Zodiac Signs and Their Stones: Aries

Aries, First Half: March 20-April 3

Pink diamond is the soul stone of choice for early-born Aries. Aries babies are ruled by the planet Mars. The finest-quality pink diamonds usually come from Western Australia. A secondary precious-crystal stone for this part of Aries is the pink sapphire, also rare.

Sunstone is the power crystal for these Aries folks. Appropriately red with an iridescent glow, sunstone is a gold-flecked good-luck charm for the Mars-ruled. Jasper and heliotrope are the other power stones for this part of the year. These red rocks will amp up your lust for life.

The heart stones for these zodiac pioneers are dolomite, rose quartz, and cinnabar. So, Aries, put rose quartz by your bedside for self-esteem, self-love, and spiritual comfort.

Aries, Last Half: April 4-April 18

Alexandrite is the designated soul stone here. It is not as rare as pink diamond but is very precious indeed—the scarcest of the chrysoberyls. Usually a dark green, alexandrite shows red under certain types of light. This royal stone is fitting for the first sign of the zodiac. Another soul stone for later-born Aries is rhodonite, a pinkish-red crystal that’s a favorite of Carl Faberge’s. This is a bringer of great wealth.

The power stone for this half of Aries is bowenite, a stone of great strength in a mossy green. While many of the crystals assigned to late Aries are red or pink, this one is green, signifying the other side of the planet Mars. Bowenite is especially precious and sacred to the Maori of New Zealand, where some of the finest specimens come from, and was highly prized by the ancient Indians and Persians. Carnelian is second in line as a power stone and was commonly carved ceremoniously by the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Phoenicians in the pre-Christian era. Egyptians loved scarabs carved out of the umber-colored chalcedony. Explore the cavalcade of crystal stores on the Internet to find yourself a carnelian carved scarab for a personal power boost.

The heart stone for later-born Aries is the pale pink iridescent stone known as the youngite, which looks like a lighter-colored red jasper. One thousand years before Christ, the Egyptians made much jewelry out of this heart stone.

Excerpted from The Book of Abundance by Cerridwen Greenleaf found on Amazon.

Birthstones and Astrogemology

Birthstones are very special stones that have traditionally been correlated with every month of the year. Hallmark didn’t invent the concept of birthstones, however; it came from the Bible! In Exodus chapters 28 and 39, there is much discussion about a burnished and stone-set breastplate of the High Priest of the Hebrews. Here is the biblical description of the breastplate:

And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled. And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings. There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes. (NKJV, Exod. 39:8-14)

These twelve stones from the famous breastplate became linked with the twelve signs of the zodiac, resulting in our cherished modern tradition of birthstones. The long history of birthstones has many more chapters, but an important point to know is that your birthstone is yours by divine right and birthright. I know I was thrilled when I found out amethyst was mine, even though it was ranked as semiprecious. All I knew was that it was purple, my favorite color.

What you need to know about your birthstone is that it is a major power source for you. You should have at least one piece of jewelry made from your birthstone, and treat it as the special stone it is. You should also keep this sacred personal stone around in other forms as well. I have a candleholder made of a large amethyst geode on my mantelpiece surrounded by candles. Just lighting the candle immediately calms and centers me. I realize you can’t do that with diamonds, although Herkimer diamonds can be substituted nicely. If you are a January Capricorn, for instance, and your birthstone is garnet, you can have an entire set, or parure, of garnet jewelry—rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces—for the fullest expression of birthstone power. Surround yourself with your birthstone energy and you will feel at peace, filled with well-being from your gem-fired glow.

Here is the classic list of birthstones by month.

