Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #19 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they each reveal their their three all-time favorite crystals for love. Tune in now to hear about the best crystals to use for the many different types of love, including:

Romantic love

Platonic love

Familial love

Self-love

And so much more!

 

Tune in now for a deeper look at Crystals of Love!

Crystals of Love Podcast Transcript:

Crystal Confab Podcast Introduction: Are you just starting with crystals? Or maybe you have a whole collection but aren't sure how to use them? Join four crystal nerds, healers, workers, and lovers for a casual chat about all things crystals.

Nicholas Pearson: Hello, and welcome to another edition of Crystal Confab. I'm Nicholas. I'm joined by three of my crystal besties, and we have a little bit of an unusual episode for you all. So you've probably gotten familiar with our pick a stone and dive right in format, and that's great. We're gonna keep doing that, but there's something really special on the horizon.

By the time this episode comes out, it's just gonna be a little ahead of Valentine's Day. Love will be in the air, maybe more so than it normally is or maybe we're just paying better attention to it. And to celebrate that, we have collectively decided to share our favorite crystals for love. So you're gonna hear what we work within our own lives, what we recommend to others, and maybe meet some undervalued, underappreciated, maybe some unknown crystals for love and romance along the way. So let's go ahead and just kick it off. Kyle, what are your three favorite crystals for love?

Kyle Perez: Well, it was really hard for me to choose just three. I don't know about everyone else, but I certainly had a challenge cutting it down to three. I've tried to pick three that I work with a lot, and I've worked with a lot through my journey. I'm going to start with jade. Jade has two flavors.

We have nephrite jade and jadeite jade. These are two flavors of jade that are very similar, but they have, I wrote this down so I wouldn't forget single chain silicate versus double chain silicate. Your nephrite jade will form thank you, Nicholas. I had to remember and write it down. Your double, your nephrite jade will form larger but less dense.

Your jadeite will be smaller and more dense. Both of them are arguably the densest materials in the crystal world. They are internally stronger than most others. Diamonds have a hardness on the outside. Jade has it internally, and this is why I love it for love because it gives us internal strength.

It gives us the support of our internal body. It helps us to feel, see, and tap into all of the things that help us to feel more loved, more strong, more supported. If you look into culture where jade is utilized in New Zealand, Aotearoa, greenstone is prevalent through familial bonds. It is something that is given and handed down and is a totem for family. In Asian culture and Chinese culture, it is gifted to family, gifted to friends for abundance, for wealth.

Right? Both of these things, wealth, abundance, family, it's all heart energy. It's all love energy. When we feel abundant, when we feel surrounded by good things and good people, we feel more love, and that's why I love Jade. It helps you to see the right people that support you and those that don't so that you can invest less in that and more in those that do support you.

It helps you to also see where you need to take care of yourself better and love yourself more. For me, it has helped me to love my physical body, and my physical body is something I don't love so much being someone who suffers chronic pain. For me, it has taught me physical body love. I can appreciate myself more. What's the saying?

My body holds my organs in place, and that's all it needs to do right now. Right? That's perfect for what it's doing. Most of what I do is energetic and spiritual anyway, so the physical body doesn't have to do too much. And I love jade for giving you that ability to see.

These are two beautiful, jade eyed jades. One is from Myanmar, and the other one's actually from Greenland. It has this really dark green, fascinating energy. And as soon as I saw it, I had to get some just to try it out, just to see what it's like. I find jadeite has this illumination energy.

It really helps us to illuminate. It helps us to see, and it helps us to connect with whatever it is that we need to illuminate. And when they're focused on love, you'll see the right people around you. And Nephrite will, for me, strengthen those bonds, connect to them more deeply, and deepen the layers so that you can feel more loved, more connected, more supported, and less like you need all of that external validation and support. You know that you have it at home from your partner, from your friends, from your spirit guides, from your pet, from your plants.

Simple, what do I need? That's where it is for me, and that's why I love, love, love jade. And I will be thankful that I waited. I didn't connect with jade at first. It was one of those funny minerals that it took me a little bit of time to get there.

And when I did, I was really ready to do so. Now my second is also another greenstone. And now this greenstone, unfortunately, is an umbrella because it's green garnets. Now green garnets have four flavors. Let me check my notes real fast because I don't want to be pulled up by Nicholas again.

We have your demonoid. You have your grosula. You've got your varivite and hydrogrossular, which is kind of its own little thing. And you've got your three techniques and then the hydrogrossular is like an extra one. Right?

And they fall under the ugrandite umbrella of garnets, and it's calcium that makes them green. It's aluminum or aluminum that makes your redder ones in that reddy, earthy, pink spectrum. So we can kind of separate them, which is quite interesting. Your green garnets, this is a Mexican cluster. You can see the little greeny ones here.

This is a Mali green garnet, a bit more yellow. And I would say my two favorites, this Iranian demantoid and this little savorite from Tanzania. Green garnet for me is so about letting yourself have love, being deserving of that love. This is a hydrogrossular slice, a really beautiful chunk, and these are a couple of tumbles. And what's interesting about hydrogrossular is it forms more like rose quartz than a single crisp singular crystal, but it still has that density, which we really, really love.

When it comes to green garnet, it's all about worthiness. If you think about today's day and age, and especially I don't know if culturally it's  the same for you guys over there, but in Australia, Tall Poppy Syndrome is real. We are always holding ourselves back from more or having or wanting. Right? And it has been for me a great key in unlocking the ability to have love. This is something that I'm lucky to have.

I have parents. I've had parents that love me. I have a partner that I've been with for twenty years, but I've had a lot of complex connections to, like, friendships and clients and the world at large. So I'm not unharmed from the world of not being loved and all of that sort of stuff even though I've had love and support. And I think that's where it's really important to know that you can have love, you can have support, but you can still not feel loved or you can feel not supported or you can not feel worthy of that love. And this is where green garnet for me is like, yes.

You can have. You should have. You are amazing. This is a little uvarovite cluster, and, of course, it's not going to focus because the crystals are literally so small. It is focusing on all of those good things. I have been taught that I can earn my own money and then spend it on the things that I want to spend it on. I can hang out with people that make me feel good and distance myself from those that don't light me up. I can follow weird, hobbies or hyper focuses that are heartwarming and exciting. Even if it's only for a short period, Greg Garnett has gone, just do it for a bit.

Enjoy it, have fun, and then relax. For me, it's about loving life and letting yourself love your life, and I think it's really important that we touch on that when it comes to love because life can be very unlovable sometimes, and the more we can do to make our life worth living and enjoyable and lovable, the happier we're going to feel. And this is one I can't recommend wearing enough to feel that. And honestly it doesn't matter where you wear it, but, obviously, if you can wear it on your receptive hand or your receptive energy, you'll bring it in. But for me, I started by wearing a necklace, a chain like this, wearing it daily, and it was like, oh, that you can have instead of looking at all of that that you don't have. It helps to change that perspective, and all garnets protect me. Like, they're all so protective and so strengthening, so it's going to protect that heart center so you can bring all of that abundance in. And it's not about having everything. It's about having enough, and I think that's where garnet really comes into its own, especially these green garnets.

And if you think your salvarides especially are colored by the same things that color emerald, you know, it's chromium and vanadium that tap into that. So it's got similar properties, but it grows differently. So it's not going to work in exactly the same way. So I can say it is similar to emerald, but definitely not the same. Now my final crystal, this might be a bit of a weird one again, but I love it because it's, for me, universal in the way it speaks about love, and that's sugilite, often pronounced no. Sorry. Sugilite. Often pronounced sugilite because it's after Kentsugi, the sent Kentsugi, the Japanese professor. I'll get there eventually.

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #18 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Labradorite meaning, including:

Labradorite for shielding & protection

New Moon in Aquarius & Labradorite

Unlocking your personal Magick with Labradorite

Labradorite for setting boundaries

 

Tune in now for a deeper look at Labradorite meaning!

Crystal Confab Podcast - 'Labradorite Meaning' Episode 18 Transcript:

Crystal Confab Podcast Introduction: Are you just starting with crystals? Or maybe you have a whole collection but aren't sure how to use them? Join 4 crystal nerds, healers, workers, and lovers for crystal confab, a casual chat about all things crystals.

Ashley Leavy: Hello, and welcome to another episode of crystal confab, where me and my crystal besties confab about some of our favorite stones. And today is no exception. We are gonna be discussing labradorite, which I am so stinking excited about. I don't know about all of you, but this is one that it seems like most people are immediately drawn to in their crystal work. Is that something you each have noticed? I see a lot of nods happening.

Kyle Perez: Without question, people are always drawn to the flash. You can't deny that immediate impulsiveness drawn to that. Like, where did that come from?

Ashley: Yeah. And I mean, it is a gorgeous stone. I have one here. This is from Madagascar, but let's see if I can catch it. There we go.

