Episode 1: Chakras with Sharon Muzio

It was so fun to talk to one of my BFFs Sharon Muzio from Alta View Wellness Center in Harrisburg, PA. She is a long-time practitioner of energy work and massage. She is the OG in this area. I wanted to talk chakra with her, since she works with the chakras do in-depth. As COVID-19 has reared up, she has recorded journeys around each of the chakras, which will soon be available. She actually has a journey coming up on June 2nd called Shamanic Journey with the Chakras, which you can register for now. It is being held on Zoom, and seriously, she leads a beautiful journey. You can register by getting in touch with her at avwc@comcast.net

Have a listen to my conversation with Sharon:

Mother Earth Father Sky Meditation

On Sunday, April 12th, I was invited by the Community for Holistic Integration (CHI) to lead a meditation at 11:11am. This meditation is one I do when I need to ground and open to Spirit. I think of this as a connection to all living beings and to all that is. Connecting with deep roots into Mother Earth and then connecting up with Father Sky, plugging into Spirit. I opened this meditation with the poem, i thank you God by e.e. cummings

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday;this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any—lifted from the no
of all nothing—human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Please enjoy this meditation and come back anytime you are needing connection, grounding or more.

This poem was originally published in Xaipe1 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1950), reissued in 2004 by Liveright, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company.

angelite

A few months ago, I wrote a post about Angelic Communication. This included information about channeling and working with Angelic energy, and in that post, I wrote about a few stones that I like to work with for Angel work. But lately, I have been so drawn to working with Angelite in my jewelry making and crystal healing work, I thought I would talk a bit more in-depth about Angelite.

Angelite or Blue Anhydrite is mostly found in Peru with a Mohs hardness of 3.5. The blue of Angelite gorgeously resonates with the throat chakra, third eye and crown, making it ideal for channeling and angel work. I have a large, beautiful piece of Angelite, and the outside is a bumpy, strange looking white. Personally, I just adore the color, fall into it. It reminds me of something from space, or the deep ocean. In this way, it looks like peace, something that appears bumpy and difficult on the outside is a calm, blue ocean spreading over you.

The gentle frequency of Angelite makes it ideal in jewelry and for grids in the home that promote peace, tranquility and angel protection. It is a wonderful ally for working with one's angels, ascended masters, and guides. So, what does that mean exactly? It means Angelite is a wonderful way to interpret, hear, and channel angelic, master, and guide energy. It has a frequency that helps you entrain with angelic frequency. The only requirement from you is quiet listening, trust and belief, which is easier said than done, right?

Remember the throat does not just govern speaking, it governs listening. This is why the throat chakra is so vital for third eye work. Enter Angelite, which helps align all three of the upper seven chakras--Throat, Third Eye and Crown. Part of the draw of angels to Angelite is the serenity and peace it holds. It also attracts our loved ones who have transitioned, so Angelite is a wonderful ally for mediumship as well. In this way, Angelite is also an amazing tool for automatic writing and tapping into intuition. It is my belief that our guides, angels and ascended masters communicate with us constantly. They are the ones orchestrating your signs and symbols, gently guiding you on your spiritual path (the one you signed up with before incarnating as a human). You asked them then to guide you, so they do try. But so often, we stop listening to them. Angelite helps reopen those channels for listening.

Angelite helps in that state of meditation and receiving messages. Angelite assists with dream work, including lucid dreaming and accessing the Akashic records. This all doesn't happen without a bit of work, of course. Sleep with Angelite next to your bed, or under the pillow. Meditate with Angelite. Bring it into your bedroom and grid your bed. Create an Angelic communication grid. Take some mediumship and channeling workshops. Ask the angels for clearer hearing. I connected with Doreen Virtue's work early on my journey, and found her work to help me understand how to work with the angels in every aspect of my life.

Many of us are attracted to Angelite because of its calming and gentle frequency. And Angelite assists with our earthly concerns as well. Compassionate communication and gentle healing of Throat Chakra imbalances makes it a wonderful addition to your crystal collection. Placing Angelite in centrally located places during an event where words can get heated and uncomfortable is a wonderful way to use Angelite. It helps soothe gossipy and sharp tongues. If you are interested in bridging both the human uses and angelic, it would be only fitting to call in Archangel Gabriel to help you use compassionate language and to hear the person.

I use Angelite most often in grids. I find it resonates beautifully with Danburite and Kunzite for Angelic and Spirit Guide work. I also use it in grids for Distance Reiki. I always invoke the angels in this work, so it only stands to reason I use their stone. I find a natural connection between Angelite and Apophyllite, as well as Petalite. Something about their resonances feel similar to me, and so naturally pair them in grids and angelic work. 

What do you think of Angelite? Let me know in the comments.

calcite

Calcite treatment on my blog is indicative of a larger problem with amazing crystalline allies--we often take the best ones for granted. Calcite, I vow to do better by you!

How I've gone a year without talking about Calcite is mind-blowing to me, but here we are. Beautiful Calcite--abundant, useful, healing. It is tough to know where to begin with it. There are so many varieties of Calcite--colors and uses; each could get their own write-up. Rather I'm going to take a few of the lovelies I use in my practice and share their uses and wisdom. 

Calcite is a calcium carbonate mineral with a hardness of 3. It is one of the most abundant crystals, and is found on every continent. It occurs in countless colors and formations, but most Calcite works gently to remove blockages and cleanse the auric field, so it is a wonderful ally with its coordinating chakra. I've known many crystal healers that use full Calcite layouts, since there is a Calcite for each chakra. And certainly, you can find large Calcite reasonably priced. Calcite is often confused for other stones, like a gemmy Rose or Smoky Quartz, or even Snowy Quartz. Calcite has a waxy look to it, like it's been dipped in wax. For geologists, there are some ways to tell the difference. Some Calcite fluoresces under a black light, which always looks cool.  Calcite bubbles when Hydrochloric Acid is dropped on it. (Why, yes, I do have  HCl in my geology toolkit.) It is significantly softer than Quartz, which means it is easily scratched with a Quartz crystal, but not the other way around. (Of course, you then have a scratch on your Calcite.) My kids often come in my house with rocks that are treasure, and they claim it is quartz. These are some easy ways to tell the difference.  Some of the most useful varieties of Calcite are Orange, Blue, Green, Optical or Clear, Honey, Pink Mangano and Stellar Beam.

Clear Calcite, sometimes called Icelandic Spar, is colorless, and often comes in rhombohedral shapes. It is double refractive, so when you view something through the Clear, it looks like it is doubled. It resonates with all the Chakras, but like Clear Quartz is a particular ally to the crown, helping with insight, clarity and forgiveness. Calcite clears out those blockages, so think of clearing stones as one to pave the way for compassion, empathy and forgiveness. I most often use Clear Calcite, or Optical Calcite in layouts where I need clarity and focus around a topic, most often forgiveness layouts.

Blue Calcite resonates deeply with the throat and third eye, a wonderful combination for channeling and psychic work. It is incredibly calming, and helps empaths deal with other people's emotions. I find it to be incredibly spiritual and resonant. It helps remove blockages in the third eye, clearing the way for psychic work, dream work, and visioning. It also can help with clarity, but in a different way than Optical, though they would work beautifully together in this way. Blue Calcite helps remove that great "I" vision of only seeing things from one perspective, and is particularly useful for people who can't "see" the other person's point of view. 

Green Calcite resonates with the Heart Chakra, and all you have to do is hold this stone to feel that energy. It also has that beautiful calming energy on the emotions, particularly anger from heartbreak. Calcite's reputation for removing blockages isn't limited to the other colors only, Green Calcite helps remove blockages in heart issues, like resentments, anger, and unhealthy patterns in relationships. Like many green stones, it is great for physical healing as well, so you can place it on a bruise or strain and the pain dissipates. I love using Green Calcite in Metta meditations, or lovingkindness meditations. 

