Lapis Lazuli (or Lapis for short) is a rock and not a mineral because it is made up of various other minerals.  It is composed of a mixture of several minerals including mostly Lazurite, Pyrite, Calcite and Diopside, along with possible inclusions of Sodalite, Huaynite, Noselite, Mica, Augite or Hornblende in small amounts.  Lapis usually occurs in crystalline limestones as a result of contact metamorphism. 

The name Lapis Lazuli comes from a variety of words meaning "blue" (azure) or "heaven": the Latin "lazulum", stemming from the Arabic "lazaward", and the Persian "lazhward" constitute the Lazuli part.  The first part of the name, Lapis, is of Latin origin meaning simply "stone".  And this stone was named after its likeness to the heavens and of course because of its color -- a brilliant deep blue (due to the sulfur content in the Lazurite) which is usually speckled or veined with small flecks of yellow-gold color from its most common mixture with Pyrite (Fool's Gold) or white streaks from its mixture with Calcite or other minerals. 

Lapis Lazuli is a semi-precious stone valued for its deep blue color and durability.  Though too many white streaks of Calcite will lower the value of the stone.

This is a picture of the actual stone used in the electrolysis process:

General Information: 

Chemistry:  (Na, Ca)8 Al6 Si6 (O,S)24 [(SO4),Cl2,(OH)2], Sodium  

Calcium Aluminum Silicate Sulfur Sulfate (with usual inclusions of Pyrite and Calcite). 

Class:  Silicates 

Subclass:  Tectosilicates 

Group:  Both the Sodalite and Feldspathoid groups. 

Color:  Deep brilliant blue or violet-blue with golden flecks or veins, and occasionally white streaks. 

Luster:  Dull to greasy. Translucent to opaque. 

Crystal System:  Isometric; bar 4 3/m 

Crystal Habit:  Massive as a rock (Lapis Lazuli) forming mineral, but dodecahedral crystals have been found of Lazurite. 

Cleavage:  Poor. In six directions, but rarely seen. 

Fracture:  Uneven. 

Hardness:  5.0 - 5.5 

Specific Gravity:  2.3 - 2.4 (somewhat below average, but shows higher with increased Pyrite content). 

Long ago, Lapis was used to make the pigment called Ultramarine, which literally meant "beyond the sea".  It was used by medieval artists for the blue cloak of the Virgin Mary.  Due to its rarity and expense, today that color pigment is usually now synthetically made. 

Metaphysical Properties: 

Astrological Sign(s): Sagittarius, Aquarius 

Chakra(s): Brow and Crown 

Opens the Third Eye. 

Awakens the intuition. 

Enhances insight and awareness. 

Brings knowledge and wisdom. 

Increases vibrational level. 

Connects to Spirit. 

Helps in meditations and dream work. 

Promote peace. 

Harmonizes and balances. 

Protective. 

Blocks psychic attack. 

*Gives physical aid in treating: Fevers. Headaches and migraines.  Alleviates pain. Depression and melancholy. Anxiety. Insomnia. Vision and hearing problems.  Disorders of the throat, lungs and immune system.  

*NOTE: Stone therapy should NOT take the place of medical evaluation and procedures, and should be used merely to enhance one's health and well-being. 

Lapis Lazuli is my "Awareness" stone.  Known for imparting ancient knowledge and (just as important) the wisdom on how to use that knowledge, Lapis is very helpful in bringing you into that state of awareness where you can better connect with your Higher Self or communicate with your Spirit Guides.  Rich and highly stimulating, it's easy to quickly feel the intense and royal powers of the stone lift you to new heights of thought, consciousness and awareness. 

Feeling that the stone was the best of the best when it came to spiritual stones, the "Sleeping Prophet", Edgar Cayce, recommending carrying a piece of Lapis Lazuli with you at all times wherever you go.  I used to.  And I think it's time I go back to doing just that. 

Meaning and Uses of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is one of the most sought after stones in use since man's history began. Its deep, celestial blue remains the symbol of royalty and honor, gods and power, spirit and vision. It is a universal symbol of wisdom and truth.