The most brilliant purple and gold and orange. It's kind of like that beautiful sunset, which, you know, it reminds me of when you're on the beach kind of looking out and the sun is just going down over the water and you get that sort of ripple effect, which I know is something, Nicholas, you are no stranger to having grown up in Florida. I'm sure you had your share of magical Florida sunsets. But you've worked with the stonemore for boundary setting.

Nicholas Pearson: Yeah. So I remember my very first piece of Labradorite. I think we picked it up at, like, a flea market or something like that when I was in middle school, and I just couldn't believe the earth made something like this. It was just so magical, and I kind of just appreciated it for its beauty and didn't do much else with it for a while, at least. And some years ago, I was doing some intensive training with one of my teachers and mentors, and we were learning about, things like psychic hygiene, shielding, protection, and how all of that kinda supports our our emotional, energetic, and social boundaries too because you can't really have one without the other.

And I was going through all of the techniques as they were being taught to us like a good student is supposed to. And then secretly, outside of my homework, I was doing weird stuff kinda in the same vein. And Laboratorite was one of those allies that just popped up for me in that time frame that just felt so right. And so, I know this is gonna kinda bleed over into some of what you're gonna share with it too, but, I I find it to be just the most marvelous stone for all kinds of boundaries, whether it's energetic or spiritual or social or emotional, because it's just from from the way that it's made to the brilliance of its light, to the kind of deceptive nature of it doesn't have any of those pigments in it, there's something really remarkable about it. So, I wanna, like, kinda unpack this a little bit and start with when we talk about boundary setting, when we talk about protection, we often think about erecting walls.

We want them to be airtight. We wanna keep everything out. And there are times that are absolutely true. We want to do that. But most of the time, like, you don't wanna be sealed in an airtight box.

There's no room to breathe. There's no room to stretch or grow. What we need are selectively permeable membranes just just like we've got around every cell in our body. And without that, we've got problems. So, you know, that idea of a kind of a breathable boundary is so important to my own kind of energetic and emotional health and well-being that it's become a mainstay of my practice.

And as someone who's been given the label empath and highly sensitive person, it doesn't matter if I chose it for myself. I've been labeled that from really young in life, and you can't help yourself but identify with those things when you hear them long enough. And Labradorite was such a good tool for creating these boundaries that help me show up when I need to, to exercise my sensitivity when it is helpful, and also filter out the things that aren't. And if we look at the optical phenomenon that is labradorescence, we actually see what's happening with this energetically in its structure. So, you know, when we look at a nice brilliant flashy piece like this one, it's mostly blue that I keep by the computer as a reminder of healthy boundaries, and some energy support.

What we're looking at is an intergrowth of 2 feldspars that are super closely related. So when we map out the whole feldspar family, they kinda sorta create a triangle. It's like if you took a triangle and took a chomp out of one side of it where they don't mix together, And that bottom line, is where Labradorite's gonna fall. It's somewhere in between the composition of our sodium and our calcium feldspars. And, it's like 30%, 1, 70% of the other, but those are numbers that are really variable.

And they don't have exactly the same refractive index. They don't have exactly the same values because we've got just just a tiny change in them, that they form out of solution and build up these layers. We call them laminae, like, from the same root as the word to laminate to press something between layers. And those laminae can be variable thicknesses. So as light tries to pass through the stone, some of it will get sorted out.

It actually gets diffracted. This is very similar to what happens, like, with an oil slick on a puddle, if you've ever, you know, seen that phenomenon or just watching, you know, a little bubble that you're blowing. It's the same kind of thing. When you see that iridescence and and changing color and stuff, that's because it's the relative thickness of that one little layer that's interrupting. So, the thicker it is, the more into white light it's gonna go.

Thankfully, with labradorite, we get thinner than that. So we get at the really far extreme of it, we get our reds and our oranges, which are appreciably uncommon in the stone. In the middle section, we get our yellows, greens, and into the blues. And in the really, really thin layers, we get our purples and pinks. So the average thickness is in that, like, blue to yellow, part of it.

If you put a bright light behind a piece of laboratory, though, if you force that light through at a different angle, we don't get any of that showing out. We get, you know, gray, brown, black, those kinds of drab colors. And what that's telling us is that that incident light coming from just the right angle is gonna get sorted if it can't squeeze through those layers. Otherwise, it can pass unimpeded when it's not going to correspond to that. And energetically, this is a reminder that when we show up to anything in life, whether we feel, you know, full of energy or a little depleted, whether today's a good day or not, we can still be selective about what we let in and also what we let out.

For folks who are super sensitive, Laborator is a good reminder that you can still be an empathetic listener without being an empathic sponge who takes on everybody else's problems. Because in the words of advice of my dear friend, Dan Lupeccino, who and his words will ring true in my head every week, and I'm gonna censor it ever so slightly. But he reminded me one day when I was having kind of a rough, you know, empathy kind of moment. He's like, Nicholas, I'm gonna tell you what I tell all of my most senior clients. Mind your own effing business.

And I thought, okay. Okay. And then, like, the light bulb hit me like, really? All of this other stuff that's out there is none of my business. I don't need to know it.

It doesn't enrich my life. I can do my job and not take other people's energies home with me. I don't have to leave so much of myself in those spaces either. There is a way that we can be selectively permeable. We can be good listeners.

We can be astute healers. We can be really intuitive, but it doesn't mean that we let those external experiences rule our lives. And Labradorite is this brilliant reminder that if we find the right angle, our own light shines that brilliantly, and it filters out the noise that is otherwise gonna drown us and dim our sparkle.

Ashley: Oh, I love this so much, and I love that you've related this concept of the Labrador Essence and these layers and how that actually works to how we experience the energy of this stone, because I find that to be so true as well. But I want to pose a quick question. You know, every episode we've been talking about a crystal, but also kind of sometimes having some really popular side questions that just just naturally emerge. And this your story kind of got me thinking, Nicholas, about, you know, what are a couple other crystals we might recommend for people who identify as empaths? Because I think this is something that is so common in our wellness community, our crystal community.

I think highly sensitive people are drawn to crystals. We are more open and in tune to those subtle energies of the stones. So, Kyle, do you have any recommendations for other crystals you might recommend for people who identify as empathic?

Kyle: 1,000,000%. And there's always something that I try to remember is a lack of empathy means you're essentially a sociopath. Or right? Like so we all should have a level of empathy. So just know that everyone most people should.

So go, okay. I'm normal. Everyone has empathy.

Each year as we approach Imbolc, I feel something stirring within me, I’m not sure if it’s just the excitement and anticipation of Spring after a long, cold winter here in Wisconsin, or if there’s something more behind it. It’s a sort of yearning to reconnect with the land after spending so much time indoors. Even as I write this we’re in the midst of a big winter snowstorm, and thinking about the year’s first blooms, the sound of the birds, and the squelch of the ground beneath my feet after the spring thaw, all feel so far away.

Yet I can’t seem to pull my mind from thoughts of these things. The little signs that Spring is here always feel palpable. But between the awe of the winter wonderland I enjoy at Solstice and the first warm days when the world seems to come back alive, is one of my favorite holidays…Imbolc.

Imbolc is the first of the cross-quarter days, and marks the very beginning of spring (the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox). A celebration of hearth and home, Imbolc is the perfect time to hold space for renewal, fertility, purification, rebirth, hope, growth, planning, and new beginnings. Imbolc is also when you release what no longer serves you, shedding darker days behind to make room for new growth.

To share some inspiration with you this season, I’ve rounded up the following useful resources about how to celebrate Imbolc:

 

Imbolc & the Wheel of the Year Article:

This article delves into the significance of Imbolc, a celebration in the Wheel of the Year marking the transition from winter to spring. The Wheel of the Year, representing the cycles of light and dark, is a tool for connecting with natural cycles and understanding personal growth. Imbolc, celebrated on February 1st, signifies the first hint of spring. Energies associated with Imbolc are renewal, fertility, purification, and new beginnings. The article provides insights into the traditions, symbols, and deities linked to Imbolc, emphasizing the connection to the Goddess Brigid, a symbol of light, fire, and fertility. It concludes with suggestions for how to celebrate Imbolc, including feasting, divination, planting seeds, and connecting with the energy of the sun. If you want to embrace the Imbolc season, the article serves as a comprehensive guide to the rituals, traditions, and deeper spiritual meaning associated with this important seasonal celebration.

 

Imbolc Altar Cloth and Crystal Set:

This cotton altar cloth features an exclusive Imbolc design featuring my digital collage artwork! Use this cloth to decorate your Imbolc altar and celebrate the turning of the Wheel of the Year. You can also add three of my favorite Imbolc crystals: tumbled Amethyst, tumbled Infinite Serpentine, and rough Pyrite, to enhance your connection to this sacred season.

