Rocks, Stones, Gemstones--Metaphysical Purposes

[Bootboi]

I'm a rock lover as well. Great thread.

I have some rose quartz and Amethyst that was given to me by a healer in Sedona, AZ

I also picked up some Red Stones from the Bell Rock Vortex area in Sedona as well. It is legended for its healing powers as well.

The Sedona area in general is a fantastic metaphysical and geological area. A place where I need to revisit now that I am in a better place in my life.

I'm usually not one to believe in hocus pocus stuff but without question the Sedona area has a very strong metaphysical presence. You would have to be dead not to feel it while visting.

[girl_dee]

I am a lover of all things rocks, gems and stones!

I have had an extensive rock collection including rocks from Guatemala to Alcatraz... some from Australia and Hawaii.. all given to me my caring people and some I gathered myself. I do feel rocks carry energy and I love how they feel. I have used them in massage with clients..

I use Quartz crystal to clear bad energy out and let the good in.. Seems to work too!

I have a rose quartz that is my favorite ..

I do love this thread!

[Arwen]

Originally Posted by Bit

He's got big stones in the doorways to ward and guard our place, and we both carry small stones in our pockets. Maybe he'll come in and post more about our stone people.

I'd love to hear more about them. Oh Gryyyyyyyyyyph, where are you, darlin?

Originally Posted by SuperFemme

I
My mother has me wearing bloodstone all the time. I wear aquamarine and riverstone as well. These are the things she gives me to combat the leukemia and blood clots. She communicates with her guides to ensure I have the right thing and then hand makes the necklaces. I wash them in sea salt and warm water twice a week, and dry them in the sun.

I would very much agree and I would suggest you get some brown jasper as well. It's a good healing, stable stone.

Originally Posted by SuperFemme

I am awaiting her to send some kind of red stones for my son whom she says is a Ruby Child. What is a Ruby Child?

Do you think color is important in ones environment as well? Mom wants lots of reds in the boys room and is sewing curtains, pillows and some other stuff for his room. This is all new to me and I'd love to hear others thoughts.

I agree with your mama about the color being important. I know next to nothing about Ruby people. I think maybe they are the children of Indigos? bit? Do you know?

Adele, I'll do some research on other healing for you. My first thought is that you also need garnet. Check with your Mama though. She sounds like my kind of gal!

Originally Posted by Organicbutch

Totally must have been the power of suggestion because I had some really messed up dreams. I love that story though I will get some Amethyst and I need more Hematite. Some to break open just to see the inside and some to have for myself.

We can go back to the rock shop...if I can find it. I don't remember the name of it, do you?

Originally Posted by Semantics

I make gourd art and often decorate the bowls with different stones, depending on who I'm giving the gift to. I also collect stones for myself for metaphysical purposes. I learned about gemstones from my mother.

A few of my favorites are fire opal, jasper, hematite, and amber. I also love silver and copper.

I adore fire opal but it LEAPS out of my hand usually. People laugh but it does. Amber...do not come around me if you have on amber jewelry.

I will totally mug you for it!

Originally Posted by Bootboi

I have some rose quartz and Amethyst that was given to me by a healer in Sedona, AZ

I also picked up some Red Stones from the Bell Rock Vortex area in Sedona as well. It is legended for its healing powers as well.

I truly love Sedona. Have been once. Want to go back some day. Marvelous place.

Originally Posted by Sassy_dee

I have had an extensive rock collection including rocks from Guatemala to Alcatraz... some from Australia and Hawaii.. all given to me my caring people and some I gathered myself. I do feel rocks carry energy and I love how they feel. I have used them in massage with clients..

I use Quartz crystal to clear bad energy out and let the good in.. Seems to work too!

I really like that you have rocks from all over the world. Just no lava from Hawaii, right?

My mother used to despair of me. I always had rocks in my pockets as a kid...then I started it again when I was an adult. ha!

[Arwen]

I am in the middle of a move...well at the tail end of the actual move and the beginning of the unpack/purge.

I just found a rock I thought I'd lost. I'm so happy! It's a Petoskey stone. For those who are unfamiliar with this rock, it is named for Petoskey Michigan. It is fossilized brain coral.

I used to have it on my desk wherever I worked as a reminder.

I would pick it up when everything was going beserk around me and remind myself that to this rock--this ancient thing that was once a living organism (and still, to me, sentient)--all of the madness was but the blink of an eye.

I called it my perspective stone.

[Arwen]

Did you know that a good stone for easing a headache is chrysophase? I once had a large piece that I thought looked like a frozen piece of the sea. I had it on my desk at work. One day a woman walked in and said, "That looks just like a frozen piece of the sea."



I did what any good stone witch would do. I gave it to her. She promised to pass it along to the next person who also got the magic of that particular rock.

Often I've just been a pass-through for stones.

What about you? Ever find the perfect rock only to realize you were supposed to give it to someone else?

