Bodhisattva Challenges after the Presidential Election

     So, we got out the vote and now it is time to pick up the pieces. Like many of you I voted on November 8th, I was full of hope. I am not going to make this post about bashing sides, that is counter productive. Being a Buddhist helps me keep perspective, and in the recent political climate it has been difficult. The fact is BOTH campaigns ran very negative and thoughtless campaigns. There was very little talk about actual issues, and most of the talk was negative towards the candidates themselves. So in all fairness neither candidate really laid out a future for America. They just threw out insults and lies (yes, both sides). Now that the election is over and the ads are finally stopping, I am wondering where do we go from here?

    I do Bodhisattva practice, and I see people suffering more than ever now. We are all left wondering, "what happens now?". People are scared. People are trying to hold onto whatever hope they can find. America has become divided. The us against them mentality has taken root, and honestly I am not sure how I can help heal this. I see friends on Facebook who are not sure what is going to happen to them. I myself am scared. I have a pre-existing medical condition and I have already lost the state Medicaid due to the income changes. Medicare doesn't cover everything. I look at friends who are gay and African American or Latino and I fear for them. This election has left us with some very hard questions and few answers. Everyone is quick to judge, but not to show compassion or empathy. If you are not part of the "we won" mentality then you are considered an enemy. Never have I seen a Presidential election divide America like this one. There is no more common ground for anyone. Those of us who did not vote for the new President are looked at as the "enemy". How can that be when last week we were friends and had mutual understanding? People's perceptions have shifted and for those of us who have tried very hard to bridge the divide between us are now left struggling with how to express our concerns without trying to offend anyone.


       I'm sorry. That should just not be the case here. We should be able to express our concerns without the fear of being yelled at, called names, or worse. People of all races should be able to live in this country without fear that they are going to lose loved ones due to being "deported". People of all faiths should be able to practice their beliefs without the fear of being targeted. This election has brought out the worst in people, on both sides. So the question is my friends:

Are you going to be part of the problem or part of the solution?

Until next time,

C.C.    

Tarot, Tarot, Tarot Everywhere!

     Hi! I know I shouldn't take long breaks like this, it seems like life is tripping me up lately! But, here I am, back with a sweet offer for you! One of the first tools I ever learned to work with was the Tarot. I was fifteen and I am forty-four now, so that is twenty-nine years of experience! Oh, and I have more decks that I can count! Lately I have been playing around and doing readings for myself, and I thought, hey, maybe it's time to go back in. I am especially loving the deck by artist Stephanie Pui-Mun Law! The images are stunning:

So, if you are interested, go to my Facebook page and message me about booking a reading. All the information is on the Facebook page as well as a button to book your reading!
Until next time,
C.C.

https://www.facebook.com/thecrystalcatalyst/

  

I'm Tired.........

I'm tired. Normally I would use this space to share my journey with crystals, Tibetan Buddhism, Reiki and all sorts of other holistic and spiritual stuff. And I love doing it, but sometimes life hands you a situation that just needs to be addressed out loud. I will start this story off with:


                            Many years ago, I was married. The man I married then is not the man I have to deal with today. We had two beautiful daughters and life was okay. He went into the Navy to better our situation, and well, it did but it didn't. As any military wife will tell you, you spend more time apart than together. But, I supported him and his choice and I was proud of him. There was a point, I think it was around the time after my Dad had passed that we grew apart and I was having to face some very real realities. He was just about done with the Navy and had no idea what he was going to do when the time came. I had to look at our two daughters and figure out what the hell to do. We were divorced in 2005, I took the two girls and moved in with my mom and sister and at the time my brother. He got a job out in Arizona and he went out there. So, for a time he kept in constant contact with the girls, which I encouraged, I never once told him that he couldn't talk to them or see them. The only sticking point was and has been the child support. At the divorce hearing the judge changed the amount and it was more than what was originally thought. Of course the first person he blamed was me. Now bear in mind, I did not ask for spousal support of any kind. All I wanted was enough to make sure the girls had everything they needed. I didn't ask the judge to increase the amount. I explained it to him, but, it fell on deaf ears. Now, let's fast forward to now. He has since re-married and lives in Canada. Left the job he had in Arizona and moved with no other employment lined up. He is currently going to school, which, hey, that's great! I have no issues with his marriage or going to school. What I do have an issue with is: two months have passed since I have received any child support, repeatedly asking him to at least email me if there is some kind of issue, having to tell the girls, "No, no money this week" which means no grocery shopping or getting whatever it is they need, he has ceased all contact with them, and I damn tired of plastering a smile on my face and walking through his BS because he still sees me as the bad guy!

