Crystal of the Month: November

My first experience with this beautiful blue stone was in middle school! My mom gifted me some of her rings and I was so excited that I wore one on every finger! This one stood out because it had this really bright star shine in the center of the ring! It wasn't until I went to a jewelry store to ask what it was when they told me it was a Lapis Lazuli!

I figured November can be a busy month and with Thanksgiving coming up and all, we could all use something to help us maintain peace with loved ones. When we think about Thanksgiving, most of us picture family dysfunction at it's finest around one big table covered in food that we are prepared to stuff as much as the turkey is. You don't want to be the one who feeds into this. Establish some ground rules and tools to help you maintain holiday peace. Meditate or come up with a phrase that helps you remember to walk away or enjoy your time. Most importantly, carry Lapis in your pocket that has been set with intentions that match it's purposes.

Lapis Lazuli Merkaba Star from Heather Canyon

According to Charms of Light, "Lapis Lazuli can help ward off psychic attacks, and relieve stress, bringing deep peace. It brings harmony and deep inner self-knowledge, encouraging self-awareness. Lapis provides qualities of honesty, compassion and morality to the personality.  It stimulates objectivity, clarity and encourages creativity.  It also assists to confront and speak one’s truth and inspires confidence.  It bonds relationships, aiding in expression of feelings and emotions."

Mind Power Bracelet from EnergyMuse

Some health issues that Lapis Lazuli are believed to heal are:

- Helps with overcoming depression

- Alleviates insomnia & vertigo

- Soothes areas of inflammation

- Lowers Blood Pressure

- Blood renewal and immunity builder

- Benefits the respiratory & nervous system

- Benefits the throat/vocal cords, thyroid

- Cleanses organs, bone marrow, & thymus

Tumbled Lapis Lazuli Stones from Energymuse.com

Finding Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli can be found in most crystal stores. It can be found tumbled or in raw form. Commonly seen in jewelry like pendants, rings, and cuffs. The more gold flecks in the stone, the more costly it will be. Appearance: Deep rich blue flecked with gold (pyrite) and white

Associations: -Chakras: The Throat Chakra & Third Eye Chakra

-Birthstone: September -Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius

- Planet: Jupiter -Element: Water -Vibration number: 3

Properties:

- Inner truth/intuition

- Inner Power & self confidence

- Love

- Purification

- Positive magic

- Manifestation

- Friendship

Pharaoh Tutankhamen's mask laced with Lapis Lazuli (Image found on Wikipedia.org)

Myths and Lore In Ancient Egypt, Lapis Lazuli was sought after for its brilliant blue color which represented the heavens! It was often used for decorating funeral masks and can be seen on the Pharaoh Tutankhamun's mask.

In the 19th century, it was used as paint and known as Ultramarine (Beyond the Sea). Due to the high cost, it was reserved for religious art like Jesus and the Virgin Mary or highly favored Chapels. In ancient pre-Columbian America, the stone was a symbol of the starry night, and in Persian culture it was used for protection against the evil eye.

Image found HERE

Care When using and cleansing Lapis, make sure you do not use hot water. Room temperature is ideal. Do not submerge Lapis in water for long periods of time because it will damage the calcite content. Use a microfiber towel to shine.

I plan on staying home this year due to the pandemic but I will most likely wear that special ring my mom gave me years ago. Not because I anticipate a stressful environment, but because my mom won't be in town for the holidays and I will miss her. Wearing the Lapis she gifted me will remind me of our bond and that no amount of space between us will make me feel like her absence weighs more than her presence. That and having family around gives me that deep sense of peace that Lapis promises to provide!

Happy Holidays Gemratz!

With Love, Micole Elise