Gemstones and Healing: Opal

In this new blog series we are now going to look at gemstones. While you may think they can’t be healers and supporters of ourselves, I want to share with you that they are. Some things you need to know first, however. When I was a little kid, I used to go down our gravel road and tuck stone after stone into my pockets. I would talk to them. I could hear them talking to me. We had many wonderful and animated conversations! They were very happy to have my attention. Many of them wanted to go “home” with me. I can’t tell you how many stones I had on the window sills, under my pillow and in my room as I grew up! Rocks were always special to me and I’ve had an ongoing love of them since I could remember.

I loved the gemstones so much that I wanted the best training I could get in them. I have a degree in colored stones from GIA (Gemological Institute of America ) and am an Alumni member. Colored stones cover all gemstones except for diamonds. You can find out more about their wonderful teaching and training programs here: www.gia.edu

In 1987, my teacher, Oh Shinnah Fast Wolf, taught me gemstones from another perspective: that of the way she sees them. She is Mohawk/Apache and is considered the most knowledgeable person about rocks and crystals on turtle island by my other Native American teacher, Richard Graves, a Western Cherokee medicine man. He recognized my love of ‘rocks’ and ordered me to go to Oh Shinnah’s classes, which I did. I always want to honor her for she brought my love of our rock nation into focus and shared many ways to work with them as partners to help us two-leggeds. And I want to honor Richard for sending me to her.

Since 1990, I have utilized gemstones in many ways to help “all our relations.” Usually, it was in creating a custom made necklace, a bracelet or earrings–or all three–for a person who came to me for help. If I felt a gemstone(s) were appropriate for them, I would mention them as a possible team player for their wellness program. If they didn’t like gemstones, I didn’t say anything and looked for different tools that called to them.

I also made them for animals. I had an Arabian horse I bought who was aggressive because she was frightened. I wire wrapped a black tourmaline onto her bridle and she would always settle down and be tractable and relaxed. I put a small tumbled aquamarine on a dog’s collar who was hyper. He calmed down immediately and remained that way so long as the aquamarine was fastened to his collar. There was a parrot owned by a friend of mine who was pulling out his feathers. I created a small bracelet size necklace that was put on his cage (where he couldn’t reach it). I used rose quartz, rhodonite and opal on it. He stopped pulling his feathers within two days.

Gemstones have a place the healing modalities as a tool. They are made up of energy just like everything else. I have found over the years that wearing the right gemstone at the right time (or a group of gemstones in a necklace work in concert for you), can be a secondary help and support. They might be small, but they are mighty!

People who are drawn to the world of gems and semiprecious gems can find help and support through them. Those who aren’t drawn to them will have other supports. One doesn’t wear a necklace if one doesn’t like rocks! But those of you who are, I hope you will find my experience and training eye opening and give you a different perspective on our stone friends.

First of all, I was taught that the rocks on Mom Earth are her BONES. Rocks compose the skeleton of Gaia. Ninety-eight percent of all rocks on earth have a crystal structure. Only two percent do not. And we’re going to talk about one of them today: Opals, amber, coral, among them.

This blog is going to be written from many facets (pardon the pun). For those who just want general gem information, it will be here. For those who want to understand more of the energy and health about a gem, this too will be presented. Lastly, for astrologers, I’ll talk about the rulership of each gemstone and how you may look at a natal chart of a client to know which gemstones(s) might be helpful for them; particularly if they’re going through a rough transit or progression. I hope to make this blog a little of everything in a Gemini way :-). A little of something for everyone, whatever your level of interest in our little friends from the Earth.

I will, when possible, put up photos of actual necklaces that I have created for a client. I’ll talk about the stones that were selected and why they were chosen for this individual. And yes, I take orders for custom necklaces. I take PayPal. If you want to know more about that, my email is at the bottom of the blog and you can contact me there for particulars.

