Introduction to the Gemstone Family

Ruby

Furthermore, we spent hundreds of hours talking, distilling insights, analysing and understanding the material — taking into account long-standing experience and the practical application of the remedies. This led to a deeper understanding and gave us the secure basis from which we could write in depth about the effects of these remedies on all levels of the human being: the physical, the emotional, the mental and the spiritual. Practitioners greatly appreciate this because of the enormous healing and transformational potential of the gemstone remedies.

Characteristics of the gemstone family
Gemstones, which are so saturated with lustre and colour, differ greatly from other, less noble substances. Our ancestors believed them to be of supernatural origin. The physicist Robert Boyle observed that they are "rare and noble products of nature which have always captivated the imagination and the eyes of those who seek beauty." Their characteristic qualities are rarity, beauty and durability. Nature was generous with the fruits of the earth but stingy with its rare and beautiful crystals. They are the transformation product of rocks under heat and pressure, deep beneath the earth. They have been ascribed power over illness and misfortune, and were thought to confer invincibility (Ruby) or the ability to foretell the future (Topaz).

Historically they had no practical use, yet the nobility demanded jewels as symbols of beauty and wealth. Esotericists and spiritually oriented people perceived in them subtle forces and connections to the spiritual world. Famous is the breastplate of the High Priest of Israel set with twelve gemstones. Today gemstones are used, among other things, in technology for precision instruments (diamond and ruby) and even in beauty products (pearl).

The earth's crust is a solid layer on a sea of magma and the majority of gemstones have precipitated from this primal pool of minerals. Even the pearl comes from the depths of the ocean. Gemstones are the "flowers of the underworld" and as such have power over the forces that move in the depths of the psyche, whether familial, cultural or racial.

This includes the full range of human feelings and limitations, the structures that prevent us from finding our true potential, and the physical illnesses that accompany them. Working with gemstones is equivalent to a journey into the depths of the soul. Hermes, the god of science, wisdom, healing, occultism and alchemy, was the only one permitted to come and go freely in the underworld and to return from Hades to the earth and into the realm of the gods.

Gemstones have a connection to death, to various parts of the self, to the different elements with which we identify and to which we are bound. Interestingly, the emerald has traditionally belonged to Hermes and is responsible for carrying out great tasks. By their nature gemstones accompany us on such a journey to the roots of our conscious and unconscious behaviours and belief patterns. They have the power to cleanse our unconscious of unwanted rubbish.

It is a mysterious and unknown journey into the depths of one's own soul, and the light of the gemstones shows us the way; otherwise the travellers in this underground world would doubtless be lost. That is the experience of many. Gemstones provide strength, insight, confidence and inner guidance on this journey.

I have found that the deepest energetic perception of gemstones is a feeling of imprisonment, often described as: "like in a tomb", "bound", "captive", "hidden" or "locked away" with no hope of escape. This inner feeling or sensation is directly related to the signature of gemstones, which were long incarcerated in the underworld, seemingly with no possibility to express their radiant colours, their power and presence. Only when they were freed by nature or by the hand of man did their luminous beauty become apparent. There is a clear spiritual relationship to depression, which can also be an expression of a hopeless existence or situation.

Another expression here is "hidden and released" or "from darkness into light". The light in gemstones remains hidden until it is freed by external forces, above all by mining, the intelligent application of human skills. This appears clearly as a state of a number of remedies. The prime example is the diamond, which feels trapped, buried by its own negativity and despair, a strong theme frequently mentioned in the trials. A diamond type can end up in prison or feel that they are imprisoned in their relationship, their work or their societal situation. This theme is particularly present with the Black Opal and with the diamond, with ruby, emerald, golden topaz, sapphire, smoky quartz (morion) and with the pearl.

Instinctive attitude versus enlightenment
Often gemstones manifest a struggle between the lower aspects of the self, the animalistic, instinctive components of human behaviour, and those that wish to develop an intelligent response to our experiential world. The lower aspects are represented by the animal kingdom: violence, abuse and callousness which run through the gemstone group. Gemstones promote a conscious attitude expressed through positivity, expanded awareness, insight and enlightenment.

