Crystal Reading

People ask me what books I recommend if they want to learn about crystals. My collection is full of books, but I tend to use these the most: The Book of Stones (Robert Simmons & Naisha Ahsian), The Crystal Bible Volumes 1-3 (Judy Hall), and Love is in the Earth (Melody).

The Book of Stones is easy to use because it lists everything from the composition of the stone to the chakras affected, to what each stone does on an emotional, spiritual, and physical level. I love how Simmons lists which stones work best together - this helps me decide on specific stones when I'm making jewelry. The Book of Stones is a little more detailed in its descriptions than other books.

The Crystal Bible includes the attributes of each crystal, healing properties, and where on your body you should place the stones for the best effect. Since Hall has added volumes to her original book, her work includes more stones than The Book of Stones. Judy Hall is more attuned to crystal healing than other authors.

Love is in the Earth is a hefty tome that is useful when you can't find what you need from other books. I find myself looking for the most obscure stones in this book (Did you know there is a crystal known as Julienite?). Melody also has a paperback reference you can use to look up more information on crystals.

I recommend picking up a spiral notebook when you start your crystal journey. Write down the name of each stone at the top of the page and any information you want to include from your reference books. Then meditate with the stone. What do you feel (calm, anxious, happy, etc)? Do you feel pressure in any chakras? Do any colors come to mind? Record your thoughts and trust your intuition, as you may find uses for certain stones not listed in any book. Your observations are more important than any reference book.

Magical Mookaite

Everyone should have mookaite in their collection - just because it's fun to say.

What is it?
Mookaite is a jasper, which is part of the quartz family. It can have mixtures of yellows, browns, reds, greys, and white mixed through it.

What does it do?
I first sought out mookaite because it is said to assist with animal communication. It is also supposed to help with knowing the right path to take and to slow down the aging process. It is thought to help heal wounds and cleanse the blood.

Mookaite works with the root, solar plexus, and third eye chakras: grounding, willpower and intuition.

Since mookaite is a jasper (quartz), it can be programmed. Clear the stone and give it intention. I focused my thoughts on animal communication and sent the intention to the stones.

My animals didn't start talking. Well, they probably were talking but I wasn't listening. Mookaite aligns your vibrations with Mother Earth and "psychic" senses - it may take a while to "hear" anything from your fur babies.

Yes, I've had success with speaking with animals, but I haven't concentrated on it enough to expand my ability.  I heard from my sister's cat (my nephew) the first time I meditated with mookaite. It was simply the knowledge of Miles thinking of me and I heard "Hi Aunt."

After months of silence from my "kids," I finally purchased four nice pieces of mookaite and set a grid around my couch. Perrin jumped in my lap and I tried to focus on sending him a message. Yeah, it wasn't working. As soon as I relaxed my mind and turned to the tv, Perrin spoke to me. It sounded like a staticky radio was being played in my skull (above my forehead over my left eye). A little kid's voice said, "Nine," and then, "Fifty-four." Then nothing. Evidently, Perrin loves numbers.

Crystal Elements

Amethyst, smoky brandenburg quartz, and smoky citrine

I'm not going to lie and say I'm an expert on crystals. Yes, I know more about them than the average person, but don't ask me about the crystalline structure of a stone and expect an answer that isn't BS. Be aware I can't identify a stone just because it's sitting in front of me. Want to know from where the stone came? The rock shop is my best guess many times.

Most of my scientific education has been pushed to the back of my brain for useless information like how to connect coffee with Shakespeare when coffee wasn't introduced to Britain until mid to late 17th century (ask me about my great theory!). I'm not going to give you a dissertation on a crystal lattice or how electromagnetic energies work. What you get is this: crystal work is energy work. Energy moves through these crystalline structures and is altered or amplified. Silicon is used for computer chips, quartz is used in clocks and radios. Crystals are in lasers and medical equipment. You'll also find crystals in your medicine (lithium, anyone?).

The energy given off by crystals affects us. Our bodies. Our energies. Our lives.

Case point: my father was given a crystal necklace to assist with his health problems. He wasn't necessarily pro or anti crystal, and he wore the necklace. He forgot to put it on one morning and didn't have a good day. The necklace doesn't magically fix his problems, but my father does physically feel better, have a bit more energy, and breathe better when wearing the necklace.

Another case: a friend's husband was diagnosed with throat cancer. My friend worked with the doctors at the VA to learn about what was going on in her husband's body. The main doctor thought she was nuts, but the anesthesiologist was intrigued by the idea of using crystals in curing the body. My friend's husband had surgery, radiation, and crystal "therapy." The doctor who thought my friend was nuts had to admit her husband had the quickest cure/recovery time he'd ever seen. Maybe it was because of the wonderful health care offered to our veterans (sarcasm font). It is probable the crystals worked in conjunction with the standard cancer treatment to heal this man.

Please do not forgo medical treatment of any major issue/illness because you have crystals.

If you would like to look into crystals to assist with your health, I recommend trying seraphinite (#1 healing stone), fluorite (great for colds), and green tourmaline to start. Read up on how to use the stones to help you (grids, carrying, elixirs) before you begin working with them. You'll soon find yourself looking for other crystals to benefit your life.