Libyan Desert Glass

Letter to State Representative - please copy and send to yours!

I'm writing because I have been going to the Norml meetings the last few months as I have watched the 'green industry' grow out west and through several other states. I saw through the Tenneseans for Compassionate Care that our representatives needed to hear from Tenneseans themselves how they feel about the Koonzer- Kuhn Medical Cannabis Act (sp?). So here it goes.

My story includes many years in the medical field, both as clinical staff as well as management. I no longer work within the allopathic healthcare community, however I am still very interested in the health of our state. I am also a product of the 60's having grown up here in Tennessee through the 70's and watched our state grow and expand, change and evolve, as all cities do. 

I will start by providing a few links on scientific studies that have identified several uses for cannabis as a useful medication. These uses cover a vast list of symptoms and diseases that can be relieved or effected by the use of cannabis, whether it is smoked, vaporized, eaten or applied topically. These studies plus numerous others have shown that medical cannabis brings relief to patients, regardless whether they 'get high' or not, they get relief. Most patients report more relief from cannabis, than many other highly addictive and expensive medications.

Therapeutic Aspects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids
ROBSON: Br J Psychiatry, Volume 178().February 2001.107-115

Immunoactive cannabinoids: Therapeutic prospects for marijuana constituents Immunoactive cannabinoids: Therapeutic prospects for marijuana constituents

Preliminary assessment of the efficacy, tolerability and safety of a cannabis-based medicine (Sativex) in the treatment of pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis
Preliminary assessment of the efficacy, tolerability and safety of a cannabis-based medicine (Sativex) in the treatment of pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis -- Blake et al. 45 (1): 50 -- Rheumatology

US Patent 6132762 - Transcutaneous application of marijuana
Transcutaneous application of marijuana - US Patent 6132762 Abstract

The Endocannabinoid System as an Emerging Target of Pharmacotherapy
http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/cg...t/58/3/389.pdf

These are just a few of hundreds if not thousands of reports and articles from our medical and scientific communities.

Healthcare should include bringing the greatest amount of physical relief that we can to our sick and dying. With the Affordable Care Act looming in front of millions of people that are unable to afford the monthly premiums,  hundreds of thousands who do not qualify for tenncare, many if not all of the insurance companies not paying for medicines that cost the consumer exorbinate prices, physicians writing prescriptions requiring patients to go pick up injectable medications at a pharmacy and return to the clinic for the injection, these are just a few of the challenges those in our state face when trying to manage thier own healthcare.

There are many other points that must be brought to the table as well when discussing medical cannabis, things outside the healthcare arena.

Things such as the inconcievable incarceratoin rate that our state has, the enormous amounts of money spent on this system that just is not working for anyone.

The Court Dockets in all of our counties are over flowing with small possession cases.

The culture in our law enforcement of siezure and confiscation, now under the national eye.

The fact that cannabis has remained our number one cash crop for several years running even though it is illegal.

The fact that Tennessee has been the 2nd largest producer of outdoor cannabis for several years running, although it is still illegal in this state.

These things point to a reality that no one wants to admit, the cannabis industry is not only here to stay, it is growing right here in our very own state. DEA reports for the last several years have recognized Tennessee as not only a large producer of cannabis, but also an area where the trafficking of cannabis is very busy, one of the busiest places in the nation. Statitstics are quickly proving that prohibition is not reducing the amount of drugs available to the population, the underground blackmarket industry seems to be thriving here in Tennessee.

This illegal industry, that my tax dollars go to fight, investigate, prosecute, incarcerate, confiscate and sieze, should be paying our state in a way that all of our residents benefit from, rather than only those that line thier pockets with money to allow the illegal industry to continue to operate within this state. These 'criminals' that are growing and trafficking cannabis through our state should be paying taxes on this, those that are creating the market for the growing and trafficking should be paying taxes that are used to benefit our state, rather than cost our state more money in our state prisons.

The war on drugs is over, it has been lost, let us offer relief to the sick and dying, we must offer alternatives to the allopathic healthcare system that is collapsing in on itself with the introduction of the ACA. It is immoral to continue the prohibition on cannabis, and keep a life saving medicine from millions of Americans. It is immoral to continue arresting those that choose to use this as thier medication while we allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise on every form of media offered today. It is a breach of our human rights to eradicate nature, it is a transgression that goes beyond moral concepts. Man has come to such a place that we believe that we can eradicate nature at will, Man has decided that God made a mistake, we do not need this plant, we are not able to determine this for ourselves.

