Crystals for Self Discovery

Many countries celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival on October 12, 1492, in the Americas, as an official holiday. It became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937, and as a child I always enjoyed having that day off school. As I got older and studied history, I began to question the cultural myth that surrounded this holiday. The first question to come up was, "Why do we celebrate Columbus' discovery of America when he never set foot on the North American continent? Shouldn't a day go to Amerigo Vespucci, who this country is named after?" The second question comes reading Ivan Van Sertima's book They Came Before Columbus: "How can someone claim to discover a new world that already has inhabitants and that the Africans and Norse had already visited. But at any rate, here we are and today I'd like to discuss a few stones that can help us on our voyage of self discovery.
   Moonstone is a beautiful stone connected to the moon, femininity, and intuition. Just as the moon has no light of its own, but reflects the light of the sun, moonstone causes us to be introspective and reflect. It calls us to go within and take a look at our emotional triggers and calms the mind and spirit.
   Malachite was once called the "midwife stone", so it can be a powerful ally in birthing the authentic Self. You can do this by gazing at the stone. Since malachite has many swirls, lines, and beautiful patterns, this stone helps us to bring our unconscious behavior patterns to the surface and dissolve those that no longere serve us. This stone shows you what is blocking your spiritual growth and helps you break unwanted habits.
   Another stone associated with the power of the moon is selenite. Selenite is named after the Greek moon goddess Selene and it does an excellent job of bringing pure light into the auric field. Like clear quartz it helps clear the mind and open up the crown chakra higher wisdom and guidance. Selenite is a great stone to use for meditation or spiritual work. And it has a strong cleansing and purifying energy.
   Next to clear quartz, amethyst is probably the most popular and versatile gemstone available. It is a wonderful comnpanion along life's spiritual journey. Amethyst helps to deepen meditation in order to gain insight and understanding. You can wear amethyst jewelry to improve memory, set realistic goals, and aid decision making. Derived from a Greek word meaning "not drunk", amethyst helps a person to maintain focus and take a sober look at his/her reality. It is also a good stone for dream work.
  Obsidian is an amorphous stone, meaning it has no definite shape. It is volcanic glass; lava that has cooled so quickly that it did not have time to crystalize. Thus it will help you to go beyond any of the boundaries that you have created for yourself. Obsidian combines the powers of both fire and earth energies. It acts like a magic mirror, uncovering what is hidden, exposing flaws, weaknesses and blockages. It reveals the truth about the self and supports you in making needed changes. I often tell people that it is best to use this stone in small doses: 3-7 days at a time, and work closely with a coach, theripist, or counselor. If you are brave enough to face your own shadow, this stone will give a deep soul healing.
  So there you have it; a few crystal tools to help you explore the depths of your soul  and mine the greatest treasure ever: knowledge of self.