Jet
Description: Jet is a fossilized wood, close in nature to coal, but it is harder than usual forms of coal. It is always black in color. When people refer to things as “jet black,” this stone is what they are referring to. This glass-like stone is millions of years old and is associated with the element of earth.
Location: Jet can be found in the Whitby area of the United Kingdom, in Canada, and in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah in the United States.
Astrological Sign: Capricorn
Spiritual Uses: Black has long been known for its absorbing qualities, and this applies to Jet as well. When using it, keep in mind its absorbing nature because it will help to draw out negative energy. For people who have unreasonable fears that limit their lives, this is an important quality. It has qualities of dispelling (fearful thoughts) and of protecting (its wearer against illness and violence). The stone helps to fight deep depression and to control mood swings. It is recommended by some gem healers for stimulating psychic experiences and guiding one in the quest for spiritual enlightenment. It is said that Jet aligns the base chakra and stimulates the awakening of the Kundalini, and when placed upon the areas of the upper body, it enables the movement of the Kundalini toward the crown. It is also a calming agent, providing diminishment in depression.
Physical Uses: Jet can be used in the treatment of migraine headaches, glandular and lymphatic swelling, epilepsy, stomach pain, and colds. Jet shares a similar property with Amber of becoming electrically charged when rubbed. Its electrical properties and mysterious nature have long made it a magical stone. To guard against nightmares and to ensure a good night’s sleep, wear Jet to bed, place a piece under the pillow, or hang it on the bedpost. Jet is a general healing stone and is worn to maintain proper energy flow within the body to avoid illness. Ornaments of Jet and Amber together were believed to become a part of the very body and soul of the wearer and therefore were regarded with jealous care. It is said that, magically, Jet is “married” to Amber and the two of them have been found in prehistoric gravesites. Their effects were probably thought to bring good fortune to the deceased or to guard the bones. Necklaces of alternating Amber and Jet beads are often worn, even today, by some Wiccan priestesses, especially those affiliated with the Gardnerian path.
History: Sea witches and fisherman’s wives in old Britain prized Jet as a potent magical protectant, and they would burn it in the household fires as an incense to guard their absent husbands. During the Middle Ages, Jet was carved into images of beetles and worn for protection. Jet has been used as an amulet by the Pueblo Indians, and has also been found among Paleolithic remains in the caves of the Kesslerlock in Switzerland.