasper is a brand healing crystal on the market from Madagascar that is imported by Enter the Earth. It kinda looks like petrified wood, polychrome jasper, and Ocean Jasper had a beige baby. It is a jasper that has gone through the brecciation process with a translucent chalcedony filling in the places where the opaque earth tone jasper fractured.
Most brecciated crystal healing rocks speak directly to healing fractures within the system. Fractures in the energy body are usually caused by some type of stress or emotional impact to the system. Being human is a hard job that often comes with some kind of system stress. We all have some kind of fracture just through a normal range of stressors that comes with having a body and interacting with the 3D world.
Some folks have gone through significant fracture from overwhelming situations they have experienced. In those instances, integration work is even more important. The deeper the fractures, the darker the shadows. The darker the shadows, the more influence those patterns have in the unfolding path of your life. Unexamined shadows that remain in one’s system will continue to bias perceptions and undermine progress forward to higher states of functioning, such as living from the heart in a state of joy and acceptance.
I consider Ibis Jasper a very strong ally in “shadow work”, as well as reintegration and wholeness work. Some people call this “soul rescue” or “soul retrieval” work that is necessary from “soul loss”.
Ibis Jasper reminds us that we have been broken “just right”. It helps to reflect on the areas and issues of the originating fracture so that we can deal with the impact of those events as a “Cosmic Observer” with as neutral (beige) of a reaction as possible. Healing and integration work should not have to re-traumatize the system in order to be effective. Ibis Jasper asks us to consider that we aren’t actually broken, but instead that we are part of a larger Divine process where we get broken to realize that there is no such thing.
We experience shadow so that we better understand our light.
Each piece of Ibis Jasper–polished, shaped, and carefully tended, seems like a separate rock, but each piece is really a part of a whole energy. Each rock is a fractal manifestation of the larger matrix of energies that all the same rocks hold. This fractal reality is true of rocks, true of humans, and true of creation itself. One single rock has the encoding of wholeness, despite appearances. Creation is whole despite appearances.
What used to be seen as empty space between celestial bodies in the universe is actually filled with exotic, dark matter that serves as the womb through which God/dess/the Divine creates. Where there are perceived fractures/spaces in anything, creation will ooze in with something to fill it up. Emptiness is ever an illusion and the polarity of light and dark is an environment set up to bring understanding of “what is” by observing “what is not”.
I believe that even the Divine is on a path of self-discovery and expansion, learning about itself and its authentic nature through observing creation on infinite levels and dimensions. To “know love” is to understand what “no love” looks like. To know what is whole is to understand what is a “hole”.
When we fracture, it gives us an opportunity to know our natures through the process of discovering that we are not the embodiment of pain and suffering of events that we have endured or experienced. Ultimately, those experiences give us a chance to observe and learn about the nature of our infinite light through the observation of the nature of what is shadow. Our shadows are in service to our light by bringing our observations and attention to the edge of what love is by showing us what it isn’t. How does the Divine know that it is love and that it is whole? In part, probably by watching us.
Ibis Jasper was big on word play. I was shown words that sound the same or which expose some greater truth. This playfulness of finding hidden messages is a nature of Ibis Jasper and may express in how you interact with it. Seek the playful and the work is not as hard.
no Love = know Love
no hole and know hole = know whole
eye – i
live – evil
not – knot
Love is the broken vessel and Love is the contents. Love heals the vessel, makes it strong again, so that it holds even more Love. The more Love, the more understanding that the vessel and the contents are actually the same thing that is expressing differently. Love is a nature and characteristic of the Divine, of creation, of us. We get the chance to observe that love and wholeness is our birthright, despite appearances.
We don’t need to do, be, or attach to anything that isn’t in our Divine nature to be. If we can also be the “cosmic observers” of the fractal patterns of what is and isn’t in our own lives, we can learn an important truth that separation/fracture is ultimately a lie, an illusion intentionally staged so the nature of what is can be known.
For things to “be”, they must be observed. The observed and the observer are one. The dream and the dreamer are one. Creation and the Creator are one. The eyes/I’s observe what can be seen. What is known to us is expanding, just like the universe. To live means to experience evil as well as goodness. Duality is the game here. I agree that it hasn’t been a fully pleasant experience, but it is the environment in which we find/discover ourselves.
Do you want to make the most of your human experience? Then step back and become the Cosmic Observer of your own life and experiences and identify what you ARE from experiencing that which you aren’t.
Understanding from observation and experience is wisdom. Wisdom is gained by understanding the lessons/experiences of the shadow. We have empathy for others because we know what suffering feels like and we don’t wish that feeling upon others. Our shadows and experiences dancing in departures from love and unity are what inform our deep desire to be more loving and to be more expanded and unified with creation and the Creator.
We were built this way… to be beautifully flawed and limited, to crack and give way, to seek our higher purpose and meaning through the constant death of the little ego–pushing out the boundaries of self to claim and contain more and more of what is Divine in us.
It is said that experience is the best teacher, but it sends terrific bills–and we know that adulting on the Earth plane requires that you suck it up and pay your bills. Each bill you pay, each shadow you observe and illuminate, brings you a new layer of awareness and greater memory and experience of wholeness. Basically, you become holy by discovering your wholeness–which you recognize because you first perceived yourself as full of holes before understanding there are no actual empty spaces within.
There is Divine Stuff in empty spaces. Ibis Jasper asks us to claim that Divine Stuff to embody wholeness. Honor the lessons and the experiences that our Divine Amnesia of Oneness allows us to have because it is in being lost that we are found. In order to find something, it first has to be lost. The cracks and fractures house exotic potential for something new to be born in those spaces that bring you closer to perceiving yourself as a fractal of the Universe, a fractal of the Divine.
Get it?
We are clueless, limited, and lacking on purpose. We aren’t a mistake. We are fractal manifestations of the Divine pretending to have limits to observe and know itself better. We are the eye of the beholder observing the I of the beheld. We are the Divine looking into a mirror and deciding what it is by understanding what it is not. Seems like an important job, even if it is often uncomfortable from this side of the mirror.
That being said, I think we’ve rolled around in “no love” and “separation” completely enough that we understand that is not the nature of the universe. It is not our true nature. I think we get to wrap up this layer of the human experience and move along to something less… painful. Some people call this ascension. Some call it raising vibrations.
All I know is that in order to grow and evolve beyond our current circumstance we have to face, heal, forgive, and integrate the shadows caused by the human experience with as much love as we can muster. Love heals. Love slips into the cracks of our being and makes us whole again. We won’t be the same as before, but we aren’t supposed to be the same as before. We are supposed to grow out from the places that have left a seeming void within us. The vessel, the contents, and the observer are one.
The Ibis bird has often been associated with the phoenix. How do we continually lift up to a new layer or height of wholeness? You keep breaking down until you realize there is no such thing. You are perfect just as you are. Right here. Right now. Joy is the natural consequence of understanding that “to be” means “to be love”, despite appearances. We are the finite and limited illusions used as a tool for the Creator to split itself down to annihilation to be reborn from the ashes again and again to reach new levels of higher and higher truth. Evolution is a continuing series of the death of an old perception and sense of reality into a higher level of awareness.
So, ask yourself…What are you? What aren’t you? What experiences have you had that reflect the greater spiritual reality? What experiences have you had that define who and what you are by showing you what you aren’t? Who and what do you choose to be? How is your empathy a result of pain? These are questions that Ibis Jasper wants us to ask of ourselves.
We’ve had enough data processed through countless deaths and rebirths to become aware that we cannot be finite. We can only forget that we are infinite and then observe the results. You are the dream that must awaken itself to a greater level of reality. We are like never ending Russian dolls that start off so small… then as we outgrow our boundaries, we grow into a larger understanding and presence of ourselves as Divine Beings. As we evolve, Creator is also evolving. To evolve means to embody more love. Evolution = NO IT, U LOVE, or “Know it, you are love.” See what I mean about the word play? Ibis loves that shit.
I pulled from my Crystal Whisper card deck to get more “hands on” guidance on how to effectively work with this stone to initiate shadow healing and wisdom integration. The cards are listed in order of importance.
When I read Ibis Jasper, I created a simple 7-stone, Star of David Reiki grid with a sphere in the middle and 6 stones along the outer points that I placed on the table and activated in front of me while reading. I was outside, and bee (or yellow jacket) landed on one of the stones and then proceeded to walk around my notes and touch all of the stones. How interesting to note that “bee” means “winged eye” in latin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ9PAAHX7jQ
Also, it highlights the need to ask questions that explore what is hidden. I spent most of the day dancing with Ibis Jasper when I did the initial reading at the end of September 2018. Since then I have been going through my own brisk process of shadow healing and wisdom integration. It hasn’t been much fun, but it has been useful and has led me down an expanding path of understanding who I am from a position of wholeness instead of fracture.
Sometimes shadow healing requires you to bear witness to your own pain and suffering, or to the pain and suffering that your actions may have caused others, so that you can honor and show reverence and compassion to the “lost” aspects of yourself that need to purge emotional congestion before reintegration. To “find” these parts of yourself, you can ask yourself a few questions.
What events in your life have made you feel forsaken?
When have you been terrified?
When have you been in fear of annihilation/death?
When have you behaved without love?
When have others treated you without love?
When have you been betrayed?
What single event in your life was the furthest away from Oneness/Love or furthest away from the Divine?
You may wish to keep a journal of your thoughts, feelings, and insights. This kind of work tends to be a process and not an event, so be ready to chew what you can chew, rest and recover when needed, and allow the unfolding of the process to be what it is.
Ibis Jasper will necessarily take you into uncharted territory that needs to be traveled and made conscious and integrated. There are several stones that I can think of that will assist with this important work. First, I would include stones that help you connect to your spiritual guidance and reality.
I would also include stones that are good for finding, then purging, releasing, and transmuting congestion, as well as those which create flow and movement.
Doing this work can be a little intense, so you might want to throw some woogy, loving, and comforting stones into your work.
I would also pair Ibis Jasper with stones that are known to help with integration and grounding through upheaval.
The last category of stones I would think of to include with the work associated with Ibis Jasper are those that support the mental body, detached observation, and changes in perception.
Since healing is a process and not an event, you may wish to engage in other energy work that deals specifically for purging and purification, like a traditional sweat lodge, a visit to a salt cave, deep breath work, or cleansing heart breath with rose quartz. General energy healing work like Reiki and other “light infusing” and “vibrational” enhancing energy work would be helpful after or with purging work. I would also recommend any therapy that supports mental body health and perceptual shifts and re-pattern, such as, Craniosacral therapy and EFT tapping. You can begin to integrate positive perceptions through mantras, positive affirmations, hypnosis, meditation, journaling, and whole brain integration work and exercises.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention that I wrote a book that deals with all movement towards conscious wholeness called “Awake in Angelscape”. It’s slam packed with guided imagery and intention based energy work that plugs you into deeper connection with your Sacred Self. You can find my book on Amazon. If you have a premium Kindle account, the book is free. Be warned, it is A LOT of work, but it is good work. It provides the platform and protocols that anyone needs to be way more interactive and competent with his/her spiritual reality, without it being framed by any particular spiritual belief systems. It’s the book I needed when I was first waking up. I spent decades quite deep in the work and then gathered up the most useful support that I had discovered along the way, so you don’t have to. Consider it a decade, or more, of forward movement that you don’t have to figure out on your own. I was given the time to come to understand these processes, which was a sacred gift that I did not waste.
Ibis Jasper asks you to embody love so you can understand the Creator….to embody joy because you know the truth behind the illusion– that there is no separation. There is nothing that isn’t All That Is. All There Is cannot be All There Isn’t. Consciousness is seeking to know itself better in layers of new and evolving expressions of itself–infinitely. We are a part of that consciousness, and like it or not, you can go easy, or you can go hard, but you ARE going. I promise that doing your work proactively is ultimately easier than ignoring it until you cannot. Please go easy. Pretty please.