Orange Calcite is probably the Calcite I use most often in my practice as it beautifully works with the Second or Sacral chakra, and yet isn't as full-on as some other of those sexual and creative stones. Yes, it helps remove blockages to creative and sexual energy. I find it a wonderful ally to those going through menopause. It is an energetic stone, and helps to transmit a kind of passion and energy that doesn't overwhelm, but inspires. It is great for stimulating the metabolism and helping to add a little fire to the mix. Orange Calcite removes other blockages too. I find it is a wonderful ally for discerning what is not serving one's Highest Good, and for release ceremonies, particularly with fire.

One Calcite that my partner uses often, but is not in my toolkit is Mangano Pink Calcite. It also resonates with the Fourth Chakra, or the Heart Chakra. It is a stone of empathy from my understanding, and helps people who have difficulty connecting with their emotions. It is one of those stones I need to work with and understand more before I share more, so if you are tuned up with Mangano, share your experiences in the comments. These are the Calcites in my practice, but Honey Calcite is quite abundant, though I don't work with it often, resonating with the Third Chakra, or Solar Plexus, and Stellar Beam Calcite also a great metaphysical ally. And Red Calcite resonating with the Root. Let me know how you use Calcite in the comments. And as always it is my great honor to talk about crystals with you.

clear quartz

Writing a crystal post about Clear Quartz feels impossible. It is like writing a post on bugs, then only talking about ladybird beetles, lightning bugs, and butterflies. But I would be remiss not to talk about Clear Quartz as best I can. Last week, on my sister's WTER radio show Sacred Connections, I talked briefly about what makes Clear Quartz important and an all-around amazing stone.

But let's talk about the basics on Clear Quartz. Clear Quartz is a silicon dioxide crystal with a Mohs hardness of 7. It is one of the most abundant crystals on the planet. Nearly every person I know with a crystal obsession started by finding quartz in their backyard. Clear Quartz is colorless, hexagonal with naturally faceted terminations (though the terminations are not always a guarantee, because of the way it grows and interferes with the stones and growth around it.) Quartz crystals are known for their piezoelectricity, which makes it useful in radios, watches, computers, etc. Where crystals and crystal healing was traditionally found, you will find Quartz crystals. There are ancient South American carved Clear Quartz crystal skulls. It is found in tombs throughout Europe. The Australian Aborigines believed it mystical and sacred. All through the world, Clear Quartz has been revered and used in tools, healing, spiritual work, and for artistic value. 

Clear Quartz comes in so many shapes and formations, I thought I would show you a few. Starting at the top, this large Quartz cluster shows beautifully how clear Quartz is formed. When one of those points breaks off, you have what is called a single terminated quartz, or a clear quartz which was allowed to naturally terminate to a point. Clockwise  you see a wee cluster, next to a single terminated quartz, in the front, five o'clock position, this is a polished and shaped double terminated quartz, which means it was a rock crystals that was cut and polished into a six-sided. Very famous Vogel crystals are said to be cut and polished to a specifically cut angle to match the pyramids of Giza. They are quite expensive. This is not a Vogel. Next to it is an Elestial Quartz with Enhydros (hint, this is my favorite), a Tantric Twin, to the left is a naturally double terminated clear Quartz, and next to that another Twin. You can see my Clear Quartz sphere, which I use a great deal in grids. And then next to it and behind it, some cut and polished towers.

There are many varieties of Quartz; many of which I have covered in this blog already. Citrine, Smoky Quartz, Amethyst and Rose Quartz all started out as Clear Quartz, but through millennia have interacted with things in their environment to give them different color and attributes. Smoky Quartz was 

So, what is the deal with Clear Quartz? Well, it has many many many attributes. Because of its clarity, it is known to bring clarity and be a channel for Divine wisdom and love. It is said to raise the vibration to bring spiritual awareness. With the higher vibration, one clears the way for opening one's consciousness. Meditation with Clear Quartz is said to help manifest one's intentions and goals, by giving one the clarity to envision the goal being achieved.

Clear Quartz is a Crystal Healers main ally in work. It is wonderful for assisting in chakra balancing, opening and closing chakras, expanding consciousness, assisting in spiritual understanding, connection with guides, past life recall, manifestation, psychic abilities, peace, purification and cleansing of spaces. Clear Quartz also amplifies energy, so it is incredibly useful when you want to amplify your own positive energy in a space where others might not be so positive. That is why it is often worn over the heart chakra--to amplify the love vibration. Clear Quartz's amplification powers make it ideal in grids, as it helps amplify the crystals already working toward your beautiful intention. But its amplification qualities can also make it challenging. Particularly when you are trying to decrease an attribute or emotion. For example, if you were trying to release fear, you wouldn't want to use Clear Quartz as an ally, because it indiscriminately amplifies the existing emotion. Rather you might want to use a stone that helps transmute that fear like Black Tourmaline. Also, in public space, sometimes other energies can be amplified through Clear Quartz, so I am diligent about wearing it only on certain occasions. 

One of its most important characteristics is its programmability and storability. And that is probably something that boggles most people when I write it, but Clear Quartz can resonate to the vibration you are emitting and then store it beautifully. One can learn to program a Clear Quartz for a specific duty--chakra balancing, channeling assistance, anxiety relief, psychic surgery, cleansing the auric field of psychic debris...you think it, you can program it. I have some crystals programmed for my healing practice. If you Google programming a Clear Quartz crystal, you will no doubt find hundreds of opinions on how one can do this. I certainly learned a way from my teacher Hibiscus Moon which I think is the best way, but I encourage you to search for the way that feels best to you and from a teacher you respect. 

There are stones called Master Crystals, so channeled by Katrina Raphaell. She is the guru on this subject, and often the entire subject or idea of Master Crystals gets bastardized by others not completely aware or familiar with the lineage of this idea. Katrina Raphaell believes there are twelve Master Crystals that, recognizable by their particular formation, have been programmed by Mother Earth (or guides) for specific spiritual work. These formations are often small idiosyncrasies with the facets and formations, but I have to admit that when I find one of these, I can feel the difference. I talked about one of these formations a few weeks ago called Tantric Twin. Lemurian Seed crystals, another blog post from a month or so ago, are said to be programmed by the ancient Lemurian race. All of these crystals have different names, based on their "programming" but they are all Clear Quartz crystals. So don't get too confused if you are in a metaphysical bookstore or crystal shop and see what look like Clear Quartz crystals with the names, Elestial, Generator, Record Keeper, Laser Wand, Faden, et al. These are the names of the Master Crystals. Their formations make them more valuable. In the upcoming months, I will cover some of these Master Crystals more in-depth.

Again, this post seems woefully incomplete, but hopefully gives you some footing in the world of Clear Quartz. Please ask questions in the comments about anything in this post or anywhere on my blog. And as always, I am seeing crystal healing clients at Alta View Wellness Center in Harrisburg, PA. You can find more information about crystal healing on this website or Alta View's website. Also, my teacher Hibiscus Moon is getting ready for fall classes starting September 1st for both her Certified Crystal Master Course, and Advanced Crystal Master course. You can use the link below and tell them I sent you when you sign up. 

danburite

Every so often, amongst my group of crystal healer colleagues, every one seems to be working with the same stone. This was the case last fall when my fellow Advanced Crystal Masters were posting pictures of Danburite in grids, in elixirs, straight pieces, lovely meditation space dotted with Danburite. I had of course seen Danburite, but I hadn't worked with it on my own. Only a few weeks earlier, though, I had picked up a beautiful piece at a local crystal shop. As these things go, their enthusiasm and amazing work with Danburite inspired me to actually sit with the piece in meditation.

