Agate: Varieties, Magic and Folklore

Agate is a chalcedony, a compact, microcrystalline form of quartz (made of silica).

It is a beautiful mineral which can contain a wide spectrum of colors, from white to green to blue to red. Each color corresponds with a property of the stone, of which they are many. Since ancient times this stone has been considered sacred. It was often used as a lucky charm, and stones with parallel lines of different colors were especially popular. Even in some modern countries, agate pendants are given as a lucky charm to newborns.

Agate may often have bits of quartz crystal or amethyst in it and may have a geode inside if you break it open. Agate also has characteristic banding which is visible when it is cut or broken open. The rock was named by Theophrastus, a Greek philosopher, who collected agates from the Achates River in the 3rd or 4th century BCE.

Agate is rated 7.0 on Moh’s hardness scale.

What is it and what does it look like?

Agate is a chalcedony: a compact, microcrystalline form of quartz (made of silica).

Where can you find it?

They are found in pockets of rock, most commonly in lava and metamorphic rocks. They are formed when vapor vesicles (pockets) become filled with silica deposits. Agate can have bits of quartz crystal or amethyst in it and may have a geode inside if you break it open. Agate also has characteristic banding which is visible when it is cut or broken open.

Where does it come from?

Today, most agate comes from deposits in Uruguay and Brazil.

Magic and folklore

• Agate rings were popular among Persian magi and were used in jewelry in Babylon.
• The stone is purported to have the power to cure poison, especially from bites and stings, soothe the mind, prevent the spread of disease, calm rough weather, promote eloquence, help ensure the good will of others and grant victory.
• Placed on the head of a sleeper, agate induces fantastic dreams. It is also used in charms for love, mental clarity and good luck in card games.
• Agate is the stone for the 12th and 14th anniversaries and is an unofficial birthmonth stone for May and June.
• The Greeks and Romans attached an agate to their plow or carried it on their person to make the earth fertile.
• According to the ancients, a man who wore an agate would conquer the heart of their desired partner and would be protected by divine favor. Agate was said to strengthen a couple’s fidelity.
• Indians, Nepalese and Tibetans considered this stone to be a protective and lucky charm so frequently used it as an amulet.
• Agate is the protective stone of gardeners. If this stone is worn while gardening, it increases the fertility and health of the garden.
• The properties of agate make it a viable luck charm for when you’re searching for a job.
• Pliny considered it effective against spider bites and scorpion stings.
• When used in meditation, it heightens concentration and clairvoyance.
• Agate is a protective stone so is useful for travel, by sea or by air. Its protective properties also allow it to be used as an amulet that protects from evil and disease, protects the house from accidents, keeps lightning and storms away and safeguards children.
• Due to its versatility, agate was considered by the ancient peoples of the world to be an emblem of the infinite manifestations of the supernatural.
• The properties of agate attract luck, abundance, health, longevity, wealth and help to find hidden treasures. It helps those who fear deprivation and poverty because it encourages abundance.
• Agate can protect your home. Before going to sleep, hold an agate quartz in your open hand, walking along the house first in length, then in width, forming a cross; this will protect the house from thieves and dangers.
• Agate can be used in the spells concerning gardening, luck, money, rooting, connecting with the Earth, healing, strength, courage, longevity, stimulating the manifestation of supernatural events, finding employment, acceptance of change, peace, harmony, concentration , clairvoyance, acceptance of one’s body, love, spells for truth, spells to receive favors, friendship, and eloquence.
• It is widely used in protection spells: protection from the evil eye, protection from wickedness, protection from insect bites and snake bites, protection from bad luck, protection from demons and possessions, or for protecting and harmonizing an environment

It is associated with Gemini, Taurus, Virgo, Libra, Capricorn, and the planet Mercury.

Can agate go in water?

Yes, it can. Actually, water is one of the recommended elements to use when cleansing the stone before use. Fire, on the other hand, should be avoided. To charge your agate, using lunar energy is the best option.

What is agate good for?

For protection

An agate stone is good for protection of the spirit and its energy. It creates a protective shield around us while removing negativity at the same time.

For energy

This stone is also a powerful energizer that raises the level of life force, so when you feel a bit down and when your energy is off, you can use agate to raise your vibrations and feel better.

For harmony and balance

This mineral has excellent balancing properties that can help you find harmony in your body, mind and spirit. If any negativity shows up, agate is a great help when cleansing your aura and when transforming negative energy into positive energy.

For mental sharpness

This stone is also useful for boosting focus, concentration and perception. You can also use it to see things clearly and from a more rational perspective. If a soul is in turmoil, agate can help fix this with its soothing and calming properties, helping to heal emotional wounds so you can regain inner stability and harmony. When struggling with a hurtful situation, agate can help you see things from a different point of view while protecting you from negativity and from having your energy drained.

Other Uses

Agate is both hard and beautiful. It is used extensively in jewelry and also for mortars and pestles. It has also been used to make leather burnishing tools.

The properties of agate protect the user’s aura and environment, which is ideal for protecting and harmonizing homes, offices, places frequented by the public or places furnished with unhealthy materials. The vibrations of a geode or an agate druse cleanse a room of negative influences: for the etheric cleaning of a room, four “slices” of natural agate can be placed in the center of each wall near a window (so that tensions, anxieties and rivalries can be neutralized).

Necklaces made from agate can be used to protect children; it makes those who wear it lovable and pleasant, guarantees the support of the powerful, helps the wearer adapt to new environments and to live more comfortably in their current environment.

It is the most suitable stone for when you need to focus on a current situation. It helps to transform ideas into actions, allows you to be more concentrated and balanced, and pushes you to think more clearly by making you more insightful.

Which zodiac sign is associated with it?

Agate is the stone of the Air sign Gemini. Gemini has qualities of intelligence, logic and communication, while it is limited by impatience and the tendency to hide one’s sensitivity and defects, sometimes appearing detached.

The use of this agate helps the natives of the sign of Gemini to open up to others with serenity and optimism, overcoming anxieties and fears.

Varieties

Agate comes in many colors. Blue, green and brown are most often seen.

• Blue Agate – Promotes communication with the spiritual realm
• Green Agate – Recommended for spiritual purification and detoxification processes
• Black Agate – defends against negative influences
• Brown Agate – helps you stay grounded and enhance your connection with the Earth
• Blue Lace Agate – Bands of translucent blue and white
• Brecciated Agate – Agate that has broken but been cemented together with quartz
• Eye Agate – The banded rings look like an eye
• Fire Agate– Iridescent with red inclusions
• Fortification Agate or Dry Head agate – the bands look like the corners of an old fortress
• Moss Agate or Tree Agate – a Dendritic Agate- Rather than the usual stripes, the inclusions look blotchy, like moss growing on a rock
• Onyx – Black and white banded agate
• Petrified Wood– When a piece of wood is trapped inside a lava flow and decays and the space it has left is replaced by agate, you get this!
• Sardonyx – Reddish brown and white banded agate.
• Scenic Agate – another dentritic agate. The inclusions form a pattern suggesting a landscape.
• Snakeskin Agate– Has a snakeskin like pattern

What chakras are connected with agate?

Agate is connected to the first chakra (root chakra) and to the second chakra (sacral chakra) depending on the color. It can also interact with the solar plexus (third chakra).