My Crystal Story

“Crystals are a sensual and intuitive experience rather than an intellectual pursuit.” – Judy Hall, Crystals Made Easy

 

 

I’m not sure if I qualify as a ‘crazy crystal lady’ yet, but I’ll get there. I don’t own any massive amethyst geodes, but my vision board will inform you that they’re in my Vortex. I have a large drawer full of small to medium-sized crystals, raw and tumbled. Occasionally, I wear crystal or gemstone jewelry. I don’t always hold crystals during my meditations, but when I do, I can feel their sweet buzz. On difficult days, I find time to lie down and place crystals on my chakras for several minutes. While I respect them and enjoy them often, my life doesn’t revolve around them. Some days, a quick glance at my grid will suffice. Other days, I am hounding sales and revisiting some of the oldies in my collection. I am often pleasantly surprised to have old friends and acquaintances sliding into my DM’s and asking me for crystal advice. It makes me think I am somehow a legitimate person in the world. “Why yes, let me recommend bloodstone…”

 

I love hearing crystal stories. Here’s mine.

 

I didn’t own any crystals or gemstones until I was 12. They just weren’t on my radar. When my Grandma Hawkes passed away, my aunts gave me a lovely piece of her jewelry – a teardrop-shaped amethyst pendant-necklace. I felt close to her every time I wore it.  I’ve collected various different types of amethyst over the years, and I’ll never forget my very first one, set in 14k gold. My ‘Soul Mom’ gifted me a gorgeous amethyst mala necklace not long after I told her I had ‘adopted’ her, and I sometimes wear it to make a splash. It really is a showstopper without being lurid. I feel like an Egyptian priestess whenever I put it on, and it quickly raises my vibration. If you see me dashing back into my house while it’s on fire, it’s because I am retrieving the amethyst jewelry from two special matriarchs who have touched my heart.

 

A couple of Christmases in a row, I received elegant earrings of opal, amethyst, blue topaz, and peridot from family. Jewelry was a new luxury for me, and I felt a little more grown up with it on. Years passed before I picked up more gems or crystals. In a wonderful stroke of dumb luck, I found myself working at the Gemological Institute of America while I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. One of the employee benefits was their prestigious Graduate Gemologist education, so I began my studies. One day, I wandered into a witchy store and decided to buy some small tumbles and a dish for decorative purposes. I had not yet become aware of the metaphysical properties of crystals. I just thought it would be cool to have semi-precious stones on my desk while I was learning about them. Many years went by before I was drawn to more crystals. I spent that time keeping my left brain active and my right brain dormant. I felt that the appropriate thing to do at my age was to learn about health insurance and retirement plans and to work lots of overtime to pay off my student loans. I didn’t stop and smell the roses, and I didn’t pick up pretty rocks. I had to be a real adult!

 

 

One year, I felt compelled to go to the Tucson Gem Show with my fiancé at the time. I chose to admire all of the treasures but not to buy them. He, on the other hand, grabbed some pretty specimens, including a small amethyst heart for me. There it was again – the amethyst. It really is my soul stone. I had been subconsciously pushing crystals away, feeling unworthy of them. Nevertheless, they found their way to me. Shortly after I learned how to meditate, I decided to name my future energy healing business. It came to me easily – Amethyst Angel Healing. I learned about orgonite and the types of crystals used in them, and I giddily purchased pyramids and discs that were chock full of amethyst, quartz, and kyanite. A good friend raved about the energy of my apartment before learning about the special pyramid in the living room.  After the tragic and untimely death of my beloved, the crystals he had chosen on our trip brought a comforting vibration to my room for many tearful months. They really made a difference. When I held the large labradorite, polychrome jasper, and malachite close to my heart, they left an imprint on my cells and gave me some strength to carry on. They were not a quick fix, and I was not looking for one. The specimens were more like a soft balm that helped me breathe through the pain.

 

After surviving my ‘annus horriblis’, I planned my first trip to Sedona. It was as magical and satisfying as you could imagine. I thought about what one spiritual teacher had said to me on a video call. She had informed me that there were many crystals in my energy field, and that a significant part of my life purpose would be to teach others about crystals. Thus, I gave myself permission to drop some cash on a gorgeous water-clear quartz tower and a fabulous K2. I knew in my gut that this was the start of something big. I told the special new guy in my life about my gemology background and burgeoning love of minerals. He had a geology degree, and he delighted in finding special crystal gifts for me. When he presented me with a tiger’s-eye pendulum and a selenite heart, I was over the moon. Crystals were a special new joy in my life. Although they didn’t solve all of life’s problems, they were comrades who added some sparkle and pizzazz to the routine. On my 32^nd birthday, my future mother-in-law gifted me a medium-sized amethyst geode. My collection looked legit on my shelf. I moved to another state and found some more crystals at a local gem show – celestite and citrine. Would I ever be saved from this new crystal addiction? No. I was hopeless. My new husband revealed his secret stash of fossils and some crystal specimens, which included an impressive pyrite cube. We proudly displayed our minerals on a shelf and picked them up from time to time. It is in handling them with love that one gains the most from them.  

 

Time marched on, and we had a baby. My interest in crystals never waned. I found an affordable crystal course by famous crystal expert Judy Hall, and I enjoyed every second of it. She taught me about some of the more rare and powerful crystals, including Brandberg amethyst and phenacite. I also found Hibiscus Moon’s blog, and she gave me many tips and insights. I ordered her Summer Solstice bundle and prayed that I would find the means to enroll in her highly acclaimed Crystal Academy one day. Melanie Beckler from Ask Angels taught me about the benefits of shungite and Indigo Gabbro. I explored crystal grids and all of the possibilities for energy work with them. One book that really helped me was Ethan Lazzerini’s Crystal Grids Power. I bought several small tumbles and got to work. My new knowledge about sacred geometry gave me the confidence to create grids that packed a punch. I read about how crystals are used in Feng Shui, and I placed tumbles in all the right spots at home.  

 

 

This year, I completed my first book entitled The Crystalline Path, and I launched this blog, Amethyst Mom. And so here we are. I am a crystal fanatic. I am not crazy, though. If ‘crazy’ means ordering a pound of rough rose quartz shortly after buying ten small tumbles in Austin, well…ok. Guilty as charged. Usually I show restraint. Oh, who am I kidding? I always need more. Just think of the combinations of grids I could make if I had more, more, more? Too much is never enough for this crystal goddess. I would not be opposed to receiving more lapis and garnet tumbles. Alright, enough of that. Just putting it out there. And turquoise.