Nephrite Jade

There are two types of Jade, Jadeite and Nephrite Jade. The one being discussed here is the second although they have many of the same properties.

It's called the Dream Stone, not only will it give you lucid dreams but it will help to interpret them if one is put under your pillow. If you add another type of jade, the Gold Jade, it'll help bring a spiritual teacher to your dreams bringing you wisdom.

Green is a colour which is said to attract money to your life and green jade will do the same, hold one in your hand and visualise money being used wisely. The same goes for furthering your career or bringing you one if you are looking for work.

Nephrite Jade will balance the yin and yang in yourself, so you have neither too strongly male or too strongly female energies and can be more balanced in yourself, so if you feel you need encourage yourself more in some behaviour or want to stop another this will aid you, especially if you are overly critical or irritable. It is also a cleanser, good for eliminating waste from the kidneys, spleen and blood.

A lucky stone bringing the user good luck. The property it's most often associated with is love which it is said to attract. For lovers the stone will encourage a deeper love and a more erotic one. It beings users joy and happiness, what a lovely stone to have.

Malachite

Another powerful stone which should be used with caution both spiritually and physically. If used on the skin place a cloth under it and then only if it has been polished or tumbled, if used spiritually you need to remember that this stone will enhance any feelings or emotions you are getting.

It's an important healing stone, believed that it will become one of the most important healing stones and that it is still evolving. It'll help to remove any negativity in the user, in this way it's beneficial to people battling depression or have had emotional abuse and helps break unwanted ties whilst removing past traumas. It'll help balance any mood swings you might get.

If you want more excitement in your life then carry this stone around with you as it helps to live life more intensely  bringing adventure into your life. Watch out as it encourages risk taking which can be good but do take care, won't you, if you carry this stone. But it does bring change and is a stone of transformation in the user. If you already have been wanting this new energy and adventure it'll show what has been blocking you from going forward with these ideas - but, it might show you what the reasons were that you might not have wanted to see.

Malachite is very good for guarding against radiation and if you live near a radiation source then having one in the house can be very beneficial. It helps clear electromagnetic pollution, and there's plenty of that in the air these days. It is grounding and heals earth energies with a good affinity with nature.

One more thing, it's been called the midwife stone as it helps with childbirth pains and also alleviates menstrual cramps, pmt and the menopause, and is also a protector of children. There are many other uses of this stone as it is a very powerful one - and remember - if you use it take care.

Lapis Lazuli

This is a beautiful blue stone with flecks of gold and white and I apologise for my appalling photo of mine which doesn't do it justice. For those lucky to be born in the month of September this is your birthstone.

This is a powerful crystal, and was once believed to be the original philosopher's stone, probably due to the gold flecks in it. It symbolises inspiration and opens the mind to give users clear thinking and frees the thoughts. Wisdom and truth are also gained with this stone. For these reasons as well as many others it is no wonder it has been revered as a special stone and been very much sought after. This has been going on for many centuries, even the Ancient Egyptians believed it important enough to bury their dead with Lapis Lazuli scarabs, and Tutankhamen covered his sarcophagus with it. Other users were Catherine the Great who used it to cover an entire room in these stones including fireplaces, walls, doors and mirrors. It can be ground into powder and used a colouring and, while Egyptians used it as dyes for clothing and eye shadow, Michaelangelo used it for painting.

It is used to bring clarity of thought while meditating as well as calmness and peace, and is meant to help keep away negative thoughts. While meditating with a Lapis Lazuli you will be able to see into yourself more easily and learn to accept yourself for who you are, though as it is a very powerful stone it should be used with care and caution. But it won't open your mind immediately, it waits till you are ready enough and have the courage to feel the deep powerful mysteries of your higher mind.

Ancient Greeks believed if you dreamed of a Lapis Lazuli it foretells love. The blue colour causes it to be called the water stone which, in Feng Shui, means that like deep powerful water it can carry away negative forces bringing stillness and calm forward instead. Like water it is also purifying.

With the free thinking it promotes along with the problem solving, wisdom and good judgement this is an excellent stone for people in careers such as scientists and inventors. Lawyers and archaeologists can also benefit from these attributes.

Such a beautiful stone, it's understandable there has been so much interest in it, but if you have one do take care is the message given out.

Kornerupine

A rare stone found in Greenland. The colour changes as you turn it. I don't have one and haven't yet seen one anywhere, no doubt due to it's being so rare, this obviously pushes the price up too, so it's expensive if you do find one.

