LAPIS LAZULI

Alternate Names & Spellings for Lapis Lazuli: Lapis, Denim Lapis

Hardness (Mohs): 5.5Color(s): Blue, Violet, Greenish-BlueTransparency: OpaqueLustre: Vitreous, GreasyHabit: AggregateCommon / Notable Locations: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar)

Rock Lore & Tidbits:

Lapis Lazuli is not a single mineral. It is a combination of lazurite, calcite, and pyrite, with small amounts of other minerals. Contrary to common belief, it does not contain lazulite. Lapis Lazuli literally means "blue stone" from Latin and Persian or Arabic. Lapis Howlite or blue howlite may look like Lapis Lazuli at a glance, but are not the same stone. Denim Lapis is a lighter Lapis Lazuli with more white from calcite.

CRYSTAL MEANINGS LORE OF LAPIS LAZULI

Keywords: Truth, Inner Power, Organization

Lapis Lazuli is traditionally a stone of royalty. When ever I think of it, the Lapiz Lazuli around the eyes of King Tut's mask comes to mind. Truly royal!

Spiritual and Psychic Properties

Lapis Lazuli is said to help create and maintain a connection between the physical and celestial planes, creating a strong spiritual connection. This may be related to its property of assisting in contact with guardian spirits.

Intuitive and psychic awareness are energies Lapis Lazuli enhances and brings to the fore. As it is also a stone that helps with writing, it can also be used for automatic writing.

Lapis Lazuli is a manifestation stone. It is also an excellent meditation stone. Meditating on a goal or quality you wish to manifest can bring this strong manifestation energy in. It is also a powerful crystal for positive or white magic.

As a protection stone, Lapis Lazuli protects from psychic and physical attacks. It can be used in protection grids, worn, or carried to bring these protection energies. It can also be used for protection of an environment when placed in the four corners.

Mental and Emotional Properties

Lapis Lazuli is a stone of communication that can bring truthfulness, openness, and mental clarity. It is used to help you say just the right thing, as if by magic.

Mentally, Lapis Lazuli has helpful energy. It can bring mental and emotional virility and strengthen the mind. It also is said to enhance creativity. Its energy can help organize daily life as well as organizing and quieting a busy or restless mind. lessening confusion, and increasing concentration.

Strong emotional components of Lapis Lazuli are the strength and ability to overcome abuse issues, trauma, rape recovery, as well as depression and grief. Partly this is due to its energy of bringing inner power and hope. This strong inner

power can also build courage, confidence, and overcome shyness. Hope brings trust that things will work out in spite of past traumas. It also is used to decrease irritability, whether caused by trauma issues or day to day frustrations.

Dream work and dream recall are two mystical uses of Lapis Lazuli. It is said to bring the inforrmation from the dreams into daily life where it imparts wisdom.

Lapis Lazuli brings spiritual love and is also known for enhancing love and fidelity within marriage.

Physical Conditions Lore

Lapis Lazuli is said in crystal healing to be helpful for a number of issues including sinus ailments, cancer, headaches, nervous system, speech problems, pituitary gland, body strength, virility, pain relief, heart, immune system, RLS, spleen, bones, autism, depression, epilepsy, seizures, eye and vertigo vision problems, sleep disorders including insomnia, fibromyalgia, feminine reproductive system including PMS, thyroid, RNA/DNA damage, and tuberculosis. Note that healing crystal meanings are spiritual supports to healing and are not prescriptions or healthcare information.

Related Chakras

Lapis Lazuli is related to both the throat and brow chakras, often bringing a strong synergy to their individual energy patterns.

More on Lapis Lazuli From My Personal Perspective

Lapis Lazuli is not only a celestial stone in appearance with it's dotted "stars" of pyrite in blue, it also has wonderful energy. I particularly like it as a stone for mental organization which is very empowering.Hattip to Mindat.org for mineral information on lapis lazli; Love Is In The Earth by Melody and Crystal Wisdom: Spiritual Properties of Crystals and Gemstones by Dolfyn for metaphysical information/ and to ancientartpodcast.org on Flickr for the King Tut Mask Photo (CC by SA 2.0 License). View lapis lazuli information at www.mindat.org

OBSIDIAN

Alternate Names or Spellings for Obsidian: Glass Agate, Glassy Lava, Xaga, Royal Agate (a mottled obsidian)

Obsidian is a natural, volcanic glass.

