Stone of New Beginnings
Petrified Wood is one of those very interesting crystals which many people are not aware is a crystal. Some people love it, some people hate it.
Personally I have only used it twice in my life and both times my life changed dramatically, but by no means think that this crystal will knock your socks off and send you in a vortex of change beyond your control.
Petrified Wood is gentle, patient and kind, but at the same time makes you realise when it is time to make the necessary changes to your life. It helps you to make those really big changes in your own time.
Petrified Wood is the perfect crystal to help you anchor and manifest the changes you wish to make in your life… a perfect stone for New Beginnings!
Characteristics:
Petrified Wood is a beautiful crystal with a wonderful array of colours running through it. These colours are the result of the fossilization of the wood as the dead tree lies in mineral rich water. This is a slow process which happens underground when the organic materials of the tree are replaced by silica until no wood is left, only the crystal. The original structure of the wood is completely preserved. The hardness of this crystal is 7 (the same as Quartz) and the inner structure of Petrified wood is Tetragonal.
Function:
Petrified wood is the proverbial ‘Caterpillar to Butterfly’ transformation in the crystal world. In its creation dead wood is transformed into a beautiful crystal. Because of this transformation the crystal has gone through it is the perfect crystal to help and assist change in one’s life.
Petrified Wood works on the Base Chakra, the energy point at the bottom of your spine, where you hold your desires, dreams and passion. It helps to lift this energy into the Higher Heart Chakra, the energy point between the Throat and the Heart Chakra. The Higher Heart Chakra is where we hold our intent. In doing so, Petrified Wood literally brings your heart’s true desire into being or manifestation.
You are normally drawn to this crystal when you are ready or require making a change. This crystal works on all levels of your being. It will make you aware of your heart’s true desire, show you the areas of lack or wrongdoing in your life and will guide you to make the necessary changes to implement your heart’s true desire. On a cellular level Petrified wood helps to release toxins held in the cells.
Because of its organic start one of the areas Petrified wood often brings about changes is your perception on food, what you eat and how you eat it.
Petrified wood is extremely grounding and gently, but firmly focusses one on the changes that are required. It will help you to implement these changes with grace and harmony, helping you to accept the wisdom that is given to you by the Divine.
Crystal First Aid:
Holding Petrified Wood, in your non-dominant hand (not the hand you write with), during a Healing Challenge will bring about a calm and clear mind. It acts like a type of shock absorber.
What to expect:
Petrified wood is an extremely powerful crystal.
It might seem to be slow acting and can take up to 6 months to make you fully aware of the changes required and how to implement them. Once one has accepted the changes, it might feel like you are on a rollercoaster, with things happening very quickly.
Quite often when working with Petrified wood one can feel warmth rising up from the Base Chakra to the Higher Heart Chakra.
Best Way to Clean Petrified Wood:
Cleaning Crystals are deeply personal and each crystal has a preferred way of being cleansed. My experience with Petrified Wood is that it prefers to be cleaned by smudging.
Dry sage sticks are best for smudging, but any cleansing incense stick will do as well.
For smudging you will require a sage stick and smudging bowl:
Light the sage stick in the smudging bowl and allow for the smoke to take hold, once the smoke is heavy, blow out the flame, so you only have the smoke left… slowly and with intent move the Petrified Wood Crystal through the smoke a few times. When the crystal feels lighter, the crystal is cleansed.
Ensure that you put out the smoke on the sage stick completely by running it under water.
When using an incense stick, light as normal and hold the crystal in the smoke until the crystal feels lighter in weight. Put your incense stick out as normal.
Charging Petrified Wood:
Bury your crystal overnight in compost rich soil on a moonlight night.
Hold your hands over the crystal where you bury it and say:
‘Crystal Light, Crystal Bright, I return you to the soil from which you grew, please be energised by the soil around you.’
Remember to mark the area where you have buried your crystal, so you can find it in the morning. In the morning dig up your crystal and give it a light wash under cool running water to get all the soil off. This type of energy charge is best done on a Full Moon.
Where to wear it:
Ring finger: Wearing Petrified Wood on your ring finger makes you aware of the need to change and in doing so activates the Triple Burner Meridian. The Wood stokes the Fire in your belly. This fire rises to your Higher Heart Chakra helping to change passion and desire into concrete results.
Pendant over Higher Heart Chakra. The Higher Heart Chakra, which sits between the Throat and the Heart Chakra, is where we hold our intent. It can also be seen as the gateway to connecting to our inner self and so becoming aware of our heart’s true desire – what meaning we want our life to have and how to achieve it. The Higher Heart Chakra regulates the thymus and as such plays a major role in the regulation of hormones and in our energy levels and how we respond to changes.
Wearing Petrified Wood on either of these two places on your body links the Base Chakra to the Higher Heart Chakra allowing energy to flow freely between these two chakras. This free flow of energy allows one to stay grounded while actively pursuing change.
Affirmation for when working with Petrified Wood:
‘I stand strong throughout necessary change.’
Repeat this affirmation as you touch your crystal during the day.
Divine Spirit:
When I work with Petrified Wood I have two very different Divine Beings that come to me.
Firstly and almost always, Archangel Jophiel will appear. Archangel Jophiel is the Archangel of Beauty and whenever she comes to me, I am reminded to be patient. She reminds us that:
‘Change does not happen overnight. Allow your mind and body to follow your heart in their own time and you will find bliss and beauty in every aspect of your life.’
Recently while in New Zealand, I was working with Petrified Wood when a Fairy called Othelia appeared. I was quite surprised as I very seldom work with fairies, upon asking her who she was, she said:
‘I am Othelia, the Queen of the Fairies who plays among the fallen trees. On warm summer nights we whisper words of encouragement to you, reminding you to enjoy life , to enjoy each step along the way as change is inevitable and growth is unstoppable.’
Invocation for Archangel Jophiel:
‘Beloved Archangel Jophiel, Queen of all that is beautiful, please come to me now. Let me find peace and harmony in this hectic world to have the patience to allow the changes I wish to make to take place in such a way that I am grounded and focused throughout. Give me the grace to allow this change to take place. With Grace I thank you.
Invocation for Othelia:
‘Othelia! Queen of the playful fairies, bring me words of encouragement and words of support, show me the joyful way to allow change and growth to takes place in my life!’
Both these invocations can be used as an opener for a meditation or as a call for support when you feel you are wavering in your resolve.
Meditating with Petrified Wood:
For those of you who regularly meditate, here is a simple way to add Petrified Wood to a meditation. Simply sit on a tumbled Petrified Wood crystal during the meditation. This brings the crystal as close as possible to your Root Chakra. If you wish you can call upon either Archangel Jophiel or Othelia, Queen of the playful fairies to be with you through this meditation.
During the meditation you might feel warm energy rise up from the crystal through your Root Chakra up to about 4 inches/ 10 cm below your throat where your Higher Heart Chakra is . Also during the meditation you may feel a deep sense of security and calm come over you and afterwards you will feel energised and motivated.
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