Flint

Once upon a time, our earliest human ancestors lived pretty much like any other animal. Then something happened to spark human civilization, something that separated us forever from all other species and ultimately led to us having a massive, outsized impact on the entire natural world. What sparked this massive change came down to two things: the making of tools and the taming of fire. This one rock is responsible for both. Hard and unyielding, with sharp, cutting edges, flint was used by our earliest ancestors to make tools and weapons that could be useful or dangerous, depending on the person wielding them. Also, when struck with pyrite or steel, flint sends out sparks hot enough to make a fire, which itself can be used for great good or great evil. Flint may have kept us cozy and well-fed for millions of years, but it was also used as an instrument of murder, and later as a means of igniting gunpowder. Flint, in other words, can be thought of as a rock of ultimate potential, and if it’s coming up for you now, it’s to let you know that something in your life right now has the potential to go huge. Whether it’s for good or for bad is entirely up to you.