Now, don't get me wrong, when I was working it at least gave me some money to get the girls whatever they needed. It was not my choice to stop working, but the reality is, working is not an option, ever. As much as  I want to go back to work, it would do more harm than good. So, okay, I have accepted that and moved on. I decide to do the one thing I know how to do: make malas and jewelry to sell. I am in the process of updating my online shop and using Facebook for my business. But to build a business takes time. I know this, I keep plugging away and trying to stay focused and upbeat for the sake of my family. But right now I am tired, tired of facing each day knowing that if I wanted to order a pizza I can't. Tired of biting my tongue and holding in what I am feeling. Tired of looking at my youngest, who has had so much to deal with, struggle with the reality that her farther is not in contact with us and will not make the attempt.

Yes, I am tired........  

Living in the Light of the Bodhisattva~2

So, now let's get down to the work. Yes, work, any spiritual path is work. Practising the Bodhisattva path is work. Waking up each morning and taking the vow is the intent. The work comes when you go out into the world and have to look at all living things as sentinent beings that need your compassion and help. Even the people you don't like. It can be hard, there are things that you have to let go of like ego. In my experience so far, some days are easier than others. If nothing I finally had that moment of enlightenment where I realized that taking the Bodhisattva vow was life changing. How did it come to me? Dealing with my ongoing health crisis. I had the option to take part in a clinical trial and that was the moment that I realized, "This is what the vow of Bodhisattva means. I am in service to all sentinent beings, taking part in the clinical trial is a way to give hope to to others who have what I have." It was a surreal moment. Some would have fear. I had peace. There was no fear, no second guessing, just a sense of peace.

In that one moment I realized I was doing the right thing and that I was truly being a Bodhisattva. Is my work done? Not by a long shot! There is still more work to be done, and until I am ready to leave this Earth, I will continue keeping my Bodhisattva vow. 

Living in the Light of the Bodhisattva~1

     This is going to be a bit of a departure for me, the next few posts here are going to be about the Bodhisattva practice and how I finally realized what that term means. First let's begin with what Bodhisattva means and where the term came from. So, if you have been reading me or have been following me for some time, you will know that I was diagnosed back in 2012 with a brain tumor. It was during that time that I began to practice Tibetan Buddhism. I needed to find peace and Tibetan Buddhism helped me embrace a more positive outlook on my diagnosis. 

     So, what is a Bodhisattva? In Mahayana Buddhism, it is a person who is moved by the greatest of compassion (yes the Dalia Lama is a Bodhisattva) to attain buddhahood for all sentinent beings. In this practice, you are basically, in layman's terms, praying for others to have happiness and the causes of happiness. You are setting aside your own wants and desires to help all of those around you become happy and live a happy life. Bodhisattva practice is not undertaken lightly, it has to be practiced every minute of every day. The Dalia Lama is the perfect example of what a Bodhisattva is. Even though the Chinese government tried to kill him and drove him out of his home (Tibet) he still shows compassion towards them. He would one day like to return to Tibet. 

      So, now that you have an idea of what a Bodhisattva is, in the next post I will tell you how I took my vow to undertake Bodhisattva practice. For now if you would like to learn more about Bodhisattva practice I will leave a few recommendations you can search:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva

http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha126.htm

http://buddhism.about.com

Books:

The Way of the Bodhisattva: (Bodhicaryavatara), Revised Edition (Shambhala Classics)

For the Benefit of All Beings: A Commentary on the Way of the Bodhisattva (Shambhala Classics)

A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life 

  

     

Buyer Beware

Tashi Delek! May the year of the Fire Monkey bring you many blessings and much joy!

