Life has an amazing way of teaching us valuable lessons. To live is to learn and I don't take my life lightly at all. It's a blessing to be here everyday. I am enormously grateful for all the lessons life has taught me and the people who are in my circle. Today felt like a test to me. I've been feeling lost? Maybe just seeking a bit of direction. I am mot a kid or a twenty something anymore and this is not exactly where I thought I'd be in life. But I'd rather be where I am now than anywhere I've imagined I'd be before. So much about life is unfolding before my eyes. It's a thrill to be here. Today I signed up to be a vendor for a local city's Winter Festival from 9am-4pm. Perhaps the hours I signed up for are the initial issue.. Morning hours are not my forte! Specifically when it comes to showing up somewhere. It's just never been my time of day. I can't help it. There is something in my DNA that just will not be able to operate if I get up early in the morning.  *shrug* 

I've come to terms with who I am. Some times I make the mistake of committing to hours that I literally cannot manage. The commitment I made for this weekend is an exact depiction. Everything was telling me to stay home. Just cancel. But my heart.. my poor heart wanted to talk to folks, supply stellar gifts, and put myself out there today. I did everything I could but it was too early. Not to mention the insane storms a few hours prior and wind advisory for the day.  When we finally arrived to the event and got set up the wind was rattling the tent relentlessly. This thing was industrial too! Steel poles, generators, cement blocks -- It was flailing all over the place.  We left around 12. The air was filled with uncertainty and the energy was too flighty for me! 

On the drive home we saw an awning fly off a building. SO glad we left when we did. And here in lies the lesson: What are you willing to do, to risk, to make a little extra cash or put yourself 'out there'?  Maybe when I was younger I'd be willing to risk my life for what I thought I wanted to do but now a days, my priorities are different and changing all the time. IDK about you but I want to live a long life. I want to have kids. Placing myself out in the world goes under a different kind of decision making process. The safety of my life and others is important to me. 

Follow your gut and trust your partner. Craig mentioned several times that we should just go ahead and pull out of the event. I'd checked the weather several times over and that wind advisory was there every time I checked. I really wanted to go out in the world but my whole life was telling me to stay home and take it easy today. Hoping that the lesson was learned on this one. I'm definitely going to be more careful about the hours I commit to, listen to the energy around me, and just make the decision before putting in all the back breaking work just to leave. Speaking of going with your gut, have you heard of Gaia Stone? Also known as Helenite, It's an obsidian made from the ashes of Mount St. Helens. This stone has been introduced to my collection recently and in my experience it reveals the truth while reminding us to trust in our instincts. Which is the energy I needed today. 

I've been working with Dravite -- Brown Tourmaline since reading about it's healing properties in The Book of Stones. Dravite invites us into our shadow so we can heal old wounds and even discover hidden talents that might have been rejected too soon. It's like a heart filled healing of your past. The color is striking. These gems look a lot like black tourmaline but upon closer inspection you notice a deep transparency of brown. When the sun shines through or you shine a bright, direct light through them, you'll notice a distinct brownish tone illuminate. 

It was not simple to source Dravite crystals although what I did find were available on Etsy!  After a refined combing through search results I was able to source rough beads as well as collectable pieces. Some I might electro-form with copper. The crystal shape is distinct and often doubly terminated or a complete crystal. There is a texture on some surfaces indicative of their source materials. Other pieces still hold part of their matrix. Dravite appear different from other varieties of tourmaline formations in that they are mostly short and thick nodules displaying geometric plains.

Before working with these new gems I bathed them in sage / lavender smoke to cleanse their energy. Next I placed them into a hand made ceramic bowl with freshly cracked salt, warm water, Michigan grown lavender flowers and jasmine leaves. After letting the beads and gems soak in the cleansing energy, I dried them off and sorted through them. To explore the energies of Dravite, I made myself a ring and a bracelet to wear. I've also been crystal gazing into the specimen in my collection. One thing I've noticed is I've felt more relaxed around my family. And it feels like I've been able to forgive myself and others for happenings of the past in general. It's never a bad idea to work on healing old emotional wounds or traumas. It's very personal work that often happens in silence but it is the most rewarding because your soul is set free. The weight on your back and shoulders eases. Life feels lighter. 

I've noticed specific dreams about class mates from the past or places that feel familiar. Most recently I had a dream about a small gathering of friends from k-12 schooling. There were a room full of smiles and laughter.  I've had a few other interesting dream visions. It's been good vibes and over all I feel more at ease about who I am, where I've been, and where I'm going. I feel rooted in my body and my heart is cutting old ties.  

Jewelry and crystal kits featuring Dravite will soon be available on Citrine Tangerine as well as Smokey Citrine. The full crystal reading for Tourmaline is available here. There are a plethora of tourmaline varieties featured in The Book of Stones, some I did not include in the crystal reading series.