Lest you think stones can’t sway us or impact us, think again. I hope with true stories in my own experience or that of my clients, will show you differently. I have traveled to Brazil, to Cortina and the state of Minas Gerais where the gemstones are found. I’ve walked in the fields where huge quartz crystals are found–and sold around our world. I’ve been inside dangerous, muddy tourmaline mines and no matter where I’ve gone the world over, I’ve always explored areas with the stone people who live in that region. I’ve had plenty of experiences to share with you about the incredible energy and healing that stones stand ready to share with us.

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 a Heart Stone: Opal.

HEART STONES

This is a gem that can help you with problems of an emotional nature. Think of Opal as a mirror. It is mirroring YOUR emotions–all of them. The ones you feel and the ones you have suppressed/repressed. Opal is 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 also help opened up an emotionally closed down person. A heart stone can help them be more sensitive to themselves and to others. 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. And Opal is a heart stone.

OPAL IS A MASTER HEALING STONE

Master Healing gemstones are a cut above all the rest in our gemstone world. There aren’t many and we’ll be covering all of them here in this blog over time. These are stones that have exceptional breadth and depth of healing abilities far beyond other gemstones. They always influence more than one chakra and usually many, if not all. It may be due to their nature, their color(s), their energy that is specific to them, or an amalgam of all the above. When you choose a Master Healing stone, then you are going to get a swifter response from it. For people who want change, this is great. But to give your friend or loved one a Master healing stone and they really aren’t into change can make their life a living hell.

MINING OPAL IN IDAHO

Many years ago, Dave and I spent a few days digging into opalized seams up in Spencer, Idaho. We found some very beautiful and colorful opals. To be on your hands and knees and look up to see deer and other wildlife nearby was really a great experience. If you want to do it and find your own beautiful “friend” up there, go to: www.spenceropalmines.com. Here’s a photo of some of the beautiful opal you might find at the Spencer Mine.

While in Spencer, be sure to stop by their shop and dig at our “mini-mine”. They maintain a large stock pile of mine run ore to dig through.
The cost is $10.00 per adult (age 15 and up) and $5.00 per child under 15 (ages 4-14)

***Note: Not recommended for kids under age 3 and under. ***
The entrance fee allows you 1 lb. of ore. Extra pounds are $10.00 each

Their Headquarters is located at 27 Opal Ave. in Spencer, Idaho.
They carry a full line of cutting supplies, rough opal, books, roughs, tumbling supplies and finished jewelry at our shop. They also have a nice selection of other gemstone specimens from throughout the northwest. And, from our experience, they have opals from their own mine set in jewelry for sale–at VERY reasonable prices.

We’re lucky to have two places in the USA that has gorgeous opal. Idaho and Nevada are states you want to check out if you’re a “rock hound” like we are!

THE HISTORY OF OPAL

Greeks called Opal “opalios.’ In Latin it was “Opalus” and both mean “to see a color change”. In Sanskrit, it is known as “upala,” and it means “precious stone.” Ancient eastern cultures regarded Opal as sacred, embodying the spirit of Truth. (Indeed, to be honest as a human is to acknowledge your emotions…). Early Arabs believed Opals fell from heaven in flashing of lightning that gave them their fiery luster. (Yes, Opal can feel like a bolt of lightning in your life; catching you off guard and upending your life in order to release imprisoned emotions). Ancient Greeks thought they gave their owners foresight and the gift of prophecy and guarded them from disease. (If you allow Opal to loosen and release all your old emotional baggage, then you won’t get sick. People get sick because the SIT on their emotions and refuse to either work through them, feel them or discharge them). Shakespeare praised opal as the “Queen of Gems.” (The Bard was right, Opal is unique to our world; sort of an alien compared to all the rest of the gemstones which is why people either love it or hate it.)

The Aboriginal people of Australia have their Dreamtime which exists to this day. In their legends they talk of a creator coming down to Earth on a rainbow, leaving a message of peace to all. Where the creator stepped, the stones started to sparkle all the colors of the rainbow. This was how Opals were created. They are referred to by many as the “rainbow” stone. And indeed, it is.