This is called the teaching stone, Teachers. Keep one on you while at school, college or university to help communicate to your students as it'll make you more eloquent to them and convey your subject over to them with clarity. It works with the throat chakra, is good for thyroid problems but also with communication and  speaking in general. Useful for teachers it will help you to listen, too. Necessary for a good teacher, I think, to hear their students and what they need, not just to be able to talk at them but with them.

Another use for this gemstone is the ability it gives in aiding you to live this life to the full, to cut through illusions and realise it's important to enjoy life, live it, don't be afraid to live your dreams. The Kornerupine will give energy to you as well, which is probably for the best as you start doing so much more, but at the same time it will calm and stabilise your emotions. It'll cause you to realise each moment is precious.

An interesting side to the Kornerupine is that to is said to reveal messages and answers to the user after giving you flashes of inspiration, or maybe dreams, and that if you have a problem will give the answer to them to help solve them. I don't know about you but I'm sure I could do with a problem solver, sometimes.

Jasper

I used this stone when my Daughter#2 was having nightmares a few years ago, we placed one in the middle of the floor of the room as we were advised and left it there over night for a few weeks. It was recommended as it is a good gemstone for fears of the night. As it is a good solid stone which takes it's time to do it's job my daughter had a couple of bad dreams for a short while but they did ease off. Whether this was due to the stone or other factors I don't know but I'm sure it helped. Even just knowing it was there was soothing, power of the mind and all that. It also helps with hazards of the night and I must say that no-one tripped over the stone while it was lying in the middle of the room, and that was very helpful.

As I said, it works slowly but has a strong energy which works it's magic with slow but determined energy. For this reason it it meant to be helpful with someone who might be going through counselling as it works with them in their own time. An aid for overcoming addiction and gathering strength to do this, and is calming for emotions.

The Jasper stone is made from petrified mud and so is considered an earthy, warm stone, very grounding and nurturing. Although it is slow to show a change in people it is still a good stone to carry around. It's good for shy people to help them overcome their timidness, so keep one in your pocket if you feel you need a boost in that direction. It is also meant to help you stand up for what you believe in - for that reason it's useful for those in prefessions where this is needed such as the army, lawyers and police. That last is good to know as my Daughter#2 is thinking about this as her career, a two way help in her case.

One more detail about the Jasper is that it is good for the sense of smell, and while typing this I suddenly connected the police with it again as in police sniffer dogs - or am I going too far now?

Iron Pyrite

Also known as Fools Gold this stone can make fire by striking it against flint. As this stone makes fire it's not such a hard leap to understand that it's believed to be able to help with lethargy as it gives energy, just like a fire is made up of energy.

It takes away listlessness replacing that with alertness and a feeling of alertness making you feel fresh again. It'll do this for mental tiredness as well as physical giving you endurance for working with your body. Mentally it'll help to improve memory, find ideas and express  those ideas with intelligence.

It isn't surprising to find that for the body it is meant to increase the oxygen in the blood and is also beneficial to the lungs and we know that plenty of oxygen is needed for the brain to work well.

In history it has been discovered that it was used as an amulet by the ancient Mexicans and that their Shamans would use it to aid in meditation, they would carve one side of it with spiritual symbols and polish the other side of it to make a reflective mirror. This was one of the first stones to be used as a healing amulet kept in a Shaman's bag.

Howlite

Although it's name might conjure up a vision of wolves howling up ant the light of the moon, it doesn't really have anything to do with them, unless you associate wolves with anger. They are strong and powerful animals  and the emotion of anger is, too, so maybe a passing similarity there. This is the anger management stone, you see.

It'll absorb the anger of the user and calm you down, relieving stress. Removing negative emotions such as selfishness and resentfulness it'll bring out the decent side of the user and dispel rudeness as well as any overly critical and general offensive behaviour. If we could only get those members of the public who cause people to worry as they walk around certain areas because of their gang mentality and anti-social behaviours towards innocent by-passers to carry a couple of Howlite stones around with them, wouldn't that be great, imagine how much more peaceful it would be? They encourage the user to be calmer, so if only the police couldn't enforce that as part of their rules. But it is meant to direct anger and bad behaviour away from you too, so carry one around if you are worried some might be coming your way.

Because of the calming nature of the stones they do also aid in restlessness and insomnia and help you sleep deeper once you do fall asleep. For the same attributes it'll help with meditation. It'll bring patience to you.

Another use is for it's memory enhancing, giving you a clearer mind to recall thoughts, or dreams if you have one by the side of the bed. Some people even use it to help remember past lives.

Keep it where stress might occur, in the workplace, or in your bedroom if you have trouble getting to sleep, or just in your pocket to protect against either other people's anger against you or to keep yourself from getting cross. Bit more calm in the world is what we need, don't you think?