WOWEE! It is hard to believe I went so long without working with this amazing stone. Danburite's clean, high vibration works cellularly. It is truly an amazing stone, so I thought I would cover it today in our crystal of the week. Danburite is a colorless prismatic stone with linear striations running parallel to the length of the stone. At times, it can be a pale pink or yellow, but most often it is clear. Their terminations are usually chisel-shaped, and they are often four-sided. Their Mohs hardness is 7 to 7.5. 

Danburite resonates with the heart chakra and crown chakras, as well as the Etheric Chakras (8-12), which include the Soul Star. With this chakra combination, Danburite is a wonderful ally for work with guides, angels, channeling and astral journeying. When one is going through ascension or opening to channel, working with Danburite can help quell some of those transitional symptoms that plague some lightworkers in the early days. It is also a gentle and natural destresser and anti-anxiety. 

Danburite has a natural joy and uplifting quality to it that makes it wonderful for elixirs and jewelry. Naisha Ahsian has a wonderful statement about Danburite, "In healing work, Danburite assists one in overcoming fear of intimacy with the Divine." That nails it. It helps open your heart to the Divine when it has been closed due to past programming, religious trauma or prejudices with religion. It helps with heart opening and heart centeredness, so is a great ally in times when we are mired in unforgiveness or anger.

Danburite is a natural ally for meditation work and prayer. You can hold it in your non-dominant hand to help you receive guidance from angels, guides and ascended masters. Let me know what you think of Danburite and how you work with it in daily life, or in your healing practice in the comments below. And as always, any questions that arise, please put it below. You can also sign up for my newsletters right here. I also am a healer and practitioner at Alta View Wellness Center. My fellow crystal healer Kate Pruiett and I will be hosting crystal classes the first Thursday of the month at Alta View, so you can connect with crystal healing in your daily life. Stay abreast of these developments by signing up for Alta View's newsletter heon Alta View's home page. As always, you can book an appointment with me at 717.221.0133.

tantric twin crystal

Last week, I wrote about Lemurian Seed Crystals and talked about the Master Crystals. I am actually traveling this week, but brought one crystal with me--my Tantric Twin Crystal. As the months go on, I will continue discussing these "Master Crystals" from time to time. Katrina Raphaell, the author of a trilogy of incredible crystal healing books, seems to be the first crystal healer to channel the information about the Master Crystals. People often throw that label around, saying that their primary crystal, or the one they work with for healing, psychic or meditation work, is their Master Crystal. It is fine to use it that way, but technically, the term Master Crystal in crystal healing circles has a very definite meaning.

Katrina Raphaell identified some formations of Clear Quartz Crystal, which are said to already be programmed by Mother Earth for specific uses in spiritual and crystal healing work. All of her information about these crystals has been channeled. She was certainly the first to name these crystals, but others independently have channeled similar information confirming her information. In the crystal healing community, her work and identification of these crystals is respected and used. Some of these you have probably already heard of: Elestial, Channeling, Window, Dow, Transmitter, Isis, Cathedral Library, Devic Temple, Record Keeper, Time link, Self-Healed, Tantric Twin, and Phantom. (I'm doing this from memory, so I may have missed one, or replaced it in my head with one I think is a Master.) Each of these are identified by the shape of the crystal itself, the shape and formation of the crystal's facets, growth striations or patterns or markings specific to that crystal. I have bought a pound of little crystal points and found amazing Master Crystals in them. Most stone shops don't check each crystal point to see if it is a Master, so some times you can search through them to find different formations. Once you begin to learn about Master Crystals, it makes Quartz Crystals even more fascinating than they once were.

Today, I am just going to talk about the Twin or Tantric Twin Crystal. Throughout the rest of the year, I'll bring some of these Master Crystals into our discussion on this blog. If you have one, you are interested in learning more about, just put it in the comments and I'd be happy to talk about it. 

If you already do not know, I am an identical twin, sharing my DNA and life path with my womb mate, Kellyann Satterfield. She is an incredible channel, medium and psychic in her own right, if you aren't familiar with her work. We are planning on teaming up in the next few weeks and months, so stay tuned here. (You can always find out information about my comings and goings in my newsletter as well, by signing up right here.)

Because of my twinniness, I have always been drawn to all things twin. Twin Crystals, or Tantric Twin Crystals are two quartz crystals of nearly the same size on a common base. Now, there are crystals that are simply two crystals on the same base, but Tantric Twin Crystals are parallel, and grow relatively the same rate. There is no true boundary between the two. As a collector of these amazing twin crystals, I have some which are the same exact size, and others which have some variety there. 

Tantric Twin is a metaphysical name. If you are at a gem show or rock hound shop, just use the name Twin Crystal. I once asked a geologist at his shop if he carried any Tantric Twin Crystals, and he looked at me disgustingly and said, "That is a metaphysical name. I only deal with geological names." Twin crystals, however, should work fine. This is a good tip anytime you are at a gem and mineral show, or shop. Most of those guys don't get us New Agers, as they condescendingly call us. So, as my teacher Hibiscus Moon says, Don't fly your freak flag when you want a deal. Try to find the geological name for the stone you are looking for--Dream Quartz, for example, you might want to ask for Quartz with Epidote inclusion.

Back to what the heck you use Twin Crystals for. This Master Crystal is programmed for relationship issues. It once had the reputation for only being used for romantic relationships, but that is just not the case. Tantric Twins are healers of all relationships, particularly soul mate and twin flame relationships. These relationships often get conflated, but they seem to have specific meanings. I consider soul mates to be people, not necessarily your life partner or husband, who you have incarnated with. They are soul partners. All of these people in your realm who are helping your soul grow, learn, ascend. These can be friends, coworkers, or family. I don't believe you have only one of these. I believe you have MANY of these. Hundred even. Twin flames were named such by mystics and philosophers. It was believed at the Soul's Creation, the soul split into two--Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine. These two don't always incarnate together, they sometimes incarnate separately. But they often get lives together. Their connection runs deeper than all others, and often has this feeling of completion when they come together. Twin Flame relationships don't have to be different gender, but more of a yin-yang relationships of complementing one another, rather than being exactly the same beliefs and ways of being. The distinction then is that there is one Twin Flame for each person and many soul mates. I make this distinction, because I find it fascinating, but also because these ideas get thrown around. You may read somewhere else that the Tantric Twin is for Twin Flame relationships. And it can certainly be used for that, but it can be used to heal ALL relationships. Tantric Twins are used in meditation to gain insight into the underlying issues of the relationship and the ways to heal those relationship issues. They are also wonderful allies when you want to direct energy toward healing a relationship, so you can use for grid activation with the intention of healing a relationship, or your relationships. You can also use it as a way to hold space during a difficult conversation about a relationship by using it as a talking stick of sorts, or placing it between you. You can often find rainbows in Quartz Crystals. These are particularly useful in Tantric Twins to project healing energy into the relationship. Tantric Twins are also wonderful for good, strong relationships, and holding the intention of keeping the relationship strong. Tantric Twin crystals also assist in attracting like-minded people or soul mates. In this way, that is how the erroneous belief that these crystals only assist in Twin Flame or romantic relationships began.

Let me know if you have a Tantric Twin and how you have worked with it. Or any questions below.

lemurian seed crystals

I could do an entire year on covering different formations and manifestations of Quartz Crystals. Katrina Raphaell named the twelve master crystals in her amazing trilogy of crystal healing books. Each of those could be a blog post in and of themselves. I haven't covered any quartz crystals in my crystal healing blog or newsletter. The topic is so immense; I admit that I am intimidated by it. But today, I thought I would cover one, very special variety, of clear quartz crystal--Lemurian Seed Crystals. 

