A HINDU LIST OF GEMS OF THE MONTHS[437]

AprilDiamond
MayEmerald
JunePearl
JulySapphire
AugustRuby
SeptemberZircon
OctoberCoral
NovemberCat’s-eye
DecemberTopaz
JanuarySerpent-stone
FebruaryChandrakanta
MarchThe gold Siva-linga

When the zodiacal signs were engraved on gems to give them special virtues and render them of greater efficacy for those born under a given sign, the Hebrew characters designating the sign (or at least the initial character) were often cut upon the gem. As the letters in which the earliest of our sacred writings were written, a peculiar sanctity was often ascribed to these Hebrew characters, which were perhaps the more highly valued that they were unknown to the owners of the gems, and hence possessed a certain air of mystery for them. The subjoined list of the signs with the Hebrew equivalents may be of interest on this account.

HEBREW NAMES OF THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC

LibraמאזניםMoznayim
Scorpioעקרב’Akrab
SagittariusקשׁתḲeshet
CapricornusגדיGedi
AquariusדליDeli
PiscesדליםDagim
AriesטלהṬaleh
TaurusשׁורShor
GeminiתאומיםTe’omim
CancerסריהSartan
LeoאריהAryeh
VirgoבתולהBetulah

GEMS OF WEEK DAYS

Sunday: Topaz—diamond.

The bairn that is born

On Sonnan’s sweet day

Is blithe and is bonnie,