Here Comes the Sun!
   Happy Summer Solstice to All! I was very blessed to wake up very early today to praise the Divine Creator and to be thankful for all the good things in my life. I am always amazed and in awe of how the Divine shows up in circumstances and the people that I meet. I had planned to take a little cat nap before getting ready for work, but the call of the sun was just too strong! I hopped out of bed to see that the light at 6:35 a.m. looked as radiant to me as the noonday sun! So to honor the sun at its height, on this longest day of the year, I would like to discuss a few stones that encapsulate and ground the energy of the sun to me. Many of the stone I'll be discussing have an affinity for the 3rd or solar plexus chakra. This chakra’s element is fire and its main color is yellow. This is the energy center that concerns the will, self-esteem, intellect, personal power, physical energy and vitality. The solar energy (sol=sun=soul) is the core of your being. Your sun sign is how you identify yourself, your dominant personality. There would be no life, no you, without the sun. When you are tapped into your sun, your Source, you literally light up the room with your presence! It's that "sunny disposition" that people talk about. You have an infinite reserve of creativity. I often tell people if they feel depressed wear something yellow. It is impossible to stay sad when you are rockin' bright yellow!
   You cannot talk about the sun without talking about sunstone. Sunstone is a feldspar; it is a member of the same family as its sister moonstone. Sunstone may be a little harder to find and a bit more expensive, but if you can get it, it is worth it! When the light hits it just right you can see the flashes of fire contained within it! Sunstone is linked to luck and good fortune. Sunstone instills good nature, heightens intuition and allows the real self to shine through happily.  It acts as an antidepressant, increases self-worth and confidence, and encourages optimism and enthusiasm. Believed to be a piece of the sun, sunstone was prized by ancient magicians, who used it to attract the strength of the sun and it's associated power and wealth.
   A golden, sunny favorite that I have been working a lot with lately is citrine. Citrine is a member of the quartz family whose color ranges from pale golden to brown. It gets its name from the French word for lemon. Natural citrine is somewhat rare. Most citrine on the market is heat-treated amethyst, but the properties are the same. Check out Hibiscus Moon's latest blog entitled "Is Your Citrine Real or Fake & Does it Matter?" to get a detailed explanation on citrine is formed. http://hibiscusmooncrystalacademy.com/citrine-real-fake/ Citrine is one of the few stones that never needs cleaning, since it is able to automatically transmute negative energy to positive. Citrine, like all yellow stones corresponds to the solar plexus chakra, and is assoc. with creativity, self-esteem, and optimism. Because of its golden color, citrine is also known as the merchant stone, said to bring a person wealth and success. Citrine is a great stone for detoxification. A gem elixir can help you to eliminate toxins and excess weight. It is also great to wear while clutter clearing. It helps you to release those things that you no longer need.
  Yellow or Golden Topaz is a stone to manifest your intentions in alignment with Divine Will. Topaz is one of the twelve breastplate stones of the High Priest of Israel referred to in the Book of Exodus. It sends out positive energy to yourself and to all who needs it around you. I once recommended this stone along with amber to a friend to wear so that she could have success in a court procedure. She came back a couple days later to ask, "What did you do to me? Ever since I've been wearing these bracelets, I cannot get mad! People cut me off in traffic and it doesn't bother me. My boyfriend will say or do something, and I get hot for a minute; but I cannot stay mad at him!" All I could do was look at her and smile. Golden or Imperial Topaz recharges your spiritual battery and increases your energy level.
   Another breastplate stone is Peridot, also known as Chrysolite, a variety of Olivine. It's lovely apple green color works on both the solar plexus and the heart chakra. Peridot is a powerful cleanser; it releases and neutralizes toxins.  It alleviates jealousy, that green-eyed monster, along with resentment, spite, bitterness, hatred and greed.   It is the birthstone of those summer babies born under the sign of Leo. It enhances confidence and assertion, motivating growth and change. But you can wear this stone to bring out your best whether it's your birthstone or not.
   Tiger's eye is another stone that shines with the light of the sun due to it's inclusion of asbestos. Tiger's eye is a stone of protection and manifestation. With it's combination of heavenly gold and earthy brown, it has the power to focus the mind, bringing the golden ideas of the divine onto the earth into form. Tiger's Eye is said to bring luck and money, but only if we ACT on the creative ideas that we get from Spirit. So "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:17 NIV. Tiger's eye helps to strengthen your courage, willpower, and confidence. The gold light from the crown chakra meets the brown light of the earth chakra at the center, at the heart chakra, helping you to feel more grounded, centered and balance, and less emotional.
   Next, orange calcite has strong energizing and cleansing properties. Orange Calcite can be used to get the positive energy of sexuality and creativity moving and flowing! It assists in moving stuck energy from the solar plexus. Orange Calcite offers protection, increases happiness and vitality. Placing this stone in a room, holding or wearing it as jewelry or placing it in your pocket, can help remove stagnant energy bringing light, joy and happiness into your life.
   These are just a few stones that can help you get in touch with the energy of the sun today. They'll have you, in the words of Jill Scott, "Living your life like it's golden"!

