It's perfectly natural to wonder, well, do I need a certification to learn about crystals? And the answer might surprise you. The answer is, no. I don't think that you need to have a certification to learn about crystal healing. In fact, your own journey, learning about crystals is more than valid. It's so empowering, right? When I first started working with my crystals, I had no plans to do this work professionally. It was all for my own personal growth, part of my spiritual work and spiritual practice and it's something that was really enriching in my life and brought me a lot of joy. &nbsp; I encourage you to get out there and learn all you can from reading books, blog posts or articles online. Also, watching YouTube videos, and first and foremost, hands-on experiential practice with your crystals. In terms of whether or not you need a certification, you absolutely don't, and self-study is a perfectly reasonable pathway to enhancing your knowledge. However, I will say from my own personal experience, when I was working with my crystals by myself, I ran into a lot of hurdles and obstacles that sort of set me back on my path. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I found a lot of conflicting information. I didn't have many people to turn to and ask questions and get support about things that I was experiencing when I was working with my crystals. It was a huge hurdle for me. A big obstacle and I couldn't figure it out on my own. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I needed more mentorship and guidance from people who had been there before me, who could pass on that knowledge, but also from a community of my peers who I could talk about things with. So for that reason, you might be interested in pursuing certification, not even necessarily for the certificate itself, although we'll get to that later, but just for your own personal fulfillment. There's something about my way of teaching I am really good at, and one of my gifts is taking complex subjects and breaking them down so that they're really easy to understand. I hear this from my students all the time, and it's something that I feel so passionate about. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I have the ability to share all these ideas that I've learned in over 20 years of learning about crystals and I want to be able to share all of that knowledge with you in a way that makes sense. In my CCH Program, we focus on building your foundational knowledge first through understanding the science of crystals. Plus how and why they're thought to work for healing and then we go from there. Focusing more on the spiritual side of things. This is really important to have a blending of both of these perspectives and when you're learning something on your own, you don't know what you don't know, right? There's many pieces of the puzzle that you miss or overlook or you aren't exposed to. I really try and give a super comprehensive crystal education in my <a href="https://crystalhealerschool.

Turquoise is a robin's egg blue stone often displaying brown, black, or gray veining that has a long history of use by many cultures across the globe. A Crystal Message about the Healing Properties of Turquoise: "I am protected and secure in all that I do and I maintain a solid, grounded connection to the earth." &nbsp; Common Healing Properties of Turquoise: * Enhances communication with your guides * Helps you to be mindful of the present moment * Enhances self-expression and communication * Removes unwanted energy from yourself and your environment * Suports you as you work to increase your self-confidence * Aids in relaxation * Promotes spiritual growth * Helps you to remain on the path that is for your highest good &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Colors: Sky blue, light blue (sometimes with brown or gray veins) Zodiac Signs: Sagittarius, Aquarius Elements: Air, Water Companion Flowers: Agave Companion Essential Oil: Yucca Companion Stone: Howlite Common Origins: Arizona, USA, New Mexico, USA, Tibet, Cornwall, UK, Peru, Mongolia, Mexico Notes: This stone is often stabilized or dyed and many imitations exist (typically dyed Howlite or Magnesite). Wanna’ Get Science-y? Click Here to get information about the chemical composition, hardness, streak, etc. of this crystal from one of my favorite sites! &nbsp; More About Turquoise: Turquoise is a stone of ancient wisdom and instills patience. It enhances your ability to think things through before rushing forward if the path ahead is still unclear. Work with this stone if you need to take time to find clarity and fill any gaps in your knowledge before making rash decisions. Turquoise is a soft, sky-blue stone that has often been connected with heavenly realms and air energy. Often what is sold as turquoise is a “fake,” either a dyed piece of howlite or even low-grade turquoise which has been ground up and reconstituted. Usually with the help of binders and dyes. Watch a video here, which will provide a good introduction to spotting real vs. fake turquoise. The beautiful Turquoise has been treasured by people all over the world since prehistory. The oldest known pieces of jewelry are the four turquoise bracelets found on the mummy of the Egyptian Queen Zer. A lot of Turquoise is found in the southwestern US, where it has traditionally been a valuable trade item. Some First Nations tribes, such as the Dine, consider it an especially holy stone, and it is incorporated into their symbolic and spiritual cultural practices. For example, Turquoise Boy and Turquoise Girl are said to be magical people who reside in the mountain and help the Dine people.

