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- Herausgeber: CICO Books
- Kategorie: Ratgeber
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018
"Philip Permutt's classic title is the ultimate go-to guide for finding out more about your favourite gems...this book will have you clued up on crystals in no time." Review of Crystal Healer, Volume 1, Soul & Spirit Magazine. Renowned crystal expert Philip Permutt reveals the amazing ability of crystals to heal and energise and introduces 250 new crystals in the eagerly anticipated follow-up to his best-selling book, The Crystal Healer. This fantastic essential guide explores diverse ways of working with crystals, some ancient and some new, and explains how we are getting a better understanding of how crystals work thanks to current research. The colour-coded crystal finder introduces 250 new crystals, some of which have only been discovered since the publication of the first book and others which have become more widely available. Also included is a guide to crystal remedies – search by ailment or symptom to find the crystal best suited to facilitate healing.
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THE CRYSTAL HEALER
VOLUME 2
THE CRYSTAL HEALER
VOLUME 2
HARNESS THE POWER OF CRYSTAL ENERGY
PHILIP PERMUTT
Published in 2018 by CICO Books
An imprint of Ryland Peters & Small Ltd
20–21 Jockey’s Fields 341 E 116th St
London WC1R 4BW New York, NY 10029
www.rylandpeters.com
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Text © Philip Permutt 2018
Design, illustration, and photography © CICO Books 2018
The author’s moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-78249-654-0
eISBN: 978-1-78249-779-0
Printed in China
Editor: Marion Paull
Designer: Emily Breen
Photographer: Roy Palmer
Illustrators: Tiffany Lynch and Trina Dalziel
Commissioning editor: Kristine Pidkameny
Senior editor: Carmel Edmonds
Art director: Sally Powell
Production controller: David Hearn
Publishing manager: Penny Craig
Publisher: Cindy Richards
SAFETY NOTE
Please note that while the descriptions of the properties of crystals refer to healing benefits, they are not intended to replace diagnosis of illness or ailments, or healing or medicine. Always consult your doctor or other health professional in the case of illness.
CONTENTS
Introduction
CHAPTER 1
WORKING WITH CRYSTALS
CHAPTER 2
ADVANCED CRYSTAL HEALING TECHNIQUES
CHAPTER 3
THE CRYSTAL FINDER
CHAPTER 4
CRYSTAL REMEDIES
Glossary
Index
Notes and acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
The first book in this series, The Crystal Healer, was essentially a record of my journey with the Stone People—crystals, gems, rocks, minerals, and stones. Colloquially, I like to call them all crystals. This is what I do, and I’ve been working with crystals, clients, customers, and students almost every single day for over a quarter of a century—healing myself and clients, buying and selling around the world, teaching and learning with my students, and writing about these amazing crystal beings. The Crystal Healer was originally published in 2007. At some time in the now distant past, the possibility of a “Volume 2” had been mooted. I wrote other books in the meantime, including The Complete Guide to Crystal Chakra Healing and The Book of Crystal Grids, but finally, here is the second volume. There was never going to be enough room within the pages of a single volume to cover all the available crystal knowledge. There isn’t the room in two volumes, or three or four or … So, I apologize right at the beginning for my omissions and look forward to sharing them with you in the future!
There is so much more that I wanted to reveal to you: diverse ways of working with crystals, some ancient and some new; topics either not covered or just touched on in the original book that I wanted to expand, such as crystal grids (see The Book of Crystal Grids); and crystal colors and shapes (see pages 24–30). In an updated edition of The Crystal Healer, I included a new section on “How Crystals Work,” adding then current developments in quantum research to our layman’s understanding. I have included more information on this subject here, giving us a better image of the way we interact with crystals and how they affect our inner world.
Your feedback from The Crystal Healer was that you loved the Crystal Finder’s 250 crystals organized by color, with clear photographs, descriptions, and healing properties. There are 250 “new” crystals in this book, arranged in exactly the same color-coded format. Many of these crystals are included because they have become more widely available and some are newly discovered since the first book.
I am passionate about our relationships with crystals and understanding the messages that crystals carry: how they “talk” to you and how you “listen” to your crystals and stones. To this end, I’ve written an entire section on crystal communication (see pages 19–23). Here is where I explore the possibilities of adding to our personal well-being in ways we cannot see or expect. Crystals will look beyond the dimensions we see in, touch our heart, and bring healing to our soul.
