Dragons - Myth or Fact?

The symbol of the Dragon has been used in all ages, as motifs, emblems, banners and coats of arms. It has been used from East to West all over the globe. All cultures have at some stage in their history written tales and created drawings of the Dragon. So what is it all about? Is it myth, legend, folk lore, or snippets of the truth that have been lost down through the ages, leaving only the images and a few tales of their splendour?

The Dragon symbolises power and wealth, wisdom and strength. They have been depicted as mean and evil, stealing beautiful princesses, hoarding great wealth and as caring and helpful creatures aiding people in their quest. The human mind has a vast store of imagery, some call this the collective archetypal unconscious, and from time to time these images come through, representing the latent energy that stores up in the psyche of mankind. Dragon energy is seen to be a swirling free energy that spirals turning in on itself like a figure of eight covering all possible directional views. This is why martial artists revere the Dragon and practice forms that flow with very similar energy patterns and call these forms Dragon Style. This swirling formation pattern can be seen everywhere within the natural world, in eddying currents of rivers, in the air around us, more easily seen in autumn when leaves are present to show us the motion of the air currents, in flames moving freely in uncontained fires and even in the Earth's movements, especially sand dunes in motion as well as volcanic activity and lava flow. This has led to there being four types of Dragons; Air Dragons, Fire Dragons, Water Dragons and Earth Dragons. These different Dragon types hold to the element energies and properties of the four elements and are classically depicted in relevant colours as well as similar habitats, such as a Fire Dragon being red and living in a volcano or a Water Dragon being green and blue and living in a river, lake or ocean. So through mans connection with these elements and through the powers of the imagination these magnificent creatures have come to life. The Dragon at rest can clearly be seen in the lay of the land, the formations of sand dunes, the hills and valleys. The ancient Celts had beliefs that all of nature was one huge Dragon laying dormant, just awaiting to be aroused by the magical chants of the Druids, to do their bidding.

But does that mean that they are only make believe? Well, there have been so many sightings of large monsters all over the world living in the depths of the oceans or large and deep lakes. Some point to the idea of sea monsters or dinosaurs that survived the Ice Age. Is this perhaps the root of our beautiful and playful creatures that we read about today in folk lore, or were they an actual breed of creatures that were destroyed by knights until extinct? No one can really prove their existence until someone can show the world a huge fire breathing Dragon and put all our doubts to rest, but still the energy lives on, for some more real than imagination, for some a fantasy creature that holds great wisdom and for others something to mock at. None the less, Dragons have played a huge part in our cultural development; they are present in our art, stories and as show in works of art such as jewellery. They are worn as symbols, allowing the individual to express the parts of their own nature that they associate with the Dragon, such as power, strength, wisdom. But the Dragon is also a magical creature. Not only can they fly and breathe fierce flames they also have an air of magical ability around them as mythical creatures and this people associate with most.

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Dragon

By Rondie Evans

Scales of Diamonds shining bright
Gives them power and such might,
That none would dare challenge,
But the bravest Knight

Great armoured wings for flight
Emerald coloured eyes for sight
Breath an inferno of flames
Which they use in any fight

Now laid to rest an age ago
For none to see amore
They lay hidden in the deep
Gemstone caverns of this world

There we go amongst the gems
To carry away our treasure
Not knowing what lays beneath
What we might awaken forever


© Brilliant Gems 2014

Part II

Preface

Hello and welcome back to part II of working with Pendulums. In this section I will be discussing how to use pendulums for healing. So how do we use a pendulum for healing? I may hear you ask. Well it’s simple and effective, and for those of you who already have an understanding of how to use a crystal for healing, will find these techniques very easy to apply and practise.

The Chakras.
The human body has seven energy centres or chakras. To refresh your memories they run down the centre column of the body starting at the root (muladara) chakra found at the base of the spine (depicted by the colour ray red), running up to the top of the head or the crown (sarahasrara) chakra (depicted by the colour ray violet, or bright white light). These energy centres open us to the universal energies all around us, from Heavenly influence to Earthly influence, changing our feelings, emotions and moods of the day all our lives. When these channels or doorways become blocked, “locked”, closed or just over-stressed due to city life, the connection with the Heavenly and Earthly divine energies becomes obscure or even non-active. This leads to dis-ease of mind, which then leads on to disease of the body. This can however be remedied with correct use of crystal healing, which is holistic, as not only can crystal healing cure illness that is fully blown, it is also preventative, stopping any ailment from arising before the symptoms start to show.

