Crystal Blue

Judging

I grew up Christian so I relate to some of the stuff in the Bible about judging. Basically, I reduce the entire Christian thing down to the Old Testament “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, a rabbi in approximately the same time as Jesus said the same thing, and then Jesus said that it was the greatest commandment. Jesus taught about forgiveness and love… My tendency is to want to leave all of my Christian upbringing behind except the golden rule, and practices of forgiveness and love.

Forgiveness, is so important. It takes judging to a whole new level. With a little practice you can jump to the forgiveness step without going through judging, pretty convenient, pretty cool. But then, it seems to me that too many people get caught up in the judgment step without ever moving to forgiveness. Now, that is not a judgment, its an observation. Its beneficial (for me) to forgive them if I make this observation.

I am simply starting to buy into the following: I will not judge another’s reality because I do not want them to judge my own. I want to see a world that lives in peace and the best thing I can contribute is to live at peace, within myself.

Today I am a Crystal,
Shining,
One facet catching the light,
Then another

Everywhere around me,
Are other crystals
Shining.

I named this piece Crystal Blue
Its 17 1/2 incles and made of Swarovski Crystal components

Oversoul Seven

I spent a great deal of time yesterday rereading Jane Roberts book, Oversoul Seven. Jane was known as the person who channeled Seth in the 60s and early seventies. She died a very early death in the 70’s. .

I read the entire Oversoul trilogy six or seven years ago. I am noticing so much more depth now. Had I read all of this before, I do not often reread material, especially fiction.

This book is so funny, partly because its so dated!!! There are a lot of references from the sixties and seventies that seem hopelessly out of date now. The kids in the 23^rd century learned from microfilm, for example. But this gives the book a quaintness and since it is about multiple possible realities, well, this is just another example of a possible reality. I find the datedness very funny and Jane is oh, so sharp. I am planning to write more about this book in a later post.

Second Chakra

A subtext of this blog has to do with the meanings I find associated with the stones that I use. The chakra system is an ancient way of relating to the energies of the body and each chakra is associated with colors and stones. Together the colors of the chakras form a rainbow, beginning at the lowest, red and ending at the crown, indigo. The stones associated with the chakras vary. I am still a novice at this type of analysis and my observations are based on intuition and imagination as much as anything I have learned along the way.

In my previous post I used a necklace that I made a couple of years ago to represent the root chakra. I had always made this association and so when I began looking through my collection of jewelry to find something that represented the second chakra, the color orange, I noticed that most the orangey things looked like my choice for red. I began to wonder if I were subconsciously avoiding the second chakra.

A casual understanding of the second chakra is that it is the center of sexuality. Was this the reason I was avoiding it since that is not a focus for me? It was not something I cared to blog about. I began to look for other associations.

The second chakra is also said to be the center of movement. While the first chakra represents grounding, the second represents movement. The element associated with the second chakra is water which moves freely. Since the color is orange I thought of the movement of fire even through the element fire is associated with the third chakra.

I decided to create something new to represent the second chakra. I chose translucent red agate with an orange tint and amber chips which add sparkly movement.

Sometimes making a piece of jewelry is spontaneous and takes very little time. There are other times when nothing seems right or perfectionism begins to take over. The latter was the case with this piece. It did not seem to move freely. I seemed stuck. I wondered if this was a reflection of something in my life.

The second chakra is centered in the solar plexus and governs all of the surrounding organs. I thought of the womb; the place of nourishment for new life. For me, this was the most satisfying image for the second chakra. It is the place where movement begins and is nourished.

Among the pieces that I had already made the below necklace could also be said to represent the second chakra. It is made of peach aventurine (the flat ovals) with gold colored fresh water pearls, amber crystals, and tiger eye.

Fall Color

For Christmas, 2004, I made three necklaces that were very similar for my sister and two friends. I liked them so much that I later made one for myself. Here’s what I wrote at the time:

The necklace is composed of three kinds of stones:

The center flower is carnelian. Carnelian is the stone of the root charka and grounds one. It anchors you in the present reality. A stabilizing stone with high energy, it is excellent for restoring vitality and motivation, and for stimulating creativity. Psychologically, Carnelian imparts an acceptance of the cycle of life. Mentally, Carnelian improves analytic abilities and clarifies perception. It is full of the life force and vitality.

