Crystal of the Week: Carnelian

Carnelian, a member of the Chalcedony family, is derived from the Latin word meaning "flesh." It helps the wearer feel revitalized, in touch with their body and reawakened.  It helps to increase your self confidence and is a good stone to hold or wear when you have to go on an interview or speak publicly in front of group of people because it will fill you with a sense of courage.  Because of its ability to increase one's confidence, it's a great stone to keep at the office.

As a second chakra stone, Carnelian works to heal all second chakra issues. If, for example, you have body image issues, carnelian is the stone for you.  If you have had to deal with sexual abuse in the past or have any issues with sex, intimacy and commitment, Carnelian will help you to heal these issues.

Because it is a second chakra stone, it will also help with creativity.  So if you're experiencing writer's or artist's block, meditate with Carnelian, keep one in your creative work space and sleep with one under your pillow.

Carnelian also helps women to work on any fear concerning pregnancy and childbirth.

It's a protective stone and is said that, when worn, it will prevent other people from reading your thoughts. Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead recommended placing it in the tomb to serve as protection in the afterlife.

Wearing Carnelian is said to decrease feelings of anger, depression and envy.

It's a great stone for these signs: Taurus, Gemini, Aries, Leo and Virgo.

Carnelian is a hard little worker and one of the things I love best about it is that it will work to cleanse and revitalize the stones around it.   So whenever I have a bowl or bag of stones, I will always include a Carnelian in the group.

Because it's known as a creative stone and is said to increase one's memory, Carnelian is also recommended for actors and actresses.

Overall, Carnelian is a great stone for anyone dealing with:

Eating Disorders
Sexual Abuse trauma
Sluggish Libido
Intimacy Issues
Blocked Creativity
Lack of Confidence
Envy
Hatred
Depression

Crystal of the Week: Emerald

Emerald, the birthstone of May, and eternal symbol of Spring, is a wonderful stone of love, faith and fidelity.  Emerald helps to open the heart to receiving love, giving love and healing old wounds.  It’s called “the stone of successful love.” Giving someone an Emerald is said to be a sign of faith, fidelity and true love. In addition to being the birthstone for May, Emerald is also the 20^th anniversary gemstone. 

It’s long been associated with protection – not only in love but in health too.  Writings dating back to the third century show that emerald was believed to protect against negative supernatural elements too.

When placed or worn over the heart, Emerald will bring an inner feeling of balance and harmony.

Because Emeralds are never flawless, wearing  an Emerald reminds us that we need not be perfect in order to be loved, accepted and appreciated by others.  The healing green in the stone gives us the strength to move forward.  Perfection isn’t the goal; growth is.

Ancient Greeks believed that if the wearer of an Emerald ring was loyal and true, the stone would shine a brilliant green, but if the owner of the stone had strayed, the Emerald would turn a dull, dirty green color.  This might be because, like Hiddenite, when heated, the green color fades but regains its coloring when cooled.

Legend says that Joseph of Arimathea caught the drops of blood from Christ on the cross in an emerald bowl.

The Book of Revelations says that the throne of God was surrounded by a rainbow of Emeralds. One of the four stones God gave Solomon is said to be an Emerald.

Because Emeralds are said to help the eyes, the Roman Emperor Nero (54 – 68 AD) had an emerald cut for him through which he watched the gladiator games.

Even today in China, poorer qualities of emeralds are ground up into powders and used to help ailments associated with the eyes, liver and heart.

It’s said to bring luck in legal matters, so attorneys would benefit from an emerald cluster or paperweight on their desk.

Meditating with emerald helps to increase one’s memory and focus to help you make clearer choices.

When worn with a diamond, Emerald will help increase your eloquence making you an effective public speaker.

So this Spring, consider wearing an Emerald as a reminder that love, though never perfect, brings out the very best in us.

Crystal of the Week: Lemurian Seed Crystals

Some people believe that an ancient land of people existed before and during the time of the Atlanteans called The Lemurians.  There are stories of these people living in the Southern Pacific.  The Lemurians were highly evolved both spiritually and intellectually.  When the Atlanteans advanced, the Lemurians knew that they're love and dependence on technology would eventually destroy themselves and the Lemurians.  It's said that they encoded what knowledge they held in crystals and buried them.  Today, these stones are found in Brazil and Australia. It's believed that the Lemurians lived between 4, 500, 000 BC and 12, 000 BC.  For more information on Lemuria and Atlantis, read Edgar Cayce's works.

The Lemurian Seed Crystals are said to be programmed with highly advanced spiritual information and are attuned to a high vibration of love.  Lemurians have horizontal lines etched along the sides.  As you meditate with the stone and rub your finger along the lines, the information is unlocked and programmed into your subconscious.  Judy Hall calls Lemurian Seed Crystals "Tools of the Lightworker." Working with a Lemurian Seed Crystal helps remind you that we are all connected.  Lemurians help us to move to the next level of our spiritual evolution while showing us how to help others do the same.  Working with a Lemurian signals to your guides that you're ready to be initiated into deep, ancient knowledge.

