"Seven Things That Can Wreck Your Life"

Sex ... Money ... Power ... Fame ... Good Looks ... Ambition ... Success

If any of these Seven become tangled up in the Seven Deadly Sins (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride), look out! Otherwise, they are simply to be enjoyed, but not to bet the farm on - it's only when we begin to grasp blindly at these things that we head down a precarious and deluded path. Grasping blindly means that we see these as some kind of truth, an unchanging truth where can find our eternal security and happiness. This is of course impossible; these seven things are transient, and they will disappear in a short period of time.

An ignorance of their extremely temporary status, combined with a refusal to acknowledge or even be aware of spiritual things beyond these temporal things, sets us up for tremendous suffering. When we expect things to be good, and they turn out not to be, this is a basic ignorance of how things really are.

If these seven things were ultimate truths, why must we continuously relive them?

Sex can be a bother. It's not as if you can have sex once and say, "There, that's it! I'm satisfied!" No, you will have to revisit sex maybe as many as 18,000 times in a lifetime, or more!

And money can be such a worry. We worry about getting it, then holding on to it, how to spend it wisely, and how to get even more because we never feel that we have enough. Few rich people have a peaceful mind (until they give it all away).

Power is an enemy creator; someone will always be jealous of your power and want to take it from you. Few respect power; they respect leadership, power intimidates them.

Fame is a real inconvenience. Once we become famous and our lives become public property, seclusion is no longer an option. The short-lived high of attention quickly becomes a long-term liability.

Good looks, unfortunately, fade just as sand slips through an hourglass. Even with face-lifts and other cosmetic improvements, our speech and mannerisms change and give us away, as we worry constantly about getting old.

Ambition isolates us. When we become overly ambitious it's a bet that we become self-centered as well, and self-centeredness is the opposite of compassion.

Finally, worldly success is always destined for failure in the end. Success means that we have temporarily attained our intended purpose, but since everything in the world constantly changes, our success is always short-lived.

These seven things - Sex, Money, Power, Fame, Good Looks, Ambition, and Success never work out as well as we imagine they might. On the other hand, poverty, powerlessness, infamy, common looks, non-ambition, worldly non success, and the absence of sex; these are more or less the realities of a monk or nun's life, and perplexingly, lead to happiness.

Taking a stand between these extremes is what works for most people: Sex, but responsible sex; money, but only as much as you really need; control, but not overbearing control; distinction, but always an underplayed distinction; natural appearance, not false representations; goals and aims, but within the restrictions of non-greed and honesty; and finally, success, but not restricted to only the world - success must include a sincere reaching out toward our Ultimate Reality.

Then the seven things that can wreck your life may change into the seven things that can save your life: Virtue, generosity, loving kindness, serenity, truthfulness, determination, and wisdom.

"Road to Success"

"The road to success is not straight.There is a curve called Failure,a loop called Confusion,speed bumps called Friends,red lights called Enemies,caution lights called Family.You will have flats called Jobs.But,if you have a spare called Determination,an engine called Perseverance,insurance called Faith,a driver called Jesus,you will make it to a place called Success."

How crystals work, metaphysical guide to choosing crystals and minerals for alternative healing

How Crystals WorkNew Age, Metaphysical, crystals and healing stones an article by Michael McKnight at The Crystal Ball What are healing crystals and do they really work ?

First ....Live and let Live....Please Before I go on let me state for the record, that I believe that the use of crystals, aromatherapy, herbs, vitamins, sound, light, or any other form of alternative treatment is a matter of personal choice. I am not, nor do I recommend the conversion of those that choose not to participate in these other gifts from the universal spirit. I pick no fight with those of various religious doctrine who oppose these ideas, and ask only for the same courtesy in return.

TWO RULES OF CRYSTAL WORK

RULE NO. 1 - There are no rules for use of crystals or minerals in healing.

