PETRIFIED WOOD

Necklace by Manitu Okahas

Wire wrapped pendant by Manitu Okahas.

Petrified wood is a gem that was formed when the ancient tree was killed and buried in a fine silt before it could decay.  The organic wood was slowly replaced by minerals as it slowly degraded.  In most places where petrified wood is found, the mineralization occurred 250 million to 65 million years ago with silicon dioxide.  Although this can vary, most petrified wood is agatized and has a Mohs hardness of 6.5 to 7.  Some of the most spectacular petrified wood comes from Morocco and the petrified forest in Arizona, USA.

Petrified wood symbolizes strength, stability, and patience.  This reflects the fossilization process itself, which takes thousands of years to replace the original wood with more stable stone.  This slow process of transformation and stabilization is one of balance and time.

Energetically, petrified wood is seen as the connection between the physical and the spiritual world.  It is the connection between life on earth and the earth herself.  Many believe that petrified wood gives access to ancient knowledge, ancient earth energy, and ancestral knowledge.  

It helps you connect to your inner wisdom and your psychic abilities.  It encourages thrust in your intuition and wisdom, and trust in the flow of life.  Petrified wood facilitates past life recall and the resolution of blockages.  This is a gem of transformation, encouraging change and growth.  It also lends its strength and stability during those changes.  It encourages integrity and endurance.

Whether plain or spectacular, petrified wood can ground you in the balance and wisdom of earth's cycles.
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Stone Pendants are for sale here