Australia has about 95% of all Opal production. Here is a map showing the major mining areas. At one time, the Artesian Basin was a shallow inland sea and it allowed magical Opals to form. Opals are found in other parts of the world as well, including Idaho and Nevada in the USA.

In the 19th century, Sir Walter Scott wrote “Anne of Geierstein,” (also known as the Maiden of the Mist…) In it, the protagonist owned an Opal that mirrored her moods — flashing red when she was angry, blue when depressed and then it turned ashen gray when she died. (Scott got it right about Opal–it DOES mirror our emotions). Since Scott’s novel, people have regarded the Opal as unlucky. It was believed to have magic powers because of the play of color within it. (Yes, Opal may contain all the colors of the rainbow in it, tweaking every chakra we own. Now, that’s REAL magic). It supposedly strengthened the sigh, cured eye diseases, and made the wearer invisible (making it the favorite stone of gem thieves…).

Opal was said to protect against contagious diseases, ease sadness, and pale in the presence of poison. It was also supposed to guard the color and life of blond hair. Opal is mined in Australia, Mexico and the USA (Idaho and Nevada). Australia’s Opal fields lie in the three states of Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia, along the site of the ancient ‘Great Inland Sea’, or ‘Great Artesian Basin’. How fascinating that opal contains 2-3% water and was created out of the SEA. Wonderful symbology in this, as water also equals our emotions, too. Our emotions can, at times, be like the sea or a tsunami, too. And this is Opal’s birthplace: the ocean.

THE ASTROLOGY OF OPAL

Astrologically, the primary ruler is the Moon because it rules our emotions. This gem is exactly about that: our feelings. Secondary rulers of Opal are Neptune and Pluto. Neptune because like Opal, the gem is amorphous and has no crystalline structure within it and neither does Neptune. (Other amorphous gems are Amber (fossilized tree resin), pearls and coral). That means Opal lacks a skeleton or frame work from which to operate from. You could think of Opal as a Neptunian jelly fish being pushed here and there by invisible currents of water or the River of Life, as we call it. On the plus side, this gives Opal the ability to shape shift into whatever we need it to be for us when we’re in over our head with our emotions. The Pluto aspects of Opal are profound and can be transformative if this dynamic gem is worn at the right times. To change our life, we have to change our emotional content when it comes to our wounds. Opal not only puts the ‘spotlight’ on the wound, but can help uncork the toxic emotions we have so they can worked through. The key here is in knowing when to take off the necklace that has Opal in it because it’s a powerhouse and you don’t want to over-wear it or it will wear out its welcome with you.

Sun-sign wise, Taurus/Scorpio, Cancer/Capricorn and Virgo/Pisces people are most drawn to this gem, and usually without knowing ‘why’ they want it close to them. The Moon is Cancer’s ruler. Pluto is Scorpio’s ruler. Neptune is Pisces’ ruler. And of course, the opposite is always considered in medical astrology.

Aspect-wise, a person’s natal Moon with three or more hard aspects to it (conjunction, square, inconjunct and opposition) may signal a possible need for Opal. With hard aspects on our Moon we may have a knee-jerk tendency to suppress or repress our emotions. People in this situation frequently cut off their head from their heart connection simply because it’s too painful to go around feeling their emotions. So, they live in their head, are very mental, rational and logical while ignoring their rich and varied emotional content.

This strategy might work for a while….even decades….but eventually any suppressed/repressed emotions are going to release and discharged whether we want them too or not. Wouldn’t it be better to open them up in a controlled manner rather than having a volcanic meltdown that can literally destroy (Pluto) your life as you know it?

A person with three or more hard aspects natally to their Neptune may or may not want to utilize Opal. If this person is ‘out of their body,’ appears spacy or not ungrounded, then this gemstone should NOT be worn. In these cases, a GROUNDING stone, just the opposite, may be required instead. No meaningful progress in a person’s life is going to happen until they reside in their body and stay there. A grounding stone can help them ‘stay home’ so they can then get in touch with their emotional content to work through it and evolve.