I would imagine most amateur collectors have run across Lemurian Seed Crystals in their time in mineral shows, new age bookstores, or metaphysical shops. Like all Quartz Crystals, they have a Mohs hardness of 7. But Lemurians come from one particular place in the world--Brazil's Minas Gerais mine. The mine was closed in 2007. They are identified by striations that look like a ladder running up the shaft of the crystal. You can find Lemurians in different color varieties including clear, pink, reddish pink/mauve, and smoky. Each of these variations represent the same types of interactions all Quartz crystals can face--straight pink contain lithium, the reddish pink/mauve have iron oxide, and the smoky (like all smokies) has been exposed to radiation.

There seems to be some distinction between Lemurian and Lemurian Seed crystals (though those names are often used interchangeably), so let me briefly explain that difference in the way they look before I get into the healing qualities of the crystals. Lemurian crystals have a frosted look. They are tapered with deep ladder-like striations. Lemurian Seed Crystals have one shaft frosted, the next clear, then frosted then clear. They still have the ladder-like striations (That is the defining characteristic of all Lemurians.) The video below shows my small pink Lemurian Seed Crystal in the sun. I was trying to demonstrate the alternating clear side and frosted side with the distinctive striations of a Lemurian crystal. It is short, and shot in the wrong direction on my phone, but hopefully it will help.

Lemurian crystals hold much more than simply the Quartz vibration according to their lore. Because Quartz crystals are highly programmable, these Lemurians are said to have been programmed by the healers, mystics, and teachers of the ancient civilization of Lemuria. Lemuria is said to be a highly evolved and spiritually advanced civilization, centered more on the artistic, emotional, and spiritual than our mentally centered society. For many, Lemuria is a "symbol for an evolved state of Unity consciousness," according to the website Bridge to Lemuria.  Lemuria is said to have been based in the legendary Ring of FIre in the Pacific Ocean. There is no scientific evidence for Lemuria, but many channels and spiritual teachers have channeled information about Lemuria which seems to be confirmed by other channels who are separated by time and space. Lemuria often gets lumped into stories of Atlantis. Atlanteans were said to bring about their own demise by using their spiritual growth to become God-like. There is not as much lore about what befell Lemuria, but the same sort of catastrophe and fate is said to have come to Lemuria.

All the information modern teachers and healer have about Lemuria and Lemurian Seed Crystals comes from channeled information. Lemurian Seed Crystals were said to hold this ancient wisdom and the healing powers of this advanced society. Channeled information about Lemurian Seed Crystals say they were placed in loose sandy soil by Lemurian teachers and healers millennia before they were discovered. All clear quartz crystals are easily programmed--that is what makes them ideal to work with in healing and meditation work. Lemurian Seed Crystals are said to have been programmed by the Lemurian healers and teachers with Lemurian consciousness. In this way, they tap into that legendary heart-centered consciousness of the Lemurian people, unity consciousness, and aid in spiritual ascension. They are marvelous allies at balancing the spiritual, mental, physical, and energetic, so they are wonderful allies for healers. To access the wisdom on Lemurian, one is said to have to run one's finger along the striations, as though you are climbing a ladder. 

Lemurian Seed Crystals are said to be naturally tuned to align spiritual, energetic, and physical bodies. This is one of those crystals that the more it is used, the more powerful it becomes. It bonds with the crystal healer to help intuit vital information. Meditation with Lemurian Seed Crystals is incredibly powerful indeed. Another additional attribute to Lemurian Seed Crystals is the feeling of belonging that is inherent to its nature. Lemurians were said to be a heart-centered society, and to feel complete union with the Spiritual or Divine realms, so Angels, Ascended Masters, Divine beings like the gods and goddesses and of course our ancestors who have left the earthly plane. So Lemurian Seed Crystals can have a sense of coming home to them, as Naisha Ahsian puts it. I have found them amazing allies in tapping into my Higher Self during healing sessions with clients. I use a Lemurian to activate all my grids, and to work on my clients in crystal healing sessions.

Lemurians work best with the Crown and Soul Star chakra (all the transpersonal chakras 8-13 resonate amazingly well with Lemurian vibration). Lemurians are said to be feminine stones. I have certainly felt the heart-centered and nurturing aspects of Lemurian Seed Crystals myself. Lemurian Seed Crystals are not difficult to find, but I would suggest holding your Lemurian before buying it, getting a sense of its energy.

Whether you completely believe in the entire legend of Lemuria, or that we need to build a bridge to Lemurian consciousness, or you just enjoy the beautiful stories around Lemuria, or you find the whole thing bunk, (and I don't even know where I stand on this subject, honestly), Lemurian Seed Crystals are worth checking out and working with. From my experience, they have a unique and wonderful vibration, and do hold some powerful energy. Let me know what you think below. If you like this crystal post, share or like it. If you have any questions about Lemurian crystals or any other crystals, post it below, or send me an email at themoonandstone@gmail.com.

scolecite

When I opened my birthday present a few weeks ago from my sister, I just had to burst out laughing. As an identical twin to another psychic, it always cracks me up how we connect, and how Spirit works through us together. There sat this gorgeous Scolecite, and in her gift, there was a miniature version of the Scolecite she gave me. I hadn't worked with Scolecite before, but when I am looking to gift myself or someone else a crystal, I often just hit my favorite stone shop (one with abundant and plentiful stones, not just tumblies), and wander around. Spirit takes me to the nooks and crannies, and I read the names of crystals I have only seen in books. Where I am drawn, I buy. I read later about its properties, if I don't know. I just go with my gut and my eye. I felt Scolecite for my sister. Funnily, my sister felt Scolecite for me a whole other American state away!

Honestly, i didn't even read about it when I got home. I could tell from looking at it and holding it that it had some beautiful properties. Its white color and properties reminded me of Selenite. I knew it resonated with the crown and third eye. I could feel them both pulse when I held the specimen in my non-dominant hand. It is an incredibly peaceful stone, one of tranquility. It was almost as if I could hear the wind in it, a gentle breeze of relaxation.

What I didn't know about Scolecite is that it isn't quite as delicate as Selenite with a Mohs hardness of 5-5.5. it is a Zeolite mineral, which is cool. I also had no idea that Scolecite is a stone that is wonderful for dream work, astral travel, and journeying--all of those things I have been engaging in this past month. When I'm working with it, it is a gentle ally, yet afterward, upon reflection, I should say, it feels like a crown chakra blast. Almost like my guides have plugged me into Spirit, or maybe even my Higher Self is a better description. I have enjoyed my early workings with Scolecite, and would love to hear any of your experience. 

So far the affirmation I have felt with it is:

I open to the peace of my Higher Self.

crystals for angelic communication

Working with Angelic Energy continues to evoke in me a sense of humility, awe and wonder at the universe. For my crystal healing work, I invoke the angels for healing sessions. It is truly amazing to feel their vibration, which is high and clean and absolutely pure. While I do not channel Angels, I do feel them with me, and feel their Divine work in all that I do. I have had angelic communications directly through dream work, the subject of my last newsletter and the upcoming one too. Doreen Virtue is probably the foremost angel communicator and healer in the world, and her books are widely accessible. My friend Rita Strough suggested the book Angelspeake, which was effectively for me too in automatic writing. Those who have gotten a pdf reading from me have experienced some of this automatic writing, and it amazes me still to read what comes out of me. 

A channeled painting of Archangel Azrael, the angel of grief. Copyright, Angie Yingst 2011

This week instead of focusing on one crystal, I thought I would talk about some crystals you can work with to assist in angel communication. These crystals I have used for my angelic work in different areas of my life. As some of you know, I began really opening up to channel while doing artwork. My journey after my daughter died led me immediately into art, writing and painting. At the time, I began practicing tonglen meditation, a type of meditation for compassion and suffering. After asking to take on the suffering of another, I began to paint. What I painted were these little bodhisattvas, or those who achieved enlightenment, but return to help mankind. These little jizos, as they are called, are the bodhisattvas for grieving women. I painted them and painted them and painted them. It has been five years since I began painting jizos, and I have come to understand that in meditation, I began channeling these paintings, and paintings of angels. I have even painted a picture of the Ascended Master who works with me on this tonglen work (Lord Lanto, if you really want to know.) I now go into meditation to do this work, painting ascended masters and angels, aware of what I am doing, and I do use crystals when I am specifically channeling paintings. Some of my work is on this website, as it opened me up to do my psychic readings and understand my gift more. And that is it--whatever aspect you chose to connect with--meditation, painting, channeling, readings, healing work, or dream work, it opens up your channel for other work too. The more you call the Angels in, I have noticed, the more they come even when you don't call them in.

