Agate comes from the rock formation class of Chalcedony and also quartz. Agate can be found in many shades – from blue, red, purple, black, green, brown, pink, and more. It also comes in different varieties of style with varying patterns on the surface of the stone each offering a different meaning. Agate means healing and grounding. The Gemstone of Inward Journeys
From beautiful Blue Lace to brown and earthly Botswana Agate, the Agate family presents some of the most beautiful healing crystals in the pack. Agates come from the quartz family and refer to different varieties of chalcedony stones. The beautiful banding and range of colours that make up the Agate gemstones were first discovered in the sweet flow of Sicily’s Achetes River, famed for its sapphire-blue hues and mystical riches hidden in the riverbed. These stones were found by the Ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus. At the time, Agates were considered to be a priceless discovery. They were said to ward off all kinds of evil, to heal scorpion stings and snakebites, to calm raging storms, and to bring victory in times of war.
From early Egyptians, the world turned to the healing and protective properties of Agate. Persian Magicians would use these stones to control the thunder and lightning that danced across the sky. In Chinese medicine, Agate was used to stir up one's own chi. Even now, in our modern world, Agate has not lost its sense of power, today we turn to these stones to help us ease our anxieties and to keep our emotions beautifully balanced so we can flourish in all our earthly wonder.
Agate comes in every colour of the rainbow and each version of this bright and banded chalcedony brings its own unique potency and powers to the table. All Agate's hum at a soft and low vibration, making them an amazing stone for keeping you gloriously grounded. If you want to know more about the healing properties of Agate then keep reading. Types of Agate
Your perfect kind of Agate is out there. One of the best things about picking an Agate stone is the sheer variety, whether you want something soft and splashed with nature or if you are looking for an energetic source of fire and chi, you can be sure the right kind of Agate is out there. Read about the different Agate crystals and find the energy that speaks to you. Blue Lace Agate Beautiful Blue Lace Agate is instantly soothing with its pale colour scheme and cloud-like vibes. This is a great stone for clearing blocked throat chakras, encouraging you to speak your truth. Moss Agate Like sunny slants through towering trees, the Moss Agate reminds us to reconnect with nature and to feel the earth through our fingers. This was the stone of gardeners and growers and is a glorious amulet for those who want to heal their heart chakra and who need reminding to feed their needs. Dendritic Agate Also known as the Stone of Plenitude, the Dendritic Agate is all about bringing in abundance and welcoming the wonder of chance. This is a stone often used to encourage a sweeping harvest, but that rule can be applied to all angles of your life. Fire Agate With a name that says it all, the Fire Agate is a flickering flame of light. For those who need more heat in their heart and to embrace the warming embers of passion and ambition, this mystical stone will reignite dormant dreams. Botswana Agate Earthly, rich, and gloriously grounding, the Botswana Agate is here to keep you standing firm and stable and ever on your feet. This stone is pure comfort and is known to cool the mind and keep you crystal clear in your approach to problem-solving. Black Agate Soulful and smoky and shot through with endless protective qualities, the Black Agate stone is known for its ability to sweep away stormy energy and replace a frenzied mind with all the stillness of a calm and peaceful night. White Agate Take a deep breath, stand in balance, and release. The White Agate is pure healing and instant access to higher realms. Ever ready to tap into your crown chakra, this stone will turn those everyday challenges into an easy breeze. Bulls Eye Agate
Balancing all the chakras so you can cut through fear like a knife through butter, the Bulls Eye Agate meaning is all graceful movement, quick thinking, and effortless instinct. Known to remove muddled thoughts and put you on the path to clarity, this is also known as the Survival Stone. Crazy Lace Agate Turn the sound up on that smile as you say yes to the wild and unbridled energy of Crazy Lace Agate. Glorious for those who need a spiritual pick me up, this stone taps into childlike wonder and innocence, helping you to say yes to rainbow moods. Brown Agate Earthly energy is waiting with the gentle nature of Brown Agate. Known as a stone that anchors the heart and soul, the Brown Agate brings comfort and weight where it is needed, ensuring that you feel safe and stable no matter how strong the emotional winds are blowing. Indian Agate
Beloved by sages, forging pathways to higher consciousness, and delivering solid grounding properties, the Indian Agate stones are all about healing the heart and sacral chakras. For those who are quick to anger, this stone will lead you away from the edge and into mindful magic. Tree Agate Shifting forest vibes, natural bliss, and all the silence of standing still come together in the incredibly soothing vibes of Tree Agate. This stone is green shoots of hope after a harsh winter, reminding us that life is about composure and patience and good things coming to those who wait. Dragon Vein Agate As mythical as the name suggests, the Dragon Vein Agate is all about stoking your creative fire, stepping out into your heroes journey, and moving from stagnant slumber into a world of fierce and fabulous dreams. Yellow Agate Say yes to that Solar Plexus healing with the Yellow Agate. Sunny, stable, and ever ready to lend a hand when it comes to shifting your perspective and tapping into a logical way of thinking, the Yellow Agate is golden bliss. Agate Healing Properties A rich variety of Agate stones means that there is endless scope for healing across the physical, emotional, and spiritual elements of your being. All Agates have a few firm traits in common – mostly that they are stabilizing, grounding, and ever ready to keep you open and willing for all the abundance that the universe wants to send your way. Physical Healing Properties
