Usually I give you one of the true birthstones of the star sign of the month at the beginning when the Sun moves into the next astrological sign. This month has been so busy with important astro events that I have waited till today to do that before the month is over.

Cancer is the Archetypal Mother and some of her Birthstones Are Pearls

And here at last is the monthly update on the quality of the astrological sign and the nourishing and supportive energy of one of Cancers true birthstones- the pearls. Yes I know it is not really a stone but it serves us as well as one. Pearls are created in the oceans and are formed in the ouster and are different then the normal gemstones which are formed inside the depth of the earth. But because of that different formation process they can soothe our emotions and psyche like none other. Nowadays all pearls are created by mankind but the process involved is the same as it was before we came up with that idea.

Cancerian Qualities

June 22 marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Many people in the Northern Hemisphere love this energetic time of year, when they can enjoy the outdoors until late in the evening.

Cancer is a feminine water sign. All life on Earth depends on water, and all land animals, including humans, are thought to have originated in the oceans. So Cancer is closely associated with giving life, and hence motherhood.

The personality of Cancerians is fluid as well, with a broad range of personal traits. Home and family are always an important theme for this sign, for both men and women. They make loving, protective parents. Cancerians are highly emotional, romantic, and loving people and seek nurturing in relationships. They are also very giving people and often seek to express their nurturing nature in the healing and caring professions. They can be reserved people, preferring to reveal their true natures in the security of their intimate relationships. They tend to be ruled by their emotional ups and downs. They can also be quite artistic and make good artists, actors, and musicians.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Cancerian Experience

What better way for the Cancerian to express his or her loving nature than with a gift of gemstone jewelry to a beloved partner?

Gemstones have both physical and metaphysical qualities that can enhance all aspects of your well-being. The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones creates an energy field that interacts with our own when you hold it or wear it on your body. In this way, the gemstone can be used to calm you, bring you mental clarity, increase your energy, enhance your creativity, and much more. Cancerians have some potentially conflicting qualities (such as a desire to be connected to others, but also a tendency to withdraw) that can be brought into better balance with gemstones.

Astrology and Gemstones

Astrological principles manifest at all levels of creation, from the largest bodies in the cosmos to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy. Based on the hermetic principle “As above, so below,” those universal principles allow us to read relations among the planets and extrapolate those principles to things here on Earth, to events in our lives, as well as to our natural environment. The universal principles that govern the planets are also seen on the much smaller level of gemstones, crystals, and metals.

The Signature of Gemstones

Each gemstone is associated with specific planets. You are already aware that each planet has its own personality in astrology. And each gemstone has a personal “signature”—specific metaphysical qualities, different for each stone, that arise from the stone’s association with its planets.

How to Make Gemstones Work for You

By considering the individual signature of gemstones, you can select the right gems for very specific purposes, according to their astrological qualities.

Gemstones can be used in three different ways:

1. They are precious objects of beauty that may hold a special meaning for us. We enjoy their beauty by giving them a special place on a shelf, desk, or altar.
2. They can be used in meditation by tuning into their frequency for the purpose of balancing our energy field.
3. They can be made into jewelry pieces for our pleasure, enhancing our individual expression of beauty and sense of empowerment.

If you like to learn more about other astrological signs and their true birthstones based in astrology you can find more articles on my website.

Pearls Represent the Energies of Moon, Saturn, Neptune and Chiron

Pearls are found in a great variety colors, including white, cream, rose, silver, golden, blue, and black. Pearl is an organic substance made of calcium carbonate and an organic horn material that form as a reaction to an injury, usually intentionally caused by humans. The Pearl forms concentrically around the implanted microcrystal. Pearls are very sensitive to acids, perspiration, cosmetics, hairspray, dryness, and humidity. They can die through age or improper treatment, or they can become dull, crack, and peel off.

Pearls are sometimes referred to as the “tears of the soul” and some advise against wearing them. There may well be some truth in that notion for some people, but the choice to wear pearls must be left to individual discretion: I feel a strong attraction toward some pearls and appreciate wearing them frequently.

The Pearl can be viewed as a being originating in the depths of the ocean or fresh water seas. Water or the ocean is a powerful symbol and representation of our unconscious mind, the unknown depths of our emotions, the female part of our being. The human body consists of 85 percent water, the mysterious ingredient essential to all life.

And science tells us that we normally use only 5 to 10 percent of the potential of our brains, the conscious mind, meaning that the majority of the brain is hidden in the vast unconscious. The significance of the Pearl’s association with deep waters, and therefore our unconscious mind, is clear!

The Moon rules water, the ocean, the emotions, the female principle, and our unconscious mind. The Pearl is ruled by the Moon, so it connects us with the depths of our unconscious, of our feelings, including those that we often seek to repress, such as grief, sorrow, and pain. We try to avoid becoming conscious of those wounds, but we should take a lesson from the Pearl: Pearl’s host, the shell, also suffered an injury—even died at one point!—and yet produced this perfect, soft, shiny, round beauty.

The transformation is reminiscent of the caterpillar, often ugly, that grows into a beautiful butterfly. And so is it with humans: we can use our wounds like the Pearl, to grow into our own magnificent beauty.

Having this “wound” affinity with humans; Pearl is a wonderful ally and friend to us during our process of healing from these deep emotional injuries. It can soothe and nourish us, bring our wounds up into the light of consciousness, assist us in the transforming healing process.

The round shape of the Pearl, the most balanced form there is, stands for perfection and oneness. [1]

I wish you an enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and looking at them in a new way! If you enjoy my perspective on things, please come back and sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life. If you feel like passing this article on to some of your friends that would be so wonderful. Thank you so much!

I am truly excited and I am looking forward to connect with you in spirit next weekend, aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

[1]Adapted from Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones That Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul © 2008 by Shakti Carola Navran. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission of the publisher.

Happy birthday for all Geminis! We are all moving into a more light hearted, more fluid time of the year. It is the time of the year when we enjoy ourselves with the fresh energy, maybe travel or start with some new ideas. Geminis always have new ideas and are always moving. They are the butterflies flying from flower to flower, discovering the exciting beautiful world. One thing for sure if you have a Gemini partner, you will never get bored. They will keep you on your toes. That might be challenging at times but change is a good thing and Geminis move through it with ease.

Depending on the house position of your Sun in your chart and the aspect connection with other planets the general Gemini qualities might not show as obvious as described later in this article but you will find it.

I always remember a client of mine describing his 6 years old Gemini daughter. He said she was outside in the garden and kept talking and talking which in itself didn’t surprise him. But when he looked out of the window to see who she was with, there was nobody. She just was talking to herself…As you can see communication is everything!

Late Spring Explodes Everywhere with Energy

By the end of May spring is in full force in the Northern Hemisphere: flowers and trees are in full bloom, gardens have been planted and are already sprouting, the first brood of baby birds has hatched. There is excitement in the air! This is the excitement and energy of the sign of Gemini.

Geminis at their best and worst illustrate the full complexity of the human personality. You will be readily drawn to a Gemini—but getting at their true essence and dealing with their energy may not be easy and you will need to be on your toes!

Geminis power is in their flexible minds and the way they have with words.

Gemini rules the 3rd House—Communication and Excursions.

Mercurial Geminis

Gemini’s ruling planet (Mercury) and symbol (twins) sum up the traits of this sign. Mercury (Greek: Hermes or Apollo) was the Roman god of commerce, eloquence, travel, and—beware!—cunning, and theft. With wings on his sandals and helmet, Mercury swiftly communicated messages among the gods. We now use the word mercurial to mean a person who is eloquent, ingenious, unpredictable, changeable, and tending toward a negative sort of cunning—all qualities of Geminis.

The planet Mercury, being closest to the sun and having the smallest orbit, appears to move the fastest around the sun—beside the Moon. It’s year is just 88 days long. In astrology Mercury is associated with our mind (intellect, curiosity), all forms of communication, information, science, youthfulness, and travel.

Geminis are highly intelligent and they apply their intellect and curiosity to all that attracts their interest. They have a huge thirst for knowledge. They excel in speaking and writing.
Gemini is a masculine air sign, meaning that people born under this sign are, again, highly intelligent, flexible, versatile, and curious. But like water they are not easily contained—they need to always be moving from place to place and easily become bored and restless unless they have constant stimulation.

It is not difficult at all to be drawn to Geminis. They are charming, talkative, lively, funny, and quick witted. But they also can be very scatter brained and flattering from one thing to the next without ever finishing something properly. But of course it all depends on all the other factors in your chart.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Gemini Experience

For the Gemini it is important to not get overexcited or overextended in their ventures. Because they are so mental all gemstones that can calm the nervous system will help them to focus  and function better.