The somewhat transparent stones are red agate. These include the very small ones next to the flower and other larger stones throughout the necklace. Agate is said to have the power to harmonize yin and yang. It is a soothing and calming stone. Agate enhances mental functions as it improves concentration, perception and analytic abilities. Psychologically agate gently facilitates acceptance of one’s self. Agate stabilizes the aura, eliminating and transforming negative energies, its cleansing effect is powerful at the physical and emotional levels.

The more opaque stones are red aventurine. Aventurine is a very positive stone of prosperity. Psychologically, aventurine reinforces leadership qualities and decisiveness. It promotes compassion and empathy and encourages perseverance. Aventurine is said to benefit the thymus gland, connective tissue, and nervous system.

The above information about these stones is from The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall.

Fast forward to Sunday, September 30, 2007.

For me, Sunday morning is a time for regrouping. It is an unstructured time when I can reorganize myself gathering intentions for the coming week and perhaps completing a project that frees up energies.

It is helpful to be reminded of my connectedness to all that is physical as my carnelian/red agate/red aventurine necklace does so powerfully. I am also reminded that these are the colors of fall. I am in a location that barely exhibits fall color; nevertheless, we are in the season when the harvests are gathered and the old year begins to come to a close. The seasons remind us of the perennial cycle of death then rebirth. In the fall nature prunes so that new growth can come in the spring.

This morning I look for things in my life that I should let go of. What is in need of pruning? Focusing on the root chakra returns me to the most basic level as it is the level of survival and instincts; it represents the source of physicality. On this (finally) cool fall morning it seems appropriate to ask long-term questions about this life’s journey.

Purple Bracelet

The above three-strand bracelet is made of amethyst and freshwater pearls with a shell-shaped clasp. The center strand is a clear form of amethyst, the darker stones on the outside are a darker round amethyst, the lighter ones are freshwater pearls. I made this piece at least a year ago. It is a favorite.

I realized that I had not written a blog entry in a week. Many things can change one’s consciousness and point of view in a week so it was high time to get going.

One of the things that has touched my consciousness in the past couple of days is the idea of no complaints, signified by a purple bracelet which one moves from wrist to wrist when one finds oneself complaining. One attempts to wear the bracelet on one wrist for 21 days, the number of days needed to establish a habit. These bracelets and more info can be obtained from (see www.acomplaintfreeworld.org )

Complaining? Sometimes I think that may be one of the only ways I know how to express myself.

After I analyzed everything I have written here thus far and realized a great deal of it could be considered complaining; and after consulting with my sister and deciding that a large portion of what is written on blogs could be considered complaints in one form or another; I asked myself, can I make this a complaint-free blog?

We discussed the idea for a while. We decided that there are positive complaints, as in, someone is being mistreated and you complain to someone that can do something about it. On the other hand, if you just complain to your friends who are not in the position to do anything then maybe you should move the bracelet to the other wrist.

Positive complaints may be defined as something intended to improve a situation and that does not cause ill feelings in others. On the other hand, most complaints do cause negative emotions in others and do not do anything other than perpetuate the complaint.

Complaining may also clear the air. Sometimes I just need to vent and when I finish I can move on.

Wearing a “complaint free world” bracelet does make one mindful of these issues. I was given one yesterday at lunch and wore it until I got home from work. Then, after taking it off to get the website that was printed on it, I left it sitting beside my computer.

Negative complaining and victim consciousness go hand in hand. This is probably the thing that is best addressed by the “Complaint Free World” movement.

It would be very nice if everyone would stop complaining, I don’t want to go around moving a rubber band bracelet from one wrist to the other (maybe I am some kind of new-age snob). However, a very real benefit is to habitually look at one’s responses in order to evaluate whether they are negative or positive and what impact they have on others.

I believe the discipline of monitoring one’s emotions, thoughts, and actions can be aided immensely by mementos. I have used jewelry and stones for just that purpose. For many months I carried a rose quartz stone with the word “Trust” printed on it in my pocket. Just touching the stone would remind me of my higher purposes. I think the spirit behind the complaint free world bracelet is similar, it teaches one to remember a more spiritually attuned way of being.

I applaud the folks wearing the complaint free world bracelets. I join with the spirit of the endeavor by focusing today on the color purple, the color of the sixth chakra and of the higher self.

Circle of Stones

Today is Tuesday like that horrible day six years ago. In a sense we have completed a full circle.

The world changed that day, no one doubts that. It seems that what we have now as a result of that change is greater fear, greater hostility and a greater sense of the precariousness of our future. In many ways we have not completed the circle because so many things have been left undone. For example, I believe, a war that should never have begun and now drags on.