RULE NO. 2 - For all other rules refer to RULE NO. 1....!!!! These thoughts are the result of observation over the last 10 years I have been involved with these beautiful gifts from God through the abundant earth. The Healing Crystal.....???? To begin, lets explore The Healing Crystals. Many folks come through our door and want to know where are the Healing Crystals ? People of all walks of life come to us almost every day and ask about The Healing Crystal. Perhaps they had seen a TV talk show or read an article in a magazine that referred to someone using crystals to do physical or emotional healing, and want to find out more about these crystalline miracle makers. First of all, you should be aware that there isn't just ONE crystal that is the all powerful Healer, but rather many many different crystals and minerals that can be of benefit to us just as there are many different traditional drugs. They come in all shapes and sizes, colors, and compositions. By the time many folks find us or shops similar to ours, they may have been through some scary or at least challenging times in their lives and looking some relief, quickly if possible. It would be convenient if we could simply pull out The Healing Crystal, but I'm afraid that it's not that simple. A bit more education is in order before the best crystal or mineral can be selected for the kind of help that is being sought. What I suspect that most people are referring to would be the clear quartz crystal that most every one has seen at one time in their lives. To be sure, the quartz crystal has a lot going for it in terms of public recognition. Many practitioners that use crystals and minerals for healing work would agree that the quartz crystal in various shapes and sizes is truly one of the most versatile and useful crystals the earth has to offer.Metaphysically, the quartz crystal can be easily programmed to help provide a positive outcome. It can clear away negative energy from the aura and re-align the chakra (energy) centers of the body. It can be useful in long distance healing through imaging and meditation. It is beyond the scope of this article to have a full discourse of quartz crystals. You can find many books written about crystal healing and you will see that discussion of quartz crystals in these books usually takes a lions share of the space, and rightfully so.There are Other Healing Crystals ?There are many different approaches towards the use of crystals and minerals in regard to healing. The one we use at our shop for recommendations is to simply associate the various crystals and minerals with their healing color.Why use Color ?Because it is relatively easy to learn the color healing system, and once it is learned you can use it to quickly identify what crystal or mineral to use for specific healing. The use of color to create or alter certain emotions or moods has long been an excepted practice by many traditional professional mental health doctors and care givers. We also borrow from ancient eastern culture to further associate these colors to the various chakra centers in the body. A chakra is an energy center of which there 7 major centers starting with the root located at the base of the spine and ending a the crown of the head. Each chakra has an associated color (or colors) and each of these colors can be easily associated with the colors of the crystals or minerals which affect that area of the body.

Here is a list of the 7 major chakras and their associated colors:

1st chakra - The ROOT Primary color is red, other colors associated with the Root Chakra are black brown, and gray. Gemstones like Garnet or Onyx, Red Jasper

2nd chakra - The Naval Primary color is orange, others are all various shades of orange. Gemstones like Carnelian, orange Zincite

3rd chakra - The Solar Plexus Primary color is yellow, others are various shades of yellow. Gemstones like Citrine, Yellow Sapphire, yellow topaz 4th chakra - The Heart Primary color is green and shades of green, the secondary color is pink. Gemstones like Rose Quartz or Green Tourmaline or aventurine

5th chakra - The Throat Primary color is light blue like aqua or turquoise, secondary colors are various shades of lighter blues. Gemstones like Turquoise or Blue Lace Agate

6th chakra - The Third eye ( or brow) Primary color is dark blue or various shades of dark blue. Gemstones like Lapis Lazuli or Sodalite

7th chakra - The Crown Primary color is purple, the secondary colors are shades of purple and colorless (clear) or white. Gemstones like Amethyst or Clear Quartz

If you can memorize (or print-out) these associated colors with their chakra centers, you can then go anywhere and pick out a crystal or mineral that will help with the affected area.

Now having said all of that, you must remember that each kind of crystal and mineral can and does have other transformational properties that are specific to that crystal or mineral. When you want to acquire more in depth knowledge about these properties, buy or check out one or more of the many books that cover this subject. But in the meantime you now have enough information to make a reasonably good pick by using the associated color method. What about the necessary size and quality of crystals/minerals ?

It has been shown through Kerlian photography that the aura or energy fields surrounding objects extend a considerable distance from its core. Remember I am among other things a merchant and as such have a vested interest in selling things. The bigger things usually cost more and create more profits, however, the truth of the matter is even small, lesser quality crystal / mineral, in essence have the same energy fields as bigger more expensive ones. It becomes a matter of personal taste and pocket-book after the right kind of crystal is picked.
Do I need to wear a crystal / mineral or can I just carry one to get the benefits ?
As a goldsmith I should advise in favor of wearing a piece, but the truth is either method is good, again a matter of taste and pocket-book.OK, OK, but how do they actually work ??Fact is I don't really know, but it must have something to do with faith, believing, imaging, and the greater god consciousness that is beyond words or speech. I know that there are nice folks out there in the world that would never believe that a rock or such could ever help them in any way. If it is true that we actually live many many lives and reincarnation is fact, then these people are simply in a particular incarnation that precludes them from having such beliefs (this time around).

