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Monday, April 8, 2013

Mystical Rubies—drops of blood from battling dragons—in Fantasy Fiction

I’m putting the final touches on the fourth book in my Enchanted Bookstore Legends, entitled Staurolite, which will release this month. In Staurolite, I’m expanding and developing the foundation of the magical lore of my fantasy world. The basis of magical power is a group of four mystical gemstones that connect with the four Chinese elements of nature: air, earth, fire, and water. The book’s title is actually a known gemstone, staurolite. The gem corresponding to fire I have chosen to work with is the ruby. In my series, it serves as one of the four powerful keystones which can empower the good Alliance to overcome the threatening attacks of the evil Dark Realm.

When I selected the gem that would be my keystone corresponding to fire, I considered many attributes that would make it an empowering symbol. My fire keystone plays a strong role, with a power so great it can easily overtake those who attempt to control it. I was intrigued by rubies from the moment I learned those gems have long been known as hardened drops of blood from battling dragons.

The gemstone ruby has held a regal position in myth, legend and lore for thousands of years. Rubies are said to respond magically, warning of danger by changing their color. Catherine of Aragon wore an infamous ruby, rumored to have turned dark and dull the day before Henry VII announced he was divorcing her. Rubies engraved with fantasy animals, like dragons and serpents, have been popular for attracting wealth and enhancing magical energies. A ruby was considered to be an important gift to honor Buddha and Krishna because the Hindu people believed the gemstone's red glow came from an internal flame which no human could possibly extinguish.

Many believe the gems possess energy to help overcome forces of darkness, protecting wearers from malicious spirits and evil spells. As a shielding stone, it can send out protective energies to surround the wearer at all times. This is an especially good way to help prevent psychic attacks. It is a stone of authority, excellence, but also of vanity. It brings to its wearer happiness and love. A ruby can strengthen the heart, restore lost forces, drive away melancholy, awaken passion and sexual desires. Its energy is intense and vivid, helping you see your own strength to encourage leadership and increase concentration and intellect.  

The power of ruby may help you know and follow your dreams and bliss, to change your world. To help improve your ability to enter a lucid dream state, wear or carry a ruby during your sleep. The gem is thought to help you to remain lucid while entering the dream state and increase your ability to control the dream without slipping into a normal sleep pattern.

With all this power, I had no trouble selecting the ruby to be my fire keystone. Throughout the Enchanted Bookstore Legends series, Lyra comes upon the forces of this special stone. In Heritage Avenged (book#2), she is drawn to a ruby displayed by the Dark Alchemist, Tarom. Lyra is born under the Aries fire sign and cannot resist the powers of the fiery ruby which are like her own. He knows this and tempts her with a taste of what the ruby’s energy can do to multiple her own powers, eliciting dark qualities of greed to pull her off her path of what is noble and good.

In Lost Volumes (book #3), Lyra travels into the underground world of Terza and learns how the first Scribe also fought against the seductively powerful Emtori Ruby she was expected to remove from the collection of the Black Dragon. Lyra discovers a startling fact—the ruby was hidden rather than destroyed as most thought. It still exists!

In Staurolite (book #4), Lyra learns how the first Scribe worked hard to control the Emtori Ruby and avoid allowing its powers to overtake her own. Lyra wonders if she will be able to control the valuable keystone when she must locate it and return it to the Alliance.

Staurolite: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Four

Lyra McCauley, current Scribe of the Alliance, is the only one who can decode magic hidden in the recently retrieved ancient texts written by her ancestors, the first four Scribes. Information in those writings can help Lyra locate the four missing keystones, which will restore power to the Alliance and allow overthrow of the Dark Realm. With peace restored, she and her beloved, Cullen, could finally marry.

Time is short with the Black Dragon’s Dark Realm increasing attacks to avenge the death of his heir. Many innocent lives are lost. Alliance residents are forced into hiding. Magicals and blue dragons follow leadership of the Imperial Dragon and the other three Guardians into battle to defend the Alliance.

While Lyra unlocks the ancient magic, she opens herself up to scribal powers from her ancestors. She alone can fight the deadliest of the Dark Realm’s forces—the cimafa stealth dragons—but at a cost. The energy flux threatens her health and ability to learn where to find the missing keystones. Can Lyra overcome this shrewd tactic of the Black Dragon to decimate the Alliance?

Other references to rubies in fantasy fiction come to mind. I’m a big Harry Potter fan and remember rubies showing up several times throughout that series. Godric Gryffindor’s sword was adorned with egg shaped rubies. Rubies filled the Gryffindor house hourglass. Also, goblins in Gringotts wizarding bank kept busy weighing piles of rubies.

What other works of fantasy do you know that use rubies in mystical or magical ways?

Cross posted at http://speculativesalon.blogspot.com/

Photo credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0 [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED, and Book Three, LOST VOLUMES. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.

1 comments:

Juli D. Revezzo said...

How about Dorothy's Ruby slippers?