Crystal Heart Blog

The Oregon Sunstone is the September 2007 Stone of the Month

In 1987 then Governor, Neil Goldschmidt, and the Oregon Legislator voted to have the Sunstone as the official Oregon State Gem stone. Since then, the Oregon Sunstone has gained popularity among gem stone retailers for its unique qualities.

Sunstone is created by lava flows and is a member of the feldspar group of minerals. Although feldspar is common all over the world, it is rare that it is found in gem stone quality. Oregon is one of the few places in the world where gem stone quality feldspar is found in large enough pieces to cut into gem stones for jewelry.³

What makes the Oregon Sunstone unique is the “Schiller” effect that is caused by the microscopic copper platelets found in the stones. The “Schiller” effect makes the Oregon Sunstone appear to “glow” as if it was lit from within.

Oregon Sunstones imbued with the Schiller Effect exhibit unusual “glow” even when viewed from afar or by star light! ¹

The Schiller effect manifests in different colors including pink, red, bi-colored, and green which are only found in Oregon. Pink is the most common of the different colors followed by red. Both colors are rare, green and multi-colored stones are very rare, and the blue-green color is exceptionally rare. ²

The terms “sunstone” and “heliolite” (from Greek helios, meaning sun, and lithos, meaning “stone”) have been used for at least two centuries for feldspars exhibiting schiller. The Lake County Oregon occurrence was first reported in 1908, and the presence of the schiller effect was the original reason for naming the stones, sunstones.

For decades, however, the term “sunstone” has been used for these Oregon gem feldspars both with and without schiller. (February, 1987 Oregon Geology article by Ron Geitgey, DOGAMI)

Metaphysically, Sunstone is associated with the astrological signs of Libra & Leo. This stone clears and energizes the chakras brightening, cleansing, and purifying them. The stone also clears up energetic hooks absorbed from others. It will then return the other person’s energy with love and light. ⁴

Sunstone has been known to dissipate fear, alleviate stress, & increase vitality. It encourages independence and originality and provides luck in games. ⁴

The amazing Sunstone brings in the golden white healing energy of the sun. In Greece, the Sunstone represented the sun god, Helios, bringing life and abundance to those who wear or carry it. It strengthens you and provides protection from destructive forces from other realms. ⁴

Sunstone can clear a sore throat, reduce tension held in the stomach, and relieve ulcers. Aching feet and spinal problems along with cartilage problems incurred by athletes can be relieved with direct contact of a large specimen. ⁴

REFERENCES:

1. http://www.oregonsunstone.com/info.asp

2. http://www.oregonsunstone.net/

3. http://www.dustdevilmining.com/AboutSunstone.asp

4. book: “Love is in the Earth” by Melody

Celestite has a high vibration and is a teacher for the new age. It is imbued with divine energies. It takes one into the infinite peace of the spiritual and contacts the angelic realms. It jump starts spiritual development and urges one toward enlightenment.

It is a useful stone for stimulating clairvoyant communication, dream recall and journeys out of the body. This beautiful crystal promotes purity of the heart and attracts good fortune.

It heals the aura and reveals truth.

It is a stone that brings balance and alignment. The deep peace it holds assists in conflict resolution and in maintaining a harmonious atmosphere in times of stress.

Celestite can improve dysfunctional relationships by opening a space for peaceful negotiation. Celestite is a creative stone, especially useful for the arts.

Psychologically, Celestite imparts gentle strength and enormous inner peace despite urging toward greater openness to new experiences. It is a teacher of trust in the infinite wisdom of the divine.

With it calming effect, Celestite can cool fiery emotions.

Mentally, Celestite calms and sharpens the mind, dispersing worries and promoting mental clarity and fluent communications. It aids the analysis of complex ideas. This stone synthesizes intellect with instinct and promotes mental balance.

Placed on the third eye, Celestite opens a connection to the universal energies. It brings a vision of peaceful coexistence with the whole of creation and holds the possibility of total harmony.

Celestite is an excellent healing stone, dissolving pain and bringing in love. It treats disorders of the eyes and ears, eliminates toxins and brings cellular order. Its soothing influence relaxes muscle tension and calms mental torment.

As with all blue crystals, Celestite is an effective opener and healer of the throat chakra and its associated physical conditions.

Norman Baldwin, Pres. Crystal Heart Books

CrystalHeartBooks.com

Through shielding one from negative influences within the body, mind & spirit, pyrite promotes an increase in mental capacity, and the attainment of knowledge.

We carry Pyrite in a variety of sizes.

Norman Baldwin,

What is a Reiki Treatment?

Several times I have been asked this question and last night a friend suggested that it is time for me to answer the question. A treatment begins with you clothed, laying on a table or someplace comfortable, a chair can be used.

