Agate – the Stone of Harmony, Protection and Inner Balance

Agate

Agate is associated with Mercury.  It strengthens willpower and sensitivity in Virgo, Taurus, Gemini and Capricorn.  The different colors can be used by all zodiac signs.

Chakras: Agate with predominantly red tones – sacral; gray and blue varieties – throat

Hardness: 6.5 – 7.

Color: Agate occurs in an enormous variety of colors and shades. Agates have been artificially dyed since antiquity. Chemical treatment can produce black, green, blue or violet bands, while red tones can be intensified. Because agate can change color through chemical and heat treatment, an entire industry now exists for producing chemically colored stones.

Deposits: Found worldwide – India, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, USA. Huge quantities of agate are imported from some Latin American countries, such as Brazil and Paraguay. High-quality specimens are also found in the Deccan region of India. The Idar-Oberstein area in southwestern Germany is world-famous for its agate deposits. In Bulgaria, deposits occur along the Arda River, around Momchilgrad and Krumovgrad. In Bulgaria, the classic type is most often gray-white; moss agates are predominantly green, while landscape agates contain abundant yellow, green, red, brown and other colors.

Chemical composition: silicon dioxide with various impurities.

Description: Agates occur in different forms – as veins, flow formations, geodes, almond-shaped nodules and others.  All agates are varieties of quartz, also known as chalcedony. The cryptocrystalline fibers characteristic of the stone can only be seen under a microscope. The bands may be arranged concentrically (classic agate type), in parallel (Uruguayan type or onyx), in a combination of the two, or they may form unusual images that often resemble landscapes (landscape agate) or fine algae in water (moss agate). Agates often contain inclusions of opal and celadonite or occur in combination with clear quartz and amethyst. Their colors are caused by different oxides within them.

History and legends: Many legends are associated with agates. They have been known to people since deep antiquity. In many cultures they were used in art and medicine. They were often described as stimulators of intuition, guardians of friendship and protectors against evil forces.

The name most likely comes from the River Achates in Sicily. Today, the river is called the Dirillo.

In ancient Greece, agate was held in special esteem by sailors. It was believed that anyone carrying agate would be protected from seasickness and that wearing it around the neck as a pendant or as an agate ring would bring peace, deep sleep, good health, long life and a gentle character. This tradition most likely originated in Egypt.

In Rome, yellow-red agate, known as “lion agate,” was a stone of gladiators because it was believed not only to bring victory but also to attract women’s love. In the fifth book of the multi-volume “Materia Medica,” the ancient author Dioscorides describes more than two hundred crystals, including agate, which was used for medical purposes by Roman physicians. They prescribed a remedy made from powdered agate and sweet fruit juice for madness, ulcers, boils, kidney and spleen disorders. Some varieties were used for hemorrhoids and to combat plague and other epidemic diseases. Wearing an agate pendant was recommended for indigestion, lung diseases and unexplained fears.

Followers of Islam engrave agates with symbols associated with the Prophet’s grandsons and hang them around children’s necks to protect them from falls and accidents. Many Muslims wear necklaces made from multicolored agates. In the Arab world, red agate (also called “blood agate”) was believed to protect against scorpion and spider bites. Green agate was highly valued because it was thought to protect against all kinds of eye diseases.

In ancient Hebrew folklore, agate is also said to protect against stumbling and falling. For centuries, horsemen believed this and braided agates into horses’ manes or reins. The legend that agate protected animals from stumbling was probably altered somewhat as it spread into Europe. Here, peasants tied agates to ox harnesses or horse tack while plowing their fields – it was believed that the stones would bring an abundant harvest.

In 16th-century Italy, agate was believed to repel lightning and the destructive force of storms.