A person with three or more hard aspects natally to their Pluto may or may not want to utilize Opal (by utilizing I’m saying wearing the necklace containing an Opal on your body). Often, a person with a powerful Pluto in their chart may need a less dramatic gemstone than Opal to help them get to the root of their repressed emotional structure. Opal is without crystal framework, so when it starts interacting with your emotions, it can be a free-for-all and not very pretty. Whereas, another Heart Stone may slow the digestion and absorption process down so the person has TIME to integrate it instead of feeling overwhelmed by their unleashed emotions.

You don’t have to have a Sun in Scorpio to be called by Opal. You may have any planet in your natal chart either in Scorpio/ Taurus Cancer/Capricorn or Virgo/Pisces feel pulled to wear this stone. Those magnetized by the Opal will do well with it. They are interested in personal growth and wanting to transform to be a better person. People either love or hate opal–there is no in-between. Those who are alarmed by it are usually are sitting on a ton of toxic repressed/suppressed emotions and they intuitively know to wear it would mean letting the horse (their emotions) out of the corral. And once these emotions start escaping, it’s impossible to stuff them back into where they came from. That is why when you work with Opal you want to be very CLEAR about why you’re doing it. And if you aren’t sure, you should NOT wear it. There are other, gentler, less powerful stones that can help you unlock stuck emotions, instead.

ASTROLOGY TRANSITS AND PROGRESSIONS WITH OPAL

It needs to be said that only those people who are willing to grow and release are covered by what I’m going to say. Typically, eclipses are a time to wear Opal. There is a synchronous energy between the dark of the Moon/Sun and Opal’s own inner sunlight flashing with in. It could be considered an “antidote” to eclipse energy and helps a person maintain better stability through a rough, rocky eclipse period in their life as shown in their natal chart.

Transits of Saturn to a person’s chart can wear them down and out. If they start losing hope, or they don’t think there is ever going to be an end to the trials, Opal can provide a lift and hope and infuse the person with hope to go the distance instead of giving up.

Transits of Neptune are a double edged sword for Opal. If it is making you spacy, pulling you out of your body (the “nobody is home” thing), then Opal is NOT what you need to wear at the moment. You need a GROUNDING Stone, instead (and we’ll be discussing them in future blogs). Grounding stones examples are Amber, Agate, Jasper, Black Tourmaline, Petrified Wood and Flint, etc. However, if you are IN your body and somebody IS home, then you can use Opal to raise the vibration of the Neptune transit to take full advantage of it on a creative and spiritual level, instead.

Transits of Pluto are made for wearing Opal! Nothing anesthetizes Pluto energy like this gemstone. The more violent your emotions, the more you should be wearing Opal at this time. Like cures like. Opal can unleash a storm of emotions to counter what is being felt because your outer world may be falling apart in front of you. There is a magical synergy when outer emotions meet inner ones and a transmutation may occur. Opal helps those who feel they are going to die or they are losing everything, to move to a deeper, more internal level within themselves. It is a shift to FAITH. The power of Opal is, quite literally, the faith in knowing you will survive.

Opal is interesting. The more acute, the more intense your emotions, the more it responds energetically to the situation. I’m talking about a major trauma or tragedy in a person’s life. Opal can ameliorate the effects of it to an extent. The power of Opal has no equal. None. And perhaps this is because it has no crystalline template to tell it what it is supposed to be. Instead, it can mobilize and morph itself in a magical Neptunian fashion to become what you need it to be in that moment of dire emotional intensity. Opal is the true chameleon of the gemstone world. It becomes what you need it to be but it is on the emotional level that it will take place. “Better out, than in,” is a motto I coined. And it certainly is so with Opal. Emotional discharge is the name of its game.

THE WEST ENERGY

From a Cherokee medicine wheel direction standpoint, Opal is a WEST gemstone. 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 similar trauma. 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.

WHO SHOULD WEAR OPAL?

