Rhodochrosite

The name simply means “rose-colored,” and the color is astounding. This stone seems as if it is lit from within. It is one of the newer crystals on the scene, coming from Russia and North America. Rhodochrosite is imminently appealing, with its stripes of pink and sometimes orange.

Rhodochrosite is a love stone that will enable anyone who believes they have never truly felt or experienced real love to find it. I heard and read about some people gleaning much good from it during the aftermath of 9/11. It functions as a heart-chakra opener that brings compassion and expands consciousness. One fascinating legend associated with rhodochrosite is that it can connect you to your soul mate if used in meditation. This is also a crystal that helps with the healing power of forgiveness. It also helps overcome irrationality and can prevent a mental breakdown. I think my favorite feature of rhodochrosite is that it overcomes a poor memory. So, this rose-colored beauty banishes forgetfulness and promotes forgiveness—what a nice combination. Healers also work with this stone for respiratory disease. It has a warm energy that is very good for the body.

This striking stone is also invaluable for overcoming fear and paranoia (mental unease). Rhodochrosite abets a more positive worldview. One of the simplest and best aspects of this crystal is that it will help you to sleep more peacefully, shoving apprehension, worry, and woe out of your mind so you can heal body and soul. Your dreams will be positive, too. This is a remarkable stone for affirming the self, allowing absolute self-acceptance and self-forgiveness. Rhodochrosite brings together the spiritual plane and the material place. The crystal is important because it permits the heart to feel hurt and pain deeply, and this processing of emotions nurtures growth.

Smoky Quartz

Smoky quartz, like many other brown stones, is a grounding crystal and affects the parts of the body closest to the earth—the lower torso and the root chakra. As a healer, smoky quartz helps the kidneys, abdomen, pancreas, and sexual organs. It can help a person stuck in a decadent cycle of sexual gratification and promiscuity break out of that meaningless cycle toward real love.

I like how smoky quartz facilitates the creation and achievement of business goals as well as higher personal aspirations. Smoky quartz is one of the only crystals I know that can generate an attitude of patience and fortitude. This dark stone also helps with perspicacity and perseverance—slowly but surely you can get to the top of the mountain! Smoky quartz is calming and is a wonderful antidepressant stone. In the same vein, it abets issues of possessiveness and addiction and can help people struggling with codependency. Smoky quartz also helps people get over negative emotions such as fear, anger, and jealousy. This tone can point out what is important in your life and what is not; it will lead you in overcoming the emotional blocks that stop you from prioritizing your wants and needs. Smoky quartz will move through your lower mind and help your soul grow toward a higher mind and new stages of creativity and inspiration. As an elixir, smoky quartz is superb for radiation illnesses.

This stone is great in combination with these relatives in the quartz family: rose quartz, citrine, and amethyst. If you work with this trinity of crystals, you can blanca female and male energies—the yin and the yang. I find that moldavite is rather un-grounding for me, but smoky quartz can ameliorate that effect and get my feet back on the earth.

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.