Merry we meet  -  Merry we meet  -  Merry we meet

 

Welcome to

Controverscial.Com

 

                   

 

The Magic of Rocks and Stones

Lapis Lazuli

Written and compiled by - Patricia Jean Martin

Lapis Lazuli (or Lapis for short) is a rock and not a mineral because it is made up of various other minerals.  It is composed of a mixture of several minerals including mostly Lazurite, Pyrite, Calcite and Diopside, along with possible inclusions of Sodalite, Huaynite, Noselite, Mica, Augite or Hornblende in small amounts.  Lapis usually occurs in crystalline limestones as a result of contact metamorphism. 

The name Lapis Lazuli comes from a variety of words meaning "blue" (azure) or "heaven": the Latin "lazulum", stemming from the Arabic "lazaward", and the Persian "lazhward" constitute the Lazuli part.  The first part of the name, Lapis, is of Latin origin meaning simply "stone".  And this stone was named after its likeness to the heavens and of course because of its color -- a brilliant deep blue (due to the sulfur content in the Lazurite) which is usually speckled or veined with small flecks of yellow-gold color from its most common mixture with Pyrite (Fool's Gold) or white streaks from its mixture with Calcite or other minerals. 

Lapis Lazuli is a semi-precious stone valued for its deep blue color and durability.  Though too many white streaks of Calcite will lower the value of the stone. 

General Information:

Chemistry:  (Na, Ca)8 Al6 Si6 (O,S)24 [(SO4),Cl2,(OH)2], Sodium  

Calcium Aluminum Silicate Sulfur Sulfate (with usual inclusions of Pyrite and Calcite). 

Class:  Silicates 

Subclass:  Tectosilicates 

Group:  Both the Sodalite and Feldspathoid groups. 

Color:  Deep brilliant blue or violet-blue with golden flecks or veins, and occasionally white streaks. 

Luster:  Dull to greasy. Translucent to opaque. 

Crystal System:  Isometric; bar 4 3/m 

Crystal Habit:  Massive as a rock (Lapis Lazuli) forming mineral, but dodecahedral crystals have been found of Lazurite. 

Cleavage:  Poor. In six directions, but rarely seen. 

Fracture:  Uneven. 

Hardness:  5.0 - 5.5 

Specific Gravity:  2.3 - 2.4 (somewhat below average, but shows higher with increased Pyrite content). 

Streak:  Bright Blue. 

Other Characteristics:  Index of refraction is 1.5. 

Notable Occurrences:  Kokcha River Valley, Afghanistan; Ovalle, Cordillera, Chile; Lake Baikal, Russia; Mt. Vesuvius, Italy; Cascade Canyon, San Bernardino Mountains and Ontario Peak, California and in the Sawatch Mountains, Colorado, USA. 

Best Field Indicators:  Violet-blue color, Pyrite inclusions, locality and specific gravity.  

Uses:  Jewelry; Ornamental; Pigment; Mineral specimens. 

Myth & Lore:

Mines, in what is known as the Badakshan area of Afghanistan today, were being worked for Lapis at least six thousand years ago.  This source of Lapis may be the oldest continually worked set of mines in the world, as the same mines operating today supplied the sought-after stone to the pharaohs.  Believed to have occult powers, Lapis Lazuli was often made into amulets and talismans.  In Ur, kings were known to sharpen their swords on it, believing from this they would become invulnerable.  The stone was also used by the Assyrians and Persians for making seals. 

The Sumerians believed that Lapis Lazuli contained the spirits of the deities.  In ancient Egypt it was often used as an inscription stone for various passages from "The Book of the Dead" wherein the 140th chapter it states that Lapis in the shape of an eye and set in gold was an amulet of great power.  Egyptians regarded it as the stone of the gods, partly because it reminded them of the starry heavens, but also because, as shown in the Papyrus Ebers, it had medicinal properties that improved eyesight when worn in the form of the Eye of Horus amulet or when powdered around the eyes as many Egyptian did. 

Lapis Lazuli was one of the stones in the "Breastplate of Judgement" of Aaron, as described in the Bible.  In ancient times, Lapis Lazuli was known as Sapphire (not to be confused with today's blue corundum variety Sapphire).  Ancient writers such as Pliny refer to "sapphirus" as a stone speckled with flecks of gold -- obviously a reference to Lapis Lazuli. 

Long ago, Lapis was used to make the pigment called Ultramarine, which literally meant "beyond the sea".  It was used by medieval artists for the blue cloak of the Virgin Mary.  Due to its rarity and expense, today that color pigment is usually now synthetically made. 

Metaphysical Properties:

Astrological Sign's: Sagittarius, Aquarius 

Chakras: Brow and Crown 

Opens the Third Eye. 

