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Opinion: The Pros and Cons of Having an Online Crystal Shop

It’s been 5 years since I started Metaphysical Vibes; here are some things I’ve learned from this experience that I wanted to share with you.

There were some initial goals, the first goal was to make money selling something that I truly love. But with all things one puts their time and energy into, it really becomes more than just about making money; you have to acquire deep knowledge of what you are selling – you literally have to immerse yourself in all things metaphysical, especially for me since I named my crystal shop ‘Metaphysical Vibes’!

If you want this to be more than just a hobby, you also have to know the business and marketing side of it. There’s so much to learn and do and think about that it can easily get overwhelming.

So here are the pros and cons (at least for me), I will start with the ‘cons’ of having an online crystal shop.

Cons:

– You will be spending money to make money, kind of like investing. I have spent money on inventory, packing & shipping supplies, gas and/or a rental to drive to and from gem shows, ads on Facebook, Google & Instagram. Luckily I know how to create graphics and build websites so I didn’t have to spend money on that, but now that I think about it – I DID spend money on increasing my skills as a content creator.

– You will be competing with so many other people who sell the same thing online.

– You will go through ups and downs, meaning: you won’t always make consistent sales.

– You will pay taxes, especially if you sell a lot.

Pros:

+ Picking crystals and stones for your shop is so much fun, it’s really the best part of having a crystal shop. I pick them as if they were for me.😊

+ You will experience so much spiritual growth. My mindset is way different from 5 years ago. I also invested in my own education by getting certifications in Reiki and Trans Crystal Therapy.

+ You will meet wonderful people, buyers and sellers alike. I find that people who buy or sell minerals tend to be more kind and easy going.

+ You will learn a lot about minerals, from a geological and metaphysical point of view.

+ You will also learn the business and marketing part of it. How will people know about your business? That’s where marketing comes in.

+ You get to be creative and express yourself through the crystals and stones. You can setup your online shop however you like, take photos however you prefer, edit them in Photoshop, write about the crystals and create sacred and beautiful spaces that will attract buyers.

+ I’m a quiet person and pretty much an introvert so being able to do everything online without too much customer service is a dream come true for me. I love people, just in small doses.😉

Conclusion:

While there are going to be expenses that you will incur when you start up your online crystal shop, the pros outweigh the cons as you will learn a lot. So if it calls to you, I say go for it! Abundance and prosperity is already yours, and there is enough for everyone.

I hope this gives you some ideas on how to get started!

Visit my shop on Etsy to shop online for unique and one of a kind healing crystals and stones.

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Trippy Spacerock Psychedelic Music Video with Crystals!✨🛸👽🛸✨

For some reason, anything trippy and creative that happens to includes crystals makes my soul happy.

What’s even better is that there’s an instrumental that goes really well with all the trippy, crystalline, out of this world visuals.👽

The instrumental is titled “Mexicola” by All India Radio; he posted it on his Sci Fi Art Instagram, which I also love.

The video was created by Helena Papageorgiou of Second Variety http://www.helenapapageorgiou.com

I’m obsessed and could listen to this over and over. I literally sit behind the computer for 8 hours a day creating stuff and this gets me in the zone. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.😍

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5 Ways To Create Your Own Crystal Meanings✨💎✨

Here is an excerpt from Katrina Raphaell’s book Crystal Healing – The Therapeutic Application of Crystals and Stones:

My advice to those in search of what they already inwardly know concerning crystals, is to use your own intuition as you explore the resources of this phenomenal world of light and knowledge what rings true on your own inner touchstone. Information in Crystal Enlightenment, Vol. 1, and the following material in Crystal Healing Vol. 2, is what I have personally received, experienced and witnessed in my work and research with crystals during the last decade. Your experience is your own. Personal unfoldment with crystals is dependent upon the willingness each individual has to sit, be still, clear the mind, open the heart, and perceive the insight that will be perfectly made to order.

It’s true, I source a lot of the meanings from a few crystal books on here, but I’d really like to get away from that eventually and start writing more of my own. I guess the point of this blog post is to let anyone who finds this know that you CAN create your own personal crystal meanings.

Why bother doing this when it’s all online anyway?

That’s exactly it – there’s TOO MUCH information on the internet – a lot of the times it’s either conflicting or confusing and yet we are quick to “google it” and rely on them – myself included, ultimately forgetting to trust and rely on our own intuition and not allowing our own unique experiences to have a say in the matter.

So yes, there’s a lot of crystal and stone meanings that you can use. But does all of it resonate with you personally?

