Barites

Barite


Barite means heavy, and it is the heaviest of the non-metallic minerals. Because of its weight, powdered barite was long used by dishonest merchants as a tasteless and odorless additive to flour and sugar. Because it is chemically inert, it is harmless to the human digestive system. In fact, being opaque to X-rays, barite is used in radiology to study the digestive tract. Its ability to absorb radiation also makes barite useful in radiation shields.

Barite comes in many forms and colors. Some crystals are opaque, some translucent, and some transparent. It may be colorless, blue, white, gray, yellow, or brown. A few are cut for use as gemstones despite the softness of the stone (three on the Mohs scale). Barite includes celestite and like gypsum, barite forms tabular formations commonly referred to as “desert rose.”

A barite desert rose is brownish-rose in color. It will help you realize all possibilities, and it is also ecologically healing. In Native American mythology, it was thought Indian warriors would return at night to carve the barite roses. A scattering of the roses over a vast area indicated an area where they had gathered. The energy of the barite rose is said to increase love, assist covert meetings, and stimulate teamwork.

Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Cell Salt:
Barium sulphate, with small amounts of strontium
Color:
White, gray, or colorless; or yellow, brownish red, or blue, with a vitreous and pearly luster
Energy:
Projective, and Receptive
Element:
Earth and Fire
Planet/Sign:
Venus/Taurus; Sun/Leo; Mars-Pluto/Scorpio
Stone Lore:
Barite crystal is primarily mined in North America, in the states of California, Colorado, and South Dakota.
Medicine Uses:
Barite is a strong muscle stimulant. It may be used to alleviate the chills caused by hypothermia, fever, and inflammation due to the agreeable sense of warmth if produces when placed in contact with the body.
Use barite to raise your spirits during depression; laughter may occur if the stone is held in the receptive hand long enough.
Try using barite during shamanic journey work or astral travel; this stone causes some sensitive individuals to feel as though they could fly through the air.