Mandela © by
lilyas 2014
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SPIRIT
LODGE
LIBRARY
Stones
& Minerals Information
Page
39
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(Main
Links of the site are right at the bottom of the page)
50 pages of this Stones & Minerals Information section are
below. The other 4 are in the index, page 5. (see the end of
the page for link)
Rocks
of Change
By Luna
Metamorphic rocks are formed when
other kinds of rocks are changed by great heat and pressure
inside the earth. The word "metamorphic" means changed.
Think of metamorphic rocks as recycled rocks. When igneous,
sedimentary or even metamorphic rocks get buried deep beneath
the surface of the earth, over millions of years the heat and
pressure inside the earth change them into something else. Limestone
can be changed to marble, sandstone can be changed into quartzite,
and shale can be changed to slate. It's just another example
of how the earth is constantly changing. Rocks are amazing gifts
from our mother earth.
At one time or another, you have
probably held a rock in your hand. Recall the texture. Was it
smooth, polished by the force of sand and salt water pounding
it onto the beach? Was it rough and cragged, left exposed for
centuries to the wind and sun of a canyon wall? Recall the color.
Was it coral and pink, like the colors of Bermuda's sand? Was
it fiery red, like the colors of Arizona's canyons? Recall the
size. Was it a handful, heavy with the weight of being worn?
Was it a tiny pebble, a small fragment broken off from what
it once was? Rocks are our world. The Mother Earth is, essentially,
just one big interesting rock, sometimes called "the third
rock from the sun." The multi-faceted rock we live on supports
life in many ways. The deep oceans, the vast deserts, and the
high mountains, are just a few of the ways rock emerges and
supports life. Rocks remember. Geology is the science and study
of the earth and its life, especially as recorded in rocks.
Rocks, then, keep record of the passage of time and the evolution
of living things. The word rock refers to solid mineral deposits.
Rocks are minerals, but not all minerals are rocks. Minerals
are all substances that can't be classified as "animal"
or "vegetable." Metals ores found in the earth, like
gold and silver, are minerals. Crystalline substances, like
salt and quartz, are minerals. Homogeneous natural substances,
like water and gas, are also minerals. These non-solid minerals,
however, are not considered "rock." Rocks are our
friends in more ways than one... I have felt a connection since
early in my childhood. I will always have an ever growing collection.
Rocks are very facinating & can teach us loads about life
& renewal.
Hematite is the most important source
of iron ore in the world. The production of iron has been important
to nations of the world for over 2500 years. Today the addition
of other minerals to iron has lead to the production of steel
which is vital to the economy of the major countries on Earth.
Hematite has a red or black color but the streak is always red.
The iron in the hematite turns red when it comes in contact
with water and oxygen. In other words this rock is rusted!!
Hematite has a metallic or earthy
luster. The hardness of hematite is about 5 on Mohs hardness
scale. It has no cleavage and breaks with an uneven fracture.
The reddish landscape of Mars is due to the oxidized iron on
its surface. This tells us that water and oxygen must have been
present on Mars at one time. Hematite is mined in the Lake Superior
and Appalachian mountain regions of the United States. Small
deposits are found in many states of the union. Canada and Russia
are leading countries in the mining of iron ore. Hemetite is
also called the woman’s stone because when it is cut it
bleeds red. It is thought to help women to draw out negativity
& impurities from the body. Magnetite is also composed of
iron as well as pyrrhotite these minerals are magnetic. They
are the only two minerals on earth that are naturally magnetic.
Both of these minerals have high quantities of iron. Magnetite
was used by ancient sailors as compasses. They would chip off
needles of this mineral & then float
them on water & watch the needle point to the north. Magnetite
is also known as lodestone. These minerals are found worldwide
& throughout the entire United States.
Another wonderful thing about some
of the unusual characteristics some minerals develop is fluorescence
under certain lighting. The properties of these minerals give
off radiation as visible light under specific lighting. These
fluorescent rock specimens will show their behavior in 3 different
lighting situations: normal cool light, Longwave ultraviolet
light & shortwave ultraviolet light. Rock shows will sometimes
have lighting displays to show what happens under these lighting
conditions. Lots of rocks will look very different under a black
light. As most of us know from looking at posters & such
in our rooms, when we were teens. Which is one of the ultra-violets...
I am not sure which I always get them mixed up LOL. Anyway it
is amazing to me that minerals over time & conditions change
without a recognized life. Most people never even give rocks
a second look much-less consider that they evolve just as people
& plants do. For me there has always been a sacred place
for Rocks in my life. I have some that have traveled with me
from home to home over this life time. My children will claim
some of them & the rest will be left to whomever notices
them or at the current home we reside at when we go home to
spirit. Anyone who feels like adding to this thread of info
please do. I hope that I have shared something of interest &
that you have learned from this information. Some was gathered
from memory & the rest from books & the internet. Blessings
for our Mother Earth, her gifts & messages received from
something as simple as a rock on her grounds. I have been given
signs more than once from Rocks. *Smiles* Thank You,
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Copyright: Cinnamon Moon & River WildFire Moon (Founders.)
2000-date
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