Tamara Driessen - The Crystal Code: Balance Your Energy, Transform Your Life

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First published 2018

Copyright Tamara Driessen, 2018

Photography by Kristina Slgvik

The moral right of the copyright holders has been asserted

ISBN: 978-0-241-34698-3

Crystals have a way of magnetizing us, and it can happen in the most random places. Once, I was boarding a plane with my boyfriend we were on our way home after four days of exploring Ibiza. Wed queued for what felt like for ever to board, and now we were waiting to find our seats on that no-frills aircraft. As a man reached up to put his bag in the overhead locker, my gaze was drawn to the huge Fluorite pendant he was wearing. I couldnt take my eyes off it. I love your crystal! I said. I was trying to play it cool and suppress my inner Gollum. He just nodded. I slunk into my seat.

I cant help it. A crystal gets me every time. My eyes just want to be on it. I know Im not the only person this happens to. Theres always a sense of familiarity, like being reunited with a long-lost friend Where have you been all this time?

Perhaps a few crystals have found their way into your life and their magnetic pull makes you want to keep them close. They may feel as if they fit perfectly with you and your life as you hold them; the missing piece to your jigsaw puzzle.

The thing is, theyre more than just lucky rocks.

I must have been about eight when I bought my first crystal. We were on a half-term trip to the Natural History Museum in London. I chose a light pink Rose Quartz instead of a dinosaur stationery set from the gift shop. I loved that rock because, although I didnt know why, it comforted me. Since then, Ive always had at least one crystal at my side or in my bra.

As a teenager Id carry a piece of Tigers Eye so that Id feel more confident it gave me the courage to ignore the bullies in my class. And I bought myself a Garnet ring from Elizabeth Duke in the Argos catalogue because Id read in one of my nineties teen magazines that it would attract a boyfriend. It worked!

In my twenties, I had a constant knot of anxiety that Id attempt to numb with food, partying and being a chronic people-pleaser. I felt as if I was constantly chasing my tail, trying to escape my inner critic. I thought that if I made everyone else happy, Id be happy. I was wrong. Amethyst and Citrine were my allies in overcoming regular panic attacks, anxiety, depression and a long-term eating disorder. These crystals have calmed my overactive mind, decluttered my thoughts and guided me to trusting that I deserve to be happy before anything else.

While my collection has grown, Ive learnt more about crystals through my personal practice, and from the crystals Ive intuitively given to friends, with notes of their powers always confirmed to be the medicine they needed.

A few years ago Lee, one of my housemates, was holding my beloved Clear Quartz cluster: How do they make them? Are they stuck together?

No one had ever asked me this before. Theyre mostly formed when the earth began, and some take millions of years to form, in caves or underground. I googled the Selenite Cave in Mexico to show him what I meant. It can be hard to believe that these formations are native to our own planet when you think of the urban jungles a lot of us live in.

He zoomed into the picture for a better look. Why doesnt yours look like this cave?

Crystals are made of minerals, and every crystal has its own composition, which gives it its colour and shape. This also depends on where in the world they form. Like, different countries or places have different terrains. Some are man-made but the natural ones are my favourites. I showed him a piece of rainbow-infused crystal Angel Aura so that he could compare the difference between a heat-treated crystal and a natural specimen.

But why do you have so many? What do you do with them?

I use them for healing. Theyre full of good vibes.

He wasnt convinced.

According to scientists, theyre made of particles that hold energy. These particles are tightly compacted but have the smallest amount of space for movement, which can emit a vibration. Even though we cant see it, crystals vibrate. I knew he suffered from anxiety and offered to make him a crystal healing elixir water infused with the energy of crystals. He was open to the idea and drank it to humour me. The next day he asked me to make it for him again, and borrowed some of my crystals.

My affinity with the realm of crystals has led me to study various crystal bibles and guides, attend crystal healing workshops and courses, and explore the power of crystals with a shaman in Bali. I wanted to consolidate what I was learning with facts and confirmed knowledge so that I could work with crystals as a professional healer and share what I was discovering.

Every crystal has its own personality that can initially be interpreted through colour, shape, the amount of light that shines through it or, if its opaque, how much light it absorbs. (See the Crystal Guide, ). Likewise, I believe that the crystals you choose say a lot about your personality and pursuits.

Although I have a vast selection of crystals, Im drawn to some again and again. Its like when you buy a new lipstick: you feel amazing when you try it on but when you get home you realize its more or less the same as all the others in your make-up bag. I went through a stage of doing this with Amethyst. Im an Aries and a born over-thinker. During my teens and twenties I overanalysed everything the way I looked, the things I said, the decisions I made, how I perceived the way other people acted towards me. It was exhausting. I was blocked from my intuition because my brain was so cluttered. That was until Amethyst came along. Whenever I connect with Amethyst, everything slows down and time seems to expand. The words Chill out come to mind.

I believe that when youre drawn to a crystal on repeat, its a sign that this is what you need. Its guiding you towards something exciting! Which crystals are predominant in your collection? What are they showing you? Its time to take action!

Crystals can be seen as the physical embodiment of your intentions. We choose them because they promise us something that resonates with our current situation and aspirations. You could choose Peacock Ore to invoke more confidence for a Tinder date, Citrine to cheer you on as you pluck up the courage to ask for the pay rise youve been waiting for, Black Tourmaline to protect you from draining work politics, Celestite to calm your anxiety, Moonstone to soothe PMT, Kunzite to get over your ex and Rose Quartz to hold your hand as you nurture a more loving relationship with yourself. If theres a feeling you want to experience, theres a crystal to encourage it.

Before I met my boyfriend, I slept next to a selection of crystals lets call it a love spell. Id taken a break from the dating scene so that I could focus on learning to love myself instigated by a series of disastrous relationships. During the break, I created a clear intention of the kind of relationship I wanted to be in, how I wanted to feel with him, and chose crystals that reflected what I was aiming for.