Gemstones in general have both physical and metaphysical qualities that can enhance all aspects of your well-being. The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones creates an energy field that interacts with our own when you meditate with it, hold it or wear it on your body. In this way, the gemstone can be used to calm you, bring you mental clarity, increase your energy, enhance your creativity, and much more.

The Signature of Gemstones

Each gemstone has its own personality depending on their planetary composition. We call this the personal “signature” which is specified by the chemical composition, hardness, the color, translucency, reflection and crystal structure. Like for example if we know a gemstone has iron in it we know this is a good stone for all Mars related issues. So whenever Mars has hard aspects that stone would help to balance that friction.

You can learn more about the metaphysical properties of gemstones through my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul. In my book I teach you how to find your true birthstones based on your horoscope and the individual planetary signatures of 67 gemstones mostly used in jewelry design. Below you will find a description of Amber, one of the true astrological birthstones for Gemini taken from my book.

Amber Has Sun, Mercury, Jupiter and Chiron Energies

Amber has a special place in my heart because it is a stone and it is not. That seems to make it a wonderful stone for the ambivalent Gemini with his two faces.

“Amber is special because it is the only gemstone that comes to us from the plant world. Amber is the fossilized, hardened resin of pine trees that formed about fifty million years ago. It has an amorphous (non crystalline) structure. It is found in various places, with the largest reserve in Samland, a region of Russia on the Baltic Sea near the border of Poland. Usually the color of amber is in the yellow-orange to brown range, but there are also varieties in white, black, blue, and greenish colors. We refer here to the yellow-orange variety because it is the most common.

Amber has the ability to create static electricity when it is rubbed with a cloth. This ability makes it a healer for harmonizing the electrical fields in and around our physical body. Amber balances our hormonal, nervous, and digestive systems.

Amber belongs to the third chakra, the solar plexus area. Here it softens and releases tensions and the physical manifestations of fears, which may include a tight, sour, or upset stomach.

By connecting us with the powerful life force energy of the sun, Amber brings us vibrant, joyful aliveness. Universally people enjoy spending time in the sun and bathing the body in its life-giving energy. This is one of the oldest naturally occurring meditations, the sun meditation, which induces in us a deep state of inward-turned relaxation. Amber also relieves depression by connecting us with our own inner sun center, our internal spark of light and joy. It enhances creativity, personal strength, self-expression, and power.

Amber is also a wonderful stone for babies, making them happy and joyful, and in Germany an old home remedy is to give a baby a large piece to bite on to relieve the pain of teething!”

As you can see it is a very versatile stone you might enjoy and use for your healing even if you are not a Gemini.

If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life. I would love it if you feel like passing it on to some of your friends.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

Happy birthday for all members of the Taurus Tribe! We are moving on from Aries energy to feeling more grounded and willing to take care for our physical reality and well being. Making practical plans and then following through with it step by step is the Taurus’ way of life. Of course the coloration of self expression of different Taurus people are due to what else they have going on in their chart. The house position and the aspects to your Taurus Sun will make a significant difference in how you might express yourself as a Taurus.

A Taurus is not like any other Taurus

For example: I have a late Taurus Sun in the 12th house as well as my Mercury who rules my Gemini Ascendant. For me this Sun position helps me to condense spiritual concepts, like astrology, and make them applicable and useful. I always had a way with words, even if it is definitely more of a challenge for me to write in English then in my mother language German. And I am a meditation teacher and healer which all relates to the 12th house. For me things always have to have some practical application and value.

I think that is also the reason why I love to work with the healing properties of gemstones so much, because they are a very concrete manifestation on one hand but very transcendent in their connection to the non physical realm on the other hand.  They can balance and imbue us with their essence. They can uplift us to higher states of consciousness if we use them for our meditation. Or they can alter our frequency if we wear them in our jewelry with us.

I also love beauty in all its forms: in nature, art, design, people, animals, gemstones and crystals, jewelry. Taurus is ruled by Venus and my Venus is in my first house which makes it double important for my life. Everything has to be beautiful for me. My room has golden yellow walls and red accents everywhere and every piece has a special meaning and beauty for me. How does that work out for you? How important is beauty in your life?

The Late Spring Sign

By the end of April the Northern Hemisphere is free of its winter snows and it is time to attend to caring for the Earth and planting crops. In general you can say that Taurus people are very much in tune with the Earth. Due to the influence of Venus, they have a great love for beauty found in things such as art, jewelry, and the natural landscape. They are loyal, patient, and deliberate in working toward their goals, just as farmers must be in tending their crops from planting through harvest. When a Taurus person undertakes a project, it most likely will be completed! Grounded in reality and the physical world, they excel at professions such as artist, farmer, the financial sector, and politics.

Taurus likes to be comfortable and often likes to stay at home and make it their castle. My husband is a Cancer Sun with Taurus Ascendant; he almost never leaves the house. Physical comfort, health, good food, sex and everything that helps to enjoy the world through their senses is important for Taurus.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Taurus Experience

Taurus is a feminine earth sign. What better way to celebrate the Taurus love of beauty and the Earth than with beautiful gemstones, the hidden treasures of the Earth?
Gemstones have both physical and metaphysical qualities that can enhance all aspects of your well-being. The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones creates an energy field that interacts with our own when you meditate with it, hold it or wear it on your body. In this way, the gemstone can be used to calm you, bring you mental clarity, increase your energy, enhance your creativity, and much more.

The Signature of Gemstones

Each gemstone has its own personality depending on their planetary composition. We call this the personal “signature” which is specified by the chemical composition, hardness, the color, translucency and reflection and crystal structure. Like for example if we know a gemstone has iron in it we know this is a good stone for all Mars related issues. So whenever Mars has hard aspects that stone would help to balance that friction.
You can learn more about the metaphysical properties of gemstones through my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery. In my book I teach you how to find your true birthstones based on your horoscope and the individual planetary signatures of 67 gemstones mostly used in jewelry design. Below you will find a description of the Apophyllite, one of the true astrological birthstones for Taurus.

This time I want to introduce you to a very special and rare gemstone you might not have heard about yet.

Apophyllite (Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune, Chiron)
Apophyllite is a very rare, light green, four-sided, diamond-faced crystal found in only one place on the Earth, in Poona, India. The Poona mine was closed after some years of operation due to the objections of citizens to the dynamiting in the middle of their city; thus this is a very rare stone and good pieces are hard to find nowadays.
I love this stone because of its unique generous qualities for the heart. In its natural crystallized form it can be set into beautiful pendants and worn right over the heart. This is a stone for the heart chakra and connects us to the Christ consciousness and love in its highest form.

This energy is focused in our heart and connects us with the quality of compassion as a result of realizing who we really are: eternal spiritual beings of love, experiencing ourselves as humans on this earthly plane.

The light color of Apophyllite is soft and gentle, almost like a fragrance, and its energy very subtle, soothing, and expanding. The heart’s longing is to experience communion and oneness with God, with life in all its facets. It is the longing of the soul to melt the shell around the heart and heal its wounds, and compassion is the natural outcome of this process.

The planet Chiron represents the wounded healer. Chiron shows us our deepest hurt on the astrological chart.   He shows us where we need to heal ourselves and where we can become a healer for others as a result of our own experience. Chiron and Neptune are hand in hand, joining their energies together to help us experience the highest truth of love and compassion: this is what we call “Christ consciousness.”

Apophyllite also may bring up emotions that are not in line with the Christ consciousness or oneness consciousness. It may work as an accelerator of spiritual growth by helping us to cleanse ourselves of grief, anger, jealousy, and fear— all the so-called negative emotions—by realigning ourselves with the truth that we are divine consciousness.

This crystal is one of the most powerful healers for the heart and thus it is a stone for healers. It is very beneficial to wear this beautiful, unique gem over the heart, or for meditation you may put it on your third eye or on your heart chakra. It goes very well together with the Ruby or Spinel, which add other aspects of the heart.

Gemstones Can Offer You the Highest Potentiality They Carry

When you read the qualities of the Apophyllite you might not have imagined this to be necessarily qualities of Taurus. But Taurus is a deeply loving and caring being and can be truly centered in their heart in all their physical actions. For all of us wearing a pendant with Apophyllite over our heart can lift us up into the higher consciousness of oneness and unconditional love, helping the heart to flower. And I believe that is our deepest longing.