The Pendulum.
Now we come to the fun part, practically applying crystal therapy to the body using a pendulum. Firstly it is always better to do this for someone else rather than our selves, as it is good for the patient to be relaxed and still, preferably laying down as this posture allows the spine to be straight and the chakras free from obstruction, (this just adds to the fun!!). So with your friend laying down in a draught free, warm room ask them to gently close their eyes and to relax. Playing peaceful background music can be conducive to the healing session, as this always helps set the scene and to relax the whole situation. When they have become still hold your chosen pendulum over the root chakra about an inch above the physical body, and just allow the pendulum to do as it wishes, turning and moving. The pendulum will be doing its work depending on which gem stone you use. I advise you use three pendulums (1) Rose Quartz for cleansing and purifying the chakra with unconditional love. (2) Clear Quartz for opening and activating the energy centres with divine bright light & (3) Amethyst for soothing the chakras and creating a protective energy around them.
When you feel the root chakra has received enough healing (don’t forget if you are not sure about this, ask the pendulum, as discussed in Part I, but usually 5 to 10 minutes is long enough), move the pendulum up to the next energy centre (chakra) this would be the sacral plexus or svadhisthana chakra, and allow the chakra to come to rest, or constant state of motion depending on how it feels! Then once again when the time is right move up to the next chakra manipura, and carry on this process all the way to the top of the chakra system, the crown Sahasrara . When you reach the crown you can change pendulums and do the process again until the three different types of gemstone pendulums have been used on every centre.
By then the patient should be in a very open relaxed state of mind, feeling free of all worries and tensions of the day. Do make sure that no disturbance could interfere with the therapy session, by taking the phone of the hook, turning the doorbell off and making sure no one else is due to come around at that time, as loud or sudden noise can be quite a jolt to a person in this open state of deeply relaxed mind. When you are quite happy that all the chakras have been exposed long enough to the influence of the gem stone pendulums (ask the pendulum itself if you are unsure about this) allow the person to come around in their own time, gently opening their eyes at first then moving a finger or two, then ask them to roll onto their side before sitting up, using the hands and arms to help them so that no strain is put on the back. It is also a good idea to then pass them a piece of Smokey Quartz to ground themselves or even include this in the pendulum healing with an earthy pendulum (Agate, Jasper, Smokey quartz or Black tourmaline) at the end of the session held over the root (base of the spine) chakra before they come around.

Conclusion
After the therapy it is always fun to chat about the therapy, so that you both share your feelings and experiences of the healing session, as this can help shed light on any problems that might be underlying in the individuals state of health. Also then you can swap around, taking it in turns to receive healing from each other using the gem stone pendulums, such that both friends are giving and receiving energy to create a healthy flow of energy between yourselves. You may also like to experiment with these techniques and develop your own styles of pendulum healing unique to you, maybe with different gem stones used or by asking questions about the individuals state of health at each chakra, enabling a deeper insight to each others needs and requirements. Play and enjoy!! Most importantly make healing fun!! Until next time best wishes, and good-bye for now.


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Pendulums I - Divining and Healing.

Pendulums I

Divining and Healing.

Pendulums have been used for centuries by people concerned with the unknown, for matters that the eye cannot see. From finding lost items to magical energy fields known as ley lines, to hidden wells of water deep beneath the earth. They have also been used by more spiritual people to divine future events, to answer questions where a yes or no answer will guide and also for the healing of the physical, mental and spiritual bodies. This article is primarily concerned with the later as this is the field I specialise in, but will also cover the basics of how to use a pendulum for all the above as well.

Divining.

Before anyone can begin to dowse they must first choose for themselves the right dowser/pendulum. But which is the right dowser for me? And how do I know it is right for me? These questions I hear every day and are very easy to answer, firstly always trust your intuition to help you choose the pendulum for you. You will instinctively know which one you will like out of the selection you see before you at the crystal shop; we at Brilliant Gems have a vast selection of pendulums and always find one to suit every body's uniqueness. If you cannot see one that appeals to you then just try them all out!! Pick one up and play with it, then the next and so on until you find one that reacts the best for you. So after picking the one that " jumps out at you " the most, or that responds the best by moving about, the first thing to do is to find out how it will "talk" to you. This may sound absurd at first but after a few minutes of your effort you will soon see for yourselves that the pendulum seems to have a life of its own.

So when you have your dowser, allow yourself to relax and just let the pendulum hang freely. Voice to yourself or say out loud "Please give me a motion for yes". There are three distinct types of motion dowsers can make:-

i) They can move in circular motion, clockwise or anti- clockwise. This is the motion for my yes answer, but remember, it is different for every body.

ii) Backwards and forwards in a straight line. This is the motion to answer no to my question.

iii) The dowser jiggles on the end of the chain but does little else. This kind of motion is significant when tuning a dowser into an object.

Ok when this is ascertained (be patient this may take a little while as you may not be used to channelling this kind of energy), you are ready to begin. The first obvious question is; "Is this pendulum the right one for me?" This should confirm your intuitive choice, or if you are trying many out will lead to the right one! From here on in you can make your own path, as your own personnel and unique style will mould the way your dowsing skill will develop, over the years that you practice at asking questions. Good uses are for finding out allergies, choosing aromatherapy oils, herbs, or crystals that would work best with you. Career moves, financial decisions and directions in life can all be confirmed with a dowser to give you that edge in decision-making. Healing.

