There are 3 gateways into ourselves: through the Mind, through the Heart, and through the Body. Crystals are experienced the same way – by touch (through the Body); how they make you feel (the Heart) – and via what you think about them (the Mind). I have identified 3 stones that (to me) embody each gateway. Amethyst is one – for its power to represent Spirit – specifically in “point form.” I’m talking about a point as separated from a cluster. Clusters have a different function, to act as?Spiritual Cleansers. Amethyst is the ultimate Higher Mind stone. This is true because it speaks to the connection between Self and Spirit (and how mentality bridges the physical self with the self-conscious, abstract “seer”). What is your true mission in life? What is your Higher Purpose, or ‘true’ Destiny? These are the types of questions to contemplate in the presence of Amethyst. These may seem like lofty (or irrelevant) – to those who are not inquiring deeply (and for whom mental considerations are not bound up in spiritual matters) – but folks for whom the Mind is two dimensional, are trapped in a more earthly consciousness. I don’t blame them, but theirs is not the place to judge those for whom these explorations are significant. I don’t mean to insult the Earth by using “earthly” in a derogatory sense, but you get what I mean (I hope, and if not, read on). Earthly (with a small ‘e’) connotes petty, provincial, non-Global or unconnected awareness. Earthly (with a capital ‘E’) gets into the vast (and deeper) grasp of Terra, terrestrial reality, and it’s connectedness to the all other dimensions, elements, perspectives, and The Universe at large. Our thoughts, even (and often) about grander goals and meanings – are immaterial – that is to say, they’re not solid, physical, or tangible. Indeed much of our reality – far greater than most will admit – is virtual (hello: the Internet is not something we can touch).

wet Sugilite – ‘the other purple stone’ – symbolizes the concretization of Spiritual vision

Great in their influence are the unspoken, evocative, and symbolic…in all cultures. And yet these thoughts, symbols, and archetypes can – and do – manifest quite tangibly in our world, particularly when they result in actions and consequences, as they constantly do (all around us – in the news – in our lives). If the universe was created from a word – and words are merely symbolic – then truly, it can be said that our co-creation of the present and future are bound up in our understandings of (even unconsciously) – and relationships with – abstract conceptions. The metaphysical is intrinsic, it’s everything, or at least on par with everything you can take in with your 5 senses. Those who say otherwise, are living with their head in the sand. It’s time to come out and play. It’s time to have a more nuanced, and inclusive perspective on Reality.

unique Selenite cluster – representing our reach for the Eternal – indeed the mission of every Crystal

Indeed our failure to think grandly manifests by default in our permission of the world to remain in chaos, or at the mercy of (mostly human) neglect and species-exclusive abuse of the planet. The recognition and embrace of interconnectedness is essential to saving the world. This happens on an intellectual level, in the brain, but also on the other levels of heart and body (and of course through Charitable, and socially conscious activism). More on that a bit later… ————————– In the Healing realm, long distance healing is a good example of psychic action taken – on a higher (or different) plane, which can produce outcomes – or influences situations remotely. Someone grappled recently – in public (at a conference I attended), and with humility – about “how does distance healing work?” She knew it did, but was unable to explain why (or how). In the interests of this Blog (and getting my thoughts out on it now, as opposed to later (when I could devote an entire Post to it), let me take a stab at delivering an answer to this beguiling question. All things are happening simultaneously – connected by coincidence (if you’re atheistic) or by design (if you believe in a Higher Power) – but (even to a scientist), they are inarguably happening coterminously . However you imagine what causes what, everything in the present is connected inextricably with everything in the past and future.

multi-directional Arkansas clear Quartz cluster, with angled (45-degree’ish) ‘transmitter’ crystal, ideal for shooting intention long distance

