PERIDOT: often referred to as "poor man's emerald".PERIDOT: often referred to as "poor man's emerald".
Also Known as Chrysolite, Olivine. Peridot forms in magma in the upper mantle, about 20 to 55 miles deep; it is brought to the surface by tectonic or volcanic activity.
Colour: Yellow-green, olive-green, brownish
Crystal System: Orthorhombic crystals have unequal axes that encompass energy and are useful cleansers and clearers.
Properties: Peridot is the National gem of Egypt. Ancient Egyptians knew it as "the gem of the sun." Peridot was believed to be a stone of springtime by ancients who considered it a gift from Mother Nature.
Peridot is a mix of yellow buffered with blue, creating light green. With its content of two primary colours it assists with clarity (yellow) and insight (blue). Peridot was also used to channel spirits.
Peridot is described as a 'Sun' stone; it generates a warm, happy and friendly disposition. It opens up a feeling of inner happiness, and lightness by expressing it in giving and receiving with joy. Allowing one to find the gift in any experience, and shows how to forgive oneself.
It's a strong protector against negative emotions, assists in releasing and alleviating jealousy, anger and depression thus enabling emotional healing. It also grants power to ward off anxiety and promote success in relationships.
Peridot aids in discovering and understanding your destiny and the purpose of existence. It puts you in touch with ultimate truth. It motivates growth and necessary change needed to accelerate personal development. It opens one up to new challenges and adventures. Peridot is a good cleanser of the subtle bodies.
It is also helpful in warding off evil spirits. It is used to protect the aura. It has been said to make a shield of protection around the body of any wearer of Peridot.
This stone opens our inner sight for creative inspiration and builds on our confidence and assertiveness.
Peridot, symbolize prosperity and growth bringing good fortune, wealth and health. It is a symbol of fame, dignity and protection.
Peridot helps dreams become reality. To dream of Peridot signifies that you need to be cautious for a period of time.
Peridot is a stone of lightness and beauty. Wear Peridot necklace to protect against negative emotions. It soothes and cleanses powerfully.
As an elixir it can totally remove miasms from the body if used over a 3 year period.
Peridot should be cleansed initially, and after every use. Store in a velvet or silk bag when not use to protect it from scratching and from the influence of outside energies.
Peridot is told to have the ability to bring healing and vitality to the whole body. Ancient accounts say that this gemstone has the ability to slow the aging process.
Peridot can help to refresh and sooth tired and irritated eyes, place over closed eyelids for a preferred amount of time. Also, where one has to keep the eyes strong and focus on a subject, gaze into Peridot for short (even seconds) periods of time to re-focus, re-align and refresh the eyes to help prevent straining.
Help in the treatment against skin irritations, bring down skin redness and help put a stop to sudden flare up's of condition's such as acne. Where there is also joint inflammation, Peridot help's to bring the inflammation down and eases discomfort - using as an item of jewellery here, can be very helpful.
Peridot can be beneficial in helping in the healing from alcohol abuse, as well as helping to curb the apatite and addiction to alcohol.
On a Physical Level:
History: Like many other birthstones, the August Peridot is listed in the Bible as one of the gemstones on Aaron's breast plate. Biblically, Peridots were called pitdah. Peridot was brought to Central Europe by the crusaders in the Middle Ages, and often used for ecclesiastical purpose. It was worn to gain foresight and divine inspiration.
Several sources say that in ancient times, cups or other vessels made of Peridot were used in healing because medicinal liquids drunk from them were more effective. Anciently, large chunks of Peridot were found in Hawaii. These large pieces found their way around to the Egyptians, who made small drinking vessels out of them. They were used in rituals, and the priests would drink soma from them. The soma would put them in touch with the nature goddess, Isis.
King Solomon traded cedar trees from Lebanon for 12 soma drinking cups made of Peridot and 14 litres of soma. He is said to have become enlightened by drinking soma from these cups.
In 1502 in Venice, Kunz cited the manuscript which relates the ancient practice of using a piece of Peridot upon which was carved an ass to assist a person with a skill or prophesy. On the other hand, the engraving of a totem or a vulture allowed the stone to have control over various demonic spirits as well as the winds.
