The Birth of Astrogemology

The ancient art and science of astrology conjoined with crystals comes down to us from 6,000 years ago, when the Sumerians, denizens of the cradle of civilization in Mesopotamia, began marking the metaphysical meanings of the map of the stars. Their neighbors in Ur, the Chaldeans, took this a step further when they observed certain affinities between precious gems and star seasons. At the time, their interests were primarily bounteous crops, bounteous babies, and less plentiful enemies. But the canny Chaldeans were great record- keepers, and they noticed that these recurring pattern tracked with the sky chart of the year. Their greatest minds—scholar-scientists, mathematicians, and philosophers—co-created what would become the very dense and deeply meaningful pursuit of astrology. Once they got going, they could predict the future, as evidenced by the great biblical story of Jesus Christ’s birth and the three kings—astrologers all. Six thousand years ago, learned men were at once priests, doctors, seers, astronomers, and teachers. These special men were also gemologists, cutting, polishing, and, most importantly, studying the gems, rocks, and crystals of their earthly domain. They knew which stone should accompany the dead to the underworld, which rocks portended good fortune if placed over doorways, and what crystals offered benefits to the body.

The ancient Sumerians had enormous knowledge, for example, about the Dog Star, properly referred to as Sirius A. They knew the density of the star the length of its orbit (fifty years), and since Sirius A was the brightest star in the night sky, they connected it to the beautiful blue stone they considered to be both powerful and precious—lapis lazuli. They devised a system for assigning colors to the planets, and these associations became the basis for their gem theories:

• Rose and red were connected with the red planet Mars
• Green was connected with Venus
• Yellow with the Sun
• Light blue with Jupiter
• Blue with Mercury
• Purple with Saturn
• White with the Moon

This was just the most basic beginning point for a study that would grow and continue for a thousand years, evolving into today'schemistry, astronomy and astrology. Without knowing about the big bang theory, the Chaldeans and Sumerians still knew we are all made of the same stuff and came from the same place. We are all interconnected; the minerals from the meteorites that literally fall from the heavens are pf the same minerals and elements as our terrestrial rocks. The spectacular process of creation, stemming from the original biggest of bangs, is still happening. Diamonds are the result of millions of years and millions of pounds of pressure on coal, a rather unlovely hunk of earth. The diamonds on our ring fingers started out as coal under our feet. The universe revolves around us in regular cycles, and change is happening at every moment. So, Like the clever Chaldeans and the scholarly Sumerians, let us see what we can learn from the stars in the sky and the rocks beneath our feet. Let us learn from patterns cycles, and connections between the earth and sky.