The practitioner places their hand on your body beginning with the head in traditional hand positions geared to put your body in alignment for healing.

Universal Life Energy is what is channeled and being an intelligent energy it combines with your higher self in creating just the right amount of energy to treat the things that are right for you in the moment.

The total effects of a treatment sometimes takes up to 24 hours to be assimilated by an individual.

The energy treats four different levels of the body, the body, the emotions, the mind, the spirit and helps bring these four levels into balance with each other.

Reiki treatments helps the body ease pain, sometimes eliminating the pain or in many cases easing it to a tolerable level. Sometime thing arise from the cellular memory to help the body to communicate the nature of what is creating the dis-ease in the body.

With an advanced Practitioner it is possible during a treatment to quiet the mind, making it possible to connect with what is happening in the body. This can assist a client in beginning a healing process.

Reiki is a non-intrusive system of energy exchange that is controlled by the receiver. Energy flows through the practitioner to the client, the treatment is received based on what the energy feels is needed. Any discomfort the client experiences is never more than can be tolerated as things go from chronic to acute to out of the body.

A Reiki treatment can be soft and soothing, irritating and uncomfortable, or sometimes feel like nothing is happening. All of these can go on during the same treatment.

Reiki is an adventure. Getting treatments can become a great adventure in getting to know oneself in ways that are normally not accessible in our daily lives.

Leap into a new adventure, get a Reiki treatment and join in the fun of self exploration.

Thank you

Donna L. Williams

Reiki Master and Member of The Reiki Alliance

Grand Opening

CRYSTAL HEART BOOKS

Welcomes the associates of

Crystal Heart Wellness Community

Beginning May, 2007

Featuring: Spiritual Counseling, Acupuncture, and Reiki Services

We will be having an

Open House May 5 & 6, 2007

12 - 4 each day

Introducing Wendy Williams, Michele Hawkins, and Donna Williams

These gifted professionals have come together to create a wonderful community of healing and transformation in the upper level above Crystal Heart Books.

Crystal Heart Wellness Community will be offering classes, workshops, private sessions, classroom rental for the community and wellness fairs featuring other practitioners in a variety of modalities from the local area.

If you or someone you know would like to participate in upcoming fairs (the 2^nd full weekend of every month) please contact us for additional information! We will keep you posted via crystalheartbooks.com

Open House includes: Free Lectures, Food & Beverages, Free Drawings and a free gift just for stopping by Sat. or Sun. and visiting our new Wellness Community Center. Open house May 5 - 6, from 12 - 4

Our First Wellness Fair with follow on May 12 -13, featuring many free lectures, readers, healer, counselors, therapist, aura photo, herbals, and more!! Follow update on our website and blog, with additional detailed information as the fair approaches.

Norman Baldwin,

President - Crystal Heart Books

CrystalHeartbooks.com

Having Crystal Heart open on Easter Sunday has been a long standing tradition. We receive regular customers, special customers traveling through or visiting family, individuals looking for readings and special spiritual guidance and direction. Some even come directly from church looking for just that one special inspiration or message.

This year following a personal reading with one of our customers, My client and I came out of my private reading room to find Scott playing one of our throat chakra singing bowls to a hummingbird who happened to fly into the store during the beautiful sunny Easter morning in which we had opened both our front and back doors to the store. We all three stood around in awe of this magical being, fluttering from place to place. Our new friend would gracefully land on one of our handmade dreamcatchers, wind chimes, lighting fixtures, Native American drums, and fairy figurines set around the different display areas of the store. The Hummingbird seemed very content to be in our space, as from time to time it would clean itself with its beak, running it through a wing or tail feathers.

According to the Medicine Cards “Hummingbird’s mission is to spread JOY” – “If Hummingbird has flown into your cards, get ready to laugh musically and enjoy Creator’s many gifts. Drop your judgmental attitude and relax. Hummingbird will no doubt give you a flash of the spirit, darting here, there, and everywhere. Get ready for a strange new burst of energy which may send your senses reeling. “ “Follow Sister Hummingbird and you will soon be filled with paroxysms of joy, and experience a renewal of the magic of living”.

One could not help but to see the Hummingbird as a Messenger from Spirit, on a day when so many may question our intent, being open on Easter Sunday. Some may want to pass judgment on us; religions may want us to feel guilt for not doing what they feel we should on this most sacred holiday. This single, beautiful Hummingbird was for us an affirmation that yet again this year we were at the right place at the right time on Easter Sunday. Perhaps this smallest of flying spirits could teach all of us around the world a thing or two about stepping out on judgment and feeling the Joy!

Hummingbird, Thank you for making our day, your presence in our lives on Easter is something we will never forget, always cherish and be able to share for years to come. Please feel free to visit any time, you are always welcome in our lives. Joy is a very good thing!

