Gemstones and Healing: Moonstones

CATALOGING THE GEMS
I evaluate a gemstone in a number of ways. First, it falls into one of these categories: Heart Stone, Grounding Stone, Guard Dog Stone, High Energy Stone, Trauma Stone, Mental Stone, Stress Tone, Luck Stone, Psychic Stone, Money Stone, Arthritis Stone and Master Healer Stone. I created this system over the years because each stone has unique skills. Some, like the Master Stones, are diverse, multi-skilled and affect more than one chakra in our aura. With this blog, we’re going to look at Moonstone. It is a “Heart” stone, “Psychic’s” stone and a “Trauma” stone.

HEART STONES
This these gems that can help support you with problems of a heart and emotional nature. These gems are utilized in situations such as: Grief, breaking up a relationship, a divorce, loss of a loved one, loss of a pet, moving and leaving your friends or family, getting fired from a job, losing your house to a flood/earthquake, are but a few examples. People who, on a more spiritual level who are wanting to work in their heart chakra should consider a “heart stone” helper. These gemstones can open up an emotionally closed down person (repression/suppression). A heart stone can help them be more sensitive to themselves and to others. It moves narcissistic people toward concern and compassion for others, rather than just focused on their own needs. These heart gemstones help us “emote.” For those who have suppressed or repressed wounds that surround love, being loved, or not loved, also fall under this category. Anything to do with our heart; whether it is learning to love ourselves, love others, loving our enemies, learning the difference between pity, sympathy and compassion, these stone helpers can support you. Moonstone does not allow grief to be shuttered away deep inside us. In fact, it performs the opposite energy–it shovels out the grief so we can express it and work through it. Better out, than in. Grief that is suppressed will end up, one day if we’re not careful, becoming toxic and we get a disease out of it.

PSYCHIC’S STONE
Moonstone has a long and honored mystical and ancient past. A Psychic Stone is one that helps you to listen to your intuition or hunches. In some cases, it can make a person clairvoyant, but the other indicators have to be there first. This is a stone that helps people who are usually not listening to their own inner ‘voice,’ get in touch with it via the stone’s help and support. It is also good to wear it while meditating, because it will deepen it. Because of the adularescence of Moonstone, it acts like a reflection. Much like a scrying bowl filled with water, when we gaze into it, we see reflections of ourselves or of things to come.

TRAUMA STONE
Every person encounters trauma in their life. It’s just a question of when and what shape it takes form to shake us up. Trauma is especially harmful to our Adrenal glands. When a sudden accident, an assault, a near loss of life, a war torn situation, or any other major tragedy, our cortisol levels shoot sky high. The only problem is if the trauma is ongoing (as in rape and incest, as examples), cortisol levels get “stuck” and there is a cascade of events that take place after that. No gemstone I know can lower a cortisol level. What you need to do if you have been in a life-changing trauma, is seek out a Functional Medicine physician. Their website is: http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp. Get you cortisol levels checked. There are ways to lower it back to normal. Trauma may include PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder. You can have a ‘war’ in your dysfunctional family that you had to survive for eighteen years of your life, or you went to another type of ‘war’ in Afghanistan or Iraq, as another example.

Trauma stones can help assist us in dealing with everyday living while living with the ‘hell’ inside ourselves caused by high cortisol levels. The gemstone can equalize the playing field from the standpoint that it aids us in knowing what’s going on inside of us and that we don’t want to harm others outside of us with whatever feelings of anxiety, anger or fear that we’re wrestling with. It can help us make the right choice and not over react with others. And that’s an important step in harnessing this awful ‘storm’ that occurs because of PTSD inside us. Moonstone has a phenomenal ability to mirror or reflect our wounds from within us to our outer and conscious world. And the first step in healing is knowing where you are wounded so you can do something healthy to fix it.

