Shamanism: What role do crystals play in your spirituality?
 

Hello again, this time I'd like to ask the shamanic practitioners out there what role crystals play in their spirituality. For me, I have a difficult time connecting to them and - with the exception of crystals I find in the "wild" - feeling their influence. On a couple of occasions I have had a Journey that took me to visit crystals, and I saw their immense energy and inter-realm way of existence. They hold a fascination for me and I love them. However I just can't seem to have as good a connection and potent feeling from them as other beings.

I'm curious to see what others experience when working with crystals. Do you have an easier time feeling their power, or are there only certain ones at certain times? Do you have any interesting stories related to Journeys involving crystals?

I've only really used amethyst and rose quartz.
I used to carry rose quartz around with me in my pocket book to remind me to be kind. Eventually though I gave all my stones away to my niece in the aspect of giving to someone else when they need something. So I suppose the lesson in kindness was learned.

My old amethyst I used during meditation on my third eye and I noticed more vivid medative states this way personally. It was quite an experience. One I will never forget.

At the current time, I have begun to consecrate two stones, a black and a white one for my own chakra work when I get back to doing my own chakra work. Awaiting to see how that goes.

But, I have not used stones/crystals for a while.
I am just returning to considering things of spirit after a much needed physical rest. Every now and then I feel the need to simply recharge and relax and read a book, write, or do something creative. And, of course we must all take heed of the reality around us and ocassionally get boggled down, laundry to do dishes errands to run. The norm. :)

My experience parallels yours, it seems.
I trust that if a crystal was appropriate for some work I needed to do, it would show up or make itself known to me. I have many things to overcome in my practice, and a bias against the 'new age' generic emphasis of the use of crystals is one of them.
That being said, I have a couple of tools that are amazing crystal specimens, but they are more important symbols of mine rather than conveyors of energy per se. I do acknowledge that they may be doing things I'm not aware of and trust that it's all in accordance with my needs or intention.

Yes, my experience with crystals has been somewhat similar, and I especially agree with the bias against "New Age" concepts. I'm about as "Old School" as you can get without being a lemur and sucking on millipedes. :D I think this may also be because many storebought crystals are factory-farmed, and perhaps we can sense that.

Don't get me wrong, I can definitely feel the life in all crystals. My boyfriend scoffs when I insist rocks are alive. But unlike "wild" crystals, gems, ores, and rocks, the storebought stones feel less capable of helping me, and more like I need to heal them. However you cleanse or heal a rock....

Even the wild crystals and stones are a little hard to really connect with. Perhaps it is simply because rocks are such different creatures than humans? I can't even imagine experiencing the rock cycle or how their consciousness computes that....

I seem to have the easiest time bonding with quartz, scoria, ruby, iron, feldspar, and of all things....coal. Actually the coal makes sense, because it is the closest rock to being a "living thing" as "science" knows it. While igneous rocks are probably the furthest from what we call an "organism".

My collection of scoria, feldspar, and other lava rocks just keeps on growing. There are an awful lot around here. They come in such beautiful patterns, shades, and swirls of brown, orange, pink, red, violet, black, grey, and white. Fitting colors for stones of fire.

Sometime around the autumn equinox this past year, on a very hot dry 106º Fahrenheit day in this area, I went on a short fast and a good long hike into the forest. Since I ran out of water early because I rescue and rehydrate earthworms stranded in the sun, I was in a pretty trippy state of mind by high noon.

After visiting old-ish plant friends and meeting new ones, I sat down upon a small hill to meditate in the quiet solitude of nature. But I ended up ruminating over some worries I had instead. Praying pretty rudely to whatever I should call this Higher Power within us all, one thing led to another and received an answer to my question, in the form of a sharp pain in the soul of my foot.

It was a fist-sized (I have small child fists) chunk of feldpar in the shape of an amost-perfect pyramid. With fiery swirls of white, orange, and red, it is a lava rock indeed. Thanking God, one thing once again led to another, and I found myself in a trance state that served as an important sign on my path. This stone (among many other things) was definitely meant for me to find.

After that day, it felt like the pyramid rock wanted little to do with me. Not like it disliked me or was done with me, but like it just needed some alone time. And another thing I realized: while it needs alone time just like I do, it seems to want ALL the attention when it wants attention. If (most) other rocks, plants, or animals are present, the pyramid rock will simply not cooperate with the ceremony/ritual. If that makes any sense.

HaHA! I love it!

I barely use some of the tools that have come to me- some I have yet to fully realize- but where relationships have been formed, they are strong and unique.

I suppose that if animals can be more extraverted or introverted, so can minerals! But considering the intense circumstances in which I discovered the pyramid rock, I totally understand if it wants my undivided attention. Too bad my attention is all over the place! :D