Today, I remember what September 11 brought into our reality and honor those whose lives have been profoundly altered with a simple circle of stones. The circle signifies completeness; it is a form that has no beginning or end.

As I look at my circle I also see an altar, one on which I can place my frustrations and anger to have them transmuted into hope.

Many people pray together in circles. My circle of stones also symbolizes this. Imagine all of the people of the world coming together with one simple intention, to live peacefully together and to honor each other.

Rorschach

The piece at the right is made of coral and sterling silver. I brought most of the components at the Santa Fe flea market. When I bought the center piece I thought that it looked vaguely like some kind of animal head, maybe a prehistoric or mythical animal. When my friends saw the finished product they told me it looked like the finger.

When I began this blog, less than a week ago, I decided to photograph things I had made and write stream of consciously about my associations with them. I could not have anticipated this entry.

Yesterday at work we received an email telling us that we now have a dress code. I have been with the organization 22+ years and have always enjoyed a casual atmosphere and the freedom to dress casually if I chose. Logistically, the dress code is not a problem for me; I have plenty of clothes since I love clothes and sometimes buy things just because they go with the jewelry I’ve made. I can dress about any way I would want. But, it feels like something important is being taken away. Also, I feel a great deal of empathy for my co-workers, some of whom have come to depend on wearing blue jeans. This could even be a financial hardship for some. They are good workers. I wonder if those who make the rules have considered that it now feels like what a person looks like is more important than the quality of their work.

The new dress code is being presented as an effort to create a positive image for the organization. I wonder if there aren’t cultural issues at play here as well. I think there is an effort to move the culture of the organization to one that has a more corporate appearance.

It seems in the corporate culture the emphasis is on team development and maintenance; it seems to me that a by-product of this emphasis on the team is that the team must maintain a certain look. It’s the culture of khaki is ok for casual but denim is not. There is really no place for individuality, creativity or self-expression. A team is predictable and its parts are interchangeable; individuality, creativity or self-expression give rise to one-man-shows and quirkiness that is just not appropriate in the workplace.

I have no inclination to buy into supporting the corporate leanings of my management. I will dress appropriately, of course, I do that most of the time anyway; but I want to question what is going on and why we are doing what we are doing. The thing that I don’t understand is that when the team is being stressed why would individuality not be stressed at the same time. When people bring their unique perspective to the team it makes the team stronger. This is symbolized by the way we dress. When I look at a group of people and they are dressed in a variety of ways and they are working together effectively, maybe synergistically, then I see a strong team. I learned long ago that you can not judge by the outer appearance; so why try to create an artificial one?

I have to admit that I am becoming one of those persons who is basically waiting for retirement. I have passed the critical 18 to 20 year mark. Now, I can settle in and enjoy the ride until its time to start drawing a check. But, this attitude does not sit well with my personality. I enjoy doing a good job at anything I do; I want it to be the best.

I also enjoy expressing myself through dressing in whatever way suits my fancy at the moment. My style is by nature conservative but conservative with my own touch. I am sure that those who define corporate dress would find some of my best ankle length skirts almost as objectionable as tight mini-skirts.

I wanted to write about my friend Lorie in this post because there are a couple of points I would like to make. I have been thinking about her today. She died just a little over a year ago.

When I started work with the organization I am writing about, Lorie and I were essentially on the same level and her cube was next to mine. In the early years we interacted on a daily basis and became friends because of all of the things that we did together. Since this is somewhat of a crafting blog I will mention that back in the late 80’s several of us got together and did some crafts like sewing Christmas wreathes and making folded stars. Lorie and I were both part of that group.

She moved up in the organization over the years and at the time of her death she was the head of our part of the organization with about 400 people under her. Essentially, she was in the position of the person making the dress code changes. I do not want this to disintegrate into a loud “Lorie would never have let this happen”, on the other hand that is exactly what I am saying.

Lorie was not so much plugged into corporate culture as she was to the culture of the organization that we work for. She cared about that deeply and worked very hard to provide the services she was responsible for. Early on, as I began to see her move up in the hierarchy, I realized that I wanted to do work that would be worthy of her and her expectations; I remember thinking that I needed to latch on to her apron strings. From my own point of view, Lorie challenged me to want to make her and her organization look good; she did not say I had to do so or tell me how I had to look in order to do so.