We are losing families, they are leaving to go to states where they have the choice of how to treat themselves. We are losing tax dollars, everytime someome is arrested rather than billed a tax. We are losing our children to disease and the treatments that our modern medicine brutally torture patients with. We are losing our politicians to the drug lords who pay more than citizen tax dollars. We are losing our law enforcement to a culture that promotes piracy on the highways.We are losing our schools to a very lucrative unregulated 'business' that operates within them every day. We are losing our greatest resource in Tennessee, our people, when we lock them up for reaching out for relief.

Please re-consider your stance on this medical cannabis bill, even though it is an election year, it is the morally right thing to do, it is the Godly thing to do.

Should Tennesseans be ALLOWED to vote on Cannabis reform / Prohibition repeal?

This blog is in reference to a story in the Johnson City Press

Click Here to read that article

Today ( December 5th) is the 80 year anniversary of the end of alcohol prohibition, the racial war on Irish and Italians. I hope Tennessee, steps up to the plate and ends the war on the American people, because that is what the 'war on drugs' is, a war on the American people.

In case you haven't heard some statitstics; 

• America as a country claims the highest incarceratoin rate than any other country in the world. The racial ratios are ridiculous, a first grader could spot the problem.
• Our local police forces now have anti missile tanks, drones and specially trained drug task forces that have endless authority over citizens and thier property. 
• Our own federal goverment has been implicated in drug trafficking time and time again, from Vietnam to 'Fast and Furious'. 
• Close to 15% of Tennesseans fall below the national poverty level. This group is largely impacted by this ‘drug war’.
• Middle Tennesse's homeless population has been as much as 30 % over the national level in recent years, again this group is dramatically impacted by this ‘drug war’.
• The violent crime in Tennessee has risen so quickly that we managed to be recognized nationally as the most violent state while at the same time making the top of the lists in most corrupt states as well, all for 2012. Gun Permits have also risen dramatically here in our state
• the Tennessee Drug Task Force has been operating with no advisory board, and after a local news investigation  “Policing for profit”, will now have a board appointed.
• For several years running cannabis has been our states largest cash crop, and our proud state has been the 2nd largest producer in the nation, just behind California.

These are just a few examples of some alarming trends that have been occurring across the state. But let me tell you my story.

I am a hiker, I love to hike, especially in the winter when the birds of prey are easily visible in the trees and skies. Not long ago, on federal land, here in middle Tennessee, I was enjoying a warm day in January out on the trails. My partner and I had spotted an eagles nest and I wanted to get close enough for a picture, I had no intention of disturbing anything at all, and I had no clue for what was next.

After hiking through several fields we finally approached the area of the nest, as we moved closer to the nest, I kept my eyes on the nest, so far up in the sky, when I felt a searing pain up my leg. My first thought was ‘bear trap!’, but it wasn’t a

bear trap. I had just impaled my foot on what I would later learn is a punji stick. This was bad, we were at least 5 miles from the car, I had to get back to the car, and I had no health insurance.

My partner and I sat there for a few minutes, Joshua worried about getting back and me trying to forget the pain by staring at that eagles nest just over my head. I looked down at the ground, for the first time really and was surprised to see several of these bamboo spears sticking out of the ground, my first thought was how strange that bamboo breaks like that. It would not be until a few days later that I heard about punji sticks, where they come from and why I would see them guarding federal land.

Punji Sticks are a weapon of sorts that originated in Vietnam, what I read about them is that the villagers would cut the bamboo to a very sharp point, then heat it so that it hardens like steel. At that point they would then usually rub the points ( which are hollow, similar to a needle) in human or animal waste. They then would place these sticks, point up in the ground, leaving them from 4-6 inches exposed, so that soldiers coming through would step on them and be taken off of the battle field. The articles I read said they were very effective, thousands of people have lost their foot due to the infections from the wounds of punji sicks. 

So why would one of these vietnamese booby traps be on federal land in Tennessee?

As Joshua and I made our way back to the car, I kept my head down and just kept moving forward, the pain was very bad during that walk. As we made our way across the fields we noticed a motorcycle riding across the field, it seemed to be coming towards us, it then veered off and started to circle the field, it never stopped circling the field until we were back to the parking lot where we had left our car. Just after the motorcycle, a small plane started flying circles over the field as well, at that point I started to think I might want to look up and move a little faster, but still did not put two and two together.

We made it back to the car, both Joshua and I have backgrounds in healthcare. We nursed my foot as we would have a patients and I was lucky, no infection, but it took weeks before I could walk, and months before I could hike again. Those months of convalescing, not being able to do the things I wanted to do made me aware of something that has been going on right under our noses all along. 