They wish to reconcile these opposites and are under strong tension, which often expresses itself in the desire for a good relationship with oneself and others. This longing for connection corresponds to the search for a resolution of the tensions between the natural worldly and the more developed consciousness. With the diamond, for example, it is the desire for the perfect relationship, without understanding that this requires a developmental process and love of oneself. With the sapphire the tension is between survival instinct and caring.

Family resemblance
Gemstones are geometrically structured minerals. Their elements form a network of relationships. The atoms of gemstones are seamlessly and orderly connected. This can be transferred to the integrity of our personal relationships and applies particularly to families. The most common elements from which gemstones are composed are aluminium and silicon, which occupy a central position in the 3rd series and are concerned with familial relationships. We know from clinical experience and from trials that gemstones possess an unusual power to compensate for broken or dysfunctional family structures. Amethyst, golden topaz, lapis lazuli, black opal and ruby have already demonstrated their excellent abilities in this field in practice and in trials.

Ego and exclusivity
Gemstones are described with words such as "rare", "precious", "special" and "valuable". Historically gemstones were mainly reserved for the upper classes and the nobility. People have always wanted to possess jewels because they are so valuable, desired and reverential, or because of their entanglement with money and power. Thus they can enter the realm of the inflated ego. Yet their prestige gives them power, they are appreciated and can also do much good. The diamond is an excellent ego-destroyer and other gemstones, above all ruby and sapphire, can topple powerful egocentrics.

Transformation and alchemy
The making of gemstones is an alchemical transformation process. Ordinary stones are heated, tumbled together and exposed in the earth's melting pot to tremendous heat and great pressure. Over time this cleanses them and transforms them into a structure of enduring beauty, capable of receiving light and reflecting it in its own characteristic quality. The conscious desire for change is a fundamental theme of the Black Opal. The shift from negative to positive through the destruction of the ego in the diamond is understood as transformation. The will to transform is inherent in the diamond. It gives the power to transform oneself.

Abuse, fraud, violence and protection: These characteristics belong to gemstones. They relate to the history of gemstones which, because of their rarity, value and beauty, generate desire, lust and violence. They concern extreme passions and obsessions. This is particularly evident with the gemstones diamond, sapphire and ruby.

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The Emerald immersion represents the rich green of nature and the abundance of life force. Psychologically, emerald is indicated when someone feels that their potential and desire for expression are blocked and need to be freed. This is often associated with frustration and anger because of one's own incapacity or situation.

Release from these feelings leads to a sense of strength and the ability to master tasks that once seemed insurmountable. Emerald is the optimal remedy for balancing difficulties in male/female relationships and for inner male–female equilibrium. It enables strong relationships without aggression and fighting or emotional manipulation. Physically it regulates and distributes heat in the body. It is excellent for migraine and acts on the cardiovascular system and the digestive tract.
Associated colour: rich green 20-22C.

The Gold Topaz immersion is obtained from a gemstone called Imperial Topaz. It has a deep golden or even amber hue. It is indicated for people whose lives have been marked in the past by fear, shock or loss. This often leads to depression, negativity or to being outside oneself and not truly present in this world. Once the scars of the past are released and healed, enthusiasm, personal renewal and a great love of life emerge. Because of its ability to heal the past, the gold topaz is excellent for creating positive relationships and reviving contacts in a family where communication was previously poor. Spiritually, gold topaz helps to let go of the world and its temptations and to begin the inner pilgrimage. It lays the foundation for spiritual practices. It bestows devoted love and opens the heart to the Divine. Physically: energises, strengthens and provides steadiness. It acts on the liver and the lower abdomen.
Associated colour: golden yellow 3C.

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons
1. Ruby: Corundum (Var: Ruby); Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corundum-215328.jpg?uselang=de-formal
2. Molten lava, Public Domain
3. Emerald: Emeraude; public domain; Parent Géry

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Category: General
Keyword: Introduction to the family of gemstones