In ancient times Lapis Lazuli was most highly regarded because of its beautiful color and the valuable ultramarine dye derived from it. Its name comes from the Latin lapis, "stone," and the Persian lazhuward, "blue." It is rock formed by multiple minerals, mostly Lazurite, Sodalite, Calcite and Pyrite, and is a rich medium to royal blue with gold flecks (pyrites). Lower-grade Lapis is lighter blue with more white than gold flecks, and is sometimes called denim Lapis.

Lapis Lazuli was among the most highly prized tribute paid to Egypt, obtained from the oldest mines in the world, worked from around 4000 B.C. and still in use today. Referenced in the Old Testament as sapphire (unknown in that part of the ancient world), Lapis Lazuli is most likely the fifth stone in the original breastplate of the High Priest, as well as those of later times.

The golden sarcophagus of King Tutankhamen was richly inlaid with Lapis, as were other burial ornaments of Egyptian kings and queens. It was used extensively in scarabs, pendants and other jewelry, and ground into powder for dyes, eye shadow and medicinal elixirs. In the dry, barren land of the Egyptians, this deep cobalt blue color was a spiritual contrast to their arid desert hues. The gold flecks were like stars in their night-time sky and by meditating on these colors they felt supernatural forces would transform their lives. The garments of priests and royalty were dyed with Lapis to indicate their status as gods themselves.

In ancient Persia and pre-Columbian America, Lapis Lazuli was a symbol of the starry night, and a favorite stone of the Islamic Orient for protection from the evil eye. Lapis was much used in Greek and Roman times as an ornamental stone, and in medieval Europe, Lapis Lazuli, resembling the blue of the heavens, was believed to counteract the wiles of the spirits of darkness and procure the aid and favor of the spirits of light and wisdom. Ground and processed into powder, it produced the intense, but expensive, ultramarine color favored by the painter, Michelangelo. Buddhists recommended Lapis as a stone to bring inner peace and freedom from negative thought, and during the Renaissance, Catherine the Great adorned an entire room in her palace with Lapis Lazuli walls, fireplaces, doors and mirror frames.

Lapis Lazuli Purposes

Lapis is an excellent stone for executives, journalists, and psychologists, stimulating wisdom and good judgment in the practical world. It aids intellectual analysis in archeologists and historians, problem solving for lawyers, and creates new ideas for inventors and writers.

Lapis Lazuli is a powerful crystal for activating the higher mind and enhancing intellectual ability. It stimulates the desire for knowledge, truth and understanding, and aids the process of learning. It is excellent for enhancing memory.  

A stone of truth, Lapis encourages honesty of the spirit, and in the spoken and written word. Wear it for all forms of deep communication. It is also a stone of friendship and brings harmony in relationships. A Lapis grid brings calm and loving communication for a home with temperamental teenagers, or children with Asperger's syndrome, autism, or attention-deficit disorder.

For fame in a creative or public performance-related area, wear or carry Lapis Lazuli to auditions. In the workplace, it attracts promotion, success and lasting recognition in your field

Lapis Lazuli Physical Healing Energy

Lapis Lazuli is beneficial to the throat, larynx, and vocal chords, and helps regulate the endocrine and thyroid glands It overcomes hearing loss and other problems with ear and nasal passages.

Lapis Lazuli enhances circulation and improves cardiac rhythm. It reduces vertigo and lowers blood pressure, and is thought to alleviate insomnia.

Relieve oozing or septic sties, and other eye infections, by rubbing the area with a piece of Lapis heated in warm water. Once cooled, the water can then be used for an eye bath. A Lapis heated in sunlight, reduces bruising and is good for skin problems and insect bites.

Lapis is beneficial for women suffering from menstrual irregularities, and relieves cramps, stiffness and lumbago. Lapis Lazuli relieves general pain and inflammations, and is especially effective against migraine headaches. It aids the nervous system and brain disorders, and is believed to help with attention-deficit, autism and Asperger's syndrome.

