Crystal · Modern Lapidary · Camael’s stone

Ruby

The stone the modern tradition reaches for in the kindling of passion.

Ruby is one of the stones the modern popular tradition has placed at the centre of the protective lapidary. The older books named it under a different grammar — the medieval Marbodus, the classical Pliny, the biblical sapphire and carbuncle of Exodus and Ezekiel — and the site holds both traditions together for the stones where they meet.

A note on the modern stones

The older books (Pliny, Marbodus, the biblical lapidary) did not always name the stones the modern crystal-tradition reaches for. Where the older books did name the stone, the site quotes them. Where the modern tradition is naming a stone the older books knew under another name, the site says so. Where the modern tradition names a stone the older books did not catalogue, the site catalogues it under the older grammar’s spirit — not as instruction in occult practice, but as defensive reference for the reader who already carries one.

What the tradition records

Name: Ruby
Colour: Deep red, blood-red, pink-red
Origin: Burma (Myanmar), Mozambique, Madagascar — corundum coloured by chromium
Hardness (Mohs): 9 (very hard, second only to diamond)
Recorded source: Exodus 28:17; Ezekiel 28:13; Marbodus; Pliny
Archangel pairing: Camael
Angel number: 888
How to use: Carried in the pocket, worn on a pendant near the throat, or placed on a windowsill or threshold for the duration of the office

The office in the older books

The biblical carbuncle of Exodus 28:17, Ezekiel 28:13, and Isaiah 54:12 is identified as ruby. Marbodus calls it lord of all stones, gem of all gems; Pliny writes that ruby outshines the fire of any lamp.

The office in the modern lapidary

In the modern lapidary the stone is reached for in the kindling of passion, the granting of courage to the timid, and the restoration of the life-force at the lowest ebb.

The archangel pairing

Camael (Chamuel) is the warrior-angel, the captain of the Powers choir. Ruby is the warrior's stone, the stone of the kindled heart. The reader who has been called by Camael — through a recurrence of angel number 888, through the answering of a long prayer, or through the silent recognition the older books describe as the meeting — carries the paired stone for the forty days after the call.

See the full profile of Camael — the day, the planet, the traditional prayer, and the standing devotion.

How the tradition prescribes its use

Acquire the stone honestly. A stone given as a gift carries the giver’s intention; a stone bought in deliberate exchange carries the wearer’s own choice. Either is valid. Stones taken in haste or under deception carry their origin.
Cleanse before first carrying. The older sources prescribe water from a running source, or one night under the moon, or one hour in salt. The cleansing is the wearer’s reception of the stone into use.
Carry for the forty-day window. The tradition is consistent on this duration. Long enough to break the previous pattern; short enough to stay attentive to whether the office of the stone is needed again.
Re-cleanse periodically. Stones worn through difficult passages absorb the difficulty. Once a month under running water, or in salt overnight, is the standing prescription.
Hold the call alongside the stone. The stone is the body of the office; the call to Camael is the office’s voice. The stone does not work without the call.

What to carry

Ruby pendant or pocket stone — the worn or carried form the tradition records. Worn near the throat or carried in a pocket for at least the forty-day window after the call to Camael. → where to find this

Ruby tumbled stones — for the pocket, the windowsill, or the threshold of a room. → where to find this

Common questions

What is ruby good for spiritually?

The biblical carbuncle of Exodus 28:17, Ezekiel 28:13, and Isaiah 54:12 is identified as ruby. Marbodus calls it lord of all stones. In the modern lapidary, In the modern lapidary the stone is reached for in the kindling of passion, the granting of courage to the timid.

Which archangel is paired with ruby?

Ruby is paired with Camael in the modern correspondence. Camael (Chamuel) is the warrior-angel, the captain of the Powers choir. Ruby is the warrior's stone, the stone of the kindled heart.

Which angel number is paired with ruby?

Ruby is paired with angel number 888 in the standing correspondence. The reader who sees 888 repeatedly may consider carrying or wearing ruby.

How should I wear or carry ruby?

Worn on a pendant near the throat, set in a ring on the right hand, or carried as a tumbled stone in the pocket. The forty-day window is the standing duration. Re-cleanse periodically under running water or overnight in salt.

Carbunculus, gemma gemmarum.