It’s because of our friends Judd and Amanda that we became fixated on the idea of buying crystals. During our stay in Portland, they told us of their own personal hunt for the perfect crystals. “Judd wears his around his neck,” said Amanda, and Judd tugged a fabric string under his shirt to reveal a pouch heavy with the weight of magic stones.
On our drive away from Portland Brian insisted that we, too, find our own crystals. He’d spent the last two evenings before bed Googling “healing crystals” and reading about their powers. Although there’s no scientific evidence that crystals do much besides look pretty, cultures throughout time have used them to channel energy. “I bet Sasquatches use crystals to stay elusive,” I said. Brian looked at me with a disappointed frown. “Come on,” he said, “I’m serious.”
Healing Crystals
The plan was to stop in Sedona, Arizona. Brian had Yelped the local crystal shops, as you do, and found the perfect one. “This place is in alignment,” he read the review from his phone over dinner. “The shop is well organized and has great feng shui energy. The crystals feel amazing. The people in the shop are pleasant, kind, and have clear energy in their eyes when they look at you.”
But we ran out of time on our drive from Scottsdale to Flagstaff and couldn’t make it to Sedona. We were running out of time in other ways, too, since Mercury was on the cusp of going into Retrograde and we intuited that would be a bad time, cosmically speaking, to buy crystals.
A new Yelp search found a crystal shop in Flagstaff called Crystal Magic, and we drove over on a sunny Friday afternoon. Inside, a chanting CD played softly over the speakers. Statues of Buddha and Ganesh lined the shelves and the smell of lemon grass wafted out of essential oil diffusers. Of course, the place was packed with crystals.
Shopping for crystals is a solo act, a personal affair, sort of like choosing a psychiatrist or selecting an herbal laxative. So I migrated right while Brian hooked left and our crystal hunt was on.
Should you find yourself shopping for crystals someday you will learn that the choices are overwhelming. Blue Sapphire, Calcite-Orange, or Cinnabar? Some stones are very rare and cost hundreds of dollars. “Don’t forget we’re on a budget,” I whispered to Brian as he palmed a $250 hunk of quartz.
Because our upcoming months in Mexico are for working and writing, I chose crystals that would help me channel creativity, self-expression, and clear communication. And, because I do not want to starve, I also picked up a few to promote abundance and financial security. Brian was a little more existential, choosing crystals for enhanced energy, deep soul cleansing, and master healing.
We found little pouches of dyed leather to carry our crystals in. I selected a purple pouch because purple. Brian chose brown, the color of the earth.
At the checkout, the lady complimented me on my Eclipse Jasper (Clarity of Thought, Support During Times of Change). “It’s a lovely stone,” she said, “I’ve always admired it.” “Thank you,” I replied, feeling validated. The crystals were working already.
Back in our room, Brian informed me that we now had to cleanse our crystals. “You can hold them under a waterfall and then lay them out in the sun and moonlight for 24 hours,” he said. “Or, we can use a smudge stick.” He lifted his eyebrows at me. “No chanting required.”
“Where are we going to find a waterfall?” I asked.
He thought for a second. “Virginia?”
For the time being, we’ve run our crystals under tap water and set them out on our balcony at the Holiday Inn Express.
When we reach Virginia we will cleanse our crystals in the proper way, except for my Yellow Quartz, which does not absorb negative energies and does not need energetic cleaning.
If I can get my crystals past the Mexican customs officials I will arrange them on my future desk that will overlook the Pacific Ocean and into the vast beyond. I will hold each crystal in my hand; squeeze the energy right into my very pores and channel creativity, self-expression, and abundance.
