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THROUGH THE CRYSTAL PORTALS

As long as humanity has walked the face of the Earth, they have been fascinated with crystals and gemstones! A shiny pebble in a river bed catching the eye, a crystal protruding from the wall of an ancient cave, a sacred carving in a long forgotten Temple, a mystical stone grotto, all speak of the myth, magic and mystery of the treasures the Earth holds. Sacred sites abound around the world, built on or near energy vortexes and crystal portals.

But what is behind the myths and mysteries of these sites and their connection to the crystal and gemstone kingdoms? There is currently a world-wide resurgence and re-awakening to the healing powers of crystals and stones. More than any other time in history, people are using crystals as tools of healing, meditation and to create sacred space in their homes and work places! It's as if, the closer we have moved toward the threshold of the millennium, the more we have embraced these gifts nature has provided us. Spirituality has definitely become more earth-based, more inwardly oriented, and this is especially evident with the vast interest emerging in the Crystal Healing arena.

So why do crystals and gemstones really exist? What are their true purposes for being on Earth? To many, gemstones are merely the pretty things we put into jewelry and use for decoration. But to the ancients, gemstones and crystals were a bridge to the sacred energies of Gaia, Mother Earth and a direct link to the unseen realms of the Divine. Every culture has named the guardians and the connections to the crystal kingdom. The Native Americans called it the "Stone People". In India, they were known as the Devas or "Shining Ones" (which is where the term deva originated). The Celtic peoples knew of the race of "Gnomes" or little people who were the guardians of the "Jewels of the Earth".

The ancient Egyptian priestesses and priest saw gemstones as a direct means to carry the power of the gods to humanity. They were the first culture to create amulets from gemstones & crystals in vast quantities for daily use. The word amulet meant "to bear or to carry" in Egyptian. It was a vessel to hold the energy of the stone and bring it into the world. Gemstones were chosen for many amulets because of the belief that they could directly link us to the power of the gods, that the gods would intervene through the stone on our behalf.

Every gemstone has a power or a quality that represents a different aspect of the Divine. This is a pattern seen in many ancient cultures that use gemstones in a sacred manner. A direct example of this can be found in the "Amulet of the Eye of Horus". In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, a suggested formula was given about creating the "Utchat" as it was called, from the purest Lapis Lazuli ( a blue gemstone revered by the Egyptians). It was to empower the wearer with the blessings of strength, vigor, protection, safety and good health. These were the attributes of Horus, who was the god of youth and vitality!

Every culture has touched in some way, the spiritual energies of crystals and gemstones. Even the so-called primitive people of Neolithic and pre-historic times saw the connection between stones and the powers of nature. Many caves and antediluvian enclaves that have been excavated, contained gemstone carvings and amulets. In today's world of the modern day shaman, healer and spiritual seeker, crystals and stones have once again began to take a foothold. I observed this at a lecture and booksigning I attended recently at a Barnes & Noble in Houston. It was given by James McKeon, an author who writes about the healing and spiritual properties of gemstones. James spoke of the emerging world-wide movement in crystal healing. He noted that there was more interest now than ever before in the healing energies found within the Crystal Kingdom.

I wondered why this was taking place now on such a wide scale? During his lecture, he talked of the effect crystals and gemstones had on personal and planetary evolution. James said that many crystals and stones affect us on the subtle levels, working to help change the patterns and root causes of our problems. But primarily he wanted everyone to know that crystals and gemstones possessed a "life-force" energy that was essential for life on this planet. He spoke of how every stone has a special energy or gift that it brings to the world. In his recently released work, the AORA Gemstone Oracle Cards, he explores the spiritual connection and energy of the most sacred gemstones of ancient and modern times.

In his writings, he follows the journey of each crystal and stone exploring their cultural, spiritual and mystical origins. James stated, "Crystals and gemstones are energetic keys that help unlock our potential and highest purposes for being. They can be stimulants to our creative and latent potentials, helping us to become "whole" as human beings. Crystals are tools of empowerment and healing!" Later on during a question and answer session, he talked of how simple it was to use gemstone energies in our daily lives. This was one of the purposes for creating the AORA Gemstone Oracle Cards. He wanted people to have a simpler way to understand and utilize crystal energies in their daily lives. "Many people live their lives in advance states of complexity, what we need is a return to an advanced state of simplicity!" he said. He is an advocate of a back -to -basics approach to crystal healing.

