Keywords:
Strength, courage, purification, vitality
Affirmation:
I am home and alive in my physical body, which vibrates at its optimal level of strength, vitality and purity and I act for the highest good of all
Birthstone:
Bloodstone along with Aquamarine is the birthstone for March
Zodiac:
Bloodstone is the zodiac stone for Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
Bloodstone, also known as heliotrope, is a variety of Jasper where the dark green colour of the stone is flecked or cut through with red. This gives the appearance of blood on a green surface, which is where it received its morbid name!
The red spots on the bloodstone are caused by hematite, the form of iron oxide that causes rust to turn bright red, or the stone in places like Prince Edward Island, Georgia, or even Mars to be coloured red.
Bloodstone is found primarily in India, although there are also sources of it in Central Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and, interestingly, the Isle of Rum in Scotland.
Because the colouration of bloodstone is caused by the inclusion of another mineral within the matrix of the stone as a whole, no two pieces of bloodstone are the same.
Each one has a unique pattern, and many include small deposits of other minerals too, meaning that some pieces of bloodstone are actually quite brightly and multi-coloured.
Bloodstone is an ancient gemstone, and was historically regarded for its metaphysical aspects. Even today, many people find many metaphysical significance towards this gemstone because of its unique appearance and name.
The blood-like appearance has made this stone central to a vast quantity of lore. The Ancient Greeks called it the Sun Stone (which is where its alternative name heliotropecomes from). It was said to confer the power of the sun upon anyone who possessed it.
Medieval Christians are said to have believe that Bloodstone was first formed when drops of Christ’s blood fell and stained Jasper at the foot of the cross during the crucifixion. These Christians often used to carve scenes of the crucifixion and martyrs into the bi-colored stone, which lead to the stone being named the “Martyr’s Stone”.
The ancient Greeks and Romans carried and wore Bloodstone during athletic competitions to ensure endurance and secure favor of those in power-to help ensure the athlete’s fame. Later the Gnostics believed that Bloodstone brought the bearer untold wealth as well as prolonged life.
The energy of Bloodstone offers support and courage during times of adversity. It lends strength to the physical body and can help one maintain stamina during extreme difficulty. It also provides emotional support by helping one find the courage to follow one’s heart and take action based on what one knows in one’s hear to be true. It is often referred to as the stone of the ‘spiritual warrior.’
Bloodstone is said to lengthen life, give fame, bring money, and aid one in being unnoticed when desired.