Gemstones and Healing: Rhyolite

Copyright 2010 Eileen Nauman

All Rights Reserved

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 Rhyolite. It is a “Stress” stone and a “Trauma” stone.

STRESS STONE

There are some gemstones that can work with us to ABSORB, TRANSMUTE or REFLECT what is going on in our environment that we recognize as ‘stress.’ Stress is determined by the individual. What is stressful for one may not be seen as stress by another person. These gemstones work to STOP the stress from reaching us. They might be small, but they are mighty. And while it would be prudent to remove yourself from the stressful situation, if you have to remain in it, wearing such a gemstone can be helpful. Rhyolite absorbs the energy. Over time, as it accumulates more and more, it will change color and become muted or dull looking. If this happens, put it in a salt water bath. Rhyolite absorbs unhealthy energy for the wearer.

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. Rhyolite is assertive in bringing up wounds that have resulted in stunted emotional growth in an individual

THE HISTORY OF RHYOLITE

Understanding how Rhyolite is created gives us the keys to what it can do to help a human being. It is an igneous (fire/magma) rock that is high in silica. As molten lava is spewed out of a volcano, the Rhyolite cools from a fluid state to a hardened form before the crystals can form fully. Instead, the crystals are stunted and stopped from fully growing. Rhyolite is a cousin to Granite, but a premature version of this massive rock. Granite gets to cool much more slowly so that full crystal maturity can occur in this rock. In Rhyolite, its maturity is cut short and so it stays with the possibility of crystals that were never given a chance to fully mature.

As a ‘felsic’ rock, Rhyolite is consisted of igneous quartz and alkali feldspar (orthoclase, sanidine and sodic plagioclase), biotite and hornblende. Its composition is very similar to Granite, but without the crystallization process having been initiated so they can grow as a natural part of the rock’s processes of full maturation, does not occur. Rhyolite is white, cream, gray, black and here in our canyon, the basalt columns that make it up, are composed of Rhyolite. This stone is not even considered as a semiprecious gem. It may contain voids or glassy fragments, evidence of being formed in a surface environment with rapid cooling. It is also found with flow banding (looks like water currents frozen in the lava).

As magma explodes out of the volcano, Rhyolite cools rapidly. Few people know that Obsidian is like Rhyolite except that it cools so rapidly it cannot crystals cannot grow at all. It then forms glass or Obsidian. Both come from the same volcano, yet, cooling and other atmospheric conditions prevail to either create Rhyolite or Obsidian. If the rock contains numerous holes or vesicles, then the Rhyolite is called pumice. This is a stone that has many names, depending upon the rate of cooling that occurs.

Rhyolite is less common than granite, but there are large lava flows and deposits of Rhyolite in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, USA. Rhyolite can also be found in nearby Sycamore Canyon, near Clarkdale, Arizona, as well. The column like Rhyolite, in fact, is worldwide. Granite is found in huge amounts worldwide, in comparison to lightweight Rhyolite.

There are prettier types of Rhyolite vs. their duller looking counterparts. Because of the small grain size, Rhyolite can be found in cream, browns, greens, pinks and sometimes, red or red-orange coloring.

In 2 B.C.L., Rhyolite was quarried in eastern Pennsylvania, USA. The Charbagh Run Rhyolite Quarry Site is located in Adams County of Pennsylvania and shows as many as fifty small quarry pits. Other than this, there’s nothing ‘out there’ to indicate it was utilized at all by the ancients.

THE ASTROLOGY OF RHYOLITE

Rhyolite is ruled by Mars. Mars rules fire and molten magma from the innards of a volcano certainly apply here. And with any Mars stone, there is ENERGY that radiates off from it. That means energy for the person on any and every level. It also is about one’s temper. Mars rules our anger, aggression and our assertiveness. In someone who has stunted growth due to a dysfunctional family background, then the individual can demonstrate these feelings much more than normal. When positive, Mars is the person who forges ahead, who is a leader, a pioneer blazing new trails for the rest of the world. In the unhealthy phase of Mars, this can bring on major restlessness, such as ADHD or ADD symptoms. It also can mean PTSD and/or high cortisol symptoms caused by trauma during the childhood or adulthood. 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.

ASTROLOGY TRANSITS AND PROGRESSIONS WITH RHYOLITE

Any transit of Mars to any natal planet that has hard aspects to it is when this necklace should be worn.

THE SOUTH ENERGY

Rhyolite is a SOUTH gemstone. If there was a “Jupiter” or “Mars” position, it would be the South. At its finest, South energy is about the playful child who finds life curious, interesting, engaging and exciting. Risk takers are found in this direction too, because it is ruled by the fire element. Those who are South oriented will always be found in careers that involve risk of some sort. They are Type A’s by nature if they have high cortisol levels. Or, their hobby will involve risk such as mountain climbing, bungie jumping or parachuting or sky diving. People with a healthy South energy, even if adult or elderly, still have their child like fascination with life. They are optimistic people who are fully connected with and living their life to the fullest. They also have a wonderful sense of humor and can find laughter even in the darkest moments. Black humor resides here in this position. On the unhealthy side, there is extreme rage, rageoholics are found here, and angry people who are out of control. Children with ADD and ADHD are also found in this position. Anyone with extreme restlessness, inability to focus or complete a project have reverse South energy expression. And, they will be immature or stunted in emotional growth so that no matter what their age, they are still in the “teen years.” Men are often referred to as “Peter Pan” and women as “Wendy” to demonstrate their lack of adult maturity. They are stuck in their teenage mind and emotions, unfortunately.

HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF RHYOLITE

Anger. Lots of anger. And if there’s that much of it, then chances are, this person has PTSD symptoms and therefore, high cortisol symptoms. Please read “trauma stone” and there is a Functional Medicine directory to find the nearest doctor to you who can authorize a cortisol test to prove it. There are a lot of emotional and mental symptoms with Rhyolite. And they all stem from the fact of stunted emotional growth. That is to say, that you came from a dysfunctional family background that gave you high cortisol levels and anger. More than likely, you have not been socialized, either. Anger, when turned outward, is directed at everyone around you. Anger, when turned inward, produces Depression, Victim mentality and a sense of helplessness and hopelessness. It also produces people with PA–passive-aggressive behavior. Anyone who is a PA has had the control of their life taken away from them; usually in early childhood onward. they are afraid to confront anyone. Instead, they use triangulation, or a third party, to get to you through them. This ‘coyote’ like behavior serves no one in a positive or healthy way.

WHO SHOULD WEAR RHYOLITE?

For those people who feel you’ve never reached your full potential, wearing this will help you focus on exploring the breadth and depth of who you are. Or, if you’re always angry, irritable and impatient, this stone may help you to a degree. But only a degree. You need to see a Functional Medicine specialist MD to get your high cortisol lowered back to normal levels. Then, you’ll lose all these angry habits and patterns.

SPIRITUAL CONSIDERATIONS OF RHYOLITE

Rhyolite is a Root chakra stone. It is male/masculine energy and is ruled by the planet Mars. When the Root chakra is not fully developed, the person never has a sense of safety or well being. In some people, this causes what I call ‘stunted growth,’ or people who never reach their full potential. They don’t reach it because the Root chakra isn’t fully functioning or has been partially clogged or the energy connection with the Earth is not completed and therefore, fully grounded. There are energy roots that come from this chakra that go down each leg, into each foot and then they dive downward into the Earth itself to create a physical connection with this third dimensional reality and our physical body.

When that doesn’t happen, the person does not have enough focus to complete what they start. Further, they have gotten messages, loud and clear, from their parents, that they are worthless, useless, don’t measure up or are losers. With destructive words like this, it further impact the root chakra and it cannot function fully. The child goes through eighteen years with ADD, ADHD, or PTSD/high cortisol and cannot be successful. They will fail at many things, and indeed, fulfill their parent’s view of them as never measuring up.

The destructiveness leaves the child growing into adulthood without a vision, a dream or goal. They do not know who they are because their parents never allowed them to be independent and encourage that exploration of themselves. Therefore, they have never, really, tapped into their own unique skill sets.

The masculine energy of this stone is hefty. The problem can become one of how to direct it, instead of misdirect it. With Mars here, anger and rage are very real and can be frequently expressed rightly or wrongly. The person feels vulnerable and the world at large is a threat to her or him. These are all high cortisol symptoms. And this is why Functional Medicine intervention is a must here. I’ve not seen any gemstone stop high cortisol.

Rhyolite can help support the person to explore what his or her unique talents or abilities are. Just as this stone doesn’t have fully grown crystals within it, this reflection also speaks of a person who has fully grown into their potential.

HOW TO WEAR RHYOLITE

Anyone with low self-esteem who can say that their woundedness comes from unhealthy messages from the parent(s) and their ability to love them, can gain from wearing Rhyolite. For anyone who doesn’t feel they’ve reached the maximum potential in any way, be it a skill or a creative outlet, this stone is for you. Anyone who hates themselves, their body, the way they look can utilize this gemstone.

IN SUMMATION….

How many people do you know who waste or fritter away their lives, never fully developing or exploring themselves? I see this all the time and it’s sad. Rhyolite can support a person into investigating their own uniqueness, be it in the career area or the arts. There’s a lot of self-doubt with this type of person. Rhyolite gives not only the energy, but plugs into the passion of the person so that they give a new hobby a try. Or, they might have dreamed about a career and finally make the step toward it. A life unfulfilled hurts all of us. A person who never adequately undertakes investigation of themselves is a lost dream that will never come to fruition. Different dysfunctional childhood experiences have taught them not to develop. Every person is a beautiful crystal. And wouldn’t it be nice to see this person not only explore, but develop their own unique potential instead of allowing it to go to waste?

IMAGES:
http://www.nirvanabeads.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2871 
rhyolite rondelle beads
http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfjps/1300/p_rhyolite.jpg
rhyolite black with spots
An extrusive rock that is compositionally the same as granite is a rhyolite. Since it is extrusive it implies that it cools very quickly and we would not normally see crystals. This particular example is a rhyolite in which the magma started to cool slowly, and crystals started to form. It was then erupted and quenched – stopping crystal growth. 
http://www.aurasutra.com/images/rhyolite.jpg
tumbled rhyolite specimens
http://www.houseofgems.com.au/gemstones.html
orbicular rhyolite from Australia–red, orange and white
http://www.greatrough.com/rough_rhyolite_orbicular.shtml
orbicular rhyolite rough