After she died I realized that I would feel the effects on a personal level but also eventually on an organizational level. I am seeing that now.

At Lorie’s funeral her boss (a VP) talked about all of her accomplishments and then her pastor talked about her life. Her pastor said that she had the gift of hospitality. This is one of the gifts of the spirit discussed by the apostle Paul and, even though it may be discounted by some, on the same level as all of the other gifts. When Lorie’s pastor used this description I suddenly realized how true the statement was. Lorie cared about the people around her and went out of her way to make people feel wanted and needed. All I had to do was think about the early years when we worked together and how she had made me feel wanted when I fist started working in the cube beside her. She intuitively used this gift a work even though she rose very high in the organization.

I think it was this gift that kept her in touch with individual people and prevented her from laying down unnecessary rules.

So, back to my Rorschach. I am not one to give the finger so I still choose to see a mythological animal in the coral piece. There is the rebellious part of me, the part that ensured I wear blue jeans to work today, that wants to see the finger. There is the more practical part that says hang in there. Maybe you can do something that will help the situation. And, there is the part of me that remembers Lorie. While observing the cultural shift since she was at the helm, I can choose to honor her by not seeing the finger but by moving forward to better the organization that she loved and gave so much of her life force for.

Is this eye candy?

Chocolate or a bunch of brown quartz?

More on Green

There were a couple of things I neglected to say in my last post so I will continue with green.

One of the points I wanted to make was about the chakras. This may be another area where some people will turn off but so be it. The chakra system came out of the yogic tradition of India. According to this system the body has seven major energy centers called chakras. These centers run from the base of the spine (root chakra) to the top of the head (crown chakra). Much has been written about how these various energy systems are activated and the impact they have on our life. Each has a color associated with it and one of the cool things about the way this is put together is that the colors correspond to the colors of the rainbow. So, starting at the base of the spine, the root chakra has the color red and moving up you have, orange in the lower abdomen, yellow in the navel, green at the heart, blue at the throat, indigo at the brow and violet at the crown.

Notice, green in the center like in the center of the rainbow. Our life force energy seems to be centered here in the heart. And, as I wrote earlier green is the color of life and growth. All of our ego needs seem to e from the lower three chakras. The heart, the green energy, is the place where we begin to feel empathy for others.

I have made quite a few pieces of green jewelry. Always, I will think about something similar to the thoughts above. Wearing green seems to help me be aware of my heart energy.

The two pieces above are made of a variety of stones. Notice the marbling that brings in the energy from other chakras, particularly the lower ones with the reds and browns.

The outer piece is 22 inches. The flat oval stones are yellow turquoise. I have forgotten what the rest are. The inner piece is 17 inches. I like to wear the two together so they have grown a natural affinity to each other.

Green

I am attracted to the color green. It is the color of growing things. To me green represents the life force. It is the color of mother earth. I am a vegetarian and I believe in mother earth. At the rate things are going she may outlive us humans by a long shot. But, in the meantime, I can practice some sort of creativity that aligns me with that energy.

Malachite

The necklace is 21 inches long and made entirely of malachite. This stone is known as a powerful on, with healing properties. So, about three years ago, I fell in love with this stone and bought strands of three different shapes from my favorite bead supply mail order place and made this piece. Then, I looked up malachite in my stone book and the author warned that it could be toxic and should be used with caution. Whoa, sometimes I am too naïve so I have scarcely worn it, even though, as you can see, its very beautiful. It seems that my attraction to stones leads me to create things that almost overpower the rest of my personality.

Making a necklace like this is a project that takes on the life of its own. Selecting the beads, arranging them, rearranging them. Am I rearranging my life each time I rearrange the beads in a necklace? When I become lost in the process it feels that way. Two points come to mind. The first is the axiom change one thing and you change your life.

The second is a Kabbalah story that I will tell very badly because it has been a few years since I heard it but it is one that I return to. The story is of a man that is allowed to see one of the twelve holiest men in the world and the holy man turns out to be a tailor. The tailor fixes the man’s pants. The man feels very unworthy and somewhere in the story the holy man says the thing that I believe and remember. When he is mending the pants he is mending the world.

It is paradoxical that doing the small things in life can promote peace and tranquility and have a positive influence on the world. However, it is easy to become lost in the details. One can drift to a place where one begins to create out of frustration and short-sightedness.

Back to malachite, since it is something that I am attracted to it seems that it would not be toxic to me. I set out the intention that I will attract only those things that are beneficial.

