Rocks and Gemstones: Citrine

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 “Mental” stone, CITRINE. It is also a “Study” stone and a “Creativity” stone. This gem has many skills and attributes.

MENTAL STONE

There is a select group of gemstones that deal with either the lower mental field or the higher mental field of our aura. The lower mental field is the color yellow and is connected to our left hemisphere of our brain. This side connects us to this every day third dimensional reality. It is the grocery list, the appointments, the tests and memorization, organizing, being able to file, to keep things in order, the knowing of where to go on a map and reading a compass, etc.. It is our mundane mind. The higher mental field is connected to our right hemisphere of our brain and is where our intuition, our creativity, our connection with the cosmos and the web of life (seen and unseen) is at. There are gemstones that resonate and trigger one hemisphere or the other. In this blog, we’re going to look at Citrine, a lower mental field gemstone and understand its function in our lives.

STUDY STONE

There are a few gemstones that actually help a person memorize and remember what they are reading or watching. These gems help a person to absorb what they’re studying–and remembering it. Citrine is one of these gemstones.

CREATIVITY STONE

A Creativity Stone works with either the left hemisphere or right hemisphere of a person’s brain. This is the location of one’s seat of Creativity. These gemstones inspire ideas, plans and strategies that will help a person blossom into their unique skills and abilities. Citrine is one such gemstone and work with the left hemisphere of our brain.

THE HISTORY OF CITRINE

Historically, Citrine was worn at the start of the Hellenistic period of Greece, nearly two and half thousand years ago. Citrine was used in the Middle Ages to treat people who had become depressed during the long winter months, or when there was a lot of rain (think of England here). In more ancient times, Citrine was carried as protection against venom and evil thoughts. The Chinese believed it helped the heart, kidney, digestive tract, liver and muscles. That it promotes creativity, improves personal clarity and dissolves self-destructive (attitude) tendencies. The Romans used Citrine for intaglio work in jewelry. And, it was very popular in the Art Deco period of the 1920’s and 1930’s. In fact, Hollywood stars Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford had jewelry pieces made of Citrine. Nowadays, it is known as the “merchant’s stone” because it is associated with entrepreneurship, success and prosperity.

The name comes from France. Citrine means “lemon.” And of course, lemons are yellow and so is Citrine. The color of Citrine can range from a very pale yellow to a clay orange color to a deep, wine color. The Madeira (wine) colored stones are highly valued. It gets its color from iron. The more that is present, the darker the color. The most important deposits of natural Citrine are in Brazil. Other locations include Argentina, Madagascar, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia Russia, Scotland and Spain.

Citrine is a member of the Quartz Crystal family. It is Silicon dioxide SiO, and has a hardness of 7.0 on the Mohs scale. Being pyroelectric means the quartz can shift their poles from north to south, and back again. Reversing the energy field, in other words. They have a north and south “pole” so to speak, and can not only attract positive ions (think of them as dust that would gather on your furniture–only you find scads of these in and around your aura….) but change/transmute them into negative ions. To understand negative ions, they are given off by running water such as a creek, a river or the ocean. If you have ever stood by running water or on a beach, you know how good you feel after just a few minutes. This is negative ions cleaning out your aura of positive ions. That is why you feel invigorated, happier and lighter. Consider positive ions like dust in a house. Only, our aura and chakras are the house. And so the piezoelectric effect DRAWS positive ions to negative ions. And then, with their pyroelectric abilities, they reverse poles and EJECT the positive ions OUT of a person’s chakra and aura. That’s one classy feat that very few gemstones can pull off. That is WHY all quartz crystal and tourmalines are so valuable to us on an energetic level. What is changed in our energy field eventually changes us on the physical level, too.

Citrine works with our solar plexus chakra (it runs the color yellow through our aura). It is about the individual and learning to stand on one’s own two feet. Further, BELIEVING in ourselves, our ideas and getting to our goals all manifest here, with this particular chakra. Citrine is of special help when the person is still tied too much to what others think of them. Worse, what other say to them about their ideas. One destructive remark about their idea, and they quit. Citrine can support a person dissolving these unhealthy ties with others so that they can sort out things for themselves. Learning to value what one brings to the table is important for all of us. Citrine helps us hone in and focus on OUR voice and shut out the voices of others when it comes to creativity and ideas. And that’s a good thing.

The solar plexus is the stamp of the individual. When a person has low self-esteem (a high percentage of women do because we live in a Patriarchal world where women are not equals or respected as much as another man is), and they have an idea for a business, or to start a business or for their company, Citrine may be helpful. Citrine inspires a person to believe in their ideas. This is “mind over matter,” when it comes to this gemstone. A person who has an idea but is afraid of putting it forth or not sure the idea is viable, Citrine can give them that mental “boost” to go give it voice to the higher ups.

