Zodiac Signs and Their Signs: Leo

Leo, First Half: July 22-August 5

Yellow diamond is a brilliant power money stone, be!tting the king of the zodiacal wheel. Diamond is pure carbon and the hardest substance on Earth, and its name appropriately originates from the Greek word adamas, meaning “invincible.” Yellow diamonds represent the Sun, the ruling planet for Leos, and the symbol of this sign’s high level of consciousness—true heart, great generosity, and incredible courage. Yellow diamond earrings will keep you Leos in balance.

First-half Leos can count zircon as their power stone. Beloved by early cultures, the brilliant zircon was believed to safeguard against poison and was thought to be a holy healer in India. In the early Roman Catholic church, it was held to be a sign of humility. For Leos, whose downfall can be pride, zircon can guard against this and keep the astrological Lions on an even keel.

Early-born Leos have a special heart stone in lesser-known vandanite, which can be a beautiful red-orange or a glorious yellow-gold. Vandanite is rich in lead and also vanadium, the mineral used to strengthen steel. Vandanite is formed at intense temperatures, which can be related to our Sun, a furnace in the heavens. For Leos, this unusual heart stone can help them deal with the pressure of a lot of attention, which Leos naturally attract with their vibrant and magnetic personalities. You should keep your heart stone at home and at work for optimum stability and inspiration.

Leo, Second Half: August 6-August 21

White diamond is the soul gem for late Leos. It is regarded as the purest of all the hard, pure-carbon crystals. Old cultures deemed this diamond a guard against harm and a bringer of great fortune and enlightenment. Gemologists sometimes refer to this stone as “of the !rst water,” in reference to its unmatched purity. The lion is the king of the beasts, and Leo the Lion is zodiacal royalty; white diamond is as hot as the Sun itself. Leos can use this rock in all jewelry to aspire to the greatness within it.

Heliodor, named for Helios, the Greek god of the sun, is the ultimate power stone for second-half Leos. Heliodor, a member of the beryl family, is the sunny yellow sister of the popular green emerald and blue aquamarine. It is formed under extremely high temperatures and pressures. Heliodor can help you Leos call upon your greatest qualities and talents and provide the impetus to go out and try to make your dreams come true!

The heart stone for later-born Leos is the most unexpected—sulfur, called brimstone in biblical times. Sulfur is a very dynamic rock; the crystals enlarge even by the heat of a hand that holds it. If you rub sulfur, it will give o$ a negative charge. A cluster of sulfur is a luminous mass of gold crystals and is quite beautiful despite the images its name may conjure. Obviously, sulfur is associated with !re and has been used for centuries in explosive materials such as gunpowder, !reworks, and matches. Leo is a !re sign, and Leos can hold emotions in until they ignite and explode. Keeping sulfur at home can help Leos stay balanced and release their energy in healthy and positive ways.

Zodiac Signs and Their Stones: Cancer

                             

                              

Cancer, First Half: June 21-July 4

Cancers are ruled by the Moon, so it is appropriate that moonstone is the precious soul stone for the individuals born in the first half of this sign. The most priceless of moonstones is adularia, named after the place it was first discovered—Adula, Switzerland. Moonstones have an opalescent sheen reminiscent of the Moon in the night sky. Adularia was special to early Europeans who believed it could improve the memory, help stop seizures, overcome a broken heart, and foretell the future. Wearing moonstone jewelry will put

Cancers in tune with their lunar-infuenced changeable natures, giving them strength and the wisdom of intuition. Pearl is the power money stone of great price for early Cancers. Pearls have a long and rich history; they were first written about in China 4,000 years ago and were celebrated in all the ancient cultures of the world after humankind first opened a shell and found the prize inside. Cancers are the great historians of the zodiac, and they have incredible memories. They are connected to pearls because of a common link with the ocean and the tides, which are regulated by Cancer’s ruler, the Moon. If you are a Cancer, honor your native element, water, by wearing pearls on occasion (but not constantly), and by decorating your home and workspace with shells. This will help you stay secure, refreshed, and relaxed and help you avoid your great nemesis: worry.

Calcite, made up of many fossilized seashells, is the heart stone for first-half Cancers. Because the ocean makes up so much of the surface of the planet (and encompassed even more area in the first few million of Earth’s years), calcite is common, but there are many lovely specimens, such as Iceland spar, Flos ferri, and nailhead calcite. Iceland spar is a beautiful clear type of calcite, and when you look at it from certain angles you can see a double image. Nailhead calcite shows many small, rounded circles of variegated colors. Flos ferri, maybe the most beautiful of the three calcite stones, boasts fragile, white, treelike branches that take on other colors when exposed to di%erent minerals. Cancers, scatter this Moon-ruled rock all around your homes for grounding and healing.

Cancer, Second Half: July 5-July 21

Opal is the power money stone for later-born Cancers. Opals can’t be duplicated artificially due to the complicated nature of their patterning, varying hues, and play of color. The most precious of all opals feature a star, called an asterism. Opals are mysterious, just like Cancers, having much depth beneath their protective shells. The ancients exulted about opals; Pliny the Elder wrote, “For in them you shall see the living !re of ruby, the glorious purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, all glittering together in an incredible mixture of light.” Cancer, you will come into your soul’s true purpose by wearing opal jewelry.

Red coral is the power stone for the second half of Cancer. It is formed by lime secreted by sea creatures to create their homes. One memorable old story associated with the oceanic gem is the ancient Greek belief that sea sprites stole Medusa’s severed head and took it to the bottom of the sea, and that each drop of her blood formed a red coral. The stone was believed to be healing and protective then, and it still is today. For Cancers, red coral is good for vitality and is a symbol of life and love and health. Wear red coral beads over your heart and you will immediately feel vibrant.

Desert rose, formed of cemented sand particles, is the heartstone for this group of Cancers. The Saharan Bedouin believed it was formed from the tears of women mourning for those who had died in battle. Desert rose is gypsum originating in lake bottoms that have become desert and comes in beautiful earth tones of red, yellow, gray, brown, and pink. For later Cancers, this heart stone helps contain and release emotions in a healthy, expressive way. Decorate your bedroom, your inner sanctum, with desert rose for a soothing and calming effect.