The magnificent and holy Sapphire, in all its celestial hues, is a stone of wisdom and royalty, of prophecy and Divine favor. It is forever associated with sacred things and considered the gem of gems, a jewel steeped in the history and lore of nearly every religion. To the ancient and medieval world, Sapphire of heavenly blue signified the height of celestial hope and faith, and was believed to bring protection, good fortune and spiritual insight. It was a symbol of power and strength, but also of kindness and wise judgment.
In Hebrew lore, King Solomon and Abraham both wore talismans of Sapphire, and the Law given to Moses on the Mount was said to be engraved on tablets of Sapphire. The Greeks wore it for wisdom at Delphi when seeking answers from the Oracle at Apollo’s Shrine. Buddhists believed it brought devotion and spiritual enlightenment, and the Hindus considered Sapphire as one of the “great gems” used in offerings in the temples for worship and to align astrological influences. In Christianity it was used in ecclesiastical rings, and was cherished by kings and nobility for its powers of protection and insight.
As a talisman, Sapphire was thought to preserve chastity, discover fraud and treachery, protect its wearer from poison, plague, fever and skin diseases, and had great power in resisting black magic and ill-wishing. It healed ailments of the eyes, increased concentration, and would lose luster if worn by an intemperate or impious person.
Today Sapphire is still a Stone of Wisdom, a royal stone of learning, mental acuity and psychic activation, a seeker after spiritual truth. Its pure Blue Ray brings order and healing to the mind, lending strength and focus, and an ability to see beneath surface appearances to underlying truths and to utilize that knowledge. It stimulates the Throat and Third Eye Chakras, allowing one to access deeper levels of consciousness in order to gain a fuller understanding of self. Associated with the planet Saturn, Blue Sapphire embraces order, structure, and self-discipline, and is ideal for accomplishing goals and manifesting ideas into form. Sapphire’s power to transmute negative thoughts and energy also makes it highly effective for earth and chakra healing.
Physical Healing Energy
Blue Sapphire assists in healing all parts of the body and soothes insomnia. Used externally or as an elixir, Sapphire water is considered a good purifier and should be used as the seasons change.
Long used as a curative for eye infections and improving eyesight, Blue Sapphire is also used to relieve headaches, fever, nosebleeds, and issues of the ears, including hearing, infection, inner-ear imbalances and vertigo.
Blue Sapphire is beneficial to the thyroid, swollen glands and in treating problems related to speech and communication. It is also considered helpful to the nervous system, and in treating blood disorders, dementia, and degenerative diseases.
Emotional Healing Energy
Sapphire frees us from our “inner prisons” and psychic suffering that can cause us to shut down emotionally. It can be an effective aid in treatments for neuroses or even psychosis. Sapphire releases depression and lightens the mood. It brings calm and focus to the mind, and restores balance within the body.
Blue Sapphire assists those who are easily swayed by the opinions of others. It promotes a fuller understanding of the self, and assists one in becoming more secure in their own opinions and knowledge, and in expressing those truths to others.
Star Sapphires of any hue are excellent healing crystals for those with an inferiority complex, are afraid of socializing or speaking out, or who have been told they were useless. They also lend support in following a childhood dream or ambition that seems almost impossible.
Chakra Healing and Balancing Energy
The strong Blue Rays of Sapphire are ideal for awakening and utilizing the Throat and Third Eye Chakras. Working in unison, these chakras not only have the capacity of inner vision, but the focus and ability to communicate one’s vision to others in an effective way.
Blue Sapphire stimulates the Throat Chakra, the voice of the body. It is, in essence, a pressure valve that allows the energy from the other chakras to be expressed. If it is blocked, or out of balance, it can affect the health of the other chakras. When the Throat Chakra is in balance and open, it allows for the expression of what we think and what we feel. We can communicate our ideas, beliefs, and emotions, bringing our personal truth out into the world. We have an easy flow of energy within the body and spirit. The energy that springs upward from the lower chakras can continue its path enabling free expression and natural release. Blue crystal energy will unblock and balance the Throat Chakra. Darker shades of blue encourage the power of truth, while lighter shades carry the power of flexibility, relaxation, and balance.
Dark Blue or Indigo Sapphire stimulates the Brow Chakra, also called the Third Eye. It is the center of our perception and command, and directs our sight and everyday awareness of the world. Our consciousness is located here, and we relate to ourselves through this chakra. When the brow chakra is in balance our thoughts and internal communications within ourselves are healthy and vibrant. We are open to new ideas, dreams, and visions, and can control the flow of energy within all the chakras. Dark blue and indigo crystals are used to treat imbalances of the brow chakra. It is a quiet color, one of mystery and wisdom and judgment.
Spiritual Energy
Sapphire is a stone of spiritual power and astuteness, bringing prosperity and helping to sustain the gifts of life. It tends to focus, emanate and radiate its energy in fulfilling dreams and desires of the consciousness, even without conscious initiation.
Blue Sapphire is a Wind element stone activating the higher mind. It opens awareness and communication with the higher planes, and stimulates psychic visions, extrasensory perception and one’s inner sense of knowing. It engenders strength of mind and increased learning ability, and may be used for wisdom in negative situations. It also allows one to act as a conduit in channeling received information.
