Aetites, Eagle Stone, Geode

Lapis Aetites: ‘Stone with a Child’: Lapis Erodialis: Lapis Aquileius

Hortus sanitatis, 1491

Ortus Sanitatis, Beck, 1517

Conradi Gesneri de Rerum Fossilium Lapidum et Gemmarum, 1565

Aldrovandi, Musaeum metallicum, 1648

Metallotheca Vaticana Opus Posthuman, 1719

Gemmarum et lapidum historia Tollius 1647

Minerological name:
Geode
Pliny listed several varieties:

1. Small, soft, African Eagle Stone, with soft white or yellow clay. It is very soft, and is regarded as Feminine (this is the Geode of Dioscorides);
2. a type from Cyprus, larger than the African, soft, easily crumbled containing sand and fine pebbles;
3. a type called Taphinsius, from the island of Taphus, which is white, round, and very soft;
4. a hard Eagle Stone from Arabia which is red and hard, and said to be masculine. it contains a reddish stone, and was much commended by Dioscorides.

Rulundus in his Lexicon of Alchemy (1612) listed a number of varieties:

1. the ‘Pregnant Stone’ of Dioscorides (which is a stone within a stone, and is considered best);
2. the Geode, filled with white or saffron colored clay-earth (found in Saxony);
3. the Third species is filled with water, and ‘perspires in a warm place’; it is called Enydros: it is ‘always perfectly round; it is white, and of little weight, but when moved water is seen to flow within like the liquid in Eggs’ (Pliny);
4. a Fourth type is filled with sand and small pebbles;
5. a Fifth type is full of Chelonitis;
6. filled with White Lime.

Originally siderite nodules; during the Pleistocene carbonic acid dissolved the surface of the siderite replacing it with ferrous bicarbonate which oxidised to ferric oxide forming a new crust around the nodule. This explains the inner stone ball found within a hollow shell.

Parts used:

Whole stone, usually externally or as an amulet.

Temperature & Taste:

Cold, dry.

Uses:

1. Stops Leakage, Prevents Miscarriage:
-‘preserve the Fetus against all insidious attempts at producing abortion’. (Pliny)
–’for the Eagle Stone alleviates parturition’ (Lexicon of Alchemy, 1612)
–’it relieves the sense of heaviness experienced by women before childbirth if the uterus be rubbed with it’ (Lexicon of Alchemy, 1612).
-said to prevent miscarriage if tied to the left arm or placed over the abdomen, and to induce painless delivery if bound to the thigh during childbirth. (Dioscorides)
–’Carried in wax, preserves children in the womb, and suffers them not to become abortive: But naked, it hastens birth’ (Magic of Kirani);
-also for Hysteria (applied to the abdomen or hung around the neck)
-also for Diarrhea and Hernia (Aldrovandus)
–Of Geodes: ‘It is of the nature and kind of the Eagle Stone, and so in like manner preserves the conception, and accelerates the Birth (Salmon).
-some recommended binding an Eagle Stone to the left arm of women after taking medicine for Infertility to aid conception. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1595)

2. Stops Wind, Calms the Heart and Spirit:
-affections of the Heart; Melancholy (Aldrovandus); for which it can be worn over the Heart (Salmon)
-as an amulet to promote health in children.
–Finely powdered and taken with a Cerat made of Cyprinum or Gleucinum, or something else that is warming, greatly helps Epilepsy (Dioscorides)
–’Good for Falling Sickness’ (Book of Secrets, Albertus).

3. Resists Poison:
-used against Poison
-Scorpion bites
-Pleurisy
-it was said to neutralise poison if boiled with food that had been poisoned.

4. Promotes Urine, Clears Stones:
–used to help expel Stones

5. Externally:
-bound to the arm to prevent miscarriage, bound to the thigh to promote easier childbirth.
-powder was applied to stop bleeding (Charras)
-powder mixed with egg white and applied to the eye to stop tearing. (Charras)
-applied to ease inflammation
-The powder made into a paste with water and applied to the place removes heat of the Testicles (Culpeper)
–Wearing an Eagle stone was said to aid the healing of fractures (Magic of Kirani)
-Steeped in water and used as a wash for inflammations of the eyes.