Therefore, it is not unreasonable to expect that my prayer andintention here – can effect your status and experience there – on a Spiritual and/or physical level. I’m finding that the rules of engagement – or what one can expect – in the waking world, is quite different from what might apply in the Dream State (or while you’re asleep). And that’s just two important planes in our life. There are more (even how vastly different my reality and perspectives are from yours). So we cannot begin to claim that the rules of Physics (or Science), such as we may consider ourselves to know them, apply in the same way in all dimensions. “Everything is Relative” – right? Enough digression! Back to Amethyst. It sits on the throne of Purple. Purple is a regal color of Spirit – and in the spectrum of colors – as they manifest up through our Chakra system…it’s towards the top. I consider it the gateway between the Conscious Mind and the Spirit (or oversoul) Mind. I believe that Shape, Density, and Color (the 3 gateways into understanding Crystals) are each of paramount importance in identifying (and “riding”) the energetic wave, function, or offerings of any given Power Stone. I’ve defined “Power Stones” in other places, including in my “What is Crystal Healing” webinar, but suffice it to say here…how a rock presents itself can make all the difference. ———————– Imagine all things (or situations) as complex manifestations of G8D. How very different your lying down, nearly naked in one context – a beautiful thing – can be from the next situation (where threat and terror pervade). How different the appearance – face to face – of a rabbit may be from the appearance of a Grizzly Bear on your path, hiking.

Rose Quartz sphere – the shape and polishing make its inner essence more accessible – than it would be were the chunk left rough

Appearances are everything – and sometimes nothing – just flimsy veneers over deeper truths. So it is with stones. Are they are rough or polished? Are they in clusters or in points? Are they large or small? Heavy or light? The answers to these questions all matter. To learn the language of Crystals, is to know how to interpret all this vital information…and how to factor it in to determining its potential impact on your life (or on the lives of others). You also have to look deeper – be sensitive to the fact that the same piece might have different influence in the day than the night – or in the context of other Crystals. In short: “it’s complicated” would be its “relationship status,” which is why I abjure pat prescriptions of “this crystal for that situation” (way too simplistic). ————————- Now about Heart – we think of Love as being the ultimate expression of the Heart, and it is – but imagine Love as the gift…what is the wrapping, or better asked…what is the door (or gateway) through which Love travels? Compassion is that sensation, the context – the realization that another’s feelings matter – or that another being is significant. Without that, it’s hard for true Love (or True Love) to be expressed. That is why I don’t identify one stone for “relationship problems” (or prosperity, for that matter)…some of our wishes and aspirations require further inquiry, and broader definition…to be tackled and addressed appropriately (and in a more sophisticated way). There are no silver bullets, easy solutions, or panaceas. Back to Love. How authentically can we love the calf in the barn yard, knowing it will soon be slaughtered by our own hand? Is it not Compassion that leads us to send money around the world, to those less fortunate than we? Compassion of the Heart – has much broader implications for the whole of Creation – just as Broadness of Mind (as discussed above).

Milky ‘glitter’ Quartz cluster often manifests perfectly the geological embodiment of our concept: Compassion (and/or Nurturance).

What stone manifests the energy of Compassion better than Milky Quartz? Wait, where’d I come up with that? It seems like an arbitrary association, or claim. Not at all. Let me explain. As I’ve said, there is a language to understanding Crystals, it’s just a question of exploring and understanding it. As mammals – we are nourished by mothers’ milk – and even if we never knew our mother (or she was not nurturing), that symbolism…of mothers’ milk as sustaining life-breath…remains imprinted in our DNA. Note: a visual/conceptual archetype ripples through our being. I used the word “breath” – air is free, we breath without control – it’s not optional, and it’s everywhere. Mothers’ milk, however, is sometimes withheld (even not intentionally), due to will or circumstance. As babies, we cannot express ourselves precisely, our cry might be about a hundred different things…and yet the mothers’ breast (or milk, from whatever source) in generally soothing. What is the connection between this soothing nurturance of mother’s milk and Compassion? Not everyone receives it, it is specifically for you. You have been singled out as both deserving and needing of this reward and life sustenance.

