Pyrolusite

This stone has an attractive and dramatic name, from the Greek words pyr (fire) and lousis (washing). The ancients must have thought pyrolusite looked as if it had been washed by fire. Pyrolusite is the thin, fan-shaped black-and-white oxide of manganese usually found at the bottom of a bog or on the ocean floor. It can also grow in the cracks between rocks, in which case it forms lovely, fern-like dendrite crusts.

Pyrolusite is amazing for transformation. It helps get rid of buried emotions and anything that might be interfering with spiritual growth. Pyrolusite will get to the root of a problem and dislodge it. This rock defends the etheric body, or aura, from negative energy and bad energy. Pyrolusite is also good for the metabolism and is helpful for treating bronchitis. Pyrolusite is a stabilizing stone that is excellent for relationships and stimulates the sensual side of life. It is a stone favored by shamans.

Labradorite

I LOVE labradorite. As I said before, I love shiny, glittery objects, but I have a special thing for iridescence. Plus, labradorite is a sleeping beauty. It can look as dull as dirt until you give it a closer examination; then you can see the glow under the surface. When cut and polished, it is fascinating and gorgeous, with an impressive light show including yellows, oranges, blues, and violets. Sometimes a single color takes the stage, and other times they perform all at once. In fact, the special play of light and color across the surface is called labradorescence. The effect is caused by lamellar intergrowths, which were produced inside the crystal while the crystal formed during a shift of temperature from extremely high to very low. Named for the place it was first found, Labrador, this loveliest of shiny objects can also be found in India, Finland, Russia, Newfoundland, and Madagascar.

As you might guess, this bluish feldspar is a soul stone with a very powerful light-energy. It abets astral travel, the higher mind, and intelligence and is a favorite of mystics. It brings up nothing but the positive for the brain and consciousness and excises the lower energies of anxiety, stress, and negative thoughts. It is an aura cleanser and balancer. Labradorite, which used to be called spectrolite, also protects against aura leakage. This is a crystal to hold and keep with your during meditation for psychic flashes, much like the flashes of light from within the stone.