Myk's Wanderings...

Aegerine

     Truth, self-acceptance, and integrity.

     Enhances the healing qualities of other stones and strengthens the immune system.  Aids in the quest of the self and helps a person do what is in their heart. Guards against negative energy.

Agate

     Victory, change, strength, truth, fertility, prosperity, and courage.  Agates are named after the Achates River, in Sicily, in which many can be found.  Their use as ornaments, amulets, and for healing can be traced back to ancient Babylon.  They have been called the stone of wanderers and are said to have the power to bring love, long life, protection, intelligence, prosperity, and healing into a persons life.  They have been used as protection against snake bites and scorpion stings and for protection from lightning and bad dreams.  Associated with the planet Mercury.

     Strengthens the heart, helps heal liver diseases, blood disorder, skin problems, and helps stop bleeding.  Held in the mouth it will relieve thirst.

      Black and white agates are stones of protection.  Red agates were used anciently to increase the fertility of the Earth.  They also give courage, long life, protection, love, and strength.  Banded agates ease anxiety, increase physical energy, give courage, and are good meditation stones.  Protective stone.  Green agates are worn to improve eye health.  Women used to drink water with a green agate in it to protect against sterility.  Moss agates are believed to contain the spirit of the Earth because of the small pieces of plants they contain.  They are the stone of gardeners. Help a person connect with nature spirits and the land.  They neutralize fears and open the mind.  Eases emotional pain and enhances creativity. Moss agates also help with communication with spirit guides.  They were used by ancient shamans and priests as healing stones and were believed to bring wealth, happiness, and long life to anyone who wore them.  Encourages universal love.  Brown agates were once worn by warriors to ensure victory in battle.  Lace agates encourage and support. They ease depression.  Blue lace agates is the stone of self-expression. It helps a person speak the truth and it makes it easier to express their thoughts. It takes away hoarseness and eases sore throats, is used to treat arthritis, and aid digestive conditions. It also is a calming stone and can help ease physical as well as emotional tension. Wear or carry for happiness and peace.

• European:  In Europe it was believed that agates could cure insomnia.
• Miscellaneous:  In Persia and Italy they were worn or carried as amulets for protection from the evil eye.
• Judaic:  First stone in Aaron's breastplate.
• Roman:  The ancient Romans wore red agates to bring peace, heal blood disorders, to protect against insect bites, and to bring peace and serenity.

Alexandrite

     Change, joy, oneness with life.

     Helps with internal and external healing, and has a positive effect on the spleen, pancreas, and nervous system.  Balances the mental and physical bodies.

Aluminum

      Pieces of aluminum are carried to enhance mental abilities.  In magic aluminum is associated with the planet Mercury and the element air.

Amazonite

     Faith, hope, endurance, and strength.  Known as the "Hope Stone."  Associated with the zodiac sign of Virgo, and the number five.  A stone believed to endow the wearer with creativity.

     Balances the emotions.  Amazonite also helps align the solar plexus and heart chakras.

Amber

      Luck, strength, beauty, and love. Amber may be the oldest substance used by men and women for jewelry and as magical and healing amulets.  It has been used for almost every magical purpose from protection to healing to bringing about fertility in people as well as the Earth.  Although amber is not a stone but the fossilized resin of conifer trees it has long been called a stone.  As a once living substance, it was believed to contain the essence of life because it often contains small insects, animals, and plants.  The symbol of strength, beauty, and love, amber is and was believed to bestow on the wearer knowledge, strength, courage, healing, and luck.  Amber is a solar stone and is also associated with the planet Mercury and Jupiter. 

      People used to wear chokers of amber beads to cure coughs, holding a piece of amber in your hand was believed to cure fevers and cool the body on a hot day, it was burned by ancient healers to cleanse the air and ease labor pains, and believed to cure the eyesight of anyone who gazed into it.

• European:  In medieval Europe men would place a piece of amber on the breasts of their sleeping wives in the belief that if she had done any wrong she would confess her evil deeds.
• Greek:  The origin of amber was explained in Greek myth by the story of Phaeton's death.  Phaeton was the son of Phoebus Apollo, the god of the Sun.  One day Phaeton asked if he could drive his father's Sun chariot.  His father allowed him to drive it but warned him not to go too close to the Sun.  The rides went well for awhile, but one day Phaeton was driving the horses faster than usual and lost control.  The horses bolted and Phaeton was killed.  His three sisters, the Heliades, searched for his body and when they found it they swore to stay with their dead brother forever.  They cried day and night and their bodies slowly turned into trees.  Their tears continued to fall and were eventually turned into amber by the Sun.
• Native American:  Believed to be pieces of the Sun which have fallen to the Earth.

Amethyst

      Courage, happiness, piety, peace, sobriety, and humility.  Wearing an amethyst was believed to bring peace of mind, sweet dreams, courage, happiness, protection from witchcraft, healing, strengthens memory, and strengthen faith.  Amethysts are associated with the planets Jupiter and Pluto.  Used as an antidote to poisons. Used to increase psychic awareness.

     Amethyst has been called "nature's tranquilizer" because it relaxes not only the mind but also the nervous system.  An elixir of amethyst is used to treat toothaches, bone and skeletal disease, balances blood sugar, heals stomach and digestive disorders, help with heart disorders, hearing problems, and convulsions.