The mexican cartels that you hear so much about in the news, the ones that killed more people in the last 10 years than all the wars in the middle east put together, they are right here, in our own backyards.

Our police departments have been reduced to common thieves, forced to confiscate property from ‘drug king pins’ so that they receive a paycheck that will actually pay the bills. 

If you are found with cash, you must now prove it isn’t drug money or it is confiscated until you do. 

There is no longer a pretense that the police must have a reason to stop you, racial profiling is encouraged in the culture that has been created within our law enforcement.

Our sons and daughters are in prison for small amounts of cannabis, while the mexican cartel is given free reign of our public parks.

People are leaving our state so that they can make a choice about their own healthcare, families with young children who are hearing about the ‘miracle properties’ of this illegal plant.

Our society has come to believe that it is ok for man to outlaw nature, we as a race have come to such a place of superiority over the world that we think we can eradicate it at will, this is very dangerous thinking, ask anyone who survived WWII.

What will really be effected if cannabis prohibition were to be repealed?

• Our Prison system will lose employees, possibly close certain locations.
• Our court system would be freed up to prosecute real criminals, the ones that are violent towards society - NO LONGER enforcing others morals on society.
• A legal market has the potential to take down a black market now controlled by crooked politicians and the mexican cartels
• Law Enforcement can enforce the law, not enforce morals
• Pharmaceutical companies will lose their economic edge on humanity, many people will choose to use cannabis as a medicine rather than allopathic healthcare.
• Both Federal and State Governments would suffer from the loss of confiscated goods.
• With the introduction of Hemp as well, the cotton,oil, logging and paper industry all have a lot to lose
• As Tennessee has been a large outdoor cannabis producer in the past, that tells us there is already an underground industry in place, a good portion of this industry will lose out, some will move into a legal industry
• As we see the mexican cartels no longer able to operate in a legal market, we may see a drop in violent crime.
• As we remove black markets that are able to corrupt our politicians, we could see some great things here in our state 

The list could go on and on. Cannabis legalization is the most moral and ethical thing any American could want today. It is moral to offer help to those who feel they must escape, It is moral to question why such a large percentage of our society feels the need to escape. It is moral to do all we can to keep Tennessee families together, both parents present. 

It is immoral to lock people up when all they are looking for is relief, whether they are a medical user or an addict, or an abuser, or just someone who had a tough day, all they want is relief. We say nothing about someone having a drink to escape, although alcohol has been proven to much more dangerous and addictive.

It is immoral  to criminalize any drug use when the pharmaceutical companies are allowed to peddle their poisons, advertising on TV, Billboards and every other media choice we have today. While millions of people die every year from these poisons, and not one death can be attributed to the illegal cannabis plant - unless you count the ones that law enforcement has caused with the war machines that our governments have equipped them with.

Although you would like to believe that this is a ‘black’ problem, a ‘mexican’ problem, a ”poor” problem,  not your problem - it is an AMERICAN problem. 

It is the vehicle with which our rights as citizens have been forfeited, It is the machine that has taken over and common sense is gone.

 When we have Law Enforcement with war machines, under investigation for ‘suspicious’ seizures on the highways and we, the people they have sworn to protect, do not call a criminal a criminal, then we are allowing our rights to slip away, we are allowing our government to become corrupted by the very black market that they will not allow us to even vote on. 

This is about more than morals. It’s about economy, it’s about civil rights, its about our freedom under the constitution and its about caring for our country, all of our country no matter what color or creed they happen to be.

If you agree with this, please get involved, there are many organizations here that can help;
Norml
Tennesseans for Compassionate Care
Or write your story and send it to the Johnson City Press - they asked for it….

If you know of other resources for Tenneseeans to turn to, please leave them in the comments, Please and Thank-you!

Sapphire Lets Talk Stones

Blue Lace Agate Lets Talk Stones

Peridot Lets Talk Stones

Birthstones 101

http://www.youtube.com/v/XtQBpC9UeVQ?autohide=1&version=3&showinfo=1&attribution_tag=HD7hGrpGbGYb0sl9T4BfkQ&autohide=1&feature=share&autoplay=1

10 Mahavidyas, crystalisciously of course

Kali is the hindu goddess that represents true empowerment. Kali is known as the consort of Shiva and is known by several names, as well as being known as the ‘shakti’ energy. Shiva, symbolizing pure, absolute consciousness, and Kali, symbolizing the entire content of that consciousness, are ultimately one and the same.

