Buying Crystals - Capitalist Spirituality
Part 6 of 7 for a guide on buying crystals. Read the rest here!
Another sad entry in this series. Spiritual people and people who involve crystals in their spiritual practices are uniquely situated to be scammed hard by people using their spirituality against them. However, this is easy to avoid if you understand the language people use to make crystals more appealing.
Case Study
You may remember Heaven and Earth LLC from a prior part on trademarks. This is an example from them, copied from this page:
This interesting stone from off the coast of Africa appears to be a banded mixture of white Quartz and purple Amethyst, with v-shaped patterning. When we checked the energies, we were amazed to recognize that it vibrated in the frequencies of Azeztulite! This discovery confirmed what the Azez––the guardian angelic group soul responsible for all the Azeztulites––had foretold. Continent-by-continent, the energies of the Nameless Light are penetrating and activating more and more varieties of Quartz in an increasing number of locations. This process, and all the energies moving toward Planetary Vibrational Ascension, appears to have been accelerated, just as the Azez foretold.
Amazez can purify one’s field in a way that makes possible conscious interaction with higher beings on many spiritual planes. The angels, and even the Azez themselves, can more readily approach one who has been purified by this stone. Amazez is also an excellent stone for out-of-body travel, raising one’s vibration high enough to transcend the body while simultaneously protecting one from negative influences.
This rock is labeled as “Azozeo Super-Activated.”
Analysis of Case Study
This is chevron amethyst (”mixture of white Quartz and purple Amethyst, with v-shaped patterning”) likely from Madagascar (” from off the coast of Africa”).
Notice how the only physical description they give of the crystal is “banded mixture of white Quartz and purple Amethyst, with v-shaped patterning,” the dimensions, and the weight. Most of the description is focused on telling the story, of “checking the energies” and finding its “frequencies” matched these “Azez,” a “guardian angelic group soul.” They discuss this “Nameless Light” that moves energies towards “Planetary Vibrational Ascension.” Then they provide the metaphysical use of the crystal.
What does this listing tell you? Do you feel moved that such a powerful crystal is being sold? Do you feel like you’ll be able to achieve your goals much easier if you have it? Do you feel like possessing this crystal will allow you to raise your own vibrations? Does “Azozeo Super-Activat[ion]” make you feel like this crystal has more worth than a similar product?
Further, nowhere on the page do they disclose the crystal’s origin. I supposed that its from Madagascar, since I’ve seen chevron amethysts come from there. But no, this listing comes from the mystical, magical land of *~Africa~*. Do you think you will a) get an ethically sourced crystal and/or b) get a good deal by buying from this dealer? I think not.
This is nowhere near unique to this company, as one of my previous posts on andara crystals will tell you. Everyone does this because it works. I don’t blame people who fall for it because they are the victims here. They have been told that a hunk of glass that promises to improve everything is worth a college semester of money. No, it is the fault of the sellers, who may also be just as duped as their customers, but may full well know what they’re peddling and continue to exploit people with a belief because they can wring hundreds and thousands of dollars from them in exchange for something worth much less.
Snake oil really hasn’t changed; it's only crystallised.
Red Flag Terms
The biggest red flag for me when buying crystals is emphasising metaphysical properties. This is not to knock using crystals for spirituality; I’d be a hypocrite if I was knocking it. However, suppose you already believe in this stuff. In that case, you’re more likely to believe these crystals are more valuable because they’re “supercharged” or “encoded with Pleiadean messages.”
As with part one on ethics, a seller that will not disclose the source of their crystals, either openly or after being asked, is also suspect, which many of these New Age-flavoured sellers will not do.
You should also look out for several words and phrases in both the titles and description of listings, since sellers will use them to try and make you think their products are worth more than they actually are.
Activation, codes, encoding, downloads, attunement, upgrade.
Vibration, higher vibration, 4D-12D, multidimensional, higher dimension/density.
Ascension, ascended master[s].
Shaman[ic], chakra[s], reiki, [K/Q]ab[b]ala[h], Elohim, other appropriated practices and terms.
