Agate Properties: Agate is a dense rock formed from microscopic crystals of quartz laid down in bands. Since they are densely formed, they are grounding stones and help strengthen the body’s connection to the earth. This grounding quality has the power to harmonize yin and yang, bringing emotional, physical, and intellectual balance. It is also known to good be a protective energy stone, especially for children. Other lore surrounding wearing agate is to avoid envious thoughts and remove spite, worn for courage and successful competitions, and finding prosperity.
Types of Agate
- Black Agate
- Banded Agate
- Crazy Lace Agate
Jasper: Known to aid stamina and enable us to endure energy draining situations, jasper is a stone that promotes general health and was worn by healers in ancient times. Today’s healers, including counselors and therapists will benefit from wearing it. Having a strong connection with the solar plexus chakra, it is an aid for the digestive system – in particular, the stomach. Thought important for women during childbirth – holding a piece of Jasper in the hand during childbirth is said to help relieve pain and guard the mother and child.
Picasso Jasper Properties: Picasso Jasper (or Picasso Stone) is sometimes called Picasso Marble. Lore indicates that it promotes weight loss and assists in the development of creativity.
Zebra Jasper Properties: A nurturing stone, it sustains and supports us during times of stress, and is known to unify all aspects of your life.
Dalmatian Jasper Properties: The spots of brown or black Tourmaline in the stone transform negativity or disharmony that it finds in the surroundings. This helps one to see clearly and alleviates disillusionment. This aids in breaking down false barriers created as protection, allowing you to move forward and release what no longer serves; guilt, shame or a lack of trust in other people. This release re-establishes childlike joy and playfulness into your life. It will inspire faith and devotion towards others like its namesake: the Dalmatian.
Leopard skin jasper (also called leopard stone) is a stone of shamanic journeying. Like Dalmatian Jasper, it aids in seeing clearly. The Shaman frequently uses the tool of the vision quest. Leaving as many material comforts behind, the visionary finds an out-of-the-way place, creates a defining circle with prayer ties, and dwells within for the agreed upon time. Family or friends wait away from the visionary, supporting them with positive thoughts and prayers. When the vision quest has been completed, the Shaman returns, regains his or her strength, then relates his vision to the tribe. The elders will meditate on the vision and create a new name for the Shaman based on his vision.
- Sesame Jasper
Fluorite: Has the ability to make order out of chaos. This process helps you discern what is important from that which is clutter. This stabilizes bringing the power of discernment and helps in decision-making. In the same way it discerns the framework of a situation, it is also known to support bone health, the structure of the body. Closely associated with the sixth chakra (between the eyebrows), Fluorite is capable of enhancing intuition by linking our human mind to the universal consciousness.
Cat’s Eye: This stone is known for releasing pessimism, which allows the optimism in a person to show through. In this way, Cat’s eye enables one to see opportunities that with a negative view, would likely go unnoticed. Cat’s eye can bring about prosperity and abundance.
Lapis lazuli: With its deep blue tones, it is associated with the two chakras that share the color; the throat chakra and third eye chakra. These two chakras govern speech and intuition. For those people who are shy, lapis will remove blockages allowing for clear, direct communication. Because intuition constitutes knowing the unseen, lapis is known to help develop psychic abilities, amplifying psychic visions and imagination.
Opalite: Opalite looks like a milky white glass. Its even tones help it stabilize mood swings. Because it has no areas of color variations it acts as a blank canvas therefore enhancing imagination and creativity.
Turquoise: Associated with the fifth element, ether; space. In ancient times ether was thought to be what the gods dwelled in and breathed, just as mortals breathed air. More modern theories of ether suppose that it is the canvas on which the universe is painted. In yogic traditions the etheric body is one of the ten bodies to be mastered. When mastered, this body will give confidence and presence, humility and ease. In this way Turquoise offers protection as well as healing for the body by repelling negativity.
Serpentine Stone: Is named so partly because of its ability to help raise the Kundalini energies. The Kundalini is an eastern concept that depicts the bulk of the body’s drive wrapped around the sacrum three and a half times as a serpent. In yogic traditions, especially Kundalini yoga, the object of the yoga itself is to integrate those lower energies with the higher chakras (energy points). This process is called the Kundalini rising and is written about in much detail in many older texts. Serpentine stone is known to assist in this process helping to clear and balance the chakras which is necessary to allow the Kundalini to rise. This helps calm the nervous system and channels passion in constructive ways.
Green Jade: Green Jade is associated with the heart chakra. Green jade is said to warm and purify the heart's capacity. This has the effect of increasing love and nurturing. The heart chakra is the seat of giving. Because the universe cannot abide with the void from giving, the affect of giving is receiving. In this way Green Jade attracts good luck and friendship.
Moonstone is so named for its milky white appearance. In new age terminology, a woman’s “moon cycle” is a reference to the monthly productive cycle. However, in yogic traditions, it has a more specific meaning. Women have 12 separate “moon centers.” Each center cycles through once during the month, dominating for two and a half days. Each “moon center” evokes a different state of being; romantic, loving, anger, fear and so on. Men have one moon center which is stable throughout the month. This is why women are perceived as erratic, moody, and hard to figure out by men as a stereotype. They can’t understand the shifts because they experience no shifts of their own.
Moonstone enhances and balances moon centers, providing stability, balance and harmony. Feminine energies are characterized as sensitive, intuitive, and psychic abilities. Moonstone is known to enhance these abilities. A stone of protection, especially during childbirth, pregnancy, and travel at sea. It has been said to have the power to grant wishes.
Snowflake Obsidian: Obsidian is a stone that has no boundaries or limitations. Like the avalanche rolling downward, picking up speed and force, it works fast and with great power. It pulls us forward, recognizing and eliminating patterns in our lives that no longer serve our highest good. It provides deep soul healing; calming and soothing.
Howlite helps to balance the positive, neutral and negative minds. It especially pulls away the dominance of the negative mind. This decreases an overly critical state of mind, selfishness, stress, and rudeness. It increases the ability to express emotions calmly and inoffensively.
Unakite is known to soothe unexpressed and unresolved emotion. As young children, we are generally discouraged from the full expression of our emotions. The repression of feeling easily becomes automatic, and life, while perhaps less painful, also has less joy. As the stone soothes these emotions, it makes it easier to connect with the inner child, which resides in the solar plexus (stomach). We can then more readily connect with our “gut” feelings.
Sodalite has a strong effect on higher functions of the brain. Great for students or when needing to retain new information. This stone is also known to aid in seeing the truth in things, helping to see the interconnections between things.
Malachite Properties: This stone is known to soak up electromagnetic pollution and guards against negativity, harnessing the power of coincidence and synchronicity. In so doing it is thought to be the bearer of good fortune and abundance.
Nephrite jade helps connect us to physical and base nature instincts. It is a grounding stone which helps us get connected with the earth. The affect of this can be a clearing of stale desires, helping to focus on more profitable goals.
Goldstone Properties: Goldstone is said to be a stone of ambition and drive. Making clear one true path, therefore giving the focus to put our finite energy into what is a more direct desire of our true selves.
Rose quartz is a stone of love, working to open the heart to give and receive love in our surroundings: self-love, family love, platonic love, and romantic love. It also brings gentleness, forgiveness, and tolerance.