Kali is depicted in many stories and pictorials as a vicious goddess, symbolizing time and death - as in ‘the time has come’. She is seen wearing fifty human skulls around her neck, each skull stands for a letter in the sanskrit alphabet.

Often depicted holding a severed human head in her left hand, this symbolizes the human ego as it was known in ancient times. Our sense of self that is based on beliefs of others is considered the ego in these ancient texts, these pictorials are showing kali severing that part of ourselves, our sense of self that is based on others beliefs and expectations.

My personal experience with Kali is unconventional in the sense that I had never heard of Kali, or any of the hindu gods or goddesses when a beautiful woman came to my dreams to tell me about true compassion, where it starts and how it is expressed, she told me her name was Kali. In the dream I remember feeling a security that I had never felt before, a sense of peace and knowing and comfort. The next morning I googled Kali and was aghast at the depictions of her, I read about her for about an hour and decided that wasn’t the Kali that I met.

A few weeks later she appeared in my dreams again, I had forgotten about her, believing she was just a dream. I was informed that she was indeed Kali, there are many forms of Kali, they are called the mahavidyas. She expressed to me that I had a journey to start, the journey of creating myself and she was here to support me. She continued to appear in my dreams for some time, through out that period of my life

I transformed not only my beliefs, thought patterns and ideas about who I was, but my outside reality also transformed with it. This could have been a very painful process, but through the guidance of Kali I was supported, comforted and always taken care of, just as if I was her child. In the time that I personally worked with Kali I never said a mantra, I never studied the hindu meanings of her, they terrified me! I just trusted that this goddess was appearing to me for the guidance I had been asking for and cultivated a relationship with all forms of the mahavidyas before it was complete. By understanding each of the energies of the mahavidyas one is able to understand all polarities of the  energies that we have within us, one is able to learn to use these energies in the creation of their own reality.

Kali is not only the first of the mahavidyas, she is the most important.The rest of the Mahavidyas emanate from Kali and share her virtues and powers to varying degrees.

Mahavidyas are symbols of female independence; and, Kali demonstrates that freedom with great abandon. She is never depicted as a submissive consort luring with charm. She is always dominant, striding on the male with a destructive frenzy. She challenges and demolishes the conventional notions about looks, manners and the limited ways of understanding things. Kali is the symbol of eternal time (Kala) she presides over all stages of the life. Kali is consciousness in motion—the overflowing joy that projects, sustains, and withdraws the universe. And her destruction has a dual aspect; she gives birth to new life as the old dies away.

 Tara the blue goddess is a guide and a protector; and helps us to find our strengths during times that think we cannot go on. Tara is the deity of accomplishments and is often worshipped by business persons for. She is the goddess of speech, she is related to breathe that manifests sound. Breath is the primal sound of life. Breath in which the sound originates is the carrier of knowledge conveyed through the sound of speech. Tara is the un-manifest speech that resides in breath and consciousness.

Tripura Sundari (she who is most beautiful in all the three worlds) also known as Sodasi (the girl of sixteen). Sundari as Sodasi of sixteen years is at a delightful stage of a woman’s life. Her nature is to play, to seek new experiences, and to charm others to her. Her innocence attracts all towards her The three cities (tri-pura) symbolize body, mind and consciousness. The triangle is the main motif of Tripura Sundari carrying various symbolisms: three fold process of creation, preservation and destruction. Tripura Sundari as Mahavidya combines in herself the determination of Kali, the knowledge of Tara; and her own beauty and grace.

Bhuvanesvari is closely associated with the five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth principles. She pervades all space – the inner and the outer- with that she confers awareness and all other knowledge of life. It is explained; the inner space is the space within Hridaya (heart) the centre of awareness or consciousness. The world is said to emerge from her just as a web emerges from the spider or as the sparks crackle out of fire. Bhuvanesvari is also linked to the sound which arises from space and thus to the sound of the speech Bhuvanesvari is consistently associated with the here and now. She helps us to go beyond all identities that we associate with ourselves.

Chinnamasta, standing naked having chopped off her own head with her own sword, holds her decapitated head in one of her hands. Three jets of blood spurt out of her bleeding neck, and one streams into the mouth of her severed head, while two others streams fall into the mouths of her two female associates.Yet Chinnamasta’s face is happy and smiling. Chinnamasta refers to ridding ourselves of false notions and the limitations in which we are bound. Her depiction also helps to overcome self-pity, fear, and pain of death. She stands for essential freedom. This idea of freedom is expressed by her nudity.