Ibis Jasper is an ally in our journey into greater wholeness. It helps us peel away, heal, forgive, and let go of what isn’t so that we can be more of what is. Listen to the repetitive messages, look for the hidden meaning, observe how the Universe rises up to meet you. Ibis = I be. I is.
I am. When there is an “eye” to observe the “I”, there is consciousness.
Know it, you are love–despite appearances.. That is the final message of Ibis Jasper. Do your inner work, which is to explore and integrate your shadows, and you will be rewarded with wholeness, wisdom, faith, and a deeper connection to the creation and the Divine.
Copyright 2017 Stacie Coller and Christopher Lee Matthews
(A 17th century engraving of Diana the Moon goddess, with an angel above her, by the French artist Nicolas Dorigny. The crab on her head signifies the zodiac sign Cancer, which is ruled by the Moon. Image Source: Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
Although mostly forgotten today, there are traditional connections between astrology and the mineral kingdom. The birthstones are actually a 20th century invention but they echo an ancient belief that each planet and zodiac sign had gemstones associated with it. Although these listings vary, they follow a simple rule. Each material has a symbolic connection with the planet and therefore could serve as a vehicle for its energy.
“The moon is a silver pin head vase, that holds the heaven’s
tent-hangings fast.”
~William R. Alger, 19th century Unitarian minister and author~
Both the Moon, and many of its spiritual beings, were associated historically with silver. The metal resembles both moonlight and water. While it tarnishes black, it can be restored by polishing, similar to the changing phases of the Moon. All metals were once luxury goods. Their shiny surfaces reminded people of the light emitted by certain celestial bodies. Because gold does not tarnish, it was associated with the consistent appearance of the Sun. Silver was seen as “semi perfect”, representing the cool light of the changeable Moon, while the other planetary metals were “imperfect”.
Most of the metaphysical properties of silver derive from its physical characteristics, lunar connection, or use as currency. Silver’s durability but susceptibility to corruption made it a symbol of both morality and redemption in the West. Although the metal tarnishes, said to represent sin traditionally, it can easily be restored by cleaning. This quality is interpreted more neutrally today as supporting personal growth, self knowledge, and cleansing heavy energies.
Silver has been used historically to make mirrors, often in the round shape of the Moon. The reflective metal came to represent spiritual sight like intuition, personal reflection, and the deflection of negativity. Because of its connection to the night, it also signifies protection from the forces of darkness, just as silver bullets are thought to injure werewolves in contemporary folklore.
While most countries adopted the gold standard from the mid 19th to 20th centuries, where paper currency could be exchanged for its equivalent value in gold, silver was the principle metal used for commerce for centuries before that, associating it also with abundance, good luck, and success.
1: Silver
(A black moonstone sphere and pink moonstone rough on a handout from our workshop. As the name implies, moonstone is traditionally associated with the Moon. The term is applied to different varieties of the mineral feldspar that display adularescence, a bluish white sheen on the surface. Image Source: Christopher Lee Matthews.)
Not only do the planets correspond to certain areas of life, each is traditionally associated with specific animals, plants, and minerals. For example, the 16th century German writer Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa lists the following materials under the rulership of the Moon:
Amongst Metals, Silver; amongst stones, Crystall (A), the Silver Marcasite (B), and all those stones that are White, and Green. Also the stone Selenites (C), Lunary, shining from a white body, with a yellow brightness, imitating the motion of the Moon, having in it the figure of the Moon which daily increaseth, or decreaseth as doth the Moon. Also Pearls, which are generated in shels of fishes from the droppings of Water, also the Berill (D).
A = Quartz. B = Arsenopyrite. C = A name used for both gypsum and moonstone historically. D = Beryl but more likely, aquamarine.
(It can be difficult to correctly identify stones in historic texts. Names drift over time and minerals recognized today as completely different things were unknowingly seen as one gemstone, named by their color. For example, topaz once meant peridot, then all translucent yellow stones, and eventually the aluminum silicate we know today.)
Other period astrological texts also include:
–All soft stones (Lily, 17th century).
–Nabatean glass (E), white stones, emerald, moonstone. Silver and things manufactured of silver, such as cups, bangles, rings and the like, pearls, crystal, beads strung (Al-Biruni, 11th century).
E = A luxury trade good in antiquity, from Southern Jordan.
(A lunar crystal grid from a planetary gemstone workshop. It has a girasol quartz center stone, often sold under the trade name “moon quartz”. One arm has selenite, aquamarine, and aragonite, a mineral used by sea creatures to produce their shells. The other one has silver leaf in bottles, moss agate, rainbow moonstone, and abalone shell. Image Source: Christopher Lee Matthews.)
By reverse engineering these correspondences, we can learn lunar qualities in stones generally:
2: Stones that resemble the moon in color or have a white flash, once thought to change with its phases: selenite, the trade name for crystalline gypsum, and the various feldspars with a flash known as moonstone. Girasol quartz is commonly sold as “Moon quartz”. It is an uncommon white cousin of rose quartz, with a golden blue glow.
3: Materials that resemble water: clear quartz, beryl (aquamarine), and glass. The Moon is associated with water, especially the ocean, because of its influence over the tides. We are surrounded by glass today but it was once an incredibly prized material. As translucent as water and often used to hold liquids, one can see how period authors considered it lunar.
4: Precious materials from the sea, often organic in origin, like pearl, coral, and shell.
5: Green stones that representing growth. Historically the Moon was thought to rule the movement of all water, not just the oceans, so also represented the growth of crops from rain.
(A Full Moon crystal grid from our website, www.etemetaphysical.com. It also has a girasol quartz center stone. One arm has rose quartz, aquamarine, milk quartz, and celestite crystals. The other one has rough moonstone, amethyst, and clear quartz points. A border of white salt chunks surrounds the entire grid. Image Source: Christopher Lee Matthews.)
“He who would search for pearls must dive below.”
~John Dryden, 17th century English poet~
There is a long tradition of using gems in India to counter balance problems with both the natal chart and transiting planets. Large, flawless stones, usually set in specific metals are prescribed. Each planet has a primary gemstone, if one of sufficient size can not be found or is too expensive, then an alternative in a similar color is used. The primary stone of Chandra (the Moon) is pearl and its substitutes also appear lunar like moonstone.
A pearl is an organic object produced by certain molluscs, most notably the oyster. They form to protect the animal from injury or a foreign body, wrapping it in layers of the minerals calcite and aragonite and the protein conchiolin. Natural pearls are a rare occurrence and were once the most precious jewelry material available, known as the “queen of gems”. In the early 1900’s techniques were developed in Japan to produce cultured pearls, which made them available to the greater public.
Because of their white color, biological purpose, and layers, pearls represent purification, spiritual protection, and the overcoming of obstacles. Since they come from the ocean and are round like the Moon, they are lunar symbols, connected to the emotions, romance, and traits culturally associated with the feminine like intuition. Pearls are also said to have a calming effect, just like they help the oyster with an irritant, or are used to reveal and pacify the root of a personal wound.
6: Hindu astrological gemstones: Pearl and moonstone.
(The Full Moon. Image Source: Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
“Though the terror of the sea gives to none security, in the secret of the shell, Self preserving we may dwell.”
~Muhammad Iqbal, early 20th century Pakistani poet~
Astrological texts rely mostly on gemstones known in antiquity. Many new minerals have been discovered, others have become readily available, and familiar ones have turned out to be more than one type.
Because the Moon influences the tide, it has a close relationship to the ocean. While shell, coral, and pearls are commonly seen as lunar materials, the rock world also has marine fossils. Many of them have a symbolic connection to the home, traditionally ruled by the Moon in astrology.
7: Ammonites: The ammonites were squid like animals with an external shell. They created increasingly larger chambers to accommodate their bodies as they grew. Since the ammonites carried their homes with them, many contemporary metaphysical books associate them with the spiral journey of life, house blessings, and managing psychic gifts like empathy.
8: Sand Dollars and Sea Urchins: Historically in England fossil echinoids were placed near doors, windows, and hearths to watch over the home and bless the kitchen, especially the making of bread. Sand dollars are associated metaphysically with wealth, spiritual guidance, and protection, guarding the openings of a house or the chakras of the energy body.
This blog is part of a series on the planetary gemstones, adapted from my workshops on the topic. Some articles are on my old personal blog.
Gemstones of the Sun
Gemstone of the Moon
Gemstones of Mercury
Gemstones of Venus
Gemstones of Mars
Gemstones of Jupiter
Gemstones of Saturn
©2016 Christopher Lee Matthews
christopher@entertheearth.com
Is that a rock in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
(OK, that was bad. But, I’m not sorry. Plus, that photo is just darn cute. I got the photo from http://morguefile.com)
Why Use Pocket Rocks?
There are some ways to interact with healing crystals that are easier than others. It’s hard to beat wearing jewelry as a strategy to interact with crystal energy because ~who doesn’t like a little bling~ but pocket rocks have a very specific usefulness to them. Let me count the ways.
1) The Location Just Makes Sense: Your front pocket location directly interacts with two main chakras that deal with your physical world stability, wellbeing, and vitality, which are the root chakra and the sacral chakra.
a) The Root Chakra (aka: Muladhara chakra): This chakra is all about how you plug into the physical/material world. It is how you and Mamma Earth stay buddies. It’s about being in the world now, working it, putting your back into it, staying grounded, safe, paying your bills, showing up for class, being safe, sound, and stable.
The most popular notion of the location of the root chakra is basically between your sex organ and anus at the perineum, facing down to the ground. Traditional crystal healing placements for the root chakra are between the legs and at the groin area on both sides.
Your front pockets directly overlay the groin position. Handy, eh? Quite handy since it’s kinda tough to walk with healing crystals taped between your sex organ and your anus. Just sayin’.
This basically means that rocks in your pockets (shown with an X on the photo) would be at the root chakra groin position placement, while not immediately at the base of the chakra, is still very root chakra interactive. If you use root chakra specific healing crystals in your pockets, it is like you are facilitating a crystal healing session on yourself the whole day long. 😀
The colors corresponding to the root chakra are black, grey, gunmetal/metallic, red, and brown.
Underactive Root Chakra: If your root chakra needs a bit of support, you may be feeling spaced out, out of touch, disinterested in regular world activities, ungrounded, and not particularly “present” in your body. Think taking a dose or two of cold medicine and how that makes you feel. It’s hard to concentrate, hard to care about concentrating, hard to care about shit that needs to get done, like the laundry, dinner, thank you cards, and so on.
Pocket rocks that support the root chakra can help to keep your butt on the ground, keep you clearer headed, focused, and present in the “real” world.
b) The Sacral Chakra (aka Svadhishthana chakra): This center is all about vitality, sexuality, creativity, va-va-voom, gut instincts, passion, lusty-sucking-the-marrow-of-life stuff. It’s also a very physical/material world energy center. I see it as the center that dictates how interested and engaged your are with interacting with the physical world and how much gusto you can invest into it. It also seems to be where we hold a lot of unexpressed trauma and grief, things that challenge our sense of safety. Often those “gut feelings” that make you feel uneasy and “on guard” for no apparent reason are also filtered through this center.
I consider the location of the sacral chakra to be basically at your lower “pooch”, belly area halfway between your belly button and your bikini line. The front pocket position also interacts directly with this energy center. Again, useful.
The color for the sacral chakra is generally orange and orange shades, like peach, but there can be an overlap with root chakra colors because the womb, which is in the physical region of this energy center, is also associated with black and red.
Underactive Sacral Chakra: Yeah, if your belly chakra (another name for it) isn’t at a healthy level, you are going to feel lethargic, maybe depressed, mostly disinterested in things that take a little energy to do, creative activities, joyful or fun activities, sex, and so on. You’ll generally feel meh. Meh, meh, meh. The time until 5 o’clock at work will drag. on. forever. Your “zestiness” will not be very zesty. Your effervescence will be a bit flat. You get my point. Yeah, you’re alive, but you aren’t putting your back into the art of living.