Sacred Geometry describes the concept that there are certain geometric patterns found in nature that give shape and form to everything in the Universe. Sacred Geometry is an extremely complicated, detailed subject that's hard to deal with in an article of any kind of reasonable length. Hopefully, the information below will explain enough about shapes and their symbolism to help you put sacred geometry to use in your everyday life: for meditation, making crystal grids, sacred art, etc. If you really want to get into detail about the theory behind this, you might want to check out The Sacred Geometry Movie from Spirit Science. &nbsp; &nbsp; Just as mathematics is the foundation of all science, a special kind of math is the foundation of all metaphysics. Sacred geometry springs from the examination of patterns and relationships found in nature. On the surface that may sound a little dry. However, when we look at how basic lines and curves come together to form the universe, it's like taking a wonderful look into the mind of creation. Because while all matter is made from elements, it's the patterns that give matter form, purpose, and astounding diversity. For example, Calcite, aragonite and seashells are all made of the same thing: calcium carbonate (CaCO3) The earth forms this material into calcite, usually in squarish blocks, directly through geological processes. Sea creatures also take up CaCO3 and, with the help of patterns recorded in their DNA, they reform it into shells. Eventually, these shells decompose, returning their CaCO3 to earth as aragonite, a mineral with its own distinctive shapes. So aragonite and calcite are the exact same material, but each has its own unique structure. In other words, they are all the same substance; only the pattern is different. Flower of Life The Fibonacci spiral and many other forms and patterns we talk about in sacred geometry arise from the Flower of Life, which is seen as the basis for all other patterns in the universe. This shape, along with many others derived from it, play a key role in Kabbalah (a mystical tradition within Judaism), though many of the shapes also have significance in other cultures across the globe. The study of sacred geometry begins by drawing circles: Two intersecting circles form the vesica piscis (meaning fish bladder or vessel of the fish), seen also in the chalice well symbol. Some see this symbol as feminine or as a symbol of the Mother Goddess as its center is similar to the shape of a vulva. Where three circles intersect, we see the triquetra, a symbol of sacred trinities (like the three realms of land, sea, and sky; or as a representation of body, mind, and spirit). The seed of life is also called the genesis pattern, where six intersecting circles signify the six stages of creation. The egg of life takes the Seed of Life into three dimensions, with eight non-intersecting spheres, and can represent the cell division of an embryo. The flower of life is made of 19 intersecting circles within the boundary of a larger circle. It's said that all other sacred patterns can be found within it. In Metatron's cube, lines connect the centers of the circles in the fruit of life. The lines are said to represent masculine energy while the circles represent feminine energy, so this pattern combines polarities into a unified creation. Obviously,

Vera Cruz Amethyst is a beautiful and highly prized, pale lilac variety of Amethyst from Vera Cruz, Mexico. A Crystal Message About the Healing Properties of Vera Cruz Amethyst: “I am connected with the violet ray of divine knowledge and wisdom, and I tap into my inner knowing..” &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Common Healing Properties of Vera Cruz Amethyst: * Promotes spiritual growth * Connects you with your spirituality * Instills an attitude of compassion * Promotes thoughts of Lovingkindness * Helps you recognize and address issues arising from a lack of compassion * Enhances the nurturing aspects of your personality * Opens your heart to receiving divine guidance and love * Helps you connect with your guides so that you can better serve your community * Opens your eyes to important life lessons * Helps keep you humble * Promotes deep states of meditation * Stimulates your intuition and inner knowing in order to provide you with guidance about your life path and soul purpose * Encourages you to appreciate the present moment and the gifts it has to offer you Colors: Violet; Purple; Lavender Zodiac Signs: Aquarius; Pisces Elements: Air; Water Companion Flowers: Violet Companion Essential Oil: Lavender Companion Stone: Morganite Common Origins: Vera Cruz, Mexico Notes: As this is a variety of Amethyst, the properties of Amethyst also apply Wanna’ Get Science-y? Click Here to get information about the chemical composition, hardness, streak, etc. of this crystal from one of my favorite sites! Amethyst Lore: Amethyst is a variety of quartz that ranges in color from the lightest lilac to a deep violet.  