 Chinnamasta, makes a stunning presentation of varying and conflicting aspects of life and death; of self destruction while nourishing others, of gory violence spilling blood and smiling blissful face; death and destruction placed next to creation, the joy of transcending the body and not the pain of losing it; and of giving up the ego to attain wisdom. Her worship is said to yield health, wealth, freedom from fear, ability to influence family, friends, women, enemies, and rulers, and liberation. Chinnamasta’s act of parting with her head – her identity- is one of extreme sacrifice for the good of all, so that the others might live and thrive. If the act of her decapitation is viewed as an act of self-sacrifice, then that selfless acts will not hurt us.

Bhairavi stands for terror, decay and destruction. She is also the goddess of creation and maintenance. Her name Bhairavi, it is said, is derived from Bharana (to create), Ramana (to protect) and Vamana (to eject).She is kundalini, Bhairavi is also the name given to a yogini (female yogi) adept in Kundalini tantra. She is the power over the senses and elements. Bhairavi is the destructive force in nature .She represents the decay, weakness, aging and finally death that occur everywhere, in everyone and in everything. None can escape her wrath. She is the matrix on which the universe ages, dissolves and re-generates itself. Bhairavi as the goddess who presides over the transformation of the world- from birth to death and from death to birth. 

Dhumvati is old, ugly and sulking. She is the only Mahavidya without a consort. She is a widow associated with strife, loneliness, unfulfilled desires and inauspicious things of life. Also known as Alakshmi, the dark, reverse image of Lakshmi. She is everything that Lakshmi is not. Alakshmi symbolizes bad temper, hunger, thirst, need, poverty and all the misfortunes of life Dhumavati projects the end and the miserable part of woman’s life. She is an old and a sulking widow who has nowhere to go. She is lonely, a social outcast, free from its obligations and constraints. Dhumavati thus represents a stage of woman’s life that is beyond worldly desires, beyond the conventional taboos of what is polluting or inauspicious. 

Bagalamukhi means the goddess with the ‘face of a crane’. The crane with its ability to stand still attracts its prey, lures it into a false sense of safety and then snaps it up quickly. Bagalamukhi’s strength is said to be her magical attraction, to immobilize and strike the enemy. Bagalamukhi is portrayed as a woman of immense beauty who can transfix anyone. One other name of Bagalamukhi is Brahmastra Roopini meaning that she exercises her magical powers of delusion (bhrama) as a weapon (astra) to confuse and confound. With that she makes everything look like it’s opposite. She turns speech into silence, knowledge into ignorance, power into impotence, and defeat into victory. It is explained; she represents the knowledge whereby each thing must in time become its opposite. To see the failure hidden in success, the death hidden in life or the joy hidden in sorrow is the way of understanding her reality. Bagalamukhi is the secret presence of the opposites wherein each thing is dissolved back into its un-manifest state. Bagalamukhi exercises control over the vital breaths; she enables one to conquer the tongue, which means self-control over greed, speech and taste. Bagalamukhi wrenching the tongue of the demon is symbolic of removing the impurities associated with speech and tongue.

The Mahavidya Matangi, the erotically powerful intoxicated with passion like a female elephant in heat (masth) is described as a sixteen year old girl in the flush of her youth seated on an altar. She brings focus, rather very disturbingly, on the notions of distinctions between purity and impurity, clean and polluted, auspicious and inauspicious, puritanical notions and unrestrained sex, high caste and low caste. The central message of this myth is to set free the Tantric devotee from the strangling obsession with ‘purity’ which can be dangerous and destructive. Matangi is associated, in particular, with magical powers that exercise control over enemies.She challenges the normally accepted concepts and values in an established social order. She brings into question the very notions of beauty, goodness, honor, respect, decency, cleanliness and physical comfort etc.

Kamala is said to be a reflection of Shri the Vedic deity as also of Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and beauty. Kamala as Mahavidya is a tantric deity who is invoked mainly in rituals seeking wealth, power and hidden treasures. Kamala, the Tantric form of Lakshmi, combines in herself many auspicious virtues and attributes along with a few terrible aspects. Like Kali, the Tantric Kamala embraces the light and the darkness, for she is the totality. She can be worshipped for both worldly goods or spiritual boons.

These ten forms of Kali represent different aspects of our own feminine side. These stories do not just reflect women, they reflect a feminine energy that is present within us all. Each of these goddesses can be studied and seen to embody specific energies that we as humans need to enact at times within our lives. Similar to the letters that reflect a specific vibration, each of these mahavidyas are also showing us that vibration in a a story form.When we work with these energies we are asking ourselves to remove our identity from the situation for the purpose of re creating that identity, when we resist that energy the path may be perceived as harsh, however if we understand that we are being asked to recreate ourselves instead of hold onto our current perception of self, the process is actually quite freeing.