The people who get the MOST out of Opal are the ones who are wanting to work on themselves, transform, and become a better human being. Further, Opal spurs a person’s natural creativity. When you look at an Opal slice beneath the microscope, here’s what you see. Note that all the colors of the rainbow are there. And this is one of the few stones that can work with all seven of our chakras color wise.

WHO SHOULD NOT WEAR OPAL?

Opal is not for people who are ‘asleep,’ or who have no interest in personal growth, spiritual growth or self-transformation. Opal is not for the faint-of-heart. Opal is for risk takers, mountain climbers and those who relish pitting themselves against Life and surrendering over to the grinding and polishing process that will make them a better individual in the long run.

Anyone who has mental issues such as a borderline personality disorder, psychosis (acute or chronic), an MPD (multi-personality disorder), schizophrenic or bipolar, should not get near Opal or wear one. It will upset their apple cart emotion-wise. And that’s not what you want to happen.

Children and adults who are diagnosed with ADHD should be cautious about potentially wearing an Opal. A child should NEVER be given any gemstone to wear, especially younger children because they may swallow a gem, a spacer and choke on it. Sometimes, Opal can soothe ADHD. It depends upon many things that have to be looked at in that individual’s astrology chart. If the ADHD person has a strong Mercury or Mars in their chart, there are other gemstones that can reduce their restlessness and anxiety. Grounding stones are usually suggested in these cases, instead.

I have a personal saying about Opal. “If in doubt, don’t.” That means if you have ANY nagging doubts about a person wearing Opal, then don’t let them wear it. There are many other gemstones that have specific skills that can handle the issue instead.

OPAL’S MANY COLORS

A book could be written on Opals, but we don’t have that space or time. Every color of the rainbow is found within Opal. It lacks crystalline structure that 98% of the other rocks on this Earth all have. The Lightning Ridge opal mining fields of Australia are synonymous with world famous gem quality black opals. Unlike ordinary opals the black opal contains carbon and iron oxide trace elements in it, producing the most sought-after opal in the world. From a scientific standpoint, Opals are SiO2·nH2O – an amorphous mineraloid comprised of hydrated silicon dioxide. (A mix of silica and water). Millions of years ago in continents where there were shallow inland oceans, water would seep into sandstone and it picked up bits of silica. As the water content dried up, it created spheres of amorphous silica. Opals then, are can be considered a gel from silica, with varying percentages of water still contained within them. And, as light strikes an Opal, you get what is known as “play of color.” That can range from purple to blue, yellow, red, orange and green.

TYPES OF OPAL

The very rarest and most sought after come from Lightning Ridge in Australia. They are the vaunted BLACK OPAL. To work with black Opal means you really want to dig into the Shadow of yourself and move to the deepest, hidden elements of yourself as a human being. This is a Pluto stone. Black Opal is not for most people. Those who it will appeal to, though, are Plutonian people. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, but you don’t have to be in that sun sign to have a strong Pluto in your astrology chart. If it is conjunct your Ascendant or Midheaven (ten degree orb) or conjunct another planet, you are a Plutonian in my book. And you will probably be drawn powerfully to the most expensive of all the Opal family!

You have white Opals, boulder Opals (found in rocks with ironstone in them) and sun or Mexican Opals (found in Mexico and known as Fire Opal). There are three types of Opal: precious Opal (containing flashes of fire), the yellow-reddish “fire Opal” which is named for its color (not flashes of fire), and common opal (sometimes called “potch”). Potch is the white Opal that you may see specks or dots of varied colors within it. Matrix or Mass Opal consists of thin seams or spots of precious Opal.

