Tag: Wickedstones

How to use Crystals to reduce Stress

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A Quick Meditation Guide Using Crystals

I wish a had a magic wand that would allow me to say, “STRESS BE GONE!” and I could wave it and “WHOMP!” I’d feel the anxiety, worry and stress wash away from me.

Sadly, I’ve not created that yet. But I can get close with the use of healing crystals. It’s not an instant fix. Healing emotions takes work and intention to make the changes you seek. Crystals partner with those intentions to allow you to work with their energies to find a sense of balance and calm.

So how do I do that???? You might be asking.

How to meditate with healing crystals. A tutorial from Wicked Stones

First, you need to discover a crystal. There are SO many out there, so it can be daunting at times to be able to pick the right one. If you don’t already have a favourite book or website you use, feel free to check out my site at Wicked Stones where I have a list of healing crystals and their healing properties. Read up on the healing properties and see how you feel inside. Is there a type of stone or a colour that is calling to you? That just feels right? Then follow that path to see where it leads.

Once you have your crystal, it’s time to work with it. I’m jumping ahead a few steps here as there are going to be more posts on how to cleanse your gemstones and connect with it. An effective way of dealing with stressful situations, moods and situations, is to use breathing techniques for calmness while having your crystal with you. You may be wearing it around your neck or holding it in the palm of your hands. It depends on your unique crystal. Find a quiet place that you can sit and spend time alone without being disturbed for a period of time.

Steps for calming your thoughts:

  1. Find a place where there are few distractions – you can even choose to go to your car if you have one just to find a bit of peace.
  2. Turn off or mute your phone. Don’t worry, it wont be for long.
  3. Hold your crystal in the palm of your hand OR if it’s a jewelry piece, ensure you are touching it.
  4. Find a comfortable position.
  5. Take a few moments to bring about a state of relaxation by taking a deep breath through your nose, expanding your lungs and diaphragm.
  6. Hold the breath for a few seconds.
  7. Slowly exhale through your mouth. Do this several times until you feel relaxed.
  8. As you are breathing, allow the energy from the crystal to align with you and give you a touch point to focus on.
  9. Feel the stone’s energy (calming flows, soothing, stability or whatever the crystal you are using helps you with). Allow it to align with your intentions as you breathe in and out. For worry, anxiety and stress, allow the crystal’s calming vibrations to flow through you and release the negative energy.
  10. Continue to breathe and visualize this calm energy flowing through you.
  11. If you sense negative energy coming to the surface in your thoughts, try to visualize this energy as a colour or shape and allow it to flow out of you and gently into the ground. Give it time to flow from you as you no longer need it to support your intention of peace.
  12. Try to do this for at least five minutes to release tension.
  13. When you are done, take a moment to rest before getting up. Too quickly, and your balance may be off. Open your eyes and bring your breathing back to normal.
  14. A quick tip to help restore balance before standing up, is to put the palms of your hand on the ground and release the energy you have been working with and say “thank you for your help.” Think of tree roots and how they reach into the ground and allow anything excess you don’t need to support you in your calmer mood, to go back to the earth.
  15. Wait until you feel a bit more alert and ready to continue on with your day.

 You can find peace.  You can embrace serenity and calm.  Release that which no longer is helping you. 

https://www.wickedstones.com/crystalsforpeace

Crystals for worry, stress and anxiety at Wicked Stones in Canada

Calm those naggy thoughts! How to use Amethyst crystals

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Bills.. dishes.. let the dog out.. did I let the dog out?  bills…. paperwork.. taxes.. where did I put that receipt? Did I unplug the flat iron? Oh damn, my laundry is still in the wash and it’s 10pm! Ugh.. did I let the dog out on time? Oh I hope she does not pee on the floor..  Is the house on fire? I’m sure I unplugged the flat iron!..

UGH! We all get this.. the nagging thoughts that get in our way when we are trying to do something quiet and calm with our minds and bodies.  In this case, you could try working with a piece of Amethyst to see if it may help you to soothe those thoughts and focus on what you are trying to accomplish.

