Crystals & Chakras

I'm staring at a blank page now for the last few hours... not feeling it this week. But will give it a go... (2 weeks later and I'm finally attacking it lol)

Crystals
I was introduced to these in 1998 by a friend who taught me about crystal healing and using them in meditation etc.  I have a big collection now and there was a period when I didn't touch them for a few years but I've rediscovered them and started using them again.  I haven't done any courses on it but I do have a couple of good books that I use for reference.

I have found that when I do a tarot reading for someone, I get them to pick a crystal from the box, they then hold this during the reading. After the reading, I look up the stone they've chosen in the book and every time, it's relevant to what's going on with them at the moment. The stone picks them.

I use crystals every day.  I usually wear a bloodstone bracelet and have a variety of necklaces with crystals in.  Each day I'm drawn to a particular one and I'll wear it.  Some times I carry them in my pocket, depending if I'm ailing, then I'll pick up my crystal book and look it up, pick a crystal and pop it in my pocket or under my pillow. I use two books 'The Crystal and Mineral guide' by John Lee - a booklet really that I got for £3.50. No pictures but very good for reference. The other is a bible sized book 'Love is in the Earth' by Melody, also no pictures but full of crystals you've never heard of and it's more detailed. My friend Andrea was lucky enough to meet her and helped her work on the second book.

Apothylite

I've heard people talk about working with crystals and some times, my fluffy-radar goes off and I glaze over. Scientific fact: everything on this earth vibrates. Each object has a vibration rating. We cannot see/feel those vibrations but they can  be measured with scientific instruments (don't ask me what ones, I don't know).  The theory is, and is one that I believe in, is that by placing an object with a certain vibration level, on an area that needs healing, it will assist in balancing that area and thus help with the healing.  Do I think crystals 'talk' to you - no.  Do I think they feel pain - no. Do I think they are the cure all for everything - no. Do I think they have magical properties - mmm some times but that depends on your definitions of magic.

Quartz ball

Crystal balls have always been deemed as magical.  Historically, crystals have been used as talismans and worn for protection.  Solomon wore Lapis Lazuli on his breast plate.  People have worn gem stones in jewellery for as long as people have adorned themselves with clothing.  Usually the early examples are those that weren't mined and were found on the beaches, in rock faces etc so amber (which isn't technically a crystal as it's fossilised tree sap), jet, amethyst, jasper, quartz ...  Those ruby, diamond, sapphire, emerald rings and fine jewellery are crystals - just a higher grade and 'flawless'.  People have always been drawn to crystals and gemstones.  I have a lovely ruby in fuchite piece with several rubies in it but it's a fraction of the price of a gem stone quality ruby you'd pay hundreds for at a jewellers.

Amber set in silver bracelet

I have quite a large collection now. I used to be able to name each one and tell you what they are good for but as they say 'if you don't use it, you lose it' and that knowledge is in the back of my mind blocked in by other things.  It comes back to me and I have started to use crystals again.

My favourite pieces at the moment are quartz, lithium, clear, rose and smokey; melinite, lapis lazuli and amethyst.  I have a lovely quartz crystal ball with huge infractions that look like an icy landscape. There is a piece of jewellery I bought off a friend that is copper with snowflake obsidian beads and the main piece is a triple terminated smokey quartz. It was one of those pieces I was instantly drawn too. I left it a few weeks and it was still on her stall, so I bought it. I put it on and was drunk within a few minutes. It was exactly like being really drunk! My friends were on the floor laughing at me trying to speak a straight sentence and I was slurring my words a bit.  Never had that happen to me before... so I only wear it now when I need to do some spirit work or during meditation.

