Introducing yourself to a stone in the wild.

Post by **One Walker** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:40 am

Most of the stones I receive are in the wild. Yes, I purchase some that would otherwise be unobtainable or I am in immediate need of but by and large The Is sees to is that I get what I need locally. As is 'on the ground.' I haven't noticed many posts addressing introductions between practitioners and store-bought stones; let alone encounters in the wild; so I thought I might lay down the ritual I use for First Encounters:

I hold each rock in my Projection hand for several minutes; rubbing and running my fingers and palm lightly over the stone to discover and explore its contours and features while also allowing it to sense my touch. While doing this I also visually scan the stone to know its features and discern what, if any, symbolic form leaps to mind that might help me understand the stone more intimately.

Next, since we know the environment as a whole is toxic/polluted and therefore negatively affecting all things within the environment, I perform an impromptu cleansing and clarification ritual for the stone. I wipe the rock around my face, head, neck, and chest while turning it to cover its surface areas with my sweat. Why? The function of human sweat is twofold: purification and heat (energy) release. The major contents of sweat are heat, water, salt, and body impurities. By performing this ritual I am offering a cleansing to the rock while also showing it the impurities of my own body. Also, by wiping over those Chakra areas I am also making it aware of my thought and emotional centers.

Yes, it may sound wacky but I've never had a negative reaction by a stone to this ritual. In fact, the stones have responded in a pleasantly shocked or surprised fashion (After all, mankind does not have a recent collective history of interest, caring, or compassion among its own let alone other creatures.). Usually this act triggers an 'opening up' of the stone because of its returned interest, curiosity, or simple gratitude.

I perform this ritual several times, then place the rock in my Receptive hand and feel the rock vibrations to see if it finds my companionship acceptable. If it does not, or if I sense no response or a neutral response, (I've never had a negative response and only a few neutral/no responses) I immediately return the rock to the earth. If it responds positively I immediately thank the Elements and The Is for receiving this gift; rejoice to the stone for its wonderful being; and thank it for its trust and companionship. Once I return home I give the stone a thorough cleaning and then a cleansing charge.

So what does everybody else do?

One Walker

Post by **[Silver Dove]** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:49 am

I buy my stones in the store, though I have a 4 year old who actually does sorta like what you do....she will pick up a stone from earth and feel it around with her hand and press it against her face (cheek, forehead & chin) and than she will kiss it and tell me its purpose and put it in her pouch.... in my interpretation its like the stone is "talking" to her and connecting with her....she has a quite a bit of a stone and shell collection from earth now as well as some of the stones I bought for her from store...she does the exact same thing for these stones as well and than she requests I buy for her (she is allowed one big one...or a few small ones on each trip)...but most of the time she picks from earth (somehow she connects more with those stones)...

I on other hand, close my eye and focus on the purpose for which the stone will be used and than with my eyes still closed I feel the stone/stones with my hands much like you to get to know them and to sense its energy and if I feel the vibe from the stone than that's the one I will pick ....when we get home I wash them with water where possible and
than I perform a full moon cleansing & charging ritual. If the stone can not be washed I than use incense smoke to cleanse it or bury it in the ground to cleanse it..it depends on what vibe I get from the stone. And than again its followed by the full moon cleansing and charging ritual.

Post by **One Walker** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:33 pm

That's wonderful and fascinating about your daughter, Silver Dove. I guess for both of us there seems to be a powerful connection with receiving stones in a natural Element setting. I too have received a significant amount of shells as well. These are all freshwater shells containing beautiful and powerful Mother Of Pearl.

When I go into the wilds I almost never have a specific stone or purpose in mind to seek. My relationship with the Elements is, by my choice, one of Student to Master. My 'need' is to learn and better myself and, in turn, to help other beings so I let the Elements present to me what stone(s) they feel best address my current specific need.

Curiously enough, in recent months I have received what seemed at the time to be an inordinate amount of Smoky and Milk Quartz as well as Clear Quartz coated with Limonite. Only recently was it revealed to me by the Elements that these were for use in a Circle of Power for the combined-mineral stones which I receive and utilize. It seems that those stones are of a more complex personality than the more 'single-mindedness' of pure crystals and thus need a different and augmented power supply and configuration.

