Description
This Sweet St. Andrew's Staurolite Cross, weighing 18 grams or .64 ounces, and measuring 1.6 inches across, is a top quality specimen of the complex Staurolite crystal formation, and comes from Keivy, a city in the Kola Peninsula of far Northern Russia.
This is a perfectly formed, unblemished, and sparkling example of this gorgeous and energetically powerful mystic mineral, and is the perfect size to carry in your medicine bag, pocket, or purse.
Properties of Staurolite
The staurolite appears as an umber and siena colored cross, with substantial hematite content, embedded in a pale & glittering matrix of muscovite, mica and schist, which create a myriad of tiny sparkling inclusions.
Hematite is a reddish-brown mineral, also known as ferric oxide, an important variety of iron ore. Hematite comes from the Greek words haimatites lithos or bloodlike stone.
Genuine Staurolite crosses are quite rare and expensive, and specimens like this one from Kola, Russia are considered to be among those with the most desirable qualities.
True Staurolite like this specimen easily scratches glass. Staurolite is an extremely hard, ins oluble mineral formed from iron magnesium aluminum silicate, naturally occurring as reddish-brown orthorhombic crystals embedded in a matrix of metamorphic rocks high in iron and aluminium. The high hematite content gives Staurolite crystals their characteristic reddish brown color.
Properties of the St. Andrew's Cross Staurolite
The name Staurolite comes from the Greek words stauros (cross) and lithos (stone) meaning stone of the cross.
The name is appropriate because Staurolite crystals often appear in twin cruciform formations, in the shape of a Greek cross, with a 90 degree angle between the arms, or in the shape of a St. Andrew's cross, with a 60 degree angle between the arms.
A saltire, Saint Andrew's Cross, or crux decussat is a heraldic symbol in the geometrical form of the diagonal cross upon which St. Andrew was said to be crucified. Staurolite cruciform twins in the form of the Saint Andrew's Cross have been worn by religious devotees through the ages, and are renowned as sacred natural objects, invested with the power to heal, bring good luck and transform the soul.
Staurolite is known as the Fairy Stone or Fairy Cross, and was said by some to be the crystallized tears of fairies, bereft on hearing the news of Christ's crucifixion and death.
Another legend has it that Staurolite was used to heal Richard the Lionhearted during his Crusades in the Middle East, when he suffered from malaria.
Present day crystal healers have used Staurolite to ground an individual with a tendency to float away from the material world, or to be lost in abstract realms of mental ratiocination. Staurolite has also been used to treat depression, fevers, addictive personality traits and symptoms of stress.
Staurolite and the Archangel Michael Connection
Metaphysical rock collectors, crystal healers, and Lightworkers who are conscious of their connection to the Angelic Hierarchy may especially prize Staurolite's strong connection to Archangel Michael. Because of Staurolite's high hematite content and its characteristic reddish-brown color, Staurolite has a natural affinity with Archangel Michael.
Esoteric Christianity makes a link between hematite and Archangel Michael, and a crystal containing hematite can provide the bearer with a powerful connection to Michael, providing access to the Archangel's loving wisdom and power to dissolve illusion through the activity of his famous sword, the sword of Ultimate Truth.
During the Libran month, in the northern hemisphere, fall meteor showers will be visible. At this time of year, when sensational meteor showers, largely composed of iron, traditionally streak across the night sky, Esoteric Christian philosopher Rudolph Steiner's clairvoyant vision saw the traditional flashing iron sword of Michael.
The meteoric sword of Michael was thought to cleanse the Earth's atmosphere of summer's sulfurous influences, allowing the Higher Self to emerge and guide the initiate along the path of Spirit toward the birth of the Inner Christ Light, an event which takes place in December, during the festival of Christmas.
For more information on Michaelmas, see our article entitled Libra Festivals: Michaelmas, Rosh Hoshanah, Ramadan and Navratri.
Archangel Michael is known to crystal healers and Lightworkers as the dispeller of all negativity, the strong sword and shield of the Heavenly Hosts, and the Angelic protector of humanity, endowed the ability to banish all dark spirits.
Michael's stone of strength, hematite assists in the transformation of any and all negativity held in body, mind or heart into the purity of the universal light of love.
Put this Staurolite Cross in your medicine bag, on your altar, on your night table, or on your desk at work to establish an energetic zone of protection and call in the presence of Archangel Michael to bless your space during meditation, healing sessions, sleep and dreamtime and throughout working hours.
This crystal has been cleaned with Universal Life Force Energy, and given an energy attunement using Reiki, a Japanese technique of energy healing, so it will continue to receive and transmit Universal Life Force Energy direct from the Source of Creation.
Read more about quartz and other types of crystals and gemstones at the Crystalpedia. Check out our FREE e-book Spirits of Stone: A Lightworker's Guide to Crystals and Gemstones for Healing and Meditation for an overview of the metaphysical and mineralogical properties of quartz, and a step-by-step guide explaining how to cleanse, charge, and program quartz crystals for healing, meditation and other spiritual purposes.
Actual Weight is 18 grams, or .64 ounces.