Pocket rocks that support the sacral chakra can help to infuse zesty vitality, endurance, and the “juice” and inspiration it takes to tackle your everyday world tasks.
2) Can Address Polarity Balance: Your energy system isn’t just about the chakras and how they interact with one another, but also about the balance between the left and right sides of your system. Some folks consider one side of their body more “receptive” and the other side more “projective” or “grounding”, some consider different sides to be more feminine or masculine, and so on. Think of it like the concept of being left or right brained. Your energy body does something similar.
Pocket rocks, when used in pairs, can address polarity issues and can use the natural receptive and projective/grounding sides of the body as a way to strategically place healing crystals that would be in alignment with receptive or projective/grounding tasks and support. In other words, you can make your pocket rocks work smarter and with a bit more mindfulness as it relates to energy body balance and alignment.
3) The Location is Private and Stealthy: What you put in your front pockets is nobody’s business, but your own. Ha. You can shove as many healing crystals in your pockets as you wish, until you reach maximum capacity when people begin to wonder just what on earth you are smuggling in your pants…then not so stealthy.
Caveats: Rocks have different levels of hardness and if you put more than one rock into the same pocket, they might scratch or hurt each other. Also, if you put your phone in your pocket, where your healing crystals are, your phone may get scratched, etc. If you put a shit ton of rocks in your pockets, you will begin to sound like a rattle… also not stealthy. One last thing, if you put healing crystals in your pockets regularly, you need to remember to take them back out or they may take an unwanted trip through the washer and dryer. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
4) Pocket Rocks are Generally “Acceptable”: I mean that there are a lot of people who put rocks in their pockets as a part of normal accessorizing. This includes people who aren’t particularly metaphysical or interested in energy work. Some folks just consider it a “good luck” piece or a “worry stone” that you fiddle with when you are bored or need soothing.
You might be surprised how many “normal” people put healing crystals in their pocket. As a manager of a store that sells minerals, fossils, jewelry, crystals and gemstones in Asheville, North Carolina, this is a random fact that I actually know. If you are ever in Asheville, come on over and say hello! 🙂
My favorite Uses of Pocket Rocks
1) Grounding to the Real World: I can get spaced out pretty easily where it is difficult for me to get stuff done in the real world. Phooey, but true. Grounding healing crystals can go a long way in helping me to stay in my body so I can show up for the tasks at hand.
My favorites include: shungite, lodestone, labradorite, smoky quartz, petrified wood, black or brown tourmaline, hematite, or hematite included quartz varieties, like Sacred Heart Rose Quartz.
The photo below shows the Lodestone Pocket Rock Set that I think is probably one of the best deals out there. I regularly add it to my pocket rocks because it does such a good job of pulling your ankles back to the ground. I had a lovely wooey (spiritual/energy sensitive) lady come into the store who wanted something that would ground her out. We walked around the store and I had her feel a few different healing crystals, but when I put two lodestone in her hands and told her to put her hands by her front pockets she said she ~immediately~ felt her head clear.
Lodestone is an iron ore that is naturally magnetic. The iron content is grounding no matter what stone it is in, but the magnetic properties make it especially useful in digging your feet back into the geomagnetic field of the planet. This is ridiculously useful when there are any kind of geomagnetic disturbances on the planet from solar flare activity. Sensitive folks are almost always tossed around by solar flares, even on a good day.
Also, lodestone helps to attract things that you want and repel things that you don’t, that’s double score, don’t you think? Plus, it’s dirt cheap. Any healing crystal this useful and this cheap always gets a special shout out from me.
2) Energetic Protection/Boundary Integrity: Energetic protection is pretty much the process of making sure your energy field is not permeable to unwanted influences. It is precisely where your energy field is weaker or where there are voids that intrusive energies assert themselves and cause you challenges. (Think of energetic protection like having strong immunity against energetic pathogens.) Some healing crystals are quite useful in empowering your auric field to be stronger and less permeable.
My favorites include: Almost the exact list I just described for “grounding” could also double as “protective”. The two things are almost always connected. I would add amazonite to a protective and buffering combo. One of my favorite combos for protection and grounding together is Labradorite and Smoky Quartz. You can read all about that by clicking here.
Caveat: If you feel like you are being emotionally pushed around by inappropriate energy, it makes sense to also put a protective stone over your heart, like a shield. You can either wear a necklace that hangs over the heart chakra, or stick a rock in your bra.
3) Infusing Vital Energy: I often grab rock combinations that deal with physical vitality and energy in some way. It makes sense to use some red, orange, or “fiery” stones, such as obsidian (volcanic glass) or other rocks that are born of “fire” in some way.
My favorites include: carnelian, copal/amber, tiger’s eye, tiger’s iron, citrine, Sacred Heart Rose Quartz, other hematite included quartz, obsidian, rutilated quartz, ruby, garnet, red jasper, tektites (meteoritic glass), sunstone, and pyrite.
4) General Chakra Wellbeing/Energy Body Flow: Sometimes it’s just useful to support your system to run smoothly and in balance. For this purpose, I would select stones that specifically deal with aligning the system, ones that are parts-to-whole/integrative workers in some way, or healing crystals that have an affinity to water.
My favorites include: ammonites, Ocean Jasper, river stones, and enhydro quartz, smoky amethyst, banded amethyst, clear quartz, selenite.
Below is our “Chakra Alignment &Protection Energy Maintenance Set”. It’s actually made of two different fossils, an ammonite and sand dollar. Ammonites are great for restoring flow to the chakra system and sand dollars, because of their circular shape are good at “capping”, or placing a protective shield, around a chakra.
5) Cramps/Feminine Support: Since the pockets are so close to the female plumbing, so to speak, I’d have to say that I absolutely shove some healing crystals into my pockets during “that time of the month”. I don’t always use rocks for physical aches and pains, but some rocks have been pretty useful to alleviate normal belly aches from Auntie Flo. Using the same wisdom, I would use pocket rocks if I were pregnant, too–the same ones, actually. Whenever I hear about a friend being pregnant, I usually gift black moonstone to the Mom to be.
My favorites include: black or peach moonstone, peach calcite, hematoid quartz, and carnelian. I also sometimes put ammonites in my pockets during my moontime because proper energetic flow also prevents me from getting those entirely wicked cramps that make me wish I was a boy.
6) Comfort & Care During Times of Stress: If I am seriously stressed out, you better believe that I’ve got some sweet, woogy stone stuffed in my pockets and probably my bra. Times of stress and overwhelm require deep soothing, but it also requires major stabilization. If you are already a hot mess, you need something that helps slow down the spiral of drama and gets you stabilized.
My favorites include: Sacred Heart Rose Quartz, rose quartz, lepidolite, mangano calcite, scolecite, amethyst, petrified wood.
The photo below is the Lepidolite and Sacred Heart Rose Quartz Pocket Rock Set we have at the site. I put them together because lepidolite is serious stress care and Sacred Heart (rose quartz with hematite inclusions) is both very soothing to the system as well as being able to flood someone with the type of love energies that can be intense and easily assimilated. Both are healing crystals I grab during times of extreme emotional distress when I need a whole heck of a lot of Divine Intervention.
7) During Reiki Attunements or Healing Work: Facilitating Reiki sessions or attunements requires you to be pretty open and clear. I usually grab healing crystals for my pockets that help opening and grounding energies.
My favorites include: indigo gabbro, Green Earth Healing Quartz (aka Reiki Quartz), selenite, celedonite phantom quartz (I call them “Teal Core”), rutilated quartz, copper, double terminated quartz, and Quantum Quattro Silica.
The photo below is our Indigo Gabbro & Selenite Pocket Rock Set. I chose these stones together because selenite is spectacular at both alignment as well as channeling light energy. Reiki is a type of “light energy”, though not in the visible spectrum. Selenite is also quite cleansing. Indigo gabbro is very powerful at opening your ability to both channel large amounts of light energy and then grounding it out, think lightening bolt-ish.
These two healing crystals would be a perfect support for a Reiki Master to be personally supported to facilitate a very clear and strong Reiki attunement (like snaking the pipes). It would also be great for the receiving person to put these in his/her pockets for the same reasons. I would recommend selenite in the “receiving” pocket (left for me) and the indigo gabbro in the “grounding” pocket (right for me). Za-zing! Work smarter, not harder.
The photo below is the Indigo Gabbro Pocket Rock Set. Indigo gabbro is one of the best “technical workers”, imho. So even using two of them during Reiki attunements, or while facilitating or receiving a Reiki session, should maximize your ability to flow with the energies. I use the term “technical worker” to describe that it helps YOU to be a more efficient channel of light energy.
8) Continuing Healing Work & Integration: Healing work is always more of a process than an event. It is helpful to continue to support healing work through integration and continued reinforcement of the system so that healing shifts have a chance of becoming a permanent shifts.
My favorites include: ocean jasper, Green Earth Healing Quartz (aka: Reiki Quartz), petrified wood, septarian nodules.
The first set below is one I would use before, during, and after any kind of healing work, to be honest. Ocean Jasper is one of the best for parts to whole work, particularly soul retrieval and reintegration work, which would make it a good partner to active energy healing or after-care/integration work. Green Earth Healing Quartz’s alternative name is “Reiki Quartz”. It is also incredibly helpful for during and aftercare for active energy healing and then reintegration or the “cocooning” phase of any healing process.
The second set below is the Petrified Wood & Green Earth Healing Quartz Pocket Rock Set. This combo would be very well suited to support healing, particularly healing that is mostly supported by energetic or herbal means. The petrified wood would add a layer of deeper stabilization, if the healing process was one that could make someone feel out of control or helpless.
The secondary awesomeness of the Pet Wood & Green Earth combo is that they are super plugged into shamanic, Earthy stuff. If I were going to do any work that required dancing or journeying with the plant kingdom ~at all~, this would be the power duo to grab. Also, this would be a fantastic “global lightwork” combo for deep earth work prayer and meditation.
9) Walking in Both Worlds, Stacie’s Personal Go-To Pocket Rocks: OK, I have a unique issue of needing to sometimes be really expanded and spiritually connected and then one minute later being very grounded and able to do “real world” tasks without looking like a complete lunatic. It happens all the time at the rock shop. Some very normal folks come though that just enjoy the aesthetics of the stones and then others come in specifically seeking assistance for energy healing. Since I wear many hats, I need to be able to swing back and forth without taking a half hour to get back in my body. I have solved this unique problem with pocket rocks. Truth.
I use shungite and Presili Blue Stone to do my toggling back and forth between expanded and ordinary states of consciousness. For whatever reason, this is my go-to combination in pocket rocks and there are not many instances where I leave my home without these two stones in my pockets. Those of you who have to toggle back and forth between spiritual and real world states may find this a very useful combination too. I often add lodestone with them.
10) To Support Manifestation of Something: When you are actively working on some particular outcome and seeking to make your own energy field in greater alignment with that which you would like to attract, using pocket rocks can be a potent way to bring those energies to a material level. This method kind of trumps lining up your pocket rocks to correspond to the root or sacral chakras.
My best recommendation would be to put one lodestone in your grounding pocket (for me, it’s the right side) and one or two stones that support whatever it is you would like to manifest in your left pocket (receptive side). Your polarity might be different than mine. I find that I’m projective/grounding on my right and receptive on my left, but I’m right handed. Left handed people may have reverse polarity. I would use lodestone as a way to ground, almost like sucking the energies of what you want to attract in through your receptive side and then washing your whole system with it.
I only made two “attracting” sets because most of the people you will ever meet will say that they want to attract a partner or money, or both. Not necessarily in that order. . . *shrugs*. The “attract love” has a sweet little rose quartz heart and a tumbled garnet with the lodestone. The “attract abundance” has natural citrine and jade with the lodestone.
So, there you have it.