Using the name or image of minority groups unassociated with the crystal, often but not exclusively indigenous groups, portraying these groups to be more magical or “closer to the Earth” to make the crystal seem. more magical or powerful by association.
Any stars, planets, or constellations (Sirian, Arcturian, Lyran, Pleidean, Venusian, etc); galactic, elestial, celestial, cosmic; starseed, cosmic family, High Council.
Lemuria, Atlantis, Mu, other “lost civilisations”; Egypt (when the crystal did not originate there).
[Arch]angel, specific angel names (Michael, Raphael, Metatron), divine presence, Christ consciousness, God frequency, names of saints and prophets (St. Germain).
Astral projection, aura[s], akashic record[s], past life recall, scalar light, twin flame, [rainbow/crystalline/master] energy, Mt. Shasta, vortex.
Rainbow, indigo (in tandem or not with the actual appearance of the crystal).
Gaia, Thoth, other gods.
Fairy, fae, any kind of spirit.
Mon[o]atomic, quantum, DNA, other misused scientific terms.
Merlin, sorcerer[’]s stone, magic[k[al]], healing.
If you see these terms, think: if these terms weren’t here, would I still want to buy this crystal at all/at this price?
The next part will end the guide, and serve both as a summary of points as well as where you actually go to buy crystals and how to go about it.
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Is it possible to use crystals for first aid?
Is it possible to use crystals for first aid?
Drawing from actual experiences over the past 30 years, Vivien explains the “When?” “Which crystal?” and “How?” of accessing crystal healing dynamics in various first aid situations that happen in everyone’s life. Topics will include conditions such as:
Earache … Green Fluorite, Quartz
Headaches … Sugilite, Amethyst, Peppermint Oil
Colds … Green Fluorite
Nausea … Second Chakra Soother, Peppermint Oil
Burns, Stings and Bites … Green Fluorite, Green Calcite
High Blood Pressure … Rose Quartz
Tension … Amazonite and Golden Azeztulite (Quartz)
Muscle Spasm … Amazonite and Golden Azeztulite (Quartz)
Second Chakra Conditions such as menstrual cramps, IBS … Carnelian, Orange Calcite, 2nd Chakra Soother
Anxiety … Rhodonite and Black Tourmaline (together)
Depression … Lepidolite in Mica, Kunzite Elixir
Stress … Candle Quartz and Carnelian (together), Sardonyx
Anger & Frustration … Sardonyx
Emotional Upset … Orange Calcite and Seraphinite (together)
Grief … Rose Quartz, Kunzite Elixir
Shock … Arnica Montana 1M or 10M, Kunzite Elixir, Rescue Remedy
Centering … Candle Quartz and Carnelian (together),
Grounding … Black Tourmaline
Vivien will give additional first aid tips drawn from Aromatherapy and Energy Healing as well, where these modalities add first aid value.
You can view this video without YouTube ads here.
During the class, several people asked for the recipe for Second Chakra Soother recipe.
Instruction for how to do this is not given, but there are 2 videos on YT: How to Make Elixir and How to Make Potions
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Buyers Beware - Heaven and Earth LLC
If you've read previous posts of mine, I've mentioned this company before. This is a company that exemplifies what to avoid when buying crystals online.
Archive of post.
What is Heaven and Earth LLC?
Heaven and Earth LLC (H&E) was founded in 1986 by Robert Simmons and Kathy Helen Warner. Based in New Zealand, they claim they are the first company to sell moldavite, as well as having sold other tektites. Simmons might be a familiar name to some of you, given that he's written a few books on crystal healing, including The Book of Stones, Stones of the New Consciousness, and The Pocket Book of Stones.
In 1991, in fulfillment of a "prophetic vision" given by their friend Naisha Ahsian (formerly of the Crystalis Institute), they discovered "Azeztulite." Simmons recounts that angelic beings called the Azez told Ahsian about the "imminent arrival" of these stones, and what name to give them when they did.
This, as they say, "began our mission to spread the energies of these stones--the currents of the Nameless Light of the Great Central Sun—to people all over the world." Simmons notes that the Azez "intend for all the Quartz on Earth to ultimately receive the vibration of the Nameless Light of the Great Central Sun--making all of the Quartz into Azeztulite."