How does one even begin to create their own crystal meanings?🧐

Here are 5 suggestions; feel free to add to this and as always, only do what feels right to you:

1. Meditate with the crystal or stone or spend a few minutes by holding the crystal or stone in your hand.

Most will say that your non-dominant hand is better for receiving the energy of the crystal or stone, but also try with your dominant hand. How does it feel, is it any different?

2. Spend time with them like they’re your friends. I personally like to read, journal, listen to music or read tarot for myself with all my stones present. Over time, your crystal collection will start to communicate with you in the most subtle way. It will be hard to explain and you will probably come off as crazy to your family if they don’t get it. I promise you will be happier though.

3a Observe the physical characteristics of the crystal like shape, color, texture. Is it opaque, clear, iridescent, lustrous? Does it have rainbows, does it have inclusions or other minerals on or in it?
3b Observe how the stone makes you feel: does it make you feel more calm, more energized?

4. If you are creative – why not draw, paint, take photos or incorporate crystals into your designs?

I believe this is the main reason why I started selling crystals – I just felt inspired by them. They are an absolute joy to work with and the people who buy them from me are just as kind and wonderful. Unlike most people who just buy things online and have a tendency to be rude, impatient or selfish; from my experience so far – people who buy minerals have great energy. Facts.

5. If none of the above are working for you, I would try color or word association.

For example, let’s use Carnelian. Carnelian is often a red, orange, brown stone. What words can you associate with red? Red is the color of blood, red is love, red roses, red is our beating heart, red is sexy, red is passion and power, red is also anger and aggression. I can keep going but I think you get my drift here.❤️

Conclusion:

So have fun, get magical and creative getting to know your crystals and stones. It’s okay to search for the general meaning of them but it’s also just as important to create your own interpretations. It’s a great way to increase our perception and intuitive abilities, as well as expand consciousness.

Shuhari is a martial arts concept that I’d like to add here because in some ways, it covers a lot of the same concepts that I’m attempting to explain:

“It is known that, when we learn or train in something, we pass through the stages of shu, ha, and ri. These stages are explained as follows. In shu, we repeat the forms and discipline ourselves so that our bodies absorb the forms that our forebears created. We remain faithful to these forms with no deviation. Next, in the stage of ha, once we have disciplined ourselves to acquire the forms and movements, we make innovations. In this process the forms may be broken and discarded. Finally, in ri, we completely depart from the forms, open the door to creative technique, and arrive in a place where we act in accordance with what our heart/mind desires, unhindered while not overstepping laws.”

It’s going to take practice and dedication, but I promise you that if you keep at it you will start to ‘hear’ the stones speak to you about their purpose in your life as well as your purpose in their life – yes believe it or not, crystals and stones have their own life story to tell.

It also really helps to get off your phone, watch less TV, spend more time alone. All you have to do is ask and intend to receive information from them.

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Can Crystals Be Dangerous?💎🤔☠️

I saw this search phrase pop up on the website so I felt the need to write a blog post about it.

The question is: Can Crystals Be Dangerous?

Let’s look at this question from a few aspects:

Physical

From a physical point of view, yes they can be; they are minerals after all with very sharp points and edges. If you’re not careful handling them, there’s a chance that the crystal will cut up your fingers or hands.

The physical labor of mining these beautiful crystals so we can all enjoy them is also a very dangerous job.

For example, check out this Instagram and look at their photos; they are Professional High Mountain Crystal Hunters. What they do looks dangerous AF especially in such cold climates. High risk for high rewards.

Mental

Our minds are very powerful. If our thoughts are energetic vibrations then our thoughts can affect physical reality. I mean, think about it: your life IS a manifestation of your thoughts. It is said that once upon a time, the ancient civilizations of Lemuria and Atlantis misused the power of crystals. What we can learn from this is that we have to work with crystals that only serve the greater good of everyone, especially yourself.

Spiritual

This sort of ties in to the mental part. When the Lemurians & Atlanteans misused the crystals for their own selfish purposes, they completely forgot the spiritual aspect – of being connected and one with source energy.

We humans have a tendency to forget that we are spiritual beings having a human existence; we are often prone to greed and selfishness. And as a seller of crystals and stones, it’s always important for me to be mindful of this.

Emotional

From an emotional point of view, crystals can be dangerous if we aren’t emotionally balanced. Since crystals hold neutral light energy, they can easily pick up on vibrations in the environment they’re in. For example: if you are in a living space with crystals and you tend to fight or argue with people in that same space – the crystal will pick up on that and reflect those bad vibes.

