Birthstone Secrets—Discovering Your Soul Stones
Birthstones are very special stones that have traditionally been correlated with each month of the year. Hallmark didn’t invent the concept of birthstones; it came from the Bible! In Exodus chapters twenty-eight and thirty-nine, there is much discussion about a burnished and stone-set breastplate of the High Priest of the Hebrews. Here is the biblical description of the breastplate:
And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled. And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings. There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes.
—NKJV, Exod. 39:8–14
Amethyst
These twelve stones from the famous breastplate became linked with the twelve signs of the zodiac, resulting in our cherished modern tradition of birthstones. The long history of birthstones has many more chapters, but an important point to know is that your birthstone is yours by divine right and birthright. I know I was thrilled when I found out amethyst was mine, even though it was ranked as semiprecious. All I knew was that it was purple, my favorite color.
Your birthstone is a major power source for you. You should have at least one piece of jewelry made from your birthstone and must treat it like the special stone it is. You should also keep this sacred personal stone around in other forms as well. I have a candleholder made of a large amethyst geode on my mantelpiece surrounded by candles. Just lighting the candle immediately calms and centers me. I realize you can’t do that with diamonds, although Herkimer diamonds can be substituted nicely. If you are a January Capricorn, for instance, and your birthstone is garnet, you can have an entire set, or parure, of garnet jewelry—ring, earrings, bracelet, necklace—for the fullest expression of birthstone power. Surround yourself with your birthstone energy and you will feel at peace, filled with well-being from your gem-fired glow.
Here is the classic list of birthstones by month.
•January: garnet, a stone symbolizing a light and loyal heart and lasting affection
•February: amethyst, a sexy and sensitive stone; Cleopatra’s royal ring
•March: aquamarine, long known as a soothsayer’s stone; and bloodstone, long known as the martyr’s stone
•April: diamond, the traditional engagement ring, which represents the power of love
•May: emerald, a lovely green stone of protection
•June: pearl, moonstone, and alexandrite—all moon and sea stones powered by water
•July: ruby, the most highly prized gem of all and a symbol of the essence of life
•August: peridot, the ancient symbol of the sun; and sardonyx, an intelligence-enhancing stone
•September: sapphire, a true-blue gem that represents the purity of the soul
•October: opal, said to contain the beauty of all other gems; and tourmaline, a stone of inspiration
•November: topaz, a stone of royalty, named for the Sanskrit word for fire
•December: turquoise, which brings luck; and zircon, the traveler’s stone
While the classic birthstones are, well, classic, each zodiac sign has “early” and “late” divisions, and each of those has heart-, soul-, and power-correlated stones. Check for your and your loved ones’ birthdays below to see which gems will rev up different areas of your lives!
Opal
Aries,
First Half: March 20–April 3
Sunstone
The sunstone is the power crystal for these Aries folks. Appropriately red with an iridescent glow, sunstone is a gold-flecked good-luck charm for the Mars-ruled. Jasper and heliotrope are the other power stones for this part of the year. These red rocks will amp up your lust for life.
The heart stones for these zodiac pioneers are dolomite, rose quartz, and cinnabar. So, Aries, put a rose quartz by your bedside for self-esteem, self-love, and spiritual comfort.
Aries,
Last Half: April 4–April 18
Bowenite
Alexandrite is the designated soul stone here. It is very precious indeed—the scarcest of the chrysoberyls. Usually a dark green, alexandrite shows red under certain types of light. This royal stone is fitting for the first sign of the zodiac. Another soul stone for later-born Aries is rhodonite, a pinkish red crystal that’s a favorite of Carl Faberge’s.
The power stone for this half of Aries is bowenite, a stone of great strength in a mossy green. While many of the crystals assigned to late Aries are red or pink, this one is green, signifying the other side of the planet Mars. Bowenite is especially precious and sacred to the Maori of New Zealand, where some of the finest specimens come from, and was highly prized by the ancient Indians and Persians.
Taurus,
First Half: April 19–May 2
Pyrite
The power stone for this group is another gorgeous green stone: malachite, which also corresponds to the planet Venus. An earthy rock, it is befitting for this earth sign of the zodiac and has many magical tales to its name. A malachite heart pendant or paperweight is perfect for early Tauruses.
Pyrite, or fool’s gold, is the heart stone for people in this family, who tend to be bankers and money managers. Stunning and shiny, pyrite has a hardness of six, the number sacred to Venus. Pyrite brings great luck to early Tauruses, along with abundance and an atmosphere conducive to joy. Delight everyone at work by keeping a chunk of fool’s gold on your desk.
Taurus,
Second Half: May 3–May 19
Andalusite
Andalusite is the precious soul stone here, a magically metamorphic crystal. Tauruses are deeply rooted to the earth, and andalusite represents that elemental energy through its range of colors, from earthy black to clear and watery. In fact, andalusite comes in nearly all the colors of the rainbow (yellow, green, red, purple, brown, and gray), manifesting another Venusian quality—glamour.
Jadeite, the power stone for later Tauruses, also comes in many colors. Jadeite is a symbol for abundance and permanence.