If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life. I would love it if you feel like passing it on to some of your friends.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.
In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

Spring time is all around us with blooming trees and colors in abundance everywhere. Here in Hawaii we have the unbelievable Jacaranda trees with violet blossoms which blow my mind with their beauty and have inspired many painting artists on the island.

With Sun, Mercury and Venus still in Aries for a couple of days I like to introduce you to one of the true birthstones of Aries. Each month I will give you one of the birthstones for the Sun in the sign of the month. Please be aware that each sign has several “birthstones” and over time I will talk about many of them.

True Birthstones
Sometimes I hear from people who believe they only have one birthstone (as the jewelry industry is telling you) and when they don’t feel an attraction to that particular stone they feel that something doesn’t work for them. If you have followed my blog for a while you will know that each stone is composed of a very specific individual “signature” which makes up its personality as discussed further down in this article. That is the reason for your very personal resonance, your likes or dislikes of gemstones. So even if you don’t like your supposed birthstone you might love one of the others I am giving you.

Your Personal Gemstone Profile for Your Power Gems
If you really want to know your true birthstones you need to have your personal Gemstone Profile done based on your whole chart so you will know which gemstone is the best for your particular Sun position in its house and aspect connection with other planets. The truth is you have at least 12 main healing gems based on your 10 planets in their signs and aspects plus your Moon Node and Chiron position.

The highlights of this Week are:
•    The Full Moon in Libra on Monday
•    Venus moving into Taurus in conjunction with Uranus on   March 3-4

The Full Moon in Libra
The Full Moon is concluding one cycle of emotional changes and needs throughout the month. Mother Moon is symbolizing our fluid, always changing inner tapestry of feelings and moods which are sometimes even hard to understand ourselves. With the Full Moon there is some kind of completion in the expansion of emotions. We often feel more restless, have a harder time to sleep through the night and are easier agitated then usual. Pay attention to where the Full Moon falls for you in your chart and be more aware of the theme of that house and the planets in that sign which might get activated.

The Full Moon in the feminine sign of Libra most likely expects to be placated and pleasured by your significant one or others in general. As we all know waiting for that might be the ticket for disappointment. Make a point to take charge to do something with a loved one that pleasures you, express your needs and communicate.

Venus Moving into Taurus in Conjunction with Uranus
Another feminine Goddess wants attention from you this week with Venus in her home sign Taurus. Here the Goddess of love, harmony, wealth and beauty likes to get comfortable, she loves to get pampered with a massage or facial or exquisite love making. Honoring the temple of her body is important to Venus and this is a wonderful time for you to do so. In tandem with Uranus you are due for some excitement and change of your routine.

Take some time with your girl friends, go out have a sauna together, relax and just take the time to hang out. What a concept in the busy times we are living in…

We Live in a Beautiful Vibrational Universe
It is now universally accepted and confirmed by science that we live in a universe made of energy vibrating at different frequencies. Every bit of seemingly solid matter is just a swirling microcosmic world of vibrating, energized particles creating form as we know it.

There is great beauty in the natural form our world takes. Nature can be breathtaking in a sunset over the ocean, a mountain landscape, a flower, or a crystal gemstone. Wherever we perceive balance and harmony we experience beauty.

Beauty is deeply fulfilling for humans. Being in nature, looking at a flower, tuning into a gemstone can realign our own energy pattern to a more balanced flow. I believe that a gemstone that attracts your eye with its beauty will always be beneficial for you.

The Signature and Metaphysical Properties of Crystal and Gemstones
In all cultures throughout history gemstones and crystals have had a special place. They have been used for empowerment and for focusing energy in rituals, sacred objects, and jewelry.

The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones and crystals gives them their energy and metaphysical properties: they interact with our own energy field and have a balancing and healing impact on our mind, body, and soul. Each gemstone has a personal “signature”—specific metaphysical qualities, different for each stone, that arise from the stone’s chemical composition, color, hardness, crystal structure, and so on. And all this different elements are correlating with different astrological principles and star signs.

Astrology, the ancient science of the universal laws, allows us to understand the creative forces at work in our lives and use them to our advantage. Gemstones occupy an important place in astrology. By considering the individual signature of gemstones, we can select the right gems for very specific purposes, according to their astrological representation.

Astrology and True Birthstones
Astrological principles manifest at all levels of creation, from the largest bodies in the cosmos to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy. Based on the hermetic principle “As above, so below,” those universal principles allow us to read the analogue relations among the planets and extrapolate those principles to things here on Earth, to events in our lives, as well as to our natural environment. The universal principles that govern the planets are also seen on the much smaller level of gemstones, crystals, and metals.

Most of us know the gemstone corresponding to when we were born based on the list created by jewelers. This is a simplified commercial list, not created by astrologers, and therefore most of the stones on this list are not the true astrological birthstones.

Each gemstone represents specific planetary principles and has its own personality. In my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery I teach you how to find your true birthstones based on your horoscope. In this article I will give the example of one of the true astrological birthstones for Aries, Garnet.

Garnet: A Many-Hued Stone
The Garnets are a many-hued family, with different names for each color. The color range includes red, red with a violet tint, reddish brown, orange brown, yellow, and green.

The varieties include Pyrope (reddish brown), Almandine (violet), Spessartite (orange to reddish brown), Grossular (green, yellow, or copper brown), Demantoid (green to emerald green), and Tsavorite (similar to emerald green). All of the colors are strongly reflective.

With a relatively high Mohs’ hardness of 7 to 7 ½, Garnet makes a nice hard stone for rings and other jewelry. It is found around the world, including in the United States, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Zambia, Tanzania, Afghanistan, India, Brazil, Austria, Germany, and Sweden.

Due to its diverse origins Garnet is a very “open-minded” family. It reminds us to welcome and celebrate the diversity of all people and their different ways of self-expression.

Garnet is associated with Mars, Venus, and Mercury and has the qualities of those planets. The Garnet group is very down to earth and practically minded and thus can assist us in our worldly endeavors and in manifesting our dreams and visions.

The Violet Garnet: Almandine
Almandine is a red garnet with a slight violet tint. The form of its crystallization gives it a kind of round crystal-ball appearance. If you can find one it is a nice stone to have in your pocket to play with in order to have the stone’s energy within your aura without needing it to be set into jewelry.

Almandine is a warrior of the heart, longing to express his true being as he walks the path of love. Being connected with Venus and Mars, Almandine supports our growth in relationships and friendships.

This warrior is connected with the higher truth of the crown chakra: it helps to balance the Inner Man and the Inner Woman in us, helps us to rise up out of the limitations of the ego to a greater understanding of love as a state of consciousness. It might support us by asking the question, “What can I bring to this relationship?” rather than “What do I get out of it?”

In the Almandine, Mars and Venus—the lover and the beloved—are united and recreated on the earthly plane for the pure pleasure of experiencing each other. Almandine encourages us to partake of the enjoyment of love and relationships and to become more conscious of our role in their creation.  It gives us deeper insight into the dynamics of relationships as they are projected onto the earthly playground of the cosmos.

I hope I’ve given you a new sense of the very special properties of gemstones. I encourage you to identify your true birthstones and to find creative ways to incorporate them into your life to support your goals and desires.

I wish you an enchanted journey enjoying all the help and tools you can find for your support. If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

Astrologically we are having a quiet week! I hope you have been able to check out some of the articles part of the 1. International Blogathon about the T-square and relate the activities of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto to your personal horoscope. The articles will still be available on line for further use as a library.

We talked a little about the Sun moving into Aries last week on the 20th. This week there are no new ingresses of planets into a new sign or other significant events beside the slow moving long term transits. What is of most interest is the Pluto square to the Sun pushing on us for transformation. So we will have time to focus and read up on the slower transits.

You Personal Involvement is Key

Of course we are always most interested and motivated to invest our time and energy when we are personally triggered and touched upon. Self growth seems to be pushed upon us most of the time, but looking backwards those hard and difficult times often turn out to be very fruitful and changing our lives for the better. We feel forced to examine our values, life style, unconscious and conditioned responses to life, our choices and goals we are striving for. Without those times of challenge we would be stagnant and not growing into a fuller potential of our being.

Wherever the early degrees of Libra, Aries, Cancer and Capricorn or late degrees of Pisces and Virgo fall in your chart and the connecting aspects to your planets you will feel yourself very personally challenged. You will feel called to grow into more clarity (Saturn) while building and re-negotiating your place in relation to others (Libra), allow rebirth (Pluto) of a new YOU with the dissolving of old beliefs and values (Uranus).