So, what does it mean to use crystals for angel work, or any spiritual work? 

For me, I just find a plethora of ways to use crystals, so try not to get overwhelmed. For angel work in particular, I use one or more of these crystals in this way:

1. In meditation. I will hold the crystal in my non-dominant hand. Sit in a comfortable position (or lie if I am so inclined.) I place my dominant hand either over my non-dominant, or over my heart. I then call the angels in for healing. When I call the angels in, I say their name in threes, so I might say, "Archangel Michael. Archangel Michael. Archangel Michael." Each Archangel has a specific role, and you can ask Michael for example to come in for protection, or to cleanse your aura, or to help cut unhealthy cords of attachment, as he is the Guardian Archangel. Or you might just feel Michael more, even if you are needing work for healing of a stomach issue (even though by the books Raphael would be the one to call in for physical and emotional healing.)  

Another method is to hold the stone, or if you are lying still in meditation, placing the stone on your third eye. I actually do this when I am "feeling" a stone in a metaphysical shop for channeling or psychic work. 

2. Sleeping with the stone for angelic dream work. I have often used guided meditations before bed to call in the angels to work with me in the middle of the night. You can also  just place the stone in your pillow case, under your pillow, next to your bed, or wear in while you sleep.

These Angelite and Black Tourmaline earrings are wonderful tools for day long angelic communication, or when you just want to feel connected to your angels throughout the day.

3. Wearing the stone to use all day. This is by far the coolest and easiest way to use. Not only do you have some gorgeous jewelry on, you also get messages throughout the day. So, call in the angels in the morning. You can call them all in together--Michael, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, Jophiel, Ariel, or anyone you feel most connected. and ask for messages all day. This is a great method if you are open to synchronicity and "coincidences" or rather God Moments. Pay attention to numbers, feathers, pennies, license plates, songs...anything. Just be open!

If you are working with a stone, I suggest only wearing that one stone. I often see people with four or more stones on them in earrings, rings, bracelets. That is totally fine to do, by the way. But if you are focusing on working with one stone, why not just focus on that stone? Then you can feel its energy and really focus on what the messages are for you from this stone. So, take everything else off, and really just feel the stone. Hold it, wear it, and then buy another piece to pocket. And allow God and the Angels to speak through everyone and everything in that one day. Keep a notebook on you and just let it all come.

4. Bathe with your stones. This is not effective for every stone. Certainly any stone with a Moh's hardness of 5 or smaller cannot go in water effectively, but other than that, throw them in. Amethyst is a great channeling stone and a hearty bath stone. You can put on some candles, angelic music, and meditate in the water. It is a natural opener of your chakras and messages or rather Divine Inspiration often comes in the bath or shower, no?

5. Place them in your space. I always put a little bowl of stones next to my workspace when I am writing, and if I am in a painting session, I often put Angelite right next to my painting space. 

6. Create a grid in the area near your meditation spot, or around your meditation seat. Using clear quartz with stones good for angel communication is a wonderful way to work with these stones. When you activate your grid, state your intention very clearly--to channel angelic communication, or get messages from your angels. Again, I cannot state enough how important it is to trust yourself. Angels often speak in your own voice when you are quiet enough to listen. Their messages are never pushy or demanding, then are often gentle, perhaps persistent, but not demanding.

Angels want to help us, but we simply have to ask for their help. Stones that work beautifully for angelic communication are often throat chakra stones, because listening is governed by the throat chakra. This is certainly not all the stones that work for angelic communication. Doreen Virtue associates each angel with a crystal. I have also found amazing connections with some crown chakra stones, which is what I have included here too. Some wonderful stones for angelic work are: Blue Anhydrite or Angelite, Celestite, Hemimorphite, Selenite, Seraphinite, Danburite, Apophyllite and Clear Quartz. 

I'd love to hear your experience working with your angels, and any stones I have forgotten here. For more information, I really liked this article by Emily's Gems on some deeper techniques for meditation, and some other angel stone ideas.

fluorite

Sometimes the best thing to do with a crystal is to get seventh grade science class on that baby. I dare one to look at a Fluorite under UV light (black light) without ooing and aahing. Fluorite, crystal of the week, is so named for its fluorescence. Fluorite comes in a variety of colors from clear to pink to green to purple. And most colors in between. Most people know Fluorite by its multi-colored pieces containing purple to green in the same piece. Yes, a beautiful stone by any right.

Fluorite has a natural octahedral growth pattern (or cubic), and in this way beautifully lends itself to work with sacred geometry. You can find natural octahedral pieces of Fluorite and woweeee...just hold it. Mama. Fluorite does have a Mohs hardness of 4, and should avoid water.

So, what does one use Fluorite for? It is a wonderful tool for students, academics, scholars and anyone looking for mental clarity and acuity. Fluorite balances the aura, and helps cleanse any debris that lingers and clouds the aura (hence the mental clearing aspect of Fluorite work). If you work with Tarot, this is the stone for Swords--a wonderful, Airy ally. If you think about the suit of Swords, in its highest manifestations, then you understand Fluorite. It is about logical, mental stamina, decision making, coherence, thought and perception. It is a great stone for focus. So, if you are feeling all over the place, use Fluorite to help you focus on one goal at a time. Purple and Magenta Fluorites are wonderful to Crown and upper chakra work, opening the transpersonal chakras to connect with guides. Also Fluorite is an awesome ally for psychic work. I use it in crystal healing session where I feel muddy energy with my client, helping to cleanse the aura before I delve deeper into chakra work. 

Different colors of Fluorite have different strengths on the body, etheric body and chakras. Green and pink are wonderful for the heart chakra, especially heart work that lightens the connection to others. It also helps connect the heart with the mind, bringing work into heartcenteredness. 

I love Naisha Ahsian's affirmation for Fluorite from the Book of Stones:

My mind and heart are awake, alert, clear and active, working in unison to make the optimal choices for my life purpose.

Tell me about your experiences with Fluorite, or anything else in your mind.

apophyllite

I don't know when I first touched Apophyllite. I do know that my sister brought a piece to my house and asked if I wanted to work with it. I placed the stone in my non-dominant hand and closed my eyes, and like a whoooosh, the vibration was so intense, so immediate, I needed to know more about this gorgeous stone. She has since gone on to buy a few more Apophyllite and began working with it herself. So often we read about a stone, then buy it. How fortunate I was to feel the stone before knowing anything about Apophyllite.

Clear Apophyllite resonates with the Crown and Third Eye chakras, and is an excellent ally in the realms of connection with Spirit Guides, Angels and other dimensional beings. It is awesome for increasing psychic ability. Some see each stone as a "temple" one can enter for esoteric knowledge.

The primary use for Apophyllite is mediation. I don't often use it in my crystal healing practice, though I occasionally do put the points in the Transpersonal Chakras (8-14) to enhance Reiki energy. Apophyllite is considered the Stone of Reiki, and it certainly opens my channel when I am performing Reiki on another person. But mostly, I use Apophyllite for me. It is a natural connector to the angelic realm and angel communication. It also works to open the Heart Chakra to Divine unconditional love, and I think would be an excellent connector to Saint-Germain's Violet Flame, or the Pink Flame of Divine Love, or Mother Mary's Blue Diamond for any of those LaHoChi practitioners out there.