I am sharing my passion for crystals with you in these pages and I hope a little of it rubs off and encourages you to take the next step on your crystal journey. Whether that’s holding a crystal or visiting a crystal store for the first time, going to a local workshop, training as a crystal healer, or becoming a Crystal Master Teacher to pass on your knowledge of the Stone People to others, I hope these words can help you to heal and will inspire you.
CHAPTER 1
WORKING WITH CRYSTALS
In this chapter, we look at how crystals work and how we work with them, including communicating with them and understanding how different colors and shapes can affect their energy.
WHAT ARE CRYSTALS?
I’d like to begin by explaining that to me, and used throughout this book, the term “crystal” is not limited to the scientific definition but includes all of the mineral kingdom, the Stone People—crystals, minerals, rocks, stones, and gemstones, as well as mineralized shells, fossilized animals, and petrified plants.
Crystals are beautiful in both their appearance and their feel. They’re fun to work with, and have no ill side effects. Even if sometimes their effect can feel uncomfortable as we release thoughts and emotions we don’t want to face while they are bringing balance to our energy system, they do only good.
Most of the crystals we work with are created in the Earth’s surface. A few are created in the depths of outer space, but these are basically the same minerals—just without air spaces between the molecules, since they really are formed in the vacuum of space; and a few are produced from natural crystals and minerals by man.
Minerals are natural, consistent solids with precise atomic arrangements. They are usually formed from inorganic processes. Rock contains minerals. When it is melted, the mineral particles are able to “find each other” and come together, so that when the rock cools, crystallization occurs and minerals are formed. Similarly, minerals can be dissolved in water, whether groundwater (that is the water between underground soil and rocks) or the oceans. Crystallization happens when the water is cooled or when it evaporates. The minerals formed are the building blocks of the crystals, rocks, and gemstones of the world.
A crystal must have an exact crystalline form to its atomic arrangement and a specific color. However, these may vary, especially color—not only from one specimen to another, but within the same crystal. Each mineral has a relative hardness, as described by Mohs Scale, which is one of the identifying features of all crystals.
CRYSTAL ENERGY
People talk about crystal energy, but what is it? How do crystals affect and interact with your energy and, ultimately, bring healing? Well, the first place to look is where, and how, we feel the energy when we work with crystals.
You may have noticed that I like the phrase “we work with crystals”; I’ve written it over and over in every one of my books. It’s an expression that, taken literally, starts to explain how crystals work. It’s a partnership. It’s an exchange of energy; they give and take, we absorb and release. It happens throughout our being but the principal energy route is through our chakras, and especially the seven major chakras—your energy hot spots.
the crystal Chakra set
CHAKRAASSOCIATED CONCEPTSASSOCIATED CRYSTALCrownSpirituality, connection to universe, imagination, awareness, optimismAmethystBrowMind, ideas, thoughts, dreams, psychic abilitiesLapis lazuliThroatCommunication, expression, responsibility, freedom, leadershipBlue lace agateHeartLove, safety, trust, adventure, relationshipsMalachiteSolar plexusPhysical center, personal power, emotionsCitrineSacralConnection to other people, creativity, energy, confidenceCarnelianBaseSurvival, health, abundance, connection to Earth, moving forward in lifeRed jasperLOCATING THE CHAKRAS
Crown chakra—on the top of the head
Brow chakra (also known as the third-eye chakra)—in the center of the forehead, above the eyebrows
Throat chakra—in the center of the throat
Heart chakra—in the center of the chest
Solar plexus chakra—behind the soft cartilage at the bottom of the breast bone
Sacral chakra—just below the belly button. Try placing your thumb on your belly button with your palm on your tummy—your sacral chakra will be under the palm of your hand
Base chakra—at the coccyx at the base of the spine
CLEANSING CRYSTALS
Whenever we add energy, such as when we work with crystals to heal ourselves, there is a release of energy. We take in helpful energy and expel energy that hinders us. This is the reason why it is so important to cleanse your crystals regularly (see opposite). They are picking up energy from you, collecting it, and will release it sooner or later. You don’t want to start picking up your own problems from your crystals! And if you’re working as a crystal healer, it is imperative to cleanse your crystals; if you don’t, they will pick up the energy released from one client and pass it on to the next!
