Crystal Eggs and Cats’ Ears

I love my crystals and often spend ages re-arranging them, dusting them, getting to know them… My first piece that really resonated with me was the Rose Quartz piece that my son gave me, and which I use as my Gravatar. Consequently, I feel naturally drawn to the rough chunks of crystals. I also have a lot of tumblestones, for various uses, from pocket rocks, to putting in spiral cages to wear as pendants or under my pillow.

I went through a phase of worrying about shaped crystals, like wands, eggs and hearts, whether it actually hurt or damaged them in some way… I confided this worry to my son’s lovely crystal lady Lizian with some trepidation – after all, who in their right mind worries about a stone? (I knocked one of my son’s crystal spheres over and I cried because I felt so awful… however it broke along a natural fault line and now has a nice flat base to sit on…) My son’s crystal lady listened to me with great seriousness and then gave me her interpretation which I found both comforting and reassuring.

Rough crystals contain an energy similar to that of a lightbulb – flick a switch and the whole room is full of light. When a crystal is shaped and polished into a particular form, such as an egg, then the energy is gathered and contained, for easier direction and intention, rather like shining a torch… Added to that, the egg is a powerful symbol of rebirth and renewal in itself, and crystal eggs are invaluable tools for anyone who works in crystal therapies. They can be used to detect and rebalance blockages in the energy flow of the body; the pointed egg-end is a useful reflexology or acupressure tool and apart from anything else, they are nice to hold. Did anyone else’s parents have some agate eggs, perhaps in a bowl on the coffee table when they were children…?

Obviously different crystal eggs will have additional beneficial qualities, for example, Agate, although slow working, is a stone of harmony and acceptance. It can aid with self analysis and overcoming negativity.

Agate – stabilising, cleansing and can transform negative energies…

My oldest son bought me this beautiful Selenite egg… good for overcoming sleep problems and instilling a deep sense of calm. Helpful with meditation.

Onyx eggs, beautiful and banded, Onyx is strength giving and supportive, yet good at holding secrets. Its capability for holding physical memories makes it good to use for past life healing issues that can affect the present day life.

My personal favourite, Rose Quartz – in an egg! Stone of the heart, it is excellent for emotional holding, comfort, re-affirming positive intentions and enhancing empathy and sensitivity… as sensitive as a cat’s ears…

Cats have thirty two individual muscles in their ears that allow them to move independently of one another. Dogs have around twelve, I think it depends on whether they have stick up ears or floppy ones.. Ears are so sensitive and such a vital part of any animal’s anatomy, I’m afraid I find the practice of ear-cropping absolutely abhorrent. It’s illegal now, here in the U.K. – but would you cut a baby’s ears into points to make it look fierce? Likewise tail docking: until only relatively recently, tail docking in certain breeds, such as the Dobermann, was allowed. Again, a barbaric practice as you are robbing the dog of an essential piece of equipment with which to express itself. Having said that, when I was a little girl, my father had to remove the last three inches of his Great Dane’s tail – he was a veterinary surgeon! – because she was an enthusiastic wagger. She knocked the tip of her tail off and it had bled so profusely it looked like Jackson Pollock had been in the house…Tails are also a useful way for humans to tell how the animal is feeling. Rant over.

Erin’s ears as God intended

Back to ears…cats’ ears can move independently of each other, and it’s funny to watch Charlie outside, her ears swivelling like miniature satellite dishes, as she tracks the progress of a dog around the park and listens to me at the same time…Her ears are so delicate and fine, you can see the sun shine through them, lighting up all the little vessels.

She can’t see us, but she can HEAR US!

Another health point…as their ears are so delicate, if they do go out in hot sunshine, it’s advisable to put sun screen on their ears, especially if you have a white cat, as they can be particularly prone to melanoma. Ear wounds can also bleed a lot. My old cat, Walter, got into a fight and came off slightly worse – he’d never admit it, leaving him with a jagged rip in one ear that lent him a somewhat raffish and piratical air, although he was the gentlest of cats.

It is important to make sure your cat’s ears are clean. DO NOT stick anything in them to check, just look . That’ll do. Or smell. A healthy cat’s ears should have no visible dirt and shouldn’t smell, you should be able to see all the little channels and valleys I them. If they are dirty, or discharging or smelly, and you see your cat constantly shaking its head or pawing at its ears, then it could have mites or an ear infection Then it’s time for a trip to the vet – DO NOT attempt to stick anything in to clean them yourselves and NEVER use human medication on an animal.

Ear drops for a cat. They’re fun to administer. Not. If your cat is difficult (Tooty: “No, I’m just going to lie here like a giant lead balloon with my head tucked under my body..” Charlie: “I’m a lady! Don’t you DARE take liberties with my person!”) then ask a lovely, kind person, who won’t object to being bitten or scratched, to wrap your cat in a towel, then carefully insert the drops into the top of the ear canal. Then gently massage the back of the ear – the fur bean, as I like to call it – to work the drops down. Job done.

My cats’ ears are so expressive, I can tell exactly how they are feeling. Forward and up: “Hi! I’m so pleased to see you! Where have you been? Did you bring any food?”

Relaxed, ears side to side on the head, usually when sleeping. Laid back flat on the head, accompanied by tinsel tail: “That monster’s in the garden again! I’m not going out unless you get rid of it!” One ear, fetchingly turned inside out, like a fascinator on Ladies’ Day at Ascot: just plain silly.

So there you have it. Eggs and ears, delicate and expressive, useful symbols and indicators. Look after them both.

Perfect, pointed… and actually quite hairy inside!