Crystal of the Month: Carnelian

To be honest, Carnelian was not my favorite crystal. Slowly though, over time it’s grown on me. I’ve come to really appreciate it’s reddish-orange color and then once I started learning about its metaphysical properties, I started to like it even more. This is also the natural birthstone for those born from August 22 to September 22, so if your birthday falls in that range be sure to read on!

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I started to learn more about Carnelian when I started reading about how to balance my chakras while dealing with some anxiety. Carnelian, depending on the color can help balance either the root or the sacral chakras.

Crystal of the Month: Carnelian by autumnbecomes.me

Chakras are centers of energy that can become blocked or unbalanced. It’s believed that when a chakra becomes blocked or unbalanced that the area of life it pertains to can be affected negatively. In order to unblock or rebalance these chakras you can do a lot of things, but meditating with a crystal that is linked with that chakra (usually by color) can help. So for example dark red Carnelian can help balance the root chakra which is located at the base of your spine. The color of this chakra is associated with red. This chakra is all about safety and feeling secure whether that’s relationally, financially, or physically. When I was dealing with anxiety I started meditating and focussing on this chakra while holding a carnelian and using positive affirmations that I was safe, in control, and able to live my life in the way I wished to.

If your Carnelian is more orange in color, you may want to use this to focus on your Sacral Chakra. The sacral chakra is located right between your hip bones and is associated with the color orange. This is all about pleasure, not just sexual pleasure but pleasure in ALL THINGS. It’s also associated with abundance so if you find yourself feeling lack it’s good to give this chakra some love by holding your orange Carnelian, focussing on that spot between your hip bones and giving yourself some positive affirmations like “I’m allowed to have fun and enjoy my life” or  “I attract pleasure in all of its forms”

Crystal of the Month: Carnelian by autumnbecomes.me

As I learned about this crystal I found it to be active but in a very stubborn way, meaning, it feels like if you need to get something done that will take time and you need to stay determined and focused this is the best crystal for that. It was believed to aid architects, builders, and construction workers and was worn by high ranking Egyptian master architects. It’s believed to be a good stone to wear if you want to attract wealth and is thought to give the wearer luck and courage to overcome difficulties in life.

On an emotional level (which is typically what I use my crystals for), Carnelian deals with negative emotions really well. If you’re struggling with envy, rage or resentments, or jealousy this crystal is thought to alleviate some of that. It can calm anger and help you feel grounded and able to be a bit more introspective and analytical about what you’re feeling. In return, you’re able to make better and safer life choices. If you’ve experienced abuse in your life this stone will help assist you in feeling safe, and trusting yourself and how you see your life around you. Being grounded in the here and now allows you to make choices based on your current experiences, rather than being influenced by past issues and in that way you’re able to make choices that fit a more positive persona that you wish to become, rather than being locked into patterns of the past.

Crystal of the Month: Carnelian by autumnbecomes.me

If you happen to be born between August 22 and September 22 then this is your natural birthstone! It’s linked with the zodiac of Virgo. I feel like in some ways Virgo’s are very similar to Capricorns. While they are both very introspective, Capricorns tend to be very active while Virgo’s tend to like to work their magic in the background. Since Virgo’s tend to be on the more quiet side, Carnelian can help give them the courage to break out of their shell and become more self-sufficient.

As I’ve said in these posts in the past, I’m still learning about the benefits and uses of crystals and I still have a lot to learn, so if I’ve missed anything please feel free to let me know in the comments below! While I don’t always understand crystals or how they work to influence our emotional lives, I do believe that if something has a positive quality, it should be explored. It doesn’t hurt to hold a crystal while you meditate and if it helps you that’s great. If not, that’s okay too, because you still have a beautiful piece of nature that can help remind you of qualities you want to develop within yourself. Either way, I hope you have learned something fun from this post. Thank you for reading. -Heather Astaneh

Crystal of the Month: Carnelian by autumnbecomes.me