©2010 by guest blogger, Shakti Carola Navran
A strong Pluto in your personal horoscope or a hard aspect of the transiting Pluto to personal planets is one of the most challenging and transforming constellations we talk about in astrology. This dark, mysterious god is known for his challenging touch and his powers for renewal and regeneration. Pluto governs the sign of Scorpio as well as the 8th House, the area of Death & Rebirth. Scorpios are powerful, intense, complex people with a touch of the dark side. A keyword for Scorpio is “transformation.” I like to think of Scorpio—like Pluto—as a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Especially throughout this year we all are collectively called to adjustments or soaring from the ashes with Pluto energy in our economical, societal, political and corporate structures because of the big T-square in which Pluto in Capricorn is squaring both Saturn and Uranus in opposition to each other.
This is not an easy process and it has a very personal impact on each one of us as an individual and we are called to action with adjustments in our personal lives. Your personal power lies in your own adaptation with circumstances and the answer to the question:
What Can You Do for Your Own Balance?
Wherever the early degrees of Libra and Capricorn fall in your chart and form aspects to your planets, you will feel personally challenged and called to grow into more clarity (Saturn) while building and re-negotiating your place in relation to others (Libra), allow rebirth (Pluto) of a new YOU with the dissolving of old beliefs and values (Uranus). Consciousness is the key to keep your own balance and works as an antidote to fear and anxieties. You can find ways to focus on solutions instead of problems, you can use proper tools helping to raise your personal frequency and align with the highest potential of the astrological constellations. One of the most elegant ways to support your process is with the healing powers of gemstones.
Healing Gemstones
Gemstones can be your allies for healing and balance because they represent the most balanced, light filled, highest vibrational representative of the planetary principles we have easy access to. They touch us through their beauty and perfection, their radiant colors, magically born in the womb of unimaginable heat and pressure within Mother Earth. They are ancient beings filled with consciousness of the Mineral Kingdom. Astrological principles manifest at all levels of creation, from the largest bodies in the cosmos to the tiniest particles of atoms—all are part of the same network of universal energy.
Opal: A Gemstone to Support Your Transformation[1]
Opal is one of the true gemstones of Scorpio and is therefore ruled by Pluto. The Opals make up a large and beautiful family divided into three groups: the opalescent Precious Opals, the yellow-red Fire Opals, and the Common Opals. The first two are characterized by their opalescence, a rainbow-like sparkling and iridescence that changes when viewed from different angles. Each gem is an individual and unique, but this is especially true in the world of the Opals—there are no two Opals alike. Opal is the stone of the mystic, shaman, artist, and healer in all of us. It is a stone for support during times of transition and intense change.
Precious Opals are always a mixture of all the energies of the outer planets. The color of the stone determines the planetary principle that it represents: the dark blues lean more toward Pluto and the green-blue-turquoises toward Uranus, while the very colorful Opals and the Black Opals express the energy of Neptune.
The Black Opal (dark grey, dark blue, dark green, red, or gray-black) leans toward the energy of Neptune, deepening our intuitive knowledge of who we are and the experience of feeling connected to the creator of the universe.
The Boulder Opal is famous worldwide for its vibrant colors, stability, strength, and uniqueness. It comes in all kinds of sparkling colors, including green, blue, turquoise, yellow, red, and violet. Because of its connection with the matrix rock, the energy of the Boulder Opal is very grounding. It helps us to stay rooted during times of upheaval in our lives.
Opals in the blue-violet-turquoise color range work with the throat chakra and the third eye. They give us a more holistic view of things and help us to let go of old thoughts, memories, and issues that may be blocking us. These Opals also stimulate our creativity and our search for meaning and vision in life—qualities that help to ease our challenging transitions. The green-blue variety gives us more understanding in working with the heart and the throat chakras. This Opal will help heal the heart, bringing awareness of our true feelings.
The Crystal Clear Fire Opal is the female Fire Opal: transcendent, brilliant, sparkling in many hues. It represents the Amazon woman, strong and independent, never giving her power away. This stone connects us to the collective unconscious and all its treasures. It fuels our intuition with sudden sparks of insight and wisdom. But it is also the universal mother guiding and nourishing us, sustaining us in times of trouble a
nd transitions.
The Fire Opal (orange) is a great energizing stone. When our movement in a particular direction is long overdue, the Fire Opal imparts its fire to us to get us moving. The wearer of this gem is an adventurer, a pioneer. The Fire Opal also represents a Don Juan and a tantric master who loves playful sexuality accompanied by true intimacy.
The Fire Opal is not only powerful, but also gentle and healing in its transmission of energy. It can offer support during recovery from sexual abuse. It helps us to rise out of conceiving of ourselves as victims, helps us to develop forgiveness, and empowers us by releasing those toxic thoughts from our system. It bolsters our sense of personal power and mastery.
Lightning Ridge Opal: The town of Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Australia, yields some of the most striking Opals in the world, famous for their exceptional color and brilliance. These are Black and Crystal Opals that occur in a beautiful deep blue and other color combinations. The most desirable and expensive Opals are those with the strongest, most sparkling colors and the most interesting color formations and combinations. Lightning Ridge is the seal of quality in the world of Opals.
