Polished blue lace agate
Blue lace agate, like chrysoprase from the previous entry, is a member of the chalcedony family of silicates. Characterized by beautifully soft bands of shades of powdery blue, this variety of agate emits an undeniable tranquil and pacifying energy. Perhaps because its gentle hue suggests cloudy skies or the gentle rippling waves of the ocean, the blue colour of this stone envelopes us in a calming state and works to subdue anxiety and stress. Despite the softness of its colour, blue lace agate is extremely nurturing and strong, lending stability to the space of peace.
Vishuddha Chakra
Blue lace agate resonates with Vishuddha Chakra—the Throat and Thyroid. This is our seat of sonic expression and communication. It is through the throat that we express thoughts into sound, releasing into the world our unique insight and perception. The layered rings of blue lace agate link strongly with the notion of vibration, one of the primary energetic signatures of the Throat Chakra. Vishuddha—which means especially pure—is represented by the Blue Ray of Peace and Tranquility. When working with the energy of this chakra imagine the ripples of a pond or the waves of the sea that gently reverberate from an epicenter and travel outward to reach the shore. The sand of the beach is washed smooth by the waves of water in much the same way sonic sine waves can work to calibrate an energetic field. The vibration of sound works to gently dismantle any energetic structure the frequency of which is not in harmony with the therapeutic sound. The layered structure of blue lace agate is especially pertinent when considering it in relation to the structure of the auric body. The human energy field is similarly composed of energetic layers—or subtle bodies—extending up to six feet, or more, from the physical body. These energy bodies have varying densities and signatures. Within the first six inches of the skin is the energetic component of the physical body. This is the most dense layer of the auric field, and it is through this layer that physical pathology manifests into the human body. Next is the emotional body where our experiences, hopes, fears, or trauma can exist. It can often be convoluted by physical symptoms of the body, and vice versa, because the transition between it and the physical body is extremely permeable. The emotional body gives way to the mental body. This is the layer of our mind and intellect—the Genius. We often are taught to believe that our mind exists within our brain, when, in reality, the mind is not as individual as the body. It is not as ruled by Ego and its boundaries are not so clearly defined, hence the Jungian idea of the Collective Subconscious. As sentient beings, our symbols, myths, dreams, and ideas exist as part of a magnificent nebulous collective from which we draw and to which we contribute. No thought or idea manifests from nowhere, likewise, they do not vanish. They coalesce and form archetypes and egregors. Finally, the mental body dissipates into the most ethereal and extra-dimensional of the energy bodies—the spiritual body. The spiritual body, much like the notion of the soul, can be massive like a flowing river. It is transpersonal in nature, transcending time and space and provides links to other realms and beings beyond what we know in the three-dimensional world our bodies live in. As we move from the physical body to the spiritual we experience and acquaint ourselves with what I like to call our Meta-Being. The structure of these expanding bodies can be likened, to an extent, to the rings of agate within a geode. The energy body, however, doesn’t possess a defined boundary like the outer surface of the geode. Rather, it flows infinitely, reaching and sharing tendrils into a great collective ocean.
Agate geode
Blue lace agate links us with primordial Tefnut—the ancient Egyptian goddess of morning dew and rain. To a desert culture, this was a precious natural occurance around which sprung an entire mythology. One of Egypt’s earliest deities, Tefnut was the moisture of Shu—the air and sky—condensed into liquid form. This primordial liquid was pure, life-giving, and sustaining. The goddess’ moisture descended through the atmospheric layers—reflected in the blue bands of the agate—and manifested into something beautiful and nourishing for the physical world. The great watery realm of the Collective Subconscious—where swim the figures of myth and magick—also seethes with potentiality. The astral realm is the birthplace of anything that comes to be in the physical world which is why thoughts and intention are so crucial to the manifestation process. Once the thought-form—the seed—has been planted in the astral, the metaphoric tide will ebb to reveal the fruits of the mental intention, likewise do the clouds, heavy with rain from condensed vapour—the element of Air—the Mind—come to shed the moisture of Tefnut upon the Earth—Malkuth—the Middle Kingdom. Rain is the catalyst for growth and renewal. The watery associations with blue lace agate also bring to mind the Aztec goddess Chalchiuhtlicue—the verdant goddess of fresh flowing water. She is the rivers and streams seeking the great ocean and watering the earth and its creatures along the way. She is also the energy of baptism—of using water as the great Initiator to make the transition from one stage of a journey to another—to proverbially wash clean—not because of sinfulness or shame—but simply to provide a fresh slate for the new experience. In Tarot this is the energy of Trump 0—the Fool—setting foot on a new path, seeking truth. For me at this time, Chalchiuhtlicue is the fresh April rain washing over and fertilizing future growth. She and her waters can be called upon to flow into your life and bring about a spring baptism.
Chalchiuhtlicue – Aztec goddess of flowing waters
To experience this energy further go out for a spring walk and collect some fresh water from a natural spring or brook. You could also collect rainwater from a storm, or certainly some water from the ocean. Water is extremely receptive to psychic intention so this ritually collected water has the potential to be used in a variety of magical ways. If you have a desired outcome or energetic shift to accomplish in the spring season you can write your intention out on paper—be as specific as possible— and attach the paper to the glass jar in which you’ve collected the water. Always use glass when using water in this way. Plastic has a very permeable and convoluted energy that will transfer into the water. Glass causes nearly no energetic interference since it is more naturally derived. You could even paint your intention in the form of a sigil or mandala upon the jar itself. The more creative you are, the more you infuse your intention into the work. You can charge the water beneath the light of the moon to purify and charge it. You can also encode it with crystal energy by placing a blue lace agate—or another stone or crystal—in the water to create a gem elixir, infusing it with its unique energy that will work to amplify your intention. When creating gem elixirs in water use caution when deciding what stones or crystals to use. Some crystals—such as selenite—are soft in terms of the Mohs hardness scale and will begin to absorb water molecules and disintegrate. Others can even be potentially toxic if consumed in large quantity. While intuition is important when working with crystals and stones, always research the scientific properties of them as well just to be sure. I prefer to only use members of the quartz silicate family in water elixirs. Their hardness—approximately 7 on the Mohs scale—is such to prevent them from being tarnished by being placed directly in water and they also will have no unwanted reaction with the water itself. One last suggestion is to place the water in a crystal singing bowl. When the tone of the specific bowl is played the water will become encoded with the energetic frequency of the harmonic tone. Once you’ve infused the water with intention in a way creative and meaningful to you, place the water in a bath in which you can relax and allow the unique energetic signature to permeate your auric field. This brings the influence of the water, crystals, and anything else used in the magical working directly into your life in a very palpable way that you will begin to feel immediately. If the water was collected from a fresh spring that is safe for consumption you could drink the water as well. You could also use it to water your plants to provide them with the special magical energy you’ve created.
Whatever your specific intention, enjoy the tranquil, purifying energies of the April rain. Should you choose to work with blue lace agate during this season may it bring you creativity, peace, and the freedom to express your inner vision and take the steps to bring that inner vision into your day-to-day reality. This is the energy of Vishuddha Chakra that allows us to vibrate—not just with our voices, but our entire being—to the frequency of our own unique authenticity. If we’re willing to lend this voice to the collective song we will begin to shift the planetary frequency by leaps and bounds during this very auspicious time. Blue lace agate holds the energetic promise of the peace and bliss of the New Aeon of which we are standing on the threshold. It’s up to each of us to find strength and uphold our integrity to empower ourselves to step into this light.
AIN SOPH Wellness 