Okay, real talk. Of all the legends and myths that can form around a crystal’s history, none are crazier than Bloodstone’s. I mean, this crystal has seen some stuff man. It was once believed to contain the blood of Christ, forming on the ground below during the Crucifixion. Prior to that it was popular in ancient Greece, a gift from Asklepios, the god of healing, where it would be used to stop bleeding with a single touch to the skin. 13th century Catholic Saints called it the ‘Stone of Babylon’, believing it to be magical. Nowadays the largest deposits are in India, where it’s used medicinally, and ground down for use as an aphrodisiac. However, like most objects surrounded by hype sometimes all you need is to strip away the tales and myths, reduce them down to their simple truths, and eventually you’ll find that there’s something actually amazing underneath it all. As it turns out, Bloodstone is really just an uncomplicated stone that ironically has an amazing ability to help you stay grounded.
Known formally as Heliotrope, Bloodstone is a beautiful and quite dignified crystal - a point often overlooked due to its reputation - made from a stable balance of both a green or sometimes gray Chalcedony, and vibrant specks or splashes of Red Jasper. In its most elementary form Bloodstone is really just a well-balanced root crystal, very closely linked to the Root Chakra, much like Hematite or Garnet. Bloodstone is more earthy than these crystals though, more grounded, perhaps due to the lower amount of iron inside. It helps its users re-establish a firm footing to be able to rebuild their emotional selves, to move forward and face challenges in life with greater strength. As most athletes or martial arts practitioners will attest true power comes from the foundations, from the ground up, and without a good base or your feet firmly planted you will not overcome obstacles in your way. Bloodstone also has a knack for not only re-establishing your base of energy, but pushing it, quite actively too, so that a flow of constant movement is brought back into the body. It’s something that we suspect has to do with the presence of the Red Jasper inside it, which is a great crystal in its own right for combating inert energy and getting you moving and meeting challenges head on.
Because of its strong and deeply rooted nature Bloodstone is particularly good for tackling heavier or darker chapters in your life. If you find yourself dealing with the death of a loved one, or in times of massive change or upheaval, or when you just suffer random unfortunate circumstances, Bloodstone is your starting point, your rock in the storm. Basically, when life gives you lemons, use this crystal to get back some lemonade. For maybe less dramatic times, but ones that still feel like they’re weighing you down (for example, dealing with issues of abandonment), meditating with Bloodstone can help dissolve feelings of sluggishness, to help motivate you or stabilise your moods so you’re in a better head-space to deal with things. Bloodstone also acts as a great purifier in this way, always pushing, always churning and cleaning out the inner bloodflow of your energies, and with time will help bring some vigour back into your routine. When used regularly Bloodstone will become invaluable for seeing those darker times coming ahead, helping you to be better prepared for them so you can meet them face-first with courage.
So remember, when you’re feeling dark or down, or you feel adrift in this vast crazy world, don’t go reaching for that blessed bottle of Mr Magoo’s wonder-tonic that you bought online from that totally legit Shaman. Maybe just give Bloodstone a try. It has literally seen it all, coursing through the centuries and building a narrative almost too unreal to be true. And yet despite all of that it perseveres as one of the best, the most grounded crystals a person could use. It’s stayed real, when circumstances around it necessarily didn’t, and can help when your circumstances seem a little too ‘unreal’.