Lapis Lazuli Emotional Healing Energy

Lapis Lazuli is a crystal of truth in all aspects. It reveals inner truth, and promotes self-awareness and the acceptance of that knowledge. It provides for the relief of things that may have been suppressed and allows for them to surface, helping to diminish dis-ease or repressed anger, and allows for self-expression without holding back or compromising.

Lapis encourages dignity in friendship and social ability. It encourages the qualities of honesty, compassion and uprightness when dealing with others. It provides an awareness of one's motivations and beliefs, and gives a clearer perspective of one's whole life. It reveals not only one's limitations, but the opportunities for growth and to utilize one's gifts and abilities.

Lapis Lazuli Chakra Healing and Balancing Energy

Lapis Lazuli activates the psychic centers at the Third Eye, and balances the energies of the Throat Chakra.

The Brow Chakra, also called the Third Eye, is the center of our perception and command. It directs our sight and everyday awareness of the world. Our consciousness is located here, and we relate to ourselves through this chakra.

It balances the important and the unimportant, sorting meaning from data and impressions. It commands the energy flow within the body. When the brow chakra is in balance we see clearly and understand what we see. We can interpret visual cues and our perception is high. Our thoughts and internal communications within ourselves are healthy and vibrant. We are open to new ideas, dreams, and visions. We can be quietly observant, and reflective. We can control the flow of energy within all the chakras.

The Throat Chakra is the voice of the body, 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. In balance, it allows for the expression of what we think and what we feel. We can communicate our ideas, beliefs, and emotions. When the throat chakra is in balance and open, we can bring 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. The darker shades of blue carry the power of truth. 

Lapis Lazuli Spiritual Energy

Lapis is one of the oldest spiritual stones known to man, used by healers, priests and royalty, for power, wisdom and to stimulate psychic abilities and inner vision. It represents universal truth.

Lapis quickly releases stress, allowing for peace and serenity. Placed over the third eye, Lapis expands awareness and conscious attunement to the intuitive self, stimulating enlightenment and enhancing dream work. It permits spiritual journeying, and tapping into personal and spiritual power. Lapis provides a connection with dream forces that are working to both guide and counsel during altered states.

As a protection stone, Lapis Lazuli recognizes psychic attack and blocks it, returning the energy back to its source.

Meditation with Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is a visionary stone, bringing information to the mind in images rather than words. It can be a catalyst for higher awareness, and often aids those with past-life connections to ancient civilizations - Atlantis, Egypt, Peru, Sumeria and India, among others. Meditating with this stone can assist in recovering memories of those Lapis Lazuli past lives, help regain lost knowledge from those civilizations, and inspire evolution in the current incarnation.

Lapis Lazuli Divination

The Divinatory meaning of Lapis Lazuli: It is the right time to get yourself noticed in a positive way; a high-profile presentation of your talents is the key.

Dreaming of Lapis Lazuli signifies faithful love

Lapis Lazuli honors Athena, the Greek Goddess of War and Wisdom. She is always depicted in armor and is known as a skilled fighter and strategist, and for her superb logic and intellect.

Lapis Lazuli honors Hera, the Greek Goddess of Marriage, and the Queen of all Gods and Goddesses on Mt Olympus. She is a source of inspiration for wives and lovers, and for standing up for what is right.

Lapis Lazuli honors Inanna, the Sumerian Goddess of the Underworld. She journeys into the underworld carrying her Lapis Lazuli rods and measures time and the length of a person's life.

Lapis Lazuli honors Nuit, the Egyptian Goddess of Heaven and Sky. She swallows the sun each evening, and gives birth to it again each morning. She is the protector and mother of life on Earth.

Lapis Lazuli honors Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love (also called Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty). She was one of twelve Olympians who governed all aspects of human life, and is known for her beauty and passion.

Lapis Lazuli is also used in devotions to Dana (Danu), the Celtic River Goddess.

