Hematite
Description: Hematite crystallizes in the form of tabular and rhombohedral crystals, masses, columnar and granular shapes, plate-like layers, rosettes, and botryoidal (uncommon) configurations. It is an iron oxide, steel gray to iron black in color. Sometimes it is found with deep red spots on the surface. Hematite is heavy, solid, and silvery black.
Location: Hematite is found in the United States, Brazil, and Canada Hematite is the major ore mined to produce Iron and hence, a very important mineral in the economies of many countries. Deposits of Hematite exist in South America in Brazil; in Europe in Sweden, Germany, Norway, England, and Spain; in the Pacific in New Zealand; and in the US in the Midwest and West. The sedimentary deposits in the Lake Superior region of the US are the world's largest, producing 150,000,000 lbs. annually.
Astrological Sign: Aries and Aquarius
Spiritual Uses: Hematite can help one to “sort out” things in one’s mind, and is sometimes called a “stone for the mind.” It assists one in mathematical pursuits and in the development of both mental and manual dexterity. It can also be used for memory enhancement, technical knowledge, original thinking, and mental attunement. Hematite possesses the curious property of “healing” itself when a scratch is made on its surface. If a finger is rubbed over the scratched area, the stone may dissolve the scratch, making it disappear. Hematite can be used for astral projection and can assist in the focusing of energy and emotions to maintain balance between the body, mind, and spirit. It assists, also, in the dissolution of negativity, transforming the negativity to the pure state of universal light and love. In meditation, it can help one to attain a “soft” meditative state, providing for smooth grounding and bringing tranquility and emotional clarity. Hematite has magnetic qualities that help to balance the meridians within the body and provide a stable equilibrium between the ethereal nervous system and the physical nervous system. It facilitates the balancing of the yin-yang energies. Hematite is useful for facilitating the desire for and attainment of peace, inner happiness, and self control.
Physical Uses: Hematite can be used in the treatment of leg cramps, blood disorders (such as anemia), insomnia, and nervous disorders. Placing a piece of Hematite on the base of the spine, on the area of mis-alignment, and on the top of the spine, has provided adjustment to the vertebrae. It can be used to assist in spinal alignment and in the proper healing of breaks and fractures. Hematite can be conducive to enabling one to enter into a loving relationship, and has been said to attract “kind” love. The stone is capable of helping the body to remain cool, or of dispelling heat at the physical level. In this way, it is known to be powerful in drawing illness from the body. Use it one your forehead to draw-out heat from a fever, or take it as a tincture internally. Also, it can be held in the hands while visualizing, then placed on the skin directly over the afflicted area. A necklace of small stones can also be worn for healing. Hematite is worn for stabilizing and grounding purposes, and to focus one’s attention on the physical plane. Hematite is full of iron, and this mineral has a strong effect on the blood. It is known in gemstone literature for its use in supporting the kidney’s blood-cleansing function. Hematite is a well-known protective stone, helping bolster low self-esteem, and is said to aid in tissue regeneration.
History: To ancients, Hematite was what we now know as bloodstone, so virtually all magical information relating to “Hematite” in old books refers to bloodstone. Hematite, when worked on a lapidary wheel, “bleeds” and produces stains that look much like blood. Hematite is fashioned into necklaces in Italy, which people sell as “volcano spit.” The stone was used by Galen for inflamed eyelids and headaches, and by Pliny for blood disorders. By Egyptians, it was valued as a cure for hysteria, and Azchalias told that Hematite, when worn as a talisman, procured for the wearer a favorable hearing and good fortune in the issuing of lawsuits and judgements. Because of the stone’s affinity with the planet Mars, it was considered helpful to warriors who rubbed their bodies with it. The stone, like Lodestone, was believed to confer invulnerability.