Stonewise: Bloodstone

In honor of Samhain, this week's Stonewise segment is dedicated to Bloodstone, which is often called The Witches Stone.

So first is a little information from my book of stones by Witch and writer Ardriana Cahill:

The name Bloodstone has been given to every red mineral at one time or another including garnet, ruby, hematite and carnelian. Now commonly applied to Green Jasper with flecks of iron oxide on it.

Folklore: This stone was once called Heliotrope and was prized in ancient days for the belief that when the last dragon was slain, the green stone was stained with the last droplets of his magickal blood. The myth was later Christianized to be the blood of Christ, thus it is called the Martyr's Stone.

Magick: Wear the "dragon" stone for longevity, physical strength and courage. Heals matters of the heart and bloodstream. The ancients used it for invisibility (today for lowering one's profile).

How I use it in my jewelry...Bloodstone has a lot of raw magickal power for me, being steeped in such lore and imagery. I use it in my Woman's Moontime pieces, to help make things easier, as it a powerful healing stone. It also is included in just about every general healing piece I make.

When I was first putting pieces together, I would look through my bags of beads and sometimes a pattern would form without me really knowing what it was. That's what happened when I put a large onyx bead with a pair of bloodstones...

I made the piece and set it aside, figuring that whatever it was, the answer would come in time. Eventually I went through all the bracelets I made, pairing them up with members of my family and came to this piece. I considered for a minute, and thought perhaps it was a protection piece. I started to set it aside and was told that she was not Protection. I asked her what she was (the voice was clearly feminine and not my own...) and was told that she was Awakening.

Uh...ok...then I thought about it, the original design had a large onyx round center piece, like the dark moon, and the bloodstones...witches stones...use this piece to help awaken yourself to the possibilities of magick. I liked it! The spell within the piece is more subtle, and it makes the wearer think about it, which I think serves the purpose too.

I love bloodstone, and even though I don't have any really large pieces, the ones I do have seem to stand out, even among others in a box, as special. This powerful stone is a deep beautiful shade of green (my favorite color) and goes well with lots of other stones. I'm always on the lookout for pretty pieces and hungrily add them to my collection...I am a witch after all.

And now you know a little bit more of why I do what I do.

Till next time, be well,

Red