The Metaphysical Properties of Tourmaline - One of the True Birthstones of Gemini Astrology

Written by: Shakti Carola Navran
Published on: June 11, 2012
Category: Astrology

Gemini (May 22-June 21): The Inspired Communicator & Curious Butterfly

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!

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-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 look underneath that likable exterior and you will find another side to consider.

The Two-Sided Gemini Twins
The dual nature of Gemini derives from the twin stars (Castor and Pollux) of the constellation, representing the twin brothers of Helen of Troy. Gemini people are a complex mix of opposite traits-positives strongly counterbalanced by negatives. For example, their versatile interest in a great many things can become flightiness as they flit like a butterfly from one thing to the next. They may pursue a project with great initial enthusiasm-and then leave it unfinished. They seek the stimulation of new endeavors, but are not fond of the work and discipline needed to achieve goals.

It can be hard to get a clear sense of who Geminis are and to know what to expect from them because of their tendency to be "two faced" and changeable. They have difficulty making decisions and committing themselves to a specific course of action, further complicated by their ability to see both sides of any question.

The challenge for Geminis is to apply their many strong characteristics, while working to develop deeper internal qualities like self-discipline, sustained focus, a work ethic, empathy, and reliability.

Professional Outlook for Geminis
Geminis do very well in the communication professions-author, teacher, lawyer, and so on. They need a high degree of stimulation and a minimum of routine in their work. Their keen intellect makes them highly capable in the sciences. They are creative people who do well in the arts. They are good at handling several projects at the same time-but may need for others to finish them.

How Gemstones Can Enhance Your Gemini Experience
Geminis will be well served by developing a more mindful approach to life. That will help them develop a personal ethical code, focus their energies, and link their actions to greater awareness of their purpose in life and their relation to others.

Gemstones are the perfect way to increase mindfulness and balance. They 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 Green Tourmaline, one of the true astrological birthstones for Gemini.

Green Tourmaline: The Perfect Stone for Balance and Harmony [1]
Tourmaline is a large family of beautiful stones that occur in every color of the rainbow and many different combinations of two-colored stones: pink-green (Watermelon), pink-blue, golden-green, and green-blue, for example. Each color has its own name, but often they are simply called by their color, such as pink Tourmaline for Rubellite, blue Tourmaline for Indigolite, and green-pink Tourmaline for Watermelon Tourmaline. Tourmalines are available as faceted or cabochon cut stones, with some of the cabochons displaying a cat's eye.

Today most Tourmalines come from Brazil, Sri Lanka, Angola, Australia, Burma, India, Thailand, and the United States (California, New York, Connecticut, and Colorado). This is a fairly hard stone with a Mohs' hardness of 7 to 7 1/2. It has a hexagonal crystal structure. The rough crystal wand (a long spike) may be used in jewelry without polishing or cutting it because of its natural beauty. Cut slices of a crystal wand can be found in beautiful and unique color combinations. These make especially nice pendants and earrings.

One of the unique properties of Tourmaline is its piezoelectrical charge: when the crystal is heated or pressure is applied to it, it becomes electrically charged, giving it the ability to attract dust or small bits of paper. Because of this quality the Tourmaline is the best stone for our nervous system. It acts on the electrical flow within the body, balancing it and restoring the mind-body system and particularly the brain to proper working order.

Green Tourmaline occurs in several different color variations, including a warm green tone, similar to a Peridot, and a dark bluish tint. Like all green gemstones, the green Tourmaline balances and regulates the physical heart. It calms the nervous system and helps us to relax and regenerate after long illnesses. Its frequency is similar to that of other green things in nature: it connects us with the soothing green balm of the rain forest and quenches our longing to be enveloped and replenished by Mother Nature.

Green Tourmaline is associated with the planets Venus and Jupiter. Geminis need all the help they can get from both of those planets. Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty and love, will bring Geminis balance and harmony, sensitivity, and high ideals and personal standards. Jupiter offers Geminis a large dose of ethics, morality, and social conscience and calls them to think more deeply about the meaning of life.

I hope you enjoyed this journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones. Maybe I have inspired you to learn more about gems and experience them for yourself in a new way!

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.