This week we’re going to take a look at a unique stone that isn’t even really a stone and who has some special properties while being steeped in mystery and legend.

First let’s start with where moldavite came from.  The origins of the stone are somewhat debated because of the uncertainty some stone and crystal experts have with the claim that it was created by a meteorite.  Regardless, the common held belief of it’s origin is that a meteorite headed toward earth 15 million years ago collided with surrounding rock at the surface and the crystals were then formed.  The step by step of how it occurs has been broken down by scientists to be in the following manner:

1. A meteorite around 500 to 1000 meters in diameter reaches Earth at a high rate of speed and once making its way through the stratosphere, the front of the meteorite reaches a temperature of around 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Right before the meteorite falls the temperature of the Earth’s rock surface gets so hot it becomes molten and the sheer pressure displaces the rock mass into the atmosphere in the form of magma (molten rock which is equivalent to volcano lava).
3. Once the meteorite falls on to the surface of the Earth an explosion occurs as a result of kinetic energy being discharged.  It’s at this time that the meteorite itself evaporates because of the large amount of heat released upon impact.
4. The end result is a crater in the Earth’s surface that has layers of both the Earth’s crust and layers of subsoil being shifted.

It is thought that moldavite was created from the re-melted rock around the fall site of the meteorite and often the sites where it is found tends to be in a rounded or disc shape which could also lend to the idea that this is where a meteorite actually hit.  Other area where the moldavite have been found that don’t fit this description are thought to be a result of magma flying through the air or rock displaced during impact.

The stone was named after the town of Moldauthein, Bohemia where it is mainly found.  Today the stones are harvested from the Moldau River Valley in the Czech Republic and, since the stones aren’t naturally occurring in the Earth, they will eventually become extinct.

The makeup of moldavite is one of the things that makes it so unique.  It is a form of tektite, a natural form of glass, which is also believed to be created from the impact of meteorites and the combination of that with rock and soil.  Tektite, however, is found on other parts of the world, such as the Middle East, Polynesia and the Philippines.    This is one of the reasons for the uniqueness of the moldavite; it is a cousin, so to speak, of tektite as it’s makeup is very similar but is found in a very different part of the world.

Both moldavite and tektite are made of a composite of SiO2 (for you non-chemical geeks that would be silicon dioxide).  The thing that causes moldavite to be different is the inclusion of and varied levels of K2O (potassium oxide) and CaO (calcium oxide).  Moldavite  can vary from a very light, almost sea green, to an olive, to a deep green/brown.

So that’s all your technical information on moldavite that we really need to know about.  Now you know how it’s made, what makes it’s color so unique and that it is quite rare and will grow more rare in time.  It’s not a stone that is often found tumbled but is more commonly sold as raw pieces like the one shown above.  In it’s most common forms you’ll find pieces to be no larger than 3-5″ on the large side and with a rippled or pitted surface.  However faceted pieces that have been prepared for jewelry use are available in all forms of baubles, however they can be quite expensive depending on the side of the actual moldavite.

So what can we use moldavite for within the bounds of crystal work?

Moldavite is a stone that is believed to have extraterrestrial properties.  All that means is that the stone carries energies that are beyond (“extra”) the energies of the planet Earth (“terrestrial”).  The phrase is derived from the Latin words “extra” for outside and “terrestris” meaning “of or relating to the Earth”.  Because of this the moldavite stone is often looked to as a stone for meditation and connecting to heavenly bodies, for reaching the realms beyond the Earthly plane.  It is used as a stone for raising the higher self to other spiritual levels of consciousness and because of this is a common stone for healing the higher self.  It is also used by some people for past life regression or mediation work and for the healing that can take place there.  In meditations where either communicating with the higher self or past life work is desired a piece of moldavite can be placed on the third eye.  Moldavite is a stone that is said to be able to reach beyond time and space, so unlike some stones used just for healing the past, moldavite can also address healing for the future as well and some people have been known to experience “flash forwards” while using it for spiritual healing.

Moldavite isn’t a stone really known for having any one specific healing property or having dominance over one healing aspect.  Instead it’s a stone that is often used to amplify to work of other stones.  It’s a trigger stone as well and when placed in an area on the body in a crystal layout with other stones can help to open up and release blockages that might be extremely difficult to open up otherwise.  Because of the high vibration that moldavite carries it can be used on any chakra, or placed at the crown chakra, to help open up, balance and cleanse them.

The deep green color of most moldavite is related to the heart chakra and, in turn, emotional aspects and issues.  Many people who find themselves somewhat anxious around moldavite may have deep emotional issues they are either fearful of addressing, in denial of, or refusing to release.  If you’re working with someone and you suspect that this could be an issue in the healing work you are doing with them, introducing moldavite into your work could help be an indicator.

Because of all the great things that moldavite can do, both in healing and as a booster in magickal work because of it’s ability to bring together cosmic and earthly forces and energy, it is highly advised that anyone doing crystal healing or making crystals part of their regular magickal process acquire and include a piece of moldavite, no matter what size, into their practice and crystal collection.

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