As Chinese New Year draws near, I cannot help but reminisce about the multitude of Chinese practices that have been passed down from ages past. Indeed, the Chinese culture is one to be revered in. While the Chinese civilization has evolved much over the past thousands of years, within the crystal world itself there is a beautiful stone that has been held in the highest regard by the Chinese Culture ever since the start of the Chinese civilization. Can you all guess what this beautiful natural stone is?
If you guessed the Jade, then you are absolutely right! Jade is held in the highest regard, and is seen as valuable and precious, even more so than other precious metals like gold. Confucius, in his time, cleverly used the properties of Jade as a comparison of sorts to guide his students to being gentlemen. If you are interested, below is an excerpt of his teachings:
"Jade is precious not because it is rarer, but because the quality of jade corresponds to a gentleman's virtue. It corresponds to such virtues as benevolence, wisdom, righteousness, propriety, loyalty, and trustworthiness, and it also corresponds to the ways of the heaven and earth. Jade is mild and gentle, just like a gentleman's benevolence; Jade has a fine texture yet it is solid, just like a gentleman's wisdom, his careful, meticulous and thorough way of handling things. Though jade has edges and corners, it is not sharp and will not hurt others, resembling a gentleman's sense of justice and uprightness. When the jade is hung, it symbolizes a gentleman's polite restraint and prudence. When it is struck, it releases a clear and spirited sound, akin to the nature of music. Though jade is beautiful, blemishes are also obvious, but they will not obscure its merits. Just like a gentleman's loyalty, it's without bias and without a need to conceal. In addition, the colour of jade can be seen from all angles. Just like a gentleman's trustworthiness, his behaviour is consistent with his words. Even in a dark room, he is trustworthy and will not cheat others. Jade is crystal like, glittering and translucent as a white rainbow, like the white clouds in heaven, which harmonize the heavens and correspond to the heavenly principles. The spirit of the jade can be seen in the landscape, like 'when jade lies in a deep pool, it makes the river enchanting. When jade rests in the mountain, the grass becomes luxuriant.' "
As mentioned in the excerpt above, we can easily pick out the following few characteristics of Jade:
- Emits energy that is mild and gentle
- Has a fine yet solid texture
- Does not have sharp edges
- Striking the Jade results in a clear, spirited sound
- The colour of any particular jade is consistent at any angles
- Has a crystal like, translucent look
The Jade is also regarded by many to be able to form a connection between the physical being and the spiritual being. It is seen as the only element that encompasses both the yin and the yang energy of heaven and earth, hence the nickname – Stone of Heaven.
The energy emitted by the Jade is one that instills acceptance and harmony. Wearing the stone, I feel like I am at peace with the world and more importantly, at peace with myself. I strongly recommend trying out how owning a piece of jade will change your life! Such a powerful loving stone has the power to change your outlook in life, especially if it has always been negative, and help you accept things as they are. Check it out yourself at my shop if you are interested! I look forward to sharing more about this beautiful stone with you.