Keeping a Visionary Focal Point

And we have to do the WORK as individuals as well as a society. I refuse to watch the news. I only snatch glimpses here and there when my husband watches them. It can make you very sad, angry or even depressed to watch. So don’t! News in America are very lopsided, negative and manipulative. Not much good comes out of it beside frustration. Change has to begin with each of us and holding the vision of a world based in a consciousness of oneness and humane ways of doing business and interact with each other starts with you and me. I am on board with Abraham in holding my conscious focal point of attraction where I want it to be, not with my observation of what is or my immediate circumstances.

“One who is mostly an observer thrives in good times but suffers in bad times because what he is observing is already vibrating, and as he observes it, he includes it in his vibrational countenance. As he includes it, the Universe accepts that as his point of attraction and gives him more of it. So the better it gets the better it gets. Or the worse it gets the worse it gets. While one who is a visionary thrives in all times.”— Abraham

Ways to Feel Good and Upgrade your Frequency

So your work is to find ways to uplift your frequency and feel good. Find out what works for you! Maybe just watching your cats can be an inspiration! For me the requirement to be able to feel good seems to be as a first step wanting to be out of pain. Having so many health problems I take it as a constant invitation to find little ways every day to improve my condition a little. As I have shared with you before I have embarked on a new journey for more well being and that encompasses many different aspects of detoxifying and dealing with physical limitations as well as making more time for contemplation, sauna and meditation.

Deeksha or Oneness Blessings

To have a spiritual ever deepening awareness of your connection with the Divine is nourishing your soul and gives deeper meaning to your life. There are so many path to take!

In my life the experiences with the Oneness Blessings or called Deeksha blessings and my involvement with the oneness movement have brought so much grace and have changed my spiritual path forever. I have been in India to the Oneness University twice and had tremendous inner changes and experiences. As a result I feel very connected with my inner being on a constant base and there is no grasping for any other teachings or something out there I need to be or do in order to feel better about myself.

It is the moment to moment awareness of reorienting myself towards the truth and joy which keeps me on track. If you have not had the experience of a Deeksha blessing you can find out on line where you can get one. By now there are Deeksha blessing givers everywhere in the country. I can promise you it is a worthwhile experience. Arjuna Ardagh has written an excellent book about this phenomena.

Meditation with Gemstones and Crystals & Astro Gems & True Birthstones

And then there is the way of uplifting your frequency with crystals and gemstones through meditation or supporting your personal energy field through hand picked gemstones according to your personal needs and imbalances with your true birthstones. Astrology is one way to describe those imbalances and then choose the most potent astro gemstone for you. I have become an expert in that over the many years of practicing my craft of astrology, making soul jewelry for people and guiding many students through their process of inner growth and meditation with gemstones and crystals.

After all these years I still love it because it is such a gentle and soothing way. You can just lie down and put some gems onto your forehead and body and feel uplifted. I call it the lazy meditation, because it doesn’t require a specific sitting pose or breathing technique. Or you can experiment with putting one stone under your pillow at night and see how that impacts you. You can find more articles about meditation with gemstones and crystals on my site. I am always happy to hear back from you and give feedback if you feel a need for it.

Find Out More about Your Specific Needs

• If you want to find out about your personal, 12 main healing astro gems based on your chart you can have me do your Gemstone Profile as a start.
• Or you can start with one of the written, excellent and reasonably priced reports we offer including birth chart, relationships, harmony, and your transits.
• Or you can have a personal astrological consultation with me.

You want to have choices in your life and good choices come from a ground of good information. I hope you will take advantage of the rich wisdom and guidance astrology has to offer for you – one way or the other- with me or somebody else you feel drawn to.

Take Time for Yourself

I am putting aside at least one hour a day, every morning to read and expand my horizon. In the moment what interests me most is to read about wellness and ways to detoxify and support my body on his healing journey. But of course I go through phases and different themes of interest. And I journal regularly what helps me to keep focused on my visions and makes me more honest and accountable to myself. What is your focus in the moment? What is your area of learning and expansion?

I wish you an enchanted journey enjoying all the help and tools you can find for your support. If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

Bio:
Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.

In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

This week we have 4 planets in the sign of Pisces, the last step in the evolution of the zodiac, inviting us to relax, retreat and rekindle our connection with the divine spirit and what is truly important for us. Pisces is the sign of contemplation, meditation and transcendence. You could say it is all about the invisible dimensions behind the physical appearances of the world.

I don’t know about you but I feel often quiet overwhelmed, my life has speed up tremendously with all the demands I feel, as well as all the ideas and projects I love to get to. I always feel like I am behind and am reminding myself constantly to enjoy the journey and that things will never get done. I remember a documentary I have seen about aging and that the brain’s perception of time really changes with growing older. That makes total sense to me. Imagine the duration of an hour for a baby must seem like eternity and I remember being a teenager I could not wait to get older and it took forever. Now it seems like time is flying by with lightening speed.

I strongly believe we need the qualities of Pisces to tune into timelessness and eternal qualities of our soul to stay sane.

Each month with the Moon moving through Pisces you get an invitation for a mini vacation from spirit to get your priorities straight and realign with your true needs and soul purpose. With the Sun transiting through Pisces for a month each year you are given more time to regroup and fine tune your spiritual aspirations. If you like to partake in a meditation or healing retreat this would be the best and most powerful time of the year to do so.

I like to invite you into a contemplative posture and ask yourself some questions right now! What you can do to add that inner divine connection on a regular base to your life. Do you spend time with yourself allowing that busy mind to unravel and quiet down? Do you have a meditation practice? Do you just sit and smell the roses? Do you allow down time without filling your mind with reading, computer, TV or conversations? I have written an article about Neptune and the Art of Meditation if you like to get more inspired.

As you might know I love to use the specific healing properties of gemstones for meditation and jewelry purposes. Gemstones are such beautiful allies to harmonize your body, mind and soul. Allow yourself some time to play around with Amethyst who comes in so many beautiful forms as crystals, wands, clusters, faceted and cut stones. Amethyst has been called a spiritual vacuum cleaner because of his personality and his mediating qualities.

This week’s highlights are

• The Sun Floats into Peaceful Pisces (February 19–March 20)
• Loving Venus Joins with Extravagant Jupiter in Pisces
• Moon in Pisces, Aries, Taurus and Gemini

Pisces: The Sign of Fantasy and Creativity

Pisces is a feminine water sign ruled by Neptune. It rules the 12th House—the Personal Connection with the Divine & the Invisible Realms. Pisces is the last month in the astrological year, and in this sign we see some of the best qualities of all the other signs, representing an accumulation of learning.

Pisces are gentle and have sensitive souls, well developed both spiritually and in their relationships. They care much more about matters of the mind, heart, and spirit than about practical or material things. They enjoy a rich fantasy and dream life, which may be expressed through creativity in all of the arts. Pisces are idealists rather than realists.

Connections to the Universe

Pisces do not see themselves first and foremost as individuals, but as connected to others and to the universe. They would rather experience this connection than protect their own ego. This spiritual sense of connection guides all that they do, from their relationships to their choice of career and their spiritual expression. They seek to elevate their consciousness beyond the confines of the material world. They are highly intuitive people. Their exquisite sensitivity to the world around them can even rise to the level of psychic abilities.

Relationships

Pisces’ gentle side leads them to be very sensitive, loving, and trusting. They seek harmony in their relationships and will do whatever they can to avoid conflict—winning a fight is not meaningful to Pisces. They approach everyone in a friendly manner that draws many allies to them, but they are intimate only with a small group of friends and family. They are romantic, need to be with a partner, and commit themselves for the long term.

Compassion is a trait that stands out in Pisces. They are born care takers. Pisces people very often chose careers that allow them to give to others, or engage in volunteer work. They are very aware of the needs of others and devote themselves to helping others wherever they see the opportunity, even to the point of self-sacrifice.

Challenges

As a water sign, Pisces people have a preference to lead “fluid” lives, going with the flow rather than pursuing a specific life plan. They are more fantasy bound than reality bound. One of their biggest challenges is to carve out a successful life that takes reality into account. They also need to seek more balance in their relationships by placing their own needs on par with the needs of others. Being very sensitive, they need to take care to protect themselves from other people’s negative emotions and manipulation. They are gullible and easily taken in by ruses.

Career

Pisces are drawn to the helping professions—medicine, psychology, social service, teaching—and to spiritual work. In their choice of profession and their commitment to their work, they are led more by their deep personal values than by ambition. Water is also a common theme in Pisces careers—fisherman, marine biologist.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Pisces Experience

Gemstones are the perfect way for Pisces people to focus and balance their energy in order to be successful in their endeavors and to maintain mental and physical equilibrium.

