The moon always seems magical, an ever-changing glowing orb overhead. On the night of April 15th, a rare lunar eclipse created an even more supernatural effect, turning the moon blood red as the sun’s rays refracted through Earth’s atmosphere (see photos and footage from NASA).
It may be this sense of magic and wonder that’s made cultures around the world revere the moon, and the moonstone. This glowing silvery white gem looks like the moon itself; in fact, the Romans believed it was formed from drops of moonlight, and Hindu legend claims it was created by moonbeams. Other lore about the moonstone abounds:
- In India, people believe it brings good fortune.
- In some Arab cultures, it’s considered a symbol of fertility. Women even used to sew moonstones into their undergarments in hope of conceiving a child.
- Some hold moonstone as a sort of talisman, believing that it offers protection on land and at sea
- In many cultures, moonstone is thought to possess the same qualities as the moon: romance, femininity, intuition, dreams, emotion and love.
Moonstone birthstone of June is almost always associated in some way with lovers, as it is said to awaken love and tender thoughts. It’s believed that lovers who hold a moonstone in their hands can foretell the future of their relationship, and that anyone who gives a moonstone necklace when the moon is full ensures a passionate relationship for life.
And though a present of moonstones during a lunar eclipse may have even more magical properties, eclipses won’t occur again until Oct. 8, 2014; April 4, 2015; and Sept. 28, 2015. Full moons, though, come around each month (find the next full moon), and truly, though moonstone’s lore is associated with the night sky, its mysterious beauty is plain to see every day, in moonlight or sunlight.
