December 02/06/2011
 
December was the 10th month of the old Roman calendar but was also said to be named for the Roman goddess Decima who was the middle (or the present, as in past, present and future) of the three fates. With all of the many celebrations in December, it is certainly a good thing to enjoy the present (the day or the gift!!!).

The time around the Winter Solstice, with the return of the sun and the promise of new life, has traditionally been seen as the time of the birth of many solar deities, not just Jesus Christ. Many of stories are similar, describing virgin births and miraculous events, but the reappearance of the sun is such a wonderous event that it deserves such special celebrations.

Hematite is one of the crystals associated with Capricorn, which starts in December. As it is full of iron and hence has magnetic properties, it is great for all problems to do with the  blood. It is protective and energising and great for the memory! Obsidian, or Apache Tears, are good for grounding and to develop a deep connection with the Earth. They can lift the spirits and help the immune system - fab for those post celebration blues.
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November 11/02/2010
 
November, as the start of the winter weather months, is a month of remembrance and commemoration, from All Saints Day at the beginning, through Bonfire Night, to Remembrance or Armistace Day and for us locally, Saint Edmunds Day on the 20th. St Edmund, King of East Anglia, fought and was killed by the Danish in 869. He died in a hail of arrows and was then beheaded and when the survivors of his army searched for his severed head, it was found, being protected by a wolf, after the head itself was heard proclaiming its whereabouts.

The traditional birthstone for November is Topaz. It was worn by the Romans to protect against dangers in travel, from injuries from burns and to heal chest problems.Its also greatfor relieving depression, for fending off nightmares and to draw love to the wearer. Topaz was also known as a weight loss stone for its ability to regulate the digestive system.

Citrine is the ultimate stone of positivity. Historically, it was used in jewellery and art to signify luxury and wealth. Now, as a sunshine and energising and motivating crystal, citrine lets you explore your goals, boosts your confidence and is great for attracting wealth and abundance. Another good stone for digestive problems, as its cleansing properties are said to eliminate the toxins from your system.

With all the upcoming festivities, its also good to remember that citrine is good for smoothing family dischord and helping groups to talk and listen to each other!

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October 09/27/2010
 
October, the eighth month of the old calendar, is now thought of as the month of Hallowe'en, all ghosties and ghoulies. It was the time for the preparations for winter, or the start of the New Year, and many of the old traditions include food and produce, such as the myriad of ways to predict the identities of potential future husbands using apples!!

And a wonderfully funky thing this year is that on the 10th of this month, the date will be 10.10.10!

The Opal is a beautiful crystal for October, full of flashes of colour and unique depths - just like Autumn. It is actually a good luck stone, rather than the crystal of sorrow that it has become due to Sir Walter Scott's novel 'Anne of Gierstein'. It has been seen as a predictor of illness, as due to its high water content, Opals will respond to the changes in body temperature and loose their shine. Wear Opals to bring out your inner beauty, bring hope and keep you calm in the face of adversity.

Tourmaline also has a 'rainbow' of colours and so can be great for the chakras. Tourmalines are protective and balancing. Green can be used to attract money, whilst the Blue can help to de-stress. Red Tourmaline brings courage and the Pink brings friendship and wisdom. Tourmalated Quartz is ideal for deflecting and harmonising negativity - something we probably all need!!!

Lastly, an October thought - Remember, if you see a spider on Halloween night, it could be the spirit of a loved one returning to see you - so be careful what you do with it!
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September 09/13/2010
 
How quickly we have moved from the month of the Solstice to the month of the Equinox, but as they say, time and tide wait for no man and the yearly cycle has to keep on moving!

September, named for being the seventh month in the old Roman calendar, is of course, full of harvest traditions. The harvest was expected to be completed by Michaelmas (29th) and as one of the four 'quarter days' this was a time for paying debts, hiring servants and starting leases. Legal and university courses were always started at Michaelmas and along with the need for the children to be involved in collecting the harvest over the summer, this has meant that September has become the starting month of the new school year.

The Autumnal Exquinox, the point when day and night are equal and the sun rises and sets due east and west, is the start of Libra. Lapis Lazuli is one of the stones of Libra and the stunning blue stone is used for diseases of the blood and strengthening eyesight. Even Cleopatra wore powdered lapis as eyeshadow. Lapis is very protective for children but is also used to increase psychic awareness.

