The Other Side of The Sun

The internet is an amazing place, you just never know what you are going to find!

Quartz is a fascinating mineral, very electrical in nature. From Wikipedia:

Quartz crystals have piezoelectric properties, that is they develop an electric potential upon the application of mechanical stress. An early use of this property of quartz crystals was in phonograph pickups. One of the most common piezoelectric uses of quartz today is as a crystal oscillator. The quartz clock is a familiar device using the mineral. The resonant frequency of a quartz crystal oscillator is changed by mechanically loading it, and this principle is used for very accurate measurements of very small mass changes in the quartz crystal microbalance and in thin-film thickness monitors.

Have you ever seen the effect? I found this cool video on U-Tube:

Here’s another producing a similar effect:

Isn’t the crystal world fascinating?

 From our last newsletter….

We’ve been busy the past couple of weeks working on a wealth of new crystals and minerals to offer on the site. The Sale section bears the fruit of spring cleaning from earlier this year and has been updated with plenty of selections at reduced prices. 

Here’s a few highlights of our latest offerings.

Imperial jasper is a variety of jasper from Mexico with beautiful bands of pink, red, green, grey and sometimes hints of blue. Its tranquil energy is soft and has a feather touch, but resonates deep within. It has a comforting energy that helps you to fill the void, helping you feel whole and complete. Its deeply healing energy helps to bring gentle conclusions to emotional grief and turbulent situations.

This year we’ve come across an abundance of amethyst from around the world including crystals from the Brandberg mines and Orange River region in Namibia, Madagascar, Bolivia, Brazil, Karur India, Thunder Bay Canada and a special enhydro amethyst from the closed Guerrero Mine in Mexico. The energy of the crystals from these locations is as unique as their environments. Amethyst has been used for centuries for its healing properties and it provides a gentle awakening of the crown and third eye chakras. 

Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg! Our offerings also include Tibetan crystals, selenite wands, rutilated citrine points, amber, malachite, Shiva lingams, fluorite, and calcite plus so much more!

Dragon Tears has been updated with new rough and tumbled stones. Dragon Nests has been updated with new pillows and sphere stands to display your mineral friends.

Be sure to check out all of our latest updates.

In closing I’d like to mention a special spirit who’s message was loud and clear from the moment I started to work with him. He’s a Fantastic Large Smoky Dreamweaver Lemurian Seed Crystal. This spirit is very strong while working in dream time and works to help manifest your dreams into the world of physical reality. He takes your dreams to a whole new level.

One of my dreams is to visit a crystal mine. Top on my list are the Herkimer mines in NY, probably because there’s a good chance I’ll get there one day although I’d also love to visit some of the mines in NC too. There are many locations around the US that you can dig for your own crystals. I recently discovered this site, with great information on mines, and what to expect.

But my biggest dream is to visit one of the caves with the big crystals such as the one in Naica, Mexico. This is the famous selenite mine, with the BIG crystals, the largest is 36 feet long and weighs 55 tons. (Guess that’s not fitting in my house LOL). Sadly this is going to have to stay a dream, with temps around 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity around 80%, I think I’ll have to pass.

However the National Geographic with a team of scientists made a documentary of their research with these massive beauties. I’ll just have to be content with that. Giant Crystal Caves is on the National Geographic channel, its first airing is on Oct. 12th. Click Here for more information

If you don’t get the channel, visit the site to see some pictures, video clips and interesting facts. Here’s a couple I lifted. ;-) 

• The largest crystal found at Naica is 500,000 years old.
• The Naica principle cave “Cueva de Los Cristales” is 45°C and 100% humidity.
• The giant crystals found in the caves at Naica are softer than a human fingernail.
• The Naica facility pumps 16,000 gallons of water per minute out of the mine and runs 24-7.

Here’s a copy of our latest newsletter. Sign up for our mailing list and a 10% coupon.

This update is all about quartz in its many different forms and many of our new offerings are from our latest Springfield shopping trip. Although unplanned, we have a wide array of singing crystals, double terminated crystals and laser crystals, with many being a beautiful combination of all three. Amethyst, smoky quartz and citrine also feature highly in this update, among other colorful cousins of quartz. You’ll find a gorgeous array of included quartz from Madagascar, Brandberg crystals, Zagi Quartz, Himalayan quartz, and 12-sided double terminated wands. 