Tingsha, also known as Tibetan cymbals, can be used to cleanse crystals.
* My preferred way to remove any unwanted energy stuck to my crystals is with sound. I like to work with tingsha (Tibetan cymbals) to create a sonic vibration that essentially shakes the crystal on a molecular level—the vibration literally jiggles off unwanted energy. You can also sound a Tibetan bowl, chant, or drum to create a similar cleansing effect.
* Another recommended way of cleansing crystals is under running water (not suitable for water-soluble crystals). A natural spring, stream, or river is ideal, but tap water will suffice. Hold the crystal in the flow of water for a minute or two. It may need longer if it hasn’t been cleansed for a while or if it’s been working hard.
* Sunlight is cleansing but beware of leaving quartz, especially crystal balls, in direct sunlight, because it will focus the sun’s rays and can be a fire risk. Also, some crystals, such as amethyst, may fade with long-term exposure to direct sunlight.
* The moon is capable of moving oceans, so it should be no problem for the lunar body to move the energy of a small crystal. Leave your crystals in the moonlight overnight; they especially like the full moon and new moon.
* Sage smudge sticks, traditionally used in Native American ceremonies, are excellent cleansers. It is the smoke of these that
is cleansing, so waft the smoke over your crystals. Conventionally, the smoke is directed with a feather because feathers carry our prayers and wishes to spirit. Hold something underneath your smudge stick to catch any falling embers; this is usually a seashell, such as abalone, to represent water and complete the embodiment of the four elements:
The inclusion of these aspects enhances the ritual of the cleansing process, adding an extra dimension.
Whichever method you choose, and there are many others too, be sure to cleanse your crystals with your mind clearly focused on what you are doing. Concentrate on your intent, and take your time; cleansing is not something to be rushed.
CRYSTAL ELIXIRS
The healing effects of crystals can be experienced by drinking water in which a crystal has been immersed—this is known as a crystal elixir. Elixirs can be effective in the treatment of various conditions, as detailed in Chapter 4. However, some crystals should never be made into elixirs—these are clearly indicated by “No elixir” in Chapter 3.
MAKING AN ELIXIR
Start by cleansing the crystal you will be working with (see previous page). Place the crystal in a glass or other container of water. It is preferable to use distilled or mineral water from a pure source, but tap water will do. Cover the container and/or place it in the refrigerator and leave overnight. Throughout this process, focus your intention on what you want the elixir to do. Some people like to enhance elixirs by placing them in the light of the sun or the moon or surrounding them with quartz crystals. The next morning, the elixir will be ready. It can be drunk or applied topically over the next 24 hours. Try preparing some quick elixirs and seeing what effect they have on you. Take three different crystals (for example, quartz, amethyst, and rose quartz), and place each in its own glass of water. Also have a glass of plain water as a control. Leave the glasses of water to stand for 20–30 minutes and then taste each one. Usually, quartz tastes fresher than the plain water, amethyst tastes noticeably metallic, and rose quartz is slightly bland. Don’t worry if you experience different tastes, as we can all describe our sensations in our own way.
THE THEORY
The world is not solid and nothing in it is solid either, including you and me, crystals, and even the laptop I’m using to write this. The entire universe is in constant motion. Nothing is stationary, and nothing is fixed and immovable or unchangeable. In fact, research in the field of quantum mechanics clearly shows this to be true.
BEINGS OF LIGHT
Almost every one of the world’s religions, every shamanic culture, almost every belief system the world over, uses descriptions such as “we are beings of light,” “we come from the light,” “we go back to the light,” “lead us to the light,” “divine light” that is within everyone, “enlightenment,” “to find the light,” “let there be light,” “festival of light,” “Buddhas of light,” “inner light,” “light of divine consciousness,” “illumination on the path,” “cross of pure light,” and “light of the human soul.”
