Stonewise: Malachite

Welcome to this week's Stonewise. Today we're looking at one of my favorite stones (aren't they all?) Malachite.

As per usual, first a little info about the stone taken from my stone book by Ardriana Cahill.

In Greek malache means mallow, an illusion to the mineral's leaf-green color. Known for it's ease in carving. Malachite is a compound carbonate, and is close in nature to its cousin, copper.

Folklore: Being so closely associated with the sacred metal of Venus, the goddess of love, it was highly prized by the ancients. Dedicated to Juno as the Peacock Stone, it protected against the evil eye. Russian legend says to drink from a malachite goblet will allow you to speak to animals.

Magick: Very protective, attracts health, wealth and repels negativity. Breaks bad habits, promotes business success. Place in your car or purse to evoke its protective energies during travel.

How I use it in my jewelry...Somewhere along the way, I read that Malachite was the safety in travel stone, I wish I could remember where, so I could properly quote it...in any case, that idea stuck itself firmly in my mind and so it's the first thing I think of. My Travel Charm jewelry all feature a center stone of Malachite.

But it's also so vibrantly green. I can't help but use it as an earth and healing stone. One summer, while at the fabulous New Pioneer up in West Yellowstone, Montana, I was buying my nieces their first rocks (like a proper aunt should...), and the great old hippy who runs the shop let my girls pick out a piece of Malachite from the basket. My eldest niece proudly held up the piece she picked, and he asked her why. She said, "Because you can see the grass in there."

After I was done fainting from pride and the cute, I thought about what she said, and the phrase settled in my psyche. I too now can see the grass in there. And so Malachite's become a very powerful stone for growth and health for me, resilient as grass is (even dead, you can just water it for a bit and it comes back).

And now you know a little bit more about how I use the stone. Hope you can see the grass in there.

Till next time, be well,

Red

Stonewise: Red Tiger's Eye

I know I skipped Monday's post...I was coming off a long weekend and wasn't feeling well. But I'm back today with a new Stonewise post. This week we'll look at Red Tiger's Eye.

First, some basic info taken from my book of stones by Ardriana Cahill:

This silky chatoyant (that's a fancy way of saying it shifts colors when the light hits it) quartz has shimmering streaks that switch around when the angle of light changes.

Magick: This red brother stone to the traditional golden tiger's eye promotes physical strength, vigorous health, passion, desire and justified pride. It is the stone to carry to draw out your talents and achievements.

Why I like to use it in my jewelry...

Red Tiger's Eye has such a unique color. It's not too bright or garish. It's a color you can sink into, so deep and rich, looks almost liquid. And it's always changing, sunlight, lamp light, even candle light will make it move and shift.

One of my favorite things about Tiger's Eye in general is that it often grows next to one of my other favorite stones, hematite. So you can find this lush piece of red, with rings of deep silver...how awesome is that?

Tiger's Eye has become *the* fire stone for me, since it comes in the three colors of a flame...gold, red and blue. It's all passion, and strength and desire for me, and yet it's still smooth and warms easily to your touch. Tiger's Eye in general probably holds one of the top three places for most pieces I own, with red being second in most Tiger's Eye I own.

Ahh! It's so decadent! And that's a little bit why I use it the way I do.

Till next time, be well,

Red