 

Crystals & A Card Spread for Imbolc Article:

This article provides insight into practical, hands-on ways to celebrate Imbolc. I suggest specific crystals, such as Red Garnet, Carnelian, and Pyrite, to work with during this time. Each stone carries symbolic meanings related to the returning warmth and energy. Additionally, I share a sacred, Imbolc Card Spread for introspection and guidance during this period. The seasonal spread covers aspects of foundation, direction, growth, and illumination. Use this spread to uncover hidden influences, regain clarity, focus on personal growth, and receive Universal messages.

 

FREE Goddess Brigid Coloring Pages:

Celebrate Imbolc with these 3 FREE printable coloring pages to honor Goddess Brigid! These coloring pages (hand-drawn by me!) include images of the Goddess Brigid, a Corn Dolly, and a Brigid’s cross. You can print these pages at home and color as an act of devotion or meditation. Corn dollies are often made in her image and are called “Little Bride’s.” Brigid’s Crosses are woven each Imbolc and hung in the home as a symbol of protection, fertility, abundance, and blessings. May the fire of Goddess Brigid spark inspiration within you today and always!

Crystals for Celebrating Goddess Brigid at Imbolc Article:

The article delves into the celebration of Imbolc, focusing on the goddess Brigid and her association with this significant holiday. The piece emphasizes Brigid's multifaceted aspects, exploring her roles as the healer, hearthkeeper, and goddess of the forge. It provides detailed information on Brigid's myths, symbols, and sacred practices associated with Imbolc. These include the creation of Brigid's Cross and the tending of her eternal flame. Additionally, the article suggests crystals corresponding to Brigid's aspects and offers ideas for incorporating them into your spiritual practice. If you’re seeking a comprehensive guide to honoring the Goddess Brigid during the Imbolc season, look no further. This article provides rich insights into her mythology, rituals, and the symbolic elements associated with her.

Goddess Brigid Ritual Candle:

Place this Goddess candle on your altar or sacred space to invoke the energy of the Goddess Brigid. This candle can be used as an offering at Imbolc, or in ritual to connect with Brigid’s sacred flame. My hand-drawn artwork of Brigid adorns this green candle, the color chosen to invoke action, blessings, and healing. You may also choose to upgrade your Goddess Candle to an altar set that includes 3 stones connected with Brigid: Carnelian, Citrine, Pyrite. You can work with these crystals to amplify your intentions and connection with Brigid. Alternatively, you can place them as an offering on your Imbolc altar.

Biddy Doll Ritual for Imbolc Blessings from Goddess Brigid:

In the Scottish highlands, Biddy dolls (miniature Brigid dolls) are set outside the home or on the hearth during Imbolc. This practice is said to welcome Brigid and her blessings of abundance for the household and crop fields.

The Biddy doll itself is made of corn husks, wheat sheaves, or even a shell wrapped with white cloth. It is then dressed as a tiny, maiden Bride (pronounced Breej) wrapped in white cotton fabric, ribbons, etc. Next, the Biddy doll is placed in a tiny bed or basket, called a Bride’s bed with offerings of food (like bread) and drink (like milk). Sometimes, a wooden stick is placed near the Biddy doll, or across her chest to indicate that the space is ready for Brigid’s arrival. Finally, before bed, the residents call out the door to welcome Brigid into their home.

You can create your own Biddy doll and Bride’s bed and place them near your hearth along with some offerings for Brigid this Imbolc! Then invite Her into your home to receive her blessings.

 

Imbolc Wishes for You!

Blessed be the sacred time of Imbolc, where the gentle touch of Brigid's flame awakens the land from winter's slumber. May the warmth of her hearth, the strength of her forge, and her healing touch guide you through this season of renewal, growth, inspiration, and the promise of spring's embrace.

As you embody the energy of Imbolc, take a moment to connect with nature, light a candle in honor of Brigid, and welcome the whispers of new beginnings. May this season inspire creativity, growth, and a renewed sense of purpose on your journey.

 

 

As crystal healers, it’s essential for us to stay in alignment and flow with each season and its distinct energies. Because Imbolc is such a potent time for channeling inspiration and making space for growth, it presents the perfect opportunity to harness crystal energy to guide you through this season of spiritual renewal and purification. 

 

 

Our Imbolc Digital Download Kit has been thoughtfully designed to help you embrace the magic of the dawning spring, find harmony with the reawakening landscape, and cultivate new beginnings. Filled with beautifully-curated resources and expert insights, this kit is your ultimate companion for unlocking the power of crystal healing during this turning of the seasonal wheel. 

This comprehensive, digital kit includes:

Imbolc Guidebook

Guided Meditation for Imbolc

Imbolc Card Spread

Imbolc Crystal Grid Recipe & Template

 

 

Aligning your energy with seasonal ebbs and flows can be transformative for your spiritual and healing practice. You’ll learn all about this with my Imbolc Digital Download Kit!

 

Sources & Suggested Reading:

https://www.unicorngarden.com/brigid.htm

https://www.learnenglish.de/culture/lafeillbhride.html

https://thesilvervoice.wordpress.com/2014/02/01/irish-tradition-the-st-brigids-cross/

Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #17 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Carnelian meaning, including:

Carnelian for clearing Tarot & Oracle decks

Tyche Retrograde & Carnelian

Less conversation, more action with Carnelian

Evolution of Carnelian's lore

 

Tune in now for a deeper look at Carnelian meaning!

Crystal Confab Podcast Episode 17: Carnelian Meaning - Transcript: 

Crystal Confab Podcast Intro: Are you just starting with crystals? Or maybe you have a whole collection but aren't sure how to use them? Join 4 crystal nerds, healers, workers, and lovers for a casual chat about all things crystals.

 

Adam Barralet: Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of Crystal Confab. When it comes to crystals, there are so many different colors, but orange is one that we all have to have because we need it for our sacral chakra. And I remember a few years ago, I was actually doing a bit of a stop take of all my tumbled stones and realized that I just don't have enough orange crystals. It was actually the color I have least of. But one thing I think everyone has when it comes to orange crystals is the famous carnelian, and that's what we're diving into today.

 

Now carnelian is a crystal that has a long, long history. I believe it might even be mentioned in the Bible. And so I wanna ask Nicholas, tell us a little bit about the evolution and the history of carnelian today.

 

Nicholas: Yeah. I would love to. This is such a fun topic because I think when we look at the body of written lore of all gems, particularly in the nexus of civilization and forward in time, we see so much written about it. And it doesn't always feel very consistent at first, so we kinda have to unpack it piece by piece. So, for those who may not know, carnelian is a variety of chalcedony, which means it's cryptocrystalline quartz, just like onyx, which we talked about toward the top of the the the first season, and it gets its color from small amounts of iron.

 

And, this iron is something that feels kind of intrinsically motivating, grounding, energizing. You pick up any crystal book today, and you're going to find those kinds of keywords. Maybe it's about enthusiasm or energy or creativity. If we go back in time, we might channel the same kind of force to maybe more everyday concerns back then, you know, before we had phones to scroll on and spare time to write and draw, things like war and conquest, but also health and healing. So, some of the earliest magical kind of associations with Carnelian stem from a very kind of mundane use.

 

If you needed to put your seal of approval on something quite literally, you had to have a seal that was carved out of something that you could press into wax or later clay, and it needed to be a material that went in easily and came out easily without residue left over or you didn't get a clear mark on it. And of all the materials that we find in places like Mesopotamia, Sumeru, Babylon, this general region, one of the most important materials for the use of these kinds of seal stones, cylinder seals, and inscribed gems is carnelian. And the reason is kind of twofold. 1st, there's just the mundane functionality of it because of the thermal properties of quartz and therefore of carnelian. It goes into wax really well and comes out very cleanly.

 

Secondly, of all the materials that were available and durable enough to be carved, soft enough to be carved, but durable enough to last, carnelian really fit the bill. It was an added bonus that it was beautiful. Now these cylinder seals were things that were used by people in positions of power. So to own one was to represent your power. So if you were to inherit 1, even if you didn't have a lot of, let's say, like, social currency, it could signify a kind of symbolic agency.

 

And so Carnelian took on these associations with power, with wealth, with strength, with success, with the nature of magic, and would later kind of work its way into a lot of myth and magic all over the world. We see it really prominently used by the Egyptians, by the Greeks, and the Romans. There are definitely mentions of it in biblical literature. We find it as a really prominent stone in the kind of medieval and early modern lapidary tradition where we have these, like, encyclopedias of crystals being written in their time. And, you know, carnelian is just something that has always been just available enough, but just valuable enough to be highly coveted.

 

But it really stems from this archaic, very material use of it. And we've inherited a lot of this body of lore. We look at a stone like this that is bright and red or orange, and we think, you know, astrologically, it's gotta be associated with Mars. It turns out that a lot of iron minerals have been given those associations. The alchemical kind of planetary metal system aligns Mars and iron, you know, hindsight being 2020.