It’s been considered a protective, healing stone from the earliest times.  In fact, even its name refers to one of its ancient protective functions:  a (anti-) + methustos (intoxicated).  Wine taken from an amethyst cup, it was said, would never make you drunk!  A possible mechanism for this:  the host may have disguised the fact that they’d watered down the wine by pouring it into a deep purple cup.   Amethyst has kept its association with virtue through time, protecting one’s better nature against temptation.  In fact,

Ever felt mysteriously drawn to a certain crystal or stone? It’s HIGHLY likely that the crystal you're feeling drawn to represents an energy that you need in your life right now. There’s a wonderful quote by the Persian poet and scholar, Rumi, that says, “What you seek, is seeking you.” In my experience of working with people and crystals, I’ve observed this to be true time and time again.   When there's something in your life that feels like it's missing or something that really needs your focus and attention, then often there's a special stone that draws you in...almost calling to you, to support you in this work.  If you’re seeking to heal or balance some aspect of your life, a helpful crystal companion will often appear at just the right time - showing you the path to transformation and wholeness. These crystals often come into your life to help you create rapid shifts in your well-being. For example, for the first many years of my crystal journey, I just didn't seem to connect with Rose Quartz at all. It's not that I disliked the stone, it just didn't really capture my attention and I thought it was a little boring. But after my grandmother passed away and I was processing a lot of grief and deeply missing her, I found myself drawn to Rose Quartz like a magnet. There was something so soothing and supportive about its energy and I connected with it in a very deep and meaningful way. I didn't understand for a few weeks why it had suddenly captured my attention, but then I realized how much I was missing my grandma - her support, compassion, love, and care - and Rose Quartz came to my aid to help comfort and soothe me during a very difficult time. I often hear from people who have had these experiences and then later feel sad when their crystal “doesn’t feel how it used to” or they feel like they just "don’t connect with the stone the same way.” Does this sound familiar? Well, in my experience, that’s because once the stone has done its job and the energy is no longer needed by you in the same way it was before, your connection to the stone (that feeling of being called to or drawn in by its energy) feels different.  It may even feel like the connection no longer exists at all.  But don’t worry!  This is a GOOD thing. &nbsp; Feeling like this means most likely means that you’ve transformed and re-aligned the part of you that REALLY needed the supportive energy that the crystal was offering you. Now that you've created the needed shift, your crystal is either ready to do its thing all over again or to take a little rest. I realized after working with Rose Quartz over the course of a few months, that a time came when I just didn't feel as called to work with it as I had in the past. I was still very much grieving the loss of my grandma, but Rose Quartz had been such a helpful ally that it really helped me work through some of the toughest times. It became clear that I didn't need that same level of support anymore and it was ok to let go of my connection to my Rose Quartz companions. This didn't mean that my relationship with these stones was over because I knew I could always return to them if I found myself needing their support again. So what should you do with your stones once the connection fades? If you do still feel connected to the stone, even if it wasn’t as strong as when you were going through your big transformation, then you can hang onto it and keep it in your crystal healing toolkit.