In 1993, James McKeon began a journey that has taken him into the inner realm of gemstones and crystals. This was a journey to many places of this world and beyond! Like many mystical travelers before him, he began to tune into an unknown level of reality through a series of "visionary dreams" that continued for many months. He speaks of dreams here in a different way than many may have experienced them. This was the entrance into the arena of lucid dreams and prophetic visions. During the Spring of 1993, James began a long series of encounters with an ancient Oracle called AORA. He first encountered AORA during a very vivid dream-like experience.

In it,James found himself in a vast cave-like room, standing on a circular raised platform. In front and all around him were a series of arches or portals, each carved out of a different gemstone. Walking toward the one directly in his view, he observed that it was carved from the deep blue stone Lapis Lazuli. This was a gemstone very sacred to the ancient Egyptians. About to touch the stone archway, he turned to see a beautiful small framed woman standing behind him. AORA turned and introduced herself to James and suggested that he listen to her before touching the Lapis portal. AORA went on to share that the Lapis portal was a doorway into the pure energies of this gemstone. Every gemstone and crystal on Earth has a point of origin and energetic source in the spiritual worlds. She explained that this chamber in which they stood, was the center, an access point or crossroads to all the different stones on Earth at this time. AORA told James that this reality in which they were meeting was quite "real" and was not just a dream. But for the time being it might be easier on his sense of reality to think of this as a lucid dream experience.

With this said, AORA took James by the hand and escorted him through the Lapis archway. With a swirl of colored light reminiscent of something from a sci-fi movie, he found himself stepping into a beautiful garden setting. Directly ahead was a complex of buildings and as they approached them, he observed that the structures were all carved out of the blue gemstone Lapis. The setting was ethereal and very breathtaking. Set into the ground surrounding the complex, were large obelisk shaped pieces of Lapis. Taking a seat next to AORA, she spoke about the purpose of this place and about the true purposes of crystals and gemstones. "Every crystal, every stone, has a special gift and potential it brings to the Earth. Gemstones are energetic keys for helping humanity unlock its highest purpose." She told him that each crystal or gemstone was part of a species or group she called the Gemstone Families. These were the archetypes known to the Ancients upon Earth and represented all the various types of gemstone energies.

The categories of the 8 Gemstone Families she talked about included, Lifestones, Heartstones, Seerstones, Touchstones, Moongems & Sungems, Keystones and Dreamstones. All crystals and gemstones found on Earth, evidently fell into one or more of these groupings. As they talked, James began to feel and have a deeper understanding of why ancient cultures revered stones and how they employed them as sacred tools. The patterns and archetypes for these families had always existed. In fact, once aware of them, he begin to see how the different civilizations employed and used stones. The important part of this entire journey for him was seeing crystals & gemstones as living sources of energy, knowing they were here to assist us in our efforts to heal ourselves and the planet!

Where does this leave us, as the doorway to the millennium has opened? We have an abundance of information, techniques and systems about crystal energy & healing. From all I have observed on this journey, I feel what many need is a visitation back to their spiritual roots and source. What is the true source of information, vibration, divine contact and awareness of crystals & gemstones? Where does it originate? The source I believe is at our fingertips, in the very stones we talk so much about. Each gem and crystal is a universe unto itself. They are living vessels of pure energy and power. They are doorways in the untouched realms of crystal light & love! If we accept the higher purpose of stones, as being Windows or Portals into a pure focused energy of Light & Harmony, then we have accepted their highest gift to the Earth.

All crystals and stones can be invited to assist us in our Journey. We need only ask, invite and embrace them! I recently started to utilize a technique I received from James McKeon, co-author of the AORA Gemstone Oracle Cards, for working with crystal energies. It is a visualization technique for activating a stones full power and potential.

by Anand Geetam January 25,2001

Take the crystal or gemstone you wish to work with. Hold the stone against your heart chakra infusing it with your Love and good feelings. This can be done simply, by saying to the stone- "I Love You" or "I Give You My Love." Allow a flow of positive energy to enter into you from the stone. Send your own energies, positive thoughts and potentials through the stone. Visualize the gemstone as a conduit or lens through which spiritual light can be focused, much like the light of the Sun focusing through a magnifying glass! Imagine a beautiful source of Light illuminating the essence & heart of the stone. See this Light shining into you, radiating into your world. Invite its essence and vibration to assist you. Know that this gemstone is a portal or bridge, to bring you in contact with the sacred energies of the Earth and beyond!