Crystal clear connections

The curious hands of my sister picked at the baby-pink and jade-coloured round-beaded bracelets on my dresser, to her, a puzzling development in the accessory choice of someone who’s never worn bracelets voluntarily. Promptly followed a “What are those?” Healing crystals, I begin. With a look of amusement, she holds them near her stomach and remarks with a wide grin, “Maybe they can heal my stomach pain for me then?” We both laugh.

If you’re not laughing too, let’s clear one thing right away — in no way do I believe or went into this experience thinking that healing crystals will cure medical ailments. I’m sorry, no quartz or amethyst is going to protect you from the coronavirus. Just go to the doctor for that. This was meant to be an exploration into one aspect of emotional healing.

Two weeks ago, after years of watching Hollywood A-listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham rave about the healing energy of crystals, I decided to put them to the test myself. A few entries into the all-knowing portal popularly called Google, and clearly, I’m not alone in my curiosity, as the search yields a wealth of pages on crystals. Five minutes in, I am already overwhelmed. To make the whole process simpler, I reach out to Ramithra Mohandass at Avaesa — a metaphysical store and space dedicated to holistic living. Next thing I know, I’m sat facing her in her cosy office, walls lined with books, crystals, and then some more.

“I need people to understand that these crystals aren’t something that’s going to do the work for you. They are tools, and I cannot emphasise this enough. Your scepticism is totally fine, but you can’t deny that your curiosity is what brought you here. Just have an open mind,” she assures me, as we begin the consultation. Over the next hour, she walks me through chakras, energies, understanding the crystals, before bringing out the boxes of crystal bracelets. The process is simple — Pick your crystals. Cleanse it. Set your intention for it. And wear them. 

Feeling like a kid in a candy store, I let my eyes and hands hover over the various boxes, occasionally picking up a few bracelets intuitively. Finally narrowing them down to two, the decision is made — moss agate and love quartz will be the healing crystals that accompany me on this journey.
Over the next two weeks, I wear the crystal bracelets everywhere, cleanse them with sage (which I did occasionally forget!), remember the intentions, and only consider taking them off to fling at a rude carnival tarot-reader. The crystal jewellery seamlessly fit into my life, and I get why people have them scattered around in their houses.

Reflecting on the short journey with Ramithra, we briefly delve into the philosophy of “As above, so below”, picking up from where we left off from our first chat. Going back and forth on the concepts of feeling one with the universe (her point), and me sticking to a nihilistic individualism, I finally admit that I feel calmer and feel more in sync with myself over the past few days. “It could just be the placebo effect,” I stubbornly add. Ramithra offers me a gentle smile.

“Maybe you don’t feel the connection to the universe, but you do seem to feel it with yourself, which is why I think you should just hold on to them for a little longer. You don’t have to wear them or meditate with them, just keep them,” she says. I now agree that they’re a good option to have. And maybe, that’s all they have to be, she concludes. If you’re curious about healing crystals, book a consultation with Avaesa. For details, call: 7358999925/26