In my weekly astrological weather forecast I talked about two gemstones which are the most beneficial to balance the challenging energies of Scorpio and Pluto activities, the Herkimer Diamond and the whole family of Opals. We talked about Herkimer Diamond and here is the birthstone article for Scorpios you have been waiting for. Remember that whenever you feel attracted to a specific gemstone you know that stone has some helpful properties for you, even if it only might be short term. If you choose gemstones based on your horoscope you can determine the stones which are beneficial for you throughout your life.

Scorpio: Phoenix Rising from the Ashes   (October 23–November 22)
Birthstone: Opal

Scorpio Has Depth and Charisma
Scorpio is a feminine water sign ruled by Pluto who governs the 8th House, Death & Regeneration. Scorpios are powerful, intense, complex people with a touch of the dark side. The energy of Scorpio is symbolized in the stinging tail of the Scorpio, which can be used for either positive or negative purposes. People are strongly drawn to the intensity, charisma, mystery, and energy of Scorpios.

Pluto rules the underworld, and Scorpios are very keen on discovering what lies beneath the surface of things. They don’t rest until they have gotten to the bottom of a matter. They are perfectionists and relentless in their pursuit of their goals.

While they like to dig deep, they prefer to keep their own true selves somewhat hidden and secret. It can be difficult to know what they’re really thinking and planning. Along with this deep side, they tend to have good intuition and understand people and situations well, making them very good strategists. In relationships Scorpios are fiercely loyal, committed, and protective—but possibly also possessive and jealous.

Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes
A keyword for Scorpio is “transformation.” I like to think of Scorpio—like Pluto—as a phoenix rising from the ashes. Scorpios have the ability to deeply transform themselves and their lives through their determined focus on their goals and their intuitive understanding. They use the natural cycle of endings and new beginnings to further their aims.

Scorpios do well in any profession that involves research and uncovering new or hidden information, such as detective, medical researcher, or scientist. A Scorpio would make a great spy!

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Scorpio Experience
Gemstones are the perfect way for Scorpios to descend even further into their deep nature and focus on their goals.

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 or balance 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. The signature is based on the personality formed by the individual qualities of a stone like the color, chemical composition and their crystal structure.

Gemstones can be enjoyed and 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 67 gemstones through my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul.  I give you an introduction into the astrological way of thinking, and teach you how to read your personal horoscope and blue print for your life. Then you will be able to balance yourself in your most important areas with your 12 main healing gemstones, I call your true birthstones.

My book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul. And it will give you a new perspective onto the beauty in your life and teaches you how to align yourself with the cosmic forces for more joy and happiness in your life. Let us have a look at the metaphysical qualities of Opal.

Opal: A Gemstone to Support Your Transformation
Opal is one of the true gemstones of Scorpio. The Opals make up a large and beautiful family divided into three groups: the opalescent Precious Opals, the yellow-red Fire Opals, and the Common Opals. The first two are characterized by their opalescence, a rainbow-like sparkling and iridescence that changes when viewed from different angles. Each gem is an individual and unique, but this is especially true in the world of the Opals—there are no two Opals alike.

Opal is the stone of the mystic, shaman, artist, and healer in all of us. It is a stone for support during times of transition and intense change.

Precious Opals are always a mixture of all the energies of the outer planets. The color of the stone determines the planetary principle that it represents: the dark blues lean more toward Pluto and the green-blue-turquoises toward Uranus, while the very colorful Opals and the Black Opals express the energy of Neptune.

The Black Opal (dark grey, dark blue, dark green, red, or gray-black) leans toward the energy of Neptune, deepening our intuitive knowledge of who we are and the experience of feeling connected to the creator of the universe.

The Boulder Opal is famous worldwide for its vibrant colors, stability, strength, and uniqueness. It comes in all kinds of sparkling colors, including green, blue, turquoise, yellow, red, and violet. Because of its connection with the matrix rock, the energy of the Boulder Opal is very grounding. It helps us to stay rooted during times of upheaval in our lives.

Opals in the blue-violet-turquoise color range work with the throat chakra and the third eye. They give us a more holistic view of things and help us to let go of old thoughts, memories, and issues that may be blocking us. These Opals also stimulate our creativity and our search for meaning and vision in life—qualities that help to ease our challenging transitions. The green-blue variety gives us more understanding in working with the heart and the throat chakras. This Opal will help heal the heart, bringing awareness of our true feelings.

The Crystal Clear Fire Opal is the female Fire Opal: transcendent, brilliant, sparkling in many hues. It represents the Amazon woman, strong and independent, never giving her power away.  This stone connects us to the collective unconscious and all its treasures. It fuels our intuition with sudden sparks of insight and wisdom. But it is also the universal mother guiding and nourishing us, sustaining us in times of trouble and transitions.

