Tuesday, October 12, 2010

St. Gervasius and St. Protasius (2nd century)

   Twice, in the past five years, while I was beachcombing on Block Island, Rhode Island, I found a stone rare to Rhode Island called amazonite. Its color varies, but my pieces are light turquoise with delicate white stripes.
  Yesterday, I once again walking along a beach on Block Island and I thought I would find another piece of amazonite, since that would make three pieces, although I wasn't sure when. Then, 10 minutes later, my intuition set in and I knew I'd find more amazonite before our walk was finished.
  Amazonite is believed to inspire confidence and hope, align astral bodies, make marriages happy (is it going to waste on a single gal like me?), and calm the mind. If you sleep with a piece of it under your pillow, the clarity of your dreams will be incredible.
  A couple of hours later, I found two chunks of amazonite: a vivid turquoise and a greenish-yellow. They always appear to me in technicolor which makes me certain I'm one of the few people who can spot it among millions of other stones.
  Amazonite can be found in Colorado, Russia, and Canada. It is also mined in Baveno, Italy, close to the Swiss border. Baveno is also known for its famous red granite quarries which were used to make the spectacular columns at Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral).
  The city's patron saints are twin brothers, Gervasius and Protasius. They were born in Milan, Italy in the 2nd century.
  According to legend, their parents were Sts. Vitalis and Valeria. During the reign of Emperor Nero, St. Gervasius and St. Protasius met their fate. They were scourged and beheaded. Their feast day is June. 19.

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