Darning Your Aura: Crystal Combing

We have all encountered psychic vampires, who tear away little pieces of your chi, or life force, leaving holes in your aura (etheric body). You can identify the places that need patching because they will become noticeably cold as you pass a crystal over them.

Pick your favorite stone from amethyst, citrine, or any quartz and run it all around you at a distance of about 3 inches (7.5cm). Make note of the cold spots and lay the crystal on those places for about 5 minutes, until the spot feels warmer. This repairs the holes in your aura and you should begin to feel a pleasant sense of renewed wholeness once again.

Another wonderfully soothing technique is crystal combing. Take a piece of pink kunzite and brush it in gentle, slow, downward strokes from the top of your head, the crown chakra, to the bottom of your feet. The next time you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, try this and you will feel more relaxed and in control afterward.

Kunzite is also a heart mender, which works with the heart chakra to bring inner peace, clear away old romantic wounds, and get rid of emotional baggage. While lying down you can place a chunk of kunzite upon your chest, meditate with it, and feel the healing energy flow in.

Healing Stones

 

We have all encountered psychic vampires, whether we know it or not. Your aura will know it, because psychic vampires tear away little pieces of your chi, or life force, leaving holes in your aura. You can identify the places that need patching because they will become noticeably cold as you pass a crystal over them. Pick your favorite stone between amethyst, citrine, or any quartz and run it all around you at a distance of about three inches. Make note of the cold spots and lay the crystal on those places for about five minutes, until the spot feels warmer. You will have repaired the holes in your etheric body and should begin to feel a pleasant sense of renewed wholeness once again.

Here’s another technique: crystal combing. It sounds odd, but you will become an aficionado immediately after you have felt the wonderfully soothing results. The beautiful pink kunzite is amazing as a mental management crystal. Take the crystal and brush it in gentle, slow, downward strokes from the top of your head, the crown chakra, to the bottom of your feet. The next time you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, try this and you will feel more relaxed and in control afterward.

Kunzite is also a heart mender which touches upon the heart chakra to bring inner peace, clear away old romantic wounds, and get rid of emotional baggage. You can place a chunk of kunzite upon your chest and meditate with it to feel the healing energy flow in.

A Gathering of Angels: A Ritual of Preparation for Surgery

Call your friends together before the surgery. It can be at your home or any place that feels safe and secure. I highly recommend healing energy at the home of the person who is to undergo the surgery, as it will create an aura of restoration. Ask each person to bring something to comfort, reassure, and cure the celebrant: soup, fixings, a soothing eye pillow, sleep balm, a hand-knitted scarf for warmth, body lotion, herbal teas, books, or lavender-infused slippers are all wonderful gifts.

Form a circle of care around the celebrant and light candles. Unscented soy candles are probably best for health reasons. As you go around the circle, ask each person to give his or her gift of caring to the celebrant and say what it represents. 

I give you this herbal tea mix so you can sip tea and draw from it healing and heat.
I give you all my love and healing energy and I know you will come back from the hospital healthier than ever before.

The ritual continues until everyone has had a turn to speak and healing gifts and loving energy surround the celebrant. I suggest giving the celebrant hankies beforehand, as I know

I could not stop my tears of joy. It is completely up to the celebrant to say or do whatever he or she feels during the ritual. In many cases, they may say nothing due to the intensity of this event.

Virgo: Pine Helps Perfectionists

Sticklers by nature, Virgoans work hard to be organized, on time, and have things just so. None of us are perfect, so that can be a set up for failure when you fail to meet your own extremely high standards, as it can lead to a swirl of negative self-talk. To get out of this cycle of negativity, Virgos can reconnect to self-compassion with pine essence.

Sodalite—Truth-Teller’s Stone

Sodalite is a truth-teller’s stone. When wearing it, you have no choice but to express what is in your heart and what you know to be real and right. It is a stone of sincerity. This blue crystal splendor is a relatively rare rock. There are only four known deposits of sodalite in the world: the town of Bancroft, Ontario, where it was first discovered in 1892, two other spots in Canada, and Maine. Sodalite, named for its high sodium content, is the result of volcanic activity in which nepheline rocks were flooded by sodium chlorine, giving this stone the unmatched royal blue color that makes for fine gems when cut. This may well be the reason sodalite is an environmental cleanser, reducing radioactive pollution.