 

We know that the reason that speck in the sky that we call Mars as red is because of iron oxide in its soils. So there is this kind of really interesting link that's connected all throughout. And when we look at the influence of these medieval and classical and earlier sources in the modern day, you can't separate them. Everything we think and do about Carnelian is in some way related to that. And even, like, the word Carnelian that we use today kind of tells an interesting story about this gem.

 

It's originally derived from a fruit, the Cornell cherry, not a true cherry, but it's kind of orangey red colored. But in the early modern period when Latin was kind of romanticized as the pinnacle of academic languages, the name of this stone underwent change from Cornelius or Carnelian to Anglicize it. It became altered by the Latin carnem, meaning flesh, because, you know, inside, our flesh is kinda carnelian colored, and became associated with these themes of embodiment of the flesh, of desire, of our autonomy and agency. So we kinda shifted it from this social magical kind of agency to a very corporeal and bodily kind of agency, and it continues that way to this day. I mean, carnelian's a creative stone.

 

It's a sexy stone. It's a fun stone. It's a a stone that really allows us to be present in life if we engage with it that way.

 

Adam: Nicholas, you mentioned a little bit there about, it became big in Egypt. Now with the more red carnelian, I've actually seen them, labeled as blood of Isis. Can you talk a little bit about that?

 

Nicholas: Yeah. So, I think I know exactly who we can blame for the propagation of this term. In Judy Hyde Judy Hall's The Crystal Bible Series, we see I think it's in the second one where she mentions a specific variety that is a deep red as being called the blood of Isis. Earlier than this, we find DJ Conway's seminal book, Crystal Enchantments. She wrote a couple books on crystals, but this is the one everyone really knows and loves.

 

It's one of those kinds of early a to z dictionaries. She also makes this claim that carnelian was known as the blood of Isis in Egypt. And truth be told, I cannot find to any extent literature derived from Egypt that actually calls Carnelian the blood of Isis. However, there's still a link. So, in Egyptian art and religion, there's a specific kind of, like talisman or amulet that's called a tete or tete.

 

And it looks if we use our imaginations, it reminds us of an ankh, if an ankh had droopy arms. And it's been thought to symbolize a whole lot of different things. It may have been a kind of knot. It may have been a metaphor for welfare or life, but one of the origins proposed for it is that this was a kind of knotted bandage that was meant to absorb menstrual blood, and it became a symbol that represented the goddess Venus the goddess Isis, among other things, had a lot to do with motherhood. And because this item, this symbol was associated with Isis and her blood and represented menstruation and was preferably carved out of red things, including, ceramics and glasses and carnelian and jasper, the stone became conflated with the extra symbolism of the shape it was carved into.

 

And this is something we see lots of times, you know, we've got, you know, for example, the connection between Lapis Lazuli and the evil eye, the, you know, the Nazar Bonsugu amulet, which came first, which was the blue color originally. Does it really matter? So does it matter that the stone wasn't originally called the blood of Isis and only carved in the shape of something that was referred to as holding the blood of Isis. There's still this kind of connection of life force and vitality and and power that comes through, whether we look at it through, you know, the the modern crystal healing, where we we give the title to the stone, or if we look at the kind of historical record and and see that stone is loosely associated with another glyph that is associated with the blood of Isis. Amazing.

 

Adam:  And, Ashley, I think you and I both were about to speak at the same time then. There’s something you wanted to add as well?

 

Ashley Leavy: Yeah. I was just thinking about what Nicholas was saying about Carnelian's use as a seal. And it made me think of, you know, there are so many objects, crystals and other things as well that have a rather mundane use, and we infer their magical properties from that. And I'm just wondering as sort of an aside, even though our episode is about carnelian today, if anyone can think of another example of a stone that has, like, a rather mundane use that we can infer some sort of magical quality from it. 

 

Kyle Perez: Can I start with quartz? Right? Quartz is in clocks and watches, and, like, it's there to just let the electrical current go through. Like, it's doing very mundane stuff. Right?

I am so excited about the first ever World Crystal Healing Day, founded by Nyree of Crystal Auras by Nyree.

World Crystal Healing Day (WCHD), taking place on January 22, 2025, is a groundbreaking global event founded by Crystal Auras by Nyree. This annual celebration highlights the transformative and healing power of crystals, showcasing their ability to support mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. With a mission to raise awareness of crystal healing’s profound benefits, WCHD aims to empower individuals to integrate crystals into their daily lives for enhanced balance and inner peace.

In our fast-paced world, the demand for alternative therapies like crystal healing is rising. WCHD emphasizes the timeless wisdom of using crystals for wellness—whether for calming the mind, balancing emotions, or fostering personal growth. The event also honors the rich cultural heritage behind crystal healing, promoting ethical practices while encouraging individuals to unlock their full potential.

WCHD offers a unique opportunity to unite a global community of crystal enthusiasts and spiritual practitioners. Whether you're a seasoned crystal lover or a newcomer to the practice, this day provides a space to connect, share, and celebrate the power of crystals in healing both individuals and the planet.

 

Tune in now for an interview with Nyree about World Crystal Healing Day!

 

Stay in touch with Nyree on Instagram @crystalauras

 

Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #16 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Larimar meaning, including:

Larimar for abundance & love

Harmonising water & fire elements with Larimar

Larimar for healing your inner child

Full Moon in Cancer & Larimar

 

Tune in now for a deeper look at Larimar meaning!

 

Podcast Transcript:

Crystal Confab Podcast Intro: Are you just starting with crystals? Or maybe you have a whole collection but aren't sure how to use them? Join 4 crystal nerds, healers, workers, and lovers for a casual chat about all things crystals.

 

Kyle Perez: Hello and welcome to another Crystal Confab, where I get to be with some of my favorite people on the planet, talking about my favorite thing on the planet, crystals, minerals, gemstones, and all of that good stuff. Today I'm of course joined j by Adam Barralet, Ashley Leavey, and Nicholas Pearson, and we're going to talk about arguably the most famous or infamous modern crystal mineral of especially the esoteric world, larimar, the beautiful wavy blue pectolite that I'm gonna show you some beautiful pieces of now. This is a really lovely slice of the beautiful Laramar, and this is a beautiful piece where you can actually see the outside of where it was formed. It forms in these beautiful volcanic bugs. And before we dive into it properly, we're going to talk a little bit about sustainability, and I think it's really important with Larimar, and I'm going to open it to the floor of my friends.

 

Who wants to dive in first on this interesting topic of sustainability in gemstones especially related to Larimar.

 

Ashley Leavy: I'll have a go. So when it comes to any crystals and minerals, we were kind of talking before the show about the importance of, you know, discussing ethical sourcing, And that's kind of the first thing I wanna hit on here. And I think that this term ethically sourced is something that we have just seen. People are using a broad brush to paint this idea of ethical sourcing. You'll see, you know, dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of Instagram pages and Etsy shops and everything saying ethically sourced minerals or consciously sourced minerals.

 

And what does that really mean? Because there's no regulation on this phrase. There's no governing body to determine what ethically sourced really means. So when people are using this phrase, don't just take that at face value, dig in a little bit more. In my eyes, there are 4 key components that we have to consider when we're looking at whether or not a mineral is ethically sourced, and there's like a 5th bonus one that I'll tell you about too.

 

So first, are workers paid fairly for their labor? That's a big one because a lot of the time, they are not. 2nd, are workers operating in safe working conditions? And that's one that my colleagues here will pick up specifically in this conversation about Larimar because it's really important to know. So are workers paid fairly and are they working in safe conditions?

 

3rd, is any child labor used to collect those minerals? Because this is something that, again, we see very frequently. 4th, what is the environmental impact of that sourcing? The answer is it's never gonna be 0. So we need to look at what we are okay with and what are we not?

 

Are there reclamation efforts? What is the extent to which there is environmental impact? Does it affect the ecosystem, the plants, the wildlife in the area? Is there, you know, toxic runoff? There are so many things to consider when we're looking at environmental impact and this is why in some countries they're starting to roll out more and more environmental impact studies before mining rights are granted, which is great.

 

We're seeing a little bit of a trend that way. So those are the four things that I kind of look for at a minimum. All those boxes have to be ticked to my satisfaction before I would call something ethical. And Nicholas and I have actually had several conversations about this before, where we've talked about and I'll let him pick up with this in a little bit, but maybe the idea of, like, is there really any truly 100% ethical mineral? Because that's something we have to consider as well.