If you have a piece you are ready to work with, try closing your eyes, relaxing and letting the stone connect with you.  Feel it in your hands (if you are holding it) or let it touch your skin if it’s a piece of jewelry.  Take a few minutes to breath deeply and let those daily stresses leave you and sink back to Mother Earth (it’s okay, any negative energies won’t hurt the earth, it’s there for you to release them so you can heal and move on.)  It may take more than once or twice to feel a difference, but every time you meditate or relax, try to caress or feel the stone and allow it to partner with you to filter down those busy-bee-babbling-inner-thoughts.  After a while you may suddenly be aware that you *are* relaxed and calm.

I often will use  Amethyst when I am doing my Yoga practices as it helps me to block out all those naggy thoughts – like exactly the ones you see above!) LOL… and yes it does help me. I’ve talked with other clients over the years who have also had great success with this type of healing crystal.  It may be worth a try if you are having trouble with those rambling thoughts like this.

I do try to keep this crystal in stock in my shop at Wicked Stones as it’s a regular one that folks end up picking up.  If you don’t see any? Send me a note and I’ll get right back to you if we have any in the shop just waiting to get put up.

You can relax..  you can let go of all the muddle fuddle in your mind and focus..

Stress Begone! Agate crystal healing

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Kick off the stresses of the day….

Agates are a powerful crystal that can help you to relax during times of stress and turmoil and let all those nasty energies go away.

It does this by grounding your energy and giving you a better sense of balance.  This can be really helpful when you are in a situation where you feel overwhelmed and confused about what to do or what direction to take.  When you are balanced, you can more easily look at the problems in front of you and discover paths you can take.

Agates are also great for inviting luck and abundance into your life.  Abundance can be anything from wealth to good energy and vibes.  Or people around you that bring you happiness and joy.  Abundance is not always about finances, it is what brings the best to you and gives you happy feelings.

Looking for more centering and calming crystals? Visit Wicked Stones and find your healing crystal.

And yes, I do wear an agate from time to time…  especially when I’m looking at a pile of monthly bills going “what? hey! where did you come from!” Ugh!

Tetkite and connecting with the energy of Thor

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Tektite – a powerful crystal for connection with Thor (God of Thunder and Lightening)

Tektite meteor jewelry
One of a kind meteor jewelry

This is a natural Tektite and it is formed when meteors hit the planet and then fly back into the sky (while melting rocks and other things around them) and crashing back down to the surface.  As they drop, they cool into these interesting shapes.   Some say that this stone helps to connect with healing energies from the guardians of the Pleides (a group of stars within the Taurus constellation).

In ancient times, this stone was associated with the Gods of thunder and lightening (Thor – Viking culture).  Also excellent for attracting wealth, working with dreams, releasing stresses and letting go of things you no longer need in your life.  Looking to make changes? The energy of this crystal can partner with you on your journey.

This, and other awesome pieces in this area of my shop (clicky clicky)

Thanks for reading..

Handy Mohs Hardness Chart

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Once and a while I like to share other websites.

This is one I found and really find helpful.  The site is called Geology.com and it’s jam packed FULL of great information and well worth a visit.

They also have a great MOHS chart that tells you the harness – softness of gemstones, crystals and minerals.  Here’s where you can find it : Click here and a new window will open.

Okay so why is this an important site for me? (You may be asking yourself).  This chart is not only hand for mineral collectors and those who work with gems to turn them into jewelry, it’s especially handy for someone who wants to wear gemstones.  If you don’t realize you are wearing a “soft” stone, you may cause damage to it by wearing it under certain circumstances.

Selenite is a 2 on the MOHS scare

I’m going to show you an example:  I often sell pieces of Selenite and I also see it quite a bit offered as healing wands and crystals you might carry around for working with Moon energy.

What you may not know, off hand, is that Selenite is actually from the Gypsum family which is a very soft stone.

On the MOHs scale, its around 2 – that means it will scratch and break very easily.  That’s where a handy chart like this might be hand when you are looking at purchasing healing crystals online.