Healing crystals in your pockets are a serious and simple way to support yourself in the world. If you just put a little thought into it, you will be amazed at how potent this strategy can be. I feel naked if I forget them. 😮
Updated 7/17/15
Full Moon in Capricorn: July 1st, 2015 at 10:20 pm EST
9º 55’ Capricorn
New Moon in Cancer: July 15th, 2015 at 9:24 pm EST
23 º 14’ Cancer
Full Moon Aquarius: July 31st, 2015 at 6:43 am EST
7 º 56’ Aquarius
The Full Moon and New Moon typically alternate between opposing zodiac signs. The parts of life ruled by the pair mirror one another, as the different ends of a polarity. This month they fall along the Cancer and Capricorn axis, which represents the balance between the outer and inner life. Capricorn rules the structures of our body, life and society, while Cancer represents the home, childhood, and our connection to family.
(Early 19th century engravings of the constellations Capricornus and Cancer from Urania’s Mirror by Sidney Hall. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
While the Sun and Moon are in opposing signs during the Full Moon, they are in the same sign during the New Moon. This means each month we move from exploring both sides of a polarity towards examining one end of it. This time we will shift our focus from the outer (Capricorn Full Moon) to the inner (Cancer New Moon). In approximately six months, the Full Moon will be in Cancer and the New Moon in Capricorn instead, giving us the opportunity to adjust ourselves in the opposite direction.
After the New Moon, the Sun and Moon align themselves along a new zodiac axis. This month it is Leo and Aquarius, which signifies the polarity of the individual self vs. the collective group. 
An overview of the zodiac lunar cycle:
1: As the Moon waxes, increases in light until the Full Moon, the Sun and Moon align themselves along two different poles of a specific zodiac axis: Aries and Libra, Taurus and Scorpio, Gemini and Sagittarius, Cancer and Capricorn, Leo and Aquarius, or Virgo and Pisces.
2: As the Moon wanes, increases in darkness until the New Moon, the Sun and Moon come together at one end of that axis.
3: Approximately six months later, the Sun and Moon align along the same axis but reverse their positions and highlight the other end instead.
4: Because there can be thirteen Full Moons or New Moons in a year but only twelve zodiac signs, a particular zodiac moon may be repeated. For example, we started this year with two different New Moons in Aquarius.
While setting intentions on the New Moon and Full Moon is a popular practice, it can be fine tuned by incorporating the relevant zodiac component. Different signs are better suited for different types of intentions.
(A representation of the Full Moon in Capricorn, with the Sun in Cancer, on a late 14th century CE illumination of the zodiac wheel. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
Full Moon Capricorn: During the Full Moon, the Sun and Moon are 180 degrees apart, in zodiac sign completely opposite one another in the sky. This angle is called an opposition in astrology and represents a polarity of energies. There can be tension between the two planets or an attempt to reconcile their differences. For example, while Capricorn is an earth sign and Cancer a water sign, they are both cardinal signs, associated with the beginning of a season. All four cardinal signs like to initiate action but approach the problem from a different perspective, as represented by their elements.
(An early 16th century CE woodcut of the constellation Capricorn by Johannes Müller von Konigsberg . Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
Astrological Correspondences for the Capricorn Moon:
You can further strengthen your meditation or ceremony by working with gemstones attributed to Capricorn. Although the lists of stones vary greatly in both contemporary and traditional sources, zodiac gemstones tend to reflect either the planetary ruler of the sign or the season when the Sun passes through it.
(A representation of the New Moon in Cancer on a late 14th century CE illumination of the zodiac wheel. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
New Moon Cancer: During the New Moon, the Sun and Moon are 0 degrees apart. This means the New Moon happens in the same zodiac sign as the Sun. This angle is called a conjunction in astrology and represents a merging of energies. While an opposition can be inherently challenging, a conjunction is considered more neutral.
(An early 16th century CE woodcut of the constellation Cancer by Johannes Müller von Konigsberg . Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
You can further strengthen your meditation or ceremony by working with gemstones attributed to Cancer. Although the lists of stones vary greatly in both contemporary and traditional sources, zodiac gemstones tend to reflect either the planetary ruler of the sign or the season when the Sun passes through it.
(A representation of the Full Moon in Aquarius, with the Sun in Leo, on a late 14th century CE illumination of the zodiac wheel. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
Full Moon Aquarius: After the New Moon, both celestial bodies typically enter new signs. While the Sun advances one position, the Moon moves forward five, ending up opposite the Sun once again. Zodiac signs adjacent to one another are 30 degrees apart, an aspect known as a semisextile (Latin “half of one sixth”), and those five signs away from each other are 150 apart, an aspect known as a quincunx (Latin, “five twelfths”). Unlike the opposition and conjunction, signs involved in a semisextile or quincunx have nothing in common. They have different elements, modalities, and polarities.
Because of this lack of relationship, the New Moon represents the beginning of a cycle, as both the Sun and Moon shift to new signs balanced along the different poles of a zodiac axis. Next month we will explore the Leo and Aquarius axis of the zodiac.
(An early 16th century CE woodcut of the constellation Aquarius by Johannes Müller von Konigsberg . Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
July to August 2015 Workshop Schedule
Unless otherwise noted, workshops are by donation. However seats are limited. Individuals who have RSVP’d on our Meetup group WNC Crystal Toting Tree Huggers will be given priority. For event at the Grove Arcade, please arrive by 4:45 pm. The outside doors are locked by 5 pm on Sundays.
Full Moon Toning Meditation
With Christopher Lee Matthews
Wednesday, July 1st, 2015 , 5:45 pm to 7:00 pm
Meet at Asheville’s Therapeutic Salt Cave
Cost: $36.00
Advanced registration is required for events at the Salt Cave, please call to reserve your space at (828) 236-5999.
We will learn about harnessing the New Moon to Full Moon cycle with astrology.
We will set intentions for the Full Moon in Capricorn (07/01/15 EST) with support from gem elixirs, water infused with stones, and crystal grids, geometric arrangements of minerals.
Finally we will be vocal toning, a form of sound meditation, to support the manifestation of those intentions. We will be group singing the bijas of the Moon, simple Sanskrit syllables, believed to connect us to lunar energies.
While the Full Moon is generally associated with bringing things to fruition, each one takes place against the background of a different zodiac sign, making it better suited for particular intentions. This Full Moon is in Capricorn, representing the structures of our body, life, and society, personal and professional development, and producing things in the real world. After setting our intentions, we will work with gem elixirs, crystal grids, and toning the Sanskrit sounds of the Moon to clear, align, and strengthen the energy body to support the manifestation of those goals.
Spiritual Awakening: The Foundation of Psychic Awareness
With Deborah Hendrickson
Sunday, July 12th, 2015, 4:45pm to 7:30 pm
Meet at Enter the Earth, Inside the Grove Arcade, Downtown Asheville
Suggested Donation of $5-$20
The discussion groups that Deborah has facilitated in the past were such a big hit that we’ve scheduled her to come back this summer for another one. This is less of a workshop and more of a support and discussion group that will share helpful protocols to those going through the awakening process.
For more information about Deborah Hendrickson, please visit Sacred Tree Visions.
Earth Allies: Stone and Herbal Alchemy
With Asia Suler
Sunday, August 9th, 2015, 4:45 pm to 7:30 pm
Meet at Enter the Earth, Grove Arcade, Downtown Asheville
Suggested Donation of $5-$20
Plants and stones make up the most ancient history of this world. Co-creators of landscape, ecology, and the very evolution of our planet itself– herbs and minerals have been allies since the beginning. Ancient human systems of healing arose from an intimate understanding of these two foundational medicines. When used together, plants and stones can go deeper, higher and wider than when used alone. Together, these two allies can help us to access all levels of healing—from the bedrock of our innermost selves to the highest canopy of our personal growth.
In this class we we’ll look at the deeply synergistic relationship between plant and stone medicine. As a group, we’ll explore the philosophy behind plant and stone formulations and investigate different methods of combining these allies to make potent medicinal elixirs. Come meet a core group of synergistic plants and stones to help you begin a truly alchemical medicine-making practice and open the gateways to deepen your relationship with these ancient earth allies.
For more information about Asia Suler, please visit One Willow Apothecaries.
Harnessing Vibration: Sound Healing Techniques with Crystals
With Christopher Lee Matthews
Sunday, August 23rd, 2015 4:45 pm to 7:30 pm
Meet at Enter the Earth, Inside the Grove Arcade, Downtown Asheville
Suggested Donation of $5-$20
Many cultures recognize a unique relationship between sound and the mineral kingdom. When stones are activated with intentional sound, they help shift personal and collective frequencies and support altered states of consciousness ranging from meditation to journeying. One of the most approachable techniques is toning, using extended syllables to produce energetic effects. We will explore toning with individual crystals, crystalline grids, and gem elixirs.
We will also discuss sound healing techniques like sacred sound, combining spoken, sung, and written words with minerals, especially those passed down generation to generation through spiritual traditions.
Toning the Chakras
With Christopher Lee Matthews
Sunday, August 30th, 2015, 2:45 pm to 4:00 pm
Meet at Asheville’s Therapeutic Salt Cave
Cost: $36.00
Advanced registration is required for events at the Salt Cave, please call to reserve your space at (828) 236-5999.
Vocal toning is a form of sound meditation. It usually consists of singing extended syllables, especially vowels. These sounds are believed to have their own energetic properties like crystals, especially when passed down over time. We will be group toning the bijas of the chakras, simple Sanskrit syllables, originating in Hinduism, believed to balance the energy centers of the subtle body.
Combining sound and stones can produce deep meditative experiences. Because salt is associated metaphysically with spirituality, purification, and returning things to wholeness, the salt cave is especially well suited for restorative practices like chakra balancing.
Amazonite is a blue-green, teal, turquoise colored feldspar, which puts it in the family of groovy and exotic moonstones. I pretty much consider it “blue moonstone”, although whenever someone is using that term, they are really describing rainbow moonstone with a blue flash. To-may-to, to-mah-to. (That doesn’t work as well in writing as it does spoken.)
I find that I am rather neutral about the darker green teal colored amazonite on the market that is very veiny, but that I love-love the lighter more blue variety from Madagascar. Big surprise. I know. I think the darker green that I am ho-hum about comes from Russia. (Not that there is anything wrong with stones from Russia. I’m a huge fan of shungite, charoite, and seraphinite, which all hail from Mother Russia.)
Why Amazonite is Groovy
1) Empathic Buffering Support: If you’ve read any of my blogs with any regularity, you know that I am empathically sensitive, which is one of the reasons why I like working and playing with rocks. My super power is “to feel”, either emotionally or energy through touch. Sometimes more of a pain in the ass than a super power, but if you can actually keep yourself on lock down so that you aren’t being pushed around by the world around you, eventually you get to the point where you can use your sensitivities in service to a greater good.
2) Restoring Flow: Amazonite is named after the Amazon river and the Egyptians associated it with the Nile, so amazonite is deeply connected to the energy of flowing rivers. Any stones associated with water tend to help with the emotional body and the restoration of flow after blockage.
3) Woman Power: Amazonite is also associated with the mythical warrior women, the Amazons. Pretty much, no one messed with those women because they would throw down on anyone that tried. If you need to put your big girl panties on after something, or someone, makes you feel defeated, amazonite can help you sing your fight song. (He wasn’t worth it anyway, you move on, Girl.) The fact that amazonite is in the feldspar family and deeply aligned with moonstone helps with this “feminine power” aspect, too.
4) Cheap Blue Green Stone: Amazonite is fairly affordable, so you can often find it in cheaper elastic or chip jewelry. I often call amazonite “poor girls larimar” because some of the amazonite on the market is way closer to blue than green and it has a beautiful sea blue color to it that reminds me of larimar. Also, when you are looking to create a chakra healing crystals set or selecting individual chakra stones, there are not as many choices in the blue or blue-green color range to support the throat chakra or the high heart chakra, and amazonite makes a decent choice.
