A Handy Reference To Healing Crystals - Gem Stones A-Z Author: Diane Stein Crossing Press 2008 ISBN #978-1-58091-187-0 "A Handy Reference To Healing Crystals - Gem Stones A-Z" is the latest offering from best-selling author Diane Stein, who is well known for her ground-breaking work "Essential Reiki". In her current book she presents 550 gemstones and crystals, including the mineral's common name, corresponding chakra and color, healing properties, and recommendations for beneficial applications. At the beginning of the book Stein has included a glossary of metaphysical terms, for students who may not be familiar with them, as well as suggestions on how to clear, dedicate, and care for crystals in order to maximize their healing benefits. Whenever appropriate, Stein has referenced previous works, such as "All Women Are Healers", "Essential Energy Balancing", and "Healing With Gemstones and Crystals". In her introduction Stein discusses where crystals and gemstones can be found (metaphysical shops, jewelry shops, Internet sites etc.), their appearance (raw, polished, set in jewelry, carvings, wands, sacred geometry sets, to name a few), and where the worldwide clearing centers for crystals and gemstones are (i.e. Hong Kong, China, India, Poland, and Australia, amongst others). She also goes into a large area of confusion concerning crystals and gemstones - how they may not be what they say they are (the name may not reflect the type of crystal or gemstone being offered). While the advice in this section is a valuable heads up to the individual looking to purchase crystals and gemstones, I do feel that Stein herself has created more confusion than she has cleared up. She also addresses the area of stones that are "colored" - i.e. injected with dye. From personal experience I can say that many of these end up being beautiful works of art, but nature has been tampered with, and they cannot be used for healing or any other energy work, as she explicitly states. In relation to the use of crystals and gemstones for healing, Stein addresses the chakra system, and the Kundalini and Hara lines. She discusses their purpose, the best crystals and gemstones to use, and has included illustrations to show where they are located on the human body. A sample entry from the book reads: "Quartz - Rose. (Heart) - Pink Promotes heart-healing by encouraging positive self-love, self-esteem, self-image, and body image, aids opening to the Goddess and the Goddess within; heals the emotional body, aids learning to feel one's emotions; eases heartache, loneliness, emotional release and clearing; promotes acceptance, inner peace, forgiveness and self-forgiveness; eases fear; sooths grief, comforts. Note: Gem quality or crystalline Rose Quartz is the strongest and clearest energy. Rose Quartz and Amethyst are probably the best known and most used healing gemstones." For the most part, this is a good quality book that could be easily read and understood by anyone. Note that the information presented here is in some cases not firsthand, but has been channeled. As Stein herself notes, the student must follow their own intuition in working with crystals and gemstones. Copyright March 2008 Bonnie Cehovet Personal Lifestyle Reading - I offer a Personal Lifestyle Reading using Tarot that looks at past, present and future influences in your life, at the energies that are currently available to help you along your path, and at those energies that are appearing as challanges. My goal is to offer you insight into your decision making process, as well as tools that you can use to both better understand your path and make conscious, choice centered decisions. Home Personal Empowerment Personal Empowerment links Graphics by Art for the web