"Nameless Light of the Great Central Sun"? What does that mean?
When I Google this phrase, I am led to a couple of sites. The Temple of the Presence says this on the Great Central Sun:
There is only one Goal that should be the focus for the Lightbearers of this planet, and that Goal is the reuniting with the Light of God in the Great Central Sun. For God would have you place your attention upon only one priority, and that is God. You start by affirming the Honor and Glory of your own God Presence. But once you have touched the Heart of your I AM Presence, you will realize that your God Presence gives Obeisance, Honor and Glory to THE ONE - to that Universal Light anchored in the Great Central Sun.
Further digging led me to the Summit Lighthouse encyclopedia, which declared that in 1991, this being, the "Nameless One from out the Great Central Sun," made itself known, which was recorded in Mark and Elizabeth Prophet's The Masters and Their Retreats. The site Ascension Research calls the Great Central Sun:
a Source and a Center of the All-Pervading Presence of the Great "I AM". It is a Point of Integration of the Spirit/Matter Cosmos, and an Central Concentration of God Consciousness and the release of Light and Life and Love to all creation. It is a Nucleus, Heart Center, or White Fire Core of the Cosmos.
"I AM"?
This undoubtedly refers to the "I AM Activity Movement," a spiritual movement based on theosophy. This seems to line up with a line of seven products whose names all contain "I AM." While this may just be them targeting a specific audience, considering references to the Great Central Sun, H&E is likely affiliated with I AM.
Nowhere do they state an affiliation with any religious group, but I AM is prominent in how they frame and market their products.
But do you know what they absolutely love stating? Their trademarks!
Crystals(TM)
The following screencap is what greets you on the front page of their site. Notice a commonality?
Yes, that is the trademark symbol. Yes, you can trademark crystals.
What exactly is a trademark? I went over this in a prior post of mine about crystal trademarks, but the gist of it is: a trademark is anything that identifies a brand. While a copyright is protection for intellectual property, and a patent is protection for an invention, think of of a trademark as a copyright/patent for a brand. Because brands can be identified in a myriad of ways, so too can many things be trademarked.
Here is a pastebin of all crystals I could find that are trademarked by H&E, and for your other crystal naming needs, I have also created a spreadsheet with more than just H&E's trademarks. It also includes "generics" for each trademark listed. The list of H&E's trademarks alone is over seventy items long.
Why are trademarks bad for buying crystals? Money. Trademarks demand higher prices on products that are similar or even worse than the "generics," but they are not the only thing that H&E uses to make you spend more on bad quality crystals.
What Do These Words Mean?
Their flagship product is Azeztulite™, which is applied to various forms of quartz. Let's take a look at what Simmons writes about Azeztulite™, abridged and certain words highlighted:
Holding Azeztulite over the third eye, the currents of the stones are experienced as high-frequency energy that, intuition suggests, must originate in the spiritual realms of Light. [...] I experienced vivid inner imagery and sensations of undulating liquid currents of White Light in my skull. [...] The feeling is somewhat as if consciousness is being sweetly caressed by angelic hands[.] [...] Azeztulite is said to represent the Great Central Sun. In other words, it is said to conduct the currents or light of the Central Sun, the spiritual core of the universe[.] [...] The Liquid Crystal Body Matrix probably resonates more strongly with Azeztulite than any other stone I know. [...] Azeztulite as Quartz and the nuclei of each cell of our bodies both emit light. [...] I mention all of this because the purpose of Azeztulite, as I understand it, is to help us incarnate the human Body of Light. This is the New Body of spiritual Light, and I believe very deeply that this Light Body is to be incarnated at the level of our cells, perhaps through our DNA. [...] Remember, the Azez intend to awaken all the Quartz on Earth, which is most of the Earth's crust, to the currents of the Nameless Light. [...] Like all gestures of true love, the infusion of the Nameless Light is an offer, not a compulsion. [...] It is fitting to see this as a kind of marriage. The Solar Logos [...] is thought of mythological as a male archetypal energy or pattern. The Earth has been viewed almost universality as female, and if we think of Sophia as the Soul of the World, then the fusion of heavenly light with Earthly Matter is a Divine Marriage. Since we humans are integral to the unfolding of this process, we may play the role of the Holy Child, and we would experience within ourselves the ecstasy of the Divine Union.