My at-home cleaning and cleansing ritual is a bit different. No doubt I'm going to catch some flack on this from people but I feel this process is situation-specific and has worked out wonderfully for me and the stones I receive. Most stones I receive are at water's edge where there is a high concentration of pollutants both from depositing by the river and runoff from the land. Every stone I've picked up has been uniformly distressed by the coating of toxins on its body. Therefore, my first cleaning of the stone consists of immersion in a warm water bath mixed with a small amount of film-removing detergent and using a medium or soft toothbrush for scrubbing. Yes, some stones find this mildly irritating while other stones absolutely love it! (I've had stones actually start laughing with joy while undergoing this treatment.) The comparative feeling is like if you were outside working on the car or in the garden all day. You're covered in grease, grime, muck, pesticides, insecticides, and Elements knows what else. Then you go take a shower/bath with Lava soap. Yes, the grit in the soap gives it a sandpaper feel that is mildly irritating but it's more than worth it because your getting good and clean! Stones look at it the same way.

Next comes a clean water rinse which takes care of the detergent and residual toxins on the body. After that they get treated to another warm water bath, this time of purified water and Epsom Salt (I don't have access to seawater). For those who don't know about Epsom Salt, it's great stuff. You can use it externally on minor cuts and bruises to relieve pain. You can take it internally to flush your system. It is also used as general, natural fertilizer for everything from Tomatoes to Trees and grass to houseplants (any plantlife). It's a healer, pain reducer, and growth enforcer. It's effect on stones is to complete the physical cleaning process, bring about the beginning of the physical and spiritual healing process, spiritually re-center the stone to its true self, and infuse it with additional positive energy and outlook at its new situation and your companionship.

Once this treatment is complete I give the stone another rinse in purified water and then set it out in either sunlight or moonlight (depending on the stone's nature) for the final cleansing charge. Only after the final cleansing charge do I attempt to implore its help in fulfilling any specific need of mine.

Any comments are welcome!

One Walker

Post by **[Silver Dove]** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:44 pm

Wow that is very detailed...I love it....I think I will try it for my next cleansing.
I think it depends on each individual how they connect with their stones...so I think that you will not get any flack....atleast you shouldn't..

My daughter give her stones a bath and sings/talks to them while they are bathing...
Mine talk to me as well, and if they don't like something then they will tell me....like once I tried to use few of the stones for a purpose that was not chosen for them than they kept falling out of my hand ...thus letting me know that they do not wish to be used for this purpose...

How do you find out if your stones are willing to help you in your need?

Post by **One Walker** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:00 pm

That's great! I have just recently started wondering how stones would react to various kinds of music. I already know they respond to voice, tone, and intonation but it sounds as if your daughter is way ahead of me there and I think she's on the right track. I cannot help but believe the stones are immensely happy with your daughter, as she is with them.

My stones also will jump out of my hand if they want nothing to do with the need I seek to fulfill. They will also do it if they are disgruntled at something or feeling out-of-sorts. You can find out which needs a given stone will help you with like this:

Place the stone in your Projective hand and visualize the need. This is the point where the stone may jump from your hand if it vehemently opposes participating in that endeavor.

If it does not jump from your hand, place it in your Receptive hand next and simply open your mind to the vibrations of the stone. If the stone is willing, there will be regular fast or slow vibrations. If it is unwilling, unhappy, or uncertain the vibrations will be non-regular and contrary to its normal rhythm pattern. For instance, if its normal pattern is slow and steady but now is fast and rapid this is a sign it is uncomfortable with your proposition.

By the way, I just posted some more information on Shamanism and Stone Shamanism here in two posts if you're interested:

http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/f ... php?t=9355

http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/f ... php?t=9356

Hope this helped some! Blessings to you and yours!