Turquoise is ano crystal used for protection against all types of dangers so is great for travellers and is said to bring courage. It is good for attracting wealth and water, into which turquoise has been dipped, has been traditionally drunk to promote good health.
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August 07/31/2010
 
The Roman calendar initially consited of 10 months, of which August, or Sextilus as it was known, was the sixth month. This was eventually changed to honour the first ruler of the Roman Empire, Augustus. He transformed Rome and its Empire after succeeding his great-uncle Julius Ceasar.

The beginning of August used to be the time to celebrate the first of the harvest, the first of the corn to be cut, rather than our current tradition of celebrating the ending of the harvest. Lammas (1st August) falls at the mid point between the summer solstice and the autumn exquinox and bread baked from the first of the grain crop would be given as an offering.

Peridot is one of the crystals for August and the Egyptians called it the 'stone of the sun'. Their priests would drink from cups made of peridot in the belief that it would bring them closer to the goddess of nature, Isis. It is a stone of fame, strength and energy and was widely used by the church and the ruling classes. It is said to be beneficial to marriages, especially with its characteristic of enhancing communication and its calming influence is great in promoting sleep. Sardonyx, another of the stones of August, has some of the same characteristics.

Aventurine is a crystal of Virgo, which falls towards the end of August. Like peridot, it is most commonly a beautiful green and is an all round good luck stone. It is s wonderful balancing stone for the Heart (green) Chakra being calming and supportive.
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July 07/08/2010
 
Oh July, those long school holidays, those long summer evenings and all those pesky summer flies! The world (well, the northern hemisphere!) feels full of life and ready to bring forth all its gifts upon us..... hhhmmm, strawberries.....

July is named for Julius Ceasar and his part in the creation of the 'solar' Julian calendar - one of the miriad of things, both positive and negative, that the Romans brought to Britain. It is also a month that traditionally has lots of weather markers, such as St. Swithin's day, July 15th, where if it rains on that day, it will rain for 40 days. As a month that can either be a total washout or a drought, it is hardly surprising that it has these weather associations.

The astrological sign of Leo is ruled by the sun and two crystals associated with the sign are Amber and Ruby. Amber, as folissilized tree resin, is the embodiment of the power of the sun on the earth and is highly positive. It enhances attractiveness, magic, prosperity, fertility and love. Amber is also traditionally worn for the prevention of almost every ailment from toothache to insanity!

Rubies were worn by royalty for their rarity, beauty and their properties of strength, courage and vitality. The intense red colour brought associations with blood, fire and passion and rubies are prized for their protection against all forms of negativity. It dispels fear and strengthens confidence, bringing joy and warmth to the wearer.
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June 05/30/2010
 
Its always hard to guess whether June will be typical English Summer weather or just typical Engliah weather. But heres hoping it will be warm!

June is named for the Roman patron Goddess Juno, godess of marriage and all things feminine, although as she is also known as guardian/protector of the empire, she was far from being a placid gal. It is through the connection with Juno that June is still seen as a great month to get married. But we guess that the sunshine would also help bring about a rise in passions in all those young (or not so young) folks!

Midsummer - or the Summer Solstice - falls on the 21st June. The longest day of the year, meaning that all the days that follow will be getting shorter and darker until Winter Solstice when we begin the journey back to the sun again. Its the point in the cycle when for one moment things pause and we can celebrate the power of the sun, just as people have done for centuries.

While it may seem a little odd with all the sun associations, the astrological sign of Cancer, which falls in June, is ruled by the moon. One of the crystals connected with June therefore is Moonstone. Seen as a feminine stone, as the cycles of the moon represent the reproductive cycles of women, it is actually a great stone for balance for both sexes. Traditionally seen as a stone of good luck and love, it is also protective for travellers and great for new beginnings.
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Our First Post! 10/12/2009
 
So, we here at Oshun's are new to blogging and this has the feel of writing in a brand spanking new notebook - not to sure what to put, but just sure you don't want to look back and regret it!!

I'm sure in the future we'll have a whole load of more interesting (and more shop related) things to say, but for now, we'll just say welcome, thanks for coming by and don't forget to find the beauty in every day!
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