THE HISTORY OF MOONSTONE
Moonstone is a soft milky white (or other colored) Feldspar gemstone. Feldspar comes from the German word, Feld, “field,” and spalten, “to split.” This field spitting creates its uniqueness. There are two main subgroups of Feldspar. One is potassium feldspars and the other is plagioclases (a series from calcium to sodium feldspars). Moonstones comes from the plagioclases group and has a chemical composition of potassium or K(ALSi3O8). The crystal system is monoclinic and prismatic.
Potassium Feldspar like Moonstone contains adularescence, a glowing, shimmery appearance that is similar to moonlight. This phenomena can appear opalescent. It occurs because of the layered structure within it. It can also contain a rainbow sheen. In some it is a bluish or silvery iridescence caused by the two different kinds of Feldspar and they have different refractive indexes. This is a plagioclase feldspar (like Peristerite and Labradorite). Moonstone is called a ‘star stone.’ Clarity ranges from transparent to translucent. Rainbow Moonstone is always milky white and will contain a milky or rainbow colored sheen.

Moonstone comes in many wonderful colors. They can be colorless, blue, brown, green, gray, orange, pink and yellow. It has a Mohs hardness of 6. If you have Moonstones, store them separately and not together because of the softness of the stone. If you wear the white variety it will pick up the colors of the clothes that you wear. The most valuable form is composed of albite, which gives a bluish flash or sheen within the white Moonstone. No one is quite sure how Moonstone got its name. It was generally referred to as Selenite or a stone that had the ‘moon’ radiance within it. And Moonstone was always associated with the Moon goddesses of the world. Think of Selene, goddess of the Moon and you can see why it was referred to as Selenite in the ancient world.

Historically, India considers Moonstone to be sacred. And throughout the ancient world, this gemstone was associated with all women goddesses. Especially the Moon goddess. The Romans used it from 100 AD, and thought it was formed out of the beams of moonlight, hence its name. It was believed by many in the ancient world that the gem was protective of women, pregnant women and children. Indians believe that this gem brings good fortune and increases one’s psychic abilities. It supports the intuition. And, it was prized for lovers as it aroused their tender passions for one another. In India it was called the “traveler’s stone,’ because it afforded protection against the perils of travel.

Pliny the Elder, the Roman historian called them ‘star stones.’ It was also called ‘asteria’ or ‘astriotes.’ He described the stone as “a colorless stone from India and having the appearance of a star shining brightly like a full moon.” And according to the Roman historian, if one held the Moonstone up to the starry night, the stone collected and reflected their glitter (hence, the name ‘star stone’). Later, Sapphires were called ‘star stones,’ too. Most feel that Pliny was describing a Moonstone, however.
It was believed that if two people can fall passionately in love with one another when the Moon is high and both are wearing Moonstone, this magical transformation can take place.

Diana, the Greek goddess of the Moon has Moonstone amulets associated with her. And, Isis, Diana (Roman) and Selene (Greek) the Moonstone was hung in a fruit tree in order to produce an abundant crop.

In 100 B.C.L., the Sri Lankan Moonstone Temple in Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Ceylon, was said to have Moonstone steps face with mosaics of this gem.

It the 11th and 12th Century at ancient Buddhist temples sites in Sri Lanka, that the steps are inlaid with Moonstone. This design incorporated a semicircular step (that looks like a curved half-moon) around 250 B.C.L., the time of Indian emperor Ashoka. (picture). The six to seven carved rows of Moonstone step represent the story of life and the progression of one’s spiritual path via reincarnation to the final enlightenment which takes them to the stairway of heaven.
There is an ancient Vedic myth that Lord Vishnu quarreled with the demon god, Bali. In the fierce life-and-death battle, Vishnu broke Bali’s body into pieces. As they fell to earth, each part took the shape of gems and jewels. Moonstones originated from the radiance of the eyes of Bali’s pupils, so the legend goes.

To gain knowledge from Moonstone, Marbodei wrote in his book, “De lapidibus,” Friburgi, 1531, fol. 51, that the stone must be placed in the mouth while the moon is full. I personally would not do this because people can accidentally swallow the stone if it is small enough and choke on it. Marbodei was right, however, Moonstone inspires a person’s natural “emotional intelligence,” and it triggers the right hemisphere of our brain which rules over our feelings.

