{"id":3453,"date":"2010-04-01T01:10:29","date_gmt":"2010-04-01T06:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=3512"},"modified":"2010-03-19T16:23:56","modified_gmt":"2010-03-19T21:23:56","slug":"faeries-elves-and-other-kin-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2010\/04\/01\/faeries-elves-and-other-kin-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Faeries, Elves, and Other Kin"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Faerie Cross<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

By<\/span><\/p>\n

Kat Cranston<\/span><\/p>\n

There are two gemstones claiming the name of the Faerie (or Fairy) Cross or Stone.\u00a0 How do they differ and how do you choose which one you want to use?\u00a0 Let\u2019s investigate the candidates.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Staurolite<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Staurolite\"<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>\"Your <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Known in the greater part of the literature available as the \u201cFaerie Stone\u201d or \u201cFaerie Cross,\u201d legend says the tears of faeries formed the crosses when they heard about the death of Jesus.\u00a0 Many believe the stones protect the wearer against witchcraft, sickness, accidents and disaster.<\/span><\/p>\n

We derive the name Staurolite from the Greek words stauros<\/em> (cross) and lithos<\/em> (stone).\u00a0 Crystal twinning occurs when two separate crystals share some of the same crystal lattice points in a symmetrical manner.\u00a0 The result is an intergrowth of two separate crystals in a variety of specific configurations; in this case, a cross.\u00a0 The cross can be twinned at sixty degrees, as in <\/span>St. Andrew’s cross<\/span><\/span><\/a>, or ninety degrees, as in the <\/span>Greek cross<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 Staurolite is red brown to black with a rather complex chemical formula,<\/span> mostly iron, magnesium and zinc.<\/span><\/p>\n

Staurolites are abundant in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee.\u00a0 In fact, Fairy Stone State Park, located in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, was named for its generous deposits.\u00a0 Other sources include deposits in Connecticut, Maine, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Vermont, Canada, France, Madagascar, Namibia, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and the Urals. <\/span><\/p>\n

Chiastolite<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Chiastolit\"<\/a><\/div>\n

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<\/a>\"Your <\/span><\/p>\n

Commonly called a \u201cCross Stone,\u201d you will still find many who call it a \u201cFaerie Stone,\u201d as well.\u00a0 Sometimes called baseler taufstein (baptismal stone) or lapis crucifer (cross stone), the stone was used as an amulet at baptisms in the 18th<\/sup> century.\u00a0 Believers said the stone would stanch the flow of blood from any part of the body if worn against the skin, and it could also increase the secretion of milk.\u00a0 Worn around the neck, a chiastolite cured all kinds of fevers and the cross it bore drove away evil spirits from the neighborhood of the wearer. <\/span><\/p>\n

We derive the name Chiastolite from the Greek words chiastos<\/em> (cross marked) and lithos<\/em> (stone).\u00a0 Chiastolite is a variety of Andalusite, a silicate mineral consisting of aluminum, silicon and oxygen. Noted for its distinctive cross-shaped black inclusions of graphite, you can find this stone in white, red, brown, orange and green, with brown being predominate. <\/span><\/p>\n

Chiastolites are found predominantly in California, Algeria, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Russia, South Australia, Spain and Sri Lanka. <\/span><\/p>\n

My Personal Opinion<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Although staurolite has an impressive pedigree when it comes to the name \u201cfaerie cross,\u201d I\u2019m rather troubled by the density of iron in the twinned crystals.\u00a0 Iron is what gives these crystals their red brown to black coloring.\u00a0 For whatever reason (hmm, I foresee a column topic), faeries abhor iron and I personally do not use any tools that contain it.\u00a0 If your purpose is to ward yourself against malevolent faeries, then this is the stone for you.\u00a0 However, if you wish to communicate and interact with the fae realm while retaining a degree of protection, I recommend a chiastolite.<\/span><\/p>\n

As in all things pagan, fae and witchy, it is up to you to review the material, apply your cognitive thinking skills, and come to your own conclusions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Faerie blessings and blessed be.<\/span><\/p>\n