Gardening with Crystals

  June is here and many people now have their gardens up and running. The spring blossoms have started to give way to a hearty, vibrant green as we gear up for summer. Ah, those long hot days which are needed for many of the fruits and vegetables we will be harvesting in the fall. I am looking forward to restarting my square foot garden, something I haven’t done since I left my home in Norfolk, VA, back in the year 2000. Crystals and stones are gifts of the earth so it is natural that they have a place in the garden. They can be utilized not only to beautify and create boundaries, but also to support the growth of healthy plants. Here are just a few that you can use in the yard or garden to make it a sacred space.

   Tree agate is a very useful for healing the environment and supporting the growth of trees and plants of all kinds. You can tell that just by looking at it. It is a beautiful white stone with green branches throughout it. You can place it around the garden area to encourage germination and growth. This stone also increases your connection with the earth, and deepens your rapport with all living things. You can keep a piece in your pocket while hiking in the woods for protection as well.

  Similarly, Moss Agate is another gemstone for enhancing your connection with nature.  Moss Agate is associated with healing, new beginnings, and abundance. This gentle, nurturing stone encourages you to appreciate and enjoy time spent outdoors, and assists the planet in its healing as well. Wear a piece of moss agate while gardening to help you tune into the energies of your garden. Put Moss Agate around plants in the ground or a plant pot to encourage growth and a healthy harvest. Moss Agate can be used to send healing energy to the Earth or the healing energy of the Earth to others. Moss agate is often used to attract prosperity and abundance.

  Another crystal useful in the garden is Green Calcite. Green Calcite is a pale, somewhat waxy green stone that is said to belong to the small earth spirits of the woods and meadows. Offering a small stone with thanks to these elementals can result in a lush and beautiful garden. Green calcite is also a healing stone. You can place green calcite in a flowerpots or around trees to bring peace and calm to the area.

   Malachite is another green stone that is useful in the garden. Malachite is considered a “birthing” stone that can assist midwives in their work. With its patterns of swirls and lines Malachite helps to release old habits and promote forgiveness. The Ancient Egyptians used malachite as a fertility symbol and it was associated with vegetation, agriculture and healthy crops. Its rich green color makes Malachite is a stone of balance, abundance, and healing. It is also a protective stone, absorbing the negative energies of electromagnetic frequencies emitted from power lines, TVs, phones, and computers. Placing this stone in the garden as well as around the house will help protect your home from these influences.

     Jade also helps us connect to earth energies. Jade is a sacred stone of China, but it is known worldwide as a stone of wealth, wisdom, health, long life, and overall good luck. It has been carved into various animal images, Buddhas and other deities. Wear jade while gardening or bury pieces around the border of the garden to help plants to grow strong and healthy. Jade will bring peace, love, tranquility and serenity to your garden space.

   Green Aventurine is another stone for abundance, good luck, healing and growth. It helps to brings balance to the heart and body. It can be used to attract wealth and abundance when carried in a pouch. Wear it while gardening to help you attune to the spirits of nature, or place in the garden as an offering to them.

   Green tourmaline also helps to strengthen our physical bodies as well as our connection to the planet. Tourmaline is known for its ability to absorb large amounts of harmful energy from those who wear it as well as the environment. Therefore, it is very protective. Like many green stones green tourmaline is healing and allows us to live in greater harmony with the environment. Its green color is attuned to the heart chakra center, deepening our relationship with the natural world. It can also be used to attract money and success.

    If you are an artsy, creative type, you can string crystals to make sun catchers or agate slices to make wind chimes and hang them from trees. I wish you much success in creating the garden of your dreams.