Definitely get into a routine of clearing your crystals while also clearing yourself of negative emotions on a regular basis.

Conclusion

So to answer the question: can crystals be dangerous? Crystals CAN be dangerous if we’re the ones not being conscious and aware of how we are working with them. Remember that we are stewards, caretakers of the earth. As with everything, use your best judgment, using a healthy mix of intuition with common sense.

The Twin Calcite crystal cluster featured in the photo is spiky and dangerous looking, but his energy is awesome. I think that’s why I was drawn to him. He has sold.

Bonus

Below is a helpful resource from Hibiscus Moon:

Toxic Crystals and Stones

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Mineral of the Day: Cobalto Calcite🌸

Valentine’s Day 2019 is just a week away so it’s a perfect time to write about Cobalto Calcite!💖🌿🌸🌿💚

It doesn’t matter if you celebrate VDay or not, as love is eternal and the highest vibration that exists.

Cobalto Calcite – also known as Cobaltoan Calcite or Aphrodite Stone is definitely a mineral created for anyone who wants to get in touch with the divine feminine aspect of themselves or someone who just loves the color pink but a more intense version of it. Cobalto Calcite sparkles with druzy and it’s color is unusually bright. It oozes with powerful love energy and the mineral itself is all natural meaning our beautiful mother Earth created this, us humans did not enhance it whatsoever.

When I think of divine feminine energy, I think of goddeses such as Shakti, Venus/Aphrodite, but also Quan Yin. At the same time, the divine feminine is not about gender or sexuality but more of a universal principle of receiving and embodying love.

It’s an all around pretty stone that ranges with hues of darker pink to magenta and/or fuchsia. The one featured in the photo has bits of Malachite in it which is perfect because Malachite is also a heart healing stone.

So yes, this stone brings the love vibes – the type associated with compassion and forgiveness – but not in a mellow, soft or gentle kind of way like you would expect from Rose Quartz. Whatever kind of love you are lacking or in need of – more love for yourself, love for other beings, love for the planet earth that we live on this beautiful mineral will usher that in.

A person who is attracted to Cobalto Calcite lives and loves life and beings more intensely, vividly and from the heart space. They are creative and very self-aware people.

Cobalto Calcite brings other pink objects to mind, especially beautiful things such as roses or how about a pink robin bird which is actually a male.

We are currently out of Cobalto Calcite.

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How Do We Experience the Metaphysical?✨👁✨

 

Definition of metaphysical

adjective

  1. concerned with abstract thought or subjects, as existence, causality, or truth.
  2. concerned with first principles and ultimate grounds, as being, time, or substance.
  3. highly abstract, subtle, or abstruse.
  4. designating or pertaining to the poetry of an early group of 17th-century English poets, notably John Donne, whose characteristic style is highly intellectual and philosophical and features intensive use of ingenious conceits and turns of wit.
  5. Archaic . imaginary or fanciful. 

It’s kind of a conundrum, isn’t it?

How do we experience the metaphysical in this physical world?🌎

If you’ve ever dreamt while sleeping then you’ve already experienced it. But when we dream, we’re not actively in control. So when we’re awake, there are 3 main ways to start. And no, you don’t have to do drugs to achieve this state.

  1. Meditation
  2. Imagination
  3. Self Knowledge

Meditation

Learn how to meditate, as this will be the main component to experiencing the metaphysical. Guided meditations, meditating with crystals or just going out in nature and taking a walk are just a few great ways to start.

Imagination

Remember when you were a kid and your parents most likely told you that it was “just your imagination”? Sadly, human society tends to stifle this in young children early on. Then we grow up and hardly use it anymore.

It sucks but it’s never too late to get into the habit of using your imagination again. I mean, just what if? This is also a main ingredient in magic and manifestation; you literally have to imagine and feel as if what you want is already yours.

This will help you expand your creativity and get closer to having meta experiences.

Self Knowledge

What does self knowledge have to do with the metaphysical? Everything! The more you know yourself, the closer you will get to remembering who you really are underneath your human identity: a spiritual being having a human existence. We are playing in the physical world and experiencing what it’s like to be human.

It might be overwhelming at first to realize this, but over time you will come to know the truth.

If you’re having issues with the spiritual part, then instead think of yourself as pure, conscious energy. Energy that is existing in a physical body, energy that has thoughts, feelings; energy that expresses itself through writing, speaking, touching and tasting as well as doing things that they’re good at.