Quantum physics confirms that we are indeed physically made of light and our ancestors were completely correct, if somewhat flowery in their prose; we are beings of light. Now, this area of research also shows us that a photon of light, one of the tiniest particles in the universe, can behave as a particle, a physical object, or it can act as a moving wave of energy that suggests where it might be if it were a particle and still having a physical effect. One of the many confusing things is that it can also be both! But not at the same time. It can alternate, or change randomly and unexpectedly from one to the other, but once the photon is identified and measured as a particle or wave, it becomes fixed in that state and can no longer swap. Everything is made of this confusing matter we call light.
Quartz crystals focus light! You don’t have to be a physicist to know this; you can see it for yourself (see box, overleaf).
QUARTZ FOCUSING LIGHT
In a brightly lit room or outside on a sunny day, hold a natural quartz crystal about 1–2 inches (2–5 cm) above the open palm of your hand, with the termination (point) pointing toward your palm. Move the crystal slowly in a clockwise circle above your hand. Look at your palm and you will see a point (or line, or area) of light moving on your palm as the crystal circles your hand. The light may be directly under the crystal or offset to the side, and varies in brightness from one crystal to another. Sometimes the light is clear to see, sometimes you need to observe closely. This varies from one crystal to another, depending on the angle of the crystal lattice and the crystal’s termination. The crystal is picking up the light in the room and focusing it on your palm. Everything is made of light, so it is hardly surprising that if a crystal can focus more photons of light on an area where it is needed in the body, then this might aid physical repair and healing. Don’t be surprised if you also begin to notice a feeling in your hand, such as a tingling, warmth, or coolness, as the light moves around your palm.
DARK MATTER
So, everything is made of this confusing matter we call light. Except dark matter …
The existence of dark matter has been postulated for some time by scientists. Simply, there is not enough matter in the universe; the cosmologists’ sums don’t add up! So, to fill the void, these very clever scientists invented the idea of dark matter and dark energy; that is, matter and energy not made of light, so we cannot see it, sense it, or measure it in any way. Does this sound familiar? To me, it’s sounding very much like the energy we call chi. Dark matter in this instance is not a reference to something that is bad, evil, negative, or anything else, but simply to something “hidden.” We cannot see it.
In the depths of outer space, millions of light years away from our planet Earth, the x-rays emitted from dark matter have recently been observed.1 In fact, astronomers watched in awe as a cloud of this dark matter appeared to go through a cloud of light matter and … nothing whatsoever happened to either! They both emerged as they had been before the interaction. This suggests that not only does dark matter actually exist, but it can be all around us all the time without anyone being aware of it. There are essentially two universes existing right here together at the same time and in the same space, mostly invisible to one another. Quantum physicists suggest that dark matter might make up 60 to 95 percent of our universe. Might it make up 95 percent of you? Maybe it is the bit we call the soul, or spirit; the part of us that lives on after our mortal body stops functioning.
If the energy we call chi, or ki, or prana, or universal life force, or Tao, or hundreds of other names, is indeed the dark energy of contemporary quantum physics,2 then the existence of dark matter could start to explain everything from spirits walking through walls—dark and light matter passing through each other without apparent change to either—to extraordinary healing where changes occur to subtle (dark) energy. If some people, under certain conditions, can tune in to the wavelengths of dark matter, either deliberately with training as a healer or psychic, or with the aid of a crystal, or accidentally because this sometimes just happens naturally, then we also have a possible explanation for sensing a presence, seeing a fleeting wisp of something that disappears as soon as we notice it, sensing spirits and energy with any and all of our senses. In fact, dark energy is everywhere in the universe (universal energy), not just in space but also in time (past-life recall, knowing of past events, ghosts, seeing into the future). Perhaps our “sixth sense” is simply our ability to sense dark energy?
If we are partly made up of dark matter—and it is unimportant if that’s 60 percent or 95 percent, or whatever number we put on it, just that we are made up in part of enough dark matter—then our whole understanding of how the body works INSTANTLY CHANGES! Suddenly, not only are energy therapies such as crystal healing and Reiki possible, but they are an essential factor in facilitating a long-term “cure.” Everything else becomes the proverbial sticking plaster.
