It all began with a gift.
Last, year, my friend Judy gave me a beautiful heart shaped stone. Although there’s been some 
debate as to what the actual stone is, I believe it is fluorite, one of my personal favorites.
Over time, I’ve accumulated several more heart stones. Up until this weekend, they totaled four. The large fluorite one I’d received as a gift plus a large rose quartz, another large stone and a small cats eye.
This weekend, however, I hit a gold mine! Thanks to my daughter, we found a store called “The Philosopher’s Stone” in Ocean Beach. They had an amazing collection of stones and crystals, but heart stones, in particular caught my eye. I added a large poppy jasper, a large green jasper, a small fluorite and a small chevron amethyst to my collection. 
True to my normal pattern, each one has some sort of cracking or flaw to it. I’ve always been drawn to stones and crystals which have some kind of imperfection and the heart stones are no exception.
Honoring that inner guidance.
As my collection grew, I started grouping the heart stones around my sea salt candle, both to charge them and to help me as I did tarot spreads or wrote.
. But the more I keep my heart stones grouped around the salt candle, the more I feel inspired to do so. Some may see it as my overactive imagination, while others might think I’m simply delusional, but I find that it gives me focus and clarity. In fact, when I try to write or do my one card tarot readings without lighting the candle, I feel blocked.
Even more unique attractions
As my collection of stones and crystals grows, I’m noticing a particular attraction to certain families, if you will. I will actively look for fluorit
e and quartz, but I find that I’m drawn unconsciously to members of the jasper family. I believe it began when my first pendulum called to me. I learned after it chose me that it was Mookaite which is a form of jasper and, now that I have other jasper stones, see that it resembles the poppy jasper with its shades of reds and creams. I was told that my second pendulum is also Mookaite, though it is almost entirely a dark, blood red in color.
Each addition of jasper to my collection causes me to read just a little more about this unique and amazing stone. It is a member of the Quartz family and is considered to be a stone of protection, nurturing and prosperity. I’m also finding that it can be used to balance all of the chakras and, in fact, while I was using it to answer yes/no questions a couple of days ago, it started spinning in a circle when I got it close to one of my chakras. I instantly saw that it was showing me which ones needed clearing by the direction and speed in which it was rotating. The jaspers along with fluorite are also considered amplifying stones: stones which increase the effectiveness of other stones when they are placed in proximity.
I believe we draw or are drawn to what we need most.
As my journey continues, I find that I am either drawn to something or it comes into my life just when I need it the most, and am most ready to accept it without question. The exceptional attraction I’m having to jasper is no different than the critique groups I gained once I let go of the copywriting course. Sometimes, it’s at a point where I’m so very blocked that I need a rock to the head to clear the cobwebs, while others, it’s after I’ve let go of what isn’t working. Either way, I find that what I truly need is always there for the asking, or to be more accurate, for the allowing. But part of that allowing is dependent upon our willingness to let go of our personal clutter.
But when is clutter not clutter?
In some circles, this would surely be considered clutter in the extreme. 
But in the world of a writer, it is simply tools of the trade. Certainly, what appears to be a mess to an outsider contains books on the art of writing spanning decades when writing hid in the background before finally being allowed to come out of my personal closet. But most of what fills these shelves, not to mention the ones which aren’t visible in the picture are books of fiction spanning a wide variety of genres.
I will admit that most are in no particular order as Edgar Allan Poe rubs shoulders with the likes of Catherine Coulter, Mary O’Hara and J.D. Robb while sharing shelf space with everything from “B is for Betsy” to “The Hobbit”. Heinlein, Potok and Bradbury might be shelved beside Fern Michaels and Jude Devereaux, and Michener is scattered randomly throughout the room. My collection boasts the work of Shakespeare and Dickens, but Mary Poppins and the Laura In
galls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” series are here as well. Dr. Seuss is well represented and what would a collection be without “Winnie the Pooh”, “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wizard of Oz”? I even have a shelf dedicated to the metaphysical: Tarot, Kabballah and “Laws of Attraction”.
To the uninitiated, this would appear to be a hot mess in need of some serious cleaning, but to me, not only is it a testament to my true calling, but years of collecting and even some weeding out (I outgrew the Harlequin romances after I finished my ten years of working full time while taking college courses at night. They were a wonderful, light diversion when I was drowning in Accounting Theory and Tax Law). The astute observer will also realize, when perusing my semi-organized shelves that my first love is Fantasy and Science Fiction with a smattering of mystery and romance thrown in for added spice. The classics will always have a place and I will refer to them from time to time, but tales of magic, dragons, extreme technology and uncharted worlds take me on the journeys which feed my soul.
