Natural Quarts Crystals

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 16 Jul 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

runehunt	16 Jul 2002
I would like to know if a naturally formed quartz crystal point would be better, than a ground and polished quartz crystal point, For meditayion, channeling, grounding, and healing.

faunabay	16 Jul 2002
I haven't noticed any difference in working with the natural vs. the cut. They both work equally well for whatever you're trying to accomplish. But personally I like the natural better - possibly because I'm only 3 hours from mines where I can dig my own!!! ROFL

Starfish	16 Jul 2002
I have both types of many of the natural crystals. I like them both. I love to take the tumbled, smooth ones out and meditate with them by rubbing them in my hands. The cool smoothness is calming and helps me concentrate. My personal favorite is my tumbled rose quartz - I love this stone! :T4S Starfish

zorya	16 Jul 2002
good question! all i've ever used are natural formed. i even love the inclusions. i sure want to believe that natural is better haha it just seems like it should be, but i've never tried to compare them. thing is, i have no desire for a cut one. if you think about how the molecules are all lined up, and how that gives it it's power, wouldn't cutting it change the pattern somewhat? now, clear quartz and amethyst have different advantages over each other.

runehunt	16 Jul 2002
Pray tell, the different-advantages one over the other -----clear quartz----amathyst?

zorya	17 Jul 2002
when i need to find something that is lost, i use my amethyst as a pendulum. i also use it for meditation. for communicating with my spirit guides or another person, i use clear quartz. i also use clear for healing and enhancing the powers of other stones. in a pinch, i might substitute one for another.

Greenman	17 Jul 2002
cool faunabay! digging your own is DEFINITELY the best way. i don't know how many people know this, but most commercially bought crystals are blasted out of their caves with dynamite, and then bulldozed to a place where they can be sorted. if you believe (as i do) that crystals store the energies they're exposed to, then this is a pretty harsh energy to be using for magickal purposes. most quartz has 'piezo-electric' qualities, which allows them to convert physical energy into electric energy (remember those crystal radios we built as kids?). so the best way is to gather your own, but if this is not possible then at the very least you should 'cleanse' them very well before they are consecrated to your use. as far as the difference between clear quartz and amethyst, well, they're different stones! all stones have their own properties and vibrate at different frequencies. this is why some stones are specifically suited to certain uses. for instance, white quartz (ruled by the Moon) has properties that allow it to channel energy, making it ideal for scrying or divination (crystal balls). smokey quartz (Mercury) is used to prevent arguements and keep the peace. it is also a good amplifier of magickal energy, so it works well as a tip for a wand. and amethyst (Jupiter and Mercury) is said to bring one peace of mind. legend also has it that amethyst can keep you from getting drunk! and the fact that it appears in many very old goblets shows that the ancients understood this too!

catlin	17 Jul 2002
Hi Greenman, Just and adding to your very interesting comments on quartz, etc.: legend says that amethyst was also used to find out if a drink was poisoned (it should turn its colour), maybe this was also a reason why there were so many goblets studded with amethyst.

lunalafey	17 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Greenman as far as the difference between clear quartz and amethyst, well, they're different stones! all stones have their own properties different, like the difference between a diamond and obsidian? Don't let this confuse you, for healing properties they may be different, but they are the same. All quartz is Silicon Dioxide (SiO2). Amethyst gets it's color from iron and manginese. If heated it turns yellow, Citrine. Even Tiger's eye is quartz. Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on earth as well. the way the legend goes for drunkeness and such. methy means wine, amethystus means not drunken. Dionysus(Bacchus) the god of wine put a curse on mortals who did not get drunk. Amethyst was on her way to pay homage to Diana when dionysus saw her and let loose with tigers to eat her, she cried out to Diana, who turned her to stone, a pure white crystal. Guilt got to Dionysus, his tears fell into his wine which spilled onto the stone and absorbed the color = Amethyst.

catlin	17 Jul 2002
Hi Luna, Thanks for sharing this wonderful legend with us! I haven't known that one!

