Lotus And Laughter

I was at once drawn to this beautiful stone… I have a crystal point necklace in it and I was very taken then, by the gentle greens and greys of this member of the jasper family.

I owe them an apology actually – I dismissed all of them out of hand at one point simply because I wasn’t immediately drawn to Red Jasper… and now they are having the last laugh, laying out their bounty of crystals from Ocean to Polychrome… like a tempting metaphysical cheeseboard… without any of the side effects I seem to have acquired after eating cheese, like double vision and a blinding headache.

Anyway… this palmstone is about the size and thickness of a digestive biscuit, a wonderful mix of translucent green and grey, two of my favourite colours, with a delicate overlay of black spots.

Jasper is a great crystal for comfort and relaxation, so it is sometimes also called the Supreme Nurturer. It’s highly protective and a stone of balance – you’re balanced in yourself, Mind, Body, Spirit, then you can heal more completely and easily.

Lotus Jasper in particular, will bring peace and calm, evoking your ability to relax and deal with difficult situations. It’s healing and soothing, and good to work with for grief, restoring balance to the heart chakra.

Humour and laughter bing balance to Life – it’s not all doom and gloom after all. My son has the ability to reduce me to tears – through laughter, of course, and I find my cats an endless source of laughter. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that sometimes I provide as much laughter for them as they do me…

I’m usually away with the fairies most of the time, and therefore the perfect subject for stealth attacks. An under-the-bed ambush is guaranteed to produce a rewarding scream of fright and leap in the air – followed by the tap-tap-tap of claw paws running away…

“Ha ha! Got her a good one there!”

Has anyone else ever experienced the crushing weight of panic in a dream and as you struggle back to consciousness with ever-increasing desperation you become aware that no, you really can’t breathe, there’s an awful weight on your chest, perhaps you’re having a heart attack and somehow there’s a terrible smell of catfood …

“Brrp!! Hi! Were you sleeping? Not now – ha ha ha!”

Then Tooty kicks you in the face as she jumps off your chest restoring breath …

Cats definitely have a more subtle sense of humour than dogs… Dogs – at least, my mother’s dogs – are more “Hey, look! I’ll knock you six feet in the air – that’s funny!” And then they jump on you while you are lying on the floor considering whether to call an ambulance or just cut out the middleman and go straight to the undertakers…

So yes. I think living with me, my cats have enough to laugh at and so I can pride myself on my sophistication – if I’m enough to make a cat then I must be pretty cool… I think.

Or is the joke on me…?

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Peridot And People

Obviously, as a true “catlady” (the crazy part can be added depending on whether you know me or not in real life… ) I regard my cats as people. Not the human variety, you understand, (I’m not completely bats… ) but as distinct little persons – in fur – with their own foibles, personalities and responses to the world around them.

By nature, I am a solitary person, but on occasion I am called upon to converse and interact with others. Don’t misunderstand me – I find other people endlessly interesting, everyone with their own story to tell and their own chapter to add in this Book Of Life.

Sometimes, the lovely Lizian asks me to look after the shop and really, I am not going to pass up the opportunity to babysit all the wonderful crystals… And the people… the people I’ve met who want to stop and share their story, have a chat, touch base – I’ve got used to the disappointed looks from some people when they realise it’s only me…

There is one particular gentleman and his wife who are regular visitors and he was only too delighted to find a new (and captive) audience. To be fair, though, he spoke entertainingly and well – I laughed in all the right places and gasped in others as I learned of his days in the armed services and how he met his wife… a real Romeo and Juliet story.

I was privileged to meet a truly lovely lady who has had various serious health issues yet met them bravely and with determination – helped by a few crystals, of course…

And there are the lost ones, the ones who have at some point been beaten rather badly by Life and seek refuge and comfort from the shop and the reassuring figures of the owners. All these people are worthy of a more in-depth blog post, although obviously I would have to ask permission as really, these stories aren’t my own to tell, but I can try to help where I can, otherwise, what’s he point? To quote a well-known phrase – from various sources – ‘We’re all in this together…’

Peridot is an appropriate crystal to choose, as it is commonly associated with the month of September, and it is also a transitional crystal, by which I mean it’s one of those stabilising ones that will ease the passage of Life from one stage into the next. It is good to encourage independence making up your own mind about things without too much pressure from external influences.

