Okay, so why smoky quartz? First, if you are a "sensitive" person, like I am, you definitely need smoky quartz for expanded energetic/spiritual protection, aka "boundary integrity".
How do you know if you are one of these people? Hehe, I've got a great measure.
On a scale of 1-10, how upsetting is the idea of going into a Walmart during the holiday season?
Seriously, that is a great measure of how sensitive you are to outside energetic influence. If you cannot hack Walmart during the holidays because it makes you feel all squirrel, uneasy, and agitated... congratulations, you are likely fairly energetically sensitive. When I first began to open up energetically, there was no way in hell that I would go into a Walmart during the holidays. Any day, actually, it was somewhat uncomfortable... but the holidays definitely kicked my ass. I just couldn't do it. I've come a long way in adapting to my level of sensitivity and one of the best tools that I have found is good, ol' smoky quartz.
Sensitivity Issues
Maybe your anxiety when in a large group of people has more to do with your being smacked around with everyones "energetic crap" than it being something about "you". It's pretty common for sensitive folks to suffer from social anxiety because they haven't identified that it is an energetic issue. Here is how to see if your issues are energetic and not personal: Get two juicy smoky quartz rocks to put in each pant pocket, pushed deep by the groin area.... then go out on your regular public errands and rate your comfort level vs. without the smoky. I bet you will feel better, more settled, less twitchy.
The additional added benefit is that smoky quartz will pull you back into your body so that you can "be here now" instead of floating around the spiritual levels without bringing it back down to Earth. We need you on Earth. This is where the party is. No light can be turned on without also being grounded. Smoky helps the Space Cadets out there to be a bit more together for functioning at this level. My nickname has sometimes been "Spacie Stacie". It was a runner up for blog title. :) Anyway...
How to Choose the Best Smoky Quartz
Smoky quartz is unfortunately one of the most "messed with" stones on the market. Distributors will artificially irradiate smoky quartz to make it darker, which they think is more "marketable", and hence, make them more money. Blah, phooey. I wish these dudes would smarten up already and leave the smoky quartz alone. The Earth gives Her smoky quartz a little zap that makes them perfect. Everything else is unnecessary. The picture below is from a Cal Tech website that had an interesting discussion about rock treatments. I've linked the site through the photo, if you'd like to see it.
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| Before and After of Irradiated Smoky Quartz |
Natural smoky quartz is gently shaded and can often have wisps of "smoke" through the crystal. Irradiated smoky quartz is super dark, pitch black... and is often so dark that you cannot see through it. A lot of the time, man-irradiated smoky quartz has to have all sorts of care and restoration before it is "work ready". [If you have a smoky quartz to rehabilitate from being traumatized by irradiation, I would recommend burying it or placing it by a favorite tree for an extended time. It can be used after some special care, I've used irradiated smoky before... but it feels more like we are helping to care for ~it~ vs. it taking care of us.]
A lot of the natural smoky quartz can have just a slight golden undertone, some people would call it a smoky citrine. Those are lovely. If you can find one, grab it. Likewise, smoky quartz that has amethyst and inclusions are also awesome. I've already written about them on an earlier blog post.
One of the most impressive things to me when I began working at Enter the Earth was that the smoky quartz and citrine in the store was natural and not treated. I could immediately tell the difference. The smoky "pebbles" are beautiful, juicy and hand polished... which make them perfect for "pocket stones".
Pocket Placement Importance
Larger crystals are wonderful for "boundary integrity" and the creation of "sacred space" in your home, but for going out and about in the world, I highly recommend getting two tumbled smokies that are large enough to be juicy, but small enough to fit in your front pockets.
In crystal healing, your front pocket position corresponds to the "root chakra", which is the chakra that smoky quartz most "tickles". So, placing the stones in your pockets, pushed down to the end near the crease of your legs (groin area) actually put smoky quartz exactly where it wants to be to do the most good for you. Yes, wearing smoky quartz in jewelry will help too, but having the stone in the proper chakra placement ~optimizes~ the effects. So, pocket rocks.... root chakra stones. It works.
An alternative placement is by your feet or ankles. If you can get a smoky quartz anklet, and put it on both feet, that would also be quite helpful.
Smoky & Labradorite Pocket Rock Combo Option
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| Click here to see Smoky Quartz & Labradorite Pocket Rock Sets. |
I use one natural smoky quartz and one labradorite. For whatever reason, the smoky goes in my left pocket and the labradorite goes in my right pocket. It just feels right. The smoky keeps me grounded with enhanced "boundary integrity" and my labradorite helps to fill in any weakness in my overall auric field. Labradorite is protective and stabilizing because it makes my energy field stronger and less vulnerable to inappropriate energetic influence from others or the environment. It's the energetic equivalent of "walking softly and carrying a big stick". I like this combination very much, but if I didn't have a nice labradorite to put in my right pocket, I would have a smoky in each pocket.
So, my sweet sensitive souls out there... I hope this helps you!
Christopher and I have a brand new website and blog. :) I'm going to leave archived blog articles up in here, but all new articles will be published under the new site.
Our new website is here:
http://www.etemetaphysical.com
Our new blog, which we have integrated together, is here:
http://blog.etemetaphysical.com/
Our new website is here:
http://www.etemetaphysical.com
Our new blog, which we have integrated together, is here:
http://blog.etemetaphysical.com/