Sodalite is also a balancer and aura cleanser. It is a simplifier, too, showing you how to reorganize your life and reduce stress and wasted time and energy. With this crystal, you will achieve the goals that are right for you on a spiritual level. It is a mental crystal that helps the synapses to fire smoothly and helps you retain wisdom. Sodalite impacts both hemispheres of the brain: the rational, linear half and the imaginative, intuitional side. This rare rock has the rare ability to give you great ideas as well as the impetus and planning ability to make them happen. Sodalite is good for people who are indecisive and easily confused. If you have to make an important decision, meditate with sodalite and you will arrive at exactly the right solution. Tremendous for communication, this stone is good for anyone doing public presentations. It provides the confidence and creativity to express yourself more freely and more honestly.

A popular carving stone, sodalite is coming into vogue as jewelry. Healers use it for digestive issues and to work with diabetes. It is quite good as a massage tool in wand form or as a ball or egg that can be run over the body lightly. As an elixir, it gives confidence, helps lymphoma, and reduces inflammation. If you feel you’re over-busy and that your life is just a little too complicated, wear sodalite at work. Clarity will come! 

Charoite—Russian Rarity

It is a testimony to the earth that we are still discovering new crystals and gems. Charoite is a fairly recent discovery in the West, which became aware of its existence in 1978, although the Russians unearthed it in 1947 in the Chara River valley in central Siberia. Indeed, the wavy patterning of this purple stone rather resembles a running river. Charoite is found exclusively in the part of Russia at the northern tip of Lake Baikal. Charoite is an intense purple. Since this is such a relatively recent discovery, we are still learning a lot about charoite, but what we know now is that it is a stone of cleansing and purification. It is also rapidly gaining a reputation as a stone of deep transformation. Charoite is being used for chakra healing, uniting the crown and heart chakras. An aura purifier, charoite grounds and integrates. It may be helpful for treating general aches and pains and issues relating to the heart, liver, eyes, and pancreas. This beautiful purple crystal can create the proper atmosphere for unconditional love. To use charoite effectively, you should place it over your heart.

Topaz

Topaz is a teacher crystal, showing us how to love. This is the stone of true love and success and is fantastic for confidence and creativity. Topaz is an aura cleanser and helps overcome negativity, replacing it with a sense of joy, abundance, and love. From its facets, topaz even has a charge, both negative and positive; you can see and feel the charge if you rub the stone. Topaz occurs naturally in a golden yellow but can also come in blue, reddish blue, brown, green, light pink, and clear. It is found in many parts of the world, including Zimbabwe, Ireland, Russia, Burma, South Africa, Brazil, and California. Topaz is often discovered as worn water pebbles downstream from an underground cache of ore.

Topaz works through the laws of attraction and manifestation. Creative visualization and meditation with topaz on what you really want and believe is right for you is very potent. Set in a silver wand, topaz is a tremendous abundance tool, connecting to the great source of life, energy, and love. You will find that topaz makes you more sure of your intuitions. The bushmen of Africa used topaz ceremonially for sending their brethren to the next world and for healing.

When meditating with topaz, imagine that you are holding the very energy of the sun—warm, healing, and benevolent. If you are tapped out, burned-out, and at your lowest ebb, topaz will generate rays of replenishment to recharge you and get you back up to a good energy level. Topaz relaxes at the same time that it refills; it “coats” your nervous system so you feel comfortable and ready for anything. Topaz will help you see your real goals in this life and will even illuminate the path to getting there. Topaz is a generosity generator, and you will want to give unto another with no expectations of getting anything back. Yellow topaz attracts advantageous people into your life if worn on the ring finger. Blue topaz stimulates the throat chakra and helps with speaking abilities if worn as a necklace.

Rose Quartz

No other mineral has a color anything like the pink and rose colors of rose quartz, which are caused by titanium and iron. Rose quartz, thankfully, comes in large enough masses that is has been used in many sacred statues, obelisks, and spheres. Although these crystals come from India, Madagascar, Germany, and North America, the best specimens come from mineral-rich Brazil.

