I was very lucky to receive a stunning pentagram made of Bismuth from a friend for Yule. I'd seen samples of it in crystal shops before, but I hadn't brought any and didn't know anything about it. I guessed it was laboratory grown, but it is beautiful, and I've found that it is a wonderful focus for meditation. Gazing at its rainbow coloured cubic form somehow seems to draw me in, and I find it hard to look away. It can also help with shamanic journeying and visualisation, while providing grounding at the same time.
I have quite a few crystal books that I usually turn to when researching for a crystal blog, but I couldn't find much about Bismuth from them, so I had to turn to the internet for my search. My first search brought up lots of pages with instructions on creating your own Bismuth crystals, including some fascinating videos on You Tube. I've watched a few of them, and it was really interesting to watch, especially as the melted metal starts to cool and form into crystals, you never know exactly what you’re going to get. I'm not sure if I'd try it myself, I'm far too accident prone!
Bismuth has been known since ancient times, it is a crystalline brittle metal that is silvery-white with an iridescent hue and rarely forms crystals. As an elemental metal its number is 83 on the Periodic Table. The rainbow-coloured Bismuth we see in the shops has been heated, like water Bismuth expands while it solidifies and forms into rainbow coloured crystals with a fascinating geometric hopper form.
Most Bismuth crystals are laboratory grown, they are often coated with chemicals to prevent tarnish. The artificial crystals are widely available in the crystal market, although they are not always labelled as laboratory grown. It's safe to say that any hopper-shaped crystal with a fine lustre and no tarnish is laboratory grown though, although for me, it doesn't detract from their beauty and energy.
One of the strange qualities of Bismuth that I noticed, is that despite being excellent for meditation and journeying, its energy feels very grounding. When I'm writing up my research for any crystal blogs, I like to keep the crystal beside me, with Bismuth I feel very grounded, it also seems to be helping with my concentration levels which is a bonus.
It is said that Bismuth can relieve feelings of loneliness and isolation. It is also very good at supporting a person who is going through a period of transformation, providing stability, acceptance and calmness. It does seem to give off a very calming energy, so I can see it would be useful in many stressful situations.
Bismuth should be the last item removed out of an old home, and the first to enter the new home, to transfer luck and keep everyone calm and organised.
Bismuth can be used to stimulate energy and vitality when needed, and is good for increasing stamina, it can also help you achieve your goals, especially when working as part of a team.
Physically, bismuth is said to ease fevers and can assist in finding and benefitting from new treatments for chronic conditions, it strengthens muscles and helps speed up recovery from operations and accidents.
Bismuth is said to prevent you from becoming overwhelmed by your responsibilities, while at the same time increasing your energy levels to deal with them. It is said to encourage cohesiveness, so would be helpful when working in a group.
Chakra: Can be used on all the Chakras
Planet: Venus and Saturn
Astrological sign: Aquarius
Sources:
The New Crystal Bible - Cassandra Eason The Crystal Healer volume 2 - Philip Permutt healingcrystals.com feelcrystals.com minerals.net