    Buyer Beware, you've heard that saying before right?? Have you ever thought about it if you purchase crystals? Probably not, I know I never did. Until lately when I have purchased two kind of pricey crystals that I thought were one thing and turned out not to be the crystal at all! So, today's post I hope will get those of you out there that buy crystals to really do your research and make sure that the piece you are purchasing is what it says it is! 

       So, my first OOPS! crystal purchase was what I thought was an elestial quartz. Above is a picture of what an actual elestial quartz looks like. Now, I will show you what I received instead:

Looks nothing like the picture above does it? I have purchased from this seller before and I was surprised, their crystals are top quality and I like them very much. My next purchase was from a small local shop and it was labeled as spirit quartz, above is the actual spirit quartz. Below is what I purchased from the shop, again, what  I purchased looks nothing like the picture. I am going to call them and see if I can do an even exchange. I spent 20.00 on this particular piece and after consulting with a friend who has been in this business for a very long time, I figured asking for an even exchange would be a good idea. 

So, after these two purchases I can safely say that I am going to do my research before I purchase certain crystals! Piece of advice: if you are looking for a particular crystal, especially one that can be "pricey" make sure you do your homework and really look before you buy! Print out pictures and either email them or bring them with you so you can compare! Not all sellers are out to rip you off, as my friend noted, sometimes the people that  these sellers buy from name the crystal that they think it is and leave it at that. And, like most people, sellers are going to take it at face value. My biggest take away from all of this: do the research, ask questions, compare pictures and check out more than one place! 




                                                                                 Until next time,

                                                                                        C.C.

Of Egos and Snot heads

  Many moons ago, I was a practicing solitary Witch. Hard to imagine how I got from there to where I am now: a Tibetan Buddhist. Well, actually it isn't very hard to imagine from my point. You see, I was young and full of ego and thought "I know it all!" in actuality I didn't. As I got older and saw what I was really doing I realized that being a solitary Witch was not all it was cracked up to be. Any one who is familiar with the Pagan community in general knows that some times there is a lot of ego running around. I'm not going to say all Pagans and Witches are ego maniacs, they are not. But I got to a point where I felt oddly out of place. I had been searching for a place to fit in, and realized that I didn't fit in anywhere. My last ditch effort was a very exclusive group, that seemed like a good fit. Until the High Priestess decided she didn't like me and I left on my own accord. So, I was going over these things in my mind and one particular memory stood out: I was taking some college courses quite a few years back, and I fancied myself an important "Witch". In fact my ego filled my head, and I may have said things that I wish I could take back now! I was in fact a snot head. I was running my mouth without thinking and without checking my ego at the door. Yes, I was bragging and not listening to myself. Now when I think back to that one moment, I cringe: what an egotistical snot head you were!

    The one thing I learned after being diagnosed with the brain tumor is that sickness doesn't discriminate. It doesn't matter what faith you belong to, or what god you pray to. So in short, my past wasn't going to help me and my future was very uncertain. I couldn't go back to what I was. After the disastrous "group" experience I was hesitant to go there again. I no longer felt like a Witch or a pagan, I was in a sense lost. I had to face a very scary diagnosis and I had to accept the fact that I was not going to come out on the other end the same as I was before. 

    I think the first time I looked at Buddhism I was not sure what it was about. What was the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? How do I tell my mind to be quite when I meditate? Do I need to meditate four hours a day? And then, the A-HA moment hit: You need to get out of your own head space and get passed your own ego to experience what Buddhism truly is. Everything that I had learned as a Witch/Pagan had to be left at the door. I had put it behind me for some time, so seeing it completely put away didn't hurt. The hard work was yet to come. After doing a lot of reading and research, I came to the conclusion that I flowed better with Mahayana than with Theravada. I was absolutely astounded by the Dalia Lama and started reading his books. Things began to fall into place as I battled the brain tumor crisis. Spiritually I was in a better space, and my snot head ego was slowly being silenced. I won't lie, it is still a work in progress, as we all are!

