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Amber:
Organic Minerals (Tree Sap) AKA: Lynx Stone |
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System: None Appearance: Nodules or small masses of various shapes and sizes, sometime rough or cracked on the surface. Orange to dark brown, occassionally green, violet or black. Often contains fossil remains of insects and plants which are clearly visible through transparent amber. Physical Properties: Amorphous, soft, very light, fairly fragile, with splintery fracture. Easy to carve. Transparent to translucent with resinous to pitcher luster. Floats on water and burns, giving off a strong smell if incense. Occurrence: Fossilized resin, residual or derived from transportation in sedimentary deposits of the Tertiary period. The most famous deposits are in the Baltic region, in Romania, Burma and Sicily. Other localities are in France, Spain, the former USSR, Canada and Italy. Miscellaneous: In the trade there are many distinct varieties distinguished by their transparency (clear amber), by the presence of air bubbles (nebulous or bastard amber), or by origin (Baltic, Sicilian or Sumetite, Romanian and Burmese). Amber is a precious ornamental material. There are many synthetic, organic and inorganic imitations, including an aggregate made by hot-pressing the scraps left after working natural amber. Conventional Wisdom: Amber is the fossilized resin of long-extinct pine trees that flourished from forty to sixty million years ago. An ancient mane for amber, lyncurius or "lynx stone" arose from the belief that amber was made of solidified lynx urine. Possibly related to the old Chinese tradition that amber was made of the souls of tigers, entering the earth when the animals died. Romans usual term for amber was succinum "sap-stone". Romans considered amber nodules so protective that they hung them on nets that defended the podium against wild beasts in the amphitheater. Gladiators hung the nodules on their weapons and armor. Pliny affirmed that amber would cure fevers, blindness, deafness, and other disabilities. Another name for amber was electrum from which we derive electricity, because amber provided the earliest demonstrations of static electricity. In Germany, amber was named Berstein "burning stone" because it will burn, giving off a sweet piney scent. Often used as purification incense. In Norse tradition, it was claimed that the tears of the Goddess Freya became gold when they fell into the earth and lumps of amber when they fell into the sea. Hellenic Greeks declared that amber was formed from the tears of the Heliads (sun nymphs) as they wept for their dead brother Phaethon after he died in the chariot accident. Many myths associate amber with the sun, immortality by extrapolation from the sun's perpetual rebirth. Opens solar plexus chakra for mental clarity, moods balance, confidence. Excellent detoxification and protection from radiation, especially x-rays, sun, computers, airport, planes and others' energies. Sacred use (incense/worn) by Asian and American Indians, and worldwide. It is claimed that Amber is used to best effect by those who suffer from throat infections, those who have bronchial disorders or those who are prone to asthma or convulsions, also rheumatism, intestinal disorders, earache, bladder trouble, nerves or bone-marrow deficiencies. Used for making and breaking spells. Helps with depression and suicidal tendencies. Belongs to the Astrological Signs of Leo and Aquarius. |