Moonstone: The Goddess Stone

I remember when I first learned about moonstone. I had been somewhat into crystals and their magical, spiritual uses for about two years when I stumbled upon this particularly powerful crystal. The moonstone has been long regarded as a stone of new beginnings and of feminine power, and as a feminist, this resonated with me, especially as I faced my first Valentine's Day as a single woman in many years. I purchased the crystal from some local witches and immediately headed home to set it in my windowsill to gain power from the moon that night.

I researched even more about the crystal, which I typically didn't do when I bought a new one. I looked at the little information card that came with it, and filed the card away with a picture of the crystal so I knew which ones to use for which rituals and purposes. But, for some reason, this moonstone demanded that I know everything about it.

I learned that modern-day pagans regard it as the goddess stone. It represents the power of the triple goddess that is inside every woman: the maiden, the mother, and the crone. These different representations of the goddess within us serve as reminders that there is joy and truth to be found in each season of life. Truth? This was something that I was very familiar with.

But, joy? That was something that seemed out of reach for me. I couldn't stop thinking about the words my partner had said to me before he left: "I just don't see a future with you".

Well, I had seen a future with him. It was the only future I saw. So, what to do now? How to move forward when all I wanted was to go back? How to move forward when I felt like I couldn't even lift my feet?

I found myself staring at my new crystal each and every morning before I left for work and before I tucked myself into bed at night. That crystal of new beginnings consumed my thoughts.

New beginnings? That was a terrifying thing. But, this tiny crystal sat there reminding me that it was a necessary thing. And, what was worse? Valentine's Day would soon arrive to remind me just how much change I was dealing with, just how lonely I would be.

As Valentine's Day drew near, I took my moonstone outside to perform a ritual with it. Right at the start of the ritual, I dropped the stone into the newly-fallen snow. I let out an exasperated sigh, but as I bent down to pick it up, I paused.

I noticed that there were little green blades of grass popping up around the stone, even through the snow. I realized then what the Universe was trying to tell me. Things change; it is part of the cycle of life. There will be times when I am alone, and times when I am surrounded with love. There will be times when grief overwhelms me, and there will be times when I am so happy that my cheeks ache. This is the cycle of life.

So, for Valentine's Day, I listen to songs of self-discovery and of triumph. I listen to songs about finding my path and accomplishing goals. I listen to songs of adventure and forging new trails for myself.

Valentine's Day is about love, yes. It is marketed (aggressively so) to be about romantic, passionate, eros love. But, that's not what it's about for me. For me, it is about the love of the journey. It is about the love of inner-discovery and growth. It is about the love I hold for my own soul.