One Walker

Post by **[Silver Dove]** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:13 am

Great information in those links.....defenitely great things to ponder....

and thanks for the information on how to find out what need your stone will help you with....I am going to be trying this method and see if it works for me....

another question (I hope you don't mind...I know I ask a lot of questions, tis a good way to learn in my opinion...let me know if it gets bothersome for you).....ok so back to my question....do you think the shape of the polished stone can also be interpretated the same way as that of natural stones....in prt 2 you showed pic of 3 natural stones....heart, shoe or foot and beaver....so that got me thinking about the polished stones.
Sometimes when I meditate with a polished stone looking for answers.... it will fall/jump out on the ground and break....I generally willl look at the shape of the stone and see what kind of sign it provides me...I have special meditation stones just for this purpose...the stones told me to use them in this way...sort of like divination (sp).

thanks for your help!

Post by **One Walker** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:31 pm

Hi Silver Dove! EXCELLENT questions! No, I don't mind them at all.

This is going to be a long reply so settle in!

There's a lot of discussion in Pagan circles about the relative power of stones and crystals that are naturally formed versus tumbled and polished ones. My belief is that naturally formed stones are more powerful. I'm not saying tumbled and polished ones don't have power but that they have somewhat less power. Here's why:

We know stones are conscious, have intelligence, and feel things. We know they can consciously act on their environment. They have Free Will just as you and I do. As humans, we are imprinted in our childhood with certain beliefs, rules, and other information about our environment and existence but there inevitably comes a point-usually around the adolescent age-where we begin to question and re-evaluate information. We may accept the information we received in whole or in part. We hang on to some beliefs and information while discarding others.

What we are doing is deciding the kind of person we want to be. This is a turning point in our existence and usually among the most turbulent and stressful times in our lives. We start actively resisting the pressure parents and peers put on us to be what they want us to be or what they think we should be. Say your parents want you to be a lawyer, wear suits all the time, drive a new car every other year, live in a mansion, talk without an accent, and marry a nice Christian girl. You, on the other hand, want to be an oil rig worker, wear blue jeans all the time, drive a pickup truck, live in a cabin, BS with your buddies at the pool hall, and marry the girl you love. There's going to be a conflict there because you want to be you, not something someone else is trying to make you.

And so it is with stones. A mined stone has been forcibly removed from its environment and quite probably physically damaged in the process (I picked up a stone laying at water's edge last summer that had just recently be cleaved in half by the prop of a motorboat. Instantly I could tell the stone was severely traumatized by losing half its body. I gave it a quick healing blessing and immediately tossed it far out into the river so that Water could start cleansing and healing it.). Then it gets physically damaged further in the tumbling process. Finally it gets another polishing tumble just so it looks pretty to humans.

Well, it may look nice but in my opinion the stone has been severely traumatized so its energies are greatly lessened. It is less inclined or may be totally disinclined to offer assistance in a task you want it to aid you with. I have a few polished stones myself but I was extremely careful in my selection process. What I do is scan the bin of rocks with my Receptive hand slowly hovering a couple of inches above the bin. This is to determine what, if any, energies are being directed outward and the natural of those energies. If I pick up a positive energy flux I close my eyes and rescan the bin so I can narrow down the primary source of the emission. I keep lowering my hand until it closes over that particular stone. Once I have the stone in hand I perform the introduction as I've stated before and proceed from there.

Now that I've said that I'll say this: It is possible a stone can control its form-taking to some degree during the tumbling process. My feeling is that this is less likely for 'purer' content stones such a crystals since they don't seem to care as much about their form. The exceptions tend to be in the 'softer' crystals and minerals (check the Hardness rating of the crystal or stone you're interested in.) or those with a more complex or diversified personality. When a stone forms a rune or symbolic shape in the wild it does so through manipulating itself against the forces of Air, Water, Earth pressure, and Fire. It can also change its position due to human intervention. When you step on a stone and it shifts underneath you that is the stone taking advantage of your body weight to shift its own body into a more advantageous position or otherwise move its location. For instance, I have been drawn to rocks simply because they either wanted to be moved in some fashion or returned to Water.

As far as polished stones and crystals jumping out of your hand, off your altar, and/or breaking during meditation; I would have to view this as a negative reaction. The specific cause could be several things but I would believe it was due to some unaddressed issue which the stone has. It is curious that the stones have told you they are for meditation and yet jump out of your hand and break when you utilize them in that fashion. Could it be that they are feeling 'used'? I mean that in the sense of a relationship where one being enters into a closeness with another on the assumption that they are of the same mind but then discovers or senses that they are only being manipulated and used for a specific purpose by the other being? What you may want to try is nurturing the stone or crystal. I do this with all my stones but I place special emphasis on it with tumbled ones. Tell it you find its strength and beauty on the inside, not its surface appearance. Re-enforce its sense of self-worth. Acknowledge its Free Will and project your respect of it as a whole being and not a pretty showcase item. And let us know what happens! I'm very interested in this.