   The giving over of my past was both healing and therapeutic for me. I started to realize that I needed more that just spells, incantations, and ritual. I had to be present, in the moment and see  that moment. I have yet to find a Sangha, but for now  I am okay with that. I still have healing work and Reiki so I am not alone at all. If nothing, I have learned that if you do not get out of your own head space and ego, you will miss the bigger picture and life will whack you one to make you see it! 



                                                                                             Until next time.

                                                                                                  C.C. 



         

Hello...........Is there anyone listening?

Hello...............

No, I did not forget about you, life got in the way. Like seriously in the way, here is the condensed version:





                                 ~Moved from Maine to New Hampshire
  
                                  ~Was doing chemo in between said move

                                  ~Had to deal with the youngest's issues, and they were many!

                                  ~Had to get my life back on track which is not easy to do when life is in total chaos!




So, here we are now, and I am back, and oh, I forgot to mention in that little list up there, my hard drive went on my laptop and it took me about two months to fix. It wasn't officially fixed until I settled in here in New Hampshire. So I am back on track and so happy to be back! So let's dive right in shall we????

Remember how I stated in my first blog post here that this was going to be about my journey as a crystal healer and Reiki Master? Well, let me refresh your memory in case you forgot:

Back in December of 2012 I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was on the right side of my brain and the pain was excruciating.It was successfully removed in Boston at Brigham and Woman's Hospital by a rock star brain surgeon and my outlook and healing were awesome. Then, we got the pathology report back: the tumor was not cancerous but it will never go away. It will come back, when, we don't know. I am under careful watch at Dana Farber (that is where my Neuro Oncologist is) and it is pretty much a waiting game. Every MRI that I have had up until this point has been clean, no spots, no issues. And then in May of this year they found a spot. It wasn't very big, but it was still there. My neuro onc likes to be proactive about this type of thing so he put me on six rounds of chemo, my last does will be this month. After September's dose made me violently ill, I decided to make sure that this dose was going to go as best as I could make it. So, besides all of the meds that I had to help I decided to be proactive and use my other tools that I had: my crystals and Reiki. The trick with chemo is your platelets. If they get too low you can get very sick. They have to be up high enough to withstand the chemo, and then it starts all over again. Needless to say my platelets were screwed after my last dose. They were very low and I was feeling really crappy, so I grabbed my crystals and started working with them on a daily/nightly basis. Now, I didn't sit and just meditate, what I did was every night when I went to bed I would light some incense and get comfy and for 30 minutes just lay there and let the energies of the crystals do their thing. I also did some light Reiki to help, and after about a week my platelets were up to where they needed to be! I have kept a written account of my sessions and maybe in the future will publish them. So, after a week of working with crystals and Reiki, my platelets are at 205! So, this is my work and I am proof that with intent and working with what you have crystals and energy healing like Reiki can work!

The key to this is, having patience. I am not patient by nature (total Aries) but with healing in mind I knew I had to work with my tools and let the energies do their work and not interfere with the process. 30 minutes was not a whole lot of time out of my day, and I look forward to that time at night. So, does crystal healing work? For me, yes it does and I will continue to use it going forward even after my last dose of chemo and to maybe even keep the tumor from coming back! It is a long shot but one that I will document as I go along! 


                                         So tell me, how have you been? 


                                                Till next time, 

                                                           C.C. 

Do You Have Enough?

     Some times, I have to ask myself that. It's not about possessions or money, it's about patience and understanding. Lately this seems to be my mantra. My youngest child has been going through a rough patch, she has depression and social/separation anxiety. Since December we have been going back and forth to the doctor and doing counseling. In the midst of all of this we have had to deal with school issues on top of that and trying to find the right medication for her so she will feel better. It has been overwhelming at times. It's made me question myself as a mother, you know, how did I let this happen? Why didn't I see the warning signs? All of those nasty little thoughts ran through my mind.

     As someone who lives with depression, I know how hard it can be to function on a daily basis. Never mind being a teenager and trying to find out who you are on top of it. I am not ashamed to say that I take two medications to manage my depression and anxiety. The medication is what makes it possible for me to function like a normal human being and live my life to the fullest.  I want that for my youngest. I want her to be able to feel good and start living her life like she should be. Not trapped in a dark depression that robs her of enjoying things like she use to. 