When you can’t feel a gem, mineral or crystal in person, it’s sites like these that can help you to make the right decision on what stone you might like to share your healing journey with.

Cheers!

Leopard Jasper Healing – when you just need a little oomph to get you moving forward.

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Oh how I love Leopard Jasper!!
Leopard Jasper healing gemstone by wicked stones

Leopard Jasper is one of those gemstones that I’m always picking up and using as I get tired… zzz.. I get tired of working on my website.. tired of answering emails.. blah blah blah.. tired of doing the dishes.. tired of sweeping.. same old same old same old..   I get stuck in a rut and I need a little help to just get me motivated and up over the hump so I can move forward.

Leopard Jasper  is one of those stones that imparts a little energy back into your life when things are feeling low and blah.  When working with this stone, you can find it within yourself to face the rest of the day and begin to plan what comes next in your future.  It does not necessarily being to you what you want but more of what you need.  You are strong and you are motivated, you sometimes just need a partner along your journey to bring that out in yourself.

This gem is natural, which means that there is no dye used anywhere to create the colours and patterns you see.  But it’s not just visual, these patterns can often be felt with your fingertips as there is quite often times that Leopard Jasper has interesting textures to discover.

Just like the leopard LEAPS forward to catch his or her prey – you too, can leap forward and get on with your daily dreary chores..

You can find many crystals for strength and energy by visiting my crystal healing website by clicking here. 

Cheers from the studio!
Wicked Stones – healing gemstone jewelry in Ontario Canada.

Northern Ontario Quartz

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A few years ago, we lucked into a fabulous batch of gorgeous Quartz that was picked in Northern Ontario.

Just recently, I’ve asked Rob to put a few in the tumbler so that we could see how it would look once it was pre-polished.  Originally, our intent was to use it to create a stunning path between our garden beds (or in other areas, as we’re always planning and *discussing* where this or that goes – ha ha).

This is me looking at the pieces pre-tumble:

 

Vikki Soros working with natural crystals
Vikki Soros working with natural ontario crystals.. aren’t they pretty?

These pieces, at the time, were very very sharp but still amazing looking!

Quartz crystals have a lot of great energy about them.  Many who wear and use them, have talked to me about how relaxed they feel as they remove negative energy to transform it to positive.  This stone is often used for relaxation, meditation and Yoga practices as it helps to center and focus the thoughts.  I do carry a nice selection of quartz on my site if you would like to pop over and have a peek (click here and a new window will open).

The tumbler mix was opened just a few days ago.. after running for over three weeks.  And here’s what came out!

Rob Armstrong Quartz gemstone wicked stones
Rob Armstrong at Wicked Stones checking out our first batch of Ontario Quartz in the rock tumbler

They turned out incredible!

Wicked Stones Ontario Quartz gemstones
Ontario Quartz from our Rock Tumbler at Wicked Stones

I’m thinking that over the winter I’m going to start a whole new section on my website (Wicked Stones) that will feature local and Ontario Gemstone jewelry.

I’ll just need more coffee and be able to clone myself to get all these neat ideas we have done 🙂

Cheers everyone! I’ll try to keep this blog more updated this winter..

Red Jasper From Northern Ontario – A peek into Lapidary work from Wicked Stones

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Vikki Soros and a few pieces of Red Jasper from Wicked Stones
A few pieces of Red Jasper from Wicked Stones

Today is Red Jasper day in the Rock Lab

It’s Cold outside.. brrr.. but Rob is still out there in the Lapidary shop working away on pieces of red Jasper that he picked up in his travels in Northern Ontario.

We’ve gone from the bare rough rock, all the way to polishing it to a gleaming shine (it’s sooo pretty!).  The pieces you see in the photo above are about half way through the polishing process.  Here he is working on the buffing wheel to try to give it more of a shine.

Rob working in the Lapidary shop with Red Jasper at Wicked Stones
Rob working in the Lapidary shop with Red Jasper at Wicked Stones

Here’s a picture of how it’s coming along.

