RUBY
The stone you chose is Ruby. The origin of the name derives from the Latin "rubenus", red, although the ancient Romans they called this stone "Carbunculorum" or "carbuncle" which means burning stone, due to its similarity in color to embers of still lit coal. Due to its warm and fiery hue it is identified as the stone of the Sun, which gives strength, energy and vitality: a true amulet, given that the ruby has been associated with success in the commercial and business fields since ancient times. Its color is associated with the heart and root organ, so much so that in the Middle Ages it was compared to the blood of Christ. The ruby is the symbol of authority and courage. Its bright red color is also seen as a sign of ardent love, of endless passion: according to the Hindus for example, the red of the stone depends on the continuous fire that burns inside the gem. It is also considered an emblem of happiness, capable of reconciling from quarrels and protecting from the dangers of water. According to ancient medicines, it would also be effective for circulation and therefore an excellent remedy against hemorrhages and inflammatory processes. Legends indicate the ruby as a talisman capable of protecting not only its owner but also his possessions such as the house or fields. The ruby has always been a very important gem linked to nobility, so much so that it is considered the most magnificent of all gems, and is the symbol of authority and power. It has long been used as an amulet to ward off plagues and plagues, and when worn, it warned of imminent dangers, protected health and banished sadness and negative thoughts. It was thought to bring serenity, ward off nightmares, increase the will to live and help resolve disputes. In the East it was used as an amulet to be placed on the head until the skin was warmed up. This beautiful crystal exudes a pure red ray, with a vitality unmatched in the mineral kingdom. In the Middle Ages it was thought that the stone gave divine powers. The ruby is a red corundum. The most prized color is what was once called “Pigeon Blood”, a pure red with a bluish tinge. This union was the representation of the entire circulatory system. Venous blood (Red) and Arterial blood (Blue). The very idea that the ruby represented the blood of the earth. In Greek mythology the pigeon was a sacred animal. But according to the Greco-Roman religion, pigeons were a symbol of Venus, of love, because they disturb and pat each other lovingly. Even today, the metaphor of cooing and making lovebirds is used to refer to romantic exchanges. Consequently in Christianity they have been considered symbols of lust, in reference to the fact that the male courts his partner, with those characteristic attitudes almost of spite and courtship, which have made these birds elevated to a symbol of love. From this love dance, if the two parts manage to merge, a couple will be born, which can remain stable for the entire duration of life. And it is perhaps no coincidence that Dante talks about it in the fifth canto of hell, in the circle of the lustful, where he says of Paolo and Francesca "which doves called by desire", with their wings raised and still, they come to the sweet nest for the 'aer from wanting to bring". The ruby is in fact often associated with the blood of the pigeon and red wine. For the Jews Jonah (Yohnàh, "columbus") was and is a common male name. In the Song of Songs, "My dove" it is an affectionate name addressed to the Shulamite by the enamored shepherd; and the sweet eyes of a girl are compared to the eyes of a dove. As a symbol and expression of divine will, it is also cited in some passages of the Bible. In Genesis (8,11), it is a dove that brings Noah the olive branch which announces the end of the universal flood and the beginning of salvation and a new era of peace between God and men. In Matthew 3.16, the dove is seen descending from the heaven by John the Baptist during the Baptism of Christ.For this reason the animal was initially associated with baptism. In the illuminated manuscripts of the 5th and 6th centuries the dove, no longer just a symbol of baptism, becomes, in the depictions of the Annunciation and the Trinity, an icon of the Holy Spirit. The ruby represents love that transforms, that changes into something higher. The lonely cupid who meets his brother. The ruby represents the Rebis between red and blue: "the phoenix is hidden in the eagle and resembles it, with some differences, the feathers of its tail are blue and red and is a powerful sign of the secret orders of the world: "These two colors represent duality, they are the two columns of the perfect temple". The ruby embodies two expressions of being. On the one hand the passionate one, of the desire for union and passion (Red Colour), on the other that of nobility, trust, of giving oneself fully to higher values of being linked to suffering, to compassion (Blue Colour). In Jewish texts associated with the tribe of Reuben which means "The Lord has seen my misery, now my husband will love me". Reuben, firstborn son of Jacob and of Lia, is known for his great attachment to his mother, but also for being the only brother to have courageously defended Giuseppe.
In biblical texts this stone is associated with Reuben which in Hebrew "רְאוּבן", means "Behold, a son."
“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my vigor and the beginning of my generative power, the excellence of dignity and the excellence of strength. With reckless wantonness like waters, do not excel, because you have climbed onto your father's bed. At that time you desecrated my bed"
This stone therefore represents on the one hand the generative power and creative drive, but also excellence and strength, on the other, the impulsive one, which hides within sarcasm which is a form of irony, which mocks, ridicules or despises. The word irony that derives from the Greek eironéia, from éiron, meaning 'he who questions', it is implied 'pretends not to know'.
In alchemy it is associated with the signs of Water and Fire who maintain a deep bond with their family and above all with their mother, who will always be a truly special figure. The letter of the Hebrew alphabet corresponding to the sign: Chet which means "vitality", since its shape recalls the woman's uterus. And few live immersed in the female emotional universe like the signs of Water and Fire. It compares and interacts with reality through the sense of sight. This stone reminds us of those who are strongly oriented towards the defense of their own spaces, aware of the innumerable dangers of the world, and therefore very attached to the home. He knows that by creating his own protective sphere, he will be able to deal with unexpected events effectively. Hospitality within this world is granted only to a very select few, who are however cared for and assisted. This is why this stone is associated with the cult of intimacy of “bed” and peaceful sleep. Her characteristics call for a change to be kind, respectful of others, who knows good manners perfectly and who represents the feminine and sensitive aspect of an understanding mother.