5) Throat Chakra – Heart Chakra Alignment: Amazonite’s color is between the heart and throat chakras, so it can be used at either chakra for support, but it can be used between them to support the integration of heart chakra issues (emotions) with throat chakra issues (communication). So if you have shit you need to say, you can make like John Mayer, and say what you need to say… say what you need to say. La lalala.
How to Work with Amazonite
1) Amazonite Gem Elixir: Since amazonite is closely aligned with water through it’s name association with the Amazon river, a gem elixir would be a fantastic way to work with the energies of this stone. I would recommend, however, that you use a NON CONTACT method of creating a gem elixir because amazonite gets its color from lead. The lead is bound to the structure of the stone, but still, be safe. I would encourage you to do a combo gem elixir and add your favorite flower essence, such as Rescue Remedy, or some other blend that makes sense for your needs. Matching it with lotus or blue lotus flower essence would be nice too, since the Egyptians associated amazonite with the Nile.
Click here to learn more about how to make your own gem elixirs.
2) Amazonite Jewelry: Since amazonite is a more affordable stone, you can almost always find it in jewelry that is “just for fun”. The colors of amazonite would lend it well as a necklace and as earrings, as those locations put the stone in energetic contact with the heart/throat chakras, where it wants to do its best work. Amazonite bracelets would be good too, since all meridians in the body run through the wrist and hands.
3) Grids: I like putting amazonite in grid combinations that need to support and empower feelings and expressions. It would also be a great addition to a healer’s work support grid because it would provide a layer of buffering from clients brew-ha without shutting down empathic information that might be useful for directing the healer to points of need.
Click here to read about “Crystal Grids: What’s the Flipping Point?”
4) Booby Rock: Yes, I just said that. And, no, you aren’t the only person who shoves rocks in your bra. (Sorry, dudes.) Amazonite is a good rock to stuff in your bra over your heart, especially if you need emotional buffering. If it is graphic amazonite or amazonite with black tourmaline inclusions, mores the better.
Amazonite Plays Well With….
1) All Other Feldspars/Rocks with Feldspar: Moooooooonstone. All of it. White moonstone, black moonstone, peach moonstone, rainbow moonstone, graphic feldspar, labradorite, sunstone, indigo gabbro, and so on. There is already a family resonance between those stones, so if you are working on a combo grid or pouch set, add amazonite when you want to pull in the qualities it supports.
2) Smoky Quartz: Amazonite forms with smoky quartz sometimes and when it does that…damn, it’s amazing. Amazingite. This significantly amps up the protection, grounding, and stabilization aspect of the amazonite. I LOVE Graphic Amazonite (which is the name given to amazonite that has made a baby with smoky quartz). It’s not just stunning, it’s smoking hot and useful.
3) Black Tourmaline: This is another stone that often forms with amazonite, and when it does… again, it significantly amplifies the protection, grounding, and stability of amazonite’s already buffering qualities. Other colors of tourmaline would be cool too, such as blue tourmaline, pink tourmaline, and green tourmaline.
4) Other Protection Stones: We already mentioned smoky quartz and black tourmaline, but other buffering and protective stones would do well, such as shungite, obsidian, amethyst, and Ocean Jasper.
5) Other Blue or Green Gemstones: Amazonite plays nicely with other stones within the same color range. I like it with turquoise, lapis lazuli, labradorite, larimar, chrysocolla, quantum Quattro silica, malachite, emerald, and aquamarine. Yummy.
6) Other Woogy Comfort Stones: Such as rose quartz, mangano calcite, angelite, and lepidolite.
So, there you go. Amazonite. It’s Amazin’. (Sorry, that was bad.)
If you enjoyed this article, I’d be grateful if you shared it in any way that made sense to you. We’ve got easy buttons just below. 🙂 Thanks!
What is the “Seed of Life”?
The “Seed of Life” is a contemporary name for an ancient geometric figure. It consists of seven overlapping circles with the same diameter. Six of them are regularly spaced within the seventh, producing a rosette with eighteen lens shaped petals: six smaller ones inside and twelve larger ones outside.
This figure can be replicated in six different directions, creating an interlocking net of circles and rosettes. A version constructed from nineteen circles is known today as the “Flower of Life”.
The names “Seed of Life” and “Flower of Life” are modern, popularized by the author Drunvalo Melchizedek in his workshops and books on sacred geometry since the mid 1980’s. He attributes these teachings to his angelic guides and a spiritual master related to the Egyptian deity Thoth, the patron of communication, wisdom, and science.
(A 14th century hexagonal panel of Euclid by Nino Pisano. As the “father of geometry”, Euclid is representing Architecture in a sculptural series of the Liberal Arts. He is depicted using a drawing compass at a workbench. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
How were geometric figures constructed historically?
These rosettes comes from a long tradition of making geometric figures by hand.
The traditional tools of geometry are the straightedge and the compass, an instrument with two movable legs used to make circles. Compass drawn circles can be used to map out regular polygons like the square. The classic example is using two overlapping circles of equal diameter, the perimeter of each circle aligned to the center of the other, to create an equilateral triangle.
This is the first proposition of Euclid’s Elements, the foundational text of geometry since the 3rd century BCE. As the regular polygon with the smallest number of points, the triangle was seen as the first shape. Circles and arcs are similarly used to construct other geometric figures, like the pentagon.
(Above: A mid 19th century illustration of Euclid’s first proposition by Oliver Byrne. Below: A 16th century illustration by Albert Dürer showing the construction of a pentagon with a compass and straightedge. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
How is the Seed of Life created?
The Seed of Life is also created by overlapping circles of the same diameter (purple), creating a pointed oval between them (pink).
Focus on the top circle of the Seed of Life. Its outer edge rests on the center of its two direct neighbors and the central circle (all dark purple), creating three areas of overlap (pink). (The horizontal one is more difficult to see because it covered up by the crossing of the two vertical ones.) This arrangement is found in all six of the outer circles, while the seventh overlaps them all.
Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
The Seed of Life is easily constructed with a compass. Make a circle. Measure the circle with the compass to keep the same diameter. Create a second circle, placing its outer edge at the center of the first one. Make a third circle, aligning it to both circles. Then continue this pattern until you return to the original circle.
Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
Additional figures can be created by repeating or cropping the basic form. The rosette can be expanded in six different directions, creating a continuous network of intersecting circles with six lenses. This can be repeated infinitely or stopped after filling a certain area. The figure we call the “Flower of Life” today is a symmetrical network made from 19 circles.
Finally the inner circle may be used by itself, with or without additional lens shaped petals from neighboring circles in the net along its outer edge.
(Above: 6th century Italian mosaic with the six petal rosette as a flower, among other botanical motifs. Below: Interlocking rosettes as a door decoration on a 19th century wooden church in Lozna, Romania. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
What does the Seed of Life mean?
Although the names “Seed of Life” and “Flower of Life” are contemporary, the geometric figures themselves have a long history. They are first documented in the ancient Near East, during the second millennium BCE. Despite their age and cross cultural use, we know surprisingly little about their traditional names or meanings:
1: A Flower: As the name rosette (French, “little rose”) implies, the figure resembles a flower. A tradition of using geometrically stylized flowers, leave, and branches as decorative elements originated in Mesopotamia and continues to be used today.
2: The Sun: The rosette has been used to represent the Sun, with the petals as rays. The Sun has a close association with the number six. While it has four stops during its daily motion (east at dawn, south at noon, west at dusk, north at night), it has six on its yearly journey. It rises and sets at its furthest north during July solstice, furthest south during December solstice, and rises due east and sets due west during both equinoxes.
3: Spiritual Protection: Several cultures believe the rosette is apotropaic, used to avert bad luck. The central six petals signify blessings in Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs. Likewise hexagonal geometric figures, including those we call the Seed of Life and Flower of Life, were used in Eastern Europe as “thunder marks”. Associated with Perun, the Slavic equivalent of the Norse Thor, they were carved on homes to protect from dangers like lightning.
We do know that the geometric rosette was used extensively as a template for constructing the hexagon, hexagram, and mapping out tiling with sixfold symmetry. The six petals of the inner circle are equally spaced apart. Connecting its outer points with a straightedge makes a hexagon, while using every other one produces a hexagram instead.
Although sometimes used as a motif by itself, the Seed of Life was more commonly employed to create other figures, making it invisible to the untrained eye. It is an underlying order beneath more complicated geometric patterns like stained glass, window tracery, and mosaics.
(Above: The figure we call the “Seed of Life” was used historically to construct the hexagram and hexagon. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
(The seven interlocking circles could also be used as a template for more complex geometric patterns, like an underlying grid in Islamic art. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
(Top row, left to right: Variations on the central rosette on 17th century BCE Greek coins, an early 15th century CE Arabic tile, and the Gundestrup cauldron of Denmark. Middle row, left to right: Examples of the rosette net pattern on a 1stcentury BCE mosaic in Israel, a monastery window on Crete, and a sketch by Leonardo da Vinci. Bottom row, left to right: The rosette can be used to generate more complicated geometric patterns like the rose window of Saint Stephen’s cathedral in Vienna, a 2nd century CE Roman mosaic in France, and an early 17th century Chinese illumination for a Qu’ran. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
(Detail of the rose window of Saint Stephen’s cathedral in Vienna, Austria, showing the “Seed of Life” as a template for some of its tracery. The rosette often hides beneath more complicated geometric patterns. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
The Seed of Life derives much of its meaning today from the symbolism of the circle, the crossed circle (“vesica piscis”), and the numbers six and seven.
1: Circle: Mathematics was once a sacred science, believed to hold insights about both God and the natural world. Different numbers and shapes developed their own meanings. For example, the circle can represent the divine act of creation because of its use in constructing other shapes.
2: Vesica Piscis: The pointed oval between the two circles is known today as the vesica piscis, a name attributed to the 16th century German artist Albert Dürer. The Latin vesica piscis (“fish bladder”) is a translation of the German Fischblase (“fish bladder”), a term originally used in architecture for curved openings in window tracery that resemble the swim bladder of a fish.
Because the letter “c” has been vocalized differently in Latin over time, vesica piscis has a range of correct pronunciations. The piscis can be said as “pis-kis” (classical Latin, hard “k” sound) or “pis-sis” (later Latin, “s” sound). Most people today say “veh-see-kuh pis-sis” which oddly uses the original “k” sound in vesica but uses the later “s” sound in piscis.
(Above: Some fish have an organ that helps them maintain their buoyancy called a swim bladder. It typically consists of two gas filled sacs connected together. A late 19th century illustration of fish anatomy. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Below: A railing at the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina with a Fischblase [German, “fish bladder”] motif. This shape is better known in English as a mouchette [French, “snuffer”] when curved or souflette [French, “bellows”] when straight. Image Source: Christopher Lee Matthews.)
(Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
The Seed of Life has six different vesica piscis (purple), created between each neighboring circle, and an inner rosette of similar but smaller lenses (dark purple). An additional six vesica piscis are created by the center circle crossing each of the outer circles (light purple).
Many of the Seed of Life’s meanings are derived from the symbolism of the vesica piscis:
A: “The Mother of Geometry”: Some believe the vesica piscis is a symbol of the Divine Feminine, with the pointed oval signifying the vulva. Because of its traditional use in mathematics, it is also seen as the mother of geometric shapes, giving birth to the triangle, square, and other regular polygons. Figures derived from the vesica piscis, like the Seed of Life and Flower of Life, may also be used to generate geometric figures.
It also has a unique relationship to several square roots. It was used historically as a geometric proof for the square roots of 2, 3, and 5, as shown below. They are often associated with form themselves. For example, the irrational number phi was generated from the square root of 5 historically:
Phi is the foundation of the “golden ratio”, a system of proportion often used in nature to guide the growth of plants and animals.