Double terminated crystals are a powerful healing tool, especially for healers. They help to facilitate energy exchange and assist with distance healings. They are also used for alignment, patience, perseverance, protection, dreaming, and astral projection.  Singing crystals can be found in all shapes and sizes, visually they are indistinguishable from other quartz crystals. However when you tap these crystals they resonate a melodious tone instead of a dull thunk. These tones are excellent at clearing negativity from the aura as well as other crystals. Laser crystals can be used to clear negativity, create protective barriers, and focus healing energy to self or others. They are perfect for detailed and precise energy work. Combine any or all of the three and you have a very powerful healing tool! 

Mercury is currently in retrograde and this current cycle begun on September 24^th and will continue through October 15^th.  Mercury in retrograde often brings about difficulties with communication. It is easy for old arguments to appear, or new ones to begin. With communication a key factor during this time, stones that govern the throat chakra are handy to have around. Our offerings include an unusual find of beautiful rough turquoise chunks. Kyanite is another mineral that assists with clear communication and several stunning large formations have just been listed. 

Be sure to check out all of our beautiful new offerings for we have a wide array of new crystals and minerals such as metamorphosis quartz, red coral, sphene crystals, prasem quartz, and strawberry Karur quartz, to name a few. Some old favorites are back too; gorgeous solution aquamarine, butterscotch selenite, and rough super sevens! Dragon Orbs has also been completely updated with a wide array of quartz and mineral spheres and eggs. For a quick list check be sure out our Latest Updates page.

One special spirit deserves a special mention. From Brazil we are graced with the presence of the Fantastic Old Soul Morion Beta Quartz Formation. He’s truly an old soul and wears his years with some grace on his physical form. Beta quartz formation rarely reaches sizes of this proportion. He’s not immediately pretty, you need to sit with him to truly appreciate his beauty as it is not immediately apparent. Sitting with him is also required for him to truly open up to you. He is a master teacher but his lessons come in his own time. You could say that his first lesson is in patience, teaching you how to reach your inner quiet.

Until next time with love and gratitude.

It’s been awhile since we’ve made a general blog posting. We’ve had a busy summer so far, culminating with the Springfield Gem & Mineral trade show, but more on that shortly!

Tropical Storm Fay threw a minor spanner in the works with her trip through our area. While she brought lots of rain (over 5″) and a bit of wind, we sustained very little damage. The power was out for a number of hours, but all is returning to normal around here.

With the storm passing, we can now concentrate on photographing the goodies Mary and Bryan acquired in Springfield. With a marathon shopping spree they managed to pick up over 160 pounds of new material in just 2 days! Mary is currently hard at work taking pictures of these beauties and we aim to have a sneak preview of many of these for our newsletter members by the end of the month. If you’re not a newsletter member you can sign up here!

Here’s a list of some of the beauties they managed to pick up:

Gorgeous black tourmaline crystals, citrine w/black tourmaline, blue tourmaline crystals, green lithium, soul bridge crystals, vogel style wands, ocean jasper freeforms, enhydro agates, Orange River quartz crystals and clusters, metamorphosis quartz spheres & freeforms, gorgeous amethyst crystals and clusters, spheres galore, stunning Tibetan crystals, selenite clusters, formations and polished pieces, golden selenite from Australia, Shiva Lingams, white topaz crystals, spessartine garnet crystals, rutile crystals, zircon, anatase, titanite, morganite, blue fluorite w/quartz, optical pink calcite, included quartz galore, and that just touches the surface!

While Mary works on these new goodies, I’ll be working to update the site with more wonderful treasures from our current inventory. I won’t be publishing a newsletter for this update, so check back as I aim to update the site by Monday.

On a more personal note, our trip to NY and Springfield allowed us a visit with the twins. They are now 19 months old and growing fast. You can’t do anything but smile when they run up to you and throw their arms around you for a big bear hug!