 

But if we're striving to be more ethical and especially our consumption, looking at those four factors is important. And the 5th thing that I look for, like, when I'm purchasing for my store and not every single thing that we have in stock at my shop is guaranteed ethical because I don't know a lot of those boxes on many of the things that we source when there's an ethical option, I will always choose it. And when there's a really unethical option, I will always avoid it. But the 5th thing that I look for is, does the purchase of those minerals give back in some way to the communities in which they came from? That's like the big extra thing.

 

So does the money go to fund education for children in the area? Does the money go to water projects? Does it go to other environmental, like, cleanup projects? There are so many ways in which that money can be given back to those communities. It doesn't always, but that's like a bonus one.

 

It's not a requirement for me, but it's really, really nice when it happens. So I would love to know because, Kyle, you were saying before the show, you were doing a little bit of research into Larimar, and we are talking about its sustainability, not necessarily environmental sustainability, but sustainability in terms of being a very limited resource and some of the fluctuation we've seen on and off the market, with this stone because of, in particular, those worker safety conditions.

 

Kyle: Exactly. This is something that has been really interesting because something that is so loved and appreciated, it's important to know the story of what's happening behind the scenes. And through its early days of discovery and especially through the nineties when it was really starting to come to the full, all of the mines that were put down were put down with some really dodgy wood. Like, it's moist in those conditions. You're in the tropics.

 

It was kind of fast and quick. And through the years, not just one at a time, all at once, it's been throughout the years, there have been injuries and deaths. And leading up to the closure in sort of 2021, there were, I think, 3, and it was conditioned by the Dominican Republic government and the mining agency that was governing it, which I think was a Canadian one. I can't remember exactly. Forgive me.

 

Don't quote me on it exactly, but it was an external mining company working with it. And through their combined effort, they have reinforced that whole, what do you call it, vein not vein, the shaft to get to the mine with concrete. So it's actually safe for the workers. It's actually going to be reinforced. It's protected from whatever is external.

 

It's keeping the workers as they need to be safe so that they can get their resources. They can work as they should in as safe conditions as possible because this is the thing with mining. It can only be so safe.

 

Ashley: And it's important to note here, you mentioned the Dominican Republic. That's the only place that this mineral comes from.

 

Kyle: Exactly. When something comes from one place and there are a few mines in that one place, but it is literally one country, one place, one resource, so it's going to be controlled. It's only so much of it. It is a very literal finite resource, and we have to respect it as a finite finite resource resource. We can't just expect it to be unlimited.

 

We can't just expect it to always come out perfectly and beautifully and always have that consistent idea of the most perfect piece of Larimar is absurd, you know. Another example would be tanzanite. You know, being from Tanzania, being from those only a few places, it is controlled, and we need to respect these sorts of things and understand that these countries also want to respect their resources and take care of their resources that are going out there into the world. And they have to take care of their people and make sure that they're not being exploited, which we love to do in the west. Sorry.

 

Fact to facts. So it's really important that we love this stone. We appreciate it, but we know that there is so much that goes into it. There are so many things, and one of the things that I love is that I have a source directly in the Dominican Republic that I've been working with for many years that we found by luck, by accident, many years ago, my mother and I and I worked in her shop, and so I've been really lucky to get direct from Sauce. I know where it's going, and I love being able to purchase from him.

 

I'd love to hear, Adam, Nicholas, a bit of your idea about this.

 

Adam Barralet: I was gonna say, I think it's also important, you know, to get a little bit selfish for a second. From a spiritual context, we normally are working with our crystal crystals from that perspective that they are a spiritual tool. We know that crystals hold energy. So if your crystal that you are holding was mined by someone who was fearing for their life, who was only 60 years old, who was being tortured or any of those types of things, what type of energy does that crystal have? So I think it's really, really important to make sure that we are asking some questions and trying to find out as best we can.

 

The other thing is, as well, is people worry, you know, and I sometimes have these conversations with people, you know, should we be taking these things out of Mother Earth? Are we ripping out the bones of Mother Earth in that way? And how I've come to peace with this, and everyone will come to peace with it in a different way? If I'm given a gift from Mother Earth,

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #15 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Snowflake Obsidian meaning, including:

Snowflake Obsidian for balance

Harnessing winter season energies with Snowflake Obsidian

Snowflake Obsidian for working through grief and personal lows

The interplay of stillness and movement within Snowflake Obsidian

 

Tune in now for a deeper look at Snowflake Obsidian meaning!

 

From energetic protection to past life healing, Obsidian is the crystal of transformation. When used with the right intentions, Obsidian acts as a guardian, truth-seeker and mirror to the soul, offering its ancient wisdom to guide you toward deep inner healing. This is why I've created my Unlocking Obsidians Course - to help you uncover and harness the raw, untamed power of Obsidian for empowerment, clarity, and a stronger connection to your authentic self.

In this immersive course, you’ll discover:

Obsidian’s Origins & Formation – What makes this natural glass so unique?

The Many Types of Obsidian – Black, Rainbow, Mahogany, and beyond—each with its own distinct energy.

Practical Techniques – Learn how to use Obsidian for energy clearing, scrying, protection, and deep healing.

How to Spot Fake Obsidian – Ensure your crystals are the real deal.

 

Whether you're a crystal lover, healer, or spiritual seeker, this course is designed to help you embrace Obsidian’s transformative power in a way that feels supportive rather than overwhelming.

 

Podcast Transcript:

 

Crystal Confab Podcast Introduction: Are you just starting with crystals? Or maybe you have a whole collection, but aren't sure how to use them? Join 4 crystal nerds, healers, workers, and lovers for crystal confab, a casual chat about all things crystals.

 

Nicholas Pearson: Hello, and welcome to another edition of crystal confab. My name is Nicholas, and I'm here with some of my best friends, and we're gonna confab about a new crystal. And this week, we don't actually have a crystal to talk about. So, maybe that's a really great place to start. Our ally for the week, our topic, our subject, our friend is snowflake obsidian.

 

And, you know, technically, given that it's obsidian, it's not a mineral, it's not a crystal, it's in this kind of weird liminal space that I think we'll talk plenty about, but, you know, what what reason do we have for throwing a non crystal in our crystal confab?

 

Ashley Leavy: I would love to jump in on this one right away because this is actually a question that I get from my students a lot. Like, you know, is it okay to work with these things that in the healy-feely world, we often just lump everything together and call it crystals, but obsidian, like Nicholas said, is not actually a crystal. The reason that we work with crystals in the world of crystal healing, we can generally agree, there are lots of reasons, but in general, you know, crystals have this perfect orderly structure to them. And it's thought that by bringing that perfect stable structure into our own energy field, into our space, then the energy of our field, our space goes through the process of entrainment and starts to mimic that perfect stable structure of the crystal. But Obsidian, since it doesn't have that internal crystalline structure, why would we still work with it?

 

And I like to think of this as, you know, there are lots of different reasons that we can turn to crystals and point to different crystals and look at where their properties come from, where their energy comes from, because everything has energy in this world, whether it's a crystal or not. Right? So just because obsidian isn't a crystal doesn't mean it doesn't still have this amazing energetic quality to it. And with our stones of all sorts, we can point to a lot of different ways that they get their properties and associations. Like, color is a common one that people turn to, crystal system is another one, but also mythology, lore, historical reference that sort of has been passed down through the generations and is still very much a part of our conscious connection to the stones.

 

And so for me, that is where Obsidian has such a deep well. And I know Nicholas could probably talk about this all day because he wrote about this extensively in his 7 archetypal stones book, but it is one of those companions that have been with humans throughout history. And so there is so much depth to it. And since all things have energy, there's just different ways that we kind of tap into that energy. But, Kyle, what do you think about this?

 

Kyle Perez: Oh, I'm happy and excited to talk about this because this is where our fabulous friend, the volcano, comes into effect. Right? If you think about the energy of volcano, of magma, of the processes of bringing that heat, that power, that pressure from below the Earth's surface up and out and into the world, sometimes in very dramatic ways, sometimes, you know, a little bit more organically, and then the height the heating and the cooling and all of that sort of stuff, it is still silica. Right? This is the key with obsidian.

 

Right? Is it still silica? Silica is what? Quartz. Quartz is what? A crystal. We can still align it to crystalline sort of energy because it still has that within it. It is a natural glass, which we love. It's still a natural thing that the earth has produced and created for us, and I think anything that comes from that method and I know we're going to dive into a whole episode in the future on fossils. Fossils amber being part of that sort of group.

 

There's a lot of, like, non crystals that we can work with, that we connect to, that we love, and that we've appreciated over years. I love that Obsidian in different cultures around the world has been utilized for quite a few different things, but essentially in medicine and in surgery or in war and in fighting. Because of Obsidian's ability to be napped and cut and shaped into blades, it has been used all over the world. I saw a documentary where it has been proven that somewhere in the UK around the Stonehenge era or before, it was used for brain surgery to literally cut open the brain. They've used obsidian as a blade to cut open to get into pressure to relieve the pressure and then put it back open.