In 1571, Antoine Mizauld who wrote “Les Secrets de la Lune,” (The Secrets of the Moon) wrote of a Selenite or Moonstone owned by his friend. The stone indicated the waxing and waning of the moon by a certain white point or mark which grew larger or smaller as the moon moved through its phases. Sri Lankan legends say Moonstone was discovered by a Tamil person during the country’s colonization by the Portuguese (1505-1658). Chances are, however, Moonstone was known long before these foreigners arrived; it just wasn’t written down or recorded, was all.

During the Middle Ages, Moonstone was attributed to protect against the wanderings of a person’s mind, insanity and epilepsy. Further, it was believed to increase a person’s physical strength and help lovers to reconcile. And, if the Moonstone was held in the mouth, it helped the person make the right decision.

Prince Cesare Borgia’s court physician, Camillus Leonardus, called Moonstone “Selenite.” He wrote, “Selenite (another word used for Moonstone) contains the figure of the moon or a clouded star….It is very powerful stone in the reconciling of love, and during the whole time of the increase of the moon, it helps consumption; but with the decrease (of the Moon) it discovers surprising effects, for it enables a person to foretell future events.”

During the Art Noveau period from 1809-1915, Moonstone was widely used in jewelry. Even René Lalique utilized it. In 1906 Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, gave his second wife, Princess Eleanor of Solms-Hohensohms-Lich a Russian tiara. It was ribbons of Turquoise and Moonstone wrapped around a diamond frame and was a Christmas present to her. Gemstone knowledge was very high during this time period and the diamonds symbolize Eternity, Turquoise, true love and Moonstones, Innocence. And a twist of Fate, in 1937 Ernst’s son with his wife all died in an air crash. Everything was destroyed except the strongbox that held the Moonstone-Turquoise tiara. Today, this tiara is on exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (one of my favorite museums in the world)!

ASTROLOGY RULER
There’s little guesswork on this one! The Moon rules Moonstone. No other gem takes on this luminary quite as well as it does. The adularescence or glowing inner quality makes it look like a little Moon. There is more to this, however. Moonstone, when worn, brings out our emotional vulnerability. In fact, for people who wear ‘armor’ so that no one knows what they are feeling emotionally, Moonstone can dissolve these walls over time. The magic of Moonstone is that it can make a person feel safe while remaining vulnerable. Many people who are ‘hard’ or armored up feel emotionally threatened either in the environment where they grew up (family), live now or work. Or, all the above. Moonstone can allow a person to feel and share their emotions with others and still feel safe while doing it. The Moon rules the tides of our emotions. And when the Moon is in hard aspect with many other planets, the person can, indeed, feel threatened emotionally. Moonstone can level this playing field.
Moonstone has always been the gem of women who were pregnant and moving through the birthing experience. Like the Moon which rules the fluid tides of our body, it can also work with edema and swelling in our body. Female disorders, pelvic and uterine complaints can also be addressed in a secondary way to traditional medicine. All ruled by the Moon.

ASTROLOGY TRANSITS AND PROGRESSIONS WITH MOONSTONE
The Moon transits our natal chart every 28.5 days, or roughly every month of the year. It goes through a zodiac sign, generally speaking, every 2.5 days. This is one gemstone you don’t have to wear for long! If Moon is in hard aspect to Mars, wear it because it will help you not feel as threatened by others or by a situation/environment. If you are depressed, then wear the gemstone when transiting Moon is making hard aspect with Saturn. And, if your natal Moon has three or more hard aspects to it, it’s not a bad idea to wear it when it conjuncts its natal position.

Insofar as progressions, those dealing with Mars and Saturn are the worst. However, if you have a certain planet in your natal chart that has a lot of hard aspects, then that would be a time to wear Moonstone, too.

WEST DIRECTION
The West is the element water, dying and transforming. This is also the position of the Wounded Healer archetype; wounding and then working through the emotional trauma to come out the other side of the gauntlet to turn around and show others how to heal from a similar trauma. It is about our EMOTIONS. And Moonstone symbolizes them as well. And it is our emotions where we so often get stuck and refuse to change when we really ought to be. The West is about surrendering over to a higher power, letting go, releasing and having faith in the unknown that you will survive this and get through it. This is the position of “grace” to accept one’s Fate and yet, try to improve upon one’s attitude toward it in a positive and graceful way.