Gemstones have both physical and metaphysical qualities that can enhance all aspects of your well-being. The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones creates an energy field that interacts with our own when you hold it or wear it on your body. In this way, the gemstone can be used to calm you, bring you mental clarity, increase your energy, enhance your creativity, and much more.

Astrology and Gemstones

Astrological principles manifest at all levels of creation, from the largest bodies in the cosmos to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy. Based on the hermetic principle “As above, so below,” those universal principles allow us to read relations among the planets and extrapolate those principles to things here on Earth, to events in our lives, as well as to our natural environment. The universal principles that govern the planets are also seen on the much smaller level of gemstones, crystals, and metals.

The Signature of Gemstones

Each gemstone is associated with specific planets. You are already aware that each planet has its own personality in astrology. And each gemstone has a personal “signature”—specific metaphysical qualities, different for each stone, that arise from the stone’s association with its planets.

How to Make Gemstones Work for You

By considering the individual signature of gemstones, you can select the right gems for very specific purposes, according to their astrological qualities.

Gemstones can be used in three different ways:
1. They are precious objects of beauty that may hold a special meaning for us. We enjoy their beauty by giving them a special place on a shelf, desk, or altar.
2. They can be used in meditation by tuning into their frequency for the purpose of balancing our energy field.
3. They can be made into jewelry pieces for our pleasure, enhancing our individual expression of beauty and sense of empowerment.

You can learn more about the metaphysical properties of gemstones through my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery. In my book I teach you how to find your true birthstones based on your horoscope.

Amethyst: A Pisces Stone to Connect Us to the Divine

“Amethyst is one of the true birthstones of Pisces. It is a very common six-sided, pale- to dark-violet-colored crystal of the quartz family. It originates most commonly in Brasilia, Uruguay, and Madagascar. The quality and depth of color of the stone vary widely. The most desirable and clearest material will be cut as facetted (cut along flat faces) or cabochon (dome shaped, polished) stones.

Amethyst is an excellent stone to begin with to introduce yourself to the subtle energies of crystals. It comes in huge clusters large enough to contain your hand. In fact at gem shows I have seen bathtub-shaped pieces that were large enough to lie in! When you put your hand into one of these clusters, you feel a pulsating sensation similar to an ultrasound device. I used to have a huge sample of Amethyst in my studio in Germany that I used to provide my clients with an immediate experience of crystal energy.

Large amethyst clusters function as a sort of “spiritual vacuum cleaner,” cleansing rooms with a lot of traffic passing through. They are also perfect for cleaning other stones or jewelry by simply laying them in the cluster.

In olden times Amethyst was known as an amulet against black magic and homesickness, and as a bringer of good fortune. I see Amethyst as Merlin, the old sorcerer who looks harmless enough but in fact wields great power. In the myth he was the spiritual teacher and magician of King Arthur.

Amethyst can become our individual teacher as well. This gem’s greatest gift is its ability to open us up to higher realms of reality, higher states of consciousness. It enhances meditation, connects us with our higher self and the supreme reality.

The meaning of the Greek name for Amethyst is “not drunken” and it is considered to aid sobriety When we access higher planes of consciousness, where we feel ourselves held, comforted, and nourished, our longing for the anesthetizing effects of substances such as alcohol and drugs slowly dissipates as we become open to a more enjoyable and beautiful experience.

When there is a strong influence of Neptune in our chart, there is an ever present yearning for a higher realm of consciousness, a longing for God, a search for something more than our daily reality. People who fall under this astrological configuration are often tempted to take a shortcut to that plane by using chemical substances to escape reality. But their efforts fail in the long run because they are disappointed by the false world of chemical highs.

By uplifting our consciousness, Amethyst becomes the messenger who reminds us of our eternal connection with God. It is the bringer of bliss and understanding, of expansion to our being. It helps to clear the mind and to transform our limiting beliefs about who we are. It is our guardian and ally who accompanies us on our visionary quest to find greater truth and meaning in life.”

I wish you a very enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and looking at them in a new way! Have fun! If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, and if you like to stay informed on the astrological events in the heavens you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter, the Astrological Signs Weather Report where I discuss the actual astrological qualities of the moment and inspire you to use them wisely for a life full of success, joy and inner growth.

Have a wonderful inspired week, aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave.Suite 310
Makawao,Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182

How was your last week with the Solar Eclipse and all the astrological action we had? I got together with some of my girl friends and created a really terrific vision board for my next book. It was so much fun and so stimulating that I had a hard time to go to sleep that night. I kept working with colors and forms all night. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did. It is very powerful to do that in a circle of friends and share this exhilarating process!

This week the biggest event is that two planets are moving hand in hand into Aquarius, the Venus and the Sun. The Sun in Aquarius will set the tone for a whole month and Venus for about 225 days. The Sun as the center of consciousness and life giving entity for our planet can be seen as one of the male planetary principles. Venus on the other hand is the goddess of love and harmony, rules relationships and defines how open we are in our hearts and what we are looking for in love. A conjunction between Sun and Venus is always depicting the yin and yang balance between the forces and the need to come to some form of equilibrium between the two.

Aquarius might be a sign of personal freedom but still is an individual looking for a place within the context of a relationship, a group or society. For relationship matters this is a month to have a fresh look into the balance between autonomy and intimacy in your relationship and maybe ask yourself some questions.

• Do you have the balance between autonomy, freedom and intimacy you like to have in your relationship?
• Or do you feel stifled or suffocated?
• Can you talk about and share your visions of life and specifically about your needs in your love relation?
• What are you willing to commit to?
• Maybe you like to do something spontaneous together, take a weekend off and have a little honeymoon somewhere?

If you have planets in Aquarius in your personal chart you can expect them to be more activated this month and pushing into the foreground. You might be willing to take more risks and receive sudden inspiration or insight. Let us have a deeper look at the particularities of Aquarius and how we can support ourselves with the birthstone Aquamarine.

The Age of Aquarius
Aquarius is a masculine air sign ruled by Uranus and belongs to the 11th House—Friends & Vision.

If you’ve heard the song from the musical Hair—“This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius”—you know that Aquarians are such original thinkers and nonconformists that they can change the world. They are not interested in how things have always been, but how they can reshape the world. They always have their eye on the future, not on the past. The cultural revolution of the 1960s and 70s epitomized the Aquarian need to rebel against the established order and bring forth a new vision.

A Sign of Change
Aquarians have a rich personality—a mixture of many traits—that can be hard to pin down, making them unpredictable. And that’s how they prefer it as they are always open to new ideas and new ways of being—as long as they initiate those changes themselves. They need the freedom to express their individuality. They can be very impulsive and act according to their own established values on a moments notice. Sudden changes belong to Aquarius.

Great Humanitarians
Water holds great importance for Aquarians, as depicted by the symbol for this sign, a woman carrying water. That seems to be a contradiction at first glance because it is a sign of air. But water is associated with nurturing, and Aquarians are fundamentally nurturing humanitarians, with a deep interest in and genuine concern for other people. They readily volunteer their time to service organizations of humanitarian interests.

An Inventive Problem Solver
Their original way of thinking allows Aquarians to see solutions to problems that others don’t see. They pursue goals and challenges with great determination, but they have the flexibility to change course in midstream when they see a new solution or a better way of doing things.

Relationships
Aquarius is a highly sociable sign. Aquarians are very likable, quite interesting, and great communicators. Many people are drawn to those qualities of Aquarians, and they tend to have a great many friends and associates and to join a lot of clubs and groups. Because of their need for individuality and freedom, and their mental approach to life, they can appear to be somewhat emotionally distant in relationships. When you meet Aquarians for the first time you may reveal quite a bit about yourself but you might not learn as much about them. Although they have many relationships, they only disclose themselves to a small group of trusted friends. Even with their chosen partner they might be uncomfortable and dissociate when confronted with too much intimacy.

Work
Aquarians are valued as employees and coworkers for their great social skills. They work well on group tasks. They enjoy new technologies and they make great scientists and inventors. Their communications skills and humanitarian values draw them to careers in service organizations and the media. Their creative side makes them innovative artists.

The Shadow
Aquarian people can get lost in contrariness, eccentricity or rebellion and loosing their inner connection with being part of the whole of humanity and society. It is essential for them to find their chosen family and circle of like minded spirits to share their innovative thoughts and actions.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Aquarian Experience
Gemstones are the perfect way for Aquarians to achieve balance among the many different aspects of their personality and to support their unique life vision. They can help to align you to the true purpose of your soul for this life and help to stir you towards your evolutionary journey which must counter your social conditioning and old beliefs.

