I love a deep, dark red chunk of Garnet. The color itself is an aesthetic draw. It’s the color I had my maid of honor wear at my wedding. The deep crimson of this color of Garnet reminds me of red wine, and blood. Like the drink of Dracula, or the color the vial fills up when my blood is drawn. And although it’s my favorite, red is not the only color that Garnet forms in. It can also be brown, green, black, dark yellow, orange, and various shades of all those colors. But it’s the Garnet that is the color of blood that calls to me. The kind of red that is the height of passion and fire, it can both warm and ground at the same time.
Garnet is said to be a “Warrior’s Stone, as it served as a talisman in the Crusades for the Christians as well as Muslims. It was used in the Middle Ages to dispel melancholy, and to enhance truth and faith. It’s said that the only light on Noah’s ark was provided by a large Garnet. It is also used by Native American Indians, South American Indians, Aztecs, African tribal elders, and Mayans as a sacred stone. So many years, and so many cultures have entrusted Garnet to aid them in battles that are both external and internal.
I’ve struggled with depression since I was 10 years old. As an adult, depression invited its friend anxiety over to play. Anxiety and I did not play well together. And it got to a point where things were over my head, and I had sunk into the sadness of the swamps (stupid horse!! IYKYK). It was 2009 when these two “friends” ganged up on my mental state. I began a relationship with a counselor and continued seeing her regularly through 2019. After 10 years together she and I agreed that I would be okay to continue managing my mental health issues with the medication I have taken since 2009, as well as the many tools I have in my toolbox.
One of those tools is my craft. A part of my craft is my belief in the metaphysical healing properties of crystals, minerals, and gemstones. Wearing them, being surrounded by them, and using them in ceremonial space are some of the ways I incorporate them into my daily life. They make me feel better, they help quell my anxieties, and learning about them has helped me focus my attention outside of myself.
Garnet, a “Warrior’s Stone,” is one of the more powerful gemstones that I use. I have a large chunk that I wear around my neck. And I mean…large large. She big. And kinda heavy. But she grounds me, I wear her around my neck and my hands are drawn to wrap her up or hold her in one hand and caress her with my fingers. The sheer touch alone is often enough to calm me. She is not only Garnet, but she is Earth. She has pieces of what is referred to as “matrix” on her surface. Matrix is the natural material that a crystal grows in, and when present adds a whole other element to the stone. I feel that the presence of matrix in a stone reminds us of where the stone comes from. When you see a sparkly gemstone set in a ring, or necklace, it may be easy to forget that she was a part of the earth. That it took her thousands and thousands of years to be birthed by Gaia. The presence of matrix makes that fact hard to forget. It as if she has taken a piece of her mother with her and she’ll sit forever in the palms of her mother’s loving hands.
The picture below is my big big chonk of Spessartine Garnet. I’ve pictured both the front and back. The white material is matrix.
Spessartine Garnet with Matrix