    Through out the many sessions I have gone to with her, the thoughts that ran through my mind is: "I need to have plenty of patience and compassion. This is going to be long bumpy road for us, but we will get through it." I always have to keep that in mind as I deal with the numerous appointments, melt-downs, and medications. Sometimes it is easy, and sometimes it is not. On the days that it is not I try to find glimpses of hope in her. I remind myself that having patience and compassion is a vital part of being a parent. 

    What keeps me going through all of this is that there is light at the end of the tunnel. As long as I keep showing her patience and compassion and love she will keep fighting. Right now, that in itself is enough for me. We will keep on slaying each dragon as it comes. 

                                               Until next time,

                                                      C.C.    

Living with a Malignant Disease

     I live with a malignant brain tumor. No it is not cancerous, but it will never really go away either. I had surgery to remove it back in 2013, the surgery was successful, then went through six weeks of radiation and a year of chemo. I go every other month to Dana Farber in Boston for MRI's and to check in with my neuro oncologist. They monitor me very closely because I am young and it is unusual for some one my age to have this kind of tumor. So, having this has put a lot in perspective for me. Each day is a gift, my children are my happiness, I appreciate my family and friends even more. Things that at one time would have been frustrating and upsetting are now not as major or upsetting. I have become stronger both spiritually and personally. 

     The down side to all of this is knowing that at some point the tumor will return. We don't know when, not even my neuro oncologist can say. I live with this now every day. I try to stay upbeat and positive for family and friends. I have my good days and my bad days. I tell myself that it could have been a lot worse than what it was. My doctors have all been very happy with how well I have done so far. That in and of itself gives me a small ray of hope that maybe someday there will be a cure for it. For now, I keep going forward and trying to make the best life I can with this that I have been given. I wake up grateful each day that I am here and alive. I take it one day at a time, one moment at time. 

    To say that I am not afraid is an understatement. I do not live in fear, I live my life to the fullest and to the happiest I can. I have become a healer and my mission is to help heal those who need it. In this capacity I know that I can at least change some one else's life. I can put things in better perspective, I am more tolerant and forgiving of others. I do have a better sense of self peace and that in and of itself has helped me to face this battle in the long run. 

     

Fur, Facebook and Snow

     This has been my life as of late. The fur part belongs to my youngest's cat, Onyx, he has a chronic upper respiratory virus which when it acts up it makes him very sick. The unfortunate part of this is it also affects his eyes, his left eye especially. Last week it got to the point where his left eye ruptured which ment a visit to the emergency vet clinic. His right eye had a small infection so he was put on clavamox and some eye ointment. Took him to vet the next day and it was confirmed that the eye was a loss and could potentially mean surgery. The surgery itself is going to be 375.00, and that does not include the aftercare he is going to need. So, my sister and I went to work, we put together a Facebook page and a gofundme account to raise the money. The links are below if you would like to donate or follow along with his progress and healing. 

     Then there is the snow. And there is a lot of it! We received over 30 inches of it from Tuesday into Wednesday. And there is another storm coming with possibly another foot of snow! I have yet to venture out into the vast land of white, simply because there is no place to go and the Mayor asked everyone to stay off the roads. We still have some snow to dig out of, and the drifts are piled up fairly high. I am at the point where Hawaii is looking really good at this point! New England is nice to visit, but in the winter it just sucks. So while I have been imprisoned in the house, I have taken to making small pouches for my crystals with left over yarn. I have several crystals that are my power healers, these crystals have a high vibration and if I need to bring them with me to crystal healing sessions I want them to be protected. So, I have been happily knitting away small pouches for these crystals! I will be posting pictures of these cute little pouches on the new Facebook page that I have set up for the blog. 


    So, all in all it has been far from dull around here. I know the weather is only temporary; all things are impermanent. I will be glad when spring is here, the time of renewal and rebirth. So for the time being I will be knitting and art journaling away the hours for now! Oh, and I am going to be doing a monthly blog post covering the stones and crystals associated with the month! Stay tuned for that starting in February! 