click - Black Orchid Designs

I read in Caitlin Matthews book 'Singing the soul back home' that people shouldn't put crystals on 'just anywhere' and they can actually cause a lot of damage to the auric field if they don't know what they are doing.  I can see her point because there was a fad a few years back where colleges were doing two day courses and then that person was 'qualified' to be a crystal healer and at that time, they charged £40 for a healing session. It was a new age healing explosion and worth lots of money.  Another friend of mine did a course for nearly two years, where she learnt about the human body, the organs and intricate details about crystals, making elixirs and all sorts of things.  She knew was properly trained and knew what she was doing.  These types of courses are less popular at colleges now, the fashion has moved on to other areas thank gods!  So I have to agree with Caitlin, don't just go putting any old crystal on your chakras without knowing what you are doing. That crystal has a certain vibration, that is interrupting your energy field and energy centres.... wearing certain crystals around your neck is not suitable.  There are loads that make you feel spacey and open you up - why put that on all day? Are you mad?! Those are the ones you wear during meditation, spirit work, or dream time.  Do your research.

Black Kyanite

Another interesting debate came up on the pagan group I'm on, the other week.  What are your thoughts on ripping crystals from the earth and does it affect their 'power' from the trauma of the extraction?  There are parts of the world where people are forced to mine these gemstones, living like slaves and being paid pittance.  Most of the time, this is for the high grade gemstones.  The crystals on the market are a bi-product of mining, things they find along the way, things that don't aren't flawless.  Malachite is a bi-product of copper, so you will find tonnes of the stuff around copper mines, just thrown away as slag.  I love malachite, the colours are amazing and it's highly charged like copper.  I think if people mine ethically, pay the locals a good wage and don't exploit them, then I don't see the issues.  You're never going to know 100% what you have in your collection was extracted ethically and if they've lost their power from being torn from the earth, then how come they still buzz in your hand and you're drawn to one stone in a basket of many?  I don't think they have feelings, they are lumps of compressed particles.. get a grip people lol.

Multi Chrysoprase

Chakras
I bumped into a chap who comes to the local moot and we were having a great chat about chakras in the crisp aisle in Morrisons.  I was wearing a lapis luzuli necklace as I had a sore throat and blue is the throat chakra colour.  He picked up my sore throat and started to dry cough, I wasn't coughing but I was dying for a drink as my throat was thick and dry.  I picked up off him, like the top of my head was coming off.  This is all whilst chatting about stuff.  He hadn't shut himself down and he'd been told that you don't close your base and crown chakras. This isn't the first time I've heard this and you know what, that's utter nonsense!  You can't shut down an energy point, you won't die if you do either! Who makes this stuff up?!  I went on to describe to him how to open/chose your chakras (and by that, I mean the main 7) when you want to be open/closed for spirit work.  Think of it like a dimmer switch I told him. When you want to open up, you turn the switch round and the light is brighter, when you want to close down, you dim it right down.  Turning a light off doesn't mean it's broken either or we'd never turn our light bulbs off.  He also said that he couldn't visualise things in meditation.  Imagining an image and visualising it are THE SAME THING. When I sat in circle and we opened and closed our chakras, each time I would visualise it differently, your mind will find a way of relating these things to you.  One week it would be a spinning coloured ball, another it would be a big bubble, or my fav would be sitting in a big coloured flower and the petals open/closing around me.

Aha! Another flash of inspiration...  a flower opens in the morning light and follows the sun. It closes at night. It does this every day.... and doesn't die does it?  So closing your crown and base charkas won't kill you.  You can't keep them spinning madly whilst the others are dimmed cos you will be totally imbalanced and like my friend, have headaches, unwanted spirit attention and at the other end, your over active base, governs your bum and down.  If you're having issues below the waist, dowse your base chakra and I'll bet that it's off balance.

Keywords here would be: DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING SOMEONE WRITES IN A BOOK. It is after all their opinion and most of the time, they are fluffy and don't know what they are on about. Don't read their words as fact and base your practises on them.  I've been there and done that... take everything with a pinch of salt and question everything.  You will know in your gut if it's true for you or not. Go with your gut always.

Righto then... I have another two blogs to pen later but first, I'm off to circle, which I've not been to for weeks for a variety of reasons.  As I said to my friend earlier, I can't write about these things if I'm not practicing them!