 

And because they've seen the healing, they've known that it's been successful to some degree. So to know that for 1000 of years, Obsidian has been a part of our human resource and psyche, I think, is really important. We continue that legacy, and we evolve that legacy, and we turn it into something even more amazing as we connect to it more deeply.

 

Ashley: And I did mention, Nicholas, that you've written extensively about Obsidian. What are your thoughts on this whole concept of working with a non crystal like Obsidian?

 

Nicholas: Yeah. So, you know, I think there are a couple threads here that are gonna intersect. You know, 1st and foremost, when we look at the genesis of Obsidian, it's made out of a lot of things we find in comparable rocks. So I think it's helpful to, like, get a couple definitions here, like, what makes a crystal a crystal and a mineral a mineral and a rock a rock? A crystal is usually a homogeneous solid substance with this kind of unit cell that repeats as this little tiny fundamental, like, building block.

 

And it has a high degree of symmetry, a high degree of order. Given enough space, we get crystal faces. We don't always get that because there's not always enough space. I mean, look at a piece of agate. We can't see those crystal faces, but they're still in there on the microscopic level.

 

And minerals are what happens when we get naturally occurring inorganic crystals. So it's still gotta have that regular composition, that regular structure at that kind of fundamental level. And rocks are what happen when minerals combine, but then we get to something like Obsidian. If we were to hypothetically take a thin sliver of it and look at it with a scanning electron microscope, we could zoom in at a cluster of silica or titania or alumina and and see that there is kinda sorta a unit cell here, but it doesn't repeat, and it doesn't attach to anything else. So when we zoom out, we notice that that short range order doesn't extend into long range order.

 

It's not like our agates and chalcedonies, which have both short and long range order. We can see that a little piece of silica attaches to a longer thread of molecules, which, you know, may not make a perfect, you know, hedral or well formed crystal face in terms of the, you know, perfect quartz crystal, but it's still identifiably quartz. With Obsidian, it's not quite there. It's halfway between the solid and the not so solid. In fact, because it is a glass lacking that long range order, material scientists often will describe the makeup, the structure of glasses as being supercooled liquids.

 

They do not flow. That is an old wives' tale, but they lack the other defining features of most solid substances. However, when we look at those little protocrystals, those not quite crystals that are forming, they are really mineral dense. They're full of things that, you know, we're gonna recognize, pretty darn easily. You've got silica, alumina, potassium oxides, sodium oxides, iron oxides of varying kinds depending on which state of iron it is, and you're gonna find any number of other things.

 

So it's not definitely far from being pure quartz, but the same ratios are the same things we're gonna find in rhyolite and granite and a few other kinds of igneous rocks that are kind of birthed out of the same kind of primordial liquid. And it's that way that it belongs to the rock cycle that I think gives us access to it with equal weight,

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #13 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Bumblebee Stone meaning, including:

Harnessing joy with Bumblebee Stone

Bumblebee Stone for hearth blessings

The complex make-up of Bumblebee Stone and how this is reflected in its energy

 

Tune in now for a deeper look at Bumblebee Stone meaning!

Podcast Transcript:

Crystal Confab Podcast Introduction: Are you just starting with crystals? Or maybe you have a whole collection, but aren't sure how to use them? Join 4 crystal nerds, healers, workers, and lovers for crystal confab, a casual chat about all things crystals.

 

Nicholas Pearson: Hello, and welcome to the crystal confab. I'm Nicholas, and I'm joined today by 3 of my favorite human beings, especially in this crystal world, Adam, Ashley, and Kyle. And every week, we get together in confab about a new crystal. And this week, we've got kind of a fun stone coming out of the toolbox, and I think it'll be a great conversation. We get to unpack a whole lot about it, and that stone is bumblebee jasper.

 

So I'd love to pass it off to Kyle to get us started to talk about the makeup and nature of this stone.

 

Kyle Perez: I am so excited to talk about what I like to refer to and I think we all are more inclined to refer to it as bumblebee stone than bumblebee jasper, and this is an important differentiation. Let me get my mouth around that. It's important to know that a jasper has quartz as its base. Its micro crystalline quartz is what makes a Jasper a Jasper. They throw Jasper on anything that is opaque.

 

We have talked about this in our red Jasper podcast. Jump back to it if you haven't. Listen, this is a stone because a stone is a makeup or an amalgamation of multiple minerals. At least 2, sometimes more. Lapis lazuli is a great example of a stone or a rock because it has lazuli, it has calcite, it has pyrite together.

 

This bumblebee stone, if you are watching, as you can see, is beautiful layers of orange, gray, black, and yellow. Now I'm gonna read my notes because I don't wanna stuff up the pronunciation. Mount Sirumai or Chirumai in Indonesia, West Java. It is a volcanic area and it has up to or over at least half a dozen minerals within it. It has sulfur.

 

It has aurement. It has aragonite. It has calcite and it has pyrite within it. So it has all of these really interesting things going on inside it.

 

And what's really important is if you can find pieces that have actually been, this is something we've talked about as well, been sealed, coated, or reinforced with some form of lacquer because it has toxic minerals within it. It has arsenic. It has sulfur. It has them within the ultimate and the rialga especially. What's really important is especially if you're gonna wear it, hold it, and connect with it in that way because you don't wanna be absorbing the literal toxic levels of these minerals that are contained.

 

If you have these sorts of pieces, which I do have a couple of, these aren't properly lacquered. I don't touch them too much. I will wash my hands afterwards, and I will always make sure that I'm cleaning after working with them. Otherwise, if they have been coded, they're going to be fine. It's important to ask when you purchase, I think, when you're getting them. Yes, Ashley.

 

Ashley Leavy: Kyle, is there any other way that we can know if they're coated? And does it have to necessarily be, like, coated and stabilized? Or what about just a really, you know, like a high polish like you would find on most tumbled stones? Because I know if you think about something like a fibrous malachite. Right?

 

A little bit more problematic when it's just that powdery sort of malachite compared to when it's been polished. It's sort of fine. Same with, you know, potentially, maybe something like a tiger's eye. Right? All those little cresidolite fibers polished, fine.

 

Because they're trapped in that quartz. What's the deal with this if we just get, like, a tumbled stone?

 

Kyle: Well, I think part of the tumbling process is often actually having some form of acrylic or gel or something that actually helps to stabilize it in the process. And I think high polished material takes on a little bit of that smooth smoothness within it, and it helps to contain what's there. Honestly, don't quote me on it because I don't 100% know what everyone's doing in their tumbling process, to be quite honest with you. I am always just on the side of caution with Bumblebee Stone. It's just one of those ones that I would say, just wash your hands afterwards.

 

Adam Barralet: It's one of those ones that also when you're looking at your tumbles, I know you'll see a bowl of them. Some of them will have a set of pendants as well. They have little dips in them where you can kind of there's raw stuff in there, and that would kind of be the ones I would be avoiding and look as though it is a bit more in our eyes, would be a bit more perfect because then, you know, it's well sealed all around. Yeah?

 

Kyle: I totally agree with that. I think that's a really great way of looking at things. And it's the kind of thing that basically, lean away from jewelry because we sweat as humans, especially if it's open backed. You're wearing it as a pendant or a bracelet. We, as humans, will sweat and that's the biggest way that you can kind of make it absorb into your skin.

 

So just be careful. It's one of those ones, but I'm not gonna say don't work with it because it's one of my favorites, and I love working with it. And I think it's really important to work with it as a connection.

 

Ashley: What about with, a piece, you know, you said that it has all these different things and it may be up to upwards of a dozen different types of minerals inside. So if we have, like, one with a really, really vibrant orange, like, maybe more realgar, more orpiment, use a little more caution, don't handle quite so much.

 

Kyle: Like a snake or a frog that's brightly colored, like, the more acerbic its color, I think is a good way to look at things and go, maybe I won't touch that one so much because it's a little bit more harsh. But I think that's kind of where a lot of its energy actually is directed. There is this connection. I think anything that has sulfur, orpiment, rialga, they're very powerful. They help with manifestation, will, confidence, inner strength, but I also feel like they help us with toxicity in our own lives.

 

They help us with toxic people, toxic situations, toxic behaviors. And this is something that I've especially achieved through working with sulfur and anything sulfur based. I love sulfur and quartz, sulfur crystals being half Sicilian. I have a cluster of sulfur that comes from Sicily near Mount Etna and what's really interesting is these come from cracks in the earth crust. This material has formed with the crack.

 

That little opening, it's got heat, it's got pressure, and so all of these things are coming together. For me, it's very like the beginnings of the earth. Like, when things are forming in really funky, complex ways, when you've got all of this stuff coming from the magma up through and then solidifying. And I think the aragonite and the calcite are that really interesting connection to forming quickly because aragonite and calcite as minerals form quicker than, say, quartz and beryl and sapphires. They take less time and they can form over a shorter period, which means it can entrap these other minerals like sulfur, like arapamine, like rialga.