I also think Apophyllite is an excellent stone for grids or distance Reiki where angelic presence is needed. I often create grids then call in angels to assist in healing. Because it is such a high vibrational stone, it just feel good in healing spaces. As a grid component, it is a wonderful enhancer for spiritual grids, connection grids, opening grids.

A wonderful affirmation for Apophyllite

I open to my Higher Self, my guides and my angels.

lepidolite

Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. ― Corrie ten Boom

The large stone is Lilac Lepidolite with Green Tourmaline in matrix, the tumblies are Lepidolite. It ranges in color from purple to pink to lavender, though it can be almost clear or grey.

Take a deep breath. Release all cares and worry. Just staring at Lepidolite is calming. I am writing today about a stone I've been working with this last week as our house has been on the market, and we are getting ready to move. Lepidolite has been a personal ally for helping me deal with any worry, anxiety and to find and reconnect with serenity. It certainly has the reputation and healing properties associated with emotional healing and balance. Lepidolite is a soft crystal with a Mohs hardness of 2.5-3 (so, not great for getting wet), and is a lithium containing crystal. Lithium crystals include Tourmalines, Kunzite and Petalite as examples. so Lepidolite resonates really beautifully with these crystals in layouts and in energetic work. 

Lepidolite works beautifully in grids for difficult times. This grid created to ease the transition of a move (focusing on anxiety and worry) has a Lepidolite with Green Tourmaline stone as its center, Lepidolite around the outer grid and Lithium Quartz and Quartz clusters in its inner grid. 

Lepidolite is a wonderful stone to use and work with when you are making changes quickly (which is why it is part of my life right now!) It is great ally for those in recovery as it is a stone of acceptance, serenity and hope. What I love about Lepidolite is its subtle, gentle energy of change. And yet it is powerful in that way. It is supposed to be great for children with Attention Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity. It can also be great for dreamwork and for relief of nightmares.

It resonates, not surprisingly, with both the heart chakra and the third eye. (All those stones that help you see the same situation differently can be used for the third eye.) I often use it in Chakra Balancing Layouts as a third eye stone for those who come in stressed out from their job or life. As a high-Lithium stone, it resonates nicely with Lithium Quartz and Tourmalines like pink tourmaline, red tourmaline, or green tourmaline. Naisha Ahsian talks about Lepidolite's emotional balancing qualities, "Lepidolite assists one in perceiving and releasing past emotional trauma, which one may still be unconsciously holding. It prevents on from using such trauma as a badge of courage or a secret source of pride." WOW. So, in this way, it helps change your identity around a trauma. 

Part of what I have sensed with working with Lepidolite is how it grounds you in the present and in gratitude. I work on people with a calming grid of Lepidolite and Lithium Quartz and so often, they sit up and begin talking about the things they are grateful for, apropos of nothing. I know for me, I have use Lepidolite in meditation and felt very present. I once heard this phrase that thinking of the past is living in guilt, and the future is living in anxiety. Anxiety is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength, carrying two days at once, draining you of the strength to face the thing you worried about. So, I personally use Lepidolite to restart my day. Have you heard that phrase before? You can restart your day at anytime. When I do restart my day, I pick up Lepidolite and meditate, even for as little as five minutes.

In the Book of Stones, they have a separate listing for Lilac Lepidolite, which comes from Zimbabwe (the only place it is found). Those who understand this language might get very excited, but the Lilac Lepidolite blends with the Pink Ray of the Heart and the Violent Flame of Purification (Saint-Germain's Violet flame).  It is an important stone for spiritual work and Divine connection. This Lilac works with the Crown and Heart rather than the Third Eye, and bumps up the soothing relaxing energies of Lepidolite. It is a great spiritual stone, and I think would work well for those who are working with Spiritual Anxieties and releasing vows and issues from Past Lives. It also would be a great ally (any Lepidolite really) for grief and loss.

An great affirmation for Lepidolite might be: 

I release any thoughts that might be inhibiting my deep trust in the Divine. 

The grid featured above is a calming grid featuring Lepidolite, Lithium Quartz and clear Quartz. You can learn to create and use grids in my Crystal Grid class on December 7th at the Crystal Tree in Haddon Township, NJ.  Email me for more information at themoonandstone@gmail.com

tarot of the week-the chariot

Know the self to be sitting in the chariot, the body to be the chariot, the intellect the charioteer, and the mind the reins. -- Veda Upanishads

In the last few weeks, I have read Tarot at some events where I have reading after reading. During these readings, I notice some universal themes and cards arise. The intuitive message that Spirit is giving me about these cards is that this is a cycle we are in, rather than applicable just to that person. My message is usually to tap into this energy and ride the wave. One cycle trend I have noticed is the Chariot. Number VII of the Major Arcana, the Chariot is about victory, accomplishment, action, and movement and further, driving one's own fate. 

I love the quote from the Upanishads, (and I noticed after I picked it that Marcia Masino uses a similar quote in her book Best Tarot Practices). So much of this card is about understanding the Self and using every aspect of yourself to achieve. The underlying themes of this card is self-will, control, action, motivation, progress...The Chariot often comes after a period of hard work and action. It is the card that nods to your hard work, willpower, determination, and diligence. Spirit acknowledges you in that way. And acknowledges that you could have taken this path by dishonest means, or even easier means, but you kept your integrity. The hard work remains an important aspect of your path. This is an important part of this card--Integrity. I often talk about turning one's will over to the Divine, and so often, the cards ask us to trust in our path, or in Spirit to hold us and care for us. Our needs will be met. And certainly, Spirit still reminds us of that when we talk about the Chariot, but this is a card of ACTION. Da-Da-DUH! You must be the Charioteer, controlling your responses to things, seeing the road in front of you, and navigating the inevitable potholes.

Seven, in numerology, is a very mystical number. The number of faith, it is most psychic, or rather intuitive, number, and often the role of Seven is one of spiritual completion and wholeness--seven chakras, seven days to create the work, seven pillars of wisdom. It can indicate a completion and period of solitary reflection. Indeed, the King (yes, he is a King) on this card is alone, but you get the sense that he has an army behind him.

We might say that this card represents that cliche, "God will move mountains, but you need to bring a shovel." Or maybe even you direct a team of people with shovels.  The King, adorned with breast plate and scepter, stands proud. His crown holds a star above his head, which is hovering around the crown chakra. This is such an important aspect to me as a crystal and energy healer. I look for clues into chakra work. And so, this card, which seems so action-oriented, is grounded in the crown. Huh? It is because his work is grounded in integrity and alignment with his soul path. Look at his kilt (skirt, I almost said). It has all the signs of the Zodiac, and driving his Chariot are two Sphinx.

Let's talk about the Sphinx, because it is a terribly important part of this card. These Sphinc represent the logic and mind at work as well as his travels out of his land. (Some say they also mirror the Pillars on the front of the High Priestess.) The symbolism of the Tarot resides heavily in the Ancient Greek myths that has become part of our cultural language. And the myth of Sphinx tells us something about this card. The Sphinx, the head of a Woman and body of a Lion, tests the brave to answer her riddle. She torturously killed anyone who fails, but rewards those who truly understand life and death.

Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?

It is Man in all the phases of his life. And so the wisdom here, the man who tames the Sphinx, forcing the phases of man to work on his behalf, drives his own chariot. The Sphinx is this pull between our animal strength and our intellect. In this way, the Chariot asks us to recognize the power in self-restraint and the taming of our own internal beasts. This card often has a strong underlying sexual tone, as the Chariot is the card of sexual prowess. So, when I pull this card in the challenge position, I sometimes ask how power comes into sexual relationships for the questioner.