One way that I like to connect with Lughnasadh, the seasons, and the cycles of the earth is by tuning into The Wheel of the Year. This is a relatively new practice for me, but I'm finding the journey into exploring this way of being in flow with the seasons to be an enjoyable one! Read on to discover how you can connect more deeply with the earth's natural cycles in your spiritual practice... The Wheel of the Year can help you tune into natural cycles and helps you internalize these outward changes in nature as reflections of the growth and evolution you experience in your own life. Living in harmony with the seasons and the ebb and flow of nature helps you to lead a more soulful life and to cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself on a soul level. The Wheel of the Year helps you recognize who you are and your role in the world around you. Set up your Lughnasadh Altar with me!  &nbsp; So what is the Wheel of the Year? Separated into 8 main holidays, the Wheel of the Year represents seasonal cycles that focus on the 4 Solar Holidays of the year (also known as the quarter days). This stems from the Anglo-Saxon cultural observations of the solstices and equinoxes, with the addition of the 4 Gaelic, agrarian, seasonal celebrations (the mid-points between the solar holidays known as the lunar cross-quarter days or fire festivals). Although some of the holidays observed in the Wheel of the Year are quite old, The Wheel of the Year as a whole is fairly modern (being developed in the late 1950s). Though I don't personally follow the tradition that created the contemporary Wheel of the Year, I find it a helpful way to think about the passage of time and what's happening at each time of year. I tend to identify more with the Gaelic Cross-Quarter Days, like Lughnasadh, as they stem from my ancestral heritage, than I do with the Anglo-Saxon solstices and equinoxes, but I do find value in these quarter days because they more closely align with the seasons as I observe them where I live in  Wisconsin. For this reason, these seasonal markers are important for helping me feel connected to what’s happening in nature all year long, while the cross-quarter days hold more spiritual significance for me in other ways. An Introduction to Lughnasadh: Lughnasadh is the third of the cross-quarter days, which marks the first harvest (and is the mid-point between Litha, the Summer Solstice, and Mabon, the Autumn Equinox). It is commonly celebrated on August 1st each year here in the northern hemisphere (or on February 1st in the southern hemisphere), but it may be celebrated between July 31st to August 2nd. Lughnasadh is the time of the first major harvest of the year of 3 in total - the second being Mabon at the autumnal equinox, and the final harvest being Samhain. It is also sometimes known as Lammas in the modern Pagan calendar. Lughnasadh Crystals: Green Aventurine Red Calcite Black Onyx Yellow Aventurine Rutilated Smoky Quartz Epidote Malachite Citrine Mahogany Obsidian Peridot

Peridot is a beautiful lime-green stone that is excellent for shielding your energy field. A Crystal Message about the Healing Properties of Peridot: “Feel my energy shield you from harm and negativity.  Know that you are a strong and powerful being.  Allow yourself to be surrounded in my healing light and feel your body, mind, and spirit come into perfect alignment." &nbsp; Common Healing Properties of Peridot: * Enhances energetic protection and shields the energy body * Disintegrates negative energy from the aura * Creates balance among the body, mind, and spirit * Assists you with organization * Enhances feelings of personal power * Increases your self-confidence and inner strength * Assists you in manifesting more abundance (financial and spiritual) * Increases luck and good fortune * Eases feelings of energetic or emotional tension * Promotes clarity Colors: Spring green, lime green Zodiac Signs: Leo, Virgo, Taurus, Capricorn Elements: Earth, Air Companion Flowers: Orchid Companion Essential Oil: Lime Companion Stone: Erythrite Common Origins: California, USA Notes: Also known as Olivine. Wanna’ Get Science-y? Click Here to get information about the chemical composition, hardness, streak, etc. of this crystal from one of my favorite sites! &nbsp; More About Peridot: Peridot (pronounced either PEAR-a-dot or PEAR-a-doe) is the gemstone variety of the mineral olivine. It is the birthstone for August. This bright green gemstone promotes personal growth and supports energetic healing. It helps to restore balance among your body, mind, and spirit so that you feel more happiness and harmony in your life. Peridot helps to support you as you determine what's most meaningful to you and what truly feels important in your life. It reveals any things that have been consuming your energy and mental bandwidth that are actually trivial or unimportant so that you can create space for more bliss and joy. &nbsp; Peridot Lore: The lore of peridot has remained remarkably consistent through time. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and other cultures associated this stone with the sun. Through the dark ages, medieval times, and even into modern times, many have claimed that this solar association made Peridot the most effective crystal for protection against negative energy. Various writers throughout time have recommended Peridot for necromancers, people plagued by hauntings, and even those who were thought to be possessed by a spirit. It was also said to be a most effective stone to use to protect people against frightening things that happen at night — anything from nightmares and night terrors to sleep paralysis, which was thought to be the work of a creature called the Night Hag.