(The vesica piscis can be used to construct regular polygons like the trianlge, square, and hexagon. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
(The vesica piscis has a special relationship to three different square roots. If A to B is 1, the radius of both circles, then C to D is equal to the √3, E to G to √5, and E to A to √2. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
(Patterns derived from the “Seed of Life” are also used to map out geometric forms. The Flower of Life as a template for “Metatron’s Cube”, a figure that contains all five of the Platonic Solids. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
B: The Union of Opposites: Because the vesica piscis is created by crossing two circles, it became a symbol of the union of opposites like heaven and earth, male and female, and spirit and matter. The shape was also known historically as the mandorla (Italian, “almond”), after the shape of the nut. The mandorla was commonly used in Christian art as an aureole around religious figures like Jesus and Mary, to signify their role in bridging the divine and human realms.
The pointed oval also resembles the rough outline of a fish, an animal closely associated with Jesus in Christian thought.
(13th century illumination of Christ in a mandorla, surrounded by an angel, eagle, bull, and lion, representing the Four Evangelists. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.)
3: Six and Seven: The Seed of Life is paradoxically related to both the number six and seven. Therefore it has become associated with similarly organized symbols, where seven is more technically 6+1.
A: Biblical Creation: Creation lasted a week in the Bible, with God resting on the seventh day.
B: The Chakras: The modern chakra system is rooted in an originally Hindu model known as the sat cakra/shat chakra (Sanskrit, “six chakras”). Although there are actually seven chakras, the Crown Chakra above the head was seen as so radically different than the others, it was not included in the count.
C: The Planets: Because of the central importance and size of the Sun, sometimes the seven classical planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) are symbolically represented as 6 + 1.
(The stellated octahedron [right] is better known in the metaphysical community as the “Merkaba”. The shape is created by crossing two tetrahedrons [left]. The tetrahedron is similar to a pyramid but constructed from four triangles rather than four triangles and a square. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
(The stellated octahedron is often represented as standing on one of its points in contemporary sources. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
(The “Seed of Life”, “Flower of Life”, and “Merkaba” are all derived from the same six sided geometry. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
D: The Merkaba: Like the “Seed of Life” and “Flower of Life”, the “Merkaba” is a contemporary name for an ancient geometric figure, popularized by the author Drunvalo Melchizedek. It is the three dimensional equivalent of the hexagram, created by crossing two tetrahedron. All three figures are derived from the same six sided geometry.
Although commonly described as a “star tetrahedron”, it is actually a stellated octahedron instead. Stellated figures are created by extending the faces of a polygon, producing a new pointed shape where they meet. Neither the cube nor the tetrahedron can star. When the octahedon is stellated, the eight sided figure becomes a star with eight faces and extended points instead , produced by two interpenetrating tetrahedra.
(The octahedron [above left] is a regular polygon, constructed from eight equilateral triangles. A star octahedron is created by extending the faces of the octahedron [above right], transforming the eight sided figure into a star with eight extended points instead [bottom]. Image Source: Adaptation of a public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.)
The term comes from the Hebrew merkaba/merkava, meaning “chariot”. The word originally referred to the moving throne of God in the Bible, like the vision of Ezekiel, and spiritual practices based upon it historically. The metaphysical Merkaba is a restructuring of the energy body, represented as a series of spinning stellated octahedrons. It is said to be aligned with the main chakras along the spine, terminating at a point above the crown chakra and below the feet chakras. Other details like the orientation of the points, the number of merkabas, and the directionality of their spin differ between sources.
The Seed of Life, Flower of Life, and the Merkaba have all become major symbols of personal and collective evolution within today’s renaissance of sacred geometry.
(Above: 16th century woodcut of geometric figures by Lorenz Stoer. Front piece of “Geometry and Perspective” with four of the five Platonic Solids [tetrahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron] in the corners and four irregular solids between them, including a stellated octahedron at the top. Image Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Below:
(A grid to support higher consciousness with scolecite, Moldavite tektite, rose quartz, Herkimer Diamond quartz, azurite, petalite, and angelite. Image Source: Christopher Lee Matthews.)
My friend and coworker Stacie Coller helped pioneer the use of the Seed of Life as a template for making crystal grids. We have grid templates available for FREE on our Metaphysical Department of Enter the Earth website, sell themed stone sets (abundance, long distance energy work, grounding, etc.) in our online store, and teach workshops on grid making throughout the year at our gallery in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
©2015, Christopher Lee Matthews
christopher@entertheearth.com
The entire quartz family is amazing, but Amethyst is definitely the one wearing the crown. Crown chakra, that is.
Amethyst is a purple colored quartz that is probably, by far, one of the most beloved healing crystals from the mineral kingdom. It has a few things in it’s corner, such as, it is the birthstone for the month of February (you lucky ducks!), it’s an affordable semi precious gem, and it even makes mention in the bible as being one of the stones in the breastplate of the high priests of Israel.
Then there is that whole “being purple” thing. The color purple is so popular that even Oprah starred in a movie with the name. What was the line about it pissing God off if you walk by the color purple without noticing it? Yeah, it’s like that.
Another thing that amethyst has going for it is that even the meaning of its name means something very specific. It’s name translates as “not intoxicated”. That’s not subtle or hard to understand. People used to think that drinking out of an amethyst cup would prevent drunkenness and encourage sobriety. Some say it was because the purple of amethyst looked like watered down wine. *shrugs* I always thought my wine looked more like garnet, but whatever.
Some other historical associations of amethyst was that it protected the wearer from the “evil eye”, which was basically when someone was giving you energetic “stink eye” meant to harm you in some way. They were real big on preventing evil stink eye back in the day, so again, amethyst was one of the first gemstones that was directly associated with spiritual or energetic protection.
One of the other associations was that it lessened fleshy or carnal desires and instilled a sense of peace and calm, perhaps because of its “sobering” quality of lowering addictive behaviors. That would make it a great sleep and meditation stone, but you’d need to chuck it out of the room on Valentine’s evening, I’m just sayin. It’s kinda like the opposite of being “drunk in love”.
I wonder how many women in more ancient times were clinging to some amethyst in hopes it would have sobering and desire squelching effects on the SOB’s they were forced to marry? I’d put money down on the theory that the first gem elixirs were born this way. A gem elixir is basically fluid, usually water, that has been imbued with the vibration or energy of a particular stone. That was the point of drinking wine out of an amethyst cup. The wine was supposed to take on the energetic qualities of amethyst and be, therefore, less potent. Not sure how well it worked out for them, but that was the going thought at the time.
The Quartz Family
The whole quartz family is full of a bunch of rock stars. Pun intended. 🙂 Besides amethyst, there is my all-time favorite stone, rose quartz, as well as citrine, smoky quartz, clear quartz, milky quartz, quartz points, and a dizzying array of quartz with inclusions, such as rutilated quartz, tourmalinated quartz, hematoid quartz, and so on.
Whew, that is one sexy list of crystals. So why is the quartz family so sexy? They happen to be fantastic at holding and amplifying intentions as well as directing or projecting energy. Some people call it “programming”, but I prefer to describe it as the quality of being able to be imprinted with energetic information or intentions, which it then holds steady and radiates outward more amplified. Directing energy, such as in drawing an energetic circle to create sacred space, is best done with a terminated point.
Because I like for things to make sense, I would use the specific quartz variety that best matched my intentions, but how do you determine that?
I want to free you from the shackles of the metaphysical crystal meanings and properties books forever. It’s so easy that it will probably irritate you a little.
Chakra Colors = Crystal Colors
I always tell people that the quickest way to master gemstone meanings is to study up on the chakra system and what each chakra center represents, what themes or qualities they have, and what being overactive, balanced, or underactive means for that center.
The colors of rocks, stones, and crystals almost always directly relate to the meaning and themes of the chakra color with which it coordinates. The colors of the crystals basically “tickle” or interact with the chakra center of the same or similar color. There are other factors, but that is the quickest way to “unpack” the meaning of any crystal or stone and to figure out which one you might want to grab.
If you know your basic 7 chakras by the corresponding chakra colors and main themes, you are 80% of the way to understanding how to interpret gemstone meanings and uses. I told you it was easy.
Your job is to figure out which chakra or chakras you may need to work on, then browse crystals and rocks of similar or complimentary colors that “tickle” those centers the best ~for you~.
My favorite analogy equates crystal “vibration” to music. Each rock is it’s own unique “note” and you are your own unique “song”. When something is out of tune in your personal song and needs adjusting, you need to find the right “tuning fork” that holds the right note and helps you bring it back into balance or harmony. The term “attuning” or initiating an “attunement” means to bring yourself into vibrational alignment with something, hopefully to correct a vibrational misalignment within yourself.
For example, all black stones correspond to the “root chakra”. That is the chakra that is associated with being stable, grounded, and with connecting to and navigating the physical/material world safely and with competency.
All black stones are going to be protective and grounding. All of them. Every. Single. One. Your job is to find the nuanced (s)tone from that range of (s)tones that is most resonant with you as an individual. Basically, this mean selecting and working with a rock that gives you the best tickle and holds vibrational space to correct the misalignment in your system.
I just blended my analogies, but I think you get my point.
So there you have it. Use the crystal meaning books if you care to, but you still have to find the one stone that makes the best sense for you. Bada bing, bada boom. You are now a Crystal Master.
And now back to amethyst…
Amethyst Tickles the Crown
Amethyst is normally a rich to light purple color. Purple, white, and gold are associated with the “crown chakra”. The crown chakra is the direct connection point to the spiritual or Divine levels. If you want to interact with the spiritual level, either by praying, meditating, doing energy healing work, like Reiki or pranic healing, or receiving spiritual assistance for whatever reason, that all goes through the crown chakra first.
Amethyst isn’t the only purple stone out there that tickles and empowers the crown chakra, but it is the only one that is also straight up quartz. Because it is quartz, it can be programmed with intention or used to direct energy through a point. Za-zing. That’s what I’m talking about.
Why Care About the Crown Chakra?
I can break it down into two very easy to understand dynamics: Large and Open Crown Chakras v. Small and Closed Crown Chakras.
Big ass crown chakra = very evolved and spiritually plugged in person who perceives the self as part of All Creation.
For example, the halo surrounding the heads of spiritual figures depicted in art through history could be considered a visual interpretation of the crown chakra being fully balanced, expressed, opened, and activated. Jesus is shown with a big crown chakra. Buddha, Mother Mary, the saints, and other “masters” (too many to list)…are shown with a big ass glowing halo around their heads.
People with balanced and open crown chakras are generally loving, kind, compassionate people that avoid harming others because “the self” is seen as integrally related to the greater whole. To bring harm upon any other part of the larger whole is the same as bringing harm to the self.
People with well developed crown chakras have a moral compass that can be described as self-generated, self-motivated, and self-regulated. In other words, they don’t need anyone threatening them with going to jail, hell, or Siberia in order to behave in ways that are kind, adaptive, and responsive to the needs of others. They don’t need anyone to be “watching” them in order to behave in socially acceptable and respectful ways.
Tiny ass crown chakra = a person with no or little sense of being connected to any spiritual reality or of being a part of any larger system.
People with undeveloped, closed or inactive crown chakras are usually ego driven a-holes that are “out for number 1”. The moral compass of someone with a blocked or underactive crown chakra is more dependent on external pressure, such as, an expectation of rewards for behaving well, or the expectation of punishment for behaving badly.
Going to jail, hell, or Siberia might be the only things that keep this kind of person from serious misconduct. They may be quite capable of behaving well through external social pressure, but they might behave very differently when they think that “no one is watching”.
Balance is Good
Of course, a chakra center also happens in a system. If your crown chakra is overstimulated (connection to spiritual reality) and your root chakra is under stimulated (connection to physical reality), ooo-weee baby, you got yourself a card carrying space cadet who can barely stay “in body” long enough to interact with the world. They will be loving, sure, peaceful even…but someone without any vacation home in the 3D physical world will be hard to relate to for all sorts of reasons. They will leave you saying, “Helloooooo, is anybody home??!”
The answer is, uh, no.