Gemstones have both physical and metaphysical qualities that can enhance all aspects of your well-being. The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones creates an energy field that interacts with our own when you hold it or wear it on your body. In this way, the gemstone can be used to calm you, bring you mental clarity, increase your energy, enhance your creativity, and much more.

Astrology and Gemstones
Astrological principles manifest at all levels of creation, from the largest bodies in the cosmos to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy. Based on the hermetic principle “As above, so below,” those universal principles allow us to read relations among the planets and extrapolate those principles to things here on Earth, to events in our lives, as well as to our natural environment. The universal principles that govern the planets are also seen on the much smaller level of gemstones, crystals, and metals.

The Signature of Gemstones
Each gemstone is associated with specific planets. You are already aware that each planet has its own personality in astrology. And each gemstone has a personal “signature”—specific metaphysical qualities, different for each stone, that arise from the stone’s association with its planets.

How to Make Gemstones Work for You
By considering the individual signature of gemstones, you can select the right gems for very specific purposes, according to their astrological qualities.

Gemstones can be used in three different ways:

1. They are precious objects of beauty that may hold a special meaning for us. We enjoy their beauty by giving them a special place on a shelf, desk, or altar.
2. They can be used in meditation by tuning into their frequency for the purpose of balancing our energy field.
3. They can be made into jewelry pieces for our pleasure, enhancing our individual expression of beauty and sense of empowerment.

You can learn more about the metaphysical properties of gemstones, their application for jewelry and the true birthstones for all the different signs reading my articles in the birthstone series.

Aquamarine: An Aquarian Stone
The Aquamarine is one of the true birthstones of Aquarius. It is found around the world, with the most important sources in Brazil and Madagascar. It crystallizes in a long six-sided prism. Its name derives from the Latin for “water of the ocean” because of its color, which may be light blue, medium blue, or blue-green. The most expensive and desirable color is the darkest blue.

Uranus infuses Aquamarine with some unusual qualities and a vision beyond our
usual limited mind-set, making Aquamarine the rebel among the gems. This is the gemstone of visionaries fighting for a better life, supporting goodness and necessary changes. It urges us to seek freedom and independence and to express our uniqueness. Aquamarine is the stone of innovators, ahead of their time in many ways. It encourages us to always question our limiting beliefs with an open mind and to be willing to grow beyond them. It can help us to find our own vision and purpose in life and the courage to live them.

This unique gem connects us with the unlimited aspect of being that is found in the ocean, symbolizing the vastness of existence, the unlimited space and horizon that we experience standing on a beach or on a boat.

Aquamarine also has a female aspect, represented by the Moon. The Moon symbolizes our unconscious mind, our emotions, and our past memories. It reflects our emotional needs and wants, our ability to give and receive. Through its female aspect, Aquamarine supports and nourishes us, as if with mother’s milk. Feeling full and nurtured, we are able to share from the abundance of our own heart.

Aquamarine also sharpens our mind and our powers of discernment and helps us tap into the collective unconscious mind with all its creative resources.  In so doing it helps us develop our intuitive creativity and objective knowledge.

Aquamarine opens and balances the throat chakra, which helps us to express our personal truth, including our true feelings. The throat chakra is an area where we all have many blocks; thus we often feel limited in our self-expression.

Iron gives Aquamarine its color and energizing element. It is said to help balance iron deficiency. With its high energy level Aquamarine restores equilibrium in over energized people who are impatient, always rushing about, overstressed, and tense. Those individuals may be at high risk of accidents!

Aquamarine also represents Mother Mary. When we strip away two thousand years of male Christian tradition, we discover that Mary was not only the mother of Christ but a strong and highly evolved being in her own right and thus a role model for us today. Her strength also relates to the tradition of the Black Madonna that is found all over the world. The Black Madonna stands for the destructive and creative female principle of the universe, called Shakti in the East Indian tradition.

Thus versatile Aquamarine represents the qualities of freedom, growth, moving beyond limitations, a sharp mind, creativity, self-expression, and balance. Drawing on these qualities, Aquamarine helps women to grow into a new dimension of their womanhood and helps men to balance their own inner woman. A man who integrates these aspects of Aquamarine is able to enter into a balanced and equal relationship with a strong woman without fear of losing himself or his position.

As you can tell, I am very passionate about the potential of healing gems and all the different applications of those enchanting allies to raise your frequency for more balance and joy. I have even written a book about my over 30 years of experience in the fields of healing gemstones, meaningful jewelry, and astrology.

I wish you an enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and looking at them in a new way! If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, I would like to invite you to sign up for my free weekly newsletter where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author

You can learn more about the metaphysical properties of 67 different gemstones through my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul. My book will teach you about astrology and how to read the blueprint of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support and balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry— how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

Welcome to the New Year 2010! I assume you found your very own personally satisfying way to ring in the New Year and enjoyed the stillness of the days between the years. It reminds me to the miracle of our breath. There is always this moment of stillness between the in an out of the breath reversing its course. This stillness carries the promise of life with its renewal and potential.

I took the week off my usual activities and allowed myself to slow down and relish the change of pace into the realm of contemplation, time with my friends and reorienting myself for the New Year. Looking backwards I was really surprised to realize how much I have accomplished last year even if it didn’t feel that way first. Now I feel recharged and inspired to take action towards the manifestation of my insights and new goals I have set for myself.

The Highlights for the Week:

• We still have 4 planets in Capricorn additionally to the North Node.
• Mercury is still retrograde as well as Mars.
• Moon is moving through Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and into Sagittarius

So I will take this opportunity of this lull to present this month Sun sign Capricorn in more depth with the extra information about the true birthstone for Capricorns.

It seems like we are getting a little extension of time with inward focus with the two retrograde planets Mars and Mercury. It is a chance to delight in rethinking (Mercury) our life’s direction and fine tuning (Mars) our intentions, inner strength and will power into the new direction. All the planning and taking a new aim in your life will do nothing for you without the willingness to take steps towards implementing action from that place of inspiration. And Capricorn is a great ally for that.

Capricorn: The Conservative Pragmatist
Capricorn is a feminine earth sign ruled by Saturn. Their home is the 10th House—Public Image, Career, & Destiny.

As you move through the zodiac you will notice that the qualities of the signs reflect a process of evolution from self-centered toward greater social consciousness and responsibility. Saturn is associated with social order (rules, laws), duty, concrete reality, and the material world.

Capricorns seek to be in visible positions of power and prestige in society. Their high degree of organization, discipline, ambition, and intelligence make them perfect as leaders of organizations of all types, in government, business, and the military. Their conservative values and black-and-white thinking can make them inflexible with respect to morality. They are bent on success, holding high standards for themselves and others.

The influence of Saturn, the earth element, and the position in the last quarter of the zodiac make Capricorns practical, organized, controlled, self-disciplined, and conservative. “Ambition” is the keyword for this sign. Capricorns have a strong need for status and material success. They are hard workers with high career ambitions who do best in positions of authority, without supervision. They go about their goals step by step, overcoming each hurdle, and don’t give up until they’ve reached the top. They excel at hierarchical planning. They are usually financially successful.

Capricorns may appear reserved in relationships, but once committed they make loyal and reliable friends and partners. Still, their careers take precedence in their lives.

The Dark Side of Capricorn
Because Capricorns are so driven, self-disciplined, and controlling, it is hard for them to relax into the benevolence of life, trusting the flow of life and its ultimate goodness. Due to the rule of Saturn, there is an element of contraction and fear that urges the Capricorn to be continually in action and in control. It is very important for Capricorns to take time out of their busy lives and allow time for relaxation, introspection, and inner peace. Only then will they be in balance.

Bringing Light into the Darkness

It is very helpful for Capricorns to practice some form of meditation, Tai Chi, or yoga to slow down their mental activity and anxiety. Meditation with gemstones, especially Crystal Quartz, will especially appeal to Capricorns’ practical and concrete nature—it’s simply a matter of lying down and placing one or several stones on your body.
I have written two other articles about crystals and their amazing qualities: 1. Using Quartz Crystals and the Law of Attraction and 2. Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Crystal Quartz and Its Practical Applications.
Crystal Quartz is the perfect stone to bring consciousness and light into our lives, helping us to gain clarity, insight, and a higher perspective on life.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Capricorn Experience
Gemstones are the perfect way for Capricorns to both focus on their goals, and to bring more emotional and spiritual balance into their regimented lives.

