Ancient warriors believed in Moss Agate. It was considered a “strength stone,” enhancing concentration, persistence, endurance, and success—the attributes desired of any good warrior. Today, New Age believers will recommend Moss Agate to let go of anger or bitterness and to help balance emotional energy. As an “abundance stone,” Moss Agate is also thought to attract health, wealth, and friendship.
Moss Agate, despite all appearances, contains no organic material. And—because it’s not banded—it’s not really an agate at all. It’s a variety of chalcedony, housed within the larger quartz family. The green “moss” one sees when peering through a piece of the stone are actually dendritic inclusions of manganese or iron (hence, the green coloration). Looking at a piece of this wonderful stone, one may see a tree line, a landscape, or a piece of lichen, “trapped” within the stone. Each piece of Moss Agate is a little Impressionist painting.
The wee pill box, pictured above, was made in Scotland of a lovely piece of Moss Agate—swirls of green in a milky, translucent sky. You may think of the Highlands every time you open it.