Awakens the intuition. 

Enhances insight and awareness. 

Brings knowledge and wisdom. 

Increases vibrational level. 

Connects to Spirit. 

Helps in meditations and dream work. 

Promote peace. 

Harmonizes and balances. 

Protective. 

Blocks psychic attack. 

*Gives physical aid in treating: Fevers. Headaches and migraines.  Alleviates pain. Depression and melancholy. Anxiety. Insomnia. Vision and hearing problems.  Disorders of the throat, lungs and immune system.  

*NOTE: Stone therapy should NOT take the place of medical evaluation and procedures, and should be used merely to enhance one's health and well-being. 

My own thoughts and experiences:

Lapis Lazuli is my "Awareness" stone.  Whenever I am not quite getting the whole picture on something that is remaining obscure to me for some reason...that's the time I grab the Lapis.  And I had to make use of this stone just recently for that very reason. 

Known for imparting ancient knowledge and (just as important) the wisdom on how to use that knowledge, Lapis is very helpful in bringing you into that state of awareness where you can better connect with your Higher Self or communicate with your Spirit Guides.  Rich and highly stimulating, it's easy to quickly feel the intense and royal powers of the stone lift you to new heights of thought, consciousness and awareness. 

I've used Lapis in ceremonial Ritual...during meditations...and sometimes I'll place a small piece inside my pillowcase at night if I'm having trouble remembering my dreams, or if I want to increase the amount of or vibrational level of my dreams.  It is really useful when seeking particular knowledge in an area in which you feel befuddled or confused.  The crisp, clear, stellar answers come to you like a beacon in the night. 

Feeling that the stone was the best of the best when it came to spiritual stones, the "Sleeping Prophet", Edgar Cayce, recommending carrying a piece of Lapis Lazuli with you at all times wherever you go.  I used to.  And I think it's time I go back to doing just that.

Sources:

"The Illustrated Directory of Healing Crystals" ~ Cassandra Eason 

http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/lazurite/lazurite.htm 

http://www.mineralminers.com/html/lapminfo.htm 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapis_lazuli 

http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/minerals/lapis.htm

© 2006 Patricia J. Martin

Best wishes and Blessed Be

 

Site Contents - Links to all Pages

 

Home Page

 

A Universal Message:

 

Let there be peace in the world  -   Where have all the flowers gone?

 

About me:

My Personal PageMy Place in England / My Family Tree (Ancestry)

 

Wicca & Witchcraft

 

Wicca/Witchcraft /  What is Wicca What is Magick

 

Traditional Writings:

 

The Wiccan Rede Charge of the Goddess Charge of the God  /  The Three-Fold Law (includes The Law of Power and The Four Powers of the Magus) /  The Witches Chant The Witches Creed Descent of the Goddess Drawing Down the Moon The Great Rite Invocation Invocation of the Horned GodThe 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief /  The Witches Rede of Chivalry A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality

 

Correspondence Tables:

 

IncenseCandlesColours Magickal Days Stones and Gems Elements and Elementals

 

Traditions:

 

Traditions Part 1  -  Alexandrian Wicca /  Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) /  Ár Ndraíocht Féin (ADF) /  Blue Star Wicca /  British Traditional (Druidic Witchcraft) /  Celtic Wicca /  Ceremonial Magic /  Chaos Magic /  Church and School of Wicca /  Circle Sanctuary /  Covenant of the Goddess (COG) /  Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) /  Cyber Wicca /  Dianic Wicca /  Eclectic Wicca /  Feri Wicca /

 

Traditions Part 2 Gardnerian Wicca /  Georgian Tradition /  Henge of Keltria /  Hereditary Witchcraft /  Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (H.O.G.D.) /  Kitchen Witch (Hedge Witch) /  Minoan Brotherhood and Minoan Sisterhood Tradition /  Nordic Paganism /  Pagan Federation /  Pectic-Wita /  Seax-Wica /  Shamanism /  Solitary /  Strega /  Sylvan Tradition /  Vodoun or Voodoo /  Witches League of Public Awareness (WLPA) /

 

Other things of interest:

 

Gods and Goddesses (Greek Mythology) /  Esbats & Full Moons Links to Personal Friends & Resources Wicca/Witchcraft Resources What's a spell? Circle Casting and Sacred Space  Pentagram - Pentacle Marks of a Witch The Witches Power The Witches Hat An esoteric guide to visiting London SatanismPow-wowThe Unitarian Universalist Association /  Numerology:  Part 1  Part 2  /  Part 3A history of the Malleus Maleficarum:  includes:  Pope Innocent VIII  /  The papal Bull  /   The Malleus Maleficarum  /  An extract from the Malleus Maleficarum  /  The letter of approbation  /  Johann Nider’s Formicarius  /  Jacob Sprenger  /  Heinrich Kramer  /  Stefano Infessura  /  Montague Summers  /  The Waldenses  /  The Albigenses  /  The Hussites /  The Native American Sun DanceShielding (Occult and Psychic Protection)  The History of ThanksgivingAuras  - Part 1 and Part 2 Doreen Valiente Witch” (A Book Review) /   

