Herbs you should never mix with drugs!

The ankh is a widely recognized symbol, but few understand its true meanings. Many mistake it for the crux ansata, or Coptic Cross. While these symbols have a basic style that is similar, they are centuries apart in origin.

The ankh is the hieroglyphic symbol for life in the language of Ancient Kemet ( Land of the Blacks ), later named Egypt by the Greeks. It was also a symbol for the power to give and sustain life. The ankh is associated with water ( believed to regenerate life ), air, sun, and the Gods.

The ankh is known as the Nem Ankh, or Key of Life, and often used in the iconography of opposites. In some traditions the loop stands for the sun, for heaven and earth as the macrocosm and for man as the microcosm. Others say that the ankh is symbolic of the sunrise, with the loop representing the sun rising above the horizon, which is represented by the crossbar. The vertical line below the crossbar is the path of the sun.

The ankh represents the union of male and female principles. The loop represents the female sexual organ, the downward line the male sexual organ, and the crossbars the children of the union. These units combine to form life.

In Egyptian mysticism, it is used as a glyph for magical protection, or Sa. It was worn in gold around the necks of High Priests, and in silver by lesser priests. It was painted and carved on temple walls to symbolize water in rituals of purification. In these reliefs you would see a king standing between two Gods, one of whom was usually Thoth, as they poured over him a stream of libations represented by ankhs.

Egyptian kings are often associated with the ankh, either in possession of one ( providing life to his people ) or being given an ankh ( or stream of ankhs ) by the Gods. The most famous example of this is the relief of Akhenaten and Nefertiti being offered ankhs by hands at the end of rays descending from the solar disc, Aten.

The ankh is not only a symbol of worldly life, but of life in the otherworld. They were worn to extend the life of the living, and placed on the mummy to energize the resurrected spirit. We find the dead being referred to as ankhu, and a term for a sarcophagus was neb-ankh, meaning possessor of life.

Many of the Egyptian Gods are depicted as carrying ankhs, along with a scepter. In various tomb paintings and temple reliefs, these Gods are depicted placing an ankh in front of the king or queen's face to symbolize the breath of eternal life. The ankh represents the immortality of Gods. It was believed that the Gods could bestow immortality on anyone they chose by way of the ankh. The Egyptians believed that the life energy emanating from the ankh could be absorbed by anyone within a certain proximity. The ankh is a antenna or conduit for the divine power of life that permeates the universe. It is a powerful amulet or talisman that wards off the evil forces of decay and degeneration.

The dead were said to carry the ankh at the time their souls were weighed, or when they were aboard the Boat of the Sun God, as a sign that they sought immortality from the Gods. It also symbolized the spring from which flowed divine virtues and the elixir of immortality. Holding the ankh was to drink from that well.

In funeral rites, it was the key which opened the gateway of the tomb into the Fields of Aalu, the realm of eternity. It was often placed on the forehead of the mummy.

The ankh is often in the same category as the Girdle of Isis, as a symbol of eternity. Not because its straight lines can be lengthened to infinity, but because they converge upon and meet in a loop. This loop symbolizes the inexhaustible essence of the life force identified with Isis, from whom all life flows. It is carried by all who wish to share her life. Therefore it's identified with the Tree of Life, with its trunk and foliage.

The ankh word was used for mirrors from at least the Middle Kingdom onward, and, many mirrors were shaped in the form of an ankh. Life and death mirror each other, and many ancient religions and practices used mirrors for divination. An ankh mirror is an excellent tool for divination even today.

Today many Pagan traditions incorporate the ankh. It's meanings and symbolizes combine well with all Pagan belief systems. Wearing an ankh is a good alternative to a pentacle, especially in situations where wearing a pentacle can be a problem. It's a great symbol to have on your altar. Let it bring its rich history and power into your practice and ritual.

Tiger Eye is a quartz composite with the usual quartz hardness of 7. It is a member of the quartz group of chalcedonies. Tiger Eye begins as the fibrous blue mineral crocidolite, whose common name is asbestos. Crocidolite is made up mainly of iron and sodium.

