stones and crystals - healing and positive energy

Time for a post about stones and crystals. Who owns some? What ones are they and how do they make you feel? You would have read recently that Mary said to me the other night whilst I was standing in the kitchen, "OBSIDIAN" and demanded I go and get me one. Well, today was that day. My collection of crystals is growing and I particularly am drawn to Amethyst. Today I purchased an amethyst pendant, it is brilliant and feels wonderful against my skin.

Now for a little crystal info. Pictured from left to right are as follows:

1. Clear Quartz - 'The Energy Stone' - this brings focus and clarity. It dispels negativity. It promotes self-acceptance and self-love. It also assists in retaining calmness and stimulates and amplifies psychic abilities. It aids communication.

2. Howlite (dark green) - this spurs you toward the ambition to reach your goals and assists you in eliminating hesitation from your actions. It can be used to eliminate pain, stress and rage. It also calms communication and encourages emotional expression.

New Jade (light green) - this is for dreaming and remembering. It is excellent for increasing intuition and assists in precise and accurate psychic predictions. It also advances the state of meditation.

Black Tourmaline (rough black) - this is used to repel and protect against negativity also. It helps to keep your spirits high even when conditions appear to be bleak. It encourages self-confidence and inner-strength. It also enhances creativity and diminishes fear. It increases emotional stability and intellectual acuity.

Rainbow Obsidian (welcome to Bindy's world) - 'Stone of Pleasure' - this brings light and love into your life, by providing insight and understanding into areas of love, relationships and self-growth.

Sunstone - this helps you to communicate with the Angels!! It encourages independence and originality. It gives support in issues of self-love and self-awareness. It also alleviates stress and increases vitality. In ancient Greece, it was used to bring abundance. In ancient India, it was used for protection.

Labradorite - this assists in both realizing and achieving your destiny in this life. It enhances faith and reliance in oneself. It helps you to balance intellectual thought with intuitive and psychic wisdom. It keeps your aura clear and protected.

The two bracelets are amethyst and rose quartz. I wear amethyst for intuition. I also wear rose quartz for friendship and love.

To cleanse your crystals/stones:

• water is a universal cleanser. If you have access to the ocean, ocean water is wonderful. If not, spring water, lake water and filtered water can also work well, as long as the water is either directly from nature and clean (filtered properly). Some people also add salt to their water, because of its electric properties.

• You can simply rinse the crystal in water, or you can follow up by placing the crystal in a clear glass filled with water. Place the glass on your windowsill, ideally facing the south, to charge in the sun.

• The moon can also be used for cleansing and charging. Some people make a ritual of burying their crystal under a full moon, to take advantage of the magnetic forces of the moon in combination with the earth. You may also place your crystal in the direct light of the moon.

• Another method is smudging the crystal with sage, incense or sweet grass.

• You can also cleanse and charge your crystal with other crystals. A crystal can be placed on a large crystal cluster or generator (single large quartz crystal). Citrine in particular is excellent for cleansing the other crystals in your collection. It is one of only two crystals that is automatically self-cleansing, and will cleanse other crystals. The other is kyanite, which is also extremely helpful in chakra alignment.