 

Sabbats and Festivals:

 

The Sabbats in History and Mythology /  Samhain (October 31st)  /  Yule (December 21st)  /  Imbolc (February 2nd)  /  Ostara (March 21st)  /  Beltane (April 30th)  /  Litha (June 21st)  /  Lammas/Lughnasadh (August 1st)  /  Mabon (September 21st)

 

Rituals contributed by Crone:

 

Samhain / Yule Imbolc Ostara /  Beltane Litha Lammas Mabon

 

Tools:

 

Tools of a Witch  /  The Besom (Broom) /  Poppets and DollsPendulums / Cauldron Magick Mirror Gazing

 

Animals:

 

Animals in Witchcraft (The Witches Familiar and Totem Animals) /  AntelopeBatsCrow Fox Frog and Toads Goat / HoneybeeKangarooLion OwlPhoenix Rabbits and HaresRaven Robin RedbreastSheep Spider SquirrelSwansUnicornWild Boar Wolf /  Serpent /  Pig /  Stag /  Horse /  Mouse /  Cat /  Rats /  Unicorn

 

Trees:

 

In Worship of Trees - Myths, Lore and the Celtic Tree Calendar.  For descriptions and correspondences of the thirteen sacred trees of Wicca/Witchcraft see the following:  Birch /  Rowan / Ash /  Alder /  Willow Hawthorn /  Oak /  Holly /  Hazel /  Vine /  Ivy /  Reed /  Elder

 

Sacred Sites:

 

Mystical Sacred Sites  -  Stonehenge /  Glastonbury Tor /  Malta - The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni /  Avebury /  Cerne Abbas - The Chalk Giant /  Ireland - Newgrange /

 

Rocks and Stones:

 

Stones - History, Myths and Lore

 

Articles contributed by Patricia Jean Martin:

 

Apophyllite  / Amber Amethyst Aquamarine Aragonite Aventurine Black Tourmaline Bloodstone Calcite Carnelian Celestite Citrine Chrysanthemum StoneDiamond  /  Emerald / Fluorite Garnet /  Hematite Herkimer Diamond Labradorite Lapis Lazuli Malachite Moonstone Obsidian Opal Pyrite Quartz (Rock Crystal) Rose Quartz Ruby Selenite Seraphinite  /  Silver and GoldSmoky QuartzSodalite Sunstone ThundereggTree AgateZebra Marble

 

Wisdom and Inspiration:

 

Knowledge vs Wisdom by Ardriana Cahill I Talk to the TreesAwakening The Witch in YouA Tale of the Woods I have a Dream by Martin Luther King /

 

Articles and Stories about Witchcraft:

 

Murdered by Witchcraft The Fairy Witch of Clonmel A Battleship, U-boat, and a Witch The Troll-Tear (A story for Children) /  Goody Hawkins - The Wise Goodwife /  The Story of Jack-O-Lantern The Murder of the Hammersmith Ghost Josephine Gray (The Infamous Black Widow) /  The Two Brothers - Light and Dark

 

Old Masters of Academia:

 

Pliny the ElderHesiodPythagoras

 

 

Biographies

 

A "Who's Who" of Witches, Pagans and other associated People

(Ancient, Past and Present)

 

Remembered at Samhain

(Departed Pagan Pioneers, Founders, Elders and Others)

 

Pagan Pioneers:  Founders, Elders, Leaders and Others

 