If you’re a spiritual seeker or a mystical soul, chances are you look for signs from the universe, listen to the whispers of your heart, and pay attention to the messages from your intuition. I know, because I'm a seeker too, and I love to work with my crystals to discover more about myself and my soul path. Take a moment to pause and ask yourself: What are you feeling most called to in your life right now? Is there something you feel like you MUST do, try out, or experience? What do you have a deep longing for that would feel supportive, nurturing, and authentic to you? If you could take any next step on your path toward happiness and personal fulfillment, what would it be? When we pause and listen to our inner guidance, we can discover our soul calling and identify where we’re being guided. Living in alignment with your soul purpose is about connecting to yourself as authentically as you can and showing up as your whole self in your day-to-day life. It’s about consistently staying in flow by tuning into the messages from your intuition and the way it whispers to you to nudge you in the right direction. It’s about embodying your calling in each step of your journey. I feel so grateful to have discovered my soul calling, and I want you to feel as in sync with the universe as I do. I want you to experience the same joy and sense of fulfillment that comes from knowing that you’re living in alignment with your soul purpose. Are Crystals Part of  Your Soul Calling? Before we go any further, I want to clarify something important... Soul purpose may mean something different to each of us. There are no right or wrong answers about what soul purpose means to you, as long as it’s authentic…as long as it feels healing and invites you to drop into your heart space…and as long as it feels in alignment with how you want your life to feel. But sometimes soul purpose gets framed as your career or what you do for work - and although you can sometimes incorporate what you're called to do on a soul level into your career or work, this isn't the case for many folks. There is often societal judgment, due to capitalism, that tells us that our passions are not worthwhile or valuable if they're not making us money. So we often get fooled into thinking that our soul path has to involve our career, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Though some may choose to incorporate their passions into their careers, others may choose to keep these two facets of their life separate. Both ways of walking the path are valid - and both ways are meaningful. Following your soul path is about doing the things that you feel wildly passionate about...the things that spirit calls you to do…the things that make you light up. &nbsp; We can have many important paths that each lead to us feeling fulfilled in different ways. In other words... Your SOUL purpose isn't your SOLE purpose. Sometimes we get confused or fooled into thinking that our soul purpose is ONE THING that we're here on this earth to do. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the idea that your soul purpose is just ONE BIG thing, especially when it fills up a big part of your life. Maybe you feel like your soul purpose is being a mother, or a caregiver, or a teacher. For me, my ONE BIG thing is teaching others about crystals.

