CARE & FEEDING OF PET ROCKS

When I came up with the title for this blog post it was tongue in cheek. I was hearkening back to the 70's when an imaginative fellow by the name of Gary Dahl invented the Pet Rock. It was all the rage and made the man a millionaire. Now come to find out the Pet Rock is alive and well. Nordstrom's sold out of their version this past Christmas and the little rascal was fetching $85.00.

Actually, I am referring to the stones in my collection. They are like friends to me, with or without any healing capabilities. I name each one and call it by name. Each stone is so unique and beautiful I can't resist the urge to name it, especially the ones I carry around in my pocket. Sounds silly but there you go.

But, if one is hoping to get any potential benefit from their stones' energy there are some things to consider. First off I think you should carefully wash each stone or crystal acquired ASAP. No telling who's grubby hands have been on it or what kind of energy they transferred to the stone. It could be nasty negative stuff.

Also, one never knows how long a stone has been kept away from energizing sunlight. Stones and crystals do run out of energy and need regular re-charging. I think you should let any new rock you bring into your space sit in the sun for several hours after gently washing in warm soapy water.

Some even suggest one find out where and how stones were mined to determined if they were carefully removed from the earth. For me that's a bit over the top. I don't doubt a stone can pick up negative energy from improper handling.  But, I'm not about to do the amount of research required to determine how the stone was handle at the mine.

My solution for this potential problem is simple. Treat my stones with love and respect. Use my love energy to dispel any negative treatment my rock might have encountered on it's way to me. In all the reading I have done so far on the subject it's all about what stones and crystals can do for us. I think the flow should be both ways. I will will send my love energy to my stones and crystals every time I handle them. Give my gratitude for their presence in my life.

The mere beautiful presence of stone and crystals in my space is enough to bring tranquility and happiness into my life. Those feelings I believe have a major positive effect on my emotional health and that my emotional health has a huge impact on my physical health. Regardless of what you believe I do not see how you can go wrong bringing stone and crystal energy into your world. Just make sure you pay attention to the care and feeding of your new friends.

Forget about Nordstrom's. For $85 my local rock shops will sell me any number of beautiful stones and crystals as opposed to just one in a leather pouch.

©Walker Barnard

FANCY JASPER

Fancy Jasper is a type of quartz. Jasper is a Greek derived word that means "spotted stone". The stone I chose certainly bears the spotted aspect out. Fancy Jasper is also known as the "Stone of Tranquility". I looked through the Google images and didn't find any that looked quite like mine. I also saw images of stones that were not Fancy Jasper at all. Just a reminder, Google doesn't know whether images are misidentified or not. They just read the key word and trust it's correct.

Even though there wasn't a photo of a stone just like mine I am comfortable it is in fact a Fancy Jasper. In the identification info I've read it says that Fancy Jasper has green in it, mine does not. Perhaps the lack of green means a lack of quality. I don't know. I find this friend beautiful and intriguing. Fancy Jasper is fairly common and found in Africa and Brazil.

Fancy Jasper

Physical Issues:   

Blood-Circulation, Detox, Stomach, Insomnia

Emotional Issues:  

Calming, Concentration, Focus

Spiritual Issues:  

Grounding, Problem solving

QUICK REFERENCE


Chakras:

Primary Chakras - Root (Red)
Effects all chakras

©Walker Barnard

SELENITE & AMETHYST CRSITAL A DYNAMIC DUO

On my Birthday Rock Hunt I chose a Selenite sphere to sit on my Amethyst Crystal. I did not know the first thing about either crystal when I chose them. I thought they made a very pretty arrangement. I just liked the way they looked together.

Selenite Sphere on Amethyst Crystal

Once again my natural intuition seemed to be on the job. It turns out that Selenite and Amethyst Crystals make excellent companions beyond just looking good. Selenite is said to be a charging crystal. Most stones need to be set in the sun to get a new charge not so Selenite. It is so pure it never needs cleansing and it can chase negative energy out of you and other crystals as well.

I have become aware of the necessity of cleansing and charging ones stones. Crystals have energy but that energy drains over time and with use, which makes abundant sense to me. A good way to re-charge crystals and stones is to set them in the sun. This re-charging has been a concern to me as there is almost no sun where I live in winter. What little sun there is packs the punch of a powder puff. Even so, I've been dutifully placing my Amethyst Crystal on the windowsill every time the sun comes out. Turns out I needn't have bothered as the Selenite is constantly re-charging it.

Selenite Ball

In the above photo the Selenite looks like the moon and is in fact associated with that celestial body and is thought to be able to help one connect with their spirit guides.

