AMETHYST

Back to the many stone and crystal specimens I got on my Birthday Rock Hunt. I'm starting to think of that episode more like an Easter Egg Hunt. I wonder if I can get my friend to do it again for Easter? Just kidding my friend.

Today I am studying up on Amethyst. Amethyst is a quartz crystal and the first crystal I have looked into.  Crystals are thought to be quite a powerful in terms of energy content and output. I'm getting the impression that crystals, in general, are thought to be more energetic than other stone species.

A little off topic but I have read that nearly all known vortexes are located in or near quartz crystal fields. Not sure anyone has ever proven the existence of vortexes but they are supposed to be all about energy. Another interesting factotum; the original crystal radios had a component called a "crystal detector" which was made from a crystal called Galena. I'm no scientist, but this suggest to me that crystal certainly can have energy absorption and conductive power. OK, you naysayers, there is scientific proof of this, just Google crystal radios.

Amethyst is a common crystal found nearly all over the planet, Africa, South America, Europe, Canada, Russia and the US.

Amethyst Crystal

The above crystal is mine. The Amethyst is of a fairly pale color. It sits in the geode shell in which it was found. It's a fairly large chunk and was quite reasonably priced. Below is a photo of an Amethyst Crystal that looks good enough to eat. It looks like a piece of Huckleberry pie. If you've never had Huckleberry pie you simply have not lived. Lucky me, Montana is Huckleberry heaven. Unless you live in Montana don't look for it in your local health food store. This wonder of natural cannot be commercially grown. Trust me, many have tried. On my travel blog I coined the phrase Montana Caviar. The important thing to note is that the darker the color the finer the Amethyst.

Amethyst Crystal

Another point about Amethyst is that it resonates well with Capricorn. It's quite interesting to me that I have instinctively been drawn to choose stones and crystals that are said to resonate well with Capricorn, my astrological sign. I also chose Malachite and Rainbow Fluorite  which are also complementary to Capricorn.  Is there a connection? I don't know but it does beg the question.

Physical Issues:

 Ears, Eczema, Immune System, Insomnia, Itching, Metabolism, Memory, Psoriasis, Wrinkles

 Emotional Issues:

Anger, Anxiety, Coping, Fear, Focus, Grief, Loss, Motivation,

Spiritual Issues:

Awareness, Balance, Coping, Dream Recall,  Harmony, Higher-Self, Inner Child, Intuition, Wisdom

QUICK REFERENCE

Chakras:

Crown: (Lavendar)
Third-Eye (Purple)
Etheric

©Walker Barnard

IS THERE SCIENTIFIC PROOF OF THE HEALING PROPERTIES OF STONES & CRYSTALS?

As I have been researching the various stones and crystals in my collection I have run across several articles dissing the notion of stones and crystals having healing properties. The biggest argument; there is no scientific evidence to support it. One article I read bordered on the ridiculous. The idiot that wrote it was so moronic he supplied more evidence against his position than for it. Reminding me, yet again, to always be wary of stuff you find on the internet.

Some detractors were downright rabid about how stupid it was to think rocks had any healing properties. To him the idea is just New Age hokum. I am always leery of people that cannot present their arguments in a calm and educated manner. Unfortunately, people who rant their opinions are legion. All they show me is their ignorance.

It has been noted, in studies where a placebo (fake crystals) were used in place of real a stones or crystals, the placebo was chosen often as not. The placebo had as much effect as a real rock. It was posited that in fact such studies proved the stones had no healing energy whatsoever. Link to one ridiculous article I don't like linking it because Google will interpret it as a good thing. But, I'll no doubt want to refer to it again and not in a good way.

I'm too new into my exploration of rocks and crystals to have an educated opinion on the matter. But, I do have an open mind. Therefore, if it works for no other reason than I believe it works why should I care? I do believe there is considerable scientific evidence the mind/brain is an awesomely powerful organ. I also know that beauty makes me smile and it has been scientifically proven that smiling can help with depression. Below is a little arrangement I made on my nightstand.

Rock and Crystal Display

I think it's beautiful. When I look at it it makes me smile. It provides me with moments of experiencing joy and serenity which reduces stress which supports my immune system. Sounds pretty good to me.

In an earlier post I mentioned Shungite and how some say it might help me sleep better.  I am now 10 nights into placing a Shungite pyramid on my forehead for five minutes or so after lights out. I can report during this time I have taken no sleep aides and have slept like a log. Is it because the Shungite has special energy or is it because I am open to the idea that it does? As Clark Gable famously said in Gone With The Wind "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" which it is. For whatever reason, it's working for me.

©Walker Barnard

Episode 1: THE WHO & WHY OF THIS BLOG

My name is Walker Barnard. I am called Walker because as anyone who knows me knows, I love to walk. I love walking so much my Indian friends gave me the name Walking Woman. I named myself Walker. I love this name. After nearly seventy years I have found a name that truly suits me.

I live in a National Forest in Montana and have spent the last fifteen years walking alone in the wilderness with my dog as my only companion. It has been the best time of my life. I have observed many things that have caused me to see the world and my connection to it in a different light. I have come to find that many of the Native American beliefs regarding nature and spirituality are very much in alignment with my own. I believe in the sun and the moon and the stars. I believe in the eagle, the owl, and the bear. I believe in the spirituality of all of The Creators creatures. I believe that life itself is the Great Teacher and that we may very well need to return more than once before our lessons are learned. Yet, with all this believing, I believed rocks were simply pretty things.

A little over a year ago my best chum took me to a rock shop in Bigfork, Montana Kehoe's Agate Shop. I just went along because it was something she wanted to do. I think this must be one of the better rock shops because I was swept away by some of the truly amazing stones and crystals. They had stones from the size of your thumbnail to crystal geodes four or five feet tall.

I'm a real sucker for natural designs. In my former incarnation I specialized in photographing what I call Still Life in Nature under the moniker Kinsey Barnard. It wasn't hard for me to fall in love with some of the stones I saw in the shop. I ended up buying a rock that had designs in it that were too intriguing to pass up. It's called a Sepatarian Slab. I had absolutely no intention of starting a rock collection. I just thought the rock was beautiful and I wanted it in my space. It's been sitting on my entertainment console ever since and I have enjoyed looking at it nearly every day since.

My Rock Collecting Begins (Septarian)

Is that rock cool or what? The designs and colors are simply perfection, naturally.

This past October so got the bright idea to take my chum back to the Big Fork rock shop for her birthday and let her choose what lit her candle. She chose a gorgeous Amethyst crystal. Naturally, whilst she looked around for her present I look around for my joy. And darned if I didn't find it!and It was a beautiful Carnelian from Madagascar.

Rock #2 Carnelian from Madagascar

I don't do much studio photography so I don't have the right equipment but I think this is good enough to get the idea across how beautiful it is. The strange thing was no matter how I tried I couldn't get the jagged bright white light in the center to disappear. It looks like a reflection but it's not. The rock is smooth and I totally blacked out the room. Yet, it's not there when you look at it with the naked eye. Is it some energy that can only be picked up by the camera? Anyway, I took my new stone home and placed it on the other side of the big screen. Now I had two beauties to look at everyday.

I now had two rocks so I guess you could say I had a collection. I started thinking I could get into collecting beautiful rocks.

In the next episode I get exposed to the idea that rocks may have more going on than just beauty.

©Walker Barnard