Likewise, Peridot will help you to see when you’re wrong, about a person or a situation and helps to resolve any anger or guilt you may feel. Peridot has a strong protective quality to it and is also a good cleanser for body and spirit. By removing these ideas that be cloud intellect, Peridot opens the mind to recognising negative influences and detaching yourself from them, using your own intuition to see your way forward.

Above all, Peridot shows us how to accept our stories, learn from them and move on.

Sometimes we can choose to stop and share these stories or keep them to ourselves. Either way, everybody has a story to tell, and sometimes it helps to lend an ear.

Crystal Hearts And Cat Hair

I’m loving the shaped crystals at the moment. When a crystal is shaped, a focal point is added to its energy, making it easier to direct, and as we know, the heart is traditionally a symbol used to convey affection and compassion, emotional intelligence and love.

In Egypt, the heart was regarded as the life essence, the first part of man that sparked into life and the last to be extinguished. As well, the heart can be used as a sign of encouragement meant for others, and in crystal work, when coupled with the individual benefits of the crystal from which the heart is shaped, then you have something wonderful and warm to work with, that leaves a feel-good residue as lingering as cat hair on your favourite sweater…

A Selenite heart for tranquillity and peace, on the left a Reptile Skin Jasper for protection, calm and harmony, and an Aventurine heart for luck, love and prosperity…

There is a protein in cat hair that can cause allergies for some unfortunate people, but keeping your cat clean and well-groomed can go a long way towards keeping it under control.

I look at my cats and every hair is a little coloured wonder… Charlie’s hairs are individually banded in shades of grey and brown, with a little ginger thrown in, just to be alternative, giving the tabby effect.

Lily is, at first glance, just an ordinary little black cat; but in the right light, she reveals her secret… she is, in actual fact, a chocolate coloured cat, with burnt ginger stripes.

Tooty’s outer hairs are very smooth and sleek, yet underneath she is fluffy and grey.

Ting is all edible shades … caramel, chocolate, vanilla and biscuit… a delicious little cat.

Only Charlie’s fur seems to possess the delectable fragrance that is essentially her… warm and comforting, somehow a mix of me and her.

I remember when my old cat, Walter, passed, I was so heartsick and sore, so utterly bereft without him… and yet, I was comforted to find a whisker that I knew was his. Undoubtedly. And I have it still.

Amagreen And Awards

Firstly I would like to say a great big thank you to Jean, Shoko and Kali at The Canadian Cats, Binky and Granny at AngelsWhisper and Nicolle, of Stories of A Highly Sensitive Introvert, who nominated me for the Blogger Recognition Award and the Black Cat Blue Sea Award. I am truly grateful for their kind thoughts – please go and visit, if you don’t already know them, lovely ladies, all of them.

So. As this is a combination post, I thought I would choose a combination crystal… Amagreen. This fascinating crystal is a new one for me, so I must thank and credit the wonderful www.healing-crystals-for-you.com for the information I am relaying back to you, for as I said, this is a new crystal for me too.

So far, I have found it to be a pleasant and calming stone, with a wonderful balance of purple amethyst, white quartz and green prasiolite. It releases a loving energy filled with compassion to encourage emotional healing. It can also be used to help awaken psychic abilities.

The green element – prasiolite – is connected with the heart chakra, while both white and purple are connected with the higher head chakras; so it is a wonderful combination stone that promotes deep love and empathy; but also emotional intelligence and how to use it.

This brings me neatly to my nominations from The Canadian Cats and AngelsWhisper – wonderfully sensitive and caring ladies, and good friends who were some of the first people to befriend me here, on WordPress.

For the Blogger Recognition Award, you have to tell the story of how your blog began, I did that here. As a post-script to that story, I am currently learning how to continue the blog – not the writing aspect, but the actual technical side – gulp… – as I am not the most computer literate person in the world, and my son has always taken care of that side of things for me. However, he is writing me careful, step-by-step instructions on how to publish a post etc. to prepare me for when he leaves for university in October.

