Archive for Gemstones
Mystic Mountains
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Spending time in the snowy Sierras was absolutely lovely. Quality time with friends…. as they say….priceless. I have to admit I have never been much of a snow girl but I know now that traveling to and fro in the snow is so much easier and fun when you have experience and the proper gear. As you can see in the photo the snowflakes were huge! Folks were commenting that this is the last big storm…these mountain dwellers are so ready for spring…me too. The end of winter is quickly approaching as well as the end of a zodiac cycle as we move from Pisces into Aries, March 20.
Pisces is a water sign….flowing water at the end of a frozen winter…..symbolized by two fish swimming in different directions. Pisces, ruled by Neptune..the Sea God…. urges us to swim into the deep and embrace the mystic experience. This is the time to go inward, spend time alone, learn to meditate, try yoga or deepen your practice. With just a couple of weeks of winter left…dive deeper!
Sitting around the dinner table in the mountains, the conversation took off onto one of my favorite subjects…GemStones. So, this fellow mentions that there is a quartz crystal mine not far from there, you can get there on a Ranger…sort of like an ATV….and he has actually seen some beautiful pieces of pink quartz crystal! I fired off so many questions…..really?…how do you get there?….can you go into the mine?..and the most important of all….can you take me? He answered…yes…when the snow melts!
Rose or Pink Crystal Quartz is found in South Africa, United States, Brazil, Japan, India and Madagascar. Stone of unconditional love…said to help bring love into one’s life, this can be self-love as well. A healing stone that helps to restore trust in relationships. Opens a broken heart to become receptive once again. Place rose quartz in the relationship corner of your home to bring love into your life and when worn as jewelry, wear over your heart.
The snow is starting to melt, so check back to see what surprises we find at the mine!
Love and Light,
Susan
Check back often to see whats new in Astrology and GemStones!
Mars Over Anacortes
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Anacortes, Washington….a lovely Gem at the tip top of Washington state. An island really, as my sister reminds me, surrounded by water, connected to the mainland by a well traveled bridge. The only other way in is by ferry or boat. A journey across the Puget Sound that brings travelers from all parts of the world. It’s beautiful here, a hundred shades of green, dense forests and views of the sea everywhere you turn. What surprises me are the sunsets. Day after day as the sun goes down, the sky lights up like a fiery ball of light. Glowing like hot lava, until the last bit of color seeps into the night. This fiery, intense red reminds me of the planet, Mars. February is the month to view Mars in our evening sky.
In Astrology, Mars rules the sign of Aries. Represented by the powerful, direct warrior of the zodiac, this Mars influence gives Aries a strong sexual and passionate side. If you are an Aries or know an Aries, you have seen this passion in action. Passion colors everything they do and follows them in every direction they turn. Red reflects the passion of Aries and its ruler, Mars.
Spinel is a wonderful GemStone to represent Mars. Spinel is found in many colors including black, blue, green, orange, brown, violet and of course, red. Below you will see an example of vibrant Spinel patially buried in Calcite. Red is said to stimulate physical vitality and strength. Necessary for the zodiac warrior!
Please email me for information about your Personal GemStones.
Next stop…California Sierras….check back for whats new in Astrology and GemStones!
Love and Light,
Susan
Road Trip!
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What is it about a “Road trip” that speaks to my soul? “Freedom of the road”, “White line fever”, “The road that never ends”, and so it goes….I love traveling! Any mode of transportation will do…Plane, Trains and Autobmobiles…yes, that was a movie, one of my favorites too.
Just pack a bag and go!
Last week my road buddy, Jeanne, and I went on a road trip to Arizona. Having traveled together for about 15 years…maybe more?…I knew with all of her Aries energy (4 planets in Aries) and all of my Sagittarius fire (4 planets in Sag) we were in for an enjoyable and fun experience! Together we have a combination of 13 planets in Fire and 6 planets in Air, making for lots of lively and animated conversation. An important combination when driving together over a period of 5 days for 20 something hours!
