Hildegard von Bingen · twelfth-century lapidary
Crystal Pairing
The medieval pharmacopeia treated stones the way it treated herbs — written down, prescribed, warmed in oil or wine. We quote Hildegard's Physica where her recommendations match; where they don't, the modern reading takes over.
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Black tourmaline
deep black, occasionally striated
Hildegard: Black stones at the four corners of the house, said the medieval witches, kept the worst things out of the kitchen.
Now: Boundary stone. Carry one in each pocket walking somewhere unfriendly. Place by the door.
Shop Black tourmaline →Obsidian
glassy black
Hildegard: Volcanic glass cooled fast — old as the earth. Used in medieval and Aztec rites alike for cutting away what shouldn't return.
Now: A stone that says no. Sharp, mirror-like, no-nonsense.
Shop Obsidian →