White Opals bring in the transformative and refining energies of the outer planets along with the soothing Moon qualities, making us feel nourished, balanced, and in touch with our feelings. The White Opal invites us to embark on an inner journey, diving down into the depths of our being to find unknown and unimaginable treasures. Being renewed, rejuvenated, and deeply changed as a result of this journey; we have a new outlook on life.
I wish you an enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and looking at them in a new way! If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life.
Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.
Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author
1135 Makawao Ave. Suite 310
Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768
Phone: 808.878.8182
Bio: Shakti Carola Navran has been an astrological coach, jeweler, spiritual teacher and healer for over 30 years. Her practice spans hypnotherapy, meditation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and healing with gemstones. She creates beautiful jewelry for the soul and spirit at her studio on Maui, Hawaii. She has written many articles and is the author of the book, Jewelry & Gems for Self Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul.
In her book she teaches you about astrology and how to read the blue print of your own chart. If you know where your challenges are, you can then take steps to support or balance yourself with your 12 personal healing gemstones, those enchanting allies to raise your frequency and experience more joy. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas about Soul Jewelry; on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul. Here are some links to her sites:
- http://www.jewelryandgemsforselfdiscovery.com/blog/
- http://www.jewelryandgemsforselfdiscovery.com/book.html
- http://www.shaktijewelry.com
- http://www.jewelryandgemsforselfdiscovery.com/articles.html
This article is featured in Pluto Problems Got You Perplexed? Here’s What Helps! It’s a collection of articles about Pluto transits called published by Skywriter on March 19 as part of the 2010 International Astrology Day Blogathon. The purpose of this web-based event is to create a permanent library of articles about how to deal with the stresses of the Cardinal T-Square of Pluto, Saturn and Uranus. The main page for the Blogathon collections is at The Cardinal T-Square of 2010: Saturn, Uranus, Pluto.
[1] Adapted from Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones That Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul © 2008 by Shakti Carola Navran. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission of the publisher.
Sky Writer 
I have always been quite taken with the Andean Blue Opal – out of all my crystals, it seems to be the one I have the most of.
The colours fascinate me – when I look at it closely, the beautiful blue, which reminds me of Pluto also reminds me of our own beautiful sky.
There is usually an additional element of white and gold – I see this as represenative of the clouds in the blue sky and the gold is the beautiful tinges sun play can manifest on the clouds.
When I look at this crystal, I see all the elements of our beautiful planet in it and the comos beyond.
I am Leo, with moon and rising sign in Scorpio, so have great affinty with Pulto and Saturn. I am struggling quite badly at the moment, but my crystals bring me peace.
By: Carole on March 13, 2010
at 1:22 pm
I love opals, too, Carole. The colors seem to shift with my mood, and I’ve never really wanted any other stone. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on March 13, 2010
at 3:09 pm
The two stones I like most are opal and green amber. I have several small opals that I keep in a jar of water and two opal rings, one silver, the other 14K Rose Gold.
EVERY TIME I take the opals out of my jewelry cupboard and wear them, my life changes bigtime.
I don’t score terribly high on your Pluto score (only 20) but I do have Pluto conjunct my Sun in the same degree.
By: MEL810 on March 13, 2010
at 3:39 pm
You know, this description of the Cardinal square has been one of the most elegant ones I’ve read of it (if ‘elegant’ can be used to describe this process!).
In the recent past, many of the authority figures in my life started to gradually fade, retire from active/professional life, or die. I thought the Cardinal square was going to affect my one-on-one relationships and emotions, but it’s affecting those I’ve had with mentors, teachers, and my grandparents! I guess those, too, are also one-on-one relationships but not intimate or friendship-based.
When I see the bigger picture, it’s not a horrible thing. It’s nothing more than the natural cycle of life. I need to adapt to this very real change and internally adjust to becoming more of my own mentor/teacher, and perhaps growing into that for others…
By: kristy on March 14, 2010
at 9:32 am
You’ve captured the essence of it beautifully, Kristy– It’s nothing more than the natural cycle of life. The cardinal points (0 of Aries, Cancer, Libra Capricorn)are also the natural unfolding of the seasons. I’m struck by your comment about timing for mentors and teachers to pass out of your life — I do think of mentors as Saturn/Capricorn rather than Jupiter/Sag, because they become our authority figures and role models in some area of life that our parents aren’t usually equipped for, like our career path. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on March 14, 2010
at 11:18 am
One of the mentors who passed was one affectionately known as “Big Boss!” He was an authority figure a dash of Sag/Jupiter. His Sag sun was smack-dab on my 7th house cusp. When I think of him being gone, I feel like he wouldn’t want us to be stalled in grief. We would do better by his memory to remember him for what he brought to us, his dry, witty humor and big heart. I wouldn’t say this is me just trying to think positive and brush over the loss; it just feels very real to me.
By: kristy on March 14, 2010
at 11:58 am
A mentor like that is surely a treasure. They leave our lives when no longer needed, when not having them to rely on and tell us what to do is necessary for us to take our “game” to the next level. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on March 15, 2010
at 5:00 am