                                                           Until next time, 

                                                               The Crystal Catalyst
    

The following are the links for our kitty's pages:

Gofundme-http://thecrystalcatalyst.blogspot.com
Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/pages/Onyx-the-Half-Blind-Cat/1395494750754106

And the new page for the Crystal Catalyst-https://www.facebook.com/thecrystalcatalyst

Good bye 2014, Hello 2015!

     2014 is almost one for the history books, so let me pause here and take stock of the year that was. 


We made jewelry: 

We created grids

We created art

We hosted new friends

All in all, we had a great 2014. We made new friends and re-connected with old ones. We became a Certified Crystal Healer and an Alchemic Reiki Master. We created grids, collected new crystal beings and went even further on our spiritual journey. We found our Ancestral roots in many places, we healed, we laughed and cried. And through it all, we gained a new purpose. 2015, here I come!

Fear not, the journey is not an end, it is only beginning! 

Have a beautiful and blessed New Year! 

Yours, 

CC 

Having Faith and Gratitude

    When the holiday season comes around, it seems like everyone is counting their blessings. I am no different. This year I have much to be grateful for, and many more people to be blessed with in my life. Last year I was facing the biggest health challenge of my life: a brain tumor. Luckily it was not cancerous, but I still had to go through surgery, radiation and chemo. There is still a chance that it can come back even after all the treatments I have been through. 

    As I pause and reflect on last year, I see how far I have come. It was both my faith and friends and family that got me through the hell of last year. For all of that I have gratitude beyond words. Last year taught me how to be strong, have faith, and enjoy life. Granted it was not, at times, easy. I realized that if you do not have faith and gratitude, then you really have an empty life. My faith became stronger as I trudged to each radiation session in Boston. My gratitude grew with each clean MRI. I was very blessed to have a great support system in my family and friends. And the best doctors on the planet.

     It has taken me a whole year to get my health back, and I am still going to Dana Farber for MRI's. My body is still recovering from the chemo, my hair is slowly growing back in. My thyroid is a work in progress, and so is losing the weight. I am still a work in progress; and I am totally okay with that. I know what my future holds for me and I am ready to take on the challenge. 2015 is going to be awesome! I can say that because I have both faith and gratitude. 

Until next time,

CC     

Art, Healing, and Spirituality

    I know, the title has nothing to do with crystals. Or does it? Let's first look at the word art, if you create any type of artistic medium, you have an idea of how the process works. If you have ever created a piece of art, you know that there is a flow, a rhythm to it, the process becomes more fluid and free. This is where the healing comes in. For some, creating art is a healing practice. It allows the person to be free of restraints and create without judgment. It can be very healing and liberating to be able to express what is bottled up inside. 

    For me, the process of creating is healing. I love to do mixed media work, and when I can't put together what I am feeling into words, I do it in paint and pictures. I love patterns and textures, some of my crystals are just like what I put down on the page. Crystals are colorful, they have patterns and inclusions and textures all their own. They are, in a way their own works of art. A great amount of energy and healing flows through them, much like the process when I create my art. So for me, they are both connected and intertwined. 

    Art and healing can tie in with spirituality, in Tibetan Buddhism, which is what I am, the monks create beautiful Mandalas made with colored sand. They are magnificent works of art! Created out of humility, healing and a deep devotion to the Buddha and Buddhism. I work in a spiritual place when I create, it brings me closer to my spiritual beliefs. It is working meditation, a connection to my healing abilities and my deep Buddhist beliefs. Below is a picture of a mandala:

Below is a picture of one of my crystals:

and finally, my art:

 So, I say combine your art, healing and spirituality and create! Until next time, 

CC

    

Guru Games

    I know it's been a while, I like to blog when I have something to say. I don't want to fill you with mindless crap that isn't worth reading! So, here is today's blog topic: Guru. So what it a guru? The dictionary defines a guru as: 

noun

1.

Hinduism. a preceptor giving personal religious instruction.

2.

an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader.

3.

any person who counsels or advises; mentor:

The elder senator was her political guru.