FIND THE CAUSE
The thought that stress goes to the weakest part of the body is not new, but understanding the process that causes this observation might shed some light on how crystals work. The acclaimed psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk explains how emotional and psychological trauma physically manifest in the body.3 One fascinating discovery is that the same, or similar, traumas can have very, very different apparent manifestations in the body. For example, where one person’s blood pressure increases as a result of discussing their experience, another develops a migraine. Some may not feel a change, but in a laboratory their stress hormones are shown to have increased. Each person is reacting physiologically in exactly the same way, but displaying vastly differing symptoms.
And it doesn’t have to be anything as big as “trauma”—ongoing stress is quite enough to create physical symptoms. I have observed stressed clients manifesting with headaches and migraines; aches in joints, backs, and muscles; high blood pressure and skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and unexplained rashes; stomach and bowel disorders—for example IBS, colitis, and Crohn’s disease; frozen shoulders; hearing loss (especially on one side); anxiety and panic attacks; strange tastes in the mouth; hair loss; breathing problems; susceptibility to colds and winter bugs; behavior changes, some minor, a little annoying and apparently insignificant, others major including developing bipolar disorder, OCD, aggressive behavior, and self harming. In fact, looking back over 26 years of treating clients with crystals, the one common factor is that all of them were stressed.
If each person who has a traumatic experience displays unique symptoms, why shouldn’t anyone who is stressed do the same? Trauma is extreme stress. We tend to overuse the word “trauma.” A traumatic event is one that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope. There are no clear, medically accepted boundaries between stress and trauma. In fact, about the only thing that is clear is that whereas one person may cope in a certain situation, another may falter.
So, let’s assume for one minute that the medical profession is actually agreeing with an alternative view of how the body works here. The explanation of the process of disease does not actually help in discovering its cause or effective treatment.Yes, I agree that medically there are many things that can be prescribed to alleviate symptoms. However, these treatments are rarely if ever successful in “curing” the disease.
Here’s a simple example I offer my students in Crystal Healing Level 1 training. A person is taken into Accident & Emergency (Emergency Room) with a broken leg from a road traffic accident. It turns out that she walked out in front of a bus. The medical staff at the hospital are very capable in administering analgesics, resetting the bone, and making a suitable cast for the leg, and in most cases, this will alleviate the immediate symptoms of the broken leg and associated pain, and in extreme cases can be life-saving. However, this completely fails to address the cause of the broken leg, which has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the impact of the bus! That was just another symptom. The question the medical staff should ask is, “Why is this patient so stressed and distracted that she didn’t even see a great big bus and walked out in front of it?”—because until that stress is treated, the person will keep walking out in front of the proverbial bus.
This is another way that stress can affect us. It is so all encompassing that we stop living in the real world. We stop existing in the present moment and start believing and acting in different ways that can be very unhealthy, like walking in front of buses.
LET’S RECAP:
* There is no certain relationship between any single symptom and its actual cause.
* All symptoms typically have stress as their cause.
* Stress affects everyone differently.
* Treating symptoms may give relief but does not facilitate a cure.
* To aid the healing of a disease, you must also treat the stress that has caused it.
In my experience, every person who undergoes a full series of crystal-healing treatments experiences a profound level of improvement to their health, often facilitating major, transformative life changes.
SO HOW DO CRYSTALS WORK?
In The Crystal Healer, I explained the historic beliefs and scientific evidence ranging from the use of crystals in modern technology (they run our twenty-first-century lifestyle!) through rocket science to the placebo effect, ending with the thought that the “New scientific studies into dark matter and dark energy, along with quantum mechanics, will contribute to our understanding of how crystals work.” Over the past decade there have been leaps and bounds in our understanding, leading us to the brink of a new paradigm.
CRYSTALS AND CHRONIC PAIN
Of course, sometimes none of this actually matters at all, such as with chronic pain, which is a long-standing problem of epidemic proportions around the world. For example, in America 100 million people are living with chronic pain that affects their daily activities.4 This is the type of long-term pain that takes the joy out of life. Something hurts all the time. It is debilitating and draining physically, emotionally, and mentally. It challenges your bodymind (the body’s energy system, which links body, mind, and spirit) totally.
