One of the literal building blocks of our planet, stone was here long before we were. Layers and layers of it form the basis of our world, and the markedly beautiful specimens have been among our most prized possessions since their discovery thousands of years ago. Crystals and gemstones show up in our holy books, and they have adorned the crowns of rulers of the most formidable empires ever to rise and fall. Crystals have powered everything from ancient Sumerian magical formulas and traditional Chinese medicine three thousand years before the common era to the computers we typed these words on. Ancient Egyptians buried pharaohs with vibrant lapis lazuli, carnelian, emerald, and turquoise adornments and ritual tools; Asian emperors went to their graves wearing jade armor. Gems have always accompanied the eminently powerful among us as they embarked on the most mysterious journey of all, bestowing protection and blessings into the Great Beyond.
For centuries, gemstones have functioned as the physical representations of our intentions, visual reminders of our desires, and the touchstones of our dreams—those we have made manifest and those we have yet to attain. Across Earth’s continents, they are prized for their beauty, perceived value, and the stories they tell, as they are handed down through the generations. Many famous amulets contain gems, and often the gems themselves are considered to be talismans of wondrous or fearsome power.
A Girl’s Best Friend
Sandra: At the beginning of every Amulets and Talismans class I taught in Salem, I always asked the attendees, “Is anyone wearing a talisman right now?” If there were a couple of Witches present, their hands would shoot up and everyone else would look around the room to see who these magical creatures were. I would then say, “How many of you are wearing a wedding ring?” A talisman can be a symbol of a commitment to be understood by all who see it, a protection of sorts against unwanted attention, a daily reminder of a promise made and kept, and more. It is a bit of magic, truly, and the stones chosen for engagement rings and wedding bands are typically those that have long been associated with devotion, fidelity, honor, passion, and, of course, love. The most common choice these days, diamonds, are among the hardest substances on the planet, and their strength, longevity, and luster embody what we all hope for in our relationships.
There are a few select gemstones that have captured the imaginations of generations, and one in particular is the queen of them all: the Hope Diamond. The blue jewel is just over 45 carats, valued at about a quarter of a billion dollars—and said to carry a curse for anyone who would claim ownership or dare to touch it. Its origin story goes like this: Stolen from the brow of an idol by a corrupt priest in a temple in India, it passed through the hands of nobility and notoriety, eventually landing in the inheritance of its namesake, British politician Henry Thomas Hope. The dazzling gem left a bloody trail in its wake, which included the beheadings of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. Many of the misfortunes attributed to the stone have never been verified, but the tales of divorce, disease, destruction, and death remain a warning against the pitfalls of theft, greed, and sacrilege, and this lore showcases the power that people have placed in gemstones through the centuries.
Your Oldest Stone Companion
It’s a pretty safe bet to say that you know your birthstone. You were probably given something featuring your birthstone when you were growing up; it is often one of the first pieces of jewelry we receive. You may have even been told that wearing it would bring you good luck. Did you ever stop to think about why that stone was associated with your birth month or your zodiac sign?
We each own a copy of the updated version of Love Is in the Earth by Melody, which was first printed in 1995. This book runs between $50 and $200 used, but Sandra got hers back when it was still in print; it came highly recommended, and she immediately understood why. It is in the all-time top five comprehensive books on crystals when it comes to their metaphysical properties. One of the themes that emerged right away was that several of the stones we love and wear in our jewelry are purported to have adorned “the breastplate of the high priest.” (This has almost become a running joke over the years, as Sandra has remarked more than once that she would love to see this breastplate because it would probably be absolutely stunning.)
The high priest in question was Aaron, the first high priest of the Hebrews, and his breastplate contained twelve gems, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The stones were said to be set in four rows, each containing three stones. This is particularly interesting because there are four groups in the zodiac: signs of air, fire, water, and earth, and they are organized into three types: cardinal, fixed, and mutable. The first writings we know of that associate the gems in the breastplate with the signs of the zodiac come from Flavius Josephus in the first century of the common era. As you might imagine, the list of stones is not exactly definitive, and even Josephus changes the lineup in his writings; but one description of the grid details that “the first three stones were a sardonyx, a topaz, and an emerald. The second row contained a carbuncle [garnet], a jasper, and a sapphire. The first of the third row was a ligure [zircon], then an amethyst, and the third an agate. The fourth row was a crysolite [peridot], the next was an onyx, and then a beryl.”
The modern list of birthstones has changed, too. It was first codified by the National Association of Jewellers in 1912, and it has been updated in the last decade in both the US and the UK. The stones that we were taught when we were growing up were garnet for January, amethyst for February, aquamarine for March, diamond for April, emerald for May, pearl for June, ruby for July, peridot for August, sapphire for September, opal for October, topaz for November, and turquoise for December. There are several “alternate” stones, too, including pink tourmaline for October, more than likely because opals have a reputation for being unlucky (specifically, they were thought to bear a curse that could bring about death, although some say that the curse doesn’t apply to those born in October, or doesn’t apply if the stone was given as a gift). Much like the tales surrounding the Hope Diamond, compelling stories—fictional and otherwise—have contributed to the layers of lore around this multicolored stone.
The association of luck with certain gems worn at specific times has likewise developed and changed, with some cultures believing it is good luck to wear the stone associated with a zodiac sign during the period when the Sun is in it. Stones may be worn to support health or to help face life’s challenges. This is a part of our practice today, and it forms the basis for this book. From marking milestones to gravestones, rocks are both useful tools and luxurious jewels, bringing beauty and bestowing blessings. Crystals can protect, heal, empower, and transform those who understand how to awaken their potential and, in turn, the magic within themselves.
Copyright © 2022 by Sandra Mariah Wright and Leanne Marrama. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