What is little known is that a pendulum is not only great for divining, but when made in gemstones have a great healing effect on the body, mind and spirit. This I will go into with more depth in Part II. : Happy healing!

Read more at http://www.brilliantgems.co.uk/acatalog/Pendulums-II.html

Crystal Skulls - Origins and Healing

Over the last two decades there has been a large interest in the origins of crystal skulls; how they were made and what they were used for. But if we take a deeper look into the history of man, we can see traces of this mystery dating back to our ancestors. Albeit few priest or shamans that used them in the days of old their use is clearly evident. The skull symbol represents many things, but its main aspects are protection, knowledge, life-force and death. These four qualities we can easily see when we look at what the skulls functions are during the life of a human. The skull's first and major priority is to protect the brain from physical damage, a very sensitive and delicate organ for all its power, that once harmed can lead to complete disability as in a major accident or partial loss of control after a minor injury. The brain is where we house all our collective knowledge in the form of memories. From an early age we learn from direct experience through interaction with life as well as from others experiences via reading and verbal teachings. This knowledge has been passed down through generations and has brought us to this modern age. Many ancient medical as well as shamanic belief systems thought that the life force of a human was stored in the brain. Finally the skull is only ever seen after someone has died and so represents death. This was always seen as change and the opening to new pathways and not as a bad omen. The belief in the powers of the skull are what led shamans and ancient orders of priests to use this symbol during rituals and ceremonies. Some even created beautiful works of art such as the "Anna Mitchell Hedges" skull which is a life size skull carved completely out of quartz. It is this skull that has caused such a stir over the recent years as science has been unable, through analysis and experiments, to label it in their parameters as the workmanship is so great they can't even date it or explain how it could have been made. There are many theories that the skull was passed down through generations and each polished the skull a level further with fine clothes until it was complete. Being made out of quartz adds another dimension to the skull. Quartz crystal has huge and almost limitless powers, it can store and transmit energy, it can be programmed to do specific tasks as well as purify, magnify and transmute energy. This makes the Crystal Skull a very powerful tool to use indeed, especially in the field of crystal healing and it's in this field that I wish to work with and look at in this talk. The hardest part is to find a crystal skull that resonates with you, there are many to be found but finding the right one can take time. Once you have a crystal skull it will have to be cleansed and dedicated to you. This is best done using flowing water over the skull as you channel the intent of any unwanted energies leaving the skull with the water. Then holding the skull in your left hand place the right hand over the skull and program it with the dedication to the good of all, to protect you in a sphere of bright white light, and lastly add the personnel line that you wish the crystal skull to work on for you. For example if you have a bad back you can ask the skull to help you heal your back. Once this is complete, the skull will continue to emanate its healing energies and help to you until the programming is cleansed and you start again. It is a good idea to make a shrine to place the skull on, maybe with a picture of you as well as other power items such as other crystals, herbs, incense, candles and bells. This will all help to create a more powerful energy to work with. Once this is all set up, all that's left to do is to find time each day to sit and meditate in front of the shrine, or to remove the skull and sit somewhere peaceful with it. Twenty to thirty minutes a day is a good time to spend in practice. While sitting start by looking deep into the crystal skulls eyes and allow yourself to relax; taking deep breaths and sighing the air out can help. Imagine yourself sat inside your crystal skull, feeling protected and relaxed, at ease with yourself and everyone else in your life. Let the healing energy of the crystal skull emanate through you. Sit with your back straight and your hands cupped in your lap with the crystal skull cradled in them. With your eyes closed try to keep your internal focus on the crystal skull, remembering the sensations that you felt while looking deep into its eyes. If this is too strenuous, it is also possible to lay down with the crystal skull placed on the floor just above your head looking down your body; this also allows the healing energy of the skull to pass down into the body. This can be enhanced by placing quartz crystals in a circle around you; pointing inwards, at least 4 are needed but 6 or 8 are better.

crystal healing

This is an aerial view of the crystal healing grid to be used. The arrows represent the crystal points the tip of the crystal the arrow head. The eclipse represents the crystal skull and the text where you would lay down to heal. This would be a very powerful way to work with a crystal skull. Again for the best results its best to practice daily for 20 minutes and is much better than doing 2 hours once a week. As with all crystal practice it is a very personnel experience, you may find it helpful to keep a journal of your experiences as this will show you the progress you are making. Most of all remember to enjoy the experience, healing is gentle and fun, not all serious! Lastly I would like to mention that there are many gemstone skulls available, and each gemstone type will have different healing properties according to its nature. See more at http://www.brilliantgems.co.uk/acatalog/Crystals-Skulls.html