To Travel Beyond the Green Earth
To visit new worlds without worry or fear, While your body remains at the place of your birth, The spirit can travel beyond the green Earth.
To the stars and beyond, your soul must soar As I stand loving watch at the spirit door.
There's something profoundly grounding about garnet, and yet, paradoxically, it's known as a stone that facilitates spiritual travel. Perhaps that's the secret: to journey far, we must first be anchored. Garnet offers both.
The Many Faces of Garnet
While most people picture the deep, wine-red stone when they hear "garnet," this remarkable gem actually comes in a stunning variety of colors:
- Pyrope: The classic deep red, like drops of pomegranate wine
- Almandine: Rich burgundy with hints of violet
- Rhodolite: Raspberry pink to purple-red
- Tsavorite: Vivid, emerald-like green
- Spessartine: Warm orange to reddish-brown
- Demantoid: Rare, brilliant green with exceptional fire
Each variety carries its own energy, though red garnet remains the most beloved and storied.
Lady Garnet: Keeper of Deep Mysteries
Down through the ages, red garnet has been linked to romantic love and passion, augmenting the sensual and even sexual within us. Lady Garnet knows the deep mysteries of intimacy and is therefore prized by lovers and those who wish to attract a lover.
But her gifts extend far beyond matters of the heart:
Passion and Vitality
Garnet is a stone of life force. It stirs the blood, awakens desire, and reminds us that we are alive, gloriously, vibrantly alive. When you feel depleted or disconnected from your own vitality, garnet calls you back to yourself.
Positive Thoughts and Inspiration
She grants us positive thoughts and inspiration as part of her general energizing effect. Artists, writers, and creators of all kinds have long kept garnet close, trusting in its ability to spark the creative fire and sustain it through the long work of bringing visions to life.
Ancient Memories and Past Lives
This stone promotes the summoning up of ancient memories and therefore aids us in recovering memories of past life incarnations. For those who practice meditation, past-life regression, or simply wish to understand the deeper patterns of their soul's journey, garnet serves as a gentle guide through the veils of time.
Success and Confidence
Red garnet is also associated with career success, social popularity, and self-confidence. It's a stone that says "yes" to life: yes to opportunity, yes to connection, yes to stepping fully into your power.
Garnet Through History
The name "garnet" comes from the Latin granatum, meaning pomegranate, and indeed, clusters of red garnet crystals look remarkably like the jeweled seeds of that ancient fruit.
Garnets have been treasured for over 5,000 years:
- Ancient Egyptians placed garnets in the tombs of pharaohs
- Roman signet rings were carved from garnet for sealing important documents
- Medieval travelers carried garnet as protection against accidents far from home
- Victorian mourning jewelry often featured deep red garnets
The Victorians particularly loved garnet, setting it in elaborate brooches, rings, and necklaces. They understood what ancient peoples knew: this stone carries both passion and protection.
The Spirit Door
What draws me most to garnet is its role as guardian of the spirit door, that threshold between the physical and the metaphysical, between the known and the mysterious.
When we wear garnet, we carry a reminder that we are more than our bodies, more than our daily concerns. We are souls on a journey, capable of traveling to the stars and beyond while remaining safely tethered to this beautiful Earth.
Caring for Your Garnet
Garnet is relatively durable (6.5-7.5 on the Mohs scale), but still deserves gentle care:
- Clean with warm, soapy water and a soft brush
- Avoid sudden temperature changes
- Store separately from harder stones
- Remove before strenuous activity
Garnet in My Work
I love setting garnets in sterling silver. The cool metal provides a beautiful contrast to the stone's inner fire. Whether in a simple pendant that rests near the heart or in earrings that catch the light with every movement, garnet brings warmth and intention to every piece.
For those drawn to garnet's energy, I often suggest wearing it during times of transition, when you need both courage and grounding. It's also a meaningful choice for January birthdays or for celebrating a second wedding anniversary.
Interested in a custom garnet piece? Contact me to discuss your vision. Each stone is hand-selected for its unique beauty and energy.
