The Metaphysical Properties of Emerald - One of the True Birthstones of Taurus Astrology

Written by: Shakti Carola Navran
Published on: April 19, 2012
Category: Astrology

Emerald is one of the True Birthstones for Taurus: The Planter and Beautifier of Life (April 21-May 21)

The Late Spring Sign of Taurus

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. 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.

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 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.

Below you will find a description of Emerald, one of the true astrological birthstones for Taurus.

Emerald: Queen and High Priestess[1]

The name of the Emerald comes from the Greek word smaragdos, meaning "green stone." In ancient times the word probably referred not only to Emeralds but to most green stones. Its color is so special that the color emerald green is named after it.

Emerald, along with Aquamarine, is the most fashionable, precious, and popular of the Beryls. The most important deposits are in Columbia, especially the Muzo Mine west of Bogota. This stone was already highly valued by the Mayas, whose mines were rediscovered in the seventeenth century.

The Emerald crystallizes in hexagonal prisms which grow in small veins or on the walls of cavities in the stone. It has a Mohs' hardness of 7 1/2 to 8, making it a relatively hard stone. But it is a very brittle stone, sensitive to striking and pressure, and so it needs to be treated with care.

The Emerald is associated with the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Chiron.

It is the queen and high priestess of the Beryl group, wielding both worldly and spiritual power. Being a queen and somewhat fragile, it needs to be treated with respect, but will return to you its manifold gifts.
Emerald shares with you abundant energy, both physical and spiritual. It helps you to expand beyond your fear into higher wisdom, praising and enjoying life. It represents infinite consciousness expressing itself through wisdom and eternal unconditional love.

Emerald is a powerful healer, connecting us with the omnipotent healing strength of God. It provides regeneration in times of convalescence. It helps to connect with our spirit in times of psychic or emotional drain, recharging us with energy and hope. In the Emerald we might find all the nourishment, empowerment, wisdom, and soothing energy we need in difficult times. It centers and calms the mind by balancing the right and the left hemispheres of the brain, raising us up into a higher meditative state of mind.

The Emerald is one of the most feminine representatives of the mineral kingdom: the Shakti, the divine mother, and the goddess. Thus the Emerald is able to teach us what it means to be a powerful woman, how to come into ourselves in all our roles and challenges as women: mother, passionate tantric lover, caring wife, and creative, successful, and fulfilled professional.

In jewelry I like to combine the Emerald and the Diamond. They are like Shiva and Shakti, Yin and Yang balancing the highest manifestations of the feminine and masculine principles in the mineral kingdom. Together they carry everything we need to support our growth.

I hope you enjoyed this new perspective onto Queen Emerald. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions and I am happy to connect.

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.

Shakti Carola Navran has written many articles about the healing properties of gemstones and their use in daily life for meditation, balance and meaningful jewelry making. She teaches you more about true Birthstones which are based in astrology and their possible application for Soul Jewelry.

Each gemstone is associated with specific planets. You might be 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. You can find more articles on true birthstones in my birthstone series for the different astrological signs of the zodiac on my website http://www.jewelryandgemsforselfdiscovery.com.