Also known as galenite.
Hardness: 2.5
Color: lead to silver gray sometimes with a bluish tint, or silvery blue-gray
Source: Worldwide; Galena deposits are found in Poland, Germany, France, Romania, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Scotland, England, Australia, Peru, Zambia, and Mexico. In the United States it occurs in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Montana, and Wisconsin. Galena also occurs at Mount Hermon in Northern Israel.
History/Folklore:
Galena is the official state mineral of Missouri and Wisconsin, USA.
Galena is a lead ore. In its chemically purified form, galena is known as lead sulfide. Although this stone has a silvery appearance and feels quite heavy, it is not a metal.
Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals, and is the most common ore of lead. Galena cleaves into cubes or blocks. It is often associated with the minerals sphalerite and fluorite. Galena deposits sometimes contain significant amounts of silver as an impurity, and these galenas have long been the most important ore of silver in mining. However, there is only about 2.2 pounds of silver in a ton of galena.
Galena has been recognized as a valuable mineral containing silver and lead since ancient Roman times. Pliny gave this stone the name, galena; however, Aristotle called it “itmid stone.”
Galena was once used as a semiconductor (i.e. the crystal) in crystal radio sets; combined with a safety pin or similar sharp wire (known as a "cat's whisker"), the galena crystal became part of a point-contact diode used to detect radio signals.
Galena is a primary source of lead, and as such is not recommended for internal use such as making gem elixirs.
In ancient Israel, galena was used to color eyes blue.
Galena is associated with Capricorn by some writers.
To dream of galena means that a truth will be revealed; make certain you are not guilty of exaggerating.
Healing/Magickal Properties:
Galena has been known to decrease inflammations and skin eruptions, and help with circulation problems and hair growth. It supports health of circulatory system & hair growth.
Carried in a medicine bag or pocket, though, galena has grounding properties.
It is a "stone of harmony" and brings healing, calmness, efficiency, receptivity, communication and insight.
Being a stone of harmony, it stimulates interaction on all levels, and assists in the decrease of self-limiting ideas. It decreases self-defeating thoughts, and has a grounding energy.
If you’re feeling spacey, or not yourself, but can’t figure out the cause of this feeling, sit quietly with a piece of galena in your hand. Concentrate on sending the uneasy, flighty feelings into the stone as you slowly breathe deeply in and out several times. Do not do more than ten such breaths at one sitting, or you will get light-headed.
Galena promotes seeking out and telling the truth; it grounds and centers both physical and non-physical bodies. It can also aid in astral time travel to the past.
Use galena for a representation of the planet Mercury when doing planetary magick or any spells or rituals where the power of Mercury might be helpful. Galena is also a stone of the 12th Moon Month of Snow Moon (November) and can be an aid in magick for that purpose.
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Sources:
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/galena/galena.htm
http://cbdesigns.tripod.com/metaphysical_properties.htm
http://www.crcrystals.com/crystals_properties.htm
Crystal Enchantments, by D.J. Conway