Starfish	17 Jul 2002
Luna - Thanks for sharing that Myth - I love Greek Mythology and I especially love Amethyst (my favorite of the colored gems). :T7W Starfish

Mermaid	17 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Greenman i don't know how many people know this, but most commercially bought crystals are blasted out of their caves with dynamite, and then bulldozed to a place where they can be sorted. if you believe (as i do) that crystals store the energies they're exposed to, then this is a pretty harsh energy to be using for magickal purposes. I learned about that a while ago, Greenman, and I was shocked! I hadn't realised that my crystals had been obtained through such environmental destruction. I've started to feel pretty awful about buying crystals for spiritual work since I regard the earth as the Goddess' body, and believe the wildlife whos habitat are destroyed by mining are Her other children... So ever since then, I haven't brought a crystal from a shop. I figure if I'm meant to have crystals, they will find their way to me in other ways. Besides, the magick's in me, not in the crystals! Just my 2 cents. (edited for grammer!;))

the hermit	18 Jul 2002
Greenman is, of course, correct about most crystals. But that also goes for just about everything we live in, with, eat, drink… unless you harvest and make everything yourself, in an environmentally sensitive way. We kill trees for wood, tear up the land and often don't re-plant. We harvest vegetables and grains with huge, oil guzzling behemoths. We drill for that oil, mine those minerals, chew up that land. Not to mention what happens to the previous owners of what made those Big Macs, or Chicken Nuggets, tacos, even those veggie burgers have buns or bread… how was it gathered and made? And where did the paper for those tarot cards come from? Or the cardboard or plastic for it's box? And let's not forget all those books. Was it recycled? But where did it come from to begin with? But we can make choices that mitigate some of these practices, each of us must decide what. We can ‘cleanse’ objects that we use, both for magick and for everyday uses. We can be realistic as well as idealistic in our decisions. I buy crystals. I buy wood products. I try to be environmentally sensitive, but also sensible.

Mermaid	19 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by the hermit We can ‘cleanse’ objects that we use, both for magick and for everyday uses. To me, that seems like saying that it's OK to buy goods you know are stolen because you know you can 'cleanse' it. But even if the cleansing removes the 'bad energy', it won't clear your conscience over the matter! To me, this is the same. No amount of cleansing would make me happier using mined stones, because I have made the conscious decision to buy them despite knowing where they were from. And even though I try to live sustainably as possible day to day, I feel it's really important to make an extra effort when I'm going about something magickal/spiritual. Quote: We can be realistic as well as idealistic in our decisions. For me, this is realistic - not idealistic. ;) Blessings

Redmoon	19 Jul 2002
I have harvested(?) my own crystals. I've had the opportunities to find amythest, quartz crystals, smokey quartz, hercemer diamonds, and other gems and minerals. When I pick up a crystal that I found myself I feel it practically buzzing with energy, from the Earth and from me. When I pick up a rock in a shop, I feel conflicting, and confusing energies. Too many people have handled them, and they have been bounced around too much. I feel that these stones would need "cleansed" to provide the feelings they're supposed to, and they just never feel the same. I really prefer rough, natural stones, straight out of the ground. Unpolished, and uncut. I have to say that everything spiritual I do is from my personal feelings. I dont go by any "rules". I dont go out looking for a specific stone because it's supposed to fix something. If I find a stone that feels good to me, I use it.

runehunt	27 Jul 2002
I hope that I am not to late, But is there a difference in size as to the amount of energy it has to work with for help of one kind or an other?

the hermit	28 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by runehunt I hope that I am not to late, But is there a difference in size as to the amount of energy it has to work with for help of one kind or an other? Personally, the size of the crystal has no bearing on what I can do with it. The energy comes from within. For others who invoke deities, the energy comes from without. Either way, the crystal is just a focus, a channel, like an antenna, for broadcasting and receiving of energy. That's how I see it.

The Natural Quarts Crystals thread was originally posted on 16 Jul 2002 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.