There is a simple, magical answer for many people … and it’s called chevron amethyst, also known as banded amethyst, a simple tumble-polished stone costing from as little as about $1.35 (£1). Pop one in your pocket or bra, keep it with you 24/7, and hold it to your most painful area for 20 minutes daily. Don’t be concerned if one area seems to improve while another zone hurts more; just follow the pain and hold the crystal to the most painful area. At night, place your chevron amethyst crystal under your pillow or on a bedside table. You will find that quite quickly it will take the edge off your pain, and your pain will ease. Don’t expect your discomfort to disappear completely and instantly, but you will notice that it is easier for you to complete everyday tasks that may have become too painful to contemplate. Anyone who suffers from chronic pain will tell you that it stops them doing many things they’d like to do and often prevents them from doing what most people consider to be easy tasks. By taking the edge off the pain, so many things become possible, and the pain bearable, that it is like having discovered a life-changing elixir!
How does this work? I don’t honestly know! But here’s a theory …
Our nervous system carries pain signals along nerve cells, called neurons. The electrical signal passes very quickly across these highly specialized cells and then, it is believed, dedicated chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, carry the signal across the synapse, the gap between neurons. This has never been proved to happen. In fact, no one knows exactly what happens in the synapse, only that the pain signal magically appears in the next neuron.
What if these nerve signals are transmitted in part as electrical signals, which we know crystals can affect, and part as dark energy, which affects the dark matter that we’re now pretty sure makes up a significant part of us? It would give a simple, almost obvious, pathway to healing that would explain why chevron amethyst is so life-changing for so many people. In a recent unpublished ad hoc trial at a London hospital’s pain clinic, 20 out of 22 people given a chevron amethyst reported that their pain level dropped noticeably to varying degrees over a period of one week, some a little and some greatly.
Now, if we assume that crystals influence dark matter, we have a new way of understanding how they might work. They treat the invisible cause of the problem, which we can call stress, and not the presented symptoms that might seem to disappear visibly with treatment. Perhaps this can also explain the observation that sometimes symptoms appear to get worse before they improve, as our body might be reacting to energy shifts within.
Chevron amethyst can ease chronic pain.
crystal COMMUNICATION
Do you talk to your crystals? And if you do, do you sometimes think you’re a little crazy? Maybe those around you—husbands, wives, partners, relatives, friends—see you as a little (or even a lot!) odd? Well, come on! If you’re talking to an inanimate “rock,” you’ve got to be mad … but are you? Is your rock lifeless? Or is your crystal a living, eating, growing, reproducing being? If it is, you wouldn’t be quite as crazy as others might think.
ARE CRYSTALS LIVING BEINGS?
An argument among biologists has been going on for a very long time. It was being discussed before I started studying biology at London University in the 1970s, and the very same dispute continues today within the ivory towers of academia—namely, where is the borderline of life? What is living and what is not?
What is life? One definition is: “The state of a material complex or individual characterized by the capacity to perform certain functional activities, including metabolism, growth, and reproduction.” So that’s simple—if it can eat, grow, and have little ones, it’s living. Other definitions go further and suggest seven criteria for matter to be described as living—see below.
what defines a living thing?
1. Homeostasis: It maintains a balanced inner structure.
2. Organization: Its structure is highly organized.
3. Metabolism: It eats.
4. Growth: It changes over time, getting larger.
5. Adaptation: It recognizes and changes with its environment over time.
6. Responsiveness: It responds to environment (as opposed to over time).
7. Reproduction: It can reproduce itself.
OK, so in the 1970s and nowadays the argument over the borderline of life is the same and the answer hasn’t changed. You see, all biologists agree that bacteria are living beings. However, most biologists also call viruses living, although others do not. Let me explain …
Intuitively, you know a virus is living when you catch it. You catch a cold, fight the cold, kill the virus that’s attacking you. Without any doubt a virus is a living being. But viruses reproduce by a different method from all other animals and plants, including bacteria. They reproduce by “binary fission,” which requires a specific host cell. They must be in a very specific growing environment to reproduce. Viruses are also very picky eaters and need this same specific growing environment to eat, and viruses probably don’t grow at all. In fact, of the seven criteria listed on page 19, viruses do 1, 5, and 6, don’t do 2 and 4, and might do 3 and 7 in specific environments. And yet we are happy to call viruses living.
