Posts Tagged ‘crystal healing’

One of my favorite stones that can be quite unique from piece to piece is ametrine.  Ametrine is a form of quartz that contains both amethyst and citrine and carries energies of both stones along with bringing a powerful cleanings and balancing energy.

Ametrine takes many forms, but in it’s natural state, the colors can be very dark and blended together in a way that can make some pieces look like they are just very deeply colored amethyst.  Other pieces have clear yellow or gold citrine elements within them.  Ametrine is minded almost exclusively in Bolivia which is where it gets one of its trade names, bolivianite, though some ametrine has been found on parts of India and Brazil in recent years.

Ametrine forms naturally in the Anahi mines in Bolivia because of the various temperature combinations, air pressure and the natural chemicals in the mines which cause a natural oxidation process to happen within the iron of the crystal itself.  Since the temperatures and pressures vary so greatly in this specific mining area, the oxidation rate of the iron deposits are so different that some parts of the crystal form as a yellow/gold color, creating citrine, while other parts turn varied shades of purple, creating amethyst.  Sometimes during the process one area will oxidize at a slightly different rate, just enough to cause part of a piece that would normally have been all amethyst to have a portion that formed as citrine.

When looking for ametrine, especially for healing or magickal work, it’s important to look for natural, raw, or tumbled pieces that are very obviously not meant for the purposes of making jewlery.  Many pieces of ametrine that are made for or sold as jewelry, such as faceted pieces for rings, are quite often (but not always) synthetic.  Ametrine can be easily mimicked either with dyes being applied to heat treated clear quartz or even by using different heat treatments to plain amethyst.  One sign of an artificial piece of ametrine is when the definitions between the amethyst and citrine are very obvious, as though the two pieces were almost fused together with a defined beginning and end to each color.  While this can happen in natural ametrine it’s very rare and you’re more apt to find pieces where one color is more dominant than the other and they blend or swirl together in the stone.  Also, the color of the stone can be a sign of whether it’s natural or synthetic; if the stone has a greenish-yellow color to the citrine part or if the amethyst has a blue hue to it, it is almost definitely synthetic since these colors do not happen naturally in these stones.  Deep, rich purples, as well as deep golds, are a sign of a true piece of ametrine.

Ametrine can be used for a number of healing purposes.  As a stone that brings harmony to the spirit and body, if you are finding that you’re feeling “out of sorts” or if you have a sense of being disconnected, either from your thoughts or your body, meditating or just relaxing while holding the ametrine in your power hand will help to bring you back into balance.  Ametrine is also believed by many crystal healers to be a stone of male/female balance; if someone is having a hard time connecting to one of these halves of their personalities, or if there is a lack of balance between the two, ametrine can be used for bringing them into harmony.

Using ametrine in meditation can help to open up and empower the third eye.  If you or a client in a healing session are having trouble with their psychic senses, or if there is a feeling of not being in touch or in balance with your intuition or psychic senses, place a piece of ametrine on the third eye and let it rest, giving it a chance to open up and balance the third eye chakra.  Ametrine can also help clear out any lingering negative energy from emotional trauma or emotional worries and concerns which makes this a great stone for working with healing sessions for those that are experiencing issues with releasing and letting go from bad relationships, working through issues of abuse and overall problems with moving on from a bad patch in personal relationships.

When looking for some creative ways to use ametrine, consider the fact that both the properties of amethyst and citrine are contained in this stone, regardless of how much of each is evident from looking at a piece.  Amethyst contains the ability to bring serenity and calm as well as protection while citrine helps with creativity, mental clarity and inner strength and confidence.  Ametrine can be a great stone for students who want to create a talisman for helping with their studies.  Take a piece of ametrine and charge it for this by calling on the aspect of amethyst to grant you a calm, focused state of mind, and the citrine to help you better understand the work and have the confidence to display your understanding through homework assignements and exams.

