SAPPHIRE

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

FOLK NAMES: Holy Stone, Star Sapphire, Astrae

 

ENERGY: Receptive

 

ELEMENT: Water

 

DEITY: Apollo

 

POWERS: Psychism, Love, Meditation, Peace, Defensive Magic, Healing, Power, Money

 

MAGICAL/RITUAL LORE: The Greeks identified the sapphire with Apollo, and the stone was worn when consulting oracles such as the famous one at Delphi.

 

MAGICAL USES: This stone is worn to stimulate the third eye for the purpose of expanding psychic awareness. The ancient Greek practice mentioned above seems to indicate that even they were aware of the sapphire's ability to tap the subconscious mind.

Sapphire is a guardian of love. That is, it promotes fidelity and attunes the feelings between lovers. Anciently it was also worn to banish envy, to promote positive social interaction and to reconcile with foes; sapphire can be used for all those purposes within any kind of relationship, not just martial.

Its onetime usage for promoting chastity is probably also related to this: chastity can be viewed as the lack of sexual activity outside an established relationship. Star sapphires are thought to be especially effective for drawing or inducing love.

Sapphire is a soothing deep blue hue. It is worn during meditation or contemplated upon to expand wisdom. When you wear it, the stone promotes peace. The author of the pseudo-Albertus Magnus manuscripts of the late 1300's stated that this stone, worn, cools the "inward heat," or anger.

Its use in defensive magic stretches back to antiquity. Once thought to "scare devils and evil" away, it is today worn in protective jewelry and during rituals designed to return negativity to its sender.

A related power attributed to sapphire is its legendary ability to guard its owner from captivity. Currently, it finds favor with those involved in litigation and legal matters, possibly because it banishes fraud. The stone will work only if its wearer is in the right.

The sapphire is utilized in healing the body, especially the eyes, which are strengthened by its presence. It also reduces fevers and, when pressed to the forehead, halts bleeding from the nose.

Sapphires are also worn as general health-protectants, for, as Budge says in "Amulets and Talismans," the stronger and healthier a body, the less chance "evil spirits" (i.e., disease, infections) have to do harm.

An ancient work by Bartholmaeus says: "also wytches love well this stones, for they wene (ween, "believe") that they may werke certen wondres by vertue of this stone." It is worn and utilized in rituals to strengthen the magician's ability to tap and send forth power.

Generally worn as jewelry, sapphires are also utilized in money and wealth-attracting rituals. In early ceremonial magic the image of an astrolabe was engraved on the gem to increase wealth.

Star sapphires are considered to be more potent, magically speaking, for all uses.

 

-- From Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic By Scott Cunningham