As part of the procedure for the Blogger’s Recognition Award, you also have to give two pieces of advice – well, they also remain the same. Essentially: interact. Answer comments, talk to other people, visit other blogs. I’ve made some really good friends this way. The second piece of advice is: be nice! I can’t stress that enough, there is very little point in being unkind, or unpleasant, that’s like acid indigestion. You will just rot away from the inside out. (An additional piece of advice would be make sure you’re computer literate…)

For the Black Cat, Blue Sea Award. I must thank Nicolle for nominating me – her questions can be seen here and my answers are:

1. What would you like bloggers to do more of that they aren’t doing right now?

   To be honest, I don’t really know, the blogs I follow are high quality, and easily accessible, so just keep on doing what you’re doing!

2. Tell us four things about yourself, one of which is not true, and see if we can guess…

   a) I have a secret passion for Justin Bieber

   b) I was persuaded to start an Instagram account by Gary

   c) I’m a natural brunette

   d) I have over 40 pieces of Rose Quartz

3. Describe a perfect day that balances all the things you love.

   My perfect day… hmm… a decent night’s sleep – uninterrupted preferably, by having to remove live rey from the house thoughtfully brought in by Lily. Then sunshine would be good, and just basically relaxing with the cats in the garden! (I’m so boring…)

   I’m not going to nominate any specific blogs, so I will throw them both open to anyone who would like to have a go. And, thank you, as always, to anyone who’s been kind enough to stop for a like, a look, or a subscribe.

The Royal Portrait – Princess Charlotte Oddpaw

Opalite And Opinions About Cats…

This form of Opalite, as shown in the pictures, can also be known as Tiffany Stone, Opalised Fluorite and Purple Opal. It is, in actual fact, a man-made glass compound and opinion is divided as to whether it is a genuine crystal with any metaphysical benefit.

However, it is a pretty stone to look at, and make things from, and as a wise lady I know always says, it’s good to work with colours. It has a milky, opalescent gleam to it, and like most crystals, it is useful as a focus for meditation. It has a subtle energy to it that is said to help clear any spiritual blockages and lend support during life changes.

Opalite encourages both strength of will and character, and is said to bring inner peace and calm. It is credited with improving communication channels and encouraging us to voice our thoughts and feelings.

A good stone to tie in with the title – this is the follow up post to “Obsidian And Older” where a very interesting debate arose, essentially: do cats’ personalities change after hey have been neutered.

I must thank everybody who was kind enough to share their views, opinions and personal experiences,  and as much as I would like to say I have come to a definitive conclusion, the overall answer is as varied as cats and owners themselves… Some cats are just basically grouchy, while others are furry angels and some are a combination of both…

I must emphasise, though, that unless you are a professional breeder, then ALWAYS have your animal neutered. The over-riding urge to reproduce is removed, as are all the accompanying health risks, and the overflow of unwanted babies is not an issue.

There are outside factors to consider, such as whether the animal came from a home, a farm, or a feral mother, for example. One kitten may be warm and playful, while its litter mate is shy and timid. Another point – I had my four girls spayed at three different vets with varying results. Charlie’s operation actually cost the most and when she recovered, I did notice a personality change. Although still reasonably loving towards me – after she’d got over the indignity of stitches and a bald spot – she would have very little to do with Lily, when previously they had been close enough to curl up together to sleep.

Ting and Tooty still remain close, and while Ting is loving, Tooty is quite timid. Age. There’s another factor… cats’ personalities continue to develop as they get older – as indeed do dogs. Erin can be grouchy maiden-auntish, but will drop into puppy play… if she feels like it.

My old cat, Walter, was the last kitten from a litter his mother – also my cat – had, by accident. Unloved and unable to find him a home, I ended up keeping him myself, and he went on to become one of my most beloved cats. So… Nature vs. Nurture – a favourite point of debate. Are cats born with their own inherent natures, to develop as they age; or does circumstance, upbringing and what they learn from those around them have a bigger influence?

Thank you to everyone again, who shared their views, experiences and opinions; although ultimately, I suspect, as with Opalite, opinions will remain inconclusive. I do know one thing for certain, though… cats definitely learn from each other. I’m surprised I’m not ten feet long, being wrapped around so many furry paws!

Carnelian And Comfort Cats

When I was a little girl – a very little girl – I had a teddy bear called Pinky Bear. I acquired him as we were walking through a market, my father carrying me, and I apparently reached out and neatly snagged this teddy bear from a toy stall. I refused to be parted from him – indeed, Pinky Bear had many individual adventures, including being lost on a train – and his soft, marshmallow pink fur epitomised comfort and security for me.