Gemstones have both physical and metaphysical qualities that can enhance all aspects of your well-being. The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones creates an energy field that interacts with our own when you hold it or wear it on your body. In this way, the gemstone can be used to calm you, bring you mental clarity, increase your energy, enhance your creativity, and much more.

Astrology and Gemstones
Astrological principles manifest at all levels of creation, from the largest bodies in the cosmos to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy. Based on the hermetic principle “As above, so below,” those universal principles allow us to read relations among the planets and extrapolate those principles to things here on Earth, to events in our lives, as well as to our natural environment. The universal principles that govern the planets are also seen on the much smaller level of gemstones, crystals, and metals.

The Signature of Gemstones
Each gemstone is associated with specific planets. You are already aware that each planet has its own personality in astrology. And each gemstone has a personal “signature”—specific metaphysical qualities, different for each stone, that arise from the stone’s association with its planets based on their individual color, crystal structure as well as the chemical composition.
In this article we will talk about one of the true birthstones for Capricorn which is Crystal Quartz. You can find more articles on true birthstones in my birthstone series for the other astrological signs of the zodiac on my website.

How to Make Gemstones Work for You
By considering the individual signature of gemstones, you can select the right gems for very specific purposes, according to their astrological qualities.

Gemstones can be used in three different ways:

1. They are precious objects of beauty that may hold a special meaning for us. We enjoy their beauty by giving them a special place on a shelf, desk, or altar.
2. They can be used in meditation by tuning into their frequency for the purpose of balancing our energy field.
3. They can be made into jewelry pieces for our pleasure, enhancing our individual expression of beauty and sense of empowerment. I call those pieces of power Soul Jewelry.

Crystal Quartz: Your Guide to Higher States of Consciousness [1]
“ Crystal Quartz is one of the true gemstones of Capricorn. This is one of the most common and well-known crystals in the world, found virtually everywhere on the planet. It is composed of silicon dioxide and forms six-sided hexagonal prisms.

The word crystal derives from the Greek krystallos, meaning “ice,” as the Greeks believed that quartz was water that was eternally frozen, an image also found in the work of Hildegard von Bingen, a saint and ancient seer of the healing aspects of stones. Ice is a metaphor for the cooling and clear aspects of the crystal.

Quartz is a very sociable being, growing in groups and clusters and very often found together or in close connection with other minerals; thus it teaches us to have close, friendly relationships without loosing our individuality and center.

Like the Diamond, Quartz is very closely connected to our search for light and love, our longing to awaken to a higher state of consciousness, and it is our guide on that quest.

Crystal Quartz: The Manifestation of Light
Crystal Quartz is the manifestation of light, clarity, concentration, and perfect crystallization, a metaphor for our own search for perfection. If you examine a single crystal you will see that as it grows it becomes more and more clearly developed and defined toward the tip. You can also see the six sides of the crystal, corresponding to the first six chakras in the body, with the tip of the crystal corresponding to the crown chakra. In this way Quartz is a perfect mirror for our own process of growth as we move from confused or unenlightened to a state of increasing awareness and clarity on our path to higher consciousness.

Quartz is a good friend, brother, and sister and may have many additional properties, depending on the form of its “face,” or crystal tip. It might enhance our psychic abilities, such as channeling, telepathy, and clairvoyance, or connect us with ancient teachings and spiritual knowledge.

Cleansing your Stone
Although every stone may be said to pick up information by reading vibrations, Quartz is especially sensitive to the environment, absorbing everything around it. So it is very important to program it to do this consciously and to clean it often. This can be done with the help of all the elements and with the conscious state of your mind in combination with rapid, strong exhalations.

Different Forms
A double-terminated crystal (one with two tips on each end), like the Herkimer Diamond sets up an energy flow between the two ends, which act as positive and negative electromagnetic poles, and thus is especially adept at balancing opposites like yin and yang. In a single-pointed crystal the energy rises up from the more clouded bottom toward the clear tip.

A crystal in a spherical form—a crystal ball—gives off a wide, radiant, harmonizing energy field that, depending on the size of the crystal, can fill a whole room with sparkles of light and awareness. Because the sphere is the most perfect form in the universe it brings out its being in the highest form. By directing your thoughts to influence the energies of the crystal, you might program it with your needs and create a very powerful energy field for healing, concentration, or whatever you long for.”

As you can tell, I am very passionate about the potential of healing gems and all the different applications of those enchanting allies to raise your frequency for more balance and joy. I have even written a book about my over 30 years of experience in the fields of healing gemstones, meaningful jewelry, and astrology.

You can learn more about the metaphysical properties of 67 different gemstones through my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul. My book will teach you about astrology and how to read the blueprint of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support and balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry— how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

I wish you an enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and looking at them in a new way! If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, I would like to invite you to sign up for my weekly newsletter where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author

[1]Adapted from Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones That Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul © 2008 by Shakti Carola Navran. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission of the publisher.

Today I like to give you my article about one of the true birthstones of Sagittarius. I have completed the whole series with articles about all 12 signs now and you can find out about your own sign as well in case you are not Sagittarius.
Sagittarius: The Adventurer Searching for Deeper Meaning in Life
Sagittarius is a masculine fire sign ruled by Jupiter. It rules the 9th House, the Higher Mind & the Search for Meaning.
Jupiter is associated with long-distance travel, both physically and through expansion of our mind, spirit, and how we live a meaningful life. This influence of Jupiter is seen in Sagittarians’ love of world travel as well as religion, politics, and philosophy.

Sagittarians are Well Liked People
It’s hard not to like Sagittarians, for their openness, generosity, and sociable nature. They are deep thinkers in search of universal wisdom, attracting them to philosophy and religion. Their minds can grasp both the details and the bigger picture: they can think with intellectual precision but also intuitively. That unusual combination of thinking skills allows them to be at the forefront of creative ideas.

They are idealistic and care about the state of the world, leading them to take up vocations in medicine, education, religion, and politics. They need to be highly independent in their work and in their personal lives. They love to travel to widen their horizon and they are fascinated by other cultures.

Sagittarians are blessed to live active, successful lives. Everything about them is expansive: their outgoing personalities, good fortune, sense of humor, optimism, leadership qualities, sense of adventure, and constant quest for knowledge. They love their freedom and independence. They are the ultimate high-energy free spirits—a true fire sign. They easily inspire and motivate others.

The main challenge for Sagittarians is to focus on their most important goals and passions among all that attracts their interest, and channel their boundless energy in those well-defined directions. They also need to apply their need for freedom in a way that allows them to achieve their goals. In other words, Sagittarians can benefit from a dose of self-discipline and focus, especially in their relationships, career, and finances.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Sagittarius Experience
Gemstones are the perfect way for Sagittarians to bring focus and balance into their lives.
Gemstones have both physical and metaphysical qualities that can enhance all aspects of your well-being. The perfectly aligned crystal structure of gemstones creates an energy field that interacts with our own when you hold it or wear it on your body. In this way, the gemstone can be used to calm you, bring you mental clarity, increase your energy, enhance your creativity, and much more.

Astrology and Healing Gemstones
Astrological principles manifest at all levels of creation, from the largest bodies in the cosmos to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy. Based on the hermetic principle “As above, so below,” those universal principles allow us to read relations among the planets and extrapolate those principles to things here on Earth, to events in our lives, as well as to our natural environment. The universal principles that govern the planets are also seen on the much smaller level of gemstones, crystals, and metals.

The Signature of Gemstones
Each gemstone is associated with specific planets. You are already aware that each planet has its own personality in astrology. And each gemstone has a personal “signature”—specific metaphysical qualities, different for each stone, that arise from the stone’s association with its planets based on their individual color, crystal structure as well as the chemical composition. In this article we will talk about one of the true birthstones for Sagittarians which is Lapis Lazuli. You can find more articles on true birthstones in my birthstone series for the other astrological signs of the zodiac on my website or on articlesbase.

How to Make Gemstones Work for You
By considering the individual signature of gemstones, you can select the right gems for very specific purposes, according to their astrological qualities.
All Gemstones can be used in three different ways:
•    They are precious objects of beauty that may hold a special meaning for us. We enjoy their beauty by giving them a special place on a shelf, desk, or altar.
•    They can be used in meditation by tuning into their frequency for the purpose of balancing our energy field.
•    They can be made into jewelry pieces for our pleasure, enhancing our individual expression of beauty and sense of empowerment. I call those pieces of power soul jewelry.
As you can tell I am very passionate about healing gems and all the different applications of those enchanting allies to raise your frequency for balance and more joy. I have written a book about my over 30 years experience in the field of healing gemstones, meaningful jewelry and astrology.

