For billions of people Chi is a very real and personal entity. But what is Chi. Simply put it’s the life force that surrounds us and abides within us.  Chi is a concept found primarily in Asian spiritualism. It relates directly to such concepts as martial arts, Chinese medicine, and Feng Shui.

In Chinese medicine the thought is that an imbalance of Chi within the body leads to different illnesses. The healer will address the area that has a Chi blockage and prescribe various remedies to open that area back up, restoring spiritual as well as physical health.  There are 7 major Chi points on the body each corresponding to a different color and element.

With regards to martial arts such as kung fu and karate, Chi is an inner power that is focused during combat. A practitioner will concentrate his Chi and release it through a punch of kick. The thinking is that this extra energy being expended results in greater physical power. For Chi to be effectively used in combat the martial artist must be calm and focused.

What is probably the most common expression of Chi for westerners resides in the concepts of Feng Shui. Feng Shui concerns itself with the lay out of homes and buildings. Since Chi energy flows around and through everything it’s important that it have a natural path to follow. There are very specific guidelines for setting up living areas so that Chi stays balanced. These include sleeping with a bathroom door closed so Chi won’t flow out through the drains and using rounded edged furniture to keep the Chi fro being cut or damaged.

What’s important to remember is that Chi is a living energy that helps us be the people we are. Without it we would just be shells. It is Chi that gives us our lives

There are few stones as breathtaking as Fire Agate. This rare gemstone is only found in areas from Mexico to Arizona to California. It’s a hard mineral that is not only difficult to find but exceedingly hard to cut and polish. As far as spiritual properties go fire agate represents creative power. 

Everything you need to know about fire agate: 

First things first, fire agate is a pretty new discovery. It’s only been found and polished into gemstones in the last few decades. One of the unique attributes of the stone is that it doesn’t form a normal crystalline structure gem. It forms more like sedimentary rock. This means that the gems end up being really strange shapes and sizes making it much harder to use for jewelry.

 Even though fire agate is hard to work with and even harder to shape and facet it still commands a premium price since it’s only found in one really small part of the world. 

If you manage to get your hands on a piece of rough fire agate you’ll have to be extremely careful when shaping and polishing it. If you take off too many layers of sediment you’ll ruin the entire finish. It’s a much better idea to hire a professional to bring out the beauty of the stone.  

For those concerned with spirituality fire agate represents the creative explosive power of nature.  It can be used to ward off depression as well as to defend against negative burst of energy from hateful individuals.  

If you are looking to harness fire agate for healing it’s red color most represents the circulatory system and should address those issues.

 Whether you are choosing fire agate for its sheer natural beauty or for its spiritual qualities it’s a unique beautiful gemstone that looks great in any setting.

Peridot is a beautiful yellowish green gemstone. Peridot has been valued for thousands of years for its natural beauty. In fact, legend says that some of the jewels Cleopatra wore weren’t emeralds but in fact Peridot.  This gem has a lot of history behind it.

Things to know about Peridot:

The American National Association of jewelers lists Peridot as their official gemstone for the month of August. It’s also used for the 16^th wedding anniversary. 

It is the gemstone variety of olivine. In the United States it is most commonly mined in Arizona and New Mexico.  It can be found all over the world though including Norway, The Hawaiian Islands, select islands in the Red Sea, and even in meteorites.

 Peridot is used in many crystal therapy programs to treat the following conditions. 

Nerves
One of its main uses is to calm nervous energy.  Peridot has a calming effect that can help settle anxious people.

Anger 
Another benefit of its calming powers is it helps to remove anger. This is a great gemstone for those that are prone to road rage. 

Bad Luck
Peridot is also used to bring a wearer good luck. It’s one of the most favorite gemstones for people headed out to Las Vegas.

 Love
Good luck also applies when it comes to love. It’s said that this gem promotes finding love. If you’re hitting a rough patch in your love life it might be worth picking up a Peridot pendant.

 Sleeplessness 
If you are prone to sleep issues then Peridot might help. Aiding sleep is another one of its supposed benefits.

 So if you are looking for luck, love or calm then Peridotshould be your gem of choice. Not only does it have great crystal healing properties but it’s a gorgeous semi-precious stone as well. Whatever your reason, Peridot is a great choice for jewelry and healing.

Lapis Lazuli is one of the most ancient of gemstones. It’s been mined for over 6000 years. It’s indigenous to the mid east and is found through out Afghanistan. Its deep blue color has been prized literally for millennia. In fact it was one of the prized gems of the Pharos. If you want to know more about lapis lazuli you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about lapis lazuli.

 Region: The most famous Lapis Lazuli is found in Afghanistan in the Badakhshan province. Recently mining has begun in the Andes mountain of Chile. 

Formation: Lapis Lazuli isn’t a true mineral gem stone. Instead it’s actually a vibrant blue rock similar to marble.

 Look: Lapis Lazuli has been called sapphire as well. It’s a brilliant deep blue color with gold and white flecks inside the strata 

Ancient Usage: Lapis Lazuli was used for centuries as part of the burial rights of Egyptians. They would carve an eye shaped amulet out of the material. In fact the gem is even mentioned in The Book of the Dead.

 Spiritual Usage Today: For healing lapis is used to clear up throat and head maladies including the brain and eyes. It is also used to help restore mental balance. Lapis is still heavily used in magical rituals. It represents clarity and psychic abilities. It is also considered an extremely lucky stone to boot.

 So whether you are looking for lapis lazuli for spiritual and magical purposes or solely as a decorative gem stone it makes a great addition to any gem stone collection. The deep azure blue works great as a pendant or a set of earrings. It might not be a bad idea to pick up a set of lapis before heading out on a jaunt to Las Vegas. Whatever your reasons, Lapis Lazuli is just plain gorgeous.