My partner, Joshua and I decided to do a 10 week discipline to the mahavidyahs- one day I will write about that, I think I have to recover first....

For more information about Joshua and I, or to see more information on stones and dieties, please visit:

crystaliscious.com

Rainbow Obsidian is a stone that sets the stage for our outside reality to become a mirror to where we are, and we notice it. The reality that we create is always a mirror to where we are within ourselves, this is always true, what isn’t always as apparent is when we notice that we are being mirrored by our reality. This means that whatever we are seeing outside of ourselves that makes us upset, that is a vibration within us that we  haven’t yet raised to a level we can be happy with it. Rainbow Obsidian shows us where we are responsible for the reality we interact with and how to improve that reality by working on our own beliefs.

Rainbow Obsidian is a stone that helps us at the third eye because it makes us question what we are creating. By asking us to take responsibilities for our creations and where we are with them, this stone helps is to  understand where we are, the lesson of Dumvadhi ( ALakshmi). We must have a thorough understanding of where we are before we can know where we are going. Lakshmi is about what we do with what we have, Rainbow Obsidian is about recognizing what we have to wrok with and where we are in our belief structure.

Rainbow Obsidian is a stone that many people may consider to be harsh, but it only asks us to take responsibility for our creations. Once we are aware of where we are, we are able to move forward, but not until then. We are unable to grasp the understanding of Lakshmi before we have grasped the understanding of ALakshmi. Alakshmi is the only pathway to Lakshmi. We can never find the energy of Lakshmi on any subject until we understand the energy of Alakshmi on that subject. Alakshmi is the question, Lakshmi is the answer. Rainbow obsidian helps us know where we are on all subjects and helps point us in the direction of where we want to go.

Rainbow Obsidian, as all the Obsidian seem to effect the client using them very quickly, because of the way that it forms, a molten lava that cools relatively quickly this clue’s us in that this will be the perception of the energy from this stone. The Obsidian’s have a reputation for being ‘pushy’, rainbow obsidian is as pushy as any of the others, however reminiscent of a southern belle, she has a certain style and signature that all her own. Much more subtle then the other obsidians, Rainbow Obsidian helps us to see the many and varied patterns that are making up our reality, as we are able to see these patterns of thoughts and beliefs we are able to start to determine where we want to be on them. 

Rainbow Obsidian also helps to put us in touch with the patterns of who we believe ourselves to be. Once again bringing in the energy of Dumvadhi, looking at our most foundational and structural belief systems from the vantage point of our reality being the mirror. This stone shows us how to shift these patterns within our vision so that we are clearing out old and out dated patterns to allow room for the new patterns we are creating.

As we remember our fellow countrymen who fell 12 years ago, as we think of how this day has effected each of us, please go one step further on this anniversary.
Take that step and ask yourselves how the people of Iraq have been effected, how many children have been left without parents, how many mothers without sons, how many fathers are memories now. Where have they gone? Where do they live since the country has been destroyed, how do they eat, where do they sleep, who is teaching the children?
Ask yourself how the people of Afganistan have been effected, those innocents- as we are- those who have nothing to do with politics, war or democracy. And again ask yourself what these children have learned, they are the next generation.
Ask yourself about Libya and now Syria, is this war really worth it?
The world leaders of tomorrow are being shaped today, some of them have been well schooled, fed well, lived a life of peace, others are being shaped by drone attacks and strike preparations.
Please ask yourself what you want for your children today, your brothers children, your sisters children and the children of the world. We are not improving the world by glorifying a day of hate, we are not helping those that have already given thier lives by remembering this day a dozen years ago.
Most importantly today, please think about what your children are learning from you and your actions today, it is the greatest control over the future we hold- the power over our children's understandings.....

Peace be to all........

Tanzanite Lets Talk Stones

Peitersite Lets Talk Stones

Moss Agate Lets Talk Stones

Moss Agate is a stone that reminds you of the magic and mystery of nature, This stone helps to attune and connect you to your most natural selves, your most instinctive and intuitive self. Moss Agate helps you to see the truth about who you are being, and the potential of who you could become if you want. At times, moss agate can feel so very comforting - reminding you that the universe has remembered you, however at other times this stone shows you that the universe has definitely remembered you, and it’s time to make some decisions about those things you allow in your life.

