Like many people, I was brought up to 'live in my head', to cram my head full of 'knowledge' at school and to read lots of books.   I received no training at all in how to become aware of the signals from the world around me and my own inner self.   Today,  life is even more filled with 'head stuff'.   We go from mobile phone to laptop to TV programme all day long, without ever taking the time to be still and to listen within.  For many people 'life' consists of literally living in an exclusive fantasy world inside the high tower of our own head.   Hello! There is a body down here!

When I first began working with crystals many years ago, I only knew how to use my 'head' to try and grasp the mysteries of the mineral kingdom.   To get to know a crystal I would hold it in my hand, and attempt to 'think' my way to its properties, never realising that actually the opposite needed to occur; I needed to be still and quiet my mind and only then could I begin to 'know' it.   Instead I would rely heavily on analysing any thoughts that came to me whilst taking very little notice of the sensations or feelings of my body.  Sometimes, I would look up the 'meaning' of a crystal in a book as a shortcut to understanding what it was about, not knowing that this was unhelpful, and only exacerbating my lack of awareness instead of discovering my own truth.

It was only after I began to train with crystals that I realised I'd missed the point entirely.   It was what I was 'feeling' that was important, not my 'thinking'.   I remember quite early on in my training, after a healing from a colleague, I left to catch the train, and was aware of the most amazing feeling of bliss.   It's very hard to put in to words; like a feeling that there was something so magical and amazing, waiting only just ahead of me to explore.   The feeling only lasted for a short while as another student began to start chatting, and though I wanted to stay in the feeling, I had no choice but to interact with my peer.   After a few moments the feeling left me, but I could remember it.  I then began to realise that I'd been approaching everything the wrong way round and began to focus on what I was feeling rather than thinking when I worked with crystals.

I discovered there were certain crystals that for me had an easier 'feeling' to spot.   One of these was Rose Quartz.   I would quieten my mind, hold it, and become aware of a wonderful feeling of of unconditional love and nurturance and of my heart opening.   For me, this was its 'signature'.   Another crystal with a strong 'signature' was Amethyst.  With this crystal I sensed a purity and stillness in the air, a great feeling of 'sacredness'.   I was being lifted to a higher vibration where I felt I could also also access higher guidance.   If having trouble sensing a new crystal I would use Rose Quartz or Amethyst as a starting point; a way in.  Once I felt the signature of one of these, I would pick up the new crystal instead, and the feeling would shift and I would get an 'a-ha' moment as I discovered the new crystal's signature.   Some crystals have a more subtle signature than those of the quartz family, and it can be easier to miss their vibration.

Shifting from merely thinking about crystals in my head to feeling them was like bursting from an old black and white movie into 'virtual reality'.   They became very real to me and I now knew why crystals were such powerful tools for healing; they helped the body to remember an energetic 'feeling'.   For example, if someone is depressed, this can weaken their immune system.  They may even then develop physical symptoms because of this.  In a crystal healing we would never focus on these 'physical symptoms' but instead tune into their energy field to find out what is going on and may find it feels 'depleted' or 'flat'.   The person would most likely need an uplifting feeling/vibration and, if appropriate we may use Citrine within a healing technique.   Citrine has a signature that is joyful, warming and energising.   Their body would then remember this vibration and this could help them become happier and more optimistic in life.   This could in turn benefit their immune system which could help ease any physical symptoms.   Please note, a seriously trained crystal healer would never focus on any physical symptoms, but only on what is happening within a client's energy field.   By doing this, we deal with what is behind why a physical symptom had to manifest in the first place.

Once we step down from the remote tower of our heads and discover the real world is one of energy and feelings the implications are vast for our greatest health and happiness.   It could be said the only thing we should ever rely on in our lives are our feelings.   What we see and what we hear can fool us.  But if we have a feeling we should trust it as it can save us from taking some wrong turnings in life and also help guide us down the right path. 

Luckily, we have crystals to help us heal and reconnect with higher vibrations to keep us on the right path; an artists palette of all the different feelings with which to heal the soul.   Which one do you need today?

One of the most common queries that comes up when AIR has a stand at holistic fairs is regarding Schorl, also known as Black Tourmaline (many people when they say 'Tourmaline' are referring to this crystal, but actually the Tourmaline family is huge, with crystals of every colour, such as Rubelite (pink Tourmaline) and Indicolite (blue Tourmaline).   

Often someone will pick a piece up of this beautiful but heavy looking black crystal to buy, at which point I always check with them what it is for.   Most times the answer is that it is for 'protection'.   When I ask why do they think this, it is usually because they have read about it in a book.

This is a misconception.   Schorl has a very dense, heavy and grounding energy.   Like most black crystals it can absorb 'negative' and static energies.   This 'protection' it gives however, is from such things as mobile phones, Wi-Fi, computers and geopathic stress, with which it deals very happily.   If placed near to these with the intent to minimise their emanations, then it will absorb their 'negativity', thus 'protecting' us from them.   If someone actually wears or carries around Schorl,  rather than protecting their energy field, as it is absorbent, it could instead draw negativity in.

Because it is such a dense and intense energy, it is only used within healing as a very heavy duty grounder, placed beneath the feet of someone who can take its energy (and this is rare).   For the majority of people the energy is too potent, and they would be better served by a different, and less intense earthing crystal.

I had a good lesson in just how potent Schorl is whilst teaching a class about its properties a number of years ago.   I had placed a large amount of Schorl in the centre of the room so that we could sense its energies collectively.   As I began to teach about the crystal I found my mind kept going blank, I couldn't seem to access my own 'higher' knowledge, and I was even having trouble putting my sentences together in a coherent fashion.  It took me a few minutes to realise that of course, I had put too much Schorl down in the room.   Students remarked it was as if the class was now being conducted from several feet within the earth.  It was certainly one way to illustrate its energies!

The crystals which do actually protect and strengthen the energy field are all those with a higher vibration, such as Amethyst, Turquoise, and Lapis Lazuli, which are also therefore safe to use over the whole energy field and chakras.   Schorl, in contrast has a very low vibration and is much too dense to place either around the energy field or upon the chakras (with the possible exception of briefly being linked up to the base chakra).   If you think of it in terms of the vibrations of colour (the colour of a crystal is part of the reason why it has certain energetic properties, though there are other reasons) it makes sense.   The colours violet and purple, deep royal blue and turquoise all vibrate at a fast frequency. Black however vibrates at a very low frequency and what is perceived by the eye as a black object is actually black because it is absorbing all light.   Negativity around us also vibrates at lower vibrations, whereas it cannot exist at higher frequencies. However, do please bear in mind that if we have a lesson to learn about something in life, then what we perceive as 'negativity' could still get through, as it is important in some way for our growth.

What I would suggest is, rather than take my word for it, is, if you are already used to wearing or using Schorl about you to protect you then do an experiment. First, just be aware of how you feel and act when you are wearing it, then for three or four days take it off and instead carry some Amethyst or a piece of Turquoise or Lapis with you, with the intent that this protects your energy field.   Then afterwards compare your experience of how 'protected' you felt carrying each crystal.   I would be very surprised if you did not notice a difference in your moods and general outlook going from using black Tourmaline to one of these other crystals!

Please come back for regular posts on crystals, energy work, subtle energy medicine and all aspects of healing and development.  Posts are usually on a Wednesday.  ​