Lapis Lazuli - Zodiac Stone of Sagattarius

Lapis is associated with the planets Neptune and Venus, but primarily with Sagittarus (21 Nov - 21 Dec). Wikipedia tells us that as the ninth sign in the zodiac, Sagittarius is associated with the astrological 9th house, and natural Sagittarian matters - foreign travel and foreign countries and cultures, religion, the law and higher education, all things which seek to expand one's experience, freedom, and journeys. 

Lapis Lazuli Amulets and Talismans

Lapis Lazuli is a valuable talisman for gaining respect, keeping negative energy away, and for helping us to remember to be humble in our dealings with others.

Lapis Lazuli is an Enhancer Filter crystal. Enhancers have internal crystal lattices of perfect cubic symmetry and internal harmony. As "building block" talismans, their internal structure helps focus our efforts to build on our successes and enhance our lives. They concentrate our energy on the improvements we desire and thought patterns that will produce the actions needed to bring them about.

Crystals with the earth power of a Filter, absorb positive energy flow but work to keep negative energy away from us. They help us view the world in a "glass half full" outlook, to see the best in others, the beauty in life, and the good in humanity. They keep us focused on the positive in situations and to not be overwhelmed by the negative. In our technological world, Filters also work to keep harmful electromagnetic transmissions from sapping our energy and health.

When found in a lighter blue color, Lapis is a superb talisman for finding peace and calmness through acceptance and enjoyment of the earth's bounty. 

Lapis Lazuli in Ancient Lore and Legend

Lapis Lazuli was considered a cure for melancholy and for "quartern fever," an intermittent fever returning each third day, or fourth day counting in the previous attack. It was also said to cure apoplexies, epilepsies, diseases of the spleen, and dementia. It was worn around the neck as an amulet to drive away frights from children, strengthened sight, prevented fainting and abortion if taken near the time of delivery.

Lapis Lazuli was used extensively in ancient Egypt and Assyria for amulets carved with various symbols, scarab seals, signets and cylinder seals. It was the material for the image of Truth (Ma), which the Egyptian chief-justice and High Priest wore around his neck suspended with a gold chain.

The earliest recorded instances of semi-precious stones used for religious purposes comes from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, a ritual ceremony for safe passage and protection from evil for their deceased. Lapis Lazuli, named chesbet by the Egyptians, was used in many amulets to be placed on the body, including the tet, a mason's table symbol placed on the neck for protection, and the ab, heart, regarded as the seat of life and placed in its own receptacle. It could only be reunited with the body after being weighed in the balance of the underworld. Two special chapters were engraved on Lapis Lazuli, the 26th chapter referencing the heart, and the 140th chapter on the symbolic eye, made from Lapis and ornamented in gold. It was an amulet of great power, and an offering was to be made to this symbol to the supreme god Ra.

In Assyrian texts, the uknu, Lapis Lazuli, was one of the seven gemstones placed in an ornament to be worn on the breast of the king as an amulet. Its power was so great it was believed to constitute an ornament for the gods as well. In the Gilgamesh epic of the Babylonians, legends tell of trees which grow precious stones, and Lapis Lazuli grows from its crown. Lapis Lazuli ornamented the yellow girdles worn by Chinese emperors of the Manchu dynasty for the services in the Temple of Heaven.

In Summerian mythology, the goddess Inanna (a forerunner of Aphrodite and Venus) journeyed into the underworld carrying Lapis Lazuli rods and measured time and the length of a person's life. It was believed crystals were the flesh of the gods and that the gods were crystal beings.

One legend holds that King Solomon was given a special Lapis ring by an angel of the Lord that allowed him to control legions of demons which he used to build his temple.

Ancient Egyptians believed the soul existed in the mind and was housed in the brain, and Lapis blue was a mental healer and soul purifier. Lapis was used to purge the soul of demonic possession by pulverizing the stone, mixing it with gold, making it into a poultice and placing it on the crown of the head. As it dried it would draw out the demons. In extreme cases, a small hole was drilled in the skull and the mixture was poured into the head.