Holiday Magic for the Home, Part One – Crystals and Candles

Candlelight adds a sense of magic to every occasion and

none more so than the December holidays.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Winter Solstice, Hanukah or, Yule you are also honoring life-giving light as part of your celebration and ability of mankind to hold on to hope in times of darkness.  During holiday season, we combine good food and drink with friends and family.  We strive to provide a warm and inviting atmosphere where new memories are made and old ones are shared. 

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Peach Selenite - Selenite radiates high
vibrational 'white light' energy. It clears
spaces and gives a sense of deep, inner peace

Using crystals with your candle displays gives a marvelous two level effect.  Crystals don’t merely reflect candlelight and add to the room’s ambience. They also give off vibrations that can ease stress, social anxiety, sadness and help with some of the less pleasant baggage that can appear when families come together. 

Cleansing sprays, smudges and incense (See blog: "Tis the Season To Be Smudging" ) are all well and good pre-party measures for eliminating negativity, but face it, guests get suspicious when you start wafting them with cedar and sage during cocktail hour.  Combining candlelight and crystals subtly keeps an up tempo vibration in any room.  Below are some suggestions to enhance the energy during your holiday gatherings this year.

Danubrite gets a big my big 10-4.  This crystal carries a high degree of spiritual energy.  It assists in emotional healing, halts stubbornness, brings a deep sense of peace and also helps you link to angelic realms during meditation.  Pink Danburite teaches us self-love.  You can pick up Danubrite crystals online anywhere from $1.00 to $25.00, depending on size and clarity. 

Kunzite, the lovely, blush-pink variety, not only enhances intuition and inspiration, but also the concept of unconditional love.  This stone awakens our desire to be of service to others and our sense of humility as well.  Kunzite also offers a key component of holiday magic.  It re-awakens childlike wonder, trust and innocence – something we can all use.  While the cost of gem quality kunzite has increased in recent years, you can still acquire small pieces of rough stone for between $8.00 to $40.00.

Sunstone offers us insights into self-worth and co-

Above: Your basic quartz cluster for spiritual energy
and to the left, ametrine, a mixture
of citrine and amethyst

dependency.  It has been used by energy healers to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder and depression.  The best thing about Sunstone though, is the over-all feeling of delight, or “joie de vivre” that it radiates through a room.  Opaque stones run $4.00 to $10.00, while clear, gem quality stone run considerable more. 

Gold Sheen Obsidian is a lovely balancing stone that emanates compassion for past present and future events.  Scrooge could really have used this one.  It eliminates feelings of conflict and curbs passive aggressive behaviors.  Most pieces offered for sale are smooth finished – either spherical of cabochon cut for jewelry.  Prices run from $2.00 per bead to $45.00 for finished, gem quality jewelry.  

There are many more crystals that can be used for enhancing the holidays: Orange calcite, for are emotional balance and energizing, citrine for prosperity, amethyst for Divine connection, reducing stress and preventing over-indulgence, tiger’s eye for wealth and the ability to distinguish between wants and needs. Also, don’t forget good, old quartz for awakening spirituality.  (See blog: "Crystals Every Person Needs 2 - Claiming Yourself" )

Malachite, a stone of transformation that
balances negative and positive energy
(on of the few stones that its best to use
a polished piece

Let your creativity flow as you decorate with crystals this holiday season.  Keep a couple of things in mind, however.  You don’t have to use large crystals, nor do they have to be gemstone quality (for jewelry). Crystal rough works just fine and adds a wonderful, earthy sparkle.  Combine a variety of pebble-sized crystals around white votives or candle pillars. Be sure to include crystals with grounding energy in your mix like agates, cat’s eye chrysoberyls, bloodstone, or smoky quartz. High vibration stones can shake things up energetically, so it’s important to promote grounding energy and eliminate as much negativity as possible.  Try a candle and crystal centerpiece at your holiday table and let the good times flow.

The Holidays are never complete for me without "Christmas With Crystal," a video featuring one of my favorite comedians, Peter Zias.  If you're  fortunate you can catch him at The Groundlings in LA, or see his one-man show. Enjoy!

LADY ORACLE

Ametrine - The Jewel in the Crown

My love affair with Ametrine began years ago when I worked for a jewelry designer.  I’d never seen anything like this amazing marriage between the rich, purple of Amethyst with the sunny, brilliance of Citrine.  “Hello, my lovely.”  This crystal and I go together like ham and eggs, although I'm a Scorpio and Ametrine is attuned to the astrological sign of Libra.  Ametrine balances energy and Libra is nothing, if not about balance.

