Monday, October 28, 2013

Angel Unaware

You’ve been an angel more times than you know.
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.  ~ Leo F. Buscaglia

Close in Heart - Red Bleeding Hearts
Close in Heart
Let me explain why I call you an angel unaware, and why I believe that I get to be one now and then too.

Have you had someone call you just when you needed a friendly voice, had a stranger simply smile or say something kind when you’d had a hard day, or someone slow up to let you in front of them in traffic? Have you received an email that contained helpful information that you needed, a handwritten note, or caring message, that lifted you up? And then, perhaps it was you who made the call, or smiled, or sent the message.

I’m sure you can think of many kindnesses, and many ways they can arrive. Maybe you think of them as random acts of kindness, which is lovely, though I believe there’s more than that going on. It’s not random at all.

The reason I call you an angel is because one of the meanings of angel is divine messenger.
Informal angels are all around. Contact with them is always positive. Being this kind of angel is a casual position, on an as needed basis. Sometimes others are angels for us, and sometimes we get to be the angels; both are a gift, and a joy.

When you get to be the angel, you may not be consciously aware, especially at the time, that you’ve had this honor. You might notice on those occasions that you do find out how much what you did meant to another person, that it felt like you really did nothing extraordinary, in that it was effortless and done lightly, a spontaneous expression of the peace, joy, and love you were experiencing within.

When you’re feeling loved, you’re naturally loving, and in this state, you’re also in tune with the Divine. If you are the nearest tuned in person, to the one who needs the message, then you have the opportunity to deliver it. It’s that simple.

So tune in first, then heed those gentle promptings, make that call, say those kind words that just now came to mind, to your friend, or that someone you haven’t been introduced to. Being in tune with the Divine is a wonderful place to be anyway, and then too, you have the delightful privilege of being available to be an angel.

It’s a brilliant delivery system!
Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.  ~ Scottish saying
En Pointe - Pink Bleeding Hearts in the evening
En Pointe
Thank you, thank you, to all you angels. Never underestimate those seemingly small acts of kindness; they really do make a positive difference. Please appreciate yourself, just as much as you appreciate each angel in your own life. ♥

~ Karen Casey-Smith 




Thank you to Karen Casey-Smith for sharing this beautiful post with our blog.
Karen's lovely photography can be found in her shop on Etsy.




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Sunday, October 20, 2013

Healing With Gemstones - Getting to Know Aquamarine




Welcome to this month’s installment of Healing with Gemstones.  This month, we will take a look at the beautiful stone Aquamarine.

Aquamarine is an Astrological birthstone for Scorpio as well as the October birthstone in Arabic, Hebrew, Polish and Roman cultures.




Aquamarine Origin

Aquamarine takes its name from the Latin words “aqua” (water) and “marina” (of the sea).  It is from the beryl family (which included emeralds and morganite).  It ranges from a blue-green color to a pale blue.  The clear, almost colorless blue are the most sought after and valuable of the aquamarine stones.

Aquamarine stones are found in many places, such as Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Madagascar.  The most valuable aquamarine stones come from Brazil.




Aquamarine History

In Ancient Rome, an aquamarine was given as a gift from the groom to the bride the morning after the marriage was consummated.  It was  believed to absorb the energy of young love.  The Roman legend stated “When blessed and worn, it joins in love, and does great things.”  They would also carve a frog into the stone because they believed it would help reconcile relationships, and turn enemies into friends. 




Because its name was derived from the sea, it was often gifted to, and worn by, sailors, who believed it would help them traverse the deep waters safely.  Roman soldiers would also wear it in battle, as they believed it would make them invincible and bring them victory.

The Hebrew, Egyptian and Sumerian people all looked to the stone as a symbol of happiness and everlasting youth. 

In the late 14th Century, the stone was thought to be a good antidote to poison.  Since poisoning monarchs was a common practice in those days, many of them took to wearing aquamarine.  Unlike other times in the past, when the practice would be to crush and ingest a stone to get its full power, the belief was that just wearing this stone would be enough to protect you.



The Ancient Roman belief that the stone absorbed the energy of young love was carried through to the Middle Ages.  Married couples would gift the stone to each other to help them rekindle their earlier passions.

During this time, the stone was also used in crystal balls, as the clarity of the stone was thought to help with the clarity of vision.  Famous mystic John Dee used an aquamarine crystal ball to help Queen Elizabeth I look into the future and decide the perfect date for her coronation.  




A secondary divination method was used during this time as well.  A pointed stone would be suspended on a thread and held over a bowl of water, with the tip of the stone barely touching the water.  Inside the bowl, around the edge, there were letters of the alphabet.  Questions were asked, and, as the stone moved throughout the bowl from one letter to another, it would spell out the answers.  In that way, it acted as the ouija board of its time.

Ancient Healing Properties

According to ancient folklore, in addition to the beliefs already mentioned, aquamarine was also thought to assist in the treatment of yawning, belching, and in curing ailments to the stomach, liver, throat, jaws, and even toothaches.

Because its name is a connection to water and the sea, it was also used in rituals to either bring rain, or, for malevolent purposes, to help cause drought to your enemies.


As it was used often in divination, it is also thought to help people clear their perceptions and sharpen their intuition, as well as help them with their own clairvoyance.  This makes it a great stone for meditation.

Charging Your Aquamarine

If you are bringing an aquamarine crystal home for the first time, you will want to clean it of all the energy it had absorbed up to that point.  There are two ways to do this.  One would be to hold it under running water.  If there is a point on the stone, hold the point towards the running water.  Do this until you feel the energy change.  If you are unsure what that feels like, you can also soak it in sea salt for 24 hours, so that the salt has a chance to draw out the energy.



As it is a stone connected with the sea, you can also charge it by leaving it out in the rain for 6 hours, and let it heal and recharge naturally.

Once that is done, you should finish the charge by carrying or wearing the stone, so that it tunes to your personal energy.

Aquamarine Jewelry

Although it is not a stone that I use often, I do have a few pieces made with aquamarine. 

For lovers of bold, chunky pieces, I have this great piece made from faceted aquamarine rondelles and round amethyst:



Amethyst and Aquamarine Necklace

For those who love a cleaner, more delicate look, I also have a set made with aquamarine and cultured freshwater pearls:


Aquamarine and Pearl Set

I think you would agree with the philosopher Pliny, who was a fan of this stone.  He once said “The lovely aquamarine, which seems to have come from some mermaid’s treasure house, in the depths of a summer sea, has charms not to be denied.”

Cleanse and Purify Your Stones

For information on how to cleanse your stones, see this  article published recently here on Mind Body Spirit Odyssey.



Thank you Giani!





You can read Giani's Tarot reviews in the Review section of this blog.
This is the first article in this wonderful series, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more
 in the upcoming months!  I thank Giani
 for his wonderful continued contributions to Mind Body Spirit Odyssey. 


The beautiful jewelry pictured above can be found in Giani's website and on CraftStar.
                                                                                  
 ~ diane



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