Our destination was Quartzside, Arizona, 20 miles southeast from the California town of Blythe. Knowing nothing about what to expect, even with the Internet… information was limited. Let this be a lesson, if the information is limited then there is probably nothing more to know. The Internet lead us to believe that this Gemshow is in the middle of nowhere with nothing else. Guess what? that is about right…one hotel…maybe two..the second one was somewhat questionable and three restaurants. But, hey, there is free 14 day parking in the middle of the desert. All you need is an RV. No hook ups, no water, no problem, bring your own!
Jeanne and I had been attending Gemshows in Tucson for 15 years. Talking with the miners in Tucson we had heard much about Quartzside…where the show really begins they said…if Tucson was the finished goods then Quartzside was the unfinished goods…rocks, boulders and geodes…straight from the mines…for years I had wanted to explore this area, meet these miners and folks who make their living mining and trading incredible stones.
Meet them we did, so many people and so many stories. Our heads were spinning with all the shapes, colors and variety of stones! Our favorite finds were the Amethyst geodes from Brazil, ranging from light to dark purple and when heat-treated a burnt orange. Focusing on the geodes we managed to fill up the car, front, center and back.
Amethyst is an powerful stone, protective and spiritual. Placed at the front door its energy guards against negativity. Calms the mind and when meditating, increases the deepening spiritual process. Opens intuition and enhances psychic gifts.I always place an Amethyst point in the circle when doing an astrological reading.
Amethyst represents the astrological signs of Pisces, Virgo, Aquarius and Capricorn. Your SunSign may not be one of these but we all have these signs represented in our astrology chart.
Where are these signs in your chart? and how can you use Amethyst to benefit your life?
Love and Light,
Susan
PS……leaving for Anacortes, Washington ….check back for whats new in Gemstones and Astrology!
Blue Moon, Blue Diamond
Posted by: | CommentsHappy New Year!
As the New Year began I found myself in a beautiful part of the world, surrounded by lovely folks, most unknown to me, explaining the term “Blue Moon”….is it blue they asked?? Looking at the photos one took the following day the Moon certainly looked blue. A wonderful sight the Full Moon is, lighting up the snow covered mountains and majestic pines. Its an old saying really, “Once in a Blue Moon”…have you heard it before?
So it goes that when there are two Full Moons in a month, such as the first one was December 1st, 2009 and the second one was December 31st, 2009 …this second Full Moon is referred to as a “Blue Moon”.
According to Wikepedia there is more to the story. A blue moon is the “extra” full moon in years that have thirteen full moons. Most years have twelve full moons which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each solar calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days compared to the lunar year. The extra days accumulate, so every two or three years (7 times in the 19-year Metonic cycle), there is an extra full moon. Whew!
Working with a jewelry store client years ago, I was called on to find a Blue Diamond. This Blue Diamond was to be the focal point of a spectacular wedding ring. Natural Blue Diamonds are very rare and quite expensive, finding one in her budget was close to impossible. Would she consider another stone? so many blue stones….Sapphire, Iolite, Zircon, Aquamarine, Fluorite to name just a few. No, she insisted on a Blue Diamond. Not too large, about a half carat.
Was there a particular reason for this request, I asked. “Yes, you see I have been a widow for many years and have found myself in love with another wonderful man….and I always said that if I every fell in love again it would be “Once in a Blue Moon”!
In Astrology, the Moon represents emotions, sensitivity, and the unconscious. In the birth chart the Moon sign is second in importance only to the Sun sign. The Moon represents the feminine principle, while the Sun represents the male principal. The Moon’s placement in your birth chart reveals where you find nurturing and emotional security. In the charts of lovers, compatible Moons are one of the keys to a healthy and loving relationship.
In the present sky, the transiting Moon changes signs every 2.5 days…if you pay attention to the changing of the Moon you can feel the shift of people’s focus. As I write this the Moon is in Virgo, a time of intellectual activity…as the Moon moves into Libra tonight, relationships come into the spotlight and on it goes around the Zodiac until the Moon moves through each and every sign.
Where is the Moon in your birth chart? and how do you honor this luminary in your life?
Love and Light,
Susan
PS….Leaving tomorrow for a trip to Arizona to attend one of the worlds largest Gem shows. Check back to see what’s new in the world of Gemstones and Astrology!