Blessing to you!

One Walker.

Post by **[Silver Dove]** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 5:16 pm

Yes I also take it to be a negative reaction, but I think why they are jumping out & breaking is due to the question I am seeking answer to while meditating. I get premonitions/dreams about things , generally bad things or death....recently everybody around me have been having dreams/intuition about a bad thing happening to me...my brother, my husband, my friend...except for me. I was trying to seek an answer to see if I was going to get a "vision" of this situation, so the stone jumped out fell and broke...I have had my apache tear break on me when I was in a dangerous situation once as to warn me of danger near...so when this happened to me this time I took it to mean that I will not be getting any visions or that I am going to be in a dangerous situation...the stone looked like a face once it broke....so it confirmed others fear that it is going to be a person that will do something bad to me...

I don't know it could be that I am using it for my own personal reasons rather than to help other so it is rejecting it....or it could be what you said about feeling used. I will try what you have sugested and see what happens.

Post by **One Walker** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 10:37 am

Hi Silver Dove!

That's interesting about the Apache Tear breaking and the face. Personally I don't believe the stone would find your using the stone for yourself a bad thing since you've been 'mated' and that's part of any relationship-helping each other out. Could it be you're under attack from someone?

One Walker.

Post by **[Silver Dove]** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:04 pm

Could be...my brother saw a girl/woman in his dreams... like a ghost trying to get to me. My brother is very spiritual but he doesn't believe a whole lot in magic, but even he told me to do a protection spell or something. My friend told me that when I get back to work ( I am on maternity leave and go back to work in 2 weeks)...6 months of hard times....another person confirmed this for me...my husband's been having dreams about me where I am next to him 1 minute and than next minute I disappear....and yesterday I started to have a vision but it stopped as soon as it began...I got a partial name but nothing more...i knew I was going to see a face but I didn't ....it is like warning bulbs are going on everywhere around me ....perhaps things will become clearer as the time comes closer....I keep 2 jet stones with me for protection and they are becoming magnetized (I have given my apache tear to my husband for protection)....could be that something bad is really coming my way....

I wonder 1) if it is normal for Jet to become magnetized? 2a) what does it mean when jet stones become magnetized? 2b)Are they Strengthening their powers to protect me?.....

Post by **One Walker** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:49 pm

Hi Silver Dove!

Have you had any significant problems with people at your place of work in the past? That seems to be the most logical source right now from what you've said. Maybe someone resenting your return after having so much time off? I really don't know.

On the Protection side there's two things I can suggest: One is to find yourself a black stone with a rune on it that looks like a ghost. If the ghost is white, say like Milk or Snow Quartz, so much the better. This works just as well with a white stone and black ghostly rune on it. Do a protection ritual with this stone and either wear it on a necklace visible to the outside world or hang it over your front door or the door to your bedroom. I have such a stone and it is very, very powerful. I place it close to my bedroom door with the ghostly figure facing the doorway and it stops bad spirits cold. It also works extremely well on Shadow People. They HATE it!

I've seen them standing at the bedroom door and positively glower at me because they can't get to me. If you're under Astral attack it would work the same way. I can post a picture of this stone for you if you like.

The other thing you might try may sound a little weird. Ask your daughter if she ever has 'bad dreams' and if so, does she grab or want to grab a stone afterward? Does she keep one under her pillow or beside her bed? If she does, tell her you've had bad dreams too and ask her what stone she thinks might be good for you. If it is among her collection of stones, or if she goes out and finds one, let her hand it to you. The reason I suggest this is because she has a strong relationship with Akasha and her love for you is unconditional. This translates into extraordinarily powerful intent to protect you on her part. She will automatically empower the stone with Protection when she hands it to you. In this case, don't worry about what the stone looks like, its color, runes, size or anything else. Wear it and sleep with it.