The color therapy, or color magick, available in ametrine can be very powerful as well since the purple of the amethyst can help with visualizing and mentally creating the image of what you desire while the gold of the citrine can help with manifestation in the physical world.  Holding ametrine or using it as part of spells where manifesting something in the physical world can be quite helpful.  These two colors together can also help with balancing the third eye chakra and the solar plexus chakra.  These are two chakras, that when in balance, can help us to feel and follow our intuitions, our “gut feelings”, more confidently.

In healing for physical purposes ametrine can be used for a number of different purposes including releasing toxins, releasing muscle tension, reducing fever and helping with the aches and pains caused by head or chest congestion.  You can make an elixir with ametrine and take to help with any of these, but it can be especially useful in this manner for toxin release.  If you get massage regularly you know about the need to drink water to help with the flushing of the toxins that are released from the muscle tissue.  Taking 3-6 drops of an ametrine elixir in your water following a massage can help this process along and help you feel not only physically but also mentally refreshed after.

Ametrine is a great stone that has endless possibilities because of the unique combination of energies that it brings.  Even just a small piece can be used for a number of purposes and makes for a great addition to any set of healing crystals.

A simple and practical way for you to make use of your gemstones, aside from carrying, meditating and laying them on and around the body for healing, is to make an elixir or gemstone potion.  These liquid creations can be used in many, many ways; you can take them internally as a way to absorb and incorporate the energy of a stone or crystal in the body, they can be added to plant water to energize them, drops can be added to a pre-ritual bath, or you can even use the charged water for cleansing ritual objects or even just areas in the home that may need some extra energy.  It’s a simple process and one that anyone can work with.

A BIG Word of Caution
Before you begin working with this method it is highly imperative that you purchase a good, solid resource manual for your crystal information as many crystals and stones are actually toxic and NOT recommended for this sort of process.  While any of the stones can be used externally on and around the body, some stones contain very dangerous minerals and inclusions such as sulphur, copper, lead, mercury and more.  I am going to include a list of some of the more popular stones that are known to be toxic and I will include some substitution suggestions as well along with a few source recommendations.

But, with that said, you can work with some of the toxic stones as long as you are creating an elixir that will be used for external purposes only, like for cleansing tools or cleaning the home.  In some crystal books when information on elixirs is given, you may see the suggestion of using elixirs made from toxic stones to be used for anointing the body, but again I have to even caution against because by putting the water made with these stones on the skin it’s possible for the undesired elements to absorb through the skin and into the blood stream.  So again, play it safe and do your research before making any elixirs.

Picking Your Stone
The best way to work with these elixirs is to use a single stone or crystal for each one and to work with taking the elixirs one at a time.  So when you’re making your very first one, try picking a stone that either has a very specific property that you wish to work with, such as carnelian for healing issues of anger or jealousy, or maybe amethyst to help with your psychic development or to open up the third eye before meditation.  When you aren’t sure, or you’re just giving this whole thing a try and don’t know what to work with, you can always used clear quartz as it is a stone that will give your energy vibrations an overall life and balance as well as being able to be used specifically for things like meditation and spiritual development.

Making Gemstone Elixirs
The process of making the elixirs is quite simple and doesn’t require a large amount of tools.  In fact, as long as you have your stones already, you can probably round up everything you need right in your own home.

You Will Need:

• A glass jar or bottle, with a lid, one for each elixir you’re making if you’re making elixirs from multiple types of stones.  NEVER use plastic!
• Spring water, distilled water, or filtered water.  This is important because you don’t want the natural inclusions found in tap water to leach or react with the stones themselves or their possible inclusions.
• A bowl that will be large enough to hold the amount of water you will be using for your elixir (multiple bowls will be needed if you’re doing multiple types of elixirs).
• A measuring cup and funnel for easy pouring.
• A singing bowl (this is for an optional step, but this is a nice touch if you have one)

