By Sonia Acone

For some years now, I’ve kept a dish of crystals on our kitchen table.  The dish may change with the seasons or my moods, and the crystals often change to reflect what the family needs at certain times, but the message is always the same: the crystals stay on the table. My oldest son, Jeremy, started what is now a long-running joke when someone knocked over a salt shaker which, in turn, crashed into my dish of crystals. Jeremy threw out his hands and yelled, “Nobody move! Mom’s crystals have been disturbed!  You will feel their wrath!” Narrowing his eyes, and in a sinister whisper, he continued, “Now we’ll await the hellfire and brimstone…”  To which I naturally gave him the “Mom eye-roll” and proceeded to put things to rights at the table.

The family doesn’t always know the reasons by which some crystals appear in the dish while others are taken away, but they all understand that they are there for a specific purpose and they respect the fact that the crystals do help us, especially when we are all at the dinner table together.  Many an argument has ensued between my husband and oldest son (both are Leo’s) over dinner-table conversations, or there could be way too much goofing off between our two boys, especially when my husband is trying to have a more serious discussion which, in turn, almost always evolves into some sort of life lesson.  So, in the interest of peace and tranquility at the table, I set out a dish of crystals that I had hoped would be beneficial to everyone.

There is always a Clear Quartz crystal, but then I have added Dumortierite, Moonstone, Lapis Lazuli and Blue Lace Agate for peace; Lepidoliteand Sunstone for a bit of fun; Malachite, Bloodstone, Chrysocolla, etc. for healing; Hawk’s Eye (Blue Tiger Eye) and Pietersite for a bit of creativity and intuition; Shattuckite for letting go of past issues; and a Rutilated Quartz for those times when I look up to the ceiling and whisper, “Heaven help me with these guys!”

One of the amazing aspects of this dish is often found when the boys’ friends come over and one or more of them almost always notices if new crystals have been added to the dish. I do one of my little happy dances in my head when I see their interest in the crystals. A friend of Jeremy’s was here recently and couldn’t take her eyes (or her hands) off a tumbled Tiger Eye. She was enthralled with it, which gave me a hint as to what she would be getting as a Christmas gift.

To have young people appreciate and understand that crystals can be used in their daily lives is something that has brought me immense joy over the years, and I will continue to introduce them to more of the same. Speaking of Christmas, when I asked what Jeremy wanted for Christmas, he replied, “Can I have a crystal necklace?”  Talk about a happy dance – and yes, I did grab a tissue for the few tears of joy that fell.

Update: Jeremy now has his own place. And yes, every year, he asks for some crystal item for Christmas. His apartment is becoming a crystal haven, just like our home. He still freaks out if someone knocks over the crystal dish, whether here at home or at his own.