Now for SoMethiNG enTiREly diFFerent: CRYSTALS.

My Dood books are finished. I loved writing them, they were fun stories. I'm an observer, and as such I had an insight into how my Doods think and do, their interests, fears and sense of humour. Yes, they have one and it was/is quite easy to detect. Because of my books, I was recently given another doggie book called "Inside Of A Dog"  What Dogs See, Smell and Know. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/books/excerpt-inside-of-a-dog.html?ref=review This International New York Times Bestseller by cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz "explains how dogs perceive their daily world". It's an in-depth, eye-opening, fascinating look into what really goes on for dogs.

RADICAL change of subject. For some time, my Crystal Healing board on Pinterest has had the most re-Pins of all my Boards. Almost every day I receive notification that there has been at least one Crystal re-Pin. There are many people out there who are interested in crystals, not only their beauty, but also their healing properties.

My interest began as a child picking up pretty pebbles. Later I became a Geologist, later a Natural Therapies Practitioner specialising in Hypnotherapy, Colour Therapy, Crystal Therapy, Electro-Crystal Therapy, Aromatherapy Massage and Reiki. Somewhere in between I had a breakdown. Ironic isn't it? I've done other things too.

Now I write, and as you can see, I've traveled many places, covered many bases. Even though I don't practice Natural Therapies for others anymore, I still have my "tools", my crystals, colours, books and various gadgets.

I've always had crystals around the house. There's currently a piece of sparkly Green Aventurine  on my bedside table, simply because it 'appealed' to me one day so I knew it needed to be there. At some point it will return to join my other crystals, only to be exchanged, or not, for another.

At the front door is a large chunk of unpolished Rose Quartz.  It has been there for 8 years, as long as I've lived in this house. It seemed 'right' for it to be there. It's there to promote loving, calming, peaceful thoughts and actions in anyone entering and leaving my house. I also have another piece in my room, and one on the back veranda, and a tiny polished piece in my purse :). The piece of Rose Quartz in my room sits on a small table next to my meditation chair with other crystal companions an Amethyst Cluster   
a Clear Quartz Point     
and a Milky or Candle Quartz 
to balance the energies of the Clear Quartz. I suspect I may have at least 100 crystals!

This Saturday the 15th there is a Full Moon and approximately 2 dozen of the crystals I use the most will be Moon Bathing. That is, I will be setting them out under the rays of the Full Moon to cleanse and re-energise them. First I will wash them in a bath of cooled, boiled water which has a little sea salt added for detox. Then I'll rinse them in extra plain cooled, boiled water and place them in a dish or tray outside to absorb the calming, heavenly energy of the Full Moon. It's like us having our daily shower. In the morning, after having received some of the sun's early energy, I bring them inside, all sparkly, refreshed and renewed. They love it!

I do this partly because I believe crystals, like plants and animals, are sentient beings. They help us, take care of us, look after us and look out for us...why are we otherwise attracted to them?...so we need to do our part in return. Washing off the dust and dross of daily life and the energy that surrounds it is the least we can do for them. Even if this is not quite your thing, it's hard not to be fascinated by the many colours, forms, habits and sizes crystals can take. Some are miniscule. Some are gigantic. Some come in singles, some form magnificent clusters in vast caverns and caves. Wow, Wow, Wow! I'd LOVE to visit those!!

So on Saturday I'll be Moon Bathing a piece of Amethyst  
a piece of Blue Lace Agate  ,   
a Carnelian   several Clear Quartz points, a small Citrine Cluster  
Fluorite                    Hematite   
 a piece of polished red Jasper 
 a piece of Lapis Lazuli a polished raw Ruby 
and a Single Smoky Quartz Point.Check out my Crystal Healing board on the Sidebar here for the healing properties of all of these crystals.

My crystals are kept in a beautiful wooden box my Dad made. They rest on a white sheepskin bed, and when I have 'need' of one or another's healing properties I'm simply drawn to a particular crystal, like the Green Aventurine on my bedside table. It's not magic, or science, or hard for that matter. If you would like to start using crystals for healing, or would just like some crystals in your house but don't know which or where to start, when visiting your crystal shop buy the one you like the most. It's as easy as that.

As for my current writing project, my memoir BROKEN - I may rename it, maybe- is coming along nicely. I have nearly finished another review of it. As this book is SERIOUS, I'm putting much more SERIOUS time and energy into it. It will be peer reviewed before publication (yikes!)  because I want my work to improve with successive books.

Next week an excerpt, unless you're craving more crystals or such.

Until then,

Happy weekend

Leonie.