The transformation to Tiger Eye begins when quartz becomes imbedded between the crocidolite fibers. During the formation process, the asbestos is completely dissolved. The quartz, however, takes on the fibrous formations of the crocidolite. Traces of hydrated oxide of iron deposited between the crocidolite and the quartz create the golden color of common Tiger Eye. The less iron oxide deposited, the more other colors show through. Several colors can occur together.

The fibrous lines created by the quartz form parallel lines within the stone, which give that ever shifting play of light and movement. This is known as chatoyancy. Chatoyant comes from a French word meaning "to gleam like a cat's eye". However, it is not to be confused with the chrysoberyl known as Cat's Eye.

Tiger Eye is a pseudomorph. This comes from a Greek word meaning "false form". Pseudomorphs are formed when one mineral replaces another. There are many stones in this category. Petrified wood is another example of a quartz replacement pseudomorph.

Tiger Eye's main commercial source is Cape Province, South Africa, though it can be found elsewhere. Rough Tiger Eye is rarely found on the market. This is because on May 10, 1968, Dr. Carol de Wet, then Minister of Mines of the Republic of South Africa, announced an embargo on the exportation of uncut Tiger Eye. His intent was to create a South African monopoly on finished Tiger Eye gems. A lot is smuggled out, but costs of rough Tiger Eye are very high. A Tiger Eye -like stone called Binghamite is sometimes passed off as rough Tiger Eye. It forms in a manner similar to Tiger Eye, but has inclusions of hematite, and occasionally white quartz. Even polished, it has the chatoyant luster of Tiger Eye.

Chinese pietersite is often mistaken for Tiger Eye. Pietersite is a chatoyant, solidified crocidolite asbestos, but it appears different because of it's brecciated fragments. Brecciated, in mineral terms, means that its contents have been stirred around, and re-cemented by silica.

Many people think that Tiger Iron is the same as Tiger Eye. Tiger Iron contains Tiger Eye, but also has red jasper and black hematite. It is found in Australia. It's sometimes called Australian Tiger Eye, or Tiger's Eye Jasper. The rippled bands of color often resemble a landscape picture. A very rare type of Tiger Iron is called Marra Mamba. It has shades of red, green, yellow, and blue. Marra Mamba is difficult to work with and must be undercut to polish properly.

Working with Tiger Eye can be tricky. The fibers in Tiger Eye may be an inch or two long, and only 0.001 millimeters in diameter. They are seldom straight. Cuts to the stone must be exactly parallel to the length of the fibers to get full chatoyance. If the cuts are perpendicular to the fibers, you end up with a lifeless, dark brown or black stone. The dust from cutting Tiger Eye is hazardous to breathe, and precautions must be taken.

HISTORY:

Tiger Eye was not considered a semi-precious stone in the western world until the 19^th century. Since then it has been used in jewelry with ever increasing popularity. It is usually set in gold to accent it's chatoyance. It is also highly prized by collectors.

Blue Tiger Eye is often called Hawk's Eye. Red Tiger Eye is known as Bull's Eye or Ox Eye. Green Tiger Eye is usually called Raven's Eye. Green is the rarest, and most expensive of these colors.

Red Tiger Eye is often "created" by deliberate heating. You can do this with kitchen oven. Fill a can or metal container with silica sand, to protect the stones from thermal shock during heating. Silica sand is the kind used in sand-blasting. Bury the stones at least three inches deep. Place in a cold oven and increase the temperature 50 degrees F every hour until it reaches 400 degrees F. Turn your oven off. Do not open the door. Allow to cool completely, before removing from the oven.

Tiger Eye is the planetary stone for Gemini (May 21 - June 20). It is also the gemstone for a ninth wedding anniversary. Roman soldiers wore Tiger Eye for protection in battle. Tiger Eye was believed to be able to see everything, due to its appearance.

Wearing Tiger Eye is considered beneficial for health and spiritual well being. Tiger Eye is carried for high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease, kidney disease, and arthritis. Chinese legend says it brings wealth, luck, and prosperity. It is associated with the Goddess Kwan Yin. The Greeks associated it with Apollo, and the Celts with Brigid. In Hindu legend it is associated with Vishnu, and in African stories it is connected to Shango.