• JANUARY: garnet, a stone symbolizing a light and loyal heart and lasting affection
• FEBRUARY: amethyst, a sexy and sensitive stone; Cleopatra’s royal ring
• MARCH: aquamarine, long known as a soothsayer’s stone, and bloodstone, long known as the martyr’s stone
• APRIL: diamond, the traditional engagement ring, which represents the power of love
• MAY: emerald, a lovely green stone of protection
• JUNE: pearl, moonstone, and alexandrite—all moon and sea stones powered by water
• JULY: ruby, the most highly prized gem of all and a symbol of the essence of life
• AUGUST: peridot, the ancient symbol of the sun, and sardonyx, an intelligence-enhancing stone
• SEPTEMBER: sapphire, a true blue gem that represents the purity of the soul
• OCTOBER: opal, said to contain the beauty of all other gems, and tourmaline, a stone of inspiration
• NOVEMBER: topaz, a stone of royalty, named for the Sanskrit word for fire
• DECEMBER: turquoise, which brings luck, and zircon, the traveler’s stone

Written in Stone: Stones, Signs, and Numbers

As we know, many crystals and gems have specific relationships with different astrological signs, many of which were determined by the Chaldeans of long ago. All you have to remember is that the stone’s optimum effect will take place if it is related to the correlating astrological sign. For example, Cancers can wear pearls to express and protect their sensitive inner natures. The effect will be even greater when the Sun is in Cancer, and greatest of all when the Moon is in Cancer, too. Scorpios will be even more powerful than usual when sporting rubies during their birth month, and so on.

By the same token, gems and crystals vibrate to different numbers. This all has to do with energy. Each letter of the alphabet is associated with a number, as indicated by this chart:

1. 1:  a, j, s

2. 2:  b, k, t

3. 3:  c, l, u

4. 4:  d, m, v

5. 5:  e, n, w

6. 6:  f, o, x

7. 7:  g, p, y

             8: h, q, z 9: i, r

So, my best friend’s name is Brenda, which adds up to 26, which adds up to 8 (2+6). Thus, she should work with and try wearing jet, the stone corresponding to the number 8.

Number 1

Aquamarine corresponds with Aries, Gemini, Pisces

Beryl corresponds with Leo

Copper corresponds with Taurus, Sagittarius

Obsidian corresponds with Sagittarius

Turquoise corresponds with Scorpio, Sagittarius, Pisces

Number 2

Garnet corresponds with Leo, Virgo, Capricorn, Aquarius

Sapphire corresponds with Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius

Tourmaline corresponds with Libra

Number 3

Amber. corresponds with Leo, Aquarius

Amethyst corresponds with Virgo, Capricorn, Aquarius,Pisces

Aventurine corresponds with Aries

Herkimer Diamond corresponds with Sagittarius

Lapis Lazuli corresponds with Sagittarius

Ruby corresponds with Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius

Number 4

Bloodstone corresponds with Aries, Libra, Pisces

Emerald corresponds with  Aries, Taurus, Gemini

Moonstone corresponds with Cancer, Libra, Scorpio

Quartz corresponds with  All

Sodalite corresponds with Sagittarius

Tiger’s-Eye corresponds with Capricorn

Number 5

Amazonite corresponds with Virgo

Carnelian corresponds with Taurus, Cancer, Leo

Peridot corresponds with Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius

Number 6

Apache Tear corresponds with Aries

Bloodstone corresponds with Aries, Libra, Pisces

Carnelian corresponds with Taurus, Cancer, Leo

Cat’s-Eye corresponds with Aries, Taurus, Capricorn

Citrine corresponds with Aries, Leo, Libra

Moldavite corresponds with Scorpio

Onyx corresponds with Leo

 Peridot corresponds with Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius

Number 7

Agate corresponds with Gemini

Pearl corresponds with Gemini, Cancer

Peridot corresponds with Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius 

Rose Quartz corresponds with Taurus, Libra

Number 8

Chrysolite corresponds with Taurus

Jet corresponds with Capricorn

Opal corresponds with Cancer, Libra, Scorpio

Number 9

Hematite corresponds with Aries, Aquarius 

Malachite corresponds with Scorpio, Capricorn

Chrysolite is both 8 and the master number 55 and is under Taurus rulership. (The master number represents a high potential for growth and understanding.)

Diamond is the master number 33 and is ruled by Aries, Taurus, and Leo. 

Fluorite vibrates to every number and corresponds to Capricorn and Pisces.

Jade vibrates to the master number 11 and relates to Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Libra.

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.