Tarot & Crystals.
The flashing neon sign distracted me as I drove south on Ashland toward Alderman Flores’s office. I was heading to his office this morning hoping a surprise attack would get someone in the office on record. Polite phone calls certainly hadn’t done the job.
I’d left Michael outside of Full Rein at around six last night and gone home to a quiet evening of restless alone time. His desire to go back to work after seeing me likely had more to do with feelings of impotence than with any pressing work activities. He and Janek were cut from the same cloth in that regard—time off was for sissies, even if all you could manage at the moment was shuffling papers.
Crystals had held enough meaning for Zoe that despite her homelessness, they were some of her only meager possessions. I made an impulsive decision, pulled over, and parked. The store was in older building with a bowed bay window that hadn’t seen a paint job or a window squeegee in way too long. Overgrown plants, macramé hangings, and large purple amethyst geodes, served as advertisements. Talk about fitting a stereotype. A bell rang as I opened the door, and the scent of something sweet, yet musky, hit my nose.
It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the low light. Music—chanting, really—played from somewhere in the back through a tinny sound system. It was a language I couldn’t identify but the rhythmic repetition seemed to fit every bad Hollywood movie image I had of this type of establishment.
The center of the store was a series of waist-high tables laden with bins, each containing rocks or crystals of different shapes and colors and sizes. The perimeter shelving housed candles, incense, oils, and books, along with a bevy of things that I couldn’t identify, things foreign to my non-metaphysical life experience.
A woman who I guessed to be in her seventies, with a flowery caftan, and long salt-and-pepper hair piled high on her head, nodded hello but made no efforts to engage me. I wandered through the space, overwhelmed by the colors and the scents of the items around me, but I couldn’t make sense of much of it. Small hand-lettered signs identified the contents, but telling me I was looking at tourmaline wasn’t the education I needed.
A display of bound leaves, similar to what I’d seen on the basement altar, was in front of me. Michael had called it sage. Finally, something I recognized. I picked up a bundle and took it over to the counter.
“Hi, I’m a complete novice. Can you tell me what this is used for? I’ve heard it called a smudge stick. Is that accurate?”
“Yes, that’s exactly right,” she said, taking the bundle from my hand and raising it to her nose. “Smells wonderful doesn’t it. The stick is a bundle of dried herbs, usually white sage, but it can also include lavender or yerba santa. It’s bound with twine. Burning the bundle is an ancient practice and was part of Native American ceremonial rituals. See? Like this here.” She lifted up a large flat shell, its pearly interior full of ash. It was just like the one I had seen at the house.
“And what is it supposed to do?” I asked, smiling. “See, I told you I was a novice.”
“Don’t worry. Many people come to us at all stages of knowledge. We are just as happy to educate as we are to sell. Smudging is a cleansing ceremony. The sage is lit, then using a feather, or your hand, you walk around the room you want to address, stating your intention to clear the space of the negative energy, and then fan the smoke into the crevices.”
She spoke to me seemingly oblivious that anyone would find directing smoke with feathers odd. In her world, perhaps, but in mine, scorn and laughter would be the prevailing response if I started waving my hands above burning weeds. If you believed it to be true, I guess it was. Hopefully my skepticism wasn’t showing too badly, or perhaps she was long past the stage of judgment.
“And you must speak your intentions, as well as distribute the smoke, is that correct?” I was confused by the whole concept, and under normal circumstances the language alone would have had my eyes rolling. Setting your intentions, places holding energy, wafting smoke into corners—it was all far too woo-woo for my analytic brain.
“Yes, smudging a room is one of the basic principles of cleansing,” she explained patiently. “Some will smudge their home when they first move into it to remove any negative energy from the prior occupants. Some will smudge a room after someone has been ill or angry to help move those negative forces away. Here in the store, because we get so many people who are bringing with them their own troubles, we are cleansing on a continual basis.”
If her calm, patient demeanor was any indication, something was working for her. Maybe I needed to be more open-minded?
“And are there other items or processes that people use for this purpose?”
“Well, that would depend on what you’re trying to accomplish. Some prefer palo santo for its scent, or they find it more effective for their needs. It too is burned, although it’s available as an essential oil formulation that can be diffused.”
She stepped out from behind the counter and walked over to a nearby shelf, a heavy stack of brass bangles clacking as she walked. She picked up a package of small brown sticks that reminded me of fire starters. I recognized them from the dresser. Tearing open the plastic, she handed me a piece and allowed me to smell the aroma. It was both woodsy and citrusy and quite pleasant.
“Individuals have different opinions on the effectiveness of sage versus palo santo, or even the type of sage. It can get complex, if you want it to, but it doesn’t have to be. I advise customers initially to simply choose the product that they prefer the scent of or that they find easier to use. The sage creates a lot of ash and not everyone appreciates that, but it would be entirely your choice.”
“And what about the crystals? How are those used?”
“Again, one must know what you want to accomplish. Every crystal has a quality, a vibration or frequency to it, and these frequencies can communicate in a way that we can’t see. If you’re highly attuned, holding one in your hand will allow you to feel some of the vibrational energy of the stone, but that is a more advanced way of using the stones. In guiding customers toward crystals, we really have to have a conversation about your life. Are you looking to bring in more prosperity? If so, then agate and citrine are wonderful crystals to have where you work. If you are looking to bring love into your life, I personally like carnelian and rose quartz.”
She walked over to the center bins and pulled out a beautiful pale pink specimen, putting it my hand. Its smooth surface was cool and glossy, sparkling in my hand. I didn’t know what it was or was supposed to do, but it was beautiful.
“Close your fingers around the crystal, then close your eyes, and raise the stone to your heart. Clear your mind and feel the vibration.”
I did as I was told, feeling nothing other than silly, but like anything, belief was required. I opened my eyes and shrugged.
“Perhaps we haven’t chosen the right crystal for you,” she said slowly, watching my eyes. “Or perhaps your heart hasn’t healed enough to receive its gifts?”
I stared back at her, feeling that she had just looked into my soul and seen my vulnerability. I flinched, handed her the stone, then moved closer to the bins so as not to see my past reflected in her eyes.
I was in awe of the beauty in front of me, but so far I had not been convinced the stones were anything more than pretty to look at. A number of the larger specimens would look beautiful artfully arranged on one of my bookshelves, but decorating inspiration wasn’t what I was here for. Walking along the table, I looked over the items hoping I could recognize the crystals I had seen on the basement dresser. I pulled three different stones from their bins and held them in my hand.
“And what about these? What would these be used for?”
“Oh my, how interesting that you’re drawn to these crystals. This is a very powerful combo.” A crease formed on her brow.
“What do you mean by that? What are these stones used for?”
“While there can be a number of interpretations and uses, this combination together is useful for someone very concerned about keeping evil at bay. It’s very serious stuff. Looking at your selections, I’d say you’re looking for protection. You must be scared to death.”