In many ancient cultures gems were valued for their abilities to heal and to enhance a person’s life. They were said to possess energies that could help the person to attract health and prosperity in all areas of life, physically, emotionally and spiritually. One wore a gem that was transmitting cosmic energies of the planet that ruled the Sun’s position when they were born as a birthstone. Even better was to wear a stone (still the optimal means of choosing gems) to strengthen the energies weakest in their lives and therefore causing their biggest problems or pitfalls they were experiencing. Especially in India qualified Vedic astrologers or Ayurvedic doctors were consulted as to which gem or gems would help them to allow particular cosmic rays (individual colors which make up the rainbow, or white light) to be absorbed by their physical and subtle bodies. This would begin a healing process specific to a diseased condition or just to attract energies that would enhance their lives.

BIRTHSTONES
The origin of modern western “birthstones” can be traced to the days of Moses when he elicited instructions about the “Breastplate of Judgment”. In the Bible, the breastplate is described as adorned with 12 gemstones, each engraved with names of the 12 tribes of Israel. In the Book of Revelations, the gems in the breastplate were said to be the foundation stones of the temple of the “New Jerusalem”. The order that the 12 gems were given was also used as the order of birthstones for the months and related to their astrology.This birthstone system was still used until 1912 when the American Jewelers Association changed it to one more suited to benefit their industry. It was subsequently changed several more times by industry affiliates until the current system was established in 1938.

The Jewelry Industry Council of America established this as the official list of birthstones. Therefore this list was arbitrarily created and has no astrological nor other meaning, but for the economics of the jewelry industry. Such a system has no relevance for the wearer. When a person wears a stone truly advantageous for them it can help to enhance their health, relationships, career, wealth and so many other important areas of life.The dates used in the ancient Vedic birthstone system used specific gems said to transmit the cosmic rays of the planets ruling the signs that the Sun passed through at these times. The “tropical” zodiac was unknown to the ancients, as they used the “sidereal” zodiac, which is the accurate astronomically correct one used also by our modern astronomers. The tropical zodiac, still used by most western astrologers, is based on the premise that the Sun will be positioned at 0 degrees Aries (to our vision from the earth) every year at the spring equinox (around 21st March). The ancient astronomers of the Vedic culture knew this, just as do our modern day astronomers, to be a fallacy. The earth orbits the Sun in approximately 365.25 days, not in 365 days. Were we to base our calendar on this equation the seasons would no longer agree with the months expected for them. That is why we add a leap year every four years, adding one day to the month of February, to keep the synchronicity of the seasons to the calendar.

The sidereal zodiac uses accurate astronomical equations and calculations for planetary orbits. Ask any astronomer if the Sun is actually passing through the signs on the dates espoused in almost all magazines and newspapers! They will tell you no, it is inaccurate. The Sun actually changes signs around the middle of every month, give or take a day or so, depending on the year.

CORRECT BIRTH STONES AND CORRESPONDING DATES
Therefore the system of birthstones for the cultures using accurate astronomical information was as follows:

January 14 through February 12: blue sapphire (As Sun was transiting Capricorn, a sign ruled by Saturn, whose cosmic rays were said to be transmitted through this stone)
February 13 through March 13: blue sapphire (As Sun now transited Aquarius, the other sign ruled by Saturn)
March 14 through April 13: yellow sapphire (As Sun was now passing through Pisces, ruled by Jupiter, whose cosmic rays were transmitted through this gem)
April 14 through May 13: red coral (As Sun now transited Aries, ruled by Mars, whose cosmic energies were imbibed by wearing this gem)
May 14 through June 13: diamond (As Sun now was moving through Taurus, ruled by Venus, whose rays were transmitted through diamond)

June 14 through July 15: emerald (As Sun now passed through Gemini, ruled by Mercury, and whose gemstone
was emerald)
July 16 through August 15: pearl (As Sun was moving through Cancer, ruled by the Moon, and this was Moon’s gem)
August 16 through September 15: ruby (As Sun was now in his own sign and his gem was the ruby)
Sept. 16 through Oct. 16: emerald (Sun now moving through Virgo, the other sign ruled by Mercury)
Oct. 17 through Nov. 15: diamond (As Sun now tenanted Libra, the other sign ruled by Venus)
Nov. 16 through Dec. 14: red coral (As Sun is now in Scorpio, Mars’ other sign)
Dec. 15 through Jan. 13: yellow sapphire (Since Sun finishes his movement during our calendar year in Sagittarius, also ruled by Jupiter)HEALING POWER OF GEMSTONES
The ancient Indian and Egyptian cultures believed unwaveringly in the power of gems to heal and to attract cosmic forces that would allow higher awareness of consciousness. In their societies gems were of paramount importance and physicians also used them in medicines prepared specially to remove toxicity for internal use, as well as wearing them on the body. For the astrologers, held in high esteem by the populace for their ability to predict the future of individuals and their societies as a whole, gems were the most important “remedial measure” recommended to those coming for their wisdom. According to Vedic astrological treatises properly prescribed gems that are worn on the body will be able to alter and reduce negative karmic circumstances in one’s present and future. They are also used to further increase positive karmic influences seen in a person’s horoscope, be that material or sensual gains, or advancement of spiritual knowledge. They have an ability to “attract” cosmic forces toward those wearing such gem crystals, cut and polished to unleash their potency, which can increase benefic influences and decrease malefic ones.

Although the general birth stone system was used to some extent, the leaders and elite of society would consult their astrologers, as often a more important gem would be more efficacious than the one only for their “Sun sign” at birth. This system has been in use in India for thousands of years and their medical practitioners were always also expert in astrology (called jyotish; meaning the science of light), allowing them to use a complete system of analysis for stones to effect healing on both physical and subtle levels of body and consciousness.

Today gems are still the most popular recommendations of Vedic astrologers for their clients and equally popular among Ayurvedic physicians for their patients as well. They may be worn as rings or amulets (pendants) and there are new emerging techniques specifically for healing diseases of the body and mind using specially designed lamps to hold the gems that are connected to an electronic instrument that imposes an additional frequency upon it. The latter is being used by an increasing number of natural health care practitioners looking for effective, non-invasive techniques of healing with light and color.

Gems always have been and always will be valued and appreciated for their beauty and rarity in human society. Yet the greater purpose is served by using them for healing and attracting energies towards us that can propel a wearer towards higher states of consciousness and attracting towards us the goals to which we aspire.

Howard Beckman (Hamsavatar Das) is one of the most well know Vedic Astrologers in the USA. He has authored 3 books: An Introduction to Vedic Astrology, Spiritual Science of the Ancient - Mantras, Yantras, and Fabulous Gems, Healing Secrets of the Ancient Vedas and his latest ground breaking work Vibrational Healing with Gems. For further information log onto www.vedicworld.org or email balaji@vedicworld.org