Blue Sapphire is an excellent stone for use in alternate or past-life therapy, helping one remember other lifetimes and the lessons they provided. It can also be used to enhance hypnosis and trance states, and in shamanic ceremonies to transmute negative energies.
Zodiac Stone of Taurus
Sapphire is a zodiac stone for those born in the heart of spring under the sign of Taurus, from April 20 - May 20. Taurus is depicted as a bull because of its characteristics of being strong but quiet, and is ruled by the planet Venus that also rules Libra. Taureans are known for being "down to Earth," the doers and the realists. They are affectionate, known for their tempers and very stubborn.
Ancient Lore and Legend
Sapphires were praised for bringing Divine favor and were referenced in nearly every religious history. Called the jewel of the sun god Apollo by the Greeks, Sapphire was worn when consulting the oracle at Delphi to give the questioner wisdom to understand the answer given. To the Hebrews, Sapphire was a stone of prophecy, wisdom, and Divine Glory. The Law given to Moses on the Mount was said to be engraved on tablets of Sapphire, and it was listed as the fifth stone in the Breastplate of the High Priest inscribed with the tribe Issachar. In his visions, the prophet Ezekiel compared the throne of Jehovah to a Sapphire, and the seal-stone in King Solomon’s magical ring was thought to have been a Blue Sapphire, the symbol of wisdom. Abraham was said to have worn a magnificent Sapphire around his neck, and when he died it rose to the sun.
The ancient Persians thought the Earth was balanced on a giant Sapphire that was reflected in the color of the heavens. Buddhists believed Sapphire was calming and facilitated prayer, meditation, and spiritual enlightenment; and the Hindus considered Sapphire as one of the “great gems” used in the naoratna and panchratna jewels offered in the temples for worship and to combine all of the powerful astrological influences. In Christianity, St. John saw Sapphire as the second foundation stone of the New Jerusalem in his Revelations. It signified the height of celestial hope, and in some writings, was attributed to St. Andrew as a symbol of his heavenly faith. Another writer attributed Sapphire to St. Paul since he was caught up the third heaven where his soul is firmly fixed, and where he seeks to draw all who are obedient to him.
Considered to be a “holy” stone, Sapphire is believed to render its bearer “pacific, amiable, pious, and devout, confirming the soul in good works.” It is thought to prevent wicked and impure thoughts, and to refuse to shine for the unchaste, or the impure. St. Jerome wrote that the Sapphire procured favor with princes, pacified enemies, gave freedom from enchantment and captivity, and could ease the wrath of God himself.
Sapphires have long been regarded as especially appropriate for use in ecclesiastical rings, worn by priests and high dignitaries for symbols of chastity and to represent Heaven. When a new Cardinal is elected by the Pope in the Roman Catholic Church, he receives with much pomp and ceremony, a red hat, and along with his new title, a gold ring set with a Sapphire, placed on the ring finger of his right hand by the Pope himself. According to Gregory XV, this is done to signify the Church is now the Cardinal’s spouse and he must never abandon her.
Sapphire was also revered as a gem of royalty, worn by kings, queens and nobility as a powerful defense from harm and envy. It was reputed to protect the wearer from dishonesty, fraud, terror, poverty, and even stupidity and ill temper. It was well-touted as an enemy of poison, even to the point of declaring that if a Sapphire were put into a glass with a spider or venomous reptile it would kill it.
According to legend, Helen of Troy owned a large Sapphire which was believed to hold the key to her desirability. King Solomon’s magical ring inscribed on a Sapphire, known as the “Seal of Solomon,” was reported to give him the power to command demons and spirits, and to speak to animals. It was said he used the magic of Sapphires to seduce the Queen of Sheba. Charlemagne wore an enormous Sapphire amulet prominently to display his devotion to God. In Medieval times, Sapphire was used as a test for infidelity, thought to change color if worn by the unfaithful.
Medicinally, Sapphire was described as “cold, dry, and astringent,” taking the fire out of inflammations and drying up infections, especially of the eyes. Made into pastes or elixirs, it was used to anoint the eyelids for infections, and made into little balls the size of peas and polished, it was put into the eyes to take out dust, gnats, or anything that had fallen in. It was also thought to preserve the eyes from small pox and other diseases.
Ointments of Sapphire and milk were spread over sores and boils, and elixirs mixed with cordial water, vinegar or the juice of lemons, were considered good for all fluxes of the belly, dysentery, hemorrhoids, and other bleedings. It was also used for internal ulcers, to strengthen and refresh the heart, and to cure melancholy. A Sapphire stone laid to the forehead was thought to stop bleeding at the nose.
Because of its power to influence spirits, Sapphire was honored more than any other stone by necromancers in conferring with the dead to foretell the future. They felt it enabled them to hear and understand even the most obscure oracles. Witches were also reported to love this stone for working certain wonders by its virtue.
The image of an astrolabe, if carved upon a Sapphire, has the power to increase wealth and enables the wearer to predict the future. The figure of a ram or of a bearded man, upon a Sapphire, has the power to cure and preserve from many infirmities as well as to free from poison and from all demons. This is a royal image; it confers dignities and honors and exalts the wearer.
