💎️ Gemstone Overview
The gemstone is commonly known as Lapis Lazuli. Its scientific name is derived from "Lapis," the Latin word for stone, and "Azula," which comes from Arabic and means blue.
Lapis Lazuli has a rich history dating back to 7000 BC where it was first mined in Afghanistan. It was highly prized by ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome for its vibrant color. In ancient Egypt, it was used in jewelry, cosmetics (as an eyeshadow), amulets and even ground into powder for medicinal purposes. During the Renaissance period, artists used ground lapis lazuli to create ultramarine - one of the most expensive pigments available at that time.
Throughout history, Lapis Lazuli has been associated with royalty due to its deep celestial blue color. It's often considered a symbol of wisdom and truth. In many cultures around the world including Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe, this gemstone had spiritual significance; it was believed to bring about harmony in relationships and help its wearer speak their truth with clarity.
In Buddhism culture it's considered sacred representing serenity and purity.
Today Lapis Lazuli deposits are primarily found in Afghanistan but also exist in Chile (Andes Mountains), Russia (Lake Baikal region) Italy (Tuscany), Mongolia , Canada (British Columbia), and United States (California).
🔬 Physical Properties
Lapis Lazuli is typically a deep, celestial blue color. It often has gold flecks of pyrite which gives it a unique sparkle. The intensity of the blue varies from stone to stone and may contain white calcite veins or patches.
On the Mohs hardness scale, Lapis Lazuli rates between 5 and 5.5, making it relatively soft compared to many other gemstones. While not as durable as some stones, with proper care it can last for centuries - ancient artifacts made from lapis are still in good condition today.
It does not have a crystal structure because it's an aggregate of several minerals including lazurite, calcite and pyrite among others. Therefore its structure is classified as 'massive', meaning the gemstone forms rounded masses with no particular shape.
Although once considered more precious than gold in ancient times, nowadays Lapis Lazuli is readily available and therefore not considered rare. However, top-quality specimens used for jewelry are less common and thus more valuable.
🌙 Psychic and Spiritual Attributes
The primary chakra associated with Lapis Lazuli is the Third Eye Chakra, which is responsible for intuition, insight, and perception. It also stimulates the Throat Chakra, enhancing communication skills and encouraging honesty.
This gemstone is particularly beneficial for Sagittarius and Libra zodiac signs. However, it can be used by all signs as a source of wisdom and truth.
In spiritual practices, Lapis Lazuli has a strong connection to the element of Water. This association helps in promoting clarity in thoughts and emotions while facilitating fluidity in expression.
Known as a stone of wisdom and truth since ancient times; spiritually, Lapis Lazuli carries energies that stimulate enlightenment by revealing inner truths. It encourages self-awareness leading to self-expression without holding back or compromising. On a psychic level this stone enhances intellectual ability making one sharper and more focused; it aids in learning and memory retention too.
It's also known to facilitate spiritual journeying and stimulate personal power. Its energy can open up psychic abilities among those who are tuned into its power.
🍀 Healing and Therapeutic Properties
Lapis Lazuli is a powerful gemstone for emotional healing. It aids in releasing stress and promoting peace, offering tranquility to those who use it. This stone encourages self-awareness, allows self-expression, and reveals inner truth, providing qualities of honesty, compassion, and morality to the personality. It can also help with overcoming depression and boosting confidence.
On a physical level, Lapis Lazuli is believed to alleviate pain, especially migraines. It's also said to benefit the respiratory system by reducing inflammation or infection in the throat area. The stone has been used traditionally for eye problems as well as skin issues like eczema.
Known as 'The Wisdom Stone', Lapis Lazuli enhances intellectual ability making one a better learner and teacher. It stimulates desire for knowledge and understanding; aiding memory retention, learning processes while encouraging creativity in problem-solving.
In terms of spiritual growth or healing properties, this deep blue stone opens up the third eye chakra which enhances intuition and psychic abilities. Its energy can stimulate visions or dreams that provide insights into your spiritual purpose.
It helps you connect with divine energy facilitating spiritual journeying while protecting against psychic attacks.
🕯️ Use in Magic and Rituals
Lapis Lazuli is a powerful gemstone that has been used for centuries in various magical practices. It's often incorporated into spells and rituals aimed at enhancing psychic abilities, encouraging spiritual growth, and promoting wisdom. Its deep blue color associates it with the element of water, making it an excellent stone for workings related to dreams, intuition, and emotional healing. In addition to this, Lapis Lazuli can be used in protection rituals as its energy helps shield against negative influences.
To cleanse your Lapis Lazuli stone, you can smudge it using sage or sweetgrass - simply pass your stone through the smoke to purify its energy. Alternatively, you could leave it under moonlight overnight (especially during a full moon) which not only cleanses but also charges the stone with lunar energies. Please note that as lapis lazuli is sensitive to strong sunlight exposure which may cause fading over time; hence sun cleansing should be avoided.
Due to its connection with intuition and psychic awareness, Lapis Lazuli is often used during divination sessions or psychic readings. It can help open up third eye chakra thus facilitating better communication with higher self or spirit guides. This makes it ideal for use when seeking guidance from tarot cards or other forms of divination tools like pendulums etc., where clear interpretation of messages are required.
🌠 Gemstone in Astrology
Lapis Lazuli is not traditionally associated with a specific month as a birthstone. However, it has strong connections to the Zodiac signs Sagittarius and Libra. People born under these signs are believed to benefit from its energy.
In astrological contexts, Lapis Lazuli is closely associated with the planet Jupiter. Jupiter symbolizes expansion, growth, and optimism; qualities that resonate well with this gemstone's properties of wisdom, truth, and enlightenment.
As mentioned earlier, Lapis Lazuli holds particular significance for Sagittarians and Librans:
For Sagittarians who are known for their love of knowledge and exploration, this stone can help them gain deeper understanding and wisdom about themselves or the world around them.
For Librans who strive for balance in all aspects of life, Lapis Lazuli can provide mental clarity that aids in making fair decisions while also promoting inner peace.
This stone's influence isn't limited to these two signs though; anyone seeking spiritual development or self-awareness may find value in its energies regardless of their sun sign.
🧿 Talismanic Use
One common method is to wear it as jewelry, such as a pendant, bracelet, or ring. This allows the stone's energy to remain close to your body and aura throughout the day. Another way is by placing it in your home or workspace where you spend most of your time. You can also use it during meditation by holding it in your hand or placing it on your third eye chakra (forehead area). The intention behind using Lapis Lazuli could be for enhancing intellectual ability, gaining wisdom and truth, improving communication skills, stimulating enlightenment and spiritual transformation.
Lapis Lazuli carries several symbolic meanings that influence its use as a talisman or amulet. As the "Stone of Wisdom," this gemstone symbolizes honor, power, spirit and vision. It is associated with knowledge and understanding - both spiritually and intellectually - making it an ideal tool for those seeking wisdom in their lives. Additionally, due to its deep blue color reminiscent of the night sky studded with stars; lapis lazuli has been historically linked with divine connection and cosmic awareness which enhances its value for spiritual seekers who want an aid for their journey towards enlightenment.
The protective qualities of this stone make it useful against psychic attacks while its harmonizing attributes promote inner peace within individuals wearing them – thus reinforcing their roles not just as decorative pieces but powerful personal protectors too.
Lapis Lazuli’s association with communication makes this gemstone particularly beneficial for people involved in public speaking professions like teachers and lecturers since they help enhance clarity and articulation during speech delivery process thereby ensuring messages are conveyed effectively without any misunderstandings arising from unclear expressions/words used during conversation/speeches given out by these professionals.