[Lynn]

At different times in my life, I've been more attuned to different modalities, including the healing properties of stones. It's just fascinating.

I don't feel much affinity for my birthstone, which is peridot. I do have some pieces, but it's purely an aesthetic connection. I have wondered if there is really anything to the "Hallmark" birthstone lists.

On my fireplace mantle (the whole fireplace is natural slate), I have a display of an amethyst cluster, a rutilated quartz crystal point, a bluebird feather, and a beautiful piece of petrified wood. That last one, the wood, was an estate sale find that made me so happy.

I carry a small piece of rose quartz. For some reason, although I have some hematite, I find it to be overwhelming. I've read some mixed things about hematite, as well as jet. I love things like old jet buttons, but they seem to hold some negativity for me.

My favorite piece of all is a slice of watermelon tourmaline. Tourmalines, in general, are so fascinating. Their ability to conduct energy is amazing. Learning about tourmalines is what elevated the idea of using stones for healing from "alternative" to an approach that made some practical sense.

[Ryobi]

Cool thread Arwen. I have a few questions for you. I'll start off easy.

What is a good way for me to wash the rocks I have. (I was going to say my rocks but, ya know where that would have gone!) I hear different things. What each thing has in common is, it was told to me by someone with not much of a clue. Do they even need to be washed? I will admit, they have kind of a funky "feel" to them lately.

My grandpa polished rocks when I was a kid. I have lost the one he gave me, still has a sad note to it for me. When I was a kid and learned that rocks have "powers", when I saw them polished, I always thought, "entombment of powers". That leads me to another question. When rocks are polished, are their powers altered in anyway? Are they more powerful in their natural state?

Thank you.

(now I want to go lick rocks!) (zip it, you pervs!)

[Gryph]

Yep, Arwen. I passed on a beautiful piece of Green Jasper that I found to a gal that I knew through some of the sweats I was in, in MN. I found the stone on Harriet Island at a Women of Nations gathering.

[Arwen]

Since Ryan asked about cleaning stones, I thought I'd post my short article on this.

CHARGING AND CLEANSING STONES

Some you can clean in salt water and some will DISSOLVE in water! Not even salt water, just water! Selenite is one and Halite is another that do not like water. There are plenty of other cleansing methods though. The following four are *not* ones I have made up all by myself. They are ways that I have tried myself though.

Methods of Cleansing a Crystal
1. Sunlight: Place the tired or full crystal in a place where it can receive a full dose of sun for a few hours. If it still "feels" bad, then leave it there for a full three days thus allowing it to soak in the lunar and solar energies.


2. Moonlight: Place the crystal where it can receive the light of the full
moon for a night.


3. Smudging: Pass the crystal through the smoke of burning herbs. Some
popular herb combinations are A) sage, sweetgrass and cedar; B) frankincense and myrrh; C) sage alone. Again, go with your intuition.


4. Earth: Bury the crystal in the earth. Sometimes, when the crystal is
through with you, burying it in the earth is a way of releasing it.(NOTE: Mark where you buried it or you will be like me and that winter squirrel digging up holes everywhere trying to find that last darn rock!)



Methods of Charging a Crystal


Once your crystal is clean, then you may want to charge it for a specific purpose. You can also just allow the crystal to be and enjoy it as it is. It is up to you.


1. Holding the crystal in your power hand, ground and center yourself. Once you are settled, begin to pull energy up from the earth. Feel it pour into your body. Consciously channel this energy into your stone while thinking of your purpose. It is important to remain focused on your intent. For instance, if working a justice spell, you don't want to think about cleaning the cat's teeth. *smile*


2. Smudging the crystal while focusing on the smoke imbuing the crystal with energy for your work.
You can see that the whole point here is focusing yourself. Do remember that a crystal is no more than a tool just like your athame, bolline, wand, robe, etc. You do not need props to work magic. Personally I prefer props because I am a bit lazy at times and it helps me get into that right frame of mind.

[Gryph]

Yes, Arwen dear...Tell me what you would like to know about the stones that are nearest and dearest to my hand(pendulum) and heart(Smoky quartz crystal skull) ;P Besides the large piece of Red Jasper that I picked up from one of the rivers in MN. In fact all my stones made it down here with me on that and other moves.

[Arwen]

Lynn, here is a helpful chart of birthstones from different schools of thought.

http://www.jewelrymall.com/birthstones.html

I keep a piece of peridot in my wallet. It's said that it will keep money close to you. I also carry rose quartz on me to give to people.

Careful with the jet. It is an absorber of negativity. You can get other people's unhappiness. I don't let folks handle my jet for that reason. They don't need my grief!

Ryan! I do wash most of my rocks--just not the halite. I don't think that a polished stone has an edge (hee) over a natural stone. I use them alike! So sad about that stone from your grandfather, but I guess someone else needed it more! P.S. I hear Gemme keeps rocks in her bra in case you still want to lick rocks.

Gryph, darlin', welcome! Come in and share whatever you feel moved to share. I am all ears.