Ametrine’s balancing act works on all frequencies of universal energy, making this stone a ‘must have’ for your crystal arsenal.  It is an excellent example of synergy because the sum of the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts. This blend of Amethyst and Citrine carries, not only properties from both of these members of the Quartz family, but also unique characteristics all its own.   Ametrine enhances cosmic consciousness, stimulating the crown chakra and making higher states more accessible during meditation.

If you suffer from energetic and emotional blockages, Ametrine will clear them out of the way faster than Liquid Plumber and you’ll find your negative programming easier to eliminate as well.  It disperses negativity and guards against attacks from energy vampires - no garlic required.  This crystal promotes optimism, cleans and aligns the your auric field and through the attributes of Citrine, helps you create prosperity and abundance in your life.  What more could you ask for?  

Maybe one more thing.  Ametrine is one of the few crystals that never needs clearing.  They can’t hold negativity.  They make an excellent protection stone and because of their high vibration, they are relatively easy to program.  I programed a large Ametrine crystal to protect its holder through love. I gave the crystal to my daughter to take with her on her ghost hunting adventures and it worked phenomenally well.

Whatever the need, whatever the occasion, Ametrine crystals have something for everyone.  Try using it in your crystal work and I’m certain you’ll be very impressed with this versatile stone.  

LADY ORACLE

Balancing Act Part 2 - Chakra Cleansing and Alignment

My gi-normous crystal ball and accompanying
pink quartz that asked to be rescued

Sometimes we have an emotional meltdown that no amount of chocolate can remedy.  These 'dark nights of the soul' come out of nowhere and you feel so low you that could walk under the belly of a worm wearing a top hat.  Don't hide in your closet with a tray of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls.  Instead, head for your crystals and your favorite meditation, because you, my friend, probably have a chakra imbalance.

When you are attempting to balance chakra energy the first, most important thing you can do is to ground your body's energy.  It sounds like we're preparing for a lightening strike or something doesn't it?  Hopefully it's nothing that drastic, but we are attaching the body's natural, energetic pulse to the earth.  That's the first step necessary in restoring your body's energy flow.  And here's how you do it.

Sit quietly in a chair and close your eyes.  You can play soft music if you like, or you can enjoy the blissful silence around you.  Relax.  Let the tension ease from the top of your head, down through your neck and shoulders.  Feel the muscles in your arms relax.  Your hands rest limply at your sides.  Tension drops away from your chest.  Suddenly it's easier to breathe.  Relaxation slides over you - past your hips, thighs, down your calves and through the bottom of your feet.

Now imagine pulling a thread of white light to you somewhere

Slipping into The Silence through
meditation or crystal gazing connects
you to your higher self. Your vibration lifts and
the ideas flow in.  From "OSHO Zen Tarot"©

from out in the universe.  As the light comes to you, pull it through the top of your head, into your Crown Chakra.  Keep pulling the light down through your body, along the spinal column and out through your tailbone.  Imagine taking that light and sinking in deep into the earth.  In your mind, push the light deeper and deeper until you reach the earth's very core.  Tie your cord of light to an anchor.  Breathe in and out slowly as the light continues to flow through you.  Remain seated with your eyes closed for ten to fifteen minutes, then cut the cord from the anchor and pull it back up through your body, sending the light back into the universe with love and gratitude.  Open your eyes and go about your day.

You've just completed a very basic grounding meditation courtesy of my teacher and mentor,  Linda Becker.   Linda says "Meditate ten minutes, twice a day for two weeks and it will change your life."  She's right.

Consciousness from "OSHO Zen Tarot"©
by Deva Padma

Often, a simple meditation like this one, is enough to balance your body's energy flow.  However, if you are suffering a deeper chakra imbalance, you may need to work on clearing and restoring the colors to each, individual chakra.  There are many guided meditations that can help you.  Look on line, or check for classes in your area.  For serious imbalances, I recommend seeking the services of a trained Reiki healer.  Deep disturbances in the chakras or the auric field are nothing for amateurs to play with.

Crystals are very beneficial for energy work.  Certain crystals hold specific properties for clearing and balancing chakras.  Smokey Quartz is a good, dependable grounding stone for all the chakras.  Amber is an excellent cleansing stone for them and Tourmaline and Garnet will help protect them. You can lay down and place the stones on the floor above your Crown Chakra, or place them directly on any of the chakra points on your body, front or back.  Don't pick and choose the chakras to work on, however.  If you're going to clear and ground one, clear and ground them all.

Below is a table of suggested crystals to use for balancing and restoring the chakras.