You can learn more about the metaphysical properties of 67 different gemstones through my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul I teach you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

Sagittarian Lapis Lazuli: A Gemstone for Focus and Peace of Mind [1]
“Lapis Lazuli is one of the true gemstones of Sagittarius. It is composed of different minerals and therefore some gem experts consider it to not be a mineral, but a rock with Lazurite as its main ingredient. This opaque blue stone is not very hard—its Mohs’ hardness is only 5 to 6, making it easy to carve and cut. For that reason it has been used in jewelry since ancient times. In Egypt it was considered a sacred stone and was used in jewelry and sacred objects like scarabs. To me the most beautiful Lapis is dark blue with spots of golden pyrite, which makes it a very unique-looking specimen. Lapis should be set in gold.

The best and darkest quality Lapis Lazuli is found in Afghanistan. Deposits in Chile and Russia yield lighter blue stones with whitish or grayish veins.
Lapis brings us peace of mind. In a relaxed state of mind we develop a realistic and compassionate acceptance of things as they are. While most blue gemstones used in jewelry are translucent, Lapis is opaque, a quality that helps us achieve a concrete problem-solving orientation, supporting a very practical mind that focuses on the task at hand and deals with it, rather than being distracted by extraneous worries.”

I wish you a very enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and looking at them in a new way! If you enjoyed this article you can also read up the true birthstones of the other astrological signs.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author

[1]Adapted from Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones That Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul © 2008 by Shakti Carola Navran. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission of the publisher.

Other highlights of this week from Monday 16 to Sunday 22, 2009 are the square between Venus and Mars and the Sun moving into Sagittarius. After a month of intense feelings and reactions to things that seem to be out of control in our live we will experience a little more lightness and change in our perception and mood. But not right away!

Moon Astrology
To follow the Moon waxing and waning throughout the different zodiac signs is an elegant way to be more aware of your own constant change in the emotional landscape and how your emotional outlook is coloring the perception of events and circumstances. The Moon is the fastest moving planet we observe in astrology and is known for her fickle nature. Every 2 ½ days there is a variation in the way we subtly feel and react from that gut level instinct. The Moon is representing our emotional filter and the way we perceive life. The position of the Moon in your personal chart is one of the most important points of an astrological reading.

She represents the inner woman we need to find expression for in our life as a woman or hints at what outer manifestation she will take for a man in his attraction to the feminine.

The New Moon and Full Moon
The New Moon and Full Moon are very special culminations points of power in the dance between the male and female, because they involve the conjunction of Sun and Moon in the New Moon and the opposition of both in the Full Moon.

As a child I was always enchanted by the almost visibility of that far away, yet close heavenly body. The story of the man in the Moon sounded more believable to me then Santa Claus. As a child is seemed natural for me that there would be others on other planets out there somewhere and it translated itself for me into a love for science fiction and fantasy books early on. Looking up at the sky and feeling the mystery of life in our known universe is something many of us have in common. And the study of astrology seems to answer many of those questions about those mysterious universal mechanics.

Even if the Moon is not a planet in the strict definition, she always seemed to hold our imagination in her constant change and fluidity. Her reliable motion over the night sky was one way of perceiving time in its unfolding since ancient times. The connection between the tides of the ocean and the successful planting and harvesting cycles of the crops were obvious to our ancestors from long ago and paid attention to. Also the inner connection with our emotional constitution is an empiric fact as it would show up in sleepless nights around the Full Moon, more violence and civil disturbances calls for the police then usual, more accidents and drunk driving.

The New Moon
The New Moon is of more subtle nature. When this Moon touches the Sun she doesn’t reflect any light. The New Moon is invisible to our eyes. The light of consciousness is gone for a short period of time and with it the self perception and self awareness. This moment signifies a clean slate, a new beginning into the next round of the Moon circling the Sun, the center of our universe representing the highest consciousness and life giving force for all the inhabitants of our earth.

The magic of the New Moon is the promise of redemption and a new start. For me it is the time of the month I use for some inner contemplation of where I am and where I want to go with my life. It is a great time to decide on what is really important for me and where I want to put more attention towards. The goals I set for myself can grow towards manifestation and ripen with the Moon growing into its full glory.

This Month New Moon is in Scorpio on Monday
Sun and Moon are in Scorpio, in the most intensely felt sign of the zodiac with its deep undercurrents of passion, determination and will power. Scorpio energy is driven by instinctual desires, deep unconscious motivations for control, domination and power. Scorpios are complex, charismatic and interesting people. They usually excel at where they choose to point their energy and you will always feel alive and kept on your toes around them. They will never be boring, but always a little mysterious and maybe feel just a little out of reach.

You can use this universal stage to your advantage to plot a new course for your life and getting a head start with it in the coming month. Sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and your journal and contemplate.

Venus is Squaring Mars On Thursday
Venus, the goddess of love, harmony and beauty is fighting with her lover Mars over their very different point of views. Venus is in Scorpio and wants deep commitment and honesty. Mars is in playful Leo and likes to play, seduce and tempt the goddess. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus and they are often very different if their perspectives, needs and desires. I always thought that book from John Gray was genius in playing on the deep archetypes we all have in us.

We all will have time this month with this conjunction to discover deeper layers in our relationships of all kinds. Man or woman, we will not feel so agreeable and compromising with our loved ones right now and we will feel more in touch with what is truly important and needed for us. There is more inner strength and daring to stand up for our needs and express our desires and make changes in our relationships.

If you have looked away from areas and subjects which are not right and satisfying in your intimate relationship, now is the time to look at it or it will blow up into your face. Ask yourself what it is you might have put under the rug? Maybe you want more commitment in your relationship? Maybe you need more autonomy? Whatever it is now is a good time to be honest and daring to go for your inner vision and dreams. If you don’t communicate clearly your desires and needs, you can bet on the outcome of not getting it.

As always your own level of consciousness and honesty with yourself and your partner is the key to success. I don’t know about you, but I often catch myself groaning over a couple in a movie or book getting themselves in the most complicated entanglements just because they don’t speak up and communicate honestly. If they just would speak up they would have a better chance in working things out.

So this is your time! Use it wisely my friend! Give yourself that chance of honest communication and the intimacy and deepening connection which can come out of it.

Sun Moves into Sagittarius on Sunday 21
With the transition of the Sun into the next sign of Sagittarius we will move into a more extroverted and expanding flow of energy with many ideas and inspirations.

Sagittarius: The Adventurer Searching for Deeper Meaning in Life

Nov 21–Dec 21
Ruling Planet: Jupiter
Element: Fire
Gender: Masculine

It’s hard not to like Sagittarians, for their openness, generosity, and sociable nature. They are deep thinkers in search of universal wisdom, attracting them to philosophy and religion. Their minds can grasp both the details and the bigger picture: they can think with intellectual precision but also intuitively. That unusual combination of thinking skills allows them to be at the forefront of creative ideas. They are idealistic and care about the state of the world, leading them to take up vocations in medicine, education, religion, and politics. They need to be highly independent in their work and in their personal lives.

Sagittarius role, after the introspection of Scorpio is to take the hard won wisdom and create something worthwhile from it and spread it around.

The Birthstone of Sagittarius is the Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is one of the birthstones of this global thinker. Lapis is a stone for the third eye and deepens the connection to your own inner wisdom, intuition and truth. It is an opaque blue stone with the magical power of the earth to help manifest those creative impulses and insights into something tangible. Lapis was one of the sacred stones used in abundance in Egyptian jewelry in combination with gold and coral.

Lapis Lazuli is the bringer of the new dawn with Jupiter foresight and humanitarian vision. If used in meditation it is a stone to quiet the mind and bring a state of peace and overview from a higher perspective. If your mind is over stimulated and exhausted, Lapis can bring you back to balance and focus.

It is not a very expensive stone and is made into necklaces or bigger pieces for jewelry purposes. I especially like the deep, dark blue version with golden pyrite sprinkles creating very unique patterns mined only in Afghanistan. The lighter blue, grayish variety is found in Chile.

If you enjoyed my astrological insights and pointers, I invite you to sign up for my free weekly newsletter where I discuss the highlights of the week to inspire you to use them wisely for a successful and more joyful life.

Have a wonderful week, aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: Astrologer, Jeweler and Author

Shakti Carola Navran has written the book: Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul and  many articles about the healing properties of gemstones and their use in daily life for meditation, balance and meaningful jewelry making. She teaches you about true Birthstones which are based in astrology and their possible application for Soul Jewelry.