Labradorite and Pyrite Lore

Pyrite

I've always loved pyrite because of its intense, shocking earthiness. Not many people know that it was pyrite, not marcasite, that was actually used in all those tiny vintage jewelry settings and buttons, because marcasite is too prone to crumbling.

Some lore about pyrite that I like is that its metallic content helps to balance the left and right brain (boy could I use some of that). Also, those sparkly bits are said to attract good fortune. But my favorite story is that polished pyrite was once used in North and Central America for scrying.

Labradorite

Oh, Sister of Moonstone, Fallen from the Aurora Borealis!

Wow! Btw, the gem lore in this post is mostly from Controverscial.com. Labradorite helps you to hear the messages of your spirit guides. My BFF Sarah says it's called the sorceress's stone. Ooooooh! I never knew that but I understand.

I'm currently working with labradorite and pyrite, and I showed a necklace in progress to my friend Buffy. I said, "Should I rework this or go ahead and put the clasp on?" She said, sort of not paying attention because she had one eye on the boyz running around the house, "Labradorite only looks good with labradorite," not realizing I'd worked in some rough cut shiny pyrite. So *I* said, pointing, "This is pyrite," to which she replied, "Oh! Well then, you've found something that looks good with labradorite."

She was right. Both times, I mean. Labradorite is amazing, mystical, beautiful -- it's like looking into a deep rock pool inside a stone castle. But if you're not careful, it just looks like mossy mud sludge when you put it on. Especially if you let all the other more colorful stones push it out of the way.

So I've come to think of labradorite as the Morgan Le Fay of the gemstone world -- or Morgause as she is called in The Mists of Avalon. Morgause, the dark, small-of-stature, indigenous half-sister of the fair-haired Arthur, is trained as a priestess. This from Wikipedia:

"Morgaine is cast as a strong woman in pain who has unique gifts and responsibilities at a time of enormous political and spiritual upheaval; as she is called upon to defend her indigenous matriarchal heritage against impossible odds."

That's it. That's why I like labradorite. LOL! Oh and scrying, incidentally, is basically the art of seeing the future (and other hidden stuff) by looking into shiny things.

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Pyrite image from Wikipedia. Labradorite pic is from Twistedtree.org