April’s Stone of the Month is the Shiva Lingam

Man has collected stones since the beginning of time, and assumed that certain ones were containers of the life force with all its mystery. The Shiva Lingam is such a stone. It has been highly venerated and used extensively throughout history for both worship and ritual.

The Shiva Lingam is one of the most sacred icons of the ancient as well as modern world. These Lingams come only from the Narmada River in the central western region of India.

Accessible only during the dry seasons, these stones are collected from the river bed by only a few families who have been trained in the way to identify only the most special pieces. The stones are hand polished and sometimes sealed with a mixture of waxes and oils, according to formulas handed down from generation to generation within each family.

Shiva Lingams are said to have a supreme ability to hold vibrational force and power. The density of the Shiva Lingam is close to emerald. The red markings you see on the stones are the meteorite material and are considered spiritually auspicious.

Traditionally, the stones are set in an upright position in a base called a Yoni. The Yoni is a symbol of the female principle, the source of the womb of all creation and movement.

We carry Shiva Lingams in a variety of sizes:

Pocket Stones: 1” – 1 ½” for pockets, pouches, & pendants

Holding Stones: 2” – 2.5” the perfect size for holding in the palm of your hand

Personal Care Stones: 3” – 3.5” good for massage, medicine wheels, laying on of stone healing, etc.

Meditation Stones, Room Stones, Habitat Stones: 4” or larger, and depending on the size of the area and other factors will help you in deciding the proper size Shiva Lingam for you.

Crystal Heart Books is pleased to carry a variety of smaller sizes and a few larger one, with 1 Extra Large one.

Currently, we have a large selection of Shiva Lingams in all the smaller sizes and a host of individual ones like those featured in the photo in our Website. The smallest in this photo is 3” to the largest at 19” upright.

Norman Baldwin,

President - Crystal Heart Books

Smudging is an ancient tradition used in many cultures, religions, and rituals. The Intent is to clear, clean, empower, protect, an area, person or items.

Many different forms of plant life are used in this process. Some of these plants are considered to be medicinal and are often times used in more than one way. Traditionally these items are burned, creating a process called smudging.

We suggest burning on charcoal tablets, for consistant heat and less waste and far easier to use and control. Charcoal tablets are generally self-lighting (do not add fuel). Simply light one edge of the charcoal, you will notice in a few seconds it begins to spark and crackle. Place the Charcoal tablet in a dish, shell, or Smudge bowl. This container should have some sand, dirt or gravel in it to defuse the heat of the red hot Charcoal.

Store the rest of the charcoals in a Zip-lock or air tight container to avoid having them absorb moisture from the air. Once the charcoal begins to get a light gray coating on it, sprinkle with your chosen resin or plant. Charcoals can take some time to burn out, usually 45min. - 1 hour.

Always dump ashes down the drain and run water to make sure the coal is done burning.

SMUDGE FANS
Smudge fans are used to waft the smoke in different directions. Smudge fans can be a single feather, a grouping of feathers, or even a wing. In a bind you can always use your hand. It is your intent, and the distribution of the smoke that fulfills the intent.

Happy Smudging!!

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I SMUDGE?
This is up to you. Sometimes we smudge every day, sometimes not for days, and sometimes we forget until we feel the energy around us getting heavy or murky . . . then we smudge. If a lot of energy is being shifted in your enviroment by you or anyone else, you may want to smudge more often. When in doubt, trust your gut.

Norman Baldwin,
President - Crystal Heart Books

Tibetan Double-Terminated Smoky Quartz Crystals

These natural Tibetan Crystals are a stone lover’s delight. Ranging in size from 2” to 5” in length, some are clearer while others very smoky. They also come in a host of multiple configurations, nearly all are double terminated, some with keys, some are twin, and many other special features, each unique and different in its own way. If you are extremely lucky your Free Smokey Crystal may be a hydro (one with a water bubble).

Smoky Quartz

This stone is excellent for grounding and protection. It is said to have the ability to dissolve negative energy and hence is one of a few stones that never require cleansing. Used in balancing the male and female energies, and in regulating minerals, and hydration within the body. Works well in the solar plexus region of the body, assist one to trust one’s gut, or intuitiveness.

A powerful stone for business: assists in creativity, cooperation, and clarity in all business pursuits.

Double Terminated Crystals

These Crystal are well sought after by those who desire crystals. With points on both ends these crystals conduct energy in very unique and special ways. They facilitate energy moving out from each end, as well as bringing energy in from each end, and they have the capacity to conduct energy back and forth through each end.

Sought after for it’s ability to assist in the alignment of all chakras, and assist in meditation, protection, and astral travel, Double Terminated Crystals are a must have for any Crystal enthusiast.

Norman Baldwin,
President - Crystal Heart Books