They are out playing in the astral planes, having chats with “beings” from the mother ship or another dimension, while forgetting to show up for real world appointments, pay the rent, or perhaps bathe. They will seem “out of touch”, “out there”, on drugs, or crazy as hell. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.)
I’ve had my years of being barely in body. It was surprisingly productive, but only after I re-grounded myself and could bring that spiritual connection into some practical application in the “real” world. Still, I’m sure I didn’t “pass for normal” during those years. *shrugs*
Life requires some attention or you end up on the street. You have to be competent enough to take care of your basic 3D needs, unless you have an adoring partner who is content to take care of your basic 3D needs for you AND who appreciates the contributions you make in return, which are far less tangible. Yeah, good luck with the second part.
Balance is the key.
When to Use Amethyst
1) Crown Chakra Stimulation/Empowerment: Perhaps you’ve gotten a little too settled in your day-to-day activities and have been too distracted by real world things to spend much time contemplating the bigger picture or a higher power. Sometimes that shit happens. When you feel like it’s time to come up for spiritual air, grabbing an amethyst crystal is a fantastic idea.
2) Shifting to Spiritual Work: It’s nice to use amethyst when you are doing some kind of spiritual work, such as prayer, healing work, or before engaging activities that seek wisdom and guidance from spiritual levels.
3) During Activities in Alignment with Peacefulness and Meditation: Amethyst is great for meditation or meditative processes. It can be great for sleeping and for encouraging a sense of general calm. It might be great to have on you if you are feeling stressed or overly attached to a worldly concern and are trying to stay in the energy of the bigger picture.
4) Sleep: Amethyst is a great sleep stone for the same reason it is a good meditation stone. It chills you out and makes you feel more relaxed. But since it is also associated with lesser physical “appetites” you may want to swap your amethyst out for a ruby, carnelian, or garnet on “date night”.
5) Children: Amethyst is one of the best child specific support stones with which I’ve worked. It makes sense to me that a higher spiritual state, or one which is more connected to a spiritual reality, is comforting, protective, and restorative to children. They are already far less grounded than adults and have not had to necessarily focus on meeting their basic physical needs.
Amethyst is kinda how they want to roll naturally. It would be helpful for general care, but also fabulous when they are feeling stressed in some way. Amethyst or rose quartz would be a fabulous “pet rock” or woogy stone.
6) Spiritual protection: Amethyst wouldn’t be my biggest, baddest 1st choice for this, but I use it with other stones. I would, however, use this as a sleep stone for anyone, especially children, who seem to need some good energetic boundaries of a spiritual nature.
7.) When prompted: Above all, it’s best to go with your gut and give yourself permission to ignore everything I said and use amethyst in whatever way makes sense to you. No one died and left me amethyst queen.
How to Work with Amethyst
1) Nearness: This is a passive and simple way to interact with amethyst. Just put it near you or on your person to be in contact with those energies. Having a nice amethyst cathedral geode, good sized point, or a cluster somewhere in your immediate environment can sometimes be enough. You can also carry amethyst in your pockets or wear it as jewelry. All of those strategies are pretty low key and won’t “out you as a crystal freak”. (haters)
2) Basic Attuning: This requires a bit more effort, but when you add a direct request to attune to a stone for the adjustment you want, you get an immediate hit and a far more immediate shift. Just state a request, such as, “I request to attune to this stone, if it is appropriate and in my Highest Good, now please.”
If you can set the mood with a little relaxing music, candle light, and a yoga pose, that would be ideal. That’s all great if you have made intentional time to connect, such as doing prayer work, meditating, or healing work. However, if all you have is a 5 minute bathroom break and you need to have a serious “serenity now!” moment or you might scream… then just attune and ask for it to continue to download until optimal assistance is reached.
3.) Rock Breathing: This is great method of attuning to a stone in a very interactive way. You can place the amethyst by your mouth and begin seeing the amethyst energy move into and connect to you on the in breath, and then see your own energy connecting to the amethyst on your out breath.
You could also hold it in front of the third eye chakra or at the top of your head, by the crown chakra, and “breathe” through the rock and into those energy centers. If you are feeling overactive in your lower chakras, you could “breathe” amethyst energy into those centers to cool them off a bit.
4.) Imagery: You can include imagery with any other method you use by imagining a purple amethyst energy moving into your system and spreading out. If you can’t “see purple” in your imagination, perhaps you can create a sensory experience of a different kind, like the smell of lavender, the taste of grapes, or the spreading sensation of peacefulness as in muscular relaxation.
Hypnotists may find it helpful to have amethyst around while doing progressive relaxation or hypnosis sessions. Perhaps even let the client hold one, if they care to. Energy workers may find a small imagery activity using amethyst helps their clients feel peaceful, which also increases their receptivity to healing energy.
5.) Gem Elixir: If you can’t find yourself a handy dandy amethyst cup, you’re going to have to do a little work to create a gem elixir. There are many methods to making a gem elixir. I tend to do the lazy method of an immediate direct download.
If you have a clean piece of amethyst with no matrix (stuff inside it) of unknown origin, you should be able to just plop it into your glass of water and say, “I request to create an amethyst gem elixir, now please.” Then hold the glass between your hands and let it rip for a few minutes. I always seal my work after doing any energy work with the following saying, “Please Bless, Optimize, Stabilize, Amplify, and Seal under the Divine, now please.”
An amethyst gem elixir would be great for kids or to be used as a physical way to take in the energy of amethyst, either by drinking the “charged” water, anointing your chakras with the water, sticking it in a bottle to spray it, or bathing in it.
You can read more about creating a gem elixir here.
6.) Crystal Stone Grid (aka: Reiki Grid): This is an advanced way to work with stones and, again, takes conscious intent and action at first, and then you can ride in on the passive wave of the energy field that is created by the grid that does run on for a time frame.
You can go easy with amethyst and use it alone or you can use amethyst in concert with some other stones. I would be mindful that if you are having a hard time concentrating or feeling “in your body” at times that you want to be in your body and able to concentrate, you may want to activate and work with that crystal stone grid combination only while you are engaged with activities supported by enhanced crown chakra functioning. Or, you should balance it with grounding stones.
You can read more about grids and download free crystal stone grid templates here.
7.) Whatever way seems right or intuitive to you. You may even want to do a meditation where you ask to interact with the stone “deva” (personification of amethyst energy) that you can meet and imagine asking questions and receiving answers. Hey, who says I have cornered any market on wisdom? Certainly not me. 🙂 Explore and see what cool stuff you can discover that is new and helpful! If I can do it, you can do it!
Amethyst Plays Well With…
1.) All other members of the quartz family, such as- Herkimer diamonds, rose quartz, citrine, quartz points, quartz with inclusions, any quartz.
2.) Partnered with other upper chakra stones good for spiritual, intuitive, or conscious altering stones, such as- selenite, moldavite, scolecite, petalite, azurite, sodalite, lapis, other purple, dark blue, white, golden, golden yellow, sky blue, green or pink stones.
3.) Partnered with other grounding or protective stones, such as- smoky quartz, petrified wood, jet, shungite, black tourmaline, any other black, metallic black/gunmetal colored stones, or dark red, brown, grey stones. Also in general agates and jaspers, which also have grounding and empowering energies. Any stones with “eyes” or circles on them, like Ocean Jasper.
4.) Partnered with other “spiritual helper” or “angelic” stones, such as- rose quartz, angelite, celestite, prehnite, moldavite.
5.) Partnered with other comfort, sleep, and peacefulness stones, such as- rose quartz, lapis, sodalite, lepidolite, lithium quartz, scolecite, petalite, moonstone, mangano calcite, fluorite.
6.) Partnered with other healing specific and healing general stones, such as- Ocean Jasper, chlorite-included quartz, epidote-included quartz (aka: Green Earth Healer Quartz), rose quartz, shungite.
7.) Partnered with other stones that support sobriety, breaking additions, or hard core purification, such as- obsidian, fluorite, sodalite, salt, shungite. fulgurite, indigo gabbro, selenite.
Copyright 2015 by Stacie Coller of Enter the Earth, Inc. in Asheville, North Carolina. My opinions, and occasional potty-mouth, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Enter the Earth, Inc.
If you have enjoyed this article, I would be super grateful if you helped a girl out and google +, share, pin, or tumble this stuff. Yeah, those little buttons just under this paragraph. 🙂 Thank you! <3
Deciphering the Meaning of Ocean Jasper®
By Christopher Lee Matthews
(Rough and polished examples of Ocean Jasper®. Center: Its orbs can resemble bull’s eyes, starbursts, or dots when polished. Right: They may be spherical, botryoidal, or druzy. Left: They can even produce more geometric shapes when they touch one another.)
(Small Ocean Jasper® spheres in a quartz bowl, displaying the wide range of orb patterns. Below: Translucent spheres and half spheres known as “fish eyes”. Above: Concentric rings known as “bull’s eyes” or “ripple orbs”. Left: A field of small dots. Right: Orbs with a quartz border known as “starbursts” or “flowers”.)
What is Ocean Jasper®?
Ocean Jasper® is a trademarked name for a multicolored Madagascan stone with spherical patterning set against a contrasting background color. Although called a jasper, the stone is actually a mixture of different forms of quartz: clear and colored varieties of chalcedony, banded agate, and pockets of tiny quartz crystals called druzy. When examined under a polarized light microscope, Ocean Jasper® becomes chalcedony spheres floating in a sea of chalcedony.
(Above: Orbs and spherical voids in rough Ocean Jasper®. Below: Polarized light microphotography of Ocean Jasper®, courtesy of Becca Hahn, ©2015.)
Ocean Jasper® is only found in one place, the remote northwestern corner of Madagascar, an island nation off the southeastern coast of Africa. However there are actually two different sources, about ten miles apart:
Both the mines near Kabamby and Marovato are currently productive (2021), although availability can vary depending on the size of the deposit being currently worked.
(These cabochons shows the distinct differences between the two Ocean Jasper® deposits. The top row is Kabamby Ocean Jasper® and the bottom two rows are Marovato Ocean Jasper®.)
What is the color palette of Ocean Jasper®?
Ocean Jasper® comes in every color of the rainbow:
What is the story of Ocean Jasper®?
Ocean Jasper® is a modern stone. Although random pieces are documented from the early 20th century, their precise origin was unknown. A Frenchman living in Madagascar named Paul Obeniche discovered the source in 1999 and introduced the stone to the general public at the Tucson gem show in 2000.
The stone was given the name “Ocean Jasper®” there by Paul Obeniche and Eugene Mueller of the Gem Shop. It reflects the stone’s unique relationship to the sea. It was first discovered and collected at low tide, on the shoreline of the Indian Ocean, and often resembles water. (The name Ocean Jasper® was originally registered as a trademark by the Gem Shop in 2001. Enter the Earth became the trademark owner in 2022.)
Enter the Earth has a very personal relationship to Ocean Jasper®. Paul Obeniche is the mentor of Nader Kawar, the owner of our company, and we have managed both mines since 2013.
To learn more about the history, geology, and different varieties of Ocean Jasper®, check out the geology blog on our sister site Enter the Earth.
(A one side polished Ocean Jasper® freeform showing both complete orbs and variegated dots revealed by cutting and polishing the stone.)
What are the metaphysical properties of Ocean Jasper®?
1: Tidal Jasper: The most consistent meanings given to Ocean Jasper® are uplifting feelings, going with the flow, and processing emotional trauma. Ultimately these derive from its relationship to the tides. Ocean Jasper® was discovered by chance at low tide and gathered along the shoreline before the underground veins were worked. After being collected the rough material is transported by boat at high tide, since the area is too remote for roads.
The stone itself resembles waves, concentric ripples, and sea foam. Water is a traditional symbol of our feelings and the tides signify our emotional highs and lows. Ocean Jasper® represents the rhythms of the inner sea: upwelling feelings like joy, happiness, and contentment, expressing our emotions, and sifting through our personal flotsam and jetsam, the things unintentionally and intentionally left behind during a crisis. Many interpret its vivid colors, bubbly orbs, and druzy starbusts as energy signatures of positivity, spontaneous child like joy, and a passion for life.
