OPALS and THE HEALING POWER OF LOVE

Posted by R. Ann Siracusa

“Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is.” -- Gary Zukav (American spiritual teacher)

Our October theme, The Healing Power of Love, touches every romance writer and reader at the very core. We all carry the baggage of our prior existence, heavy or light, and have the need for some level of healing, either physical, emotional, or spiritual. The journey of overcoming obstacles and dealing with that baggage to find true love is what romance is all about,

Nonetheless, writing about it proved a difficult task for me. After several lame attempts, I decided instead to blog about Opals, the birthstone for October. And in the process, I discovered an unexpected correlation between the two topics. I put it forth as food for thought.

IT'S ALL ABOUT WATER

When Leonardo da Vince wrote in his Codices "Water is the power that moves everything in life" I believe he was referring to everything physical, including human bodies which consist of about 60 percent water. In fact, if one studies geology, history, and physiology it's obvious that our Renaissance Man knew what he was talking about.

After considering the quote, it occurred to me that on a spiritual and non-physical level, the parallel is "Love is the power that moves everything in life." More importantly, love is the force that brings together the physical and non-physical in a way that molds our spiritual, emotional, and physical being. Isn't that what romance is all about.

Another of Leonardo's quotes is "In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes, so with present time." Water and love are the two irrepressible forces that forge a path over, around, and cutting into obstacles and difficulties, never relenting, to achieve the ultimate goal. In other words, the journey of overcoming obstacles to find true love is what romance is all about,

So what does this have to do with opals?

WHAT IS AN OPAL?

Opal is the birthstone for October. It is also the anniversary stone for the 14^th and 18^th years of marriage. Historically it has been considered a stone imbued with powers of love and of healing.

Technically, opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silicon dioxide with a water content from 3 to 21 percent by weight. The amount of water accounts for the appearance of the stone. It is considered and called a water stone. The internal structure makes it diffract light.

Because it lacks a crystalline internal structure and has no specific chemical formula, it is actually classified as a mineraloid, not a mineral.

The vast variety of colors, types (78) and names (17) for opal boggles the mind. The stone is named and classified in various ways including: 1) Basic type; 2) Opal/Host rock relationship; 3)Base color; 4) Fire patterns; and 5) Geography or where it is found.

Basic Types

              ● Precious Opal 

 

            ● Common Opal                    ● Fire Opal                                    

WHERE IS OPAL FOUND?

Opal is found throughout the world and is generally deposited in fissures of most kinds of rock on the edges of underground water aquifers or hot springs. The location of opal is so closely related to water that scientists connect the black opal found on Mars in 2008 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter with proof that water has existed on that planet.

While on earth the stone is found worldwide, Australia is blessed with most of the world's opals (discovered to date). According to http://www.opals.info/famous.php, "Black opal is the rarest and most valuable, with Australia having 99.9% of the World's supply of the famous gem…"  Black opal is created from running water picking up silica which it leaves behind in cracks and voids.

FOLKLORE, LEGENDS, AND SYMBOLS

● Healing Properties

Since ancient times most civilizations and cultures used stones, crystals, and minerals for numerous purposes, including healing and protection. Opals, throughout history, have been imbued with healing properties and the ability to increase mental capacities and creative imagination. "Also associated with the assimilation of protein, Pineal Flans function, Insulin regulation, the testicles, Parkinson's disease and memory, opal is a stand-alone gemstone amongst gems."
http://opal-trader.com/support/spiritual_qualities_of_opal.asp

"Opal has a larger proportion of water in it than most stones and is considered a water stone. This can help ease the effort of handling change in life. Like water rolls over and past rocks and roots in its way, the energy of opal can help continue on your path regardless of obstacles. During times of transformation, this  is an invaluable energy to work with and hold close to your heart."

"Traditionally in crystal healing opal has been considered good for headaches, eyesight, Parkinson's disease, blood, insulin regulation, PMS, and the immune system." http://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/opal

Opal is also used to bring happy dreams and avoid nightmares. It is a soothing stone which can calm turbulent emotions and bring a deep sense of hope and inner peace.

● Love

Opal is said to be a stone for love. It was believed to bring renewal to a stagnant heart, and also brings fidelity to love.

Emotionally, opal brings its water energy to enhance self-esteem and sense of self-worth, and is aligned with the inspiring love energies can help you release damaging inhibitions and access your true spiritual nature.

● Beliefs About Opal

The history of opal goes back to the dawn of time. The name comes from the Sanskrit word for stone or precious stone upala and/or the Latin name opalus. There are numerous references to the name source, but whatever the truth, opal has at least seventeen different names and seventy-eight varieties, so take your pick.

The ancient Romans believed opal to be the mysterious mother of all gemstones, and to them it symbolized purity and power.

One of the more interesting stories is that a Roman senator named Marcus Nonius presented a growing threat to Marc Anthony’s power in Rome. The senator owned an opal "the size of a hazel nut" [also by some sources call it the Ring of Prophesy] worth 20,000  Sesterces. Marc Anthony wanted the ring to give to Cleopatra and offered Nonius an outrageous price. Nonius turned down the offer. One source claims that Anthony accused Nonius of being too rich and ordered the senator to sell him the gem. Either way, Pliny in his writings, says that Anthony told him he had to sell the gem or go into exile, and Nonius chose exile over parting with the opal.