 

And I think if you break them down, you can break down how they work and then bring them together back as a team so that you can work with them. I've broken them down to a couple of words for each one. Calcite brings clarity and awareness. Aragonite, perception and calm. Pyrite, manifestation and practicality, sulfur, destructivity and cleansing, opament, positivity and confidence, and Reaga, protection and creativity.

 

So as a combination, you're bringing inner confidence. You're bringing protection. You're bringing practicality. You're bringing enthusiasm. You're bringing excitement.

 

And I think that's where, like, the naming of the bumblebee stone really works because bees do their thing. They do the thing. They do their job. They work. They go out looking for the flowers.

 

They pollinate. They get the thing. They go back and they make the honey. Like, we as humans overthink everything. We're so drawn to overthink everything and I think that's where Bumblebee Stone comes into its own . Stop overthinking.

 

Use your mind well. Use your energy well. Do what you need to do. Simplify and make it happen instead of overthinking and getting yourself stuck in inaction, And I think that's where I love working with Bumblebee Stone, to do the thing, to get going, to make things happen, to push myself creatively, to get out of my comfort zone. If I need to do public speaking, if I need to create something where I feel a bit stuck and I don't know how to make it happen, I think instead of thinking about what I can't do, it brings you to all the little things that you can do.

 

If you break them all down, it's like what little things can I do? I can maybe do a bit of research and read a couple of books before I start something. Maybe I need to break it down into bite sized chunks so I can see what's easiest to do first and maybe where I need a little bit of help. It allows you to. I think that's calcite really coming into its own. I love calcite for finding clarity in situations, and I think bringing that to the fore is really important with Bumble Bee stone.

 

It's not just about playing in positivity, which we love. It's actually about what can I do? And that helps you to feel more positive.

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #14 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Arfvedsonite meaning, including:

Creating cosmic connection with Arfvedsonite

Working with Arfvedsonite to enhance spellwork

Arfvedsonite & the New Moon in Capricorn

 

Tune in now for a deeper look at Arfvedsonite meaning!

Podcast Transcript:

Crystal Confab Podcast Introduction: Are you just starting with crystals? Or maybe you have a whole collection, but aren't sure how to use them? Join 4 crystal nerds, healers, workers, and lovers for crystal confab, a casual chat about all things crystals.

 

Adam Barralet: Hello, and welcome to another week of crystal confab. You know, I sometimes wonder if I was to discover a crystal, would everyone call it instead of Barralet mispronouncing my name? Well, today, we're gonna talk about another crystal that poor Johan Arfwedson probably gets rather upset often because he was a Swedish chemist who discovered Arfvedsonite, the crystal that we're going to be exploring today. Now this is a bit of a confusing crystal. It is a bit of a rarer one.

 

You will find it occasionally in crystal shops, but even identifying it may be a bit of a challenge. So I'm gonna talk to my other crystal gurus and see what they can recommend on what we can do with Arfvedsonite and how we even work out if it is Arfvedsonite. So here I have 2 different crystals that are in my hand. They're both black. They're both sparkly.

 

This one, when I bought it, was labeled as a strophylite, and this one was labeled as Arfvedsonite. And maybe, Kyle, could you start off by maybe shedding some light on how we work out if Arfvedsonite is Arfvedsonite?

 

Kyle Perez: Well, for me, the most simple way that I've learned to differentiate between the 2 is the simple color shift. I see that within the especially polished stones, it's not as easy within the crystalline form because the crystalline form is quite similar and you don't see that sheen as much. But in the tumbled stones, polished pieces that you kind of see everywhere around the world, It is a bluer flash that you will see within your Arfvedsonite. I don't know if this piece will show up. I think it's showing it off.

 

You can see a little bit of that blue flash. Whereas with your stropholite, it's yellow. I always see that bright yellow flash. It's more of like a yellowy beige, maybe even a little bit of orange, whereas you'll always see the bluey teal shift of color with Arfvedsonite that I've seen, but I think Nicholas might even be able to shed some more light on that.

 

Nicholas Pearson: Yeah. So, in simplest terms, the majority of any of the astrophyllite we're gonna have access to in the market has crystals that are always perfectly parallel, and they're usually in a very pale quartz matrix. They're more rod shaped, whereas with Arfvedsonite, it undergoes more intense metamorphism and will always be fibrous and kind of twisted. It can have a blue flash. Astrophylite will never have a blue flash, but Arfvedsonite could also be green or gold or orange or several other colors.

 

So if you've got this dark swirly matrix, it is guaranteed to be closer to Arfvedsonite than anything else, but I actually know how they got confused.

 

Adam: But it's not.

 

Nicholas: Yeah. So this is a case of someone attempting to get the chemistry right, and they came very close. So these materials that we usually see labeled Arfvedsonitet are actually, like, more more accurately. A geologist would describe them as, like, quartz amphibole schist. And the predominant species of amphibole, because amphibole is a really big and complicated group of chain silicates, the dominant species will either end up being Arfvedsonite or anthophyllite.

 

Anthophyllite is something we don't see written about in the crystal world hardly ever, and it looks a lot like the name astraphylite or astrophylite, which people know better. So it was the fact that anthophyllite was listed in, the ingredients of this quartz amphibole schist that made people confuse it with astrophyllite, astrophyllite, and then that's where the confusion stayed. But if you've got these schists, sometimes you find little garnets in them. That's another telltale sign that it is not astrophyllite and will definitely be towards the Arfvedsonite or anthophyllite end of the spectrum instead. In truth, there are probably multiple of these chain silicates in there, but Arfvedsonite is the one that usually gets first billing if someone does it correctly.

 

Adam: So we're clear that we've now got our piece of Arfvedsonite. We've got it in our hot little hand, or we're wearing another piece of jewelry. Kyle, what do you find that's really good for you?

 

Kyle : For me, it's been a really incredible stone that's helped me on my journey. That's really allowed me to be able to be comfortable losing myself. That's been part of my journey is really allowing myself that permission to not be as much of a control freak as I like to be because I'm a total control freak, and I love to know all the answers, and I love to know everything that's happening, and I love to know why and the ins and the outs. And it is a story that came to me in a period of my life where it was like, let go. Go with the flow and enjoy yourself.

 

I literally found this beautiful heart on my trip to Europe. It was on, I would say, my 3rd day of this trip. We were walking through the streets of London and we found a really cool little crystal shop. Doesn't matter where I go in the world, I'll always stumble upon a little crystal shop somewhere, and this just had the littlest glint of light on it in the corner, and I'd never seen Arfvedsonite written. I couldn't pronounce it when I first read it.

 

I think I tripped it up when I picked it up and I was like, I have no idea what you are, but I need to bring you home with me. I just it's one of those immediate, you know, when you see it, you know it, you need it, it needs to come with you. And I felt so enamored and excited, and our first three days of that trip were whirlwind crazy. Like, we did so much in 72 hours. I was kind of freaking out a little bit and kind of needing a little bit of, like, it's all gonna be okay.

 

Like, yes, it's crazy. We had all of these ideas planned for the middle of our trip but we had literally booked the in and the out for a month in Europe. We had a place to stay, which was our friend's apartment. Nothing else planned but we were going to go to Spain, we were going to go to Scotland, and we're going to go to Stonehenge and Bastevere. All of this was planned without being properly organized.

 

We got this heart early. I remember sitting and whenever we were sitting doing our planning for the rest of the trip, which we did in that first next couple of days, this heart was in my hand. Like I felt really comfortable sitting, holding, and it was like, just go with the flow. Don't feel like you need to control everything. It will work out because if you've ever traveled without planning everything and you're a control freak, the idea of not knowing which hotel you're going to next, not knowing which plane you're getting on, I was starting to kind of get really overwhelmed, and I had had like no sleep.

 

So I was like, Felix, we and he's like, it's fine. It'll be okay. Like, just sit, relax, chill. It'll be okay. We managed to get flights to and from Amsterdam with a hotel, flights to and from, Scotland with a hotel, and flights to and from Spain with a bus in between with 2 hotels, all and a hire car, all in the space of a few days of not really trying.

 

And it all kind of really, really worked out really well. All aspects of that trip worked out really well. And of all the things that I packed away, this was the one that actually stayed in my hand luggage and traveled with me for pretty much the whole trip wherever we went. I found it was like it needed to be with me. It needed to guide me through this expansive process and allow myself to go wherever you go, just go with the flow.

 

Wherever you go, you don't have to plan thoroughly. Or if you plan and plans go awry, that's also okay. And that could not have been more true than especially on the second or third to last day we went to Glastonbury and Stonehenge. I was really excited about this. My husband was excited because he got to drive an Audi as a hire car.