Red Jasper from Northern Ontario by Wicked Stones
Red Jasper from Northern Ontario by Wicked Stones

It’s turning out really amazing so far!

Red Jasper is naturally this colour – no dye has been used to create these rich powerful hues of red, black and white.  If you are drawn to this gem, it’s good for helping to combat against exhaustion and for maintaining physical stamina. In Teutonic legend, the hilt of the magical sword of Siegfried (the dragon slayer and ill fated lover of the mystic Brunhild) was inlaid with red jasper to give him courage.  I find that it also helps to pick me up (mentally) when I’m feeling low and blahhhh….

Red Jasper has a stabilizing effect on the wearer’s energy keeping them calm and balanced – now who can’t use a little of “THAT” these days!?…

It gets you going on days you need a little extra boost and the ability to stay focused no matter what the day throws at you.

Want to recall your dreams? Try putting this gem under your pillow at night.

Red Jasper is a powerful protection stone against psychic and physical threats and will return negative energy to the sender.

I hope you enjoyed this wee peek into our rock shop…

Cheers!

Coupon Code for Wicked Stones (deals!)

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I know it’s still early for Christmas and Yule shopping..  but I wanted to get this coupon code posted so that if you were looking for something? You could get a few dollars off your orders.

http://wickedstones.com/coupons-discounts-at-wicked-stones/

The coupon code to use on my site is 10OFF and that allows you to get 10% off everything in my shop until December 31.

Enjoy!

Finding the Artist inside of you! Gems for Creativity

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Yes, in my secret world beyond this computer screen, I’m an artist.

Vikki Soros - My secret life away from the rocks and gems

I spent several years of my life in College here in Northern Ontario and met some amazing people who helped me to be able to reach inside of myself and bring out my creative side.  Being creative is an incredibly healing way of letting your inner thoughts be released into the universe!

An artist is not just one who paints or draws, an artist is someone who writes, or speaks.. or works with various medium that might seem non traditional to others.  It might be photography, crafting, working with clay, telling stories, singing, dancing… there are no limits to what lays inside of you that you can tap into for expression.

Vikki Soros working on a paddle artwork donation for the Sudbury Theater Center

So now let’s tie my two passions together shall we? Yes, you can use gemstones to help you to reach inside of yourself to find that creative spark!

How does that work exactly? Well, its tricky since I can’t really see inside of your brain to see how you are personally wired 🙂 So I’ll try to simplify things for you.  Gemstones are again, like Trigger tools (like I talked about in my previous post about dealing with stress here in this blog).  Working with crystals and gems is an ancient art that has been used for many rotations of our planet.

Gems emit an energy that you can connect to and depending on the stone type, this energy can help work with an area of change you are seeking.  In this case, we’re talking today about creativity.  Over time, those who have worked with gems have recorded their findings – even my own clients have gotten back to me over the decades to talk to me about how individual crystals work with them and benefit their lives.

Working with healing stones at Wicked Stones
Working with healing stones at Wicked Stones

People, just like you, have connected with particular stones for their needs and found that they do help.  It has been used for so long now that others have written books about these findings and they are now being used by the masses as reference points to use for gemstone healing.

So how do I use them?

Because stones emit an energy that helps to connect (or align) with your creativity, the best method is to begin wearing a particular type of stone that really calls to you.  When I say “calls to you” I mean, that emotionally you get a feeling of “OOOAHH” when you see it and you just know you want to have this in your life.

Let the stone connect with you and be a part of your creative process and be aware that it is with you on this journey.  After a time, you and your stone will develop a sort of kinship or bond that you may find will help uplift your mind and spirit to connect with those energies you need for creative thinking.

We are all individuals and a stone that might work for person (a) may not work for person (b). So when choosing YOUR gem, don’t let others try to tell you what you should have.  Use your instincts to pick your healing stone, do your research on what a stone can do and then, go with your hearts desire 🙂

Be Creative!
Be Inspired!

You can do it…. 🙂

And ps.. I use gems personally when I am suffering from writers block as well as when I’m working with paints and other artist’s media.