Conclusion:

This blog post is short, but I don’t want to overwhelm you with too much information. The fun part is discovering all of this on your own, as your spirit will lead you to the right places, books, teachers and yes…crystals!✨

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7 Healing Crystals & Stones for Your Chakras

Chakras – you’ve probably heard or read about them a lot these days. Look at the hashtag for ‘chakra’ or ‘chakras’ on Instagram and you’ll see over 2 million posts related to it.

But really though – what IS a chakra, and why is it important?

Chakras are basically energy centers of the energetic or subtle body. Though we can’t see them, they are often depicted as wheels or discs that are constantly spinning, each one a color of the rainbow. Together they form our human energetic field, sometimes called the rainbow body but more commonly known as the aura.

Although these are abstract concepts, we are actually experiencing the chakras at work daily through our thoughts, feelings and how we perceive life. Each chakra is also connected to organs in our physical body. 

For example, the color red represents our first chakra often called the root or base chakra – located at the end of our spine – the tailbone. This chakra represents our connectedness to our physical body and the earth as well as feeling centered, grounded and at home. When this chakra is imbalanced, we can expect to feel the opposite: feeling spaced out or not present, not connected to our body; not feeling safe.

How can healing stones help with our chakras?

The purpose of learning about our chakras is to bring awareness to our own actions and behaviors. We want to achieve balance and harmony in our energetic body because if we don’t, it eventually affects the physical body.

We can work with healing stones – stones that correlate to our chakras – to help bring us back into balance.

You can visit a crystal healer to assist you with this or you can do it yourself by placing stones along your body to effect healing.

Here is an example of healing stones you can work with to help balance the 7 chakras of your body:

1st Chakra – Red – Red Jasper, Smoky Quartz
Place in between your crotch area or right in between your upper thighs.

2nd Chakra – Orange – Carnelian, Garnet
Place on your abdomen area below the belly button.

3rd Chakra – Yellow – Citrine, Pyrite, Tiger’s Eye
Place on your stomach area above the belly button.

4th Chakra – Green (or Pink) – Green Aventurine, Rose Quartz
Place on your heart.

5th Chakra – Blue – Blue Lace Agate, Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli
Place on your throat.

6th Chakra – Violet – Amethyst, Fluorite
Place on your forehead or third eye center.

7th Chakra – White – Quartz, Selenite
Place above your head.

Conclusion:

This is just a basic rundown of the 7 Chakra system and the healing crystals & stones you can use to heal, balance and align your energetic body.

Click here if you’d like to purchase our 7 Stone Chakra Set with Green Aventurine

Click here if you’d like to purchase our 7 Stone Chakra Set with Rose Quartz

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Crystals for Sale: Quartz Crystals That Look Like Spaceships!🚀

I’ve been thinking a lot about cosmic starseeds lately and wondering if I am one.

I’ve also been YouTubing Light Language these last few weeks and luckily I’m attending a Light Language Activation at Open Eye Crystals today. I’ve been reading online a lot about these subjects and even though I feel as if I don’t really fit the description of a starseed, I’m still fascinated by the idea that I could be one.✨

I mean, why does this stuff even interest me, you know? There HAS to be a reason why my spirit pulls me in these particular directions.

So I posted this neat Quartz crystal cluster on my Instagram recently. It’s a Laser Quartz cluster from Diamantina region in Brazil. I chose this cluster from a group of similar crystal clusters because of the way the crystals are formed – nearly angled horizontally and tabular almost like the top surface of a spacecraft.

So I hope whoever resonates with this crystal cluster will see the same thing as me as it truly feels out of this world and wouldn’t mind hanging on to it a bit longer. Since Quartz is known to amplify energy, the fact that I think this looks like a spaceship can literally induce multidimensional travel during meditation.

And what do I mean by ‘multidimensional travel’?

Even though we are in our physical bodies everyday, I also believe that we are constantly ‘traveling’ through our other bodies. Like when we daydream or dwell on a past memory or think about the future, or even when we’re scrolling through social media on our phones – we are traveling. It may not be a physical location, but it still exists as a dimension just like the tv show “The Twilight Zone”.

Let’s say for example that when you’re reading a book – you’re imagination is taking you to wherever that book is taking place – fiction or nonfiction. Even with a nonfiction book, your mental body – the intellectual part of you – has transported you to the information you’re absorbing.

You can also experience multidimensional travel through meditation. Ask your guides to take you there, I’m sure they will be more than glad to help.

This unique and one of a kind Laser Quartz cluster is available for purchase here at my Metaphysical Vibes’ Etsy shop.