The curtains above this King, as the crown, harken to the Star, the card of great hope and optimism. Where this King's thoughts go, energy flows, and he keeps his thoughts aligned with the Divine and his ultimate goal. Though his body is shielded in metal, his heart is a strong clear block in the center of him. His heart is aligned with the Highest Intentions. The Chariot is a beautifully positive, victorious and multi-dimensional card to receive. But remember the words--action, integrity, hard work, self-will aligned with Divine will, power, self-knowledge.

A great affirmation for this card might be: 

I align my will with Divine will. 

selenite

When I began writing this blog, I chose crystals based on ones I was working with, or ones I felt people would recognize. Today, I pulled a Crystal Oracle Card, and lo and behold, Selenite. OF COURSE!! Why hadn't a written about selenite before? For crystal healers, Selenite is a go-to essential for our toolkits. I'll get into how and why we use it later, but for a quick overview: Selenite is a crown chakra stone with a Moh's hardness of 2 (So keep it out of water!) It beautifully cleanses the aura and helps purify. Selenite uses the crown chakra as the key to bridge the third eye and crown to the upper chakras.

Starting at 12 o'clock on this photo, the Selenite tower is great for the center of a grid. The long natural Selenite wand can be placed on the spine for alignment. The smaller Selenite wands are great for gridding homes and people during crystal healing sessions, you can also hold one of these pieces for meditation, or when lying on a yoga mat, massage table, or bed, place the Selenite on the crown (either directly on, or pointing out) to facilitate communication with your angels and guides, the two polished Selenite massage wands can be used for massage or to close open portals in the etheric field.

So, let's talk about the crown chakra's role. We talk a great deal about the heart chakra for compassion and love and the third eye for psychic work, but what does the crown govern? The crown governs our spirituality. It is the seat of our Divine connection and wisdom. We have met those people with closed crown chakras. They are spiritual cynics, often feel victims of their circumstances. They can lack purpose or have a stifling fear of their own mortality. Sometimes they are overly afraid of Spirits and ghosts, or the spirit-world. I encounter these people often. They express fear of what I do, often ridiculing it, or putting it in the category of creepy or verboten. We don't conjure Spirits in my religion, they might say. My response is that I conjure noone, I acknowledge Spirit in everything we do. Sometimes crown chakra imbalances, ones that are wide open, come in the form of spiritual addiction. People who psychic hop might be an example of that, or who are so wrapped up in their religious rightness, they no longer live their spiritual tradition.

Crystal healers love Selenite's high vibration and beautiful purifying energy. I use selenite massage wands for closing points in the auric field. I use it for directing energy in a chakra, for moving and helping open any chakra. Robert Simmons says a "Selenite wand pointed at the third eye sends energy that can feel like a gust of wind going through the forehead and out the top of the head." And yes, I agree, Robert Simmons. You can also lay a selenite wand on the spine for a quick chakra alignment. Selenite blends beautifully with other stones, enhancing their power and attributes. So, that makes Selenite ideal in grids. You can literally make a grid on the floor, or a yoga mat, with six or eight Selenite wands. When you lie in the center of it, it is said to bring a quick spiritual ascension and journeying experience. I love selenite in grids for the home. I used to grid my upper floor, where our bedrooms are, in selenite. It is where we dream and pray and work our spiritual questions.

I give Selenite out to friends more often than I care to admit. It is such a high energy, high vibration stone. It makes it a great all-around spiritual stone to work with. It opens you, facilitates communication with your guides, helps you feel connected and Divinely held...what I find most comforting and nourishing about working with Selenite is that I feel confident of my path, helping me to trust that my will is aligned with Divine will.

I love Naisha Ahsian's affirmation for Selenite: 

I move into union with my Higher Self and my interior senses are awakened. 

moonstone

I love the way Spirit works. I picked a crystal oracle card to choose the stone of the week, and of course, moonstone came to me. Today, the new moon energy, one of new beginnings as we come out of the introspective period of the waning moon, gives us a lift, hopefully. Moonstone is a feldspar with a Moh's hardness of 6-6.5, which means it can handle water among other qualities. Through pictures, it is hard to capture the elegance and beautiful sheen of this stone. It's name comes from the sheen that reminds one of the full moon. It has been used in jewelry for over 2000 years, and was particularly popular in the Art Nouveau period.

Funnily, all my moonstones are small pieces I use in my medicine bundles because they are so great for intention-setting and intuitive work.Hopefully, you can still see the sheen in this photo. I also have moonstone earrings for sale in my shop. Perfect for feeling goddess-y on the Full Moon.

But today, moonstone is considered the stone of the goddess. Mystery, intuition, dreams, insight swirl around moonstone. It resonates with the third eye chakra and the crown chakra. Whether it is with Tarot or crystals, moon energy is equated with the Feminine, and further the Divine Feminine. This connection spawns from woman's deep connection to the moon and moon cycles. Women often are aligned in their menstrual periods with the moon--bleeding on the new moon or waning moon, fertile on the full or waxing moon. Our twenty-eight day cycles are much like the moon. And then further, women cycle up to each other when they work and live together. (I cycled up with a friend in England. Have no idea how that happened.)

The way we feel as women during those cycles helps us determine the way we can work with the moon. When we are bleeding, we often feel introverted, tender, and reflective. It makes sense that this is the time for patience, waiting for Divine timing. While our fertile times give us that energetic push, we want to make love, make painting, make food, make parties. This is when our dreams are being birthed, we are seeing the fruits of our reflection and patience. Moonstone helps us balance that moon connection directing our energy toward our plans and dreams. It helps us to notice and pay attention to our connection to the Moon and the cycles in our lives. When we do that, our wisdom becomes deeper, more connected to Mama Earth and ultimately to the self-knowledge that helps us grow spiritually and emotionally.

For men, moonstone does help balance the feminine side, a step towards wholeness and self-knowledge, ultimately bringing emotional balance. Moonstone is a highly intuitive stone and it is great for awakening kundalini energy and clairvoyance. It is a wonderful dream stone, so sleeping with it during the new moon and full moon periods help you with deeper wisdom. 

Moonstone makes beautiful jewelry, and wearing one with other stones like Labradorite can increase that Divine Feminine and Goddess connection, as well as psychic abilities and intuition. Moonstone comes in a number of colors including Cat's Eye, Gray, Black, Peach, White and Rainbow--reflecting the color of its extraordinary sheen. Rainbow moonstone is particularly prized for its prismatic quality, and it works as a psychic protective stone (along with the properties mentioned) It is also wonderful for aligning the chakras and resonating on a higher vibration than other moonstones. A wonderful affirmation for moonstone is:

I open myself to my intuitive abilities, my connection to the Divine Feminine, and understanding of the cycles of the Moon.

What about you? How have you worked with moonstone? What gifts have moonstone brought to your experience?

amethyst

As I began exploring stones and crystals on my blog, I wanted to start with some stones my readers might be familiar with, but might not know how to work with energetically. Last week's, hemimorphite certainly isn't the most well-known of stones, but after my discussion with Rita on Talk-N-Angels, I thought I should cover it. I know whenever I'm listening to a podcast about crystals (Okay, I'm a bit of a podcast nerd) I just want to see what stones they are talking about. So, this week, I'm going back to the quartz family with a familiar stone to most people--amethyst. 

Amethyst draws you in with its beautiful color, which ranges from pale lavender to a deep purple. And a deep deep purple that appears almost black. There is a type of amethyst called chevron amethyst, which is banded in a chevron pattern. Gorgeousness. It has a Moh's hardness of 7 and is indeed a member of the quartz family, making it resonate beautifully with other quartz stones like citrine, clear quartz, smoky quartz, aventurine, chalcedony, agates, carnelian, among others. Amethyst, like malachite and lapis lazuli, has a rich history and mythology. It is said to be in the ninth stone on the breastplate of the high priest of Israel. And amethyst was one of the stones where each of the twelve tribes were written. In medieval times, soldiers wore it as protection on the battle field. As far back as the Neolithic era, 25,000 BCE, amethyst was found in archaeological digs as part of gravesites and ritual. Through the Common Era, amethyst was seen as a stone of royalty, and used in crowns and rings of Kings and Queens. 