 

Like, he was very happy with himself and those country roads are beautiful and terrifying. And we left London and it was raining. Like beautiful summer English rain. Like it was peeing down and it was like I was like oh my god this is not gonna be a time. We were going past Stonehenge.

 

It was pissing down, pardon me, and it was like you know what? We'll stop on the way back. Let's go to Glastonbury. Let's just go there and we'll come back on the way back and we may take a few, like, half photos. It was cool.

 

Oh my god. And it was raining on and off, raining on and off. We got into Glastonbury. The sun comes out and it is beautiful, and everything's glistening because it's just rained. But the main streets were flooded.

 

Like, shops were literally, like, sweeping water out of their shop fronts. It was kind of like, okay, let's not go shopping right now. We'll go to Glastonbury Abbey. We went and sort of explored. We had the most perfect time while we were there.

 

The sun was out. We got to do the tour. We got to explore. We got to find a crystal shop that wasn't flooded to buy some beautiful things, so we had lunch. Like everyone was like, you timed it really really well.

 

It worked out really well for you. And we're like, cool, awesome. We'll head back. We'll try to get to Stonehenge on the way home and it was actually closed.

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #12 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Citrine meaning, including:

Working with Citrine during the Solstice

Tapping into the spirit of celebration with Citrine

Harnessing Citrine energy to unlock your full potential

Plus, tune in for a look at whether or not natural Citrine is superior to heat-treated Citrine!

 

Tune in now for a deeper look at Citrine meaning!

 

Podcast Transcript:

Crystal Confab Podcast Introduction: Are you just starting with crystals? Or maybe you have a whole collection, but aren't sure how to use them? Join 4 crystal nerds, healers, workers, and lovers for crystal confab, a casual chat about all things crystals.

Ashley Leavy: Hello, and welcome to another amazing episode of the crystal confab podcast. I'm Ashley Leavy joined by Nicholas Pearson, Adam Berlay, and Kyle Perez. And we are so excited to be chatting with you today about, I think, one of all of our favorite crystals, citrine. But even though this is one of our favorites, it is also a highly controversial stone for one big reason that many of you can probably already guess. Kyle, what is that controversy over citrine?

Kyle Perez: Well, I think we all know it's natural versus heat treated. Those terms will always come up for citrine, but, weirdly, they don't come up for other minerals. And I just want to start by saying, if you have a really nice ruby or sapphire, maybe even an emerald or topaz, it is more likely than not, especially in jewelry form, that it has gone through some form of heat treatment or irradiation. So it's actually really important to know off the cuff straightaway that so many crystals and minerals go through the heat process. It is to clean them up, make them a nicer color, change their color.

All of these things happen, and it's less out of malice and more out of need. It's more out of desperation. Right? There's not enough of it. There's more desire for this.

So it has been happening for decades. It's not something that's new to the business, and it's not something that I think we should be so up in arms about. Yes. There is some bad heat treatment that does happen to our poor amethyst, and it can make it a bit crumbly and a bit sad, but if the heat treatment is done correctly, it's beautiful. And what the heat treated citrine actually represents is something that forms naturally, which is Madeira Citrine.

If you've ever seen natural Madeira Citrine, I have a couple of pieces that kind of replicate that sort of color. I don't know if it's gonna work very well because I'm on my phone this week. Madeira actually means wood in Portuguese, and so it has that orangey brown wood tone that forms naturally through the heating and the radiation that happens below the Earth's surface. So it's gonna have iron in it and likely trace elements of aluminum too. It has been heated to a certain point, and that's where we get that beautiful range of color and tone from citrine.

There are 2 really important points that separate natural versus heat treated to actually see whether or not one is all of the other, and it's dichroism. Dichroism is the play of 2 different colors or at least 2 colors. And what you will see with citrine is one color when you look at it down one axis, and then we call this the c axis when you're looking directly down the point, and you'll see a different tone. This is a beautiful African citrine coming from Zambia, nice and light. And what happens is that it just shows you that the crystal is natural.

It has an orientation, and that shows that natural citrine side. Your heat treated citrine will very not show the dichroism. It's gonna show 1 rich, strong color, generally more orangey, generally more warm in its tone, generally stronger and more vibrant, and that's how I like to break down and separate them energetically. I think both of them have their place. Both of them are amazing, and I will honestly meet someone in the car park if they don't think either are valid.

I appreciate the fact that hatred is about focus. It is about direct focus, and this is one of my favorite guys. This is a great skull named Midas, the Midas touch, if you will, one beautiful natural point on the top with the skull face in it. And energetically taught me so much about doing. Just doing.

Get it done. Do the thing. Make it happen. Get enthusiastic. Be excited.

Be creative. Whereas natural citrine this is a lovely African natural citrine skull that I have that is more of a connection to doing things with more cadence, doing things with more pace, and allowing yourself to energetically have that enthusiasm and and excitement, but for a more long term thing. I think heat treated is more short term, really focused, do things quickly, do creative things, get yourself up off your bottom, try to get tasks done, unlocking creativity. Whereas I find natural Satrina, I'm called upon to wear it every day. I actually wear a piece in my ear every day as a day to day stone because it helps me stay buoyant.

It helps me stay flexible and adaptable. It helps me with clarity. It helps me with being positive, and I also find it protects with positivity. Whether it be the heat treated or the natural, I find citrine is one of the most powerful protectors that we can actually work with. Because when you are working from a place of positivity and joy and optimism, like, you're kind of pushing away all of that other stuff.

You find yourself to be much more magnetic to the good, magnetic to the fun. This episode is coming out pretty much on my birthday, which I'm very excited about, and the solstice. And this week of the birthday and the summer solstice for us in the sum summit southern hemisphere is the time that I work with my citrine the most because it is a solar time. It is warm. It is hot.

We are engaging with that heat. We're engaging with that celebration. We're engaging with that. More is more energy of the summer solstice. Pleasure is at the forefront.

Family is at the forefront. Celebration and joy and being outside, and all of these things align to the energy of Satrine in such a powerful way. And that's why I've been working with it all day, every day, pretty much for my whole crystal working life. Yeah, Adam.

Adam Barralet: I love what you had to say there. You were so poetic in differentiating, and I think what you said, the 2 citrines were almost like 2 different crystals, aren't they? And I normally describe them as they're both stones of happiness. Natural citrine is ah, whereas heat treat is more, woohoo, in that type of way. But I'd love to know from everyone else, you know, how are we feeling about this idea of humans tampering with crystals? You know, I think there's a fine line. You know, the climate is getting hotter. Sometimes in natural environments, we can get that natural to train in that way.

Maybe when we have a 2,000 degree day, all our amethyst will turn to citrine. But, you know, is there a fine line between heating crystals and maybe injecting them with dye or something like that? What do you reckon, Ashley?

Ashley: I really have an okay relationship with heat-treated minerals. I'm fine with it because even though the process is a little bit different and helped along by humans, relatively kind of what's happening is that the minerals are being heated. However, a lot of minerals that are heat treated are also artificially irradiated. We can have both to get these different color combinations and that sort of thing. You'll find this a lot in topaz, zircon, things like that.

I personally don't love working with artificially irradiated minerals. I just feel energetically a little disconnected from them. I just don't tend to resonate with them. So if it's something that's been heat treated and artificially irradiated, I tend to steer clear. The same for me is true of dyed stones.

I know a lot of folks that work with them and if it brings you joy, I feel like going for it. There are some benefits that we could consider, like maybe the sort of magical properties of color that come into play when we're working with a dyed mineral. But for me, knowing that there is something else other than that crystal just as it came out of the earth, this like artificial dye, even if it were a natural dye, I'd probably still feel the same way, it's just something that's not just the crystal. And for me, I struggle with that. But then, you know, we also think about auric quartz, which we just talked about in a recent episode.

We were discussing auric quartz and I'm kind of okay with that because at least you have the quartz and then you have these metals which are natural. So it really comes down to, I think, personal preference, personal experience, how you feel when you're working with those stones. But, Nicholas, I'd love to know your opinion on this too.

Nicholas: You know, I I think I'm kind of in the same boat, or I've got a foot in each realm. There are some treatments that I feel pretty copacetic about and others that make my skin crawl. And, you know, there is nothing new under the sun. We chatted about this in previous episodes about how some of these treatments have been around for a very long time. You know, the making of black onyx dates back to, like, the Hellenistic period in ancient history.

And, we see similar things with the heat treatment of precious and semi precious gems to improve their color. So, I don't really have anything against heat-treated gems. I don't love irradiated ones. Stabilization is one I feel kind of ambivalent about. If it means I can afford something and it will last, I will get it stabilized.

If it means I cannot afford it and it probably will not last, I'm not gonna get the unstabilized version. So, it's kinda something that I take on a case by case basis. And,