4.

a leader in a particular field:

the city's cultural gurus.

     So basically, a guru is a teacher. Not a good teacher, or a bad teacher, just a teacher. Now here is where it gets tricky especially if you are one those who loves all things New Age or metaphysical: a teacher in these fields doesn't necessarily "need" to be well versed in their subject matter. All they really needs is: A-know the basic principles of what they want to teach. B-write lesson plans that are cohesive and easy to understand and C-price what they feel is enough to attract others. Now, I am not begrudging any one a living here, there are some wonderful people out there who know their shit, and can teach better than most college professors!

    So why am I choosing this subject to blog about? Well, I recently came across a situation that I was involved in, and it made me stop and think about how when we find someone that has all this knowledge and they teach us, they become that shiny guru. And then when we see their flaws, they are no longer shiny, they are just human. Now don't get me wrong, I did learn a lot form this person's program! It motivated me to want to learn, it got me in a space where I started to feel good about myself and my own healing skills. That in its self is not a bad thing at all! There were warning signs, small ones, that not everything was wonderful. The first thing was regarding my certificate of completion, it took several emails to get an answer and having some one else in the group message me to let me know that she had received my certificates by mistake! That was clue 1 that got my gears going! This is someone who made herself available by email, no matter what time of day or night, she seemed very well put together, and she knew her subject matter really well. How could she make a mistake like that? She was human, I let it go. It happens. 

    So after reaching out to a few others, they had the same issue. They were still waiting on their certificates with no communication from said guru. Finally, she decides to email the certificates, which is fine with me, I have taken online classes where the teachers do that now, and they are signed and dated, all you have to do it print them off. No biggie, why pay postage when you don't have to? Guru has a Crackbook group which her students belong to, one of the students has been posting that she has not received her certificates, and the posts end up being deleted. Clue 2, what is she trying to hide? If your reputation means that much to you: be honest with your students! You're human! Mistakes happen! Any answer is better than no answer and deleting posts on Crackbook, it makes you look guilty of some thing! I have not emailed her or really posted in the group. My inner guide says: "take the high road on this one, there are other places you can go that you can get more education on this."    

    What really put me into this way of thinking was an email that I had received: it was an invitation to a "special group" the cost was only 25.00 a month! I started to feel that she was more interested in the money than teaching or her students. Needless to say I deleted the email. So here I am now, watching what goes on, staying in the shadows and checking out other Crystal Healing programs. I am not looking to play guru games. So what to take away from this: gurus are just teachers and they have flaws too. Learn what you can but don't get blindsided by their shiny aura! 

 Over and out, 

The Crystal Catalyst 

Welcome to the Crystal Catalyst

     Welcome to the Crystal Catalyst! First let me start off with what a catalyst is and why I chose it as a title: 

                   a catalyst is someone or something that creates a major change

     So you are probably wondering what my catalyst was, well, my catalyst was a brain tumor. Yes, a brain tumor. Let me start at the beginning of 2013. I was working full time, single mom, physically active, life was great. Then the headaches started, when they didn't stop, off to the doctor I went. Long story short: my doctor finally sent me for an MRI, and that was when they found the tumor. Needless to say I was on my way to Boston to be checked into Brigham and Women's hospital! This was in January, at the end of January I had a five hour surgery to remove the tumor and start six weeks of radiation. So this is where the catalyst part comes in: I am Tibetan Buddhist, and I told Kwan Yin that if she got me through the five hour surgery I would take up the task of bodhisattva and become a healer. 

      I through the surgery and was only in the hospital for three days! There is nothing like facing a major illness to make you re-think your place on this planet. I now found myself out of work, and pretty much at a stand still in my life. I started to wonder what my place was, I knew I didn't want to go back to the menial job I had before. So, I looked up crystal healing and decided that it would be a good counterpart to my Reiki. I started the course and the flood gates opened so to speak! I was on my way to becoming the Healer I was ment to be! 

     And here I am! Now you know why I chose the Crystal Catalyst as my blog title. The journey is just beginning, stay with me and let's walk it together! 

                                                                                                         CC