As I gaze at these shelves with a new eye, I see that between those millions of pages are written the journey I took which led to now: when I, myself must fill pages to pave the way for the journeys of others. It doesn’t really matter that I began this part of my journey rather late in life, and I’m not concerned with whether I gain the fame of Asimov or the relative obscurity of one of the writers with whom I currently commune. What matters is that I continue the journey I began when I was four and reading “Charlotte’s Web” aloud to my mom.
Following my twisty, windy, convoluted path to somewhere.
You may have noticed that I rarely take the direct route to anywhere. Even the drive to my daughter’s involves a couple of short hops on small freeways. This post is a prime example of how my mind works. I managed to jump from stones and crystals to books and writing without a moment’s pause. I read three or four books at a time and have reached a point where I have the same number of writing projects in the works. My mind needs to change its stimulation on a regular basis to avoid becoming stale. So organized chaos works for me.
The writers we call “plotters” would gaze in horror at my methods. Those with OCD would likely wish to start straightening books and clearing more space on my desk. But in fairness, I would be equally horrified by their neatly laid out plot plans, surgically organized book shelves and a desk empty except for the objects required for the project of the moment. We all have our ways and know what works for us. To judge others by our own standards is a waste of time and energy. Our minds work the way they do for a reason. Do we need to know what that reason is? Frankly, I’ve managed quite well all these years not really knowing what, if any, is my master plan. I guess you’d say I’m a “pantser” when it comes to writing as well as with my life in general. And so it is.
My gratitudes today are:
1. I am grateful for my crazy, convoluted ways.
2. I am grateful for the time I’ve spent adding to my collections: my books, my stones and crystals and my writing.
3. I am grateful for individuality. Too much of anything would be boring, so I’m glad I’m different.
4. I am grateful for the inspiration I receive from friends and strangers. Eventually, it will all end up on the pages I write.
5. I am grateful for abundance: prosperity, ingenuity, imagination, love, peace, joy, allowing, health, beauty and harmony.
Blessed Be
I have a collection of stones as well, but they are in my sand garden (a ceramic dish with sand in it). I play in it with a pencil and the little gems will pop out at me. My stone are mostly the size you’d find in a ring or earrings. I love the surprises.
It take doodling to another level 🙂
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
Anna, I love that!!! My entire collection of stones is in varied sizes, some small like yours, others larger. And they do seem to call out to me when what I need is embodied in a particular stone. I never thought of putting them all in a bowl and doodling though! I’m going to try that and I have just the bowl!
ROFL, we have a lot in common. I collect stones, in fact I have quite a few in glass containers on my desk near my writing. My first pendulum is amethyst that called to me, while touring an Egyptian museum in California. I can feel it sing every time I hold it.
I have boxes and boxes of books that are still packed from my move from Texas to Florida, because our condo does not have enough room anymore to bring them all out (we will move again in the future too), but there are plenty of books in my writing room anyways. The first novel I was allowed to read in school was Charlottes Web. I was reading long, before I started school thanks to my mother. The three key books in my life have been Charlotte’s Web-2nd grade 1st novel in school, Gone With The Wind-read age 7 hiding in my mothers closet with a flashlight, and Star Wars Truce At Bakura the first book taking place after Return of the Jedi movie. I’ve also read everything you named, lol.
I also read about energy, chakras and such things, lol.
I really enjoyed your post.
Birds of a feather definitely are drawn to each other, Juneta. Although I didn’t read the Star Wars book, my alternative was “A Wrinkle in Time” when I was about 7. By the time I was 10, I was well into Asimov, Heinlein and Bradbury. The best part about these subjects (energy, chakras, reading, writing and such) is that they are so delightful to share with others. Sometimes, it’s because we share beliefs, but even better is when we can introduce each other to something new. If you haven’t already, check out the meanings and uses for your most common stones. It is pretty interesting to learn why you’re most drawn to certain elements.
Actually, I check out the meaning and symbol on stones and animals for those reasons. Something the sighting of a dragonfly or a hummingbird and others have often brought meaning, message and awe into my life. I have not thought so much about all the why’s, but I will keep that in mind now for sure. I wear moonstones, topaz, amber, rose quartz, obsidian, and amethysts, and turquoise a lot, because I am drawn to them.
Gone With The Wind was my 7 year old read, the Star Wars came in my late teens, but I was hooked, lol.
Amazing how messages are sent to us, isn’t it? Gone with the Wind at 7? That’s pretty impressive as that isn’t an easy read. Small wonder you write! I don’t worry so much about the why’s either. Just that if I’m drawn to something, I look at possible meanings. You just never know when an epiphany might strike!