Mountain Aragonite, demonstrating that non-Quartz varieties can also manifest The Compassionate One energy.

A mother (more than just about anybody else) has a uniquely developed (or ought to) capacity for Compassion. This is why if mother’s ruled the world, they’d find other solutions than war. The notion of sending one’s offspring off into harm’s way is anathema to any child-loving mom. You’ve heard it said that “there’s nothing like a mother’s love.” The gates of Compassion have been opened up – a mother’s love flows often unmitigated – and so, religions have deified women (just as men have been turned into G*ds, for other reasons). Fertility and the capacity for reproduction and care-giving are just important side effects of a much greater commodity – Love and its context – Compassion. So what if a stone embodied this thing – more intrinsically and naturally than any picture, person – or idol could? What if there was a stone that simply was: Compassion. There is – and it shows up as more than just in the incarnation of Quartz – there are several other varieties of stone that carry the Compassionate vibration of Milky Quartz. —————————- Each of these three Gateways (to Mind, Heart, and Body) are ‘places’ – which we define through description – as best we can. They are also bridges. The Gateway, Bridge, or Cross Roads feature significantly in most traditions (you can research it, trust me). If Thoughts and Emotions operate in mysterious ways, the Body does as well. Even doctors will tell you this. The same procedure can work seamlessly on 9 people, and then fail on the 10th. It could be a thousand things, including the impact of their Mind, Heart, and Spirit on the situation. But the flesh and blood, that thing and shell we inhabit, is its own world. Citrine is the gateway to the Body. It’s clarity suggests that is not a simply base, massive material…that there is a higher, spiritual component and aspect to it…and we are blessed to have that in geological form. Here’s an interesting geological article all about Citrine.

nice ‘faux’ Citrine – occasionally extremely beautiful – is better for display than energy work

Heat-treated Amethyst, which is what most “Citrine” on the market really is – as with most artificially modified stones – has lost its umph, and is not ideally used on (or to represent) the person. Treated stones – like Aqua Aura – sometimes take on their own unique energies, quite apart from their source material. That’s worth pursuing, but not in this conversation. What we’re doing here – and a recurrent theme in my ‘teachings’ – is relating stones back to our own, personal energy systems. That is why I have developed a Crystal Energy Zones poster, which associates 29 Power Stones with our own body. Without getting into all the subdivisions of the Foundation zone (Solar Plexus down through the Root Chakras) – a worthy topic, to be sure (for some future writing) – let me focus further on Citrine itself. If clear Quartz is a channel (and it’s not as impersonal – or even as effective – as Selenite, in this regard) – and Smoky Quartz is the Ultimate Forgiveness Stone – then Citrine is somehow in between…it represents Ego…in the best possible light.

large natural Citrine – perfect color – with 3 polished sides & 3 natural sides

Ego says “I am here” – in the way that our Body does, too – in the way that a superlative athlete can declare their physical prowess (at the finish line, or sometimes without even having to “say” anything). Ultimately, a healthy body walks hand in hand with a healthy Ego. You take up your space without hogging it, bragging, or belittling others. This is the key and gateway to The Body. To understand the subtle and profound message and identity of Citrine, is to crack the code on true communication with one’s Self and physical being. Many splendors lie deeper, in the Foundation – Carnelian, Ruby, Morion Smoky Quartz, even Petrified Wood (‘the animating factor’) is in its domain – but this Blog seeks only to show you the doors…the “3 big ones” (and how they have tangible import, as well as Spiritual significance, and “connections”)…as Gateways to the Mind, Heart, and Body. —————————— About the Author: Kyle Russell posts daily on Facebook – sends out Newsletters monthly (and emails sometimes more frequently) – and he leads Crystal Meditations and Workshops. See his Schedule of Events here on CrystalConcentrics.com, and his large variety of fine Crystal specimens for sale at www.PowerStoneCrystals.com. Email Kyle@CrystalConcentrics.com to learn more, or with any questions you may have regarding this Blog, or Crystals in general.