The Fire Opal (orange) is a great energizing stone. When our movement in a particular direction is long overdue, the Fire Opal imparts its fire to us to get us moving. The wearer of this gem is an adventurer, a pioneer. The Fire Opal also represents a Don Juan and a tantric master who loves playful sexuality accompanied by true intimacy.

The Fire Opal is not only powerful, but also gentle and healing in its transmission of energy. It can offer support during recovery from sexual abuse. It helps us to rise out of conceiving of ourselves as victims, helps us to develop forgiveness, and empowers us by releasing those toxic thoughts from our system. It bolsters our sense of personal power and mastery.

Lightning Ridge Opal: The town of Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Australia, yields some of the most striking Opals in the world, famous for their exceptional color and brilliance. These are Black and Crystal Opals that occur in a beautiful deep blue and other color combination. The most desirable and expensive Opals are those with the strongest, most sparkling colors and the most interesting color formations and combination. Lightning Ridge is the seal of quality in the world of Opals.

White Opals bring in the transforming and refining energies of the outer planets along with the soothing Moon qualities, making us feel nourished, balanced, and in touch with our feelings. The White Opal invites us to embark on an inner journey, diving down into the depths of our being to find unknown and unimaginable treasures. Being renewed, rejuvenated, and deeply changed as a result of this journey, we have a new outlook on life.

I hope you enjoyed this and 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 have a look at my other birthstone articles.
Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author

Scorpio: Phoenix Rising from the Ashes   (October 23–November 22)
Birthstone: Opal

Scorpio Has Depth and Charisma
Scorpio is a feminine water sign ruled by Pluto who governs the 8th House, Death & Regeneration. Scorpios are powerful, intense, complex people with a touch of the dark side. The energy of Scorpio is symbolized in the stinging tail of the Scorpio, which can be used for either positive or negative purposes. People are strongly drawn to the intensity, charisma, mystery, and energy of Scorpios.

Pluto rules the underworld, and Scorpios are very keen on discovering what lies beneath the surface of things. They don’t rest until they have gotten to the bottom of a matter. They are perfectionists and relentless in their pursuit of their goals.

While they like to dig deep, they prefer to keep their own true selves somewhat hidden and secret. It can be difficult to know what they’re really thinking and planning. Along with this deep side, they tend to have good intuition and understand people and situations well, making them very good strategists. In relationships Scorpios are fiercely loyal, committed, and protective—but possibly also possessive and jealous.

Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes
A keyword for Scorpio is “transformation.” I like to think of Scorpio—like Pluto—as a phoenix rising from the ashes. Scorpios have the ability to deeply transform themselves and their lives through their determined focus on their goals and their intuitive understanding. They use the natural cycle of endings and new beginnings to further their aims.

Scorpios do well in any profession that involves research and uncovering new or hidden information, such as detective, medical researcher, or scientist. A Scorpio would make a great spy!

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Scorpio Experience
Gemstones are the perfect way for Scorpios to descend even further into their deep nature and focus on their goals.

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 or balance 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. The signature is based on the personality formed by the individual qualities of a stone like the color, chemical composition and their crystal structure.
Gemstones can be enjoyed and 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.

Opal: A Gemstone to Support Your Transformation [1]
“Opal is one of the true gemstones of Scorpio. The Opals make up a large and beautiful family divided into three groups: the opalescent Precious Opals, the yellow-red Fire Opals, and the Common Opals. The first two are characterized by their opalescence, a rainbow-like sparkling and iridescence that changes when viewed from different angles. Each gem is an individual and unique, but this is especially true in the world of the Opals—there are no two Opals alike.

Opal is the stone of the mystic, shaman, artist, and healer in all of us. It is a stone for support during times of transition and intense change.

Precious Opals are always a mixture of all the energies of the outer planets. The color of the stone determines the planetary principle that it represents: the dark blues lean more toward Pluto and the green-blue-turquoises toward Uranus, while the very colorful Opals and the Black Opals express the energy of Neptune.

The Black Opal (dark grey, dark blue, dark green, red, or gray-black) leans toward the energy of Neptune, deepening our intuitive knowledge of who we are and the experience of feeling connected to the creator of the universe.

The Boulder Opal is famous worldwide for its vibrant colors, stability, strength, and uniqueness. It comes in all kinds of sparkling colors, including green, blue, turquoise, yellow, red, and violet. Because of its connection with the matrix rock, the energy of the Boulder Opal is very grounding. It helps us to stay rooted during times of upheaval in our lives.