Ocean Jasper® combines especially well with other watery stones like aquamarine, clear quartz, and shungite and organic gemstones like coral, pearl, and amber that come from the sea.
Since it was originally found and harvested in the surf, some in the metaphysical community connect Ocean Jasper® with Atlantis, the legendary island that sank beneath the waves, calling it Atlantean Jasper or Atlantis Stone. Interestingly Madagascar itself is directly related to Lemuria, a different lost land discussed in both 19th century science and occult writings.
Ocean Jasper® combines well with other ancient wisdom stones like Larimar, serpentine with stichtite, and Lemurian seed crystals.
(The claim near Marovato has produced other stones, most famously Ocean Wave Jasper.)
2: Salt Water Jasper: Even more of its metaphysical properties are derived directly from water, specifically salt water. Salt water has both religious and therapeutic connections with purification, relaxation, and healing. Likewise Ocean Jasper® is commonly described as cleansing, soothing, and supportive of well being.
Some scientists speculate that Ocean Jasper® may be a silicified rhyolite. Rhyolite is a volcanic rock similar in composition to granite. Certain varieties are glassy because of their high silica content, like obsidian. These natural glasses are unstable and may develop orbs as the minerals inside them crystallize. Many interpret this potential fiery origin as signifying the transmutation of negativity, bringing order out of chaos, and a potential for manifestation.
Ocean Jasper® combines well with other purification stones, especially those connected to one of the five classical elements like obsidian, salt, and naturally tumbled rocks like Shiva lingas, riverstone, and water worn pebbles.
(An Ocean Jasper® slab next to a freeform showing a two and three dimensional perspective of green quartz druzy coating an orb.)
3: Millennium Jasper: Just as golden purple ametrine combines the qualities of amethyst and citrine, Ocean Jasper® blends the metaphysical properties of multiple varieties of chalcedony, each associated with well being in different parts of our lives. Among them:
Green is the most consistent color, a less common variety of chalcedony known as plasma. The word comes from the Greek plasma (“something molded”), after its popularity for carving wax seals in antiquity. People once believed it was the host rock for emerald, poetically naming it the “mother of emerald”. Because of this symbolic relationship, plasma took on emerald’s attributes of healing, comfort, and growth.
As a stone of green goodness, Ocean Jasper® supports energy work like Reiki and Earth centered modalities like herbalism. It pairs well with other healing stones like jade, turquoise, and chlorite included quartz. Minerals used for well being are often blue and green, after the life giving qualities of water.
Many in the metaphysical community believe that new stones reveal themselves at specific times in the evolution of human consciousness. Because it was discovered in 1999 and introduced to the general public in 2000, Ocean Jasper® is sometimes called “Millennium Jasper”. The most consistent message during our readings was its potential role in personal and planetary healing, especially current environmental crises like water pollution, drought, and our threatened oceans. As a modern blend of classic gemstones, used individually for mental, emotional, and physical health, Ocean Jasper® carries the signature of integrative wellness. Many pieces also have a druse of quartz, a coating of tiny points, known more commonly as “druzy”. Because all its crystals share the same foundation, druzy also represents harmony between different elements.
Because of its unifying qualities, Ocean Jasper® also helps combinations like crystal grids, medicine pouches, and body layouts better blend their mixed energies. It is also a stone of attunement, helping individuals acclimate to new people, places, or states of being.
Ocean Jasper® pairs well with other integration stones like Herkimer diamond quartz, agate, and clusters and spheres of all stones.
The orbs in Ocean Jasper® are more technically called spherulites, from the Latin sphaerula “miniature sphere” and the Greek suffix -ite, meaning “rock”. They are produced by radiating chalcedony fibers forming around a central nucleus, creating a small stone ball. This growth pattern is reflected in the energetic qualities of the stone.
Ocean Jasper® is ” a parts to the whole” worker, first correcting an individual element and then restoring it to a larger system. For example, its orbs resemble bull’s eyes, flowers, and stars, all energy signatures for the chakras, while its layers suggest the nadi, the energy currents that connect the chakras together. When used for chakra balancing, Ocean Jasper® not only adjusts an individual chakra, it aligns it within the subtle body as a whole.
This quality could also help correct other energetic systems, where individual components are linked together, like a vortex and its ley lines, a stone placed in a crystal grid, and an individual within a group.
Since it literally comes in every color of the rainbow, Ocean Jasper® is well known for clearing, balancing, and aligning the chakras. While it can be used on any chakra, pieces that match the color of a particular chakra are especially well suited for working on it. For example, green Ocean Jasper® can be used anywhere on the energy body or specifically on the heart chakra.
(Ocean Jasper® has a relationship with the sacred geometry of the circle, sphere, and point. A pebble with concentric rings and spherical voids on spiritual diagrams. Bottom left: Stellated octahedron [“star tetrahedron” or “merkaba”] in a sphere. Bottom right: Vesica piscis with triangles. Above: 16th representation of the Platonic solids by Jean Cousin. Each of the Platonic solids can fit perfectly inside a sphere.)
4: Orbicular Jasper: Its round orbs associate it with the circle and sphere, traditional symbols of wholeness, perfection, and time since neither shape has an obvious beginning nor ending. For example, in Chinese thought the circle represents the perfection of the heavens, after the dome of the sky and the round shape of the Sun and Moon, while the square represents the divided Earth, signifying the four cardinal directions.
The circle and the point are also the foundations of sacred geometry. Two intersecting circles produce the vesica piscis (Latin, “air bladder of a fish”), a lens shape used to create additional shapes like the triangle, square, and pentagon. Because a drawing compass leaves a mark, circles are often depicted with a central dot, showing their construction. This point represents oneness, potential, and the divine origin of all things.
Because of their connection to divinity, the circle and sphere can finally represent the sacred self. Spiritual beings are often represented with round or mandorla shaped halos, an almond shape created by crossing two circles. Likewise the energy body itself is ultimately spherical in many spiritual traditions:
(A 13th century French manuscript illustration representing God as the Geometer, creating the universe through mathematics. He made the Sun, Moon, and stars on the fourth day in Genesis. The cosmos is represented as a circle with a central point, defined by the two arms of a compass.)
Because Ocean Jasper® carries the sacred geometry of the point, circle, and sphere, it may support devotion, higher states of consciousness, and our personal and collective spiritual evolution. Its orbs can resemble both eyes and meditative tools like mandalas and kasinas, colored disks used for focus. These are additional energy signatures for centering, meditation, and concentration. Historically chalcedony itself meant spiritual sight, religious fervor, and an inner luminosity produced by faith.
Ocean Jasper® combines well with other stones used for spiritual development like phenakite, moldavite, and amethyst.
My late friend Ken Harsh thought Ocean Jasper® had a connection to the modern orbs phenomena. Many people believe that translucent circles in digital photos record the presence of ghosts, spirits, and angels. He taught that its orbicular structure could help us connect to such non-physical light beings.
(A polished Ocean Jasper® chunk in a spiny oyster shell, with undrilled pearls.)
5: Moon Jewel Jasper: Ocean Jasper® is also known as Moon Jewel Jasper, after a poetic name for pearls. Their round shape, white color, and origin in the sea have symbolically linked pearls with the Moon for centuries. People once believed that oysters formed pearls from water drops touched by sunlight, moonlight, and starlight. Ocean Jasper® has taken on many of their qualities like purification, soothing irritation, and emotional expression.
Its orbs also resemble the Sun and Moon, with radiant halos, and starbursts. Because of these energy signatures Ocean Jasper® could be used to connect to the Sun, Moon, stars and planets, their corresponding spiritual beings, and harness celestial light energetically, like during ceremonies aligned to the lunar phases, equinoxes, and solstices. Rather than drag out your entire rock collection next moon to charge them, use a piece of Ocean Jasper® as a “battery” for celestial light instead, gathering enough of a charge to renew everything.
Of all the celestial bodies Ocean Jasper® is most commonly affiliated with the Moon because of its unique relationship to the tides. Lunar stones are given its qualities like change, growth, and understanding cycles, emotional harmony, and traits culturally attributed to the “feminine” like intuition.
Ocean Jasper® combines well with other lunar stones like moonstone, selenite, and girasol quartz. Solar stones would include sunstone, citrine, and ruby. Finally stones like lapis lazuli, labradorite, and meteorites and tektites are used to connect with star energies.
(An Ocean Jasper® pebble on a vintage cook book illustration. One of its many trade names is Fish Eye Jasper. The term “fish eye” is a nickname for translucent eye agates.)
6: Fish Eye Jasper: After the ocean, circle, and the Moon, the most relevant energy signature for Ocean Jasper® is its concentric orbs called “fish eyes”, especially when they are translucent.
Ocular stones, those that look like eyes, have a consistent meaning over time:
Many of the metaphysical properties of Ocean Jasper® are modern adaptations of this ancient gem lore.
Its orbs can look like open eyes and the layers of the energy body. It may also display fortification banding, an angular agate that resembles the outline of a fortress. These elements suggest Ocean Jasper® may strengthen the aura, maintain personal boundaries, and help invoke spiritual protection.
Many cultures believe in the evil eye, a psychic attack powered by envy, anger, or jealousy. Eye shaped amulets are used to counteract it, calling upon the protective gaze of God. Many people today use Ocean Jasper® for emotionally charged situations, stress relief, and shielding empaths, after this custom.
Ocean Jasper® combines well with other protection stones like tiger’s eye, malachite, and black tourmaline.
While the destructive evil eye is fueled by malice, a “good eyed” person wishes everyone well. Paradoxically the eye also came to represent generosity, kindness, and goodwill. Therefore ocular stones were used historically for good luck, business solutions, and managing resources like money.
Ocean Jasper® is typically green, yellow, and earth tones, especially the material from Kabamby. These are significators of abundance stones, after the colors of growing plants, ripe grain, and rich soil. Food was the original wealth. Each individual orb also formed around a seed like center, with different layers of growth, suggesting manifestation, the genesis of new ideas, and acting to materialize our goals.
Ocean Jasper® combines well with other prosperity stones like citrine, green aventurine, and the cat’s eye varieties of chrysoberyl, quartz, and tourmaline.
The eye is also a symbol of expanded awareness, like the third eye used to see beyond the physical. Ocular stones were used historically to support psychic development, divination, and otherworldly vision like dreams, journeys, and precognition.
As a “fish eye”, Ocean Jasper® helps us see into watery realms like the emotions, creativity, and spirituality. Because the ocean represents the unknown, wisdom, and inspiration, stones with fish totem medicine connect us to our inner depths. Ocean Jasper® may give us insight about a feeling, memory, or intuitive message, just as a fish eye lens brings the center of an image into focus.
Ocean Jasper® combines well with other intuitive stones like lapis lazuli, iolite, and azurite.
This photo mandala was created with the intention to help individuals connect to the energies of Ocean Jasper®, if in their highest good. I hope that reading this article or meditating on the image helps you decide if Ocean Jasper® is a vibration that you should be working with now.
Enter the Earth is a purveyor of fine minerals, rocks, and fossils from Madagascar and around the world. To see the Ocean Jasper® we currently have available, please visit our online stores:
The Metaphysical Department of Enter the Earth
Enter the Earth Online Gallery
Enter the Earth eBay Store
Enter the Earth Etsy Store
Qualified wholesale buyers can visit our wholesale website to see our upcoming gem show schedule and apply for access to our online catalog.
This article is part of our ongoing “She Said, He Said” series, where both Stacie and I write about the same mineral. We believe different perspectives can make a stone accessible to more people. You can read Stacie’s Ocean Jasper blog here.
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons, God as Geometer
©2015, Microphotography of Ocean Jasper®, Becca Hahn
©2015, Remaining Images and Text, Christopher Lee Matthews
christopher@entertheearth.com