If you don't trust that I've abridged fairly, I encourage you to check the link for the text in full.
Now is a good time to mention Ahsian again, or Samaya Aster as she goes by now. In 2021, she left the New Age movement and seems to have converted to Messianic Judaism, a form of evangelical Christianity. Within her YouTube channel, she claims she will be sharing spiritual concepts that helped her with facing "the falsity and lies of the New Age movement." Now consider that Azeztulite, H&E's flagship product, was prophecised by Aster, who now believes that the New Age movement is full of lies.
Furthermore, look at the highlighted words. Disregarding that this capitalisation reminds me of YA dystopian novels, do... these words mean anything? As established prior, we know what the "Nameless Light" refers to the Great Central Sun, but can you explain to me any of these other words? Why is "White Light" capitalised? What is the "Liquid Crystal Body Matrix?" And as to the other words, there are plenty of spiritual buzzwords such as "high-frequency" and "third eye," as well as the imagery of angels. These words are pleasant, but vague, allowing the prospective buyer to fill them in with their own hopes and dreams.
Do you think this is a product worth buying, when the prophetess herself would likely deny her prophecy was true? And do you think that this is a product worth buying when the seller not only does not explain the concepts they are selling you on, but do not disclose where these ideas are from? Does this inspire confidence in you that you will be getting the best product?
And if you think I'm cherrypicking, let's run through a few more descriptions:
Master Shamanite™ can be useful for initiating shamanic journeys, and it can help one connect inwardly with power animals and spirit guides. It is a Stone of the Ancestors, aiding in communication with spiritual elders and guides on the other side, as well as loved ones who have passed.
Cinnazez™ is a quickener of consciousness and an awakener of higher awareness. It can stimulate one’s nervous system to actualize latent capacities of clairvoyance, telepathic communication, attunement to heavenly realms, and direct knowledge of Divine truth. It is felt as the solidified essence of the Philosopher’s Stone, and it can help the body open to become a conduit of the Celestial Fire of the Great Central Sun.
Stellar Beam Calcites are very powerful for stimulating the third eye and crown chakras, and they align these chakras with the higher etheric body, making possible an ascension into higher realms of consciousness. They stimulate remembrance of the individual’s experiences in the pre-birth state of full immersion in Spirit, and they assist in the recollection of past lives. Stellar Beam Calcites can also help one establish contact with extraterrestrial intelligences in meditation or dreams.
It's more of the same things. Words that aren't explained so that you get to fill them in with your hopes and dreams. More appropriation of Hinduism through Westernised chakras, as well as the term "shaman" which they are actively profiting off of based on the trademark of Master Shamanite™. Keep in mind that, as far as I can tell, only Simmons and Warner run the company, and their only apparent affiliation is with I AM.
A lot of their listings claim to be "Azozeo® Super-Activated." This word, Simmons claims, is the "ancient word of invocation" of the Azez. When this word is chanted over Azeztulite™, their "intensity" doubled, the "frequency of their pulsations" was faster, and that they channel energy into the crown chakra and into the Earth. In theory, this means that you too can Azozeo® Super-Activate your own crystals by chanting over your Azeztulite™, but hey, why not spend a bit more to get someone else to do it for you?
You aren't buying the actual crystal when you read these descriptions. You are buying flavour text.
Price Gouging for Profit and Profit
I'm going to check several of their listings and compare them to similar listings on other sites. I will be comparing the price per gram of each listing. I will try my best to find adequate "generics" of each crystal I cover. If they don't overcharge, the prices for the "generics" will be similar per gram, right?
I don't endorse these Etsy sellers. I'm using them for comparison only.