Agate brings a flush of physical energy to the wearer – perfect for pulling you up out of that energy slump. Thanks to its strengthening capabilities, Agate gives your metabolism a boost, ensuring that every inch of your body is ticking over as it should be. For those who also struggle from stomach issues and digestion problems, Agate could be the healing medicine you need to help get your system working well. Agate is also known to help strengthen blood vessels and cut down on sleep problems, keeping you well rested and settled in high spirits. Mental & Emotional Healing Properties
Emotionally, Agate is a glorious gift for upping your self-confidence. For those who struggle with decision making or who tend to sit on the fence, Agate can encourage you to tap into your own deep well of intuition, to connect with your sense of knowledge, and to look inwards for the answers rather than to external forces. Agate stones are often crystals of strength and courage, they enhance our mental functions, they keep us sharp of mind and clear of heart, and they invite us to turn up the dial on our analytical abilities when it comes to sifting through problems. Unlike some of the dreamier and elevated crystals, Agate is more about giving you a great base in reality and ensuring that you stay balanced in your thinking. These traits can be enormously helpful, especially when it comes to giving you a sense of grounding so that you always feel safe and secure in your own being. For those who want to root in when it comes to their own soul and who are ready to let go of trauma and embrace their own brave truth, Agate gives you all that you need. Agates have a huge influence on clearing your chakras, and which chakra is affected will often depend on the Agate variety you choose. Blue Lace Agate is amazing at healing the throat chakra, Moss Agate works wonders when it comes to opening the heart, and Yellow Agate will sort that sacral chakra right out. All Agates work to clear the body of toxic and negative energy, these stones are known to keep you soaked to the bone in beautiful positivity. Zodiac Birthstone The amazing healing and harmonious qualities of the Agate stone are connected to all those born under the zodiac sign of Gemini. Geminis tend to be positive, upbeat, and sociable creatures – but being the star sign of two sides, they also have an indecisive and impulsive side. Agate can help the Gemini to feel a lot more balanced and can serve up that deeper less surface-level confidence to help the Gemini make their own choices in life. As a stone very much geared towards finding ones true voice and having the skills and lateral thinking to make choices in life, Agate is the perfect talisman for those flighty Geminis. Another zodiac sign that is sure to benefit from Agate are those born under the banner of Virgo. Virgos are patient and kind but can be a little critical and can also slip into patterns of overthinking. Again, Agate swoops in to balance all that behaviour out, bringing balance, harmony, and a softer heart. Using This Gemstone With so many different choices of Agate stone, you can pick which shimmering style you want to welcome into your life. From tumbled Feng Shui singular stones to glittering geodes and gorgeous gemstone jewellery, there is a multitude of ways to tap into the magic of Agates. Home & Office
Agate makes for an amazing addition to your Feng Shui setup. Rich in healing properties, awash with a brilliant sense of balance, and blending a sense of strength with the sweet flow of water, you can instantly feel the mood lift when you place Agate in the home. Blue Agate is particularly useful for those who want to soothe a space, Brown Agate brings comfort in tricky times, and Fire Agate is an amazing talisman for the office or bedroom or in a place where you need a burst of creative thinking and lava-like flow of energy. Jewellery
Choosing to use Agate jewellery can be one of the best ways to say yes to that glut of healing qualities as when pressed directly on the skin, the Agate can work with your natural vibrations to attune to your own energy. A bracelet with Black Agate will bring an extra dose of protection, and when paired with other energetic stones can lend a grounding sense of balance for the healing crystals to do their work. Other stones that work wonders when paired with Agate include the pale glowing orb of Opal, the dark fire of Onyx, the red flicker of energetic Carnelian, and the serene flow of purple Amethyst. How to Cleanse Your Agate Crystals Keeping your Agate crystals cleansed and charged will keep them working at the absolute top of their energy game. All crystals require a little light TLC from time to time to keep their energy fresh and flowing. Agates can be cleansed gently using a soft cloth and warm soapy water but always make sure you give them ample time to dry. Some people like to polish their Agates with very light sandpaper to bring a sparkling sheen to the surface but be sure to do this with great care and only really when working with geodes or rougher textured stones. To charge your Agates you can place them in a spot where the moonlight or sunlight can reach them and send those strong purifying vibes. Agates are a glorious investment for the soul. These stones aren’t a one size fits all meaning that you can always find an Agate that is a match made in heaven and a fine fit for your own personal needs. For many centuries, the presence of Agate has been helping people feel grounded, safe, and in a sweeter place to bloom. Life is all about balance and when we feel duly supported by the world beneath our feet, we become ever ready to take the leap into the next chapter.
The doctor stands up and wipes his hands with a hot sterile towel. "I will send for a birthing maid. Continue to breathe through the contractions."
"Doctor, how long will this labour last?"
"My Lady, it is hard to know because every woman's labour is different, but from my experience first babies can take anything from twenty-four hours to thirty-six hours."
"No! How will I cope?"
"Like your mother and your mother's mother. Don't worry; you are protected by the gods. This baby is special and her child will be just what the world needs. You have been chosen, whether you like it or not."
"But, why me?"
"My lady, nobody knows why they are chosen, until they have achieved their destiny."
An excerpt from my latest novel The Oracle of Eshe: Serial