Dose:

Rarely used, most commonly used externally.
Finely Levigated Powder: 250–500mg

Comment:

Pomet (1712) said ‘It were to be wished that the virtues attributed to the Eagle stone were as certain as they are considerable’. Charras (1678) however viewed it as a useful medicine, stating the powder should always be ready for use.

Substitute:

Brown Hematite was said to closely resemble the Lapis Aetites of Old European Pharmacy

Preparation:

It is finely levigated with water as for other hard stones.

Magical Uses:
-traditionally used to expose a thief
-hung over the left shoulder to promote love between husband and wife (Albertus)
-worn around the neck to prevent Epilepsy in children and promote their health.
-a tonic during pregnancy, protecting motehr and fetus, and preventing miscarriage.

Main Combinations:

1. To promote Labor, bind the Eagle Stone to the left thigh and give her 3 ounces of White Lillies to drink. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1595
2. Stones: Eagle Stone, Crabs Eyes, Jews Stone, Lynx Stone, Spunge Stone, equal parts (Schroder)

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• Extra Info
  
• History

Dioscorides: ‘Aetites stone when shaken sends out a sound as if it were pregnant with another stone. It prevents miscarriage when the wombs are slippery, tied around the left arm. At the time of delivery take it from the arm and tie it around the thigh and she shall bring forth without pain. It exposes a thief if it is put into the bread offered him, for he that stole is not able to swallow down the things chewed. They say that Aetites boiled together with meat will betray a thief, for he who stole shall not be able to swallow that which was boiled with it. Pounded into small pieces and used in a wax ointment made of cyprinum, gleucinum or any of those things that warm, it helps epilepsy considerably.’ Albertus Magnus: -‘Take the stone which is called Aetites, and it is called of some Aquileus, because the Eagles put these in their nests. It is of purple colour, and it is found nigh the banks of the ocean sea, and sometimes in Persia, and it containeth always another stone in it, which soundeth in it when it is moved. It is said of ancient Philosophers that this stone, hanged up in the left shoulder, getteth love between Husband and Wife. It is profitable to women great with child; it preventeth untimely birth; it mitigates the peril of child birth, and it is said to be good to them that have the Falling Sickness. And as the men of Chaldea say, if the Poison be in thy meat, if the aforesaid stone be put in, it letteth that the meat may be swallowed down, and I did see that this last was examined sensibly of one of our brethren’.

Salmon, Seplasium: It is called Aetites, Aetou Lithos, Lapis Erodialis, Aquileius, Enydros, Lapis Aquilae, and Eagle Stone in English. They were said to be found in Eagles nests in Germany, Africa, Egypt, Arabia and Saxony, among other places. It was said the Eagle never makes a nest without it. It is white or greyish colored stone, sometimes reddish white, about the size of a peach. It is heavy and hollow, usually with another stone within which was called Callimus. Several types were recognised: 1. Male, round, very hard and hollow, and when shaken there is the sound of a stone within it which is hard and red; 2. Female, hollow, containing a white clay or earthy substance within, but not as hard as the former. It is easily broken. This is called Aegyptite and Geodes Gemma of Dioscorides; 3. A third kind contains water within it, is smooth and white, and it sweats. This was called Enydros; 4. The fourth kind is similar to the first, is bigger, and easily broken. It contains sand or gravel within; 5. A fifth kind has a stone like Chelonite or Toad Stone within, almost like Turtle shell; 6. The next is round and white and has a beautiful crystal within or white flint. When bound to the arm or stomach it prevents miscarriage, and retains the child in the womb. But being bound to the thigh it promotes Labor. It was said that it must be removed as soon as Labor was facilitated or it may draw down the womb (ie. cause prolapse). It was also applied to the thigh for Hysteria (‘rising of the womb’). Hung around the neck, it is good for the Heart, Heart pain and Melancholy, Fluxes, Pleurisy and Ruptures (Hernia). The second type (Lapis Geodes) has the same virtues, but also clears the sight and helps inflammations.