Anandalite™: 1.77$/g, 1.22$/g, 0.40g/$
Druzy quartz: 0.08$/g, 0.16$/g, 0.19$/g
Amazez™: 1.74$/g, 1.81$/g, 2.02$/g
Chevron amethyst: 0.17g/$, 0.03-0.04g/$ (24-32oz price used), 0.48$/g
Healerite™: 1.15$/g, 1.13$/g, 1.15$/g
Serpentine: 0.21$/g, 0.19$/g, 0.10$/g
Azeztulite™: 1.50$/g, 1.50$/g, 1.49$/g
Milky quartz: 0.01$/g, 0.06$/g, 0.25$/g
Just for fun, let's see the prices of their non-trademarked crystals.
Amethyst (H&E): 0.58$/g, 0.20$/g, 0.31$/g
Amethyst: 0.08-0.09$/g (13-14oz price used), 0.08-0.10$/g (0.75-1lb price used), 0.05-0.08$/g
Fluorite (H&E): 0.58$/g, 0.29$/g, 0.36$/g
Fluorite: 0.19$/g, 0.06$/g, 0.08$/g
Malachite (H&E): 2.04$/g, 2.15$/g, 2.00$/g
Malachite: 0.56$/g, 0.33$/g, 0.25$/g
So even for their "generic" crystals, they overprice the hell out of them. But perhaps these crystals are pricey because they're ethically sourced. The money spent into sourcing and buying crystals from ethical mines and ethical sellers surely is why they're so expensive, isn't it?
Where Do the Rocks Come From?
As established in a yet another post of mine, an ethical mineral seller will disclose the exact location, including the mine, in which their minerals were mined. This is to assure any buyers that by buying these minerals, they are not contributing to exploitation. A seller that refuses to disclose or obfuscates the origin of their stock is not to be trusted, since you can't confirm if their products are ethical.
H&E does not do this. They don't even do the bare minimum of listing the country most of the time on the listings, leaving the country on pages showing multiple listings for the same type of crystal.
Stellar Beam Calcite: No location listed.
Agni Manitite™: No location listed.
Tibetan Tektites: No location listed outside of name.
Amazez™: "Off the coast of Africa."
Anandalite™: No location listed.
Black Azeztulite™: No location listed.
Azumar™: No location listed.
Beryllonite: No location listed.
Celestine Fluorite: No location listed.
Fairy Stone: No location listed.
Goshenite/Morganite: No location listed.
Malachite: No location listed.
Moldavite: "Czech Republic."
Mystic Merlinite™: No location listed.
Revelation Stone™: No location listed.
If you're buying crystals, and the product is listed as vague as "off the coast of Africa," you should run. Africa is huge. Just on the mainland alone, your crystal could be from Botswana, which has been called a "blueprint for ethical mining in Africa," or it could be from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where children are forced to mine minerals with barely any protection or compensation. Are you willing to risk buying from exploited children, or if not children, exploited people paid barely anything for hard and dangerous work, because you want a low-quality crystal?
H&E doesn't seem to care care about contributing to human and environmental exploitation. They certainly don't care enough about it to have any kind of article about how they assess the ethics of their stock, how they help promote sustainable mining practices by doing business with sustainable mines, or really anything about the ethics of crystal healing. Why bother listing your source mines when your target audience is already sold on DNA activation, shamanic journeys, and angelic crystals from the Great Central Sun? They likely don't know where that terminology comes from, but it sure sounds like it'll activate their chakras to the 7th density. That might be high enough to ask the Azez to Azozeo® Super-Activate some crystals to combat child silicosis in the Congo! Maybe they can trademark those too.
Conclusion
This is an example of a company that I would never trust to give me ethically sourced crystals. Even if they were ethically sourced, their unethical business practices make up for it. A company that describes a crystal like a D&D item, all while obfuscating its origin, is a company that does not have your best interests at heart. They most certainly don't have your spiritual well-being at heart either, considering they prey on it to make you buy wildly overpriced and subpar crystals. They do not care about your spiritual growth beyond how much money they can gain from it.
If you're wondering what a good crystal seller looks like, or even how to pick out the bad ones from a glance, I have a series about crystal ethics and proper sourcing that may be of use to you.
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