It can be found in Egyptian jewellery from the early 2nd millennium B.C. Some historians suspect that at least some of the "emeralds" worn by Cleopatra were actually Peridot. The stones used at that time came from a deposit on a small volcanic island in the Red Sea, some 45 miles off the Egyptian coast at Aswan.
Even the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire treasured these gems.
Peridots are the stone associated with the Apostle Simeon.
The ancient Romans too were fond of this gemstone and esteemed its radiant green shine, which does not change even in artificial light. For that reason they nicknamed it the 'emerald of the evening'. Peridot is also found in Europe in medieval churches, where it adorns many a treasure, for example one of the shrines in Cologne Cathedral.
Legend has these birthstones glowing at night. Because of this Peridot were used as a talisman against night terrors.
Peridot was first used as a talisman in the ancient world and it has a long standing mystical reputation. It has been thought to have the power of warding off anxiety, making men more articulate and promoting success in relationships and marriage.
Peridot was believed to have the power to dissolve enchantments. To exert its full potential, the stone was set in gold. If it was to be used to protect the wearer from evil spirits, it had to be pierced, strung on the hair of a donkey, and worn on the left arm. As a medical remedy, it was powdered to cure asthma. Holding a Peridot under the tongue was supposed to lessen the thirst of a person suffering from fever.
Deities: Mercury, messenger of the Roman gods (first planet from the sun). Hermes, or Mercury, was the patron of travellers, merchants (deity of commerce), rogues, and thieves; as well as being the Roman wind deity. He was regarded as the lord of dreams and visions.
Isis, Egyptian Goddess of Magic and Giver of Life.
Goddess Pele: Goddess of fire, lightening, dance, volcanoes and violence. Hawaiian myth claims that Peridot gemstones are the tears of the goddess Pele.
Hathor was an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, motherhood and joy. She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. Hathor was worshiped by Royalty and common people alike in whose tombs she is depicted as "Mistress of the West" welcoming the dead into the next life. In other roles she was a goddess of music, dance, foreign lands and fertility who helped women in childbirth, as well as the patron goddess of miners.
Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty. Venus was a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths. Many Romans also worship her as Goddess of Good Fortune.
Magical Use: Use green in spells for love, fidelity and commitment, to bring beauty into your life, for the acquisition of beautiful possessions; for harmony, for horticulture and the environment, also for healing people through natural methods such as herbs and crystals and for healing the planet, especially the land and forests.
Peridot is indeed a springtime gemstone, well beyond its bemusing springtime colour, as it has the ability to project you into a new life cycle. If you seem to be stuck and not moving forward, use Peridot along with a white and green candle.
This especially is a stone that attracts Mother Earths positive blessings, brings one into touch with her spiritual teaching's and help's one to connect and walk with natures way of life.
Also, Peridot brings peace, tranquillity and a greater connection with Mother Earth and her goodness. Bringing a realisation of how much the being takes this goodness for granted, therefore creating an understanding, a respect and a finally a conjoining of Spirit. Use this stone around the home, workplace, place of meditation or healing practices, to cleanse the atmospheric energy and bring peace and tranquillity. This is a very good stone to lift the mood and encourage restorative sleep for the mind, body and spirit.
Place Peridot stones on pulse points for pulse point therapy, to aid healing and to aid restoration, also for healing and cleansing of the heart chakra, place the Peridot stones in a circular pattern on this energy centre. A rule of Seven stones can be followed on the circular formation for the heart chakra, one stone for each pulse point therapy, and three stones on each area for healing and restoration practices.
Chakra: Working with the Heart Chakra, Peridot can help one to learn how to live from the Heart, remaining faithful to one's own inner truth. It is used to stimulate the heart and solar plexus chakras allowing openness and acceptance in the intellectual pursuit of matters of the heart. For specific chakra work though, because it acts to seal the aura, it is suggested that Peridot be removed while working on chakras other than the heart and solar plexus.
Associations:
Element: Earth
Energy: Receptive
Associated Metal: Gold
Planet: Jupiter, Venus, and Sun, Mercury
Zodiac: Leo, Libra, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini
Birthstones: August
Numerical Vibration: 5, 6, 7
Tarot: the Hermit, Morality, Purity, Discrimination, Spiritual Clarity
Depending on source - associations do differ.