Another thing about Selenite and Amethyst Crystals is that the combination is said to be a powerful sleep inducer and cure for insomnia.  Now I'm in a quandary. I keep my Selenite and Amethyst on my nightstand. I have to wonder is it the Shungite that has been making me sleep like a log the past couple of weeks or is it the Selenite and Amethyst? Does it matter? Not to me. I would experiment but I am so enjoying my sleep I don't want to mess with it.

Physical Issues:

Calcium Absorption, Insomnia, Flexibility, Memory, Back, Mental Clarity

Emotional Issues:

Negativity, Insecurity

Spiritual Issues:

Protection From Negativity, Truth, Harmony, Intuition, Contact Spirit Guides

Quick Reference

Chakras:

Crown (Lavendar)
Third-Eye (Purple)
Etheric

©Walker Barnard

STONES AND CRYSTAL QUICK REFERENCE.

This post will be a work in progress and updated on a regular basis as I go through the discovery progress for each of my stones and crystals. I want to create  a reverse index where I list conditions that might be addressed by proximity to a particular stone or crystal. I am not endeavoring to list every condition but rather those I have an interest in. A catalog I can go to anytime and choose stones I want to have in my space according to how I am feeling either physically or mentally.

PHYSICAL ISSUES

Aches & Pains -- Lapi Lazuli
ADD -- Rainbow Fluorite
Arthritis -- Malachite, Rainbow Fluorite
Back -- Malachite, Selenite
Bones -- Malachite, Rainbow Fluorite, Ruby Fuchsite, Selenite, Lapis Lazuli
Blood Pressure -- Ruby Fuchsite
Carpel-Tunnel -- Ruby Fuchsite
Concentration -- Rainbow Fluorite
Constipation -- Ruby Fuchsite
Dental Problems -- Rainbow Fluorite
Detoxification -- Malachite, Shungite, Fancy Jasper, Lapis Lazuli
EMF Protection -- Shungite
Focus -- Rainbow Fluorite
Headaches -- Malachite
Immune System -- Amethyst, Malachite, Ruby Fuchsite, Shungite, Lapis Lazuli 
Insomnia  -- Amethyst, Shungite, Lapis Lazuli
Memory -- Amethyst, Selenite
Metabolism -- Amethyst
Nutrient Absorption -- Rainbow Fluorite, Selenite
Psoriasis -- Amethyst
Skin Problems -- Malachite
Tinnitus -- Amethyst
Wrinkles -- Amethyst



NON-PHYSICAL ISSUES

Abundance -- Malachite, Ruby Fuchsite
Anger -- Amethyst
Anxiety -- Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli
Awareness -- Amethyst
Balance -- Amethyst, Malachite, Ruby Fluorite
Calming -- Ruby Fuchsite, Fancy Jasper, Lapis Lazuli
Coping -- Amethyst
Creativity -- Malachite
Depression -- Lapis Lazuli
Enhanced Will power -- Malachite 
Fear -- Amethyst
Focus -- Amethyst, Fancy Jasper,
Grounding -- Rainbow Fluorite, Fancy Jasper
Happiness -- Ruby Fuchsite,
Harmony -- Amethyst, Selenite
Healed Heart -- Malachite
Inner-Child -- Amethyst
Intuition -- Amethyst, Rainbow Fluorite, Selenite, Lapis Lazuli
Manifestation -- Rainbow Fluorite
Motivation -- Amethyst
Problem Solving -- Fancy Jasper
Protection From Negative Energy -- Malachite, Rainbow Fluorite, Shungite
Self-Confidence - Ruby Fuchsite
Self-Esteem -- Ruby Fuchsite
Truth -- Shungite, Selenite, Lapis Lazuli
Wisdom -- Amethyst

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

MALACHITE

It was only natural I was drawn to Malachite on my Birthday Rock Hunt. Malachite has always been a favorite stone. Green and blue are my favorite colors. It's a toss up as to which is tops, green or blue. I have seen some absolutely exquisite jewellery made with Malachite. Set in gold it knocks my socks off.

The best Malachite comes from Africa and Russia. Malachite has a 9 vibration which I take to mean high energy. I need to see what I can out about rock vibration. And, lucky me, Malachite energy resonates well with Capricorn energy. I'll hold tight to my Malachite!

Malachite

I couldn't resist setting it down in the snow.

Malachite

Physical Issues: 

Arthritis, Back, Bones, Lungs, Immune System Strengthening, Detoxification, Headaches, Skin

Emotional Issues:

Comfort, Emotional Balance, Hope, Confidence, Negativity Disbursement, Enhanced Willpower

Spiritual Issues:

Enlightened Leadership, Creativity, Protection From Negative Energies, A Healed Heart, Abundance

Chakras:

Heart (Green)
Throat (Blue)



©Walker Barnard