Once you have gathered together everything, make sure that you cleanse everything, physically and psychically/energetically.  You might want to bring your items into sacred space to sit and charge at your altar overnight.  If you’re familiar with crystal grids (something we’ll talk about on a Wednesday in the future), you can place your bottles within a grid or layout to cleanse them as well.  Otherwise, a simple physical wash, including sterilizing the bottles and then given them a smudging with sage and charge with white light and energy (if you’ve never done this before, or if it’s been a while since you’ve sterilized a baby bottle, simply submerge your bottles, and droppers if you’re using them, in a pot of water on the stove, turn on the heat and let it come to a boil and let the bottles sit in the boiling water for five minutes, remove with tongs because they will be very hot, and place on a drying rack or paper towels to cool and air dry).

While you’re waiting for your bottles to dry you can work with cleansing your stone.  Give it a physical cleansing in cool, running water and then dry it.  Charge your stone with your intent; all stones have multiple energy properties so ask that the specific one(s) that you are looking to call into your elixir come forward and focus on sensing that energy or energies growing and becoming the dominate vibrations within the stone.  Place the stone on your altar and allow this to sit and charge until it is time to add it to your water.  You may also want to place the stone in direct sunlight or you can leave the stone with the water for the same 24 hours that it will be charging for.  Some people like to charge their stones for several days in sunlight, but use whatever stone charging and activation method you normally use or feel drawn to using.

Next, take your water and place it in a window sill, on your altar, or in another space that is near a window where it can catch direct sun and moonlight.  Do not worry if it is not a full moon, however working with the moon phases while creating your elixirs is another wonderful way to add extra energy to your potion.  The idea here is to charge the water with sun and moon energy for a full 24 hours.   The energy of the moon is always there, even when we can’t see it, so as long as you’re placing the bowl in line with an exposed window, you’re fine.

The next step, which happens once the water has charged, is to bring together your stone and water in a bottle for storage.  There are several ways to do this.  The first way is to simply take your stone, place it inside your bottle or jar, and then fill it with your charged water.  The other way utilizes a singing bowl.  If you have a singing bowl, first physically and psychically cleanse and charge it.  Place your stone inside the bottom of the bowl and fill the bowl with the water.  Be careful not to fill the bowl to the top because if it’s too full you’re going to spill the water and possible end up with quite a wet mess (I bet you can’t guess I’m speaking from experience).  Take a moment to center yourself and call up the energy that you’re looking to charge your elixir with and begin to play your bowl.  You’ll notice that the water will vibrate from the action of the bowl which not only adds the vibrational energy of the bowl itself but also activates the crystal energy on another level.  When you are ready allow the vibrations to settle on their own and then you can begin to add the water from the bowl into your jar or bottle.  At this stage you can either place the crystal in the bottle as well or, if you wish to keep the crystal out of the bottle, you can just pour in the water.  The work with the singing bowl and the vibrational activation will have merged the crystal’s energy with the water already.  Personally, I still like to keep the stone in the main storage bottle, even when I use this method.

Once the bottle is filled and sealed be sure to label your bottle.  Include the date, moon phase or astrological timing if you worked with that as a factor, the type of water used, the stone used, the method used (did you use the singing bowl or just place everything together in the bottle), and the specific purpose of this elixir.  This is important because you can create two or three elixirs using the same stone but with a different intention. Let the jar sit for 24 hours in sun and moonlight.  Over this next day you want to keep an eye on the bottle to make sure that there is no scum or algae forming either in the water itself or on the glass of the jar.  If it does you’ll need to toss the water out, sterilize the bottle, wash the stone, and try again.  This will happen if you missed one of these steps or didn’t properly or completely cleanse something in the initial process.

Store your bottles in a cool place our of direct sunlight.  It might sound a little silly, but if you have made multiple elixirs for different purposes be sure to store the bottles so they are not touching.  It is possible for the energies from the bottles converge in this situation and it could confuse your work.   But, on the reverse, if you have something like a bottle of body lotion or shampoo that you’d like to infuse with the energy of a specific elixir, you can place the bottles together, touching, and the energy from the stone in the elixir will mingle with the other item(s).  This is a great way to add some of the benefits of the elixir energy to something that shouldn’t necessarily have water added to it.