Lemurian wands help to cut all negative cords of energy.  They're excellent for past life work and can help to balance and cleanse the chakras.

 Lemurians also increase dream recall, so try sleeping with one under your pillow if you're trying to increase your dream work.

It's said that Lemurian Grids help to open a portal for angelic help.

Just be careful when purchasing a Lemurian.  Many, many regular crystals with cutting marks are sold as Lemurians.  Make sure you're buying yours from a reputable seller such as exquisitecrystals.com or pointsoflight.net

The crystal pictured here is the Lemurian that my good friend Joel gifted me with.  I've blogged about this crystal before, for it's one I truly cherish.  It's called a Buddha Lemurian because there's a perfect image of a man sitting on a crystal chair inside the stone.  But I wanted you to see how deeply the etched lines are in a Lemurian; don't mistake cutting lines on a regular quartz crystal for a Lemurian. A true Lemurian --whatever you believe about its origins -- is a powerful stone to work with.

Seeing Things??

Recently I received an email that asked this question, "I think I have clairvoyance, but I only see things out of the corner of my eye.  Why is this?"

I'm sure many of you, too, have seen flashes of color or light or shadows out of the corner of your eye.  The ASK MARILYN column in Parade Magazine addressed something similar to this and I wanted to share with you Marilyn's response:

Humans have two kinds of photosensitive cells -- cones and rods.  Cones are used for seeing when it's light; rods are used when it's dark.  The center of your eye contains only cones; the perimeter is dense with rods.  So when you look directly at a light source, it disappears because the cones can't "see" it.  But when you look out the corner of your eye, you can because the rods see it.

So, the next time you see something out the corner of your eye, don't try to look at it directly.  Just sit there patiently and try to see as much as you can peripherally.  Soon you'll strengthen your rods and will begin to see more clearly.

The Mother Theresa Effect - The Supreme Importance of Helping Others

David McClelland -- a Behavioral Psychologist at Harvard -- performed a series of studies called "The Mother Theresa Effect" in the 1980s.  He had several students watch a film about Mother Theresa's work helping the poor in India.  After viewing the film, the students showed a significant rise in the protective antibody Salivary Immunoglobulin A (S-lgA) as compared to students who watched a neutral film.  Dr. McClelland also noted that the students' S-lgA levels remained high for several hours after watching the film IF they were asked to recall a time they themselves had given or received love.  The conclusion of the study was that thinking about love, giving and receiving love, strengthens the immune system.

A 2004 AA study done with data collected from Project Match found that recovering alcoholics who helped other addicts were more likely to stay sober than those who did not help others and 94 % of those who helped other recovering addicts noted a marked decrease in depression.

A 2005 study from the Longitudinal Study of Aging showed an in increase in longevity and happiness for those who volunteered at least once a week.

So this week, try to help one person every day.  Hold the door for someone, give a homeless person a dollar, check in on a friend, send a card to an elderly relative, make a meal for your neighbor who's been working really hard, volunteer to watch your friend's child for an afternoon.  You will not only be helping someone else, but as these studies show, you'll be helping your own health -- both emotional and physical.

A Dream Deferred

Today is the birthday of one of my all time favorite poets -- Langston Hughes.  One of his best poems, in my opinion, is "A Dream Deferred."

A Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up 

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore 

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over --

Like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

Like a heavy load

Or does it explode?

Do you have a dream deferred?  This poem is testimony that if we defer our dreams we will either dry up, fester,  resort to passive aggression, or depression or anger.  None of these is a choice any of us wants to make.  Some of you reading this may have already deferred your dream.  Some of you may be thinking of giving up your dream, and others might be thinking to yourself, "I don't have a dream." Yes you do.  God has placed in each of our hearts a desire and that desire is our soul purpose.  When we ignore our dreams, we are essentially ignoring God.  Here's another Hughes' poems that I love:

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow

No matter what you do, don't give up on your dream.  Keep climbing, keep striving.  Each brick, each rung on the ladder gets you closer to your truth.  Life is hard, sure, but without our dreams, it's a slow death.  

So, in keeping with that, here's one more Langston Hughes' poem that I look to often for strength and resilience.

Mother to Son

Well, son, I'll tell you:

Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

It's had tacks in it and splinters

And boards torn up

And places with no carpet on the floor --

Bare

But all the time

I'se been a-climbin' on,

And reachin' landin's,

And turnin' corners,

And sometimes goin' in the dark

Where there ain't been no light.

So, boy, don't you turn back.

Don't you set down on the steps.

'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.

Don't you fall now --

For I'se still goin, honey,

I'se still climbin,

And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

Thanks for reminding us to dream Langston Hughes and for teaching us how to carry on.  Happy Birthday.