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Moss Agate Properties

ORE's Featured Gemstone: Moss Agate
by Stephanie Pflumm

The Agate family is one of the largest and most diverse groups of gemstones in the mineral kingdom. Agates include powerful healers like the Carnelian, protectors like moss Agates and that wonderful communicator the Blue Lace Agate. Another power member of this crystal clan is the Moss Agate. For thousands of years this simple Agate with its intricately complex patterns has been a favorite tool among shamans, magicians and healers.

Agates form patiently in a very slow process that can take a few million years to complete. Layer forms over layer as numerous catastrophic geological events occur in slow succession. It is this tedious process that gives many Agates their delightful bands and lacy looks.

The Moss Agate's growth process takes a slightly different angle. It has been only in recent years that geologists began to truly understand how this Agate acquired its mossy appearance. For centuries they attributed the tree and plant (dendrite) like patterns within the gem to inclusions of foreign minerals. Like a phantom crystal. However, microscopic studies of this Agate reveals that the patterns within them are actually extremely fine canals invisible to our human eyes. Just like other Agates, this mossy sibling had to endure repeated geological events during its growth cycle. During one or more of these events, hydrothermal solutions containing Iron (red), Manganese (black and brown), Magnetite (green) and/or Limonite (yellow) entered the tiny openings. Over the eons the solutions dried out, but not without leaving their mark behind. Providing us with a dramatic power tool and a beautiful gemstone.

Moss Agates are found all over the Earth under a variety of names. Montana is famous for their translucent milky Agates with brown to black patterns that frequently resemble leaves or plants. Most of the material can be picked up in the riverbeds of the Yellowstone and its tributaries in Montana, Wyoming and parts of Canada. Russia has a similar looking Moss Agate with white and yellow dendrite markings.

Mocha-Agate (aka Mocha-Stone) is one of the oldest mined and most frequently cut for gemstones of the Moss Agates. They look similar to the Montana Moss Agate in that they are gray to white with extremely fine brown, red and black dendrite markings. These Agates were first discovered near Mocha, a seaport city at the entrance of the Red Sea. India's Moss Agates are well known for their red, green and yellow patterns. Most of their gemstones are found near or in volcanic rock traps in the Western areas of the country.

The ubiquitous presence of the Moss Agate makes it a fairly inexpensive stone to acquire. Many specimens require no mining at all. Tons of the material can be found in the alluvial flows of rivers around the world. When the Agate has to be cut from the Mother, it is often found in huge blocks weighing 30 to 40 pounds. This was not always the case. At one time Mocha Arabia was the only known source for this magical Agate and dealers were able to command some very high prices for cut stones.

Moss Agate has a long history as an important tool in magic and healing. According to the Greek philosopher Orpheus, wearing Moss Agate brought you the favor of the Gods. In the middle ages gardeners often tied the Agate to sticks and tree branches in their gardens to promote an abundant harvest. In some Native American traditions the Moss Agate was used to help balance out unhealthy weather patterns. In a practice called "cloud-bursting" the crystal would be used to bring rain in dry conditions and dry out rainy weather.

Midwives have long utilized this special Agate to give a new mother courage during labor. It assists with natural childbirth by easing pain and helping to alleviate dangerous complications. Magicians and shamans have used the Moss Agate in rituals to predict weather, find hidden treasures (or food for a starving tribe) and to protect against natural disasters.

All Agates teach the important lessons of patience and tolerance. The Moss Agate will help you to understand the intricate nature of your relationship with all things. It will teach you why these lessons are so valuable. Why even your slightest smile or simplest good deed has an impact on all. You will gain a more intuitive understanding of the delicate interplay of events, people and the way our Universe works.

With Spring blooming, now is a good time to test the ancient tradition of using Moss Agates to promote a healthy garden. Bury them in the four corners of your garden, or hang them from sticks or nearby tree branches with strings. Make notes of how your flowers and vegetables perform with the Agate's influence.

Working with a Moss Agate will assist you in finding your hidden strengths. Stop putting off the dreams and goals your heart desires. Ask your Moss Agate to help you see the path to your destiny, providing you with the endurance and confidence to surpass any challenge that lay ahead.

The promise of Spring that shows us year after year the ability of life to renew itself. Moss Agate helps you understand the powerful regenerative force you have to start your life over again every day. You are not expected to carry around the burdens of past mistakes all your life. Instead embrace the lessons gratefully then watch your personal power grow as your knowledge and understanding expand.

Moss Agate is a powerful tool to use in rituals or ceremonies to aid in the healing of planet Earth. The crystal helps in broadening understanding of life's delicate balance, encouraging a more respectful attitude toward all of Earth's children.

In personal healing, Moss Agates with brown and red colorings are best for healing the lower Chakras. Black and green colorings work well to heal and open the Heart Chakra. All Agates have a reputation for alleviating thirst. The high Quartz content may help in boosting your immune system. It is also believed to promote good digestion and the elimination of toxins from the body.

This information is taken from Ozark Rock Exchange

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