.                          Month (com-Astrological                     mencing 21st
Sign of the Zodiac.              of preceding
Symbol.   month).         Stone.

Aries, the Ram     .    {}        April       Sardonyx. 
Taurus the Bull    .    {}        May         Cornelian. 
Gemini the Twins .      {}        June        Topaz. 
Cancer, the Crab .      {}        July        Chalcedony. 
Leo, the Lion . .       {}        August      Jasper. 
Virgo, the Virgin .     {}        September   Emerald. 
Libra, the Balance .    {}        October     Beryl. 
Scorpio, the Scorpion   {}        November    Amethyst. 
Sagittarius, the Archer {}        December    Hyacinth (=Sapphire). 
Capricorn, the Goat .   {}        January     Chrysoprase. 
Aquarius, the Water-    {}        February    Crystal.
bearer
Pisces, the Fishes .    {}        March       Sapphire.(=Lapis lazuli).

stone for “luck”.  The belief in the occult powers of certain stones is by no means non-existent at the present day; for even in these enlightened times there are not wanting those who fear the beautiful opal, and put their faith in the virtues of New Zealand green-stone.

[1] ELIHU RICH:  The Occult Sciences (Encyclopaedia Metropolitana, 1855), pp. 348 et seq.

[2] With regard to these stones, however, there is much confusion and difference of opinion.  The arrangement adopted in the table here given is that of CORNELIUS AGRIPPA (Occult Philosophy, bk. ii.).  A comparatively recent work, esteemed by modern occultists, namely, The Light of Egypt, or the Science of the Soul and the Stars (1889), gives the following scheme:—­

{}=Amethyst. {}=Emerald. {}=Diamond. {}=Onyx (Chalcedony).

{}=Agate. {}=Ruby. {}=Topaz. {}=Sapphire (skyblue).

{}=Beryl. {}=Jasper. {}=Carbuncle. {}=Chrysolite.

Common superstitious opinion regarding birth-stones, as reflected, for example, in the “lucky birth charms” exhibited in the windows of the jewellers’ shops, considerably diverges in this matter from the views of both these authorities.  The usual scheme is as follows:—­

Jan.=Garnet.        May =Emerald.     Sept.=Sapphire,
Feb.=Amethyst.      June=Agate.       Oct. =Opal. 
Mar.=Bloodstone.    July=Ruby.        Nov. =Topaz. 
Apr.=Diamond.       Aug.=Sardonyx.    Dec. =Turquoise.

The bloodstone is frequently assigned either to Aries or Scorpio, owing to its symbolical connection with Mars; and the opal to Cancer, which in astrology is the constellation of the moon.

Confusion is rendered still worse by the fact that the ancients whilst in some cases using the same names as ourselves, applied them to different stones; thus their “hyacinth” is our “sapphire,” whilst their “sapphire” is our “lapis lazuli”.