I was also searching YouTube and found this interesting video about the Star Nations.

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Harmony and Balance with All That Is

 

I saw this posted on a few Instagrams but have no clue as to who actually created this. If you’re the creator of this image, please let me know so I can properly credit you.😊❤️🙏🏼

Do no harm, take no shit.

This is life at it’s simplest. We do the best we can as humans to live the life we want without harming others (including our beautiful Earth), but we also don’t take on the pain and abuse that comes from other humans. But the reality is – more often than not, we tend to anyway.

There are conscious and unconscious beings. Two sides of the same coin. Which one are you? There’s no right or wrong here, just the play of duality that is The All.

But learn to say no, learn to establish boundaries, learn to listen to your intuition when something doesn’t feel right.

Learn when or when not to react to something or someone.

Think of your energy as currency or like money: how much energy do you want to spend on that situation or relationship?

Is it really worth your time, but even more so – your energy? Does it make you feel good or does it make you feel like shit?

Pay attention to your body, for it will reveal how you really feel about something or someone.

Learn to listen and express opinions without resorting to name calling or getting angry because someone’s thoughts are different from yours.

We are all connected, whether you’re aware of it or not.

This is not meant to be preachy, as we can all benefit from awareness of the self. Is it better to be self-aware or to live in ignorant bliss? I wrote this blog post in less than 15 minutes, mostly to have words go with this image.

Crystals that can assist you with setting boundaries: Black Tourmaline

Crystals that bring in light from the universe and keep your vibration high: Selenite

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Opinion: Why Are Crystals So Expensive?

This is actually a very common question that I often hear from buyers, including myself after having my fair share of buying crystals & stones from metaphysical stores around town as well as online, you begin to wonder:

Why Are Crystals So Expensive?

Bare with me as I attempt to shed some light as to why buying crystals and stones can get expensive.

Also please be aware that these are based on my personal experience of being the buyer and eventually the seller. I am not speaking for everyone else.

A buyer’s point of view:

If you’re viewing this from the buyer’s point of view, well yes of course you’re going to think buying crystals at retail prices tend to get…yup, PRICY! Especially when they’re little stones. I totally get your thinking on this because as much as I love minerals, I have to be careful on not spending too much on them as well.

A seller or small business owner’s point of view:

If you’re viewing this from a small business person’s point of view, you probably understand that the whole point of having a business is to make money. And so crystals have to be marked up to pay for the cost of doing business – like whether you own a brick & mortar or e-commerce store there’s rent, fees, advertising costs, travel expenses like flying or driving to the Gem & Mineral shows in other states to buy those crystals, etc. and so much more.

So you see, those costs are added on to the crystals. But not everyone does this, as it all depends on the person. I mean, some sell just for the love of it. Others live in a state where the cost of living is low so there’s no need to mark up the stones while others (like me) live in a state that has a high cost of living so yes, in order for the effort of doing business to be worth it – crystals have to be marked up.

Other factors to consider:

  • The mineral or mineral combination might be rare or hard to find. For example: Larimar, Opal, Moldavite, Libyan Desert Glass and Ajoite just to name a few.
  • The people who actually mine minerals risk their lives by hiking up or going into a treacherous location such as a cave or a mountain, or an ancient volcanic area.
  • If it’s an Aura coated or Aura treated crystal (for example, Aqua Aura is permanently bonded with gold vapor), the cost of getting the crystal coated can get expensive.
  • Some wholesalers will mark up the price of the crystal, therefore in order to make your money back…you’ll also have to mark it up. Or not.
  • Each crystal or stone is a one of a kind piece. No two are alike. Also, they last forever. Can you imagine how much money that crystal has accumulated? You could be dead and that crystal or stone will continue to exist long after you and I.
  • The bigger the crystal, the more it costs to ship it. So yes I’m adding shipping costs to the list.

Conclusion:

There’s going to be all kinds of reasons as to why buying a crystal or stone can get expensive. As always, do your own research and trust yourself to make the right purchase.

Also think of it this way: if you’re buying something that’s a tad expensive let’s say from your local retail shop – you are actually helping that shop stay in business. Same with an online store. If you love supporting small businesses like mine, then the cost won’t seem so harsh. It’s all a matter of perspective as to what you think is valuable, as everyone is buying or selling at any given time.

I hope this makes some sense. The photo above features my Pyrite with Quartz cluster from my personal collection, which was expensive $$$ but I really wanted it. And I have no regrets.💛🤑💛

Visit my online crystal shop: Metaphysical Vibes