• Christian:  Represented the tribe of Dan.  St. Valentine wore an amethyst ring that was engraved with a figure of Cupid.
• European:  Leonardo Da Vinci believed amethyst would heighten his intelligence and drive evil thoughts out of his mind.
• Greek:  Protection, humility, and innocence, and simplicity.  The name of this stone is of Greek origin and is translated as- amethystus meaning "not drunken", or "intoxicated" (-methystos from methyein or intoxicated, and methy meaning wine).  The ancient Greeks believed that if you drank wine from a goblet made of amethyst or had an amethyst bound to your navel you would not become intoxicated.  The legend of the origin of amethyst comes from Greek myths.  Dionysius, the god of intoxication, was angered one day by an insult from a mortal and swore revenge on the next man that crossed his path, he created fierce tigers to carry out his wish.  The next to come along was Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana.  Diana turned Amethyst into a statue of crystalline quartz to protect her from the tigers. Dionysius wept tears of wine in remorse for his actions and at the sight of the beautiful statue.  His tears stained the quartz purple, creating amethyst.
• Egyptian:  Protection from the evil eye.
• Hindu:  The Hindus associate amethysts with the zodiac sign of Pisces and say they will keep Pisces children free from worry and pain.
• Roman:  Amethysts origins are traced to Bacchus, god of nature and wine.
• Tibetan: In Tibet it is believed to be sacred to Buddha and it is used to make rosaries.

Apache Tear

     This is a translucent form of obsidian.  Associated with the planet Pluto.  A projective stone.  Will protect and bring good luck. A  grounding stone.

• Native American:  Many Native American tribes regarded the stone with great respect and considered it sacred.  It was used for protection and to bring good luck.  Apache tear's represent the tears of women who have lost a loved one in a war.

Apatite

     Helps calm emotional stress.  Known as the "mind over matter" stone. 

Aquamarine

     Hope, peace, courage, happiness, and everlasting youth.  Associated with the planet Neptune.  Sailors used to wear or carry an aquamarine for protection.  The stone of sea gods and goddesses.  Said to help keep marriages happy, babies safe, protect against evil, and ensure good health. To dream of an aquamarine means you will meet new friends.  Receptive stone.

      Used for diseases of the neck, head, throat, and relief of stomach upset.  A diuretic.  Calms hostility and anger, and promotes openness.

• Christian:  Christian myths say that this stone gives you power over the devil and if you put it in your mouth you cannot be lied to.
• Greco-Roman:  Used by  fisherman and sailors for protection from the sea.  The ancient Greeks believed it was made from the tears of sea nymphs.  The Romans were the first to call it aquamarine, which means "water of the sea".

Avalonite

     Used to help dispel fears...fear of love, of failure, of being wrong, ect.  When these fears are gone you are better able to trust your intuition and discover your true path.

Aventurine

     Balance universal love, prosperity, truth and joy.  Associated with the planets Venus and Uranus.  Has been used through time by gamblers as a good luck charm.  Is said the bring tranquility and peace to the wearer.

     Used to heal the heart and lungs, migraines, eye problems, hypertension, inflammation, and lower fevers.  Helps ground a person emotionally.

     Green aventurine soothes and balances. This stone is an all-around healer...physical, mental, and emotional.  Increases motivation and brings luck.  Called the "Stone of Heaven."  Blue aventurine stimulates creativity and expression.  Helps dissolve blocks in the brow chakra.  Blue-green aventurine connects the throat and heart chakras which helps a person communicate in a more loving manner.  Orange aventurine dissolves creative blocks and heals sexual traumas.

• Tibetan:  The ancient Tibetans decorated their statues with aventurine, most often using it for the eyes to symbolize spiritual insight.

Azurite

     Wisdom and intuition.  Associated with the planet Saturn.  It has long been used as a rubbing stone, and like amber, needs to be touched to release its energies.  Azurite helps people connect with their spirit guides and aids healers, psychics, and mediators.

     Considered a powerful healing stone, and believed to stimulate psychic abilities and intuition, reduce stress, and aid meditation.  Helps with spine, rib cage, and small bone disorders.  Helps clear toxins from the body.  Azurite is believed to have the power to restructure molecules and reconstruct the brain.

• Egyptian:  Priests and priestesses used azurite to enhance their spiritual awareness.

Bloodstone

     Victory, strength, change, balance, and long life.  This stone was referred to as hematite and heliotrope in ancient times.  Associated with the Earth.  Warriors carried it believing it would stop the bleeding if applied to a wound.

     Used to help heal blood disorders.  People with weak voices or who are afraid to speak in front of groups should wear carnelian.

• Babylonian:  The ancient Babylonians wore it to help them conquer their enemies.
• Christian:  Medieval Christians often carved scenes of the crucifixion and martyrs on bloodstone.  Christian legend says that the bloodstone was created at the crucifixion when the blood from Christ's wounds dripped onto the dark green Earth and turned into stone.
• Egyptian:  The Egyptians believed bloodstone could break down any barriers and open all doors.
• Roman:  Soldiers wore it because they believed it stopped bleeding and would protect them from fatal injury.

Blue Topaz

     Inspiration.  Associated with the planets Mercury and Uranus.

Brass and Bronze

     Wealth, justice, purity, morality, and protection.  Brass and bronze have the same symbolic meanings because each of their base alloys is copper.  Brass is a combination of copper and zinc, and bronze a combination of copper with tin and silver.  They are associated with both the Sun and Moon.  The copper being associated with the Sun and the other metals with the Moon.  Both metals have been considered sacred since ancient times.  The metals of sky gods and goddesses.

• Roman:  Ancient Romans shaved the heads of their priests with bronze razors.  Bronze and brass ploughs were used to mark the boundaries of new towns, personal property, and sacred sites.