I no longer have Pinky Bear, but somehow, the colour pink retains an air of love and comfort for me… Carnelian is not normally a stone to which I am drawn, although I have written about it before, as it is a useful addition to any crystal collection, but Lizian’s latest order caught my eye…

Pink. Wonderful, striped shades of pink, some reminiscent of smoked salmon – I like that too… And I have also discovered recently that Carnelian is a wonderful stone of comfort. It deflects rage or anger that is directed towards you and helps your own anger or resentment to be gently dissolved, and a workable resolution reached.

Carnelian can help to lessen the bleakness of a situation where you feel emotionally isolated, and yes, bring the comfort you may remember from a much-loved childhood toy. Carnelian helps to restore the love and faith you have in Life, accepting the never-ending cycle of Life and Death, but not fearing it.

It imparts courage and confidence, the strength to carry on and can help to sharpen mental focus. Red Carnelian, as shown in some of the pictures, is useful for energising body and mind. Pink Carnelian, as soothing and warming as a cosy blanket, helps to restore trust and love, a comforting, happy stone.

Having shared the majority of my years on this Earth with a cat, or two, or three… or even four, it is safe to say I derive a lot of emotional comfort from the presence, love and companionship of my cats.

My old cat, Walter, was perhaps the supreme Comfort Cat Champion; his soft grey and black fur saw plenty of tears in his lifetime:

“There, there… tell me all about it and let’s see what can be done.”

I was so desperately lonely and bereft when his time came to cross the Rainbow Bridge… but now I have my quartet of princesses, the Furry Four, Mummy’s Girls, of which Charlie, Madame La Princesse, is undeniably Number One.

And when I am overwrought, or emotional, then I know there is comfort to be had, and love, in the presence of a warm, furry purrer…

Pyrite And Purrsonality…

Fascinating cubic Pyrite, thank you to Lizian for letting me photograph them

I’ve written about Pyrite before, but it’s a purrsonal favourite (hehehe!) so I think it will take a little bit more, especially since it ties in so nicely with the second part of the title. The second part of the title was arrived at through an initial reply by Dolly of koolkosherkitchen, please go and visit – she has a wonderful blog that consists combines a fascinating mix of recipes and history – irresistible! The point of debate was: “Does neutering arrest a cat’s development and make them kittenish forever, or is it purely personality?”

I must actually apologise as I don’t remember where I saw the original claim – I’ve looked everywhere, but it was either obviously a figment of my imagination… or it’s been hidden by fairies.

Do cats’ personalities change as they get older, like humans do… I’ve known some perfectly pleasant sixteen year olds grow into unbearable adults. Does anybody feel that their cats did indeed change in temperament after being neutered? I must confess, I do feel that Charlie became a little more bad tempered, and less tolerant of Lily, as they did used to sleep curled up together, but now they very rarely bother with each other, save the occasional:

“All right?”

“Yeah, not so bad – yourself?”

Tooty and Ting have always had a very strong sisterly bond – apart from when they’re fighting – so they continue to get along well with each other and still make friendly overtures towards the big girls, even though they’re likely to get a slap for their trouble!

Maybe I’m just reading too much into the situation, and the reason that cats still sometimes adopt a kittenish persona is to get their own way/

“I’m so beautiful… How can you possibly say NO!”

“Oh yes of course, I’m sorry, Mummy’s little princess, I’ll rush out and get fresh chicken right this very minute even though it’s 12 o’clock at night, pouring with rain and local shops are shut…”

Yeah right. Crazy cat lady.

A beautiful and shiny Pyrite sphere, courtesy of Lizian’s wonderful stall

Perhaps I should carry my Pyrite more often… sometimes known as ‘Fool’s Gold’, this stone is very protective and will encourage you to trust your own judgement, take stock of a situation and implement solutions where needed. Its shiny gold surfaces act as a spiritual mirror and enable us to look within, to see our own characters, aspects, both good and bad, uncovering suppressed memories that are ready to be dealt with. A warming, magical stone, it has traditionally been used in amulets and in healing as a ‘warming’ stone – Pyrite suns have a special pain alleviating quality to them as well. So. A warming and grounding crystal… as warming as the love you share with your cat.

A splendid Pyrite sun, from Lizian 

So, please, opinions about personality please, whether feline or otherwise…