Because of course I did.
I’m not new to crystals, but admittedly most of the ones I own are pocket-sized. I grew up with a mountaineer for a mom, so I learned from a young age to appreciate the beauty of rocks, plus we had lots of cool geodes in the house when I was a kid.
As I matured into my full hippie granola-ness, I got curious about the potential healing powers of these natural beauties. While I believe deeply in scientific insights, I don’t think all of life’s mysteries can be answered by science. I like that there’s a sense of magic to life. That said, crystals aren’t exactly magic. They’re mineral compounds that are millions (if not billions) of years old. But it is kind of magical that the earth produces these wondrous gems. And maybe I touch/feel a piece of that magic when I connect with a crystal.
And connection is the only way I can describe how I felt about this big orange hunk of what turned out to be Honey Calcite when I saw it in a store next door to the place Kevin was getting a sandwich.
I don’t usually plunk down big bucks to buy rocks, and I’ve gotten my impulse-shopping tendency under way better control since I traded my full-time income for a freelance one. So I made Kevin come see if I was being a total nutball for wanting to spend $50 on a three-pound orange stone.
“Go for it,” he said, as though it was the most normal thing in the world.
And I’m so, so, so glad I did. I love this rock. It’s beautiful and smooth and lots of sunny colors. It’s like something to eat, a juicy mandarin. I smelled it but it doesn’t smell like anything. It’s ancient and has been through so much more than I have. It’s sitting on my desk next to where I’m writing.
Crystals can also be used to balance chakras, the invisible energy vortices, according to Ayurvedic tradition, that run from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.
My beautiful amber stone helps the second and third chakras, where I most need healing.
The second chakra, just below the belly button, is the seed of our self and our sexual and creative center.
The third chakra, at the solar plexus, is a source of personal power.
I need those these guys operating at their happiest so I can realize the confidence and drive I need to write the stories I’ve been dreaming about.
This morning I held my new crystal to my low belly and wished for connection.
Today is Tuesday, and I like to post a Tiny Tip every Tuesday, so maybe today’s tip can be: Find a little piece of nature you connect with and bring it into your space, whether physically or through a photograph. When we connect to nature, we connect to the vast majesty of life. That’s bound to be healing, whether you believe in crystals or not.