One of the best stones in the world for taking tests, Citrine brings back the memorized material that is forgotten during the stress of test taking the test. Some people are so stressed out they go “blank” and can’t remember a thing. Citrine brings all that info back so they can re-remember it and pass the test in flying colors. I have had hundreds of happy parents whose relieved children have worn Citrine during test taking and passed in flying colors. Children or adults who have problems communicating, or getting the words out in a coherent manner, are helped with Citrine’s mental clarity. Those who “freeze” while taking tests are blessed with memory of what they forgot.

Another example of Citrine in action is for Baby Boomers who must learn computers. Those who resist or feel they’ll never “get it,” can be helped by wearing Citrine while in the learning phase. It will go much easier.

People who have memory problems no matter what age, may be assisted with Citrine. Of course, in the elderly, I would say first, to check their B-12 level because one of the main reasons they are forgetful is that they are low or deficient in this B vitamin. A blood test can show it. So, do this first before going to Citrine. If the B-12 level is fine, then utilize Citrine. I have no experience with Alzheimer’s and Citrine.

Some people have real problems expressing how they really feel. They wrestle with concepts and struggle mightily to find the right words to share with another individual. Citrine empowers a person to speak up and clarify how they are feeling or what they are thinking.

In the landscape of the everyday mind, we have Depression. Citrine is symbolized as the sun’s rays because of its sunny and uplifting yellow color. While it can’t make Depression go away, just wearing a necklace uplifts a person’s mood. Many people in the northern latitudes frequently wear Citrine in the winter months to offset the doldrums that occur because there isn’t enough sunlight. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), can be improved with Citrine, but so can the purchase of a “natural” full spectrum color lamp.

Memory problems of all kinds, whether it is spaciness and forgetfulness because a person can’t focus long enough, or not grounded, or if they are distracted or have dyslexia, can all benefit from Citrine. People who stutter may find Citrine useful. Although I don’t have any experience with autistic individuals, given Citrine’s power to deal with the lower mind, this may be of use in helping the autistic child or adult to speak up and communicate more. It’s worth a try in my opinion.

Creatively, Citrine physically manifests them into reality. The right hemisphere of our brain is our idea factory. But getting a concept or idea into real time with a drawing, is the left brain’s area of expertise. And this is where Citrine is useful in taking a concept or hypothesis and actually creating it. This is a blessing to any teen going to college where the mental demands are fierce and ongoing. The ability to study and ABSORB what you’re reading, is Citrine’s strength. Wearing the necklace while studying, the quartz crystal of Citrine ABSORBS the information and keeps it. Quartz is well known to retain what it is around, and when studying for tests, it will remember what you read and memorized.

Citrine (yellow quartz) carries the healing properties of the sun. It expands the auric field, filling it with light and clearing away any lingering etheric toxins. Citrine is also a wonderful manifestation crystal by motivating you into taking action. It brings optimism and cheerfulness. Citrine is a good stone for aligning all the chakras simply because it is Quartz crystal. It focuses on balancing the solar plexus chakra, which in turn integrates the lower and higher chakras.

Those who are pitiful at organizing or filing will love Citrine. It will focus on your brain and you will start being able to do it. No one likes to file, but wearing a Citrine necklace while doing it makes it less of a chore.

When the left hemisphere is fully engaged while wearing Citrine, this boosts the confidence of the person. Anyone who has a business plan and wants to promote it and get it ‘out there’ should be wearing this gemstone. And because Citrine works on physical development and the laying of a foundation for an idea or business, it can aid in the person being successful. The mind remains sharp, focused and the person is able to problem-solve as never before.

Anyone having problems with everyday life when it comes to mental tasks, Citrine is the stone of choice. Late for appointments? Late for work? Wake up late? Can’t find where you put something? Lousy at writing down appointments? Much less keeping that appointment? Unable to communicate clearly and cleanly? Words stay in the head and are out of reach? Speech impediment? All you want to say is stuck down deep in you and you can’t express it verbally? Forget to write down the phone message? Or write down a returning phone number? Can’t remember your password? Trouble learning something new? Unable to remember computer commands? Unable to do things in a step-by-step fashion from beginning to end? Read the end to a book first? Citrine comes to the rescue.

THE ASTROLOGY OF CITRINE

Ruled by Mercury, our lower every day mind when it comes to a planet, Citrine is the perfect match for this planet. For people whose mind “races”, especially at bedtime, Citrine can slow it down (like cures like here). All that Mercury rules, Citrine can aid and support. Those who have three or more hard aspects to their natal Mercury should definitely think about wearing this gemstone. It has to do with the everyday tasks we are all faced with.