If you are going to take your elixir internally, take 3-6 drops 3-4 times a day, either under the  tongue or add to a glass of drinking water.  There is usually no real restriction to how long you can make use of these elixirs, so use them when and for as long as you feel you need to.  Be sure to periodically check your bottles for any contamination as well!

Toxic Stones
Here is a list of some stones that people may think of using for making elixirs because they may use them often in other healing or crystal work, however, these are all toxic.  This is by no means a complete list!  Please be sure to go online, call a gem shop, or purchase a comprehensive gemstone guide to reference if you are in any way unsure as to the toxicity of a stone. I am including the known inclusion that makes the stone toxic for internal use as well as a few safe substitutes as well and will add a few book recommendations at the end.

Amazonite – (copper), substitute with Aventurine
Amber – (toxic dust, fumes, raw amber will disintegrate in water)
Angelite – (lead sulfate)
Cobalt-Calcite/Pink Calcite – (cobalt)
Coral – (while organic, bacteria and toxins develop and form within it which can be dangerous when ingestied), substitute with Carnelian or Red Jasper
Emerald – (aluminum), substitute with Aquamarine or Peridot
Garnet – (aluminum)
Labradorite – (aluminum)
Lapis Lazuli – (can contain copper)
Malachite – (copper)
Moldavite – (aluminum)
Moonstone – (some contain aluminum, but other toxins can also be present depending on the type of moonstone)
Mother of Pearl and Pearl – (organic but toxins in the water when it is formed will be present)
Ruby – (aluminum)
Sodalite – (aluminum), substitute with Carnelian
Tiger’s Eye – (can contain asbestos and dyes)
Topaz – (aluminum), substitute with Citrine
Tourmaline – (aluminum)
Turquoise – (copper)

A few book recommendations:
Love is in the Earth: A Kaliedescope of Crystals by Melody Over 700 pages and one of the most popular and recommended reference guides for stones and crystals and their use in healing and metaphysics.  A must have for anyone looking to work with stones in this way.

The Essential Crystal Handbook by Simon and Sue Lilly – This is a great, small book that you can toss in your bag and take with you when you go shopping for your crystals.  Lots of tips for working with stones for healing, some great meditation tips, and excellent information on over 100 different stones.  One great thing about this book is you will also get the chemical composition for each which can help you quickly identify those that could possibly contain toxic elements.

Cunningham’s Encyclipedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic by Scott  Cunningham – A wonderful quick reference for some of the more commonly used stones, with information on substitutions, picking stones by specific intents, and information on magickal and healing uses.

This week we’re going to take a look at a unique stone that isn’t even really a stone and who has some special properties while being steeped in mystery and legend.

First let’s start with where moldavite came from.  The origins of the stone are somewhat debated because of the uncertainty some stone and crystal experts have with the claim that it was created by a meteorite.  Regardless, the common held belief of it’s origin is that a meteorite headed toward earth 15 million years ago collided with surrounding rock at the surface and the crystals were then formed.  The step by step of how it occurs has been broken down by scientists to be in the following manner:

1. A meteorite around 500 to 1000 meters in diameter reaches Earth at a high rate of speed and once making its way through the stratosphere, the front of the meteorite reaches a temperature of around 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Right before the meteorite falls the temperature of the Earth’s rock surface gets so hot it becomes molten and the sheer pressure displaces the rock mass into the atmosphere in the form of magma (molten rock which is equivalent to volcano lava).
3. Once the meteorite falls on to the surface of the Earth an explosion occurs as a result of kinetic energy being discharged.  It’s at this time that the meteorite itself evaporates because of the large amount of heat released upon impact.
4. The end result is a crater in the Earth’s surface that has layers of both the Earth’s crust and layers of subsoil being shifted.

