As daylight shortened and winter approached, it seems the ancients chose golden gems, gems of the sun, to chase the darkness and the chill. Three golden birthstones are traditional for the month of November; those born in that month have their pick. The two clear and faceted November gems are, first, topaz—always meaning the golden topaz—and citrine, the yellow form of quartz. Cat’s eye, with mineral asbestos naturally trapped within the stone, shows one radiant, vertical slit of light visible from any angle. The cat’s-eye effect is so popular that synthetic cat’s eyes and cat’s-eye beads are available in all colors.
Golden Topaz
Gem-quality topaz comes in every color except purple, but November’s birthstone is always the golden topaz. Topaz is a common mineral, but natural golden topaz is rare. Colorless topaz is irradiated or coated to attain the desirable color. Those purely cosmetic treatments don’t affect the stone’s crystalline structure, so as long as it’s golden yellow, there is no change in the stone’s metaphysical powers. Blue topaz, a popular color today, is always a colorless topaz that has been irradiated in a lab. The largest topaz mines are in South America and the United States, where in the state of Utah there is a Topaz Mountain.
Golden topaz is ruled by the Sun and should be set in gold. The name “Topaz” is from the Sanskrit word meaning “heat,” and indeed this stone under proper conditions can generate two kinds of electricity: piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity. The solar power of the golden topaz will perk you up on November days. Wear topaz to cure lethargy, whether in body or spirit.
Topaz is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio. It acts in support of sports that involve physical and mental strength. It might also have the power to give you a glimpse into the next world: To dream of a topaz means that the dead are sending you messages. This is the only birthstone associated with weight loss, according to Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystals, Gems, and Metal Magic.
Topaz dissipates uncomfortable and useless emotions such as anger and worry. According to Isidore Kozminsky’s densely researched book The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones, ancient healers thought topaz cured ailments of the nose and mucous membranes. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia says wearers of topaz are able to make themselves invisible, as wearers of opal are supposed to be able to do, but in the age of the selfie that’s not as popular a trait as it apparently once was.
According to another New Age source, Melody’s Love is in the Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals, topaz energy “acts through the laws of attraction and manifestation.” Topaz can manifest health or wealth, and it doesn’t have to be golden to do so but – wear a golden one to attract people for friendship or business. Other sources agree that golden topaz is good for business, as are the yellow citrine and yellow sapphire.
Citrine
If you can own only one gemstone, no matter what month you were born, consider citrine, metaphysically a stone good for almost everything. This yellow form of quartz crystal is more abundant and cheaper than golden topaz and often substituted for it. Quartz crystals are said to have all sorts of powers, and yellow quartz connects body and mind, resulting in a cosmic consciousness. Merchants should put a citrine or a cluster of citrine crystals in their cash drawers for wealth.
The book Love is in the Earth states that citrine “is one of two minerals on the planet which does not hold and accumulate negative energy,” and therefore never needs clearing, so for New Age believers in stone and crystal power, citrine is delightfully low-maintenance, with no worries about any vibrations it has absorbed while being worn or in storage.
Citrine encourages a clear head and spot-on intuition, a combination of traits required by educators, sales professionals, and others whose work demands quick thinking and people skills. Colors range from pale lemonade to mango. Seek a well-cut, transparent stone of a shade you like. Cunningham suggests wearing a citrine at night, presumably to illuminate the darkness, but it’s a high-energy stone, much like sunlight, and might interfere with sleep.
This stone gives exceptional support to those born in late November under the sign of Sagittarius, and also to those born under Virgo. Its governing planet is Mercury, planet of the mind.
Cat’s Eye
Cat’s eye is a form of chrysoberyl in which mineral fibers align to create a stunning effect, a knife-like slit of light called “chatoyancy,” meaning “like a cat.” The golden-brown “tiger eye” stone is related to cat’s eye, but while tiger eye has shifting colors within, it doesn’t have that strong single lightning flash.
Usually white, green, yellow, or caramel brown, cat’s eyes can change colors under different lighting. Gamblers and speculators superstitiously wear cat’s eye rings, the bigger the better; Hindu astrology specifies the stone must weigh at least 1.5 carats in order to “work.” In European tradition, cat’s eye protects against evil spirits and bad luck, and attracts other people’s money. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia agrees that keeping a cat’s eye in your money stash will increase it, or restore any money you’ve lost. Isidore Kozminsky’s crystal guide says that dreaming of a chrysoberyl means you are being wasteful.
Despite contradictory information, there’s no question that this stone has influence over inheritances, gambling winnings, and credit, all Scorpio issues. Healers believe that cat’s eye can treat the kidneys and bladder. Hindu astrologers treat this stone with the greatest respect because it represents the Moon’s south node, an invisible karmic point in a horoscope indicating the karma needing to be paid or resolved in your current incarnation. Hindu astrologers believe this point, which they call Ketu, or “the dragon’s tail,” is equal in importance to a planet, and that wearing one can cure bad luck and give its wearer psychic powers.
Those born in November can choose any one of these stones and know they are aligned with historical and metaphysical traditions.
