Bernice Cockram - In Focus Crystals: Your Personal Guide

Copyright 2018 Zambezi Publishing Ltd.

Text 2018 Zambezi Publishing Ltd.

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First published in 2018 by Wellfleet Press,

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This book provides general information on various widely known and widely accepted images that tend to evoke feelings of strength and confidence. However, it should not be relied upon as recommending or promoting any specific diagnosis or method of treatment for a particular condition, and it is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or for direct diagnosis and treatment of a medical condition by a qualified physician. Readers who have questions about a particular condition, possible treatments for that condition, or possible reactions from the condition or its treatment should consult a physician or other qualified healthcare professional.

I discovered crystal therapy and crystal healing by accident. I borrowed a book from the library to identify some tumblestones that my six-year-old son had collected, and the book talked about placing crystals on chakra pointslocations where energy lines meet or cross within your body. In a slightly different manner, a crystal point is a sharp pointed end on a crystal, whether natural or carved. I was very skeptical but decided to give it a go. When I picked up a crystal, I experienced a very strange feeling, which I now know was my energy shifting, and thought that maybe I had done something wrong, so I tried again the next day and got exactly the same result. This fired up my curiosity, and in time, I acquired different crystals to work with and borrowed books from the library, giving me different ways to lay the crystals on and around my body.

Five years later, after attending a workshop and working on other people, I decided to train to become a certified crystal therapist so that I could help other people experience what crystals can do for them.

Crystal Therapy and Crystal Healing

Crystal therapy is a treatment in which crystals are placed on and around the body. Crystals can also be moved over the bodyfor example, by using a pendulum. Crystal healing occurs when crystal therapy is combined with another holistic treatment, such as massage, Reiki, spiritual healing, and acupuncture.

Working with Crystals

Working with crystals can help us to shift energy and emotions that we have been holding on to, such as issues from the past that are holding us back or affecting our everyday lives. Crystals are also good for clearing away stress or energy that we have picked up from others, and they can enable us to feel calmer and to think more clearly.

On a molecular level, crystals resonate at different frequencies. The frequency depends on factors such as the crystals structure, which is called the crystal system or crystal habit, and the color of the crystal. We are aware, subconsciously, of energy around us, and placing crystals on or around the body can help to bring balance by increasing or decreasing the frequency of our own energy. This in turn helps the client were working on to feel more relaxed and positive, allowing the body to heal itself more effectively.

Crystals will absorb and hold energy, which is why quartz crystals are used in clocks, watches, and circuit boards. The quartz absorbs energy from the power source, and emits it in a regular pulse, making it a useful and reliable technical resource.

The hardness of a crystal affects the way that it works. Hard crystals like quartz work in a direct way, whereas softer crystals such as calcite are gentler and absorb energy more readily. A crystals hardness is measured on the Mohs scale, which was created by mineralogist Friedrich Mohs in 1812. He listed crystals and minerals in order of softest to hardest, which makes talcum number one and diamond number ten. The table opposite shows the scale of hardness as devised by Friedrich Mohs.

The Mohs Scale
Number	Crystal	Description
	Talcum	Scratched by all other minerals and easily marked with fingernails.
	Gypsum	Can be scratched with a fingernail using greater pressure than needed to scratch a number-one material.
	Calcite	Can be scratched by a sharp coin.
	Fluorite	Can be scratched with a penknife blade.
	Apatite	Can be scratched with difficulty using a steel point.
	Feldspar	Will easily scratch glass.
	Quartz	Will scratch most common surfaces.
	Topaz	Can scratch quartz.
	Corundum	Easily scratches topaz and quartz.
	Diamond	The hardest natural substance.

It is useful to know how hard a crystal or mineral is so that it may be stored appropriately. If you keep all your crystals in the same storage box, any hard crystals will damage the softer ones.

Crystal Colors and Properties

Black, red, and brown crystals are generally used when there is a need for grounding and in matters concerning basic needs for survival.