Whoa, again, what if it is meant that my experience is meant to be otherwise. I can think of many examples of this. Why are people born with physical or mental disabilities? I guess the first thing that comes to mind is that those of us who experience even minor physical differences have the opportunity to live out our life in total awareness of what seems to be. We can blame and become resentful and angry. The physical world sometimes seems cruel and uncaring. Or, we can choose as everyone can choose, to focus on things that make us feel good, on things that bring us joy This may sound narcissistic to many people. I have often returned to the argument about narcissism because I have a strong tendency to want to explore both sides. But when I find that I am becoming jaded (another green word), I return to the creative space because it is from there that I can truly be helpful to those around me.

This morning I kind of like malachite. It looks pretty good in the picture…..

Chalk Turquoise

This piece is 19 inches long and made out of chalk Turquoise and sterling silver.

A mixture of stones

This piece is 20+ inches (almost 21) and is made of a bunch of different stones including chrysoprase and chalk turquoise. It is a piece I like to wear.

In conclusion

You might ask if I really believe in the power of stones to heal and yes I do but in my own way, as I have learned from the stones I have played with. They, like many other things can activate our own innate healing abilities. It is a game with me. When I decided to start making jewelry about 4 years ago I realized it would be an opportunity to learn about the stones. For the most part I started experimenting with natural stones. But there are other things I like such as chalk turquoise. I am sharing this with you so that you too can enjoy the fun and my thoughts that have come up as I have put this together.

Introducing Things I Made

Today seems like a good day to start a blog, so here goes. My name is Vera.

This is my first blog. I haven't even been an avid blog reader. But, I have things to say so this seems to be the appropriate media.

Things I Made is a metaphor but also a part of my reality. I like to do crafts. Also, I believe that we create our own reality through our attention and intention. I have made my world and therefore, Things I Made, refers to my entire reality.

Sometimes I will be political, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes all three. But, as a person aware that life is a spiritual journey, it is a record of my choosing to live in a positive way in the reality that makes me angry and sad.

The purse above is what I made yesterday. Its a fusion of sorts, the outer part is knitted on a circle loom, a very easy and relaxing thing for me. The interior is sewed by machine and even has two pockets for cell phone and keys. I've carted around my sewing machine for 20 years but am only getting back into sewing and am still not very good at it. The drawstrings are crocheted (just chained but double yarn), and since I really like beading I made a handle out of big wooden painted beads. I love getting lost in a day of creativity of making something like this. It takes my mind off other things.

My other project yesterday was to try to find a house to buy. I have lived in an apartment for eight years. I choose to be in a part of town that is expensive but that is where I work and I do not drive. One of my great pleasures is walking to work. So, every couple of years I look for a place for a day or so, decide I can't afford it and sign another lease.

Here is something I made a couple of years ago when I was going through this same thing. I was looking at a house that I really, really liked. It was in a place that I could walk from in about 15 minutes, but was out of my price range.

I remember crying my eyes out after I had done all of the math and thought seriously about what my priorities were. I just was not willing to commit that much of my income to a house payment and I wanted to be within a comfortable walking distance of work. So, I had made a decision and that was that. I sat for hours listening to Abraham-Hicks tapes to help me get back into a frame of mind that felt good. While listening I strung strand after strand of glass beads to make this necklace which is vaguely modeled after something I had seen in Santa Fe.

It would be easy to become very angry about the economy right now. It is supposively good, but I believe that is true for a shrinking number of people. The rest of us are making do the best way we can. I have a good job but because of a visual limitation that prevents me from driving, I am restricted in where I find it feasible to live.

Yesterday, again, I listened to Abraham tapes. From Abraham and others I have learned not to use words like restricted and limitation. From Buddhists, I have learned to simply observe my life and to accept what is without judgment. Sometimes there seems to be a disconnect between these things and the frustration and resentment that can creep in as a response to my experience.

The thing that pulls me back to a feeling of centeredness is the knowledge that my respons to my reality is what continues to create it. If I respond negatively, which is what I want to do when I think of economic realities, I downshift into unpleasantness.

When I look at the simple things I have created I see abundance and joy and a playful spirit. That is the true me and that is the place where I want to be. That, in a nutshell, is why I decided to start this blog. I wanted to write about making the choice to experience my world from an abundant and joyful place. Sometimes it is not manifest in the world that I see around me but that is no reason to choose not to prefer to experience the world as creative and good.