It is our emotions that get us into trouble. We are incarnated into a human form with a certain set of emotions that are shaped by our first eighteen years of life. Those who come from a dysfunctional family background or a war torn country while growing up, have taken on some very deep and serious wounding. Only by getting in touch with these wounds can we open them up and allow the toxicity to drain out of them so we can finally heal up. This direction helps us to focus on just this. It’s a direction of a great deal of emotional pain as we work through that wounding a second time around, but the good news is, this time it will discharge. And then, true healing can begin and you can move on to a higher evolution spiritually. Plus, your compassion and understanding by taking on this wound is profoundly increased. There is a silver lining to this, after all.

HOW TO WEAR A MOONSTONE
When you are feeling emotionally vulnerable, Moonstone can make up the difference and give you a sense of safety instead of threat. Wear it when you want to work with your emotions, especially when it comes to healing our own wounds. Moonstone will bring up the wound(s). It’s gentle enough not to be in your face like Black Tourmaline. It gives you time to digest the wound and how best to heal it. This is a long term type of experience, and it could take up to a year or more. There is nothing aggressive energetically about Moonstone.

Any time you are dealing in a volatile emotional relationship, you aren’t getting along with your spouse, wear Moonstone to help create the kind of communication that goes toward healing or resolving the issues.

WHO SHOULDN’T WEAR A MOONSTONE?
Moonstone is one of those gems for all occasions. If a person is too emotional, Moonstone can help even things out so that the person uses her/his mental capacity along with the emotions.

SPIRITUAL CONSIDERATIONS
Moonstone holds feminine energy. She is connected with the Spleen/Navel chakra. And this is because in women, the womb is part of that area anatomically. The second chakra is concerned with partnerships of the you and me. The ‘we.’ And whether it is mother and child or woman/man, the focus is on learning how to behave in a relationship. The Root Chakra is about the clan, tribe, village and community. In the Navel Chakra we learn about ourselves and another, the “We.” In the Solar Plexus Chakra we learn about ourselves or the “I.”

There are many, many symbolic aspects that this chakra rules. Let’s look at SOME of them:
Power
Control
Duality issues: yin/yang, anima/animus, black/white, winner/looser, positive/negative/ light/dark, chaos/stability, me/you, right/wrong, rich/poor, mine/yours, and male/female–the tension of opposites and integrating them within ourselves
Interacting consciously with others; to recognize a healthy from unhealthy relationship, and to make the choice for the healthy one
Choices; learning how to make them, not WHAT we choose, but WHY we choose it
Conflict and resolving it within relationships
Sex, drugs, power, and money issues
Survival instincts up and running; feeling threatened

Here is a star moonstone.

WEAKNESSES:
Suffering endlessly (the martyr complex) (It’s always someone else’s fault for your poor choices mentality)
Poverty consciousness
Incest/Rape experience/issues
Betrayal
Financial loss
Addiction
Fear of control over body (physically)
Impotence on any level

STRENGTHS:
Prosperity in all areas, including financial
Enjoys life and lives it with gusto, passion and vitality
Sexually healthy, can achieve orgasm
Feeling good about one’s self

TIME OF OUR LIFE: age 12-18

SHADOW ISSUES
1. Abandonment by others
2. Loss of control or being controlled by others
3. Loss (financial)

PHYSICAL RULER SHIP IN BODY
Organs: Sexual organs, large intestine, lower vertebrae (lumbar/coccyx), pelvis, appendix, bladder, and hip area.
Moonstone can help in all these areas. Especially the weaknesses and shadow issues that are ruled by this chakra.

