Carnelian is also called the sardine stone since it is similar to sard, or sardius, which is a little harder and darker.
Found in: Brazil, Germany, India, Madagascar, Namibia, Siberia, Uruguay, USA
Named for: Carnelian, which used to be called cornelian, gets its name from the Latin word carneus meaning “of the flesh” or from the Cornel cherry, due to its color. Sardius is derived from the Latin word sarda meaning “Sardinian” and the Greek word sardios, which referred to the ancient capital of the city Lydia in what is now Turkey (formerly Asia Minor).
• Bible •
Carnelian is mentioned in the newer versions of the Bible.
Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. The first row shall be carnelian . . . Exodus 28:17 (New International Version)
Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian . . . Exodus 39:10 (NIV)
You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian . . . Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. Ezekiel 28:13 (NIV)
Sardius, which is a name for carnelian from antiquity, appears in Exodus and also in Ezekiel in the King James Version in the same place as carnelian is positioned in the breastplate of the high priest:
And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius . . . this shall be the first row. Exodus 28:17 (KJV)
And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius . . . this was the first row. Exodus 39:10 (KJV)
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius . . . the workmanship of thy tablets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Ezekiel 28:13 (KJV)
. . . the sixth, sardius . . . Revelation 21:20 (KJV)
The Bible also mentions the sardine stone, which was another name that was used for carnelian:
And he that sat was to look upon like . . . a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne. Revelation 4:3 (KJV)
• Cayce Readings •
Carnelian is not found in the readings, but sardius is mentioned in one document.
. . . the stones the entity should have about same, is the sardius—for this gives for an influence as may be best made in the entity’s influence to understand those laws as apply to man’s relationships to the higher forces.
1714-1
More on Carnelian
The oldest named form of silicon dioxide other than quartz, sardius—or carnelian—is an ancient stone that was referred to as sardon (from the Sardon Mountains) in the Middle Ages. Sard is similar to agate without banding, while carnelian, also called red-banded agate, is an orange stone with white bands.
Orange Ray
Color has a profound influence on people, and gems are an excellent way to work with color in your life.
Several years ago, I started experimenting with color by painting the walls in my office outrageous colors, including bright orange and taxicab yellow. After several months, I finally settled on a bright purple.
I happen to love the color purple because it resonates with the third eye and brings an ethereal feeling of relaxation to any space. The trouble with having purple walls was that I wasn’t getting any work accomplished! I was so relaxed that for a long time, I was not consciously aware of what was happening.
The first “clue” I had that something was off was when I bought myself a bag of carnelian stones. I have always loved carnelian and have used it successfully to stimulate creativity.
I put the stones in a container and placed them on my desk. I immediately noticed an increase in energy, which translated into several projects finally becoming completed.
Carnelian vibrates at the frequency of the orange ray, opening up the sacral chakra and stimulating creativity.
Creativity comes in many forms. You may not be an artist, singer, or writer, but you may have the energy for creating projects in business. You may be an inventor of some amazing new technology or an innovator whose brilliant ideas can transform an old industry into something for the twenty-first century. You may have a gift for working with people and bringing them together for a common cause. Whatever your talent and whatever makes your heart sing, carnelian will open up the necessary energetic channels, making life force available so that you will achieve completion on any project or higher calling.
Once I became fully aware of the fact that my purple walls were causing me to lollygag around, I changed the color and transformed myself back into a productive state. I owe that positive change to the marvelous carnelian stone!
Sard in Ancient Times
Sard is an ancient stone that has been used for eons by many different cultures and civilizations. Persian carnelian adorned the Taj Mahal, and Roman soldiers believed the stone gave them courage in battle. Even the people in ancient times could sense the creative energy of sard.
Allergy Relief
I discovered by accident another surprising use for the carnelian stone. Carnelian can help with allergies. Several years ago, a friend of mine said she felt the carnelian stone clear out her sinuses, so I tried it and found it helped me, also. Since then, I have told people about this attribute and have found that many of my students concur with the benefit.
Fading with Use
In the previous chapter, I mentioned that like the bloodstone, carnelian is the only other stone in the mineral kingdom that I have personally seen fade in color after using it for healing. I have experienced this occurrence firsthand with several different pieces of carnelian over the years. Whereas the bloodstones have successfully assisted several people I’ve worked with, the fading carnelian seems more like a personal phenomenon for me. An example of this experience would be like taking the Cayce advice from the readings, knowing that it had helped one person. I believe I have a spiritual connection to carnelian, needing the energy from the stone for some vibrational reason, which causes it to fade for me.
When I described the changing color of bloodstones earlier, I should explain that the fading has never happened when I have personally worked with those stones. My energy has never caused a bloodstone to fade from its green color.
Using carnelian is another story for me. Perhaps my writing causes me to absorb the energy from these stones. When meditating with carnelians, I’ve noticed that when I use them overnight and sleep with them in the bed, they are often paler in the morning than when I started. Somehow they are allowing me to use them for a boost in energy, for which I am eternally grateful.
So far, I have not received reports about this phenomenon from other people because it is not something I have discussed until now. If you work with carnelian and find that it is fading on you, bless the stone for allowing you to use its energy, and then feel free to let me know by email! I am sure other people might have had the same experience. I believe that I use the stone for creativity, but other people might use carnelian for other situations or qualities.
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