SPIRITUAL CONSIDERATIONS

Opal works on a person’s emotional or Astral body in their aura. Let’s be honest here: if we can get our emotional house in order, there is nothing to stop us from evolving. At its highest, Opal inspires a person to move into their Heart Chakra and become a practicing compassionate being. To do that, they first have to clean up and out their own emotional house they live in. Which means working through the wounds they’ve chosen to take on in this life. After that work is done, then movement into heart chakra is guaranteed. Opal works with ALL Chakras because it contains all the colors of the various chakras. The Brow Chakra, in particular, may open and “second sight” or clairvoyancy is achieved. It also works with the Root Chakra and symbolizes the fiery Kundalini energy that lays sleeping at the base of our spine. When aroused, the Kundalini can move like a serpent through each of our chakras and up and out of the Crown chakra to allow us to tap into our creativity or transform into a higher resonate being. This gemstone is one of the few that can directly engage the Kundalini. Most people who love Opal are usually highly creative and expressing it daily.

HEALTH RAMIFICATIONS

Since ALL our dis-eases come from our fouled and toxic emotions (either dragged in from past incarnations into this one or we’ve created a new batch in this present lifetime….), then it stands to reason that Opal can work with any symptom. It is going to clear a person on the emotional level. If that person is willing to work through these emotions, then health can return. If they are resistant or don’t want too, they get to keep their symptoms. Red and white blood cells are affected because of the multiple colors of Opal. People with anemia, while under a doctor’s care and direction, can wear Opal to support the blood cells back to health. Depression and losing the will to live are areas that Opal can assist in a secondary way. (NOTE: do not stop taking any medication your doctor has ordered for you.) Often, a person who is feeling sad can wear an Opal and begin to cry. Crying is discharge and a RELEASE. And they feel better afterward.

Opal always puts us in touch with our feelings. Someone who has lost their will to live or feels so beat down they’ve lost hope, can find secondary support in Opal. It has all the colors of the rainbow that lifts anyone who sees one.

HOW TO WEAR OPAL

Opal is simply not like all the other gemstones. Consider it a fractious, powerful thoroughbred being led to the gate to race. It has to be handled carefully and with wisdom. Because of its intensity, being a Master Healing stone that engages ALL your chakras, you might end up wearing this necklace for only a few minutes to a few hours a day when you need it’s support. Opal will never be a daily necklace that you wear unless you’re going into a boardroom meeting where you need your helmet, shield and sword. There’s other gemstones for that kind of thing. Most people who wear Opal know when they need to wear it and they also know when to stop wearing it. For those who are afraid they won’t know the difference, here’s what I suggest you do:

1. See how you’re feeling BEFORE you wear your opal necklace.
2. Put your necklace on and wear it for ten or fifteen minutes. Stop. Assess how you’re feeling now. If you feel better, continue to wear it. If you feel nothing, continue to wear it. If you feel like you really want to take it off–remove it.
3. After you take it off after a period of time, see how you feel. Do you feel BETTER than before you wore it? If so, then this is a good sign. The next step is to wear it when it feels right and to take if off when it feels right to you. Opal will force you to listen to your intuition, for sure. And that’s not a bad thing.
4. If you’re not sure, wear it for an hour and then remove it. See how you feel, how you’re reacting to the world around you afterward. Opal can make you feel VERY emotional and if it is bringing a lot of feelings to the point where you feel overwhelmed by them–take the necklace off. It may be days, even weeks, before you can wear it again, depending upon how much toxic emotions it allowed to be triggered within you.

IN SUMMATION….

The old adage, “Many are called, but few can answer,” would be one of the sayings regarding Opal. Another would be, “No pain, no gain.” Or, “Just do IT!” You get the idea by now that Opal is a major player in the gemstone world. It can create profound, ongoing healing in the person who is ready to tackle their wounds.

IMAGES

http://www.black-opal.co.uk/img/black_opal.jpg
black opals two
http://www.charsdesigns.biz/images/Opal_8.jpg
many types and varieties of opal
http://www.gemplayer.com/images/birthstone/opfy01017.jpg
green blue opal
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/birthstones/images/opal.jpg
opal revealed beneath microscope a coat of many colors
http://www.grahamblackopal.com/images/queensland%20boulder%20opal%20picture.gif
map of Australia where their opal mines are located