Tiger Eye is a psychic protector, carried to ward off psychic attack. It is considered great for business when placed in the cash register. It is often used in meditation as an aid in mental clarity.

Red Tiger Eye is used for courage, confidence, and protection from evil or curses. It is also said to aid in forming ideas, and help make dreams reality.

Green Tiger Eye is used to deepen perception and awareness of the inner self. It has been used to heal hypochondria and psychotic tendencies.

Blue Tiger Eye aids night vision, purifies the blood, enhances patience, and gives courage. It also enhances creativity.

No stone collection or magical cupboard should be without this stone. Keep it on hand in several colors, cleansed and ready to use. Carry a piece with you for daily luck and peace of mind.

Moonstone is a translucent variety of Feldspar with a chatoyant quality. It owes its name to the white, mystical shimmer that resembles moonshine. Gemologists call this phenomena adularescence, which comes from the interior structure of the stone in lamellas, or scales.

Moonstone is the most famous potassium Feldspar of the orthoclase variety. A combination of orthoclase and albite arranged in layers causes the beautiful sheen. Moonstone is sensitive to pressure, because it rates only a 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale of gemstone hardness.

Moonstone ranges in color from colorless to blue, black, peach, green, pink, reddish, yellow, brown, or grey with a silvery sheen. Clarity ranges from transparent to translucent. Rainbow Moonstone is milky white with a rainbow sheen. Top quality Moonstone has an incredible three-dimensional depth of color. By tilting and moving the stone around, you can see the shift in depth and color.

Blue Moonstone is the rarest of the colors. It is becoming increasingly short in supply, and prices are constantly on the rise. It comes exclusively from Sri Lanka.

Black is the second rarest color of Moonstone. It is found mainly in India, and is commonly known as Black Star of India. It gets its name from the extra thick layers of albite that create a bright star-shaped sheen on the surface.

Moonstone contains a number of typical inclusions which appear to be stress cracks. Sometimes stones of lesser quality have negative cavities that look like rectangular crystals or needle shapes. This can create a cat's eye chiromancy effect.

Moonstone is mined in Brazil, the European Alps, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Germany, Burma, and Pennsylvania and Virginia in the United States. The highest quality stones come from Sri Lanka, India, and Brazil.

Moonstone is the sacred stone of India, because there it is said to bring good fortune. It is the most recognized birthstone for June. It's a prized gift for lovers, because it arouses tender passion. Moonstone is the state gemstone of both Florida and New York. It's planetary correspondence is the moon, and it is the planetary stone of Cancer. Moonstone is used for 13^th wedding anniversaries in modern times.

Moonstone is believed to bring good fortune, to enhance passion, and balance the yin and yang. It is a stone of wishes, intuition, and emotional balance. Peach Moonstone brings out all that is needed, including new beginnings. Grey is the color of rebirth and motherly love. Brown represents support and encouragement. White or rainbow Moonstone is said to absorb pain and illness, and regenerate tissues and organs. Blue is for protection, especially of women and children. Yellow Moonstone is said to promote digestion and protect against epilepsy. Pink is used for curing headaches, nosebleeds, and preventing sunstrokes.

Moonstone was used in jewelry by the Romans who believed that the stone was formed from the light of the moon. It was said to aid future sight and night vision. In ancient Egypt, it was believed to ensure abundant crops, and the fertility of people and animals. In Africa, it was believed that one could see the future if the stone was held in the mouth during a full moon. In Arabic countries women sew Moonstones into their garments as a symbol of fertility. People of the Middle Ages believed that the cosmos is reflected in gemstones. They believe it reflected the esoteric qualities of Neptune and Venus.

Moonstones are always cut as cabochons. The height of the stone is essential to display the desired light reflection. The cutter must locate the crystal axis exactly in the zenith of the stone. Only then, will the desired effect of light play be achieved. Moonstone jewelry was at it's height of popularity more than 100 years ago, in the "Art Nouveau" period. It was used in striking pieces of jewelry created by the famous French master-goldsmith Rene Lalique and his contemporaries. Today, these pieces are only found in museums or in private collections.

Moonstone is enjoying a new popularity as a jewelry gemstone. It's prismatic quality has made it an eye-catching addition to popular Pagan and Celtic jewelry Styles.