The Vikings and Saxons in England searched for lost objects and buried treasure using a double-edged axe and a round piece of agate. They also used the stone for a form of magical divination called “axinomancy.” They heated the axe until it was red-hot, then drove the handle into the ground so that it stood upright. The round piece of agate was placed on the heated axe head. If it fell and rolled in a particular direction, they went searching that way. If it stuck, what they were looking for was considered too far away from that location. An Anglo-Saxon manuscript from the 10th century recommends agate as protection against the devil. In the “Book of Saxon Blood-Suckers,” written in 1864, agate is said to protect against storms, magic, demonic possession, disease, poison and drunkenness, as well as skin rashes. In some parts of England, peasants even today hang a piece of agate on a nail above the door of the cowshed or barn because they believe it protects livestock from evil spirits at night.

In West Africa, green, white and red agates are highly valued, while North Africans are said to consider only white varieties beneficial. In Ghana, people wear agate amulets against snake bites, paralysis and mental illness.

Healing energies:

Agate is regarded as a guardian stone for pregnant women, protecting both mother and child.

Wearing agate is believed to help with insomnia and attract pleasant dreams. All varieties are said to be able to reverse the energy flow in the chakras, thereby releasing blockages and illness.

Tired and inflamed eyes are traditionally soothed by placing pieces of polished agate over the eyelids.

An agate amulet is believed to protect against emotional tension and provide a sense of safety.

Qualities: Agate is considered to have both grounding and energizing effects. It is believed to balance on all levels. It is especially useful when you need a boost of energy – physical or mental.

Agate can be used to strengthen both body and mind. It is known for being associated with courage, truth and healing. It is believed to protect against all kinds of dangers. It gives strength and helps efforts end in success. Tradition says that anyone who wears it may receive unexpected support from the gods.

Agate is used as a means of protection against black magic, harmful spirits and negative thought forms.

It is recommended that agate remain in prolonged contact with the skin. Washing it after use is considered essential. Sunlight is believed to strengthen its energy.

Holding agate in the hands is believed to help release worries. In Eastern cultures, it is used as an anti-stress stone.

Colors:

• Black: For prosperity, victory for athletes, courage.
• Black with white stripes: For alertness.
• Red: For peace and calm; said to repel spiders.
• Turquoise, with white patterns (a deposit exists in Hawaii): Helps you meet new friends.
• Blue with white stripes: For clairvoyance, extrasensory perception and prophetic dreams.
• Pale blue, with white lace-like patterns: Gives a sense of security and an ability to cope with unexpected situations; softens stubbornness.
• Water agate (with pores containing water): For contact with water spirits; balances emotions.
• Ruin agate (agate broken into pieces, usually brown, then cemented together again in quartz crystal): Gives optimism and calm, helps avoid negative behavior patterns; changes vibrations.
• Brown: For victory in conflicts; increases intelligence.
• Cream-yellow: Improves mood.
• Ochre: For connecting with the creative aspect of the mind and awakening inventiveness.
• Orange-brown: Balances and helps overcome difficulties, brings luck with financial problems and stabilizes emotions.
• Gray with white stripes: For intellectual achievement.
• Leopard (pale yellow, brown or pink, with leopard-like spots): Once called the “wolf stone”; considered an excellent means of reclaiming personal power.
• Purple with pale gray-blue stripes: For spiritual soundness of mind.
• Deep purple, with white threads: Helps with successful and productive communication.

Sources used:

• Barbara Ann Brennan, Hands of Light, Sofia: Kibea, 2000.
• Kivrin, Vladimir. The Healing and Magical Properties of Crystals. Sofia: Paritet, 2014.
• Conway, D. J. Gemstones and Their Magical Properties. Sofia: Aratron, 2008.
• Miteva, Gergana. Ivan Mitev. Encyclopedia of Healing Minerals: A–Z: Second Expanded Edition, Haskovo: Oponent Publishing House, 2004.
• Nelson, Mary, Jane Scrivner. Healing with Stones, Sofia: Mont, 2011.
• Stein, Diane. Healing with Gemstones. Sofia: Aratron, 2005.