Opals in the blue-violet-turquoise color range work with the throat chakra and the third eye. They give us a more holistic view of things and help us to let go of old thoughts, memories, and issues that may be blocking us. These Opals also stimulate our creativity and our search for meaning and vision in life—qualities that help to ease our challenging transitions. The green-blue variety gives us more understanding in working with the heart and the throat chakras. This Opal will help heal the heart, bringing awareness of our true feelings.

The Crystal Clear Fire Opal is the female Fire Opal: transcendent, brilliant, sparkling in many hues. It represents the Amazon woman, strong and independent, never giving her power away.  This stone connects us to the collective unconscious and all its treasures. It fuels our intuition with sudden sparks of insight and wisdom. But it is also the universal mother guiding and nourishing us, sustaining us in times of trouble and transitions.

The Fire Opal (orange) is a great energizing stone. When our movement in a particular direction is long overdue, the Fire Opal imparts its fire to us to get us moving. The wearer of this gem is an adventurer, a pioneer. The Fire Opal also represents a Don Juan and a tantric master who loves playful sexuality accompanied by true intimacy.

The Fire Opal is not only powerful, but also gentle and healing in its transmission of energy. It can offer support during recovery from sexual abuse. It helps us to rise out of conceiving of ourselves as victims, helps us to develop forgiveness, and empowers us by releasing those toxic thoughts from our system. It bolsters our sense of personal power and mastery.

Lightning Ridge Opal: The town of Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Australia, yields some of the most striking Opals in the world, famous for their exceptional color and brilliance. These are Black and Crystal Opals that occur in a beautiful deep blue and other color combination. The most desirable and expensive Opals are those with the strongest, most sparkling colors and the most interesting color formations and combination. Lightning Ridge is the seal of quality in the world of Opals.

White Opals bring in the transformative and refining energies of the outer planets along with the soothing Moon qualities, making us feel nourished, balanced, and in touch with our feelings. The White Opal invites us to embark on an inner journey, diving down into the depths of our being to find unknown and unimaginable treasures. Being renewed, rejuvenated, and deeply changed as a result of this journey, we have a new outlook on life. ”

[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.

You can find more articles on true birthstones in my birthstone series for the different astrological signs of the zodiac on my website.

I hope I have inspired you and 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 and my perspective on things, I like to invite you to come back and re-visit my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual, universal, astrological forces and gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

[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.

My book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul is about meaningful jewelry for the soul as I call it. It teaches you about looking at the world through the eyes of astrology and how you can balance and support yourself with your personal 12 main healing gemstones and create a personal power piece of jewelry if you like.

We are living in challenging times! Following astrology and the updates of the planetary positions and constellations in the heavens will give you a superior perspective and more conscious choices for a successful, satisfying and joyful life.

Every journey starts from where you are! Positive thinking, setting your intentions is a start but not the end of the process. We do have to acknowledge the truth of what is because denial leaves us helpless and victimized by the situation. Using astrology is a very elegant way to become aware how your personal and planetary growth process is unfolding.

The Lunar Astrology
The Lunar astrology follows the path of the Moon through the 12 signs of the zodiac throughout the month. Approximately every 2 ½ days the Moon enters a new sign and with it a different emotional focal point and perception. The awareness of the Moon position and strength in her waxing and waning from Full Moon to New Moon can give you more compassion with yourself and your always changing inner feelings. The inner emotional change is constant and impermanence is part of our human life.

The Energy Cycle of Life – the Zodiac
Astrological signs are a beautiful way to represent the changing, cyclical patterns of energy that we all feel as we go through life. Each segment of our life—whether it’s a day, a week, a month, or a year—and our life as a whole, has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

These time periods have very different energy qualities. At 7:00 a.m. we feel full of energy and ready to begin our day. By 10:00 p.m. we look forward to restful sleep to recharge our energy. Monday feels very different from Wednesday and Sunday, doesn’t it? In spring we come out of our hibernation and feel infused with energy. By November in the Northern Hemisphere we look forward to curling up by the fire with a hot cup of tea and a good book as we enter a slower, more contemplative period.

Each phase of the life cycle has its own qualities that can be enhanced by understanding the energy pattern of that period. The astrological signs will teach you how to maximize your potential throughout the year and in each phase of your life.

Contraction and Expansion in the Zodiac
When you look at the zodiac and realize it is representing a process of growth and unfolding to higher levels of consciousness through a constant movement from the energy flow turning inwards or more outwards, you might become truly fascinated with the ultimate wisdom of life unfolding.

