June Birthstone: Moonstone

A moon. Technically a stone. Not a moon stone.

Moon stone is one of the birthstones associated with the month of June. There is some debate about the specific stone this word refers to. In Roman times, it was considered to be made from frozen moonlight.¹ Today it is most commonly associated with a kind of feldspar but in the past has also referred to a stone called selenite, a kind of gypsum whose name literally translates to moonstone. In both cases, it comes in pretty much every color. No single color seems to be most common.

Various properties are associated with both the feldspar and gypsum varieties. It's a protective stone that glows under certain circumstances and according to Lecouteux"it preserves the virtues of the body, protects from storms, heals lunatics, and help win honors."²

The properties of selenite are somewhat different, though still largely related to bodily protection. Among other attributes "it safeguards pregnancy and gives women a good labor and birth; it also bestows peace and harmony, reconciles lovers, shrinks welts, and heals those suffering from consumption."³ A few different methods are suggested for drawing out its power, mostly related to how it is worn on what is done to it. One source advises: "The two phases of the moon should be carved on it, and it should be worn around the neck. If enclosed in a gold capsule with parsley, it will make bees fertile."⁴ A number of its properties also relate to precognition.

------

1.http://www.addmorecolortoyourlife.com/gemstones/moonstone.asp

2. Lecouteux, Claude. A Lapidary of Sacred Stones: Their Magical and Medicinal Powers Based on the Earliest Sources (p. 229). Inner Traditions/Bear & Company. Kindle Edition.

3. Lecouteux, Claude. A Lapidary of Sacred Stones: Their Magical and Medicinal Powers Based on the Earliest Sources (p. 292). Inner Traditions/Bear & Company. Kindle Edition.

4. ibid