Moss Agate is a stone that will help you see that everything that exists within your reality is there because you allow it, and everything that you believe is missing from your life is missing because you don’t allow it into your life. With gentle prodding, moss agate will not only bring this awareness to you, you are encouraged to rely on your own intuition, your own instincts, your own truths. Moss Agate is a stone that will help you understand the deepest mysteries of yourself, through the natural world. Understanding how you as human fit into the natural world where you find yourself today. Whether you have the opportunity to experience the natural world on a daily basis, or if the natural world must be re-created within your urban landscape, moss agate helps you to connect to this dimension in a way no other stone does. Through the use of moss agate you are able to  comprehend your part in the natural world, where you are in the bigger picture of this world, how you effect this world, how this world effects you. Through a very sturdy connection, moss agate helps to ground us into the physical dimension, reminding us why we incarnated here in this physical world, allowing you to bring this memory back into your everyday life.

As you become comfortable with your place in the natural world, as you begin to trust the order of nature, you will find that your world starts to open up to new possibilities, you start to understand that manifesting is simply allowing your desires to become part of the natural world. It becomes easier to see the things in your life that you are unhappy with as something you are allowing, and once you understand that, a whole new spectrum of possibilities opens up for you.

Moss Agate shows you how to appreciate being a human being in this earth realm, with the most comforting aspects of the natural world hidden within each layer of this stone, you can expect to learn about who you have come here to be and how to allow that into your life.

Crystaliscious Grids - Available on iTunes

Now available on iTunes!

This is the Crystal Grid Class that has been our most popular class, growing in content as well as popularity over the years.

Joshua and I decided to make an interactive experience out of this class, a digital alternative to spending an entire weekend and much more money.

This particular version is available through iBooks, to be viewed on an iPad or an iPhone using the iBooks app.

Don't own apple products? No Worries, we are in the process of converting this format into an identical online class experience - again all at the same great price! We expect that the online classes will go live within the next 6 weeks if not sooner - we will keep you up to date on this.

The digital version of this information offers you the opportunity to access the same information that we provide in the live class, however while participating in the digital version you are able to control the volume, temperature and time of day. This book offers not only explains how a grid works, it also goes into how that grid works with your own energetic pattern. With each suggested grid, we also offer a way to take that grid further and also explain what to expect from these extra steps.

On top of the fantastic information on crystal grids, this version also contains over 50 stone descriptions with pictures and video. We have tried to make an interactive guide for you carry with you on your phone or iPad that is easy to reference, and easy to use. We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions!

Chrysanthemum Stone Lets Talk Stones

chrysanthemum stone brings you back in touch with your imagination like no other stone can. This isn’t just a stone to stir your creativity, or get your creative genius ticking, this is a stone that guides you to a new appreciation for your own thought processes that you call your imagination.As you look at all of the situations in your life,working with chrysanthemum stone, they start to take on the appearance of a canvas, and the paintbrush is in your hand. 

When working with chrysanthemum stone it is hard to see any situation without your imagination kicking in and bringing new possibilities that you hadn’t thought of before.  The beauty of this stone is that it brings with it acceptance of your unique imaginative genius, a new feeling of confidence in allowing your own thoughts to get noticed, instead of the conditioned thoughts that your mind is filled with daily. This stone helps you to separate yourselves from others so that you can get back in touch with your own distinct viewpoint on any given subject. Being able to ‘step away’ and determine where you actually stand on a subject without any emotional interference from others is a very valuable step to creating your own reality, you have to know where you are in order to get where you want to go.

The Crystal and Mineral Encylcopedia, The Liite Fantastic and The Last Testament, by Melody, Crystaliscious Book Review

Todays review is on Love is in the Earth, The crystal and mineral Encyclopedia, the lite fantastic nad the last testament, by Melody.

I had heard about this book before it was actually released. I had been an avid follower of Melody's work, the work this woman was doing had changed my life. I was so excited about the new book coming out, I pre-ordered.
Prior to this release, all of Melody's work was compiled in several different books. These books line my book shelves and are ratty from wear and tear. I knew that this release was to put all of that work, plus her newest and latest all in one book! No matter that it weighs somewhere around 10 pounds.
What I was most excited about with this release, was that the stone articles would now have pictures with them. Melody's earlier works are text, with pictures being an entirely separate book, so this was a big step in convenience. As a crystal healer, reading about what a stone does with no picture is expected, it is something we must learn. But to collectors, they want to enjoy the richness of the photos, the personality of the stones and the pride of the photographer in showing us a side of reality that most of us miss. This was an exciting opportunity to now have all of this glorious information and pictures in one place!