The Moon was in Libra the last two days. With that our attention was guided towards our relationships and how we connect and communicate with others, especially loved ones. It was an invitation to be more conscious of the overall balance in our life with others; at the work place, with friends or family.

Moon Moves into Scorpio
Today we have a new emotional perspective to gain with turning our attention more inwards again. Scorpio has kind of a bad reputation because of his intensity and extremes he tends to experience. In the sign of Scorpio it is about learning through deep processes of transformation and letting go of the old structures, something most of us don’t really do voluntary. It can be a threatening and scary process. With Moon in Scorpio we get a little taste of Scorpio energy and a chance to open up for necessary change in our life. Let us have a look at more Scorpio themes:

Scorpio: Phoenix Rising from the Ashes
Oct 23–Nov 22
Ruling Planet: Pluto
Element: Water
Gender: Feminine

Scorpios are powerful, intense people who pursue their goals with great determination. Once they’ve decided to do something, they give themselves over to it and nothing can distract them from their purpose. They are perfectionists, sometimes to the point of obsession. They are deep, complex, brilliant people who excel in their endeavors. Their single-mindedness can make them rigid and lead to black-and-white thinking. That lack of flexibility, combined with their tendency to manipulate others, can make it difficult to be in an intimate relationship with a Scorpio. Because Scorpios are drawn to extremes, they find themselves continually transformed by cycles of death and rebirth—such as the end of a relationship and the beginning of another. This is how they learn.

Venus Squaring Uranus
Venus the goddess of love, harmony and beauty is receiving new input and sudden electrical charges from the rebellious leader, the fighter for the underdog, Uranus. This might open the door for more willingness to make decisions from a place of oneness then from a place of greed, ego and personal power. A square is a pretty radical aspect which really pushes both recipients to face the truth. The truth is not lightly knocking at the door it is pushing it wide open!

You will not be willing to put up with nonsense, false promises or evasions in any area of your life. You might feel short tempered and reactive especially with the Scorpio Moon in the mix. Use this time to orient yourself towards your higher truth and reaffirm your intentions of where you want to go.

Mercury Jupiter Opposition
The Mercury Jupiter opposition on Thursday, July 30 might bring in an overload of new ideas, thoughts, information and new people into our life. It will be a mental very busy and active day for you which will leave you exhausted at the end. It might be difficult to turn down the dial of mental activities and find an inner place of peace and quiet again. So here is a solution!

Meditation is a Cool Tool
I have been a meditator for many years now. I usually sit in the mornings which set the stage for the level of consciousness I want to experience the upcoming day. When I meditate I start my day from a place of centeredness and connection to the divine. I ask for guidance and direction. I am receptive for ideas popping into my mind; you will be amazed how much more creativity will flow into your life with a regular meditation practice.

But lately I have become aware it is not enough any more to just sit in the morning, I have to do that in the late afternoon as well, after my work is done, to be able to turn off my monkey mind, who has been all over the place throughout the day.

When I turn off my computer after a busy day, I need to take the time and sit for 20 minutes and allow myself to settle inwards again, and find that inner place of peace and centeredness. If you already have a meditation practice you know what I am talking about.

There are many approaches to meditate and I will introduce today one I love dearly because of my passion for gemstones and what they have to offer. I also love that I can lie down on my back after a long day and really love that sinking into myself. Check it out!

•    Meditate with Crystals or Gemstones
The most well known way for meditation with gemstones is to lie down and place one or several stones onto your body or around it. Crystals are wonderful to place on your third eye, (between your eye brows) or anywhere on your body where you want to discharge negative energy or blockages and bring in the power of healing light. You will feel fresh and renewed afterwards.

Because of the perfect crystal structure and alignment of the crystals they have the unique gift helping us with deepening our meditation and relaxing the mind. You are using the frequency of the specific gemstone to help balance you relating to the chakra it relates to color wise.
If you want to find out more about the relationship between gems and chakras or meditation with healing gemstones go to my website where you can find more articles and information about that subject in my book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul.

For the purpose of calming your mind you might use any blue or violet stones you have like Lapis Lazuli or Amethyst. But a Quartz Crystal or a Herkimer Diamond will be a great companion for that as well. The Herkimer Diamond has a special place in my heart because this double terminated, well shaped, crystal clear, magnificent gem is especially good in realigning the flow between the left and right hemisphere of your brain. And after a day at the computer you can expect yourself to be out of whack.

And – sometimes I just like to sit with a cup of tea and contemplate without the formal intention of meditation. I hope I have inspired you to find your own form of meditation to nourish your soul. I would love to hear back from your about your experiences and wish you a wonderful journey.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Astrologer, Jeweler and Author