A truly extraordinary type or rose quartz is the kind with rutile needles that create a gorgeous star effect. I aim to get one of these, perhaps to celebrate and mark the publication of this gem book! Rose quartz is an emotion stone and is particularly good for matters of the heart. It is gently soothing, slowly allowing the release of hurt and negative feelings and memories. I strongly recommend keeping pieces at home and at work where you can see them and instantly get a lift every time you look at your chunks of love.

Rose quartz engenders self-love, which we must have before we can really love anyone else. Self-forgiveness and self-acceptance are made possible with rose quartz meditation. I have a very large piece with a light centered at the base of my bed, and the warm pink glow immediately makes the room a comforting cocoon. The heat of the bulb also causes the stone to release cheery negative ions into my bedroom. Rose quartz is a crystal of tenderness, nurturing, compassion, sympathy, and faith.

This rock has healing power over the heart and the circulatory system, naturally, as well as the reproductive and cleansing organs. Traditionally, rose quartz is believed to abet fertility. It is especially good for sensitive souls—artists, musicians, writer, poets, and anyone of a gentle and receptive nature.

Labradorite

I LOVE labradorite. As I said before, I love shiny, glittery objects, but I have a special thing for iridescence. Plus, labradorite is a sleeping beauty. It can look as dull as dirt until you give it a closer examination; then you can see the glow under the surface. When cut and polished, it is fascinating and gorgeous, with an impressive light show including yellows, oranges, blues, and violets. Sometimes a single color takes the stage, and other times they perform all at once. In fact, the special play of light and color across the surface is called labradorescence. The effect is caused by lamellar intergrowths, which were produced inside the crystal while the crystal formed during a shift of temperature from extremely high to very low. Named for the place it was first found, Labrador, this loveliest of shiny objects can also be found in India, Finland, Russia, Newfoundland, and Madagascar.

As you might guess, this bluish feldspar is a soul stone with a very powerful light-energy. It abets astral travel, the higher mind, and intelligence and is a favorite of mystics. It brings up nothing but the positive for the brain and consciousness and excises the lower energies of anxiety, stress, and negative thoughts. It is an aura cleanser and balancer. Labradorite, which used to be called spectrolite, also protects against aura leakage. This is a crystal to hold and keep with your during meditation for psychic flashes, much like the flashes of light from within the stone.

Tips ’n’ Tricks: A Rainbow of Uses For Fluorite

Violet—or amethyst—colored fluorite is especially good for the bones, including the marrow. It jogs the third eye and, best of all, imparts good old common sense! Green fluorite is favored for its ability to ground and center excessive physical and mental energy. Clear fluorite awakens the crown chakra and lets go of anything holding back spiritual development. Blue fluorite facilitates mental clarity, orderly thought, and the ability to be a master communicator. Yellow fluorite kindles the synapses and awakens memory. It will also make you smarter and boost your creativity a great deal. 

Any fluorite reduces electromagnetic pollutants and cleanses the aura. Get a big chunk of fluorite at your favorite metaphysical five-and-dime and put it right beside your computer to decrease stress. Those long hours of staring at the screen will cease to sap your energy. Look at your fluorite at least once an hour to reduce eye and brain strain, too!

Chalcedony

This member of the quartz family is also a gem family in and of itself, including cat’s-eye, tiger’s-eye, jasper, onyx, agate, and carnelian. It is a fine-grained and multihued type of silica mineral quartz with a waxy patina. Chalcedony most commonly occurs in a white, gray, yellow, brown, or light tan form known as chert. It is the result of silica’s replacing the original organic material—sea sponges, fish, plants, or wood from trees. Some spectacular chert specimens are the petrified trees in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park; their brilliant reds and greens are due to the traces of iron contained within, giving them an otherworldly effect. 

As chalcedony is actually a stone from some of Earth’s earliest living things, it has been with us since man’s earliest days and has been used in tools and as adornment. It is still actively produced in South America, primarily in Uruguay and Brazil, as well as in the southwest part of Africa. Known as the stone of brotherhood, chalcedony was sacred to Native Americans and was a powerful stone used to unite tribes in holy ceremonies. It is a stone of stability, kindness, endurance, and balance and is said to create peace. Chalcedony engenders a desire for introspection and can help overcome low self-esteem and bring about enthusiasm for a new lease on life. This star-powered crystal can also prevent loss of mental faculties as your age. Keep your memory intact with chalcedony!