Life cannot simply be defined in the way of many other scientific terms. Life on planet Earth arose naturally from inanimate matter billions of years ago. When was it first living? We don’t know. There is no boldly drawn borderline between living and non-living matter, just a hazy, gray mist out of which life evolves.
CRYSTALS AND THE CRITERIA
Now, back to crystals. If a virus can be considered as living, as we have seen it is, a crystal MUST also be described as such, for a crystal fulfills the criteria:
*Homeostasis: It maintains a balanced inner structure.
*Organization: It has a highly organized crystalline structure.
*Metabolism: Yes, crystals “eat” their environment, by absorbing the elements they need to grow from their very specific growing environment and organizing them into their crystalline structure.
*Growth: You know that you can find small crystals and big crystals; the big crystals have grown from small ones.
*Adaptation: Crystals such as phantom crystals adapt their growth over time.
*Responding to its environment: This is questionable, but within a crystal’s millions of years of lifetime growth, interference crystals could be counted here. (Growth interference crystals literally have their growth changed by a physical block in their environment. Essentially the crystal grows around the block.)
Green quartz contains phantoms, which adapt their growth over time.
*Reproduction: Crystals reproduce in two ways—as seed crystals and by adapting to damage or separation in their growing environment.
However, crystals, in exactly the same way as viruses, MUST be in a very specific growing environment to do these things. Put simply, if a virus is considered to be living, a crystal must be thought of in the same way. So, next time you find yourself talking to your crystals, remember you’re not as crazy as you might have thought.
LISTEN TO YOUR CRYSTALS
Crystals talk with us all the time they’re around us, and sometimes from great distances, too. Occasionally you simply notice this, such as when you become aware of a crystal that you’ve had for a long time as if it’s waving at you, trying to catch your attention, or one seems to jump off a shelf. At other moments, they speak softly and subtly, such as when you hold a crystal and feel an emotion, or place some in an unconscious pattern, forming a crystal grid.
Communicating with crystals can be easy. It’s just like learning a foreign language. If you go to a class once a week or once a month, and don’t practice each day in between, it can be a long and difficult journey. On the other hand, if you go to live for a while in a foreign country, you absorb the language; it’s like osmosis, easy and natural. So it is with the language of crystals. Surround yourself with crystal energy. Carry them with you 24/7, hold them, play with them, talk to them, and very quickly you will begin to hear their messages.
People have been working with crystals for millennia. It is only natural that we can speak their language if we take the time to learn it. The more you listen to your crystals, the easier it is for them to help you. Let yourself to be guided by their ancient wisdom. Most have been living for millions of years! Allow yourself just to be with your crystals and become aware of them. You can enhance your crystal awareness in many ways, such as with a crystal pendulum, meditation, or diet.
A crystal pendulum can help you to listen to your crystals—find out how on page 22.
USING A PENDULUM
One of the simplest ways to listen to your crystals is by working with a crystal pendulum. Work with it to support your intuition. A wonderful time to start is when you feel a crystal is trying to speak to you. Just ask your pendulum if it is, yes or no.
To start working with a crystal pendulum, hold the pendulum’s chain in your dominant hand and ask two straightforward questions that have an absolute answer, such as: “Am I a woman?” and “Am I a man?” or “Is the Earth round?” and “Is the Earth flat?”. The pendulum will move in two different directions, usually swinging back and forth away from you and toward you, or left and right, or in a circle clockwise and counterclockwise. In this case, these movements mean only “yes” or “no.” Once you have identified your yes and no responses like this, you are ready to let your crystal pendulum help you. With experience, you can work with almost anything for a pendulum, but, because crystals have their own innate energy and communication abilities, crystal pendulums are the easiest to start with.
Now the next time you think a crystal is waving at you, simply ask your pendulum if the crystal is trying to speak to you.
MEDITATING WITH CRYSTALS
When you feel a crystal is trying to talk to you, a simple meditation can help. You can try this with any crystal, but a quartz crystal is a good one to start with because it connects to any part of the energy spectrum.