Unfortunately, pain is one of our great motivator's and equalizers. This could be physical or emotional pain, but it does have a way of getting our attention, and opening our minds to things which may give us some relief from this pain. But it's not always pain that gives us incentive to search beyond our past experience for new solutions or answers.

Sometimes it's just a need to break away from old habits, maybe find a new career that can be fulfilling, or to find a new mate with which we will be proud to share our lives. Personally I believe that crystals can be effective if we empower them to help us. They work on the subtle energy level at our core and out in our auras.

I'm very much of a pragmatist in these matters, if you have a screaming headache, I say take a few ADVIL. Some folks will hold the crystal and/or slowly move it over a painful area of the body, for example a bad knee, or sore shoulder. Sometimes a steady lessening of pain can be experienced from this practice. It can be used in conjunction with conventional treatments, and can be seen as a pro- active step in-between doctor visits.

There are many ways that we can help ourselves to heal and participate in our own recovery, using crystals is surely one of them.

Clearing , Cleaning and Programming our Crystals
Crystals are a tool and can be like a storage battery of thought energy. Many years ago Dr. Norman Vincent Peal made quite a name for himself after his book The Power of Positive Thinking was released. There are now many followers of his teachings, who have received countless blessings as a result of thinking positive thoughts.
Crystals can be programmed with our thought energy and then act behind the scenes to work on our subtle energy fields. They also to help to create situations in our lives that will lead us in the directions that allow positive growth and healing. In a way it is like using the ideas taught by Dr. Peal and taking it a step farther.
Clearing your new crystal or mineral
Clearing a crystal or mineral is a simple enough task and it is a way to insure that there are no left over negative energies from the party that you obtained the crystal from. It is also not a slap at those who had the crystal before you, rather a way to personalize it and create a new energy bond between you and your new partner. There are many ways to accomplish this, this is one way: Make sure you are not going to be disturbed (maybe like in the bathroom). Hold your new crystal under room temperature running water, and as the water cascades over the piece, close your eyes and imagine that all negative energies are being washed away down the drain and out to the ocean to be purified. We use a channeled prayer by Dael Walker from years ago before we do the clearing and the prayer alone seems strong enough to clear any negativity from a crystal or a whole building. This is the prayer, it is know as the
Light Invocation:
I invoke the Light of God within. I am a clear and perfect channel. Light is my Guide.We were told to repeat this prayer three times in a row aloud.
Then to say what it is that we wish to accomplish, as clearly as possible so that our subconscious will not be confused with the message or request. This works to clear crystals but I still prefer to use the running water as part of the personalization ceremony. REMEMBER RULE NO. 1 above, however and learn to trust your own instincts.
Programming your crystal or mineral
Simply hold your crystal in your hand(s) and close your eyes then in your minds eye create an image of what you want to occur.That's it.

Cleaning your Crystals

I recommend luke warm water a new tooth brush and Joy lemon scented liquid dish soap. Please be aware, that there are a few crystals that may be sensitive to water, and you should be made aware of them at the time of purchase. Be careful of halite, hanksite, other salt related crystals, will dissolve if left in water too long. The crystals like to be cleaned and just sparkle their little hearts out each time you do this. Be sure to rinse well and either blow them off with your own air or pat them dry with soft towel.

A few words about Gold or Silver settings.

Gold is ruled by the Sun a masculine planet, and therefore imparts a more assertive energy to crystals & minerals that are mounted in it. Silver is ruled by the Moon a feminine planet, and therefore imparts a softened less assertive emotional energy to crystals & minerals that are mounted in it. You know what you need so choose accordingly. Conclusion It is my hope that this article has helped to shed some light on the subject. In the meantime We at The Crystal Ball wish you all well, and hope you have a healthy and prosperous rest of your life...