Abramelin the Mage /  Agrippa Aidan A KellyAlbertus Magnus - “Albert the Great” Aleister Crowley - “The Great Beast” /  Alex Sanders - “King of the Witches” /  Alison Harlow /   Allan Bennett - the Ven. Ananda MetteyyaAllan Kardec (Spiritism) /  Alphonsus de SpinaAmber KAnn Moura /  Anna FranklinAnodea JudithAnton Szandor LaVey /  Arnold CrowtherArthur Edward Waite /  Austin Osman SpareBalthasar Bekker /  Biddy EarlyBarbara Vickers /  Bridget Cleary - The Fairy Witch of Clonmel /  Carl " Llewellyn" Weschcke Cecil Hugh WilliamsonCharles Godfrey Leland /   Charles WaltonChristopher PenczakChristina Oakley Harrington Cornelius Loos /  Damh the Bard - "Dave Smith" /  Dion Fortune /  Dolores Aschroft-NowickiDonald Michael Kraig Doreen ValienteDorothy MorrisonDr. John Dee & Edward Kelly /  Dr. Leo Louis Martello /  Edain McCoy /  Edward FitchEleanor Ray Bone - “Matriarch of British Witchcraft” Eliphas Levi /  Ernest Thompson Seton /  Ernest Westlake /  Fiona Horne /   Frederick McLaren Adams - Feraferia Friedrich von Spee /  Francis Barrett /  Gavin and Yvonne Frost and the School and Church of Wicca /  Gerald B. Gardner - The father of contemporary Witchcraft /  Gwydion Pendderwen Hans HolzerHelen Duncan /   Herman Slater - Horrible Herman /  Heinrich KramerIsaac Bonewits Israel RegardieIvo Domínguez Jr. /  Jack Whiteside Parsons - Rocket Science and Magick /  James "Cunning" Murrell - The Master of Witches /  Janet Farrar and Gavin BoneJean Bodin Jessie Wicker Bell - “Lady Sheba” / Johann Weyer  / Johannes Junius - "The Burgomaster of Bamberg" /   Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim  -  the “Hexenbrenner” (witch burner) /  John Belham-Payne John George Hohman - "Pow-wow" /  John Gerard /  John Gordon Hargrave and the Kibbo Kith Kindred /  John Michael Greer /  John Score /  Joseph “Bearwalker” Wilson /  Joseph John Campbell /  Karl von Eckartshausen Lady Gwen Thompson - and "The Rede of the Wiccae" /   Laurie Cabot  - "the Official Witch of Salem" /  Lewis SpenceLodovico Maria Sinistrari Ludwig LavaterMadeline Montalban and the Order of the Morning Star /  Margaret Alice MurrayMargot AdlerMichael Howard and the UK "Cauldron Magazine" /  Margaret St. Clair - the “Sign of the Labrys” /  Marie Laveau - " the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans" /  Marion WeinsteinMartin Antoine Del Rio Matthew Hopkins - “The Witch-Finder General” /   Max Ehrmann and the "Desiderata" /  Michael A. Aquino - and The Temple of Set /  Monique WilsonMontague Summers /  Nicholas CulpeperNicholas RemyM. R. SellarsMrs. Maud Grieve - "A Modern Herbal" /  Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and Morning GloryOld Dorothy Clutterbuck /  Old George PickingillOlivia Durdin-Robertson - co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis /  Paddy SladePamela Colman-SmithParacelsus /  Patricia CrowtherPatricia Monaghan /  Patricia “Trish” TelescoPaul Foster Case and the “Builders of the Adytum” mystery school /  Peter Binsfeld /  Philip HeseltonRaven GrimassiRaymond Buckland /  Reginald Scot /  Richard BaxterRobert CochraneRobert ‘von Ranke’ Graves and the "The White Goddess" /  Rosaleen Norton - “The Witch of Kings Cross” /  Rossell Hope Robbins /   Ross Nichols and the " Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids" (OBOD) /  Rudolf SteinerSabrina Underwood - "The Ink Witch" /  Scott CunninghamSelena Fox - founder of "Circle Sanctuary" /  Silver RavenwolfSir Francis Dashwood /  Sir James George Frazer and the " The Golden Bough"S.L. MacGregor Mathers and the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn” /  Starhawk /  Stewart Farrar /  Sybil LeekTed Andrews The Mather Family - (includes:  Richard Mather, Increase Mather and Cotton Mather ) /   Thomas AdyT. Thorn CoyleVera ChapmanVictor & Cora Anderson and the " Feri Tradition" /  Vivianne CrowleyWalter Brown GibsonWalter Ernest ButlerWilliam Butler YeatsZsuzsanna Budapest /  

 

 

Many of the above biographies are briefs and far from complete.  If you know about any of these individuals and can help with additional information, please contact me privately at my email address below.  Many thanks for reading  :-)

 

"FAIR USE NOTICE"

While I have taken due care and diligence to credit all sources where possible, this website may contain copyrighted material which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.  My use of making such material available here is done so in my efforts to advance our understanding of religious discrimination, the environmental and social justice issues etc.   If you wish to use copyrighted material from this website for purposes of your own then you must obtain permission from the relevant copyright owner yourself.

Any queries please contact me at email - George@controverscial.com

Email_Witches

My online email discussion group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Email_Witches

 

Dove of Peace

Help send a message of peace around the world!  The Dove of Peace flies from site to site, through as many countries as possible.  It does not belong to ANY belief system.  Please help make a line around the globe by taking it with you to your site, by giving it to someone for their site, by passing it on to another continent or to the conflict areas of the world.  May trouble and strife be vanquished in it's path.

 

 

mailto:George@controverscial.com