It is thought that moldavite was created from the re-melted rock around the fall site of the meteorite and often the sites where it is found tends to be in a rounded or disc shape which could also lend to the idea that this is where a meteorite actually hit.  Other area where the moldavite have been found that don’t fit this description are thought to be a result of magma flying through the air or rock displaced during impact.

The stone was named after the town of Moldauthein, Bohemia where it is mainly found.  Today the stones are harvested from the Moldau River Valley in the Czech Republic and, since the stones aren’t naturally occurring in the Earth, they will eventually become extinct.

The makeup of moldavite is one of the things that makes it so unique.  It is a form of tektite, a natural form of glass, which is also believed to be created from the impact of meteorites and the combination of that with rock and soil.  Tektite, however, is found on other parts of the world, such as the Middle East, Polynesia and the Philippines.    This is one of the reasons for the uniqueness of the moldavite; it is a cousin, so to speak, of tektite as it’s makeup is very similar but is found in a very different part of the world.

Both moldavite and tektite are made of a composite of SiO2 (for you non-chemical geeks that would be silicon dioxide).  The thing that causes moldavite to be different is the inclusion of and varied levels of K2O (potassium oxide) and CaO (calcium oxide).  Moldavite  can vary from a very light, almost sea green, to an olive, to a deep green/brown.

So that’s all your technical information on moldavite that we really need to know about.  Now you know how it’s made, what makes it’s color so unique and that it is quite rare and will grow more rare in time.  It’s not a stone that is often found tumbled but is more commonly sold as raw pieces like the one shown above.  In it’s most common forms you’ll find pieces to be no larger than 3-5″ on the large side and with a rippled or pitted surface.  However faceted pieces that have been prepared for jewelry use are available in all forms of baubles, however they can be quite expensive depending on the side of the actual moldavite.

So what can we use moldavite for within the bounds of crystal work?

Moldavite is a stone that is believed to have extraterrestrial properties.  All that means is that the stone carries energies that are beyond (“extra”) the energies of the planet Earth (“terrestrial”).  The phrase is derived from the Latin words “extra” for outside and “terrestris” meaning “of or relating to the Earth”.  Because of this the moldavite stone is often looked to as a stone for meditation and connecting to heavenly bodies, for reaching the realms beyond the Earthly plane.  It is used as a stone for raising the higher self to other spiritual levels of consciousness and because of this is a common stone for healing the higher self.  It is also used by some people for past life regression or mediation work and for the healing that can take place there.  In meditations where either communicating with the higher self or past life work is desired a piece of moldavite can be placed on the third eye.  Moldavite is a stone that is said to be able to reach beyond time and space, so unlike some stones used just for healing the past, moldavite can also address healing for the future as well and some people have been known to experience “flash forwards” while using it for spiritual healing.

Moldavite isn’t a stone really known for having any one specific healing property or having dominance over one healing aspect.  Instead it’s a stone that is often used to amplify to work of other stones.  It’s a trigger stone as well and when placed in an area on the body in a crystal layout with other stones can help to open up and release blockages that might be extremely difficult to open up otherwise.  Because of the high vibration that moldavite carries it can be used on any chakra, or placed at the crown chakra, to help open up, balance and cleanse them.

The deep green color of most moldavite is related to the heart chakra and, in turn, emotional aspects and issues.  Many people who find themselves somewhat anxious around moldavite may have deep emotional issues they are either fearful of addressing, in denial of, or refusing to release.  If you’re working with someone and you suspect that this could be an issue in the healing work you are doing with them, introducing moldavite into your work could help be an indicator.

Because of all the great things that moldavite can do, both in healing and as a booster in magickal work because of it’s ability to bring together cosmic and earthly forces and energy, it is highly advised that anyone doing crystal healing or making crystals part of their regular magickal process acquire and include a piece of moldavite, no matter what size, into their practice and crystal collection.