In Greek mythology, opals were believed to be the tears of joy shed by Zeus after the victory over the Titans, and the Greeks imbued the stone with prophetic powers.
 
In India, opals were believed to be the beautiful Goddess of Rainbows who turned into the gems to escape the unwanted advances of other gods.To the Arabs, opals were sent from heaven to earth in lightning that had captured the divine light in the stone.

Even in the western hemisphere, the Aztecs thought of opals as the earthly manifestation of the waters of paradise. Orientals called it "the anchor stone of hope".

During the Middle Ages, if was believed that if an opal changed in color intensity it was indicating a change in health, good to ill or the reverse. Wearing opals supposedly maintained a strong heart, prevented fainting, and protected against infection.

It's interesting how many of these legends and beliefs associate opal with water, which is a significant feature of the stone. It is no surprise opal is believed to be aligned with the water element.

WHAT YOU YOU THINK?
Do you believe there is a love-water-healing triangle?

Resources
http://www.opalminded.com/main/index.php/about-opals/history-a-legends
http://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/opal
http://www.mindat.org/min-3004.html
http://opal-trader.com/support/spiritual_qualities_of_opal.asp
http://www.opals.info/opal-myths.php
http://www.opals.info/famous.php
https://onlyjewels.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/in-honor-of-this-month%E2%80%99s-birthstone-opals/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opal
http://www.zmescience.com/science/physics/opals-on-mars-hint-at-planets-wet-past/

Opals, Marigolds and the healing power of LOVE by Krista Ames

Hi *waves* - welcome to my day at RB4U !!

Today is October 2nd and it's definitely fall in Northern Lower Michigan.

Seems quite unreal to be October already.  The time is flying by too fast for my taste.

Our theme this month is...

Birthstone and Flower
Opal (or Tourmaline) - medical amulet, psychic vision
Marigold (grief, unease)
 Theme
The healing power of love- personal experiences, 

book character’s experiences 

  

Here are my takes on the above :

As far as the Opal...i don't really know anything about them or and i don't have one but let me tell you, i'd love to have physic visions.  Not sure i'd like to see the bad stuff but i'm a true believer of the paranormal.  I watch the shows like Charmed and Vampire Diaries where the person with the psychic ability touches an object or person and has a vision and i really think it might be cool but i could also see where it would be a burden for sure.  (and yes i do know those are just tv shows but i still believe)  Have you ever been or wanted to go to one of those palm or tarot card readers at a carnival ?  I would love to but i'm a little chicken if there's bad news in my future :)

Marigolds.

Now this one confuses me.  I always thought Marigolds were a good thing.  

I never in the past had associated them with grief or unease but now that i'm thinking about it...I have always planted them around the entire perimeter of my garden to keep some of the critters out.  So, i suppose they are creating grief and unease for the bugs :)

The healing power of LOVE.

Now that's one thing i do believe in for sure.  

I don't really like to talk about my personal life and the bad times and I'm sure others have probably  

had worse or more traumatic experiences than me and brought out of it by love.

I was married when i was 23 and after being with him for 20 years with alot of unhappiness, it ended very unpleasantly.  My children were my rock during that time and their love and support kept me going when there were days i just wanted to stay in bed.  They gave me the strength to move on without their dad and by that time, they were ready too.  He hadn't given any of us much choice as he up and left us to fend for ourselves.  Then some time later I met someone and of all things, online.  At the time we were living in Florida and this new someone lived in Michigan.  There's something to be said for online dating and i never thought i'd do it.  It was almost easier than the whole dating scene.  We got to know each other without all the pretenses...the physical nonsense that sometimes clouds judgement.  We talked online, then text and eventually phone calls that would last well into the night, sharing everything about ourselves.  When my children and i moved back North and were finally able to meet him in person for the first time, it felt natural, like we'd known each other for years.  Eventually we moved in together and a few years later got married.

It was an adjustment for sure, for myself and the kids but he loved me for me and accepted the kids unconditionally.  It was such a new thing to have a man want to hold my hand for no reason other than he wanted to be near me or give me a hug and a kiss just because he wanted to.  Not once in my first marriage had we ever 'cuddled' on the couch  to watch a movie.    But oh how wonderful it is :)

My new husband has given me a new lease on life for myself and my children  Of course mixing families...his kids and her kids...it's challenging to say the least and we have our problems like everyone does but i know he truly loves me and never hesitates to tell me often.  

It's a grand thing to be LOVED !

Thanks for stopping by today and i wish you love throughout your life !!!

*    *    *    *    *

Born and raised in Northern Indiana, Krista now resides in Northern Lower Michigan.  She is married to a very supportive man, Chip, who allows her to follow her true passion of writing and never complains when she is pirated away on her computer for hours.  He even helps with proof-reading and is her “in-house” editor and her idea sounding board.  She is also a mother of 4 ornery children who keep her plenty busy.  With an addition of 2 beautiful chocolate lab sisters and 2 playful cats, there is never a dull or spare moment in her household. 

Krista has always loved to read and would often sit up for hours into the night not able to put down a book until she was finished.  She still reads when she can but her main focus is creating her own stories to share with the world. 

She loves to communicate with her readers so please feel free to drop her a line anytime at krista@kristaames.com or visit her website,  blog or Amazon Author page.