The inner glow of Moonstone is caused by adularescence, an optical effect. But it is symbolic too, of our own inner glow. If we are not working on ourselves, then we have only what I call an external life. For those who have a desire to work on themselves, I say that they have an internal life and an external one as well. If you are an external person only and wear Moonstone, it can help you find your way inwards and into your own unconscious depths and begin to mine this rich inner landscape. By doing that, you will be working on becoming a ‘whole’ person instead of just a half person who is walking through life asleep.

Moonstone is often under rated, but if you wear it for three or four days in a row, you will feel emotionally different. First, there is a loss of the edginess that a threatened person feels. Next comes a sense of inner calm and the quieting of anxiety. Finally, there is a softening, a sense that it’s all right to be vulnerable–and still feel safe about remaining that way. That is the gift of Moonstone.

Here are some of the wonderful variety of colors of moonstone.

There is no question that lack of vulnerability (and this is especially so for men) you cannot share all of yourself with anyone. In fact, many relationships break up simply because the man cannot share much of himself with his partner. Moonstone can help change that situation over time. Moonstone allows us not only to tap into our vulnerability but to maintain it daily instead of hiding it behind a mask. For a person to be vulnerable means they are confident within themselves. And many low self-esteem adults can turn this around and instead of suppressing their emotions can tell others how they feel.
The energy of Moonstone is subtle, quiet and feminine. It not only allows the person wearing it to remove all her or his armor. Another part of this inner transformation means that you will react and at differently (and healthier) with your partner. That is a huge benefit.

Pink Moonstone is quite rare, and this necklace is a show piece.

IN SUMMATION….
What price vulnerability? Many people because of the ongoing stress of their lives, never allow themselves to really be who they are. Instead, they hide behind a societal mask. While it’s possible to do this, the person isn’t really happy. And there certainly isn’t much sharing back and forth between spouse, relatives or friends. It’s a pretty frigid life, emotionally speaking. And interestingly enough, when we look at the Moon, it is distant, cold and unresponsive. It is simply THERE, but there’s no emotional attachment from it to the Earth except by gravity and orbit.

People can live their lives exactly like the Moon. That is one reason why Moonstone was created by a higher intelligence; to show that we can get in touch with our emotions, own them, share them and be far happier than if we suppressed them. To be fully alive, we must be a heart centered, emotional being connected with our mental intelligence. One without the other is living in imbalance. Moonstone can help us connect with our rich, glowing emotional life.

Nothing is more mysterious and beautiful than star Moonstones.

IMAGES:
Moonstone the movie
http://store.sinistercinema.com/prostores/servlet/Detail?no=16162
Moonstone step from Moonstone temple 100 B.C.L.
http://glimmerdream.com/closeup/other/8/moon_moon_large-184×125.jpg
Rainbow blue moonstone
skywalker.cochise.edu
white rainbow moonstone broach
exoticindiaart.com
peach tumbled moonstone
millenniumminerals.com
yellow cab moonstones
skywalker.cochise.edu
Moonstone rough
http://www.controverscial.com/Moonstone.htm
many colors tumbled moonstone
beadit.co.nz
orange moonstone cab
gemselect.com
three star moonstone cabs
http://www.gemselect.com/star-moonstone/star-moonstone.php
tumbled many colored moonstones
bellirosa.com
moonstone silver bracelet
stylehive.com
yellow moonstone beads on yellow
clothnorthernnaturals.com
The Moonstone Audio Book cover
thebestaudiobooks.com
Moonstone glass pitcher–opalescent depression glass
infogirl.org
purple-blue moonstone cab
mardonjewelers.com
blue rainbow moonstone earrings
jegem.com
many round cab moonstones rainbow and translucent
http://jewelry-blog.internetstones.com/category/moonstone
yellow brown moonstone rough
en.academic.ru
pink moonstone necklace
alibaba.com
black tumbled moonstone
hehishelo.co.uk
rainbow moonstone rough–beautiful
http://www.realgems.org/edelsteine_liste/pic/big%20moonstone%2009.jpg
moonstone cat’s eye cab between tweezers
http://www.realgems.org/list_of_gemstones/feldspar.html
white cab moonstone STAR
http://www.realgems.org/list_of_gemstones/feldspar.html

Copyright Eileen Nauman 2010.