The Twins at Play

More to come later!

Bright Blessings,

Jenn

Our latest updates includes a massive update to our sale section. We’ve been cleaning our closets and will be offering you many beautiful crystals and minerals at affordable prices. Here’s a peak at what you’ll find.Calcite is a great all round healer and can be found in a wide array of colors, forms and locations. Energize your body’s natural electrical system using this crystal in your hands, feet or chakra point. You may use spheres, eggs and wands for massage. Placing your feet on a large piece will energize the whole body out of sight. Due to its electrical nature, calcite makes for a potent elixir. Calcite is a crystal to help one get out of ruts, or break through blockages on just about any level. Our offerings include honey, emerald, orange, yellow lasers, and red calcite!

Tangerine quartz is a crystal which exhibits a tangerine color; the color appears to be on the outside of the crystal and has not been removable in the usual acid baths. Tangerine quartz has been used to promote Inner Self evaluation and evolution. It brings one the strength and the loving essence to continue in any and all pursuits. These crystals are storehouses of wisdom and most have etchings and record keepers. Tangerines have lively energy filled with the joy of life, love and creativity.

We haven’t neglected to add beautiful new offering to our other sections. From South Africa we have beautiful small freeforms of Dumortierite. Dumortierite is a beautiful blue aluminum boro-silicate mineral, the colors are rich from a deep blue to violet color and is often mistaken for lapis lazuli. With rich blues swirled with black and white, it’s easy to see why. Dumortierite’s energy resonates with the third eye and crown chakras. It helps to calm and clear the mind, bring focus back to the task on hand. These beautiful stones can be found in Fairy Kisses.

Gorgeous new offerings of carnelian freeforms can be found in Dragon Fire. Carnelian has a deep, rich earthy energy. It is warm and soothing, gently grounding. They help one to achieve balance and harmony. Carnelian works slow but steady. They are excellent for working with blood disorders of all kinds, they bring balance to the blood flow and components of the blood (hormones, nutrients, etc). They also provide some assistance to digestion and relieve minor digestive disorders too. These beautiful freeforms are from Madagascar.

Be sure to check our Latest Updates page to find the piece that is just right for you.

Mary and Bryan will be attending the East Coast Gem & Mineral show in August. If you have any requests, please drop us an email with the item you are looking for and your price range. We’ll do our best to find that special piece for you. Our shipping office will be closed at 12pm on August 4th, and orders placed before this time will ship before we close. Shipments will resume on August 16th. Orders will be processed as usual during this time.

Until next time with love and gratitude,

Mary, Jennifer & Bryan

The Other Side of the Sun
Earth’s treasures brought to Light
www.tosots.com

We get questions all the time about how to work with stones, but here’s one that came in recently.

Is physical beauty as important as the energy of the crystal?

From my point of view, beauty has no bearing on energy. Some of my favorite pieces have so much damage that others wouldn’t give them a second glance. If you see a piece that is less than perfect on our site, it was picked up for its energy. Crystals that have bruises we call our “warrior” crystals. They’ve been through tough times, but still hold it together. These crystals are wonderful healers with great wisdom and energy that helps you to bounce back even when things look their worst.

There is a common misconception that clearer crystals are more powerful than cloudy crystals and perfect crystals are better, and truly that is not always the case. You can’t judge a crystal by its appearance just like you can’t judge a book by its cover. A crystal’s energy depends on the type of crystal and its spirit and to some extent, what you need at the time. I’ll bring up size here too, size doesn’t matter either. I’ve had tiny crystals smaller than my pinky nail, almost knock my socks off, yet a huge crystal has the softest energy like a fluffy blanket.

I always give this advice when picking a crystal; pick the one you are attracted to. If you keep thinking about it and are strongly attracted, then get the crystal. If your attraction wanes after time, it may be that you’ve learned what you needed from that spirit, and it is time for it to move on. Sometimes you don’t connect instantly, it may be working in the background, or one you need for later. These I suggest you sit with for awhile to try to discover why you have crossed paths. Once you get more accustomed to working with crystals, go for ones that repel you the most, for you need their energy and lessons just as much.