Amber is an organic material made up of fossilised natural botanic resins. It has been valued for its colour and beauty since the New Stone Age. During antiquity, it became popular as a gemstone and was fashioned into a variety of decorative objects. In addition to its use in jewellery, amber is considered to have healing properties.
Baltic Amber, which is considered to be the best, was formed from the resins of coniferous trees some 30 to 60 million years ago. Most Amber in use today is extracted from the sea by various methods. Amber has also been found underground in areas that used to be waterlogged. Amber varies in colour. It can be yellow, brown, red and is sometimes even transparent.
In Greek mythology, Amber was created when Phaeton, the offspring of the sun god Helios, was struck and killed by lightning. The grief of his siblings was so great that it turned them to poplar trees and their tears became droplets of Amber.
As a form of folk medicine, Amber was recommended by persons undergoing recovery from either illness or injury. Due to its warm energy, it is believed to bring us into alignment with our own essential strength and security. Amber is an excellent stone for protection purposes because it can transform negativity into clarity.
Amber holds the key to ancient knowledge. It can bring forth the ancestral memories of one’s lineage. These include the genetic lessons and experiences passed down from one’s ancestors. In this way, Amber is an excellent ally for clearing negative family patterns as well as bringing focus and clarity regarding the mark that one is meant to make in the world.
Due to its connection to Helios, through the Sun God’s offspring, Amber can assist in the exploration of past-life gifts and talents. It can clear away the karmic backlog that has been lodged into one’s energetic field without knowing. Amber is a particularly good substance to work with when meditating as it is thought to be a form of sunlight on earth.
For those who have dealt with darkness, Amber can bring to light any lingering negative patterns and get rid of them once and for all. If one has energetic vampires in one’s life, Amber can allow us to distance from this drain once and for all.
The Amber Road
Beginning around 3000 BCE, Amber found its way away from the Baltic Coast region to greater Europe and beyond. It was carried by traders and travellers along a series of routes. The trade routes between Northern and Southern Europe were defined by the trade in Amber. The salt from the mines of Central Europe was exchanged with amber from the Baltic shores. Amber was even sometimes called “The Gold of the North”.
Aquileia, an ancient Roman city in northeast Italy, was important for a couple reasons. Firstly, it was an origin point for Amber. The stone used to wash up on the shore regularly and merchants would collect their supply there. Secondly, sculptors are believed to have shaped amber into different pieces before shipping it off to other stops along the road.
Wherever Amber travelled, the light seemed to follow…
The Mercantile 