Sit quietly with your chosen crystal where and when you won’t be disturbed. Hold the crystal, look at it, explore it. Notice its shape, color, plays of light. Smell it and be aware of any aroma. And with crystals that are safe to do so, you can also taste it with your tongue and try to recognize the flavor. Hold the crystal to your ear and listen to its sound; most people can hear its vibration and often describe it as “like holding a seashell to your ear, but different.” With a seashell, the sound you hear is made by the environment resonating inside the shell, but there is no cavity in a crystal for this to happen. What you are hearing in this scenario is the physical vibration of the crystal. Close your eyes and explore the crystal with your fingers, notice the texture, sharpness, smoothness, roughness. Keep your eyes closed, sit quietly, breathe, and see if you can sense the crystal in any area of your body other than your hands. What are you aware of within yourself? When you feel you’ve explored enough, open your eyes and gently become aware of your surroundings. You could also set a gentle alarm if you have a limited time. If you feel spacey or floaty, hold some hematite to ground yourself.
This meditation exploration demonstrates deeper dimensions of possible meanings and messages from the crystal. You can continue this meditative process for each of your crystals as and when you have time available over the next weeks, months, and years. This will greatly broaden your personal knowledge of crystals and help you to listen to, and hear, their messages.
GOING MEAT-FREE
A Peruvian shaman I knew used to visit the US to run workshops for one month each year. For the other eleven months, he lived in a small village in the Andes mountains in Peru. He was a vegetarian because he believed that eating meat hinders our awareness but he found it very difficult to cope with the excessive energies of the American cities he visited, and his unusual remedy was to eat red meat at every meal for a month before he went to the States. This reduced his awareness of energy and helped him cope while he was there. As soon as he returned to his mountains, he restored his vegetarian diet to raise his awareness to the full.
To increase your awareness, you can try opting for a vegetarian diet for one month, and see if, after 30 days, you notice that you are more aware of the energies around you.
CHOOSING CRYSTALS
As you discover crystals further, you become more aware of their impact and that minute details in a crystal can sometimes have unexpected and most welcome effects. Some of the more obvious influences, such as color and shape, are explained here and, along with The Crystal Finder in Chapter 3, will help you understand why you are drawn to a particular crystal at any specific time. You will also find color and shape helpful guides if you’re exploring your own healing techniques.
A crystal’s color and conformation can affect the focus and intensity of energy it is channeling for healing. For example, a pointed crystal will direct energy both through the point and in a narrow field, whereas a sphere will radiate energy more or less equally in all directions. Neither is intrinsically more powerful, just different; a crystal point may be more beneficial in directing healing to a specific area of the body, a sphere if you want the energy to fill a room. A green variety is more likely to focus on emotions, red on practical matters.
THE COLOR OF CRYSTALS
Colors affect the wavelength of light, and this in turn affects healing and can also have a deep psychological consequence. So even crystals of the same variety can show different properties, depending on their color. For example, blue tourmaline aids communication, green tourmaline digestion, pink tourmaline the heart center, and black tourmaline is grounding. All these varieties are protective, support new challenges, aid mental health, and help to bring balance between yin and yang, female and male energies, within us all.
These are all tourmaline crystals, but each one will have a particular energy influence depending on its color and shape.
CRYSTAL SHAPES AND THEIR MEANING
Natural crystal formations, such as points and geodes (a geode is a rock with a hollow center), and crystals carved into pyramids, cubes, merkaba (a star tetrahedron, made of two tetrahedrons), other geometric shapes, and animals all direct the crystal’s energy differently, and therefore they have different effects. For those carved by hand, the sculptor puts his intent and energy into creating the shape, and this essentially programs the crystal and refocuses its energy. It doesn’t change the basic properties of a crystal, just its focus. For example, a green aventurine helps muscles throughout the body and has a relaxing and calming influence; when shaped as a heart, it focuses this on the heart chakra, and is particularly good for soothing emotions and relaxing the heart muscles.
The following charts give the most common shapes and colors, although the possibilities, for both shades of color and variety of shape, are almost endless.
SENSING CRYSTAL ENERGY
Try sensing the different energy patterns created by various shaped crystals. To start with, stand a crystal, point upward, alone on a table or flat surface. Hold your hand about 1 inch (2–3 cm) from the right side for a minute or so and try to sense the energy, then the left side, and finally above the point. Can you sense the difference?
If you are uncertain whether you are sensing the crystal’s energy, try shaking your hands vigorously for two minutes before repeating the exercise. This makes your hands physically more sensitive to energy.