Jet is is fossilized wood but it shares the trait of Amber in that both become electrically charged when rubbed so yes, magnetism is possible. If the stones are magnetically attracted to each other I would take this as evidence you are under strong attack and they are joining powers to protect you. If you have other pieces of Jet or other super-protective stones I would re-charge them with Protective intent if you haven't recently done so and keep them at hand if the Jet is getting overwhelmed.

Keep trying to discover the source of this psychic turbulence and use caution.

Hope this helps some! Stay strong!

One Walker.

Post by **[Silver Dove]** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:35 pm

Yes there was a conflict at my work before I had my baby because of complications in my pregnancy....its a long story.....in short there is way too much politics at my work....and I am very straightforward.....I can't play any politics....I really don't want to go back but till I find a new job I have no choice....

Thanks and Yes, this information is of great help to me. I would really appreciate it if you could post a picture of the stone with rune if possible. I will talk with my daughter as you mentioned......actually she just started having nightmares since all this began...she has a pouch of stones she keeps by her bedside and she like to say goodnight to them before she goes to bed plus she has a small stone that she found in nature that she always keeps under her pillow if she gets bad dreams....

Once again thanks for all your help and all the knowledge you have given me...its amazing ....I always believe that the people you meet in your life are there for a reason...its not a coincedence....they are either there for you teach and learn from or they are there to help you and for you to help them....i look forward to learning more from you....

Post by **One Walker** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:04 pm

Okay, here we go with the stone I call The Protector:

The stone appears to be Black Calcite with a Milk Quartz rune of what is obviously (to me anyway

) a spirit form. In the first photograph you can see the head to the left with the single, large eye. Then comes the body behind it with a wing sweeping upward from it. The second photo clearly shows the thin, wispy body flowing back around the end of the stone and half way around the other side. You can see better in this photo where the single wing splits into a pairs of wings as well. The Black (no colors) and White (all colors) combination of this stone mark it (to me anyway) as an instrument of Akasha because it embraces all things in existence. It was simply delivered through the Element of Earth.

When I received this stone in the wild I was literally shocked and stunned into immobility upon picking it up and noting the rune. This was one of those times when The Elements (or Akasha?) detected my need-or future need-of something like this and provided it without me ever seeking it or even realizing that need existed for me! The emanations from this stone are powerful and I picked up on them immediately. In fact, I had some difficulty getting my digital camera to come out with a clearly focused picture of this stone because of the strong aura about it (It was clearly focused in the viewer when I took the shots but upon uploading them to the computer they were burred, as if they were smudged somehow).

On a personal note, this stone has intrigued me as few others have. It was gifted to me early in my Shaman path and I wonder to this day what events are in store for me that The Elements saw fit to bestow this powerful, almost terrible, energy to me. By nature I am a giving person and protective of others. I want to help others that together we may become stronger in the Path of Light. I have no earthly ambitions and none on the Shaman path other than to increase my knowledge and, in turn, share what I have learned. Under those circumstances I can see where the dark forces might seek me out and others along that same Light Path. Curiously enough, I have had no fear of any dark force since I received this stone.

Anyway, as I said previously, any stone with such a rune or body shape about it will do for the kind of protection you need. The type of stone or its color doesn't matter. The shape or the rune take precedent over color or material because the stone has already decided what it wants to be. I firmly believe that when you receive a protection stone such as this you will instantly know what it is meant for. You won't even have to think about it.

I too believe that the people you meet are for a reason. I'm not a great believer in coincidence either. Don't forget, I have learned things from you too! I think we are well met in this place.

Blessings to you and your household!

One Walker.

Post by **[Silver Dove]** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 11:57 pm

Today I went out looking for "The protector"....and couldn't find one in a store or in nature. Perhaps in time I will find one. My daughter however has a little stone which is similar to the picture you posted...only that it is gray in color with white/milky rune...well she is going to be consulting with her stone tonight to see if the stone wants to be my protector....let's see how it pans out....according to her, mommys don't get bad dreams they make them go away

Post by **One Walker** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:14 am

That's cute. It'll be interesting to see what answer comes back from your daughter! I'll be heading out into the wild again today so I'll ask The Elements to assist you in your search.

One Walker.