July 16th, 2016

Bubblegum Agate

Physical Characteristics: This is a kind of eye Agate, which gives it a spotted appearance. Bubblegum varieties are typically red, pink, yellow, and/or grey.

In Nature: Scientists remain uncertain how eye Agates form, but one theory shared in Minnesota Rocks & Minerals states that this formation, which occurs in gas bubbles called vesicles, happens when the vesicle is given access to more silica than other Agates of a comparable size, and that excess material interacts with the crystal structure to build the hemispherical spots. Eye Agates are usually small, pea- to palm-sized.

Chemical Composition: SiO2

Mohs Scale Hardness: 6.5 - 7 (high)

Can be Found: South Dakota, USA

Healing Properties*: None noted beyond the psychological benefits listed below.

Magickal Properties: As they are fairly rare, there is little research readily available on the metaphysical properties of Bubblegum Agate outside of some anecdotal information. That being said, one crystal healer's YouTube series describes it as a stone of the inner child, helping one rediscover a lost sense of playfulness and wonder. Additionally, if you are the sort of person who has difficulty indulging or taking time for yourself, Bubblegum Agate can help you better manage your self-care.

Chakra Association: First (Root) chakra

Element: Fire

Energy: Projective

Planetary Association: Moon

*Magickal healing should never take the place of seeing a doctor and following any recommended prescriptions, actions, or other advice. Magick works best in tandem with physical efforts, anyway, so don't skimp on those check-ups!

New Stones and Grid

I bought a few stones while we were on vacation, and I was also gifted a few. I saw lots of really neat ones, but I'm happy with what I restricted myself to.

These are the two I bought, actually from the rock shop in Wall Drugstore. Above is an opalized Ammonite fossil, and below is a piece of South Dakota Bubblegum Agate. The Ammonite was a little expensive, but I've never had any Opal before, so I was okay with that.

These two were gifted to me by a cousin of my mom's, who is an avid crystal collector. The top one is a chunk of rough Aventurine, and the bottom is a chunk of rough Snowflake Obsidian.

Then somewhat out of the blue, I got a message from a friend of mine (whose name and pseudonym I will leave out of this particular story) who was having some trouble with a malevolent entity in her household. I was out of the house at the time, but when I got back, I put together this crystal grid to help deal with the issue.

The crystals are all situated on a circular rug which gives the grid a clear boundary. In the center, my Generator Quartz is sitting on its box to tie together the energies of the other stones and send them out. Around it is a blue circle my friend crocheted a while back to act as a taglock, and then I have two more Quartz points facing the Generator for extra power. On either side are some olive leaves to bring in the power of Athena, and I also added the bird skull I found at Mabon because I felt drawn to include it.

In a ring around that, I alternated Tiger's Eye (and a Fluorite, because I only had three Tiger's Eye) with Smoky Quartz, Ametrine (I couldn't find my Citrine last night, although it has since turned up), Red Jasper, and Rose Quartz, and in the final outer ring are all the protective stones: Snowflake Obsidian, Black Tourmaline, Obsidian, Onyx, Apache Tear, and enough Tektites to bring the total stone count in that ring up to 12.

I was really happy with how it came out, and it seemed to do its job, which was to send protection and energy to my friend, who was really drained by the whole ordeal. 

Today, things have gotten largely back on track, so I took it down as it was a little obvious in the middle of my floor. I cleansed each of the stones before I put them away; I don't know that they would have picked up a lot of negativity all the way over here, but it seemed like a good practice, anyway.