The Spiritual World Of Crystals

The power of crystals, gemstones and minerals to increase intuition, enhance psychic abilities and strengthen the connection to the spirit world has been known for centuries. The following list provides a brief guide to the psychic ability enhancing powers of many popular gemstones and minerals
Agate – Agate is able to enhance intuitive senses, produce a peaceful state of mind, and help to connect to spiritual energies
Amethyst - Amethyst enhances psychic anilities and offers some protection from negative energies within a close radius.
Angelite - Angelite is thought to aid in astral travel and telepathic abilities
Andalusite – Andalusite acts as a type of psychic energy dampener, this is useful for those with overactive psychic energies.
Apatite - Apatite stimulates psychic energies and produces inner visions.
Azurite – Azurite is a powerful psychic ability enhancer.
Chrysocolla - Chrysocolla improves psychic abilities and can induce prophetic dreaming and trances.
Coral - Coral is known to increase intuition.
Emerald – Emerald enhances the clarity of dreams and spiritual insights.
Howlite - Howlite has a calming effect on the mind. It assists in opening the mind to receive spiritual information.
Iolite - Iolite opens the mind to psychic visions and creative insight.
Kyanite - Kyanite is known to provide greater psychic abilities as well as assist in lucid dreaming, astral travel, telepathic skills and clairvoyance.
Labradorite - Known as the Wizards Stone Labradorite increases intuitive abilities.
Lapis lazuli - Lapis Lazuli enhances psychic ability.
Moonstone – Moonstone aids in developing psychic abilities and enhances ones own intuitive skills.
Obsidian – Obsidian is often used as for divination and it can increase psychic abilities.
Sapphire - Sapphires increase telepathic abilities.
Sugilite - Sugilite is known to dramatically increase psychic abilities as well as offer protection from negative energies.

People have always been drawn to crystals, primarily due to their visual attraction, exquisite purity, fantastic interplay of colors and "crystal-clear" transparency. Crystals, semi-precious and precious stones, however, have other outstanding features, making them very much suitable to be used as tools in various metaphysical, spiritual, and healing practices.
The spiritual science considers crystals and all the other members of the mineral kingdom as living beings that are at the basic level of evolution of consciousness. This is in contrast to the wide-spread belief based on the parameters of nowadays science, by which crystal are not classified as living entities.
Possessing various vibrations crystals are capable of accumulating energy in accordance with their inherent nature. Furthermore, they can amplify the absorbed energy and bring it back to us and our environment through resonance and vibration. Their help can be invaluable, provided that we treat them like living entities. Once we have mastered the skill of communicating with our crystals, they are going to reveal to us much more - their hidden virtues and qualities.
It is believed that the spiritual basis of working with crystals originates from Atlantis, where a powerful technology for obtaining crystals synthetically had been devised, enabling production of crystals of extended proportions to be used for different purposes.
Amid the great number of crystals that are available, it might be difficult for us to choose the right crystal. There are some important points of choosing crystals that should be considered before making up our mind, such as visual appeal, intuitive attraction and attraction at mental level, and crystal's practical values.
Once the particular crystal has been chosen and purified, for instance, by using the help of one of the four elements (water, fire, earth and air) we can charge and program it. By charging, we associate it with the types and qualities of energy we would like to put within our crystal. By programming, we implant our selected thoughts, feelings, and intentions into the crystal's energy pattern, and afterwards our crystal will amplify and irradiate them back to us.
The color of crystals can be a good indication as to what kind of metaphysical practice or healing practice their specific energies are suitable for.
For example, colorless, white or violet crystals open the door of perception; bring unity with the Universe and transcendental love. Red crystals are symbols of life, vitality, power. They move energies, they worm up. Orange crystals encourage life energy, self-control and regulate the functioning of the sexual glands. Yellow crystals help the indigestion, influence the normal functioning of the liver, gallbladder, kidneys and spleen. They release subconscious fears, and promote balance. Green crystals represent the color of love, health, harmony and creativity. They help with heart disorders, regulate the blood pressure, calm the nerves and stimulate love.
Finally, it is important to remember that for eons have crystals been absorbing the omnipresent Cosmic love, amplifying it, and spreading their steady energy vibrations all around them. They have been supporting God's creation, by outpouring their love and spirituality into the world, transmitting the Sun's light, love, and warmth, and along with it, their structural stability. Therefore, it is comforting to know that they can be our devoted friends, counselors and teachers.