Amethyst's name is derived from the Greek word for drunk (methustos).  Actually, amethyst is a translation of amethustos, or not drunken.  The Ancient Greek wore amethyst, and made wine glasses from amethyst, because they believed amethyst prevented intoxication. Indeed, amethyst today is considered the stone of sobriety, worn to help balance the mind, and bring clarity. It also emits calming energy, which helps relieve the frustration that often brings the first drink. I am personally working on a list of stones to be used with each of the Twelve Steps and the virtues associated with each step. I think amethyst is a beautiful first step stone, and one that works well with each stage of recovery.

The belief of amethyst's power of sobriety may stem from the myth of Amethyst in Ancient Greek Mythology, which may or may not have first derived from the French poet, Remy Belleau, who wrote often about crystals and precious stones. I can't find any documentation besides Wiki either way, so I am just sharing the entire mythology part of from Wikipedia page on amethyst.

In his poem "L'Amethyste, ou les Amours de Bacchus et d'Amethyste" (Amethyst or the loves of Bacchus and Amethyste), the French poet Remy Belleau (1528–1577) invented a myth in which Bacchus, the god of intoxication, of wine, and grapes was pursuing a maiden named Amethyste, who refused his affections. Amethyste prayed to the gods to remain chaste, a prayer which the chaste goddess Diana answered, transforming her into a white stone. Humbled by Amethyste's desire to remain chaste, Bacchus poured wine over the stone as an offering, dyeing the crystals purple.[16][17]

Variations of the story include that Dionysus had been insulted by a mortal and swore to slay the next mortal who crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wrath. The mortal turned out to be a beautiful young woman, Amethystos, who was on her way to pay tribute to Artemis. Her life was spared by Artemis, who transformed the maiden into a statue of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful statue. The god's tears then stained the quartz purple.[18]

This myth and its variations are not found in classical sources. Although the titan Rhea does present Dionysus with an amethyst stone to preserve the wine-drinker's sanity in historical text.[19]

Because of its association as an anti-intoxicant, in medieval times, it was said to also prevent the intoxication of love, so priests and monks often wore amethyst as a symbol for their vows of chastity. It has strong spiritual roots. Even Buddhists in Tibet used amethyst in prayer beads and carvings.

This makes perfect sense to me, because amethyst is a beautiful meditation ally, because it resonates and stimulates the crown chakra, as well as the third eye. It is also an incredibly protective stone, and I encourage people to use it in their toolkit of protection right alongside black tourmaline, onyx, smoky quartz, and other stones. It enhances your intuitive abilities and helps you activate your Higher Self. It is wonderful in environments, and works well in grids for protection and transmuting energy. Or just sitting in a room that you want purified and high vibrational. So, a large cluster of amethyst is a great addition to any room, but particularly a room for healers. It helps shield energy, as well as assist healing. One of the most beautiful aspects of amethyst is how it gently helps you see the root of your dis-ease. Naisha Ahsian says that amethyst assists "in eliminating emotion-based decision-making, allowing one to take actions based on higher guidance and spiritual understanding." WOWEE!

Amethyst works well with other stones. This grid, created with a flower of life grid pattern is used to stimulate upper chakra work and for meditation. Amethyst works beautifully in grids for addiction, protection, healing, health, disease, emotional balance and a whole host of other things. I personally love using amethyst in grid with black tourmaline as a protector, purifier, and transmuter of negative energy.

Because it works so hard for you, work hard for you amethyst by re-tuning it fairly often with a tuning fork, singing bowl or other resonator. Amethyst is particularly sensitive to sunlight, so be kind to her and help amethyst keep its beautiful color by keeping her out of sunlight. Amethyst is able to withstand water, so cleanse her through running water of the ocean, a stream or other natural body of water, and of course, you can set amethyst out in full moon light to soak up all that wisdom. 

A beautiful affirmation for amethyst comes from Naisha Ahsian's work in Book of Stones.

I am purified, uplifted and protected through my connection to the Divine. 

I would love to hear your thoughts and experience with amethyst, so share below in the comment section. Or ask to hear about any stone of interest to you. With love. 

labradorite

The New Moon in Leo, August 6th, reminded me of the work of the dark moon. New Moons are times of transformation, new beginnings, releasing, and the hard work of change. We often find ourselves withdrawn or rather introspective when the Moon is perfectly aligned with the Sun.  I often talk to people who tell me they are in a funk, or not relating to people, then I say, "Well, it's the new moon. That is to be expected." And they seem surprised and relieved. The New Moon is a great time to do this introspective soul work, and the work of manifestation. Crystals help enhance our own work--soul work, physical work, emotional work, spiritual work, and Divine work.

When I talk of manifestation, I mean, setting intentions for goals that are attainable. When we set intentions to "lose weight," for example, we may start a new diet, or exercise regime, but if we don't get to the cause of our weight, those things may be for naught. So, the work of the New Moon is setting intentions, then allowing yourself to journey to those places of our own Shadow self, the part we hide from others and ourselves. Shadow work is a Jungian idea, and the time when the moon is in shadow is the most auspicious time to work with these shadow issues arising. I often work with people on medicine bundles during the new moon, then throughout the month, we talk about the shadow work arising, the emotional issues coming up for them. What is blocking you from being everything you want to be? Setting intentions in the new moon helps you identify and work on these issues. This is the true work of the new moon. 

Labradorite is a stone of the Dark Moon, as Athena says. It is the gatekeeper for shadow work, and it is sometimes referred to as the Magician's stone--the magic of our own potential, intuition, and power. What does this mean? It means, labradorite perfectly complements the New Moon energy, helping you gently uncover your hookable places, and open to your Higher Self and the secret knowledge that helps you grow. Labradorite is difficult to capture on film, because it has an amazing labradoresence--flashing rainbows, purples, greens, blues, golds, oranges, red...yet remains dark.

Intention-setting and manifestation is not the only way to use labradorite in the new moon. This is a great time for journeying and deeper meditations. If you are someone building their intuitive gifts, including psychic abilities of the clairs, channeling, past-life recall, as well as other psychic tools, labradorite is a great stone for your toolkit. It helps you move between different dimensions, realms and realities with relative ease. When I said it is the gatekeeper of shadow work, labradorite helps you recognize that duality in yourself (and sometimes others) with clarity and wisdom. We don't go into arenas of shadow work lightly. We must hold it in high regard, being purposeful and respectful of the darkness and pain within us all. 

For people who want to work with labradorite, I often recommend holding the stone (in your non-dominant hand) in meditation. Asking labradorite what you need to see right now for your Highest Good. And let the visions come. Don't fret if you don't get the answers immediately. It often takes time to discern the voice of our Higher Self and trust our answers. Keep the stone in your pocket throughout the day, because labradorite assists in coincidence and synchronicity. So, once the question is asked, allow synchronicities and coincidence to speak to you throughout the whole day. Watch where your shadow issues rise. Recognize those things that no longer serve you. The New Moon is a perfect time to release those things, so allow labradorite to be your companion. You can also place labradorite on the third eye to assist in seeing what you need to see. You can feel the rush as your vibration rises to labradorites. Labradorite also is great for dreamwork. Take it to bed with you, place it under your pillow. Then write your dreams, visions, and inspiriations in a journal. Working with labradorite and a dream journal opens you up to working on those issues blocking your intuition, or the intuitive messages you are not hearing during the day.

An affirmation to work with labradorite during the new moon is:

I open to the magic of my own intuition and Higher Self.