This crystal is best if you wear it in a ring, a necklace, or a belt. It is a cleansing stone and can even assist you with healing your skin. Chalcedony is most unusual in that it doesn’t have to be cleansed after each use. It absorbs negative energy and is a protector; exposure to ultraviolet light will increase these cleansing powers. An old wives’ tale (literally) is that chalcedony promotes both lactation and the maternal instinct and is, therefore, a mother’s stone. The ancient Egyptians recorded many medicinal formulas made up of powdered chalcedony. Don’t drink it, however; wear it to stay smart and soothe your soul and your skin.

Amber

The color amber is named after the stone, indicating how long people have been using this gem. A fossilized resin, amber comes from the sap of trees dating back millions of years. It frequently contains other fossils—insects, plant fragments, and rocks. Amber is prized for its honey gold color, but Baltic amber has a green color. Amber has been held in high regard as a power and protection talisman for thousands of years and has been used just as long as a healing stone, said to draw out disease, particularly afflictions of thyroid, inner ear, spleen, brain and lungs. You should clean amber after you use it because it draws in energy, which could include bad or negative energy from the body or the environment. Due to its organic origins, amber is an earth stone. It is so grounding and centering that you should not wear it all the time.

Agate

Agate, which comes from the chalcedony group of stones, was beloved by Egyptians for its side-by-side stripes. These stripes occur because of tiny crystals lined up in bands. Agate has a translucent quality and is found all over the world. It is used for grounding and balance and is said to enable higher consciousness. Agate is a stone of confidence and can make the wearer feel a better sense of self and engender more self-understanding. An agate necklace or ring is a powerful centering stone to wear at important meetings or presentations.

Botswana agate is named for the region in which it is found. Botswana agate is gray in color and looks smooth and waxy. This is a powerful tool for anyone dealing with smoke—whether a firefighter or a smoker who wants to quit the habit. Botswana agate is good for the skin, the lungs, and the respiratory system and can also fight depression.

Moss agate is usually a dark color: brown, black, or blue. Moss agate comes from India, North America, or Australia. it is named as such because it has patterning in light-colored clusters that resembles moss. This is a cleansing stone and can bring balance to both sides of the brain, therefore reducing depression or emotional ailments. Moss agate is also useful for treating hypoglycemia. It is the stone of farmers, botanists, and midwives—those who work with the earth. It also aids intuition and creativity and can reduce inhibition and shyness. If you are a speaker, singer, or performer who occasionally suffers stage fright, moss agate us your gem to wear.

Labradorescence: Activate Your Third Eye

Labradorite is a stunning stone with a lovely iridescence. As a magpie who is attracted to shiny objects, it grabs my attention every time. It can look as dull as dirt until you give it a closer examination; then you can see the glow under the surface. When cut and polished, it is fascinating and gorgeous, with an impressive light show including yellows, oranges, blues, and violets. In fact, the special play of light and color across the surface is called labradorescence. The effect is caused by lamellar intergrowths, which were produced inside the crystal while the crystal formed during a shift of temperature from extremely high to very low. Named for the place it was first found, Labrador, this loveliest of shiny objects can also be found in India, Finland, Russia, Newfoundland, and Madagascar.

As you might guess, this bluish feldspar is a soul stone with a very powerful light energy. It abets astral travel, the higher mind, and intelligence and is a favorite of mystics.

It brings up nothing but the positive for the brain and consciousness and excises the lower energies of anxiety, stress, and negative thoughts. It is an aura cleanser and balancer. Labradorite, which used to be called spectrolite, also protects against aura leakage. This is a crystal to hold and keep with your during meditation for psychic flashes, much like the flashes of light from within the stone.

I had no idea that it is also a stone that awakens psychic powers and activates your third eye until I learned this from the great teacher Scott Cunningham. Even a small piece of this special crystal will work. Take the crystal and hold it to the center of your forehead with both hands. Speak aloud:

Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Circe—fill me with your power, 

On this day, I ask you lend me your seer’s vision.

I stand at the threshold in this holy hour.

And so it is. Great goddesses; I am grateful.