Obsidian is a very protective stone, and is excellent for removing negativity. It is also excellent protection against psychic attacks. In particular obsidian protects the gentle from abuse, and is used to cut attachment cords to release one. It is a very grounding stone, and very healing. Obsidian is also an excellent manifestation stone. Physically it is said to benefit the stomach, intestines, muscle tissue, and can rid one of bacterial or viral infections. It sharpens and focuses internal and external vision, and helps get in touch with buried issues before they explode. Note that healing crystal meanings are spiritual supports to healing and are not prescriptions or healthcare information. Obsidian is related primarily to the root chakra, though differing colors may relate to different chakras as well.

Green Obsidian shifts those draining energy from others or from you, to their own issues and healing. This can create a sense of freedom for those wearing or carrying it. It can also deflect draining energies within a room it is in, causing

everyone to turn to their own healing rather than subconsciously reach for others energy for it. Note that healing crystal meanings are spiritual supports to healing and are not prescriptions or healthcare information. Green Obsidian is related to the heart chakra as well as the root chakra, creating a direct route from one to the other bringing a synergy of the energies of the two.

Other types of Obsidian include Mahogany Obsidian, Rainbow Obsidian, Snowflake Obsidian, and Apache Tears.

SMOKY QUARTZ

Alternate Names & Spellings of Smoky Quartz: Cairngorm, Smokey Quartz, Smoky Topaz, Smoky Citrine, Morion

Hardness (Mohs): 7Color(s): Gray, Brown, BlackTransparency: Transparent, TranslucentLustre: VitreousCommon / Notable Locations: Worldwide, Brazil, USA

Rock Lore & Tidbits: Technically smoky quartz is only created by aluminum-based and irradiation-induced color centers, though many brown or black quartz crystals whose color is given through organic or other means are erroneously called smoky quartz or morion. Smoky quartz color is sometimes deepened with radiation as well.

Smoky Quartz is often given the trade names or misnomers of "Smoky Citrine" or "Smoky Topaz." Black smoky quartz is referred to as morion.

CRYSTAL MEANINGS LORE OF SMOKY QUARTZ

Keywords: Centering, Grounding, Remove Negativity

Smoky quartz is a very protective and grounding stone. It brings physical and psychic protection. It is also an excellent stone for protection from negative energy, as It removes negativity and negative energy of any kind and transforms them to positive energy.

As a root chakra stone, smoky quartz enhances survival instincts, and can help one reach personal and business goals. It is also used in assisting in making wishes come true by grounding their essence in reality. Thus, it is a stone that brings abundance, prosperity, and good luck.

Smoky quartz is beneficial mentally in several ways. It fosters cooperation in groups and supports their efforts energetically. It engenders creativity by bringing the same energies of grounding the creative process in reality to bring imaginative efforts to fulfillment Smoky quartz also works energetically to assist in prioritizing needs and wants, and brings wisdom to every day life.

Emotionally, smoky quartz is excellent for elevating moods, overcoming negative emotions, and relieving depression. Smoky quartz relieves stress, fear, jealousy, anger and other negative emotions by transforming them into positive energies. It is a helpful stone for enhancing and encouraging courage and inner strength. Smoky quartz is very comforting and calming, and can be considered a stone of serenity. It can, therefore, be very helpful in relieving grief.

In the psychic and spiritual realms, smoky quartz centers one during meditation, and can provide a grounded link between the physical and higher selves, helping to uncover subconscious wisdom. Using smoky quartz during meditation enables you to reach higher states of consciousness. Smoky quartz also stimulates kundali

ni.

Because smoky quartz transforms and removes negative energy, it also protects and cleanses the aura and astral bodies. It can be used effectively for psychic shielding.

Physically, smoky quartz has been used in crystal healing to treat many different problems associated with the lower torso including kidneys, abdomen, pancreas, reproductive organs, menstrual cramps, fertility issues. Smoky quartz also is used to remove toxins from the body and helps the adrenal glands. It is also very helpful for regulating body fluids and relieving fluid retention. Smoky quartz is also a preferred crystal healer's stone for dealing with insomnia, nightmares, hyperactivity, and attention deficit disorder. Smoky quartz is said to be good for balancing and improving one's general health. Note that healing crystal meanings are spiritual supports to healing and are not prescriptions or healthcare information.

Smoky quartz is associated primarily with the root (base, first) chakra.

See Quartz for additional metaphysical properties and healing properties common to all colors of quartzes.

From my personal perspective

Smoky quartz is a joy to work with. Unlike some of the more grounding stones, it feels much lighter to me, while still bringing strong stabilizing and centering energy. It is a particular favorite of mine to use with Reiki treatments, either with the client holding it at the root chakra / groin area or placed at the soles of the feet.Hattip to Mindat.org for mineral information on Smoky Quartz. View Smoky Quartz information at www.mindat.org