Slate

If you’re caught outside as a storm bears down, what do you do? Seek shelter, of course. And you’re not likely to find a better roof to shelter under than slate. This is one rock that stands up to the elements, and yet it splits easily too, into smooth but sturdy sheets. This makes it an ideal material for roofing, but that’s not where slate’s usefulness ends: Its smoothness is also what made it the world’s first chalkboard, which is where the sayings “wiping the slate clean” and “a clean slate” come from. Whether you need to protect yourself by taking shelter in a storm, splitting from someone who’s bad for you, or wiping away your past and starting fresh, slate’s reliable and protective sturdiness is here to help. It’s urging you now to stay shielded and safe as you create for yourself a new life you’ll love.