ASTROLOGY TRANSITS AND PROGRESSIONS WITH CITRINE

When one’s natal Mercury is under hard aspects by any planet, either for a day or for months on end, this is when Citrine will work to activate your left hemisphere to get organized and on time. When Mercury goes retrograde (unless you have this natally) I strongly suggest you wear a Citrine necklace. It will keep you out of a lot of hot water communications-wise. You will tend to assume under the retrograde which is NOT a good thing to do. When traveling under a retrograde, Citrine gives you lots of common sensed ways to change your itinerary when it gets canceled or changed. It keeps your mind nimble, flexible and adaptable.

EAST DIRECTION

The East direction is where the sun rises. This is the point of LIGHT for all of us metaphorically speaking. Citrine has the yellow of the sun’s rays contained within it. The position of birth, this is also about birthing new ideas into the light of day. It is our infant and baby stage where we are open to all possibilities. Our trust has not yet been broken by the world at large and we are still connected to the greater Cosmos that feeds our newly minted physical body. As adults, the East direction can aid us in rebirthing again and again. It can shed light on an outdated or outmoded attitude. It can make us feel reborn on an emotional level once we get rid of an old wound. Consider this the rich soil of ourselves and the seeds of Being on all levels is planted here. A seed holds all possibilities and so will you.

This energy brings “light” bulb time to our jammed up/clogged up and constipated left hemisphere of our brain. It ‘sheds light’ so that we figure out another way to overcome a hurdle and get on with our lives. Or with an idea or project. You might say that Citrine is the Roto-Rooter of the gemstone world; it unclogs the debris in our left hemisphere so that we’re flushed clean with new possibilities.

WHO SHOULD WEAR CITRINE?

Anyone who has problems with filing, organizing their lives on any level. Those who strive to find the right words and can’t, should wear Citrine. For improved communications, for sharing of your ideas and projects with others, Citrine will be your best friend.

SPIRITUAL CONSIDERATIONS

Citrine corresponds with the lower mind and left hemisphere of our brain. This is the portion tied to the mundane, every day third dimensional world we live in. Without a well-functioning left hemisphere, we tend to be spacy, forgetful, late for work, appointments, don’t keep a list of things that are needed at the grocery store, late for appointments–well you get the idea. We all know people like this. It helps a person become a multi-tasker.

Citrine works with the solar plexus chakra, the position of learning to become an Individual or “I” and no longer the “we” of the sacral/navel chakra. Struggling to be an individual takes a lot of chutzpah. And many don’t have this die hard belief in themselves. Consequently, they listen to others instead of listening to their own inner voice. Citrine shuts off the yammering of others so the person can hear their own unique voice. Creativity is something all human beings possess. However, people who need Citrine’s help have the idea but they can’t manifest it or make it happen. They are the ‘dreamers’ who talk a good game but they never produce anything of consequence. It’s all talk and no action. Citrine harnesses the left hemisphere to ground the creativity and ideas of this person so they can realize and appreciate who and what they are. This, then, breeds self-confidence that is crucial for the individual to not only succeed, but thrive as themselves.

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 Citrine can be a source of help.

Primarily a focus on the digestive system because the solar plexus chakra rules that part of our anatomy. It has to do with indigestion, really. When we get blocked and stopped, our gut will kick up on us pretty quickly and violently. At first, it’s burping and belching; later, heartburn. Then, finally, ulcers. Citrine can stimulate the digestion and help unconstipate an individual.

HOW TO WEAR CITRINE

Wear it when you want organizational skills to come forward. Or when you must teach, give a speech or write a thesis. Any verbal functions can be improved with Citrine. No child under 12 should wear it due to the stones may cause choking.

IN SUMMATION….

Citrine is for all the space cadets (bless ‘em) who wander aimlessly around and not sure of time or space issues in our hard core life here in the third dimensional world. When the pressure of Life is so great any more, we all lose a little bit of our focus on the details. Citrine is a details oriented gemstone. It anchors us firmly on Terra Firma and helps us to re-remember what we forgot.

Because the stress of living is so great nowadays, many people ‘hang’ out of their body. And when this situation occurs, they get forgetful, miss appointments and their lives, in general are less organized. That is a ‘space cadet.’ The good news it can be remedied.

For those who have communications difficulty, Citrine comes to the rescue to help those find the right words instead of the wrong ones. People who are deeply inward/introverted especially have issues in communicating their feelings, thoughts and ideas. Citrine can help unstick them from this internalization and transform the words to the external world, instead.

Anyone who always wanted to write, be it poetry, nonfiction or fiction, will find Citrine the Muse. Got “writer’s block?” Wear Citrine and watch the brain come unglued. Citrine is great for writers, especially ones that have problems plotting a book or getting an idea down on paper.

Citrine, above all, reconnects the left hemisphere brain with our right hemisphere. While the “idea factor” is posited in the right, it is the left that manifests it into our world at large. A bridge gemstone, it’s powerful and works.

IMAGES:

Necklace photos by Eileen Nauman

Copyright Eileen Nauman 2010