

It is produced as a protection mechanism to draw off disease and injury caused by insects and fungi, heal over broken branches, or to ward off stress produced by rapid growth. Amber is not formed from tree sap, fluid that circulates through a plant’s vascular system, but from resin, an aromatic, semi-solid substance secreted though the plant’s epithelial cells. Īmber is a mixture of hydrocarbons, composed of several tree resins (mostly of an extinct Pine genus, or in some areas extinct Hymenaea species), plant materials, a volatile oil and succinic acid.

It is the origin of our words “electron” and “electricity.” The modern name “amber” is thought to come from anbar, the Arabic word for ambergris, a similarly colored material discharged from the sperm whale that also washes onto shores, and is used in making perfumes. The Greek term for Amber was elektron, a word referring to the sun, and conferred upon Amber for its ability to draw small substances to itself when subjected to friction. Pliny the Elder considered its pine origins well-proven by the fact it emitted a pine-like smell when rubbed and when ignited, burned with the odor and appearance of torch-pine wood. In antiquity, Amber was known by several names, most notably the Latin succinum, or “juice” from the extinct Pinites succinifer trees from which it was thought to have been originally produced. For millennia, this important raw material, dubbed “gold of the north,” was transported overland by way of the Vistula and Dnieper rivers to Italy, Greece, the Black Sea, Syria, Egypt, and beyond. Prehistoric trade routes were defined by this Amber trade, and the inland corridor from coastal areas of the North and Baltic Seas, down to the Mediterranean Sea became known as the Amber Road.

The rarity of its inclusions and its purported magical and medicinal powers, made it one of the first export goods from the Baltic region to be traded for spices, salt and metals. It carved with little effort, became electrically charged when rubbed, and ignited easily. Hall En, 79]įrom the earliest discoveries of Amber thousands of years ago, washed upon the shores by turbulent seas, this yellow-gold substance was deemed to be beautiful and unique, warm to the touch and light in weight. Amber also provides a protective shield against negative energies and may be called upon to remove toxicity from one’s life or relationships. It emits a bright, soothing energy conducive to health and well-being, and is marvelous for convalescence, ameliorating depression, or working through the grieving process. Amber is ideal for cleansing and reactivating the chakras, particularly the Sacral and Solar Plexus Chakras, and is an excellent tool for clearing the environment in which it rests. It increases vitality and aids tissue regeneration. This stimulates the body’s own mechanisms to heal itself. Īmber is a natural purifier, esteemed for its ability to draw pain and dis-ease from the physical body, as well as the mind and spirit, by absorbing negative or stagnant energies and transforming them into clear, positive energy. It is useful for clearing family patterns, and initiating one’s prerogative of choice. It attunes to ancient wisdom and can be a powerful tool for past life recall, or for stimulating the remembrance of genetic lessons and experiences passed down from one’s ancestors. Amber holds a strong connection to the sun and earth, as well as the once living insects, organisms and plant matter that are forever suspended within its golden structure. It is highly prized in the metaphysical world for its energetic and healing properties, and for the marvelous Life Force it carries. It has been portrayed as drops of the sun, tears of the gods, hardened honey, and sunlight solidified, and is as desired today as it was in the most ancient cultures, utilized as far back as the Stone Age for its pleasing warmth of color, value in adornment, and its magical and medicinal properties.Īmber belongs to a small class of organic gems, neither a crystal nor a mineral, but a biological product of nature, a protective resin that oozed from living trees in dense, prehistoric forests and fossilized over millions of years. Your On-Line Guide to The Healing Energies, Metaphysical Properties, Legendary Uses and Meaning of AmberĪmber is one of the world’s oldest and most coveted treasures, a “Gold of the Sea” intrinsically formed by light and life, preserved by time and washed upon the shores for humanity, a talisman of beauty, protection and renewal. The Crystal Vaults Comprehensive Illustrated Guide to Crystals