Crystaliscious Review of The Book of Stones

Today's review is on 'The Book of Stones, Who they are and what they teach' co authored by Naisha Ashian and Robert Simmons.

I will never forget the first time I saw this book. It was in the old Galactic Gateway's store and the gentleman behind the counter saw me mesmerized by it. I saw it as if it were a photoshopped picture with the blurry edges around it, slowly coming into focus and registering that there were PICTURES of stones on the front of this book.
My experience up until this point had been books that were either text books on the composition of minerals, or Melody's work, while still a staple in my healing room, doesn't offer the colorful adventure that TBOS does.
The book was on the highest shelf of course, and my arms were full of stones I was about to purchase. I had to turn my back and lay down all my treasures and I was sure that when I whipped back around ready to grab that book off the top shelf it would be gone. But it was still there, and I managed to get it into my hands and settle down in the corner in the floor to take my time savoring one of the most beautiful books I had ever seen. I brought the book home needless to say and like Melody's work changed the way I looked at the world, TBOS also had some influence on the direction that I have taken in my life.

Crystaliscious Review of The Crystal Bible and The Crystal Bible II

I get asked so often what are the best books to read about crystals. There is an extensive libraby out there on crystals, whether you are looking for metaphysical properties or geological information, there is already a book about it. Joshua and I not only read many of these books, we have worked with the information within them and learned what is effective in our present moment and what itsn't. I will highlight each book in separate post in order to give you the opportunity to choose which books are right for you. Hopefully I will give you enough information to make an informed choice, allowing you to build your personal library on the subject of crystals. At the end of each post, I will break down scores based on 5 different categories, Size and weight ( portability), Organization of content, ease of use, presentation and actual content. You will see the score in each category as well as the over all avg. of the book. I hope you enjoy our ramblings about the work we have done not only with the stones, but also with other tools available.

Today I plan on starting with Judy Hall's, The Crystal Bible.

A 3 Step Process to to stop recurring patterns within your life, crystalisciously of course

Wow, so here I was thinking that I had come so far from where I was just a few years ago. Less than 5 years ago I was truly scared for my life at times, my daughters lives at times and at others all of our lives. I had created a very traumatic situation within my life.

Contrary to what many believe, I still have residual scars from that time period. I was one of those many that believed that I escaped ‘scott free’, until the events that occurred, rather randomly surrounding my daughter’s school last week. These events not only showed me that I have so many residual thought patterns that could easily co-create my history all over again, but they also showed me how I can move from this step where I am, to the next step.

A Crystaliscious Perspective on Obama Care - another controversiaal post from crystaliscious

Opinions, we all have them, and I am about to express mine. If you have a desire for others to share your opinion at no cost, I urge you to stop right here. What I write here is not a plea for others opinions, nor is it a cry for help that someone can help me to see the light. This is my opinion, if you have an open mind and enjoy seeing what other people think about controversial topics please read on! Comments are welcome, however any negative slandering will quickly be deleted.

I grew up in the healthcare industry. Learning to draw blood and perform EKG’s by the time I was 14. I was the last of six children, the previous 5 had caused a wee bit of trouble and at the very first inkling of adolescence my father required me to work in his medical practice after school and all summer.

Things were different then, although I am not elderly, much has changed since the days of people going to the doctor when they are sick and paying cash. This was a time when physicians could own stock in procedural clinics, a time when insurance covered only hospital stays, a time when women stayed a minimum of 3 days after delivering a child, a time when individuals had relationships with the family physician, and some even still made house calls. Files were manilla folders with hand written notes, dictation was only done for hospital records. EKG’s were run on one long tape that had to be cut and mounted to be interpreted. Anyone could perform lab procedures, there was no credentialing required for most positions that weren’t physician or nurse. It really wasn’t that long ago.

Fire, the element, understand the elements role in your life

Fire is the element associated with the Solar Plexus. In the ancient Vedic texts, Agni has 3 forms, fire, lightening and the sun. 

Fire has been an integral part of civilization, in all cultures and religions. Fire can provide light and warmth for us as well as heat to cook our food upon. Fire can smolder and suddenly burst into flames, showing us it’s impulsiveness and unpredictability. Fire is a double edged sword, where we must have the heat from the sun in order to survive, that same heat will destroy us if we find ourselves too close to it.

It is seen as the force burning inside us, giving us the willpower to go for our goals,  allowing us to find the passion that sustains us on our journey to the prize. Fire is the element that sparks and grows with fuel, when we feel that spark ( a desire) and we feed it ( with passion) we are able to use the fire element to push us onward towards our goals.