Larimar, also known as Blue Pectolite, comes from only one place in the world (the Dominican Republic) and resembles the ocean when glistening with sunlight. A Crystal Message about the healing properties of Larimar: "I open my heart to the compassion of the universe." Common Healing Properties of Larimar: * Promotes peace and calming * Encourages emotional healing * Facilitating inner child work * Helps you connect with Divine energy * Assisting you with Earth healing energy work (for healing the land and the water) * Enhances communication (especially with your guides and with animals) * Allows you to get in flow with the energy of the water element to assist you with release and letting go, promoting your intuition, and enhancing love * Encourages mental clarity * Facilitates states of expanded consciousness * Enhances feelings of oneness Colors: Opaque, light blue with white or green swirls and occasional burgundy speckles Zodiac Signs: Cancer Elements: Water Companion Flowers: Forget-Me-Not Companion Essential Oil: Lavender Partner Stone: Pink Thomsonite Common Origins: The Dominican Republic is the sole locality for this stone. Other colors of Pectolite are available elsewhere, but this is the only known source of Blue Pectolite. Notes: Also known as Dolphin Stone, Blue Pectolite, or Atlantis Stone (not to be confused with Atlantisite, which is a combination of green Serpentine and purple Stichitite). This stone is moderately rare as it comes from only one location, but it is readily available in most specialty shops as tumbled stones or set in jewelry. Wanna’ Get Science-y? Click Here to get more information about this crystal! More About Larimar: Larimar is a rare, blue variety of Pectolite and although it's massive in its outward appearance, it has a triclinic crystal system. The blue color of this stone, often mottled with white or green, resembles the ocean when glistening with sunlight.  Lower-quality pieces will sometimes contain red or brown flecks.  High-quality Larimar sometimes displays a slight pearlescence. This beautiful blue stone seems to have the ocean written on it, like a reflection of the clear Caribbean waters of its origin, and all of its associations are with water. Larimar is a beautiful blue stone known for enhancing communication, whether with people, animals, or even elemental water spirits. It has a joyful yet peaceful energy. Larimar is a gentle stone that offers you deep and profound healing while working with it.  It is also sometimes referred to as “Dolphin Stone” and facilitates all types of communication (between people, with animals, or with your guides).  Larimar corresponds to the water element and is a stone of empathy and compassion that can facilitate feelings of oneness and of belonging to the whole. This blue variety of Pectolite is aligned with the water element and is most helpful when you work with it to wash away (physically and energetically) anything that no longer feels supportive in your life.

One way that I like to connect with the seasons and cycles of the earth is by tuning into The Wheel of the Year. This is a relatively new practice for me, but I'm finding the journey into exploring this way of being in flow with the seasons to be an enjoyable one! Read on to discover how you can connect more deeply with the earth's natural cycles in your spiritual practice... The Wheel of the Year can help you tune into natural cycles and helps you internalize these outward changes in nature as reflections of the growth and evolution you experience in your own life. Living in harmony with the seasons and the ebb and flow of nature helps you to lead a more soulful life and to cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself on a soul level. The Wheel of the Year helps you recognize who you are and your role in the world around you. So what is the Wheel of the Year? Separated into 8 main holidays, the Wheel of the Year represents seasonal cycles that focus on the 4 Solar Holidays of the year (also known as the quarter days). This stems from the Anglo-Saxon cultural observations of the solstices and equinoxes, with the addition of the 4 Gaelic, agrarian, seasonal celebrations (the mid-points between the solar holidays known as the lunar cross-quarter days or fire festivals). Although some of the holidays observed in the Wheel of the Year are quite old, The Wheel of the Year as a whole is fairly modern (being developed in the late 1950s). Though I don't personally follow the tradition that created the contemporary Wheel of the Year, I find it a helpful way to think about the passage of time and what's happening at each time of year. An Introduction to Summer Solstice: The Summer Solstice, also called Litha, here in the Northern Hemisphere, is the second of the quarter days (the solar festivals), which marks the second of the summer holidays (the mid-point between Beltane and Lughnasadh/Lammas). The Summer Solstice is traditionally celebrated on the longest day of the year, determined by when the Earth's pole is at maximum tilt toward the sun (this date may range from June 20th-22nd each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and between December 20th-23rd in the Southern Hemisphere). From this point forward, the days will begin to grow shorter until we reach the time of equal day and night at the Autumn Equinox (Mabon), followed by the shortest day of the year at the Winter Solstice (Yule). Modern Summer Solstice celebrations stem from the contemporary Wheel of the Year, where Litha is associated with Midsummer and is celebrated as a time to revere and honor the Sun and the gifts it bestows to us here on Earth. As this day is the longest of the year, it also has the shortest night, and in some modern spiritual paths, represents the death of the Sun King. To honor the Sun King, bonfires are often lit at sunset and a vigil is kept until dawn, to ensure his return. Set up your Summer Solstice Altar with me! &nbsp; &nbsp; Summer Solstice Crystals: Citrine Pyrite (especially Pyrite Sun formations) Sunstone Ethiopian Opal Golden Calcite Peridot Carnelian Green Nephrite <a href="https://loveandlightschool.