Let Your Energy Flow
Heather Askinosie and Timmi Jandro are authors of Crