I'm just in love with carnelian, I love the warmth of the colour along with the variety of colour and quite often banding that you can find, it makes my heart sing. It could also be that carnelian has it's own high energy, full of life force and vibrating at a high frequency and with the right intention can aid with your own holistic healing. You can find yourself drawn to it at a particular time when you need it most. Its bold energy brings a rush of warmth and joy that lingers, stimulating and empowering. Carnelian is a stabilizing crystal, perfect for anchoring in the present. Its high energy helps restore lost vitality and motivation Known as a stone of motivation and endurance, leadership and courage, carnelian has protected and inspired throughout history.
A glassy, translucent stone, carnelian is an orange-coloured variety of chalcedony, a mineral of the Quartz family. Its colour varies from pale pinkish-orange to a deep rusty brown, though it is most known for its brilliant orange and red-orange crystals. Its name comes from a Latin word meaning “flesh.” The ancient Egyptians called carnelian “the setting sun.” Being a member of the quartz family it is 7 on the Mohs hardness scale which ranges 1-10.
Carnelian is a stabilising stone, it restores vitality and motivation and can stimulate creativity. It can give courage and help to promote positive life choices, dispels apathy and could motivate you to succeed. Carnelian has been used for overcoming abuse of any kind and can help you to trust yourself and your perceptions, if combined with the healing and restorative powers of silver it is known to amplify the property of the gemstone. It has been known to help with healing lower back problems, rheumatism, arthritis, neuralgia, and accelerates healing in bones and ligaments. It aids the relief of depression, especially in those of advanced years. It can be used to help provide an excellent support for detoxifying from alcohol or other drugs, breaking bad physical habits, and for improving overall health in general, sounds like a perfect candidate to have as a pocket crystal or pendant to be on hand when you really need it.
Ancient Warriors wore carnelian around their neck for courage and physical power to conquer their enemies. In Egypt it was worn by master architects to show their rank of builder, and alchemists of the Middle Ages used it as a boiling stone to activate the energy of other chalcedonies.
Used as a professional support crystal, carnelian is said to aid architects, builders and construction workers in their creation of master buildings, as with the Egyptians, stimulates power and stamina in athletes and military personnel, establishes form and organization in journalists, and stimulates motivation in salespersons.
Orange carnelian brings joy and friendship, pleasure, and family togetherness. It is a happy and sharing stone, integrating the parts of our communal lives, bringing things and people together. It is a stone of physical pleasure and intimacy. In lighter shades, orange carnelian promotes companionship and affection, while the darker crystals deepen the sense of belonging and home.
Carnelian, in shades of scarlet, combines the energy of the pure red ray, and the exuberance and joy of the orange. It is the colour of strength and vitality, both physical and spiritual. Scarlet crystals help overcome fear and improve self-reliance, and are the crystals of victory, success, and skill. Lighter shades of scarlet, the lightly tinted red-oranges, are excellent talismans of dedication in young relationships. They combine the pink energy of romantic love with the light orange energy of contentment with family and friends. Deep scarlet crystals are the key to the physical pleasures of maturity – in love, in life, and in relationships. Muted with brown, deep scarlet carnelian gives us the natural sources of energy to enjoy life’s pleasures that extend past the joyfulness of youth.
Red carnelian brings a self-confidence built on fearlessness. It reflects the colour of passion, energy, and life. It motivates. It is a very strong colour – the colour of fire and blood. Dark Red crystals embody strong, deep feelings, durable energy and quiet passion. It is a masculine colour, particularly useful for increasing devotion and seeing the seriousness of life.
Carnelian, in its beautiful shades of orange, stimulates the sacral Chakra or second Chakra, located below the naval and above the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. It controls the flow of energy and is the centre of gravity of the body. It is the centre of the Life Force of the body, and controls the flow of information from the body to the mind and from the mind to the body.
Gut feelings, intuition, and other “non-linear” communication comes from this chakra. When it is out of balance the symptoms will manifest themselves as confusion, over dependency on others, repression of feelings, inability to feel joy, fear of sensuality or sex, and frustration. When it is in balance you have grace, feel pleasure in life, find you are flexible and can “go with the flow” and do so in good spirit.
Carnelian, in shades of red, is also a powerful ally in healing base Chakra blockages and traumas, aiding one in recovering vital information about oneself and one’s purpose on Earth. The Base, or Root Chakra, is located at the base of the spine, and controls the energy for kinaesthetic feeling and movement. It is the foundation of physical and spiritual energy for the body. When physically out of balance the symptoms will manifest themselves as lethargy, low levels of activity, low enthusiasm, and a need for constant stimulation. When the Base Chakra is in balance, the physical body regains its strength and stamina, and spiritual energy is rekindled in the form of security and sense of one’s own power. It often leads to independence and spontaneous leadership.