CHAKRA                                  CRYSTALS


Crown                                          Citrine, Moldavite, Quartz, Purple Jasper and Golden Beryl

Third Eye                                     Herkimer Diamond, Sodalite, Garnet, Moldavite, Lapis Lazuli

Throat                                          Turquoise, Amber,  Amethyst, Kunzite, Blue Tourmaline

Heart                                            Rose Quartz, Green Quartz, Adventurine, Kunzite, Morganite

Solar Plexus                                 Malachite, Jasper, Tiger's Eye, Golden Beryl, Citrine

Sacral                                          Orange Carnelian, Topaz, Citrine, Red Jasper, Orange Calcite

Root                                             Bloodstone, Obsidian, Golden Yellow Topaz, Black Tourmaline


Recommended reads:

"Love Is In The Earth"  by Melody
"Living With Soul - The Great Spiritual Revolution" by Linda Jane Becker
"The Crystal Bible"  by Judy Hall


LADY ORACLE

Crystal Balls - There's Magic In Threes

Triumvirate: "A group of three powerful or notable people or things existing in relation to each other. "

Note the large Pink Quartz lending tremendous
heart vibration – perfect way to read over distance!

You see them for sale in tourist shops, import boutiques, on eBay and Amazon.  Crystal balls come in a variety of sizes and can be made from just about any mineral.  Quartz, Tiger's Eye, Malachite, Selenite, Beryl and Obsidian are very popular.   On the surface they're colorful conversation starters, but more deeply, they are the tools of energy workers.  You can do healing work, meditate, channel or scry (crystal gazing) with them.

 I have two spheres made from clear Quartz and one sphere made of Austrian lead crystal.  Mine sit in the middle of my kitchen table unless I move them on the rare occasions when I practice the ancient, and somewhat forgotten custom of serving dinner.  I call the spheres, my triumvirate.  I didn't intend to create one.  It just sort of happened by following my instincts as I connected to the vibration of the crystal balls.

The light is wonderful in my dining room.  While sunlight glazes my backyard, it can't shine directly on the spheres inside.  Crystal balls are lens, after all, and perfectly capable of igniting a fire if left in direct sunlight for an extended period of time.  My spheres range in size from large, to medium, to small.  I keep them in a triangular configuration with an enormous pink Quartz in the center.  I have two pieces of Black Tourmaline flanking the Pink Quartz, helping to dispel and transmute negative energy.  I also scatter Ametrine around them just for fun. That's a lot of healing

My card reading setup – complete with Corrine Kenner and
John J Blumen's Wizard's Tarot©

love and psychic energy on that table. (See blogs: "Crystals Every person Needs I and II" for crystal properties)  I like to think of it as a perfect storm of high vibration.  Simply sitting there with a cup of tea is an uplifting experience.

It takes time to introduce one sphere to another.  Imagine the complication of introducing three at once.  They compare their pasts, take each other's measure and seek, not only common ground, but also what they can learn from each other's differences.  Does this all sound like hocus-pocus?  Probably, unless you've worked with crystals before, or have ever sat in front of three active crystal balls who are exceedingly happy that you found them.  I actually performed a crystal ball rescue in the case of two of my spherical friends.  I bought them from a hoarders estate sale.  They felt grim and unstable for a couple of days.  I set them in my garden under a light Spring rain.  The contact with the earth and greenery helped to clear them out and they began to wake up.  I washed them with Dragon's Blood and mild soap, then rinsed them and tucked them under a cloth.  Within a week they began to resonate with me.

My triumvirate passes a vibration amongst themselves and when I sit with them, reading tarot cards, meditating, or taking tea, they include me in their song.  Sometimes I play my CD of Tibetan singing bowls.  The bowls start a conversation and the spheres answer.  Before I know it, I'm connected to the Universe on a whole other level.

If you've never worked with or even considered working with crystal balls I suggest you try it.  Start with one.  The sphere will tell you how it works best with you.  Some people scry with the crystal, some meditate, some heal.   Set up systems to keep your crystal ball clear.  Smudge them, and cover them with a cloth infused with clearing oils such as White Sage or Dragon's Blood.  Above all touch and talk to them so they know you.  There are some very good books on scrying, if you wish to try your hand at the time-honored art of crystal gazing.  It takes focus, patience, an open mind and a genuine connection between you and your sphere.  Checkout your local bookstore or online vendor for these books:
   
            "Crystal Balls and Crystal Bowls- Tools for Ancient Scrying and Modern Seership"
              by Ted Andrews

            "Crystal Ball Gazing: The Complete Guide to Choosing and Reading Your Crystal Ball"
              by Uma Silbey

            "Crystal Ball Reading for Beginners: Easy Divination and Interpretation"
             by Alexandra Chauran

Explore and enjoy the worlds around you.  You have nothing to lose and a whole new perspective to gain.


LADY ORACLE


visit me at www.ladyoracle.net