VALERIE SMITH: Stones and Crystals are the epitome of persistence. They were here long before we set foot on earth and will continue to be here long after we leave. They witnessed the wonder of the dinosaur, the evolution of mankind, and while they have moved through many changes, they still hold a low, grounded energy, and can naturally clear any negativity they pick up from us, as long as we do not interfere with their perfect state of being.

It is only because of man that stones and crystals ever hold negative energy. We can use the wonderful energy the earth holds to encourage persistence within ourselves and if we assist them to clear the negativity they pick up from us. They are then ready to help us over and over. There are rare cases when a stone is too worn out to help any more, but this does not happen that often. If this should happen to a stone or crystal you use, just give the stone back to the earth and it will eventually be renewed.

We live in a fast paced world, and it can be very hard to stay focused to get any one thing done or accomplished. We move from task to task, goal to goal, and sometimes it feels like we are getting nothing done. Or should I say most of the time? Of course the other side to this is procrastination or avoidance is because of inner fears we hold around a situation, which gives us good reason to join the fast paced crowd, and never finish what we started, or didn't start for that matter.

If this is a challenge for you, read on. You may find what I have to say interesting, if you can stay focused long enough to read the whole article! :)

When we are in a hurry or want things done NOW, we hold little patience or acceptance of what is, giving up before we accomplish what we set out to do. Blue Aragonite is a great stone to help us slow down, look at things in another way and find acceptance in the situation. It also helps us to feel less hurried or aggravated by our own self, the situation or the other person(s) involved, allowing us the persistence and ability to stay and finish the task or goal. This beautiful light blue stone helps us to empathize with others, bringing a calm, relaxed energy, helping us handle stressful experiences more easily. It also helps us to communicate more clearly with our spirit guides, helping us to feel and know that we are protected and guided in all we do. This is a great stone to place below your pillow to ease the tension in your shoulders and to bring healing through the night, or to wear in a medicine pouch through the day with a pinch of white sage.

Sometimes we are so concerned with other people and their problems, that we drop what we are doing to help them. Jade, helps us to stay focused on our goals. It is known as a dream stone for two reasons. It helps us work through our dreams - meaning to find insight of our life through our dreams - and it also helps us to follow our dreams. The latter is what I am referring to in this case, as we need to have a dream or goal and the will or desire to accomplish it, regardless of what is happening around us. It helps us to hold positive thoughts, wisdom and it stabilizes our personality and feeling of self-sufficiency, encouraging us to be true to our goals and dreams. For best results wear or carry the Jade through the day, and place under your pillow at night for dream work. If you find you are having too many dreams or still feel tired by morning, either give yourself a break from the Jade or stop using it while you sleep. Jade is great for manifesting, if you keep it near you.

When life feels too emotional or painful, we may feel that we don't have what it takes to see things through. Our insecurity can cause us to feel incompetent and we then cannot find the energy to get moving. Green Aventurine is a protector of the heart. It heals emotional issues and promotes compassion and empathy. It also amplifies our leadership qualities, motivating us into action and encourages perseverance. From a healing point, it dissolves negative emotions, calms the mind and body, settles nausea and heals the digestive system, sinusitis, and muscular aches and pains. Green Aventurine brings balance to the inner will and instils well-being, enhancing our creativity and opening our perceptions to all possibilities. It also helps us to see the bigger picture, calming anger and irritation, helping us to move forward. Carry this stone in your pocket, rubbing your thumb over it when you need energy, or wear it as a necklace over your heart or solar plexus.

Fears can be a big obstacle to moving forward or staying on our path, and many times we are not even aware of these fears, we just keep finding our self sidetracked and off our path. Black Tourmaline is a very deep grounding stone which helps us to not just face our fears, but to understand our fears. When we understand what it is that we fear, we usually find that the monster isn't as big as the shadow projected and we can then find our way through or past it. As well when we are running away from our fears, the extra adrenaline created makes them feel bigger and scarier. The grounding benefits of the Black Tourmaline helps us to stop running, so we can get our bearings. It also holds protective, positive energy helping us to feel all is well. For round the clock benefits, place a Black Tourmaline under your mattress at the foot of the bed, and wear it as a necklace. This is an excellent stone to use to clear electro-magnetic energy from electrical appliances and cell phones.

Of course, from time to time we have all played the game of self-sabotage, wondering why we never lose the weight we want, or find the time to exercise, take classes or whatever we want to do to improve our self in any way. Garnet helps us to hold positive thoughts and boosts our energy giving us the tools to manifest and create in our life. As a result we stop the self-sabotage whether it is conscious or unconscious. Garnet also lifts us out of depression and helps us find our inner strength and self-confidence, helping us to see the light at the end of the tunnel so we keep moving forward until at last we have arrived at the goal we set or wished for. When we keep this stone close to us preferably on our skin, and with many stones vibrating together as in a bracelet, it helps us in all these ways creating a commitment to our self and our life.

Making a firm decision or commitment helps us to follow through with our plans. When we aren't sure of our self or of what we want, it is impossible to be persistent in what we are doing. Black Onyx is another grounding stone, but it helps us to see reality, align with our higher self, to make wise decisions and to follow through with our plans. We will be able to stay grounded during difficult times, make the changes necessary by releasing old patterns or beliefs that no longer serve us, and to be steadfast with determination. Black Onyx will help us to be open to receiving the help we need as we follow our path, and it also holds a protective, positive energy which creates an environment of support around us. Carry or wear this stone at all times to make the most use of what it has to offer.

Persistence may be in short supply for many people, but even a simple stone found on the path will give us extra energy and the stamina to go farther and faster when walking without depleting our energy. I know this, because I have experienced it. Our beautiful home, Mother Earth beholds many wonderful stone specimens which are not only pretty to the eye, but amazingly healing and beneficial to us and our life. With her help we can be successful, accomplishing all our dreams and goals. Why not tap into this source of dynamic energy? You've got nothing to lose, and lots to gain!

Sep 6, 2011 - 10:41 AM

Valerie Smith -

You are welcome Anna-Marie. For anyone interested, one way to pick which stone is best for you, is if you have an affinity to one. You may find that you especially like the feel of the stone in your hand, or you seem to come across it a lot in jewelry pieces or shops you visit. A cool experience would be to come into the store and see which stone you find first, without asking for help. We have all of them here, so it would be a fair test. Blessings.

Aug 30, 2011 - 10:52 PM

Anna-Marie Heitzner -

thank you valerie