Sapphire Meaning: Healing Properties & Symbolism
Gem of Strength, Loyalty, Wisdom Stone, Spiritual Insight, Divination
Sapphire’s Powers: Brings Beautiful Energy and Strength to Life
September brings a shift in energy, it brings the time of the Vernal Equinox, the shift to the fall season for those of us in the northern hemisphere. This is the month that takes us into the beginning of shorter days, longer nights, the energy of harvest and the Crone, who guides us in our descent into the Underworld (so to speak). The Crone energy is one of wisdom, psychic gifts, and intuition. She is tough as nails, can move between worlds, and is faithful to those who are open to her teachings. She may be ancient, but she is beautiful, multifaceted, and magical. This is also the energy of September's birthstone Sapphire.
Sapphire is a variety of Corundum. The Sapphire stone comes in a variety of colors. Most people consider Sapphires to be a royal blue stone, but in truth there is pink sapphire, star sapphire, green sapphire, white, yellow, black, and even purple sapphire. The only color sapphire is not available in, is red. That is because the red variety of Corundum is Ruby. The blue color we see in blue sapphire is due to the inclusions of iron and titanium. Each type of sapphire comes with its own healing properties and correspondences, this blog will mostly concern itself with blue sapphire. An important characteristic of Sapphire is the hardness of it. Corundum registers at a 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. The only stone that registers at a 10 is Diamond, which translates to the fact Sapphire is durable and strong.
Healing Crystals: Sapphire's Healing Properties: Mental Power, Calming Energy, Focus
The Sapphire crystal helps to heal the mind of mental tension and negative thoughts. It is a good stone for calming an overactive mind. When our brains are spinning and our gears are constantly grinding, this can lead to headaches. Sapphire's healing properties have been known to help alleviate pain of headaches, it has also been known to help heal the eyes. If you are experiencing physical pains that are manifestations of stress, meditating with Blue Sapphires can assist with releasing negative energies, tension, and anger, which will help to bring about peace of mind. Blue Sapphire has been used to also treat vertigo. * If you are experiencing physical ailments due to these issues, please be sure to consult a doctor of medicine or psychology. Stones are not a cure all.
You can use sapphire to assist with mental focus. Its element is Wind or Air. Stones with this element generals have properties that can help or heal the mind. Sapphire is especially useful when you are having a difficult time focusing on the task at hand. If you have ever experienced that overwhelming to-do list or that project that's due next week (or even tomorrow), Sapphire helps to consolidate and list out your ideas and priorities. This stone brings clarity of mind and the determination to keep going with your task and limiting distractions of the world around you.
In terms of emotional healing properties, Sapphire can aid in releasing depression and fear. It is associated with the throat chakra, and therefore can help us communicate unexpressed or repressed emotions, desires, or ideas. Blue Sapphire, much like its relative Ruby, can help you stand your ground when it comes to thinking for yourself. It can help with clearing away unwanted thoughts or ideas as well. If you're a person who cares about what other people think or is often manipulated or swayed by other people's beliefs or opinions, Blue Sapphire can assist with claiming your own voice and speaking it clearly with your own truth.
Sapphire's Spiritual & Metaphysical Properties: Guidance on the Spiritual Path
Speaking of truth, one of Sapphire's spiritual properties is aiding those on their quest for spiritual truth and understanding, especially blue sapphires. Blue is the color of the High Priestess, the Throat Chakra, Shakti, and the world of the Spirit. It is a stone that can guide you along your spiritual path. It helps you to consider the concepts that you discover and be able to discern how you feel about those ideas. As you move further down your path, it can help you intuitively create your own spiritual practices. While it's good to start somewhere, our best practices and rites come from what we intuitively create without thinking too hard about it.
If you are just starting out on a new path, especially a spiritual one, there will be much to learn. Blue Sapphire will help you be open to receiving lessons from the world around you and can facilitate an open mind for learning. Related to learning, Sapphire is associated with Saturn, the planet of Lessons, Organization, Discipline. This is part of the reason why it's a good stone to have around if you're in need of focus or self discipline. Sapphire is also a Wisdom stone that can help us to see clearly as we move through challenging situation
It is also a stone that can activate your own intuitive channel, as well as assist in honing psychic gifts. Not only is it able to help open your channel, but Sapphire (all of them) can help strengthen it and your mind as well. As stated earlier, Blue Sapphire is a stone that corresponds to the Throat Chakra, but it also corresponds to the Third Eye. If you are unfamiliar with this concept, the Third Eye is said to be located in the center of your forehead. It is known to be a gateway that leads to the spiritual realm, higher consciousness, visions, and extrasensory perception. There are many ideas regarding the Third Eye, but all in all, it helps us to tap into worlds, ideas, and things that lay beyond our physical sight and mundane world. These gemstones can also assist in dreaming, dream recall, past life therapy and retaining sacred knowledge while we are walking through those realms outside of our body.
Sapphire’s Folklore: Prosperity, Protection & Discernment
The beauty and power of Sapphire is said to bring prosperity and good fortune into one's life and body. People have worn Sapphire in jewelry since ancient history. It is especially popular among the Royal families of Great Britain. Prince Charles gave Lady Dianna a sapphire engagement ring. Since this happened, for quite awhile, a Sapphire ring was ideal for a proposal of marriage. In fact, it is a traditional gift for both the 5th and 45th wedding anniversary. Sapphire is said to be a stone of loyalty. In medieval times, it was said that you could test the loyalty or fidelity of your lover with a sapphire. If they were unfaithful, the Sapphire would change colors.
Sapphire was used also for protection. Most birthstones have a form of protection. Sapphire was said to protect its wearer from envy (perhaps this would be ideal to pair in jewelry with an evil eye). Given its deep blue color, sailors were also known to carry it to protect from drowning while out at sea. It is also said that it would protect the body from physical harm. Whether or not that last one has any truth to it, remains to be seen.
Sapphire was associated with the god Apollo and the Oracle at Delphi. It is said that when people went to visit the oracles, they would be sure to wear a sapphire stone. Remember how we discussed that sapphire can help with the intuitive channel and bring clarity? That's why they brought it with them when seeking answers. Oracles often spoke in riddles, the sapphire was present to help the seeker discern and understand the meaning of the message they received.
How to Work with Sapphire
One of the most enjoyable ways to work with Sapphire is to wear it. Self-decoration is a time honored practice that includes intention and love. It is available in jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. When you wear this stone, you carry wisdom, truth, focus, and intuition with. Simply touch the piece that you are wearing if you need a moment to pause and “tap in”.
Another way, perhaps more efficient, to work with Blue Sapphire is simply to carry it in your pocket. Sapphire jewelry can be expensive. Purchasing a raw or tumbled sapphire can be more cost effective. The point is to have it accessible. Just having it near you is enough to feel and call on its energy. You can also keep it by your bedside, especially if you want to travel far in your dreams. If you are feeling lost, stressed, confused, or manipulated, take some time to meditate with it. You can do this while holding it in your hand.
Another way you can work with Sapphire (or any gemstone) is to research the stone. Not just the properties or the healing aspects, but the lore of the gem from different cultures throughout history and the world. Looking up geological and mineralogical information is useful as well. There is power in understanding. Once you have learned what others have discovered, you can observe how Sapphire is showing up in your path, then compare and contrast. As you do this, you will begin to make your own connections, meanings, and discoveries about the properties of Sapphire.
Sapphire Care and Cleaning
Sapphire can be cleaned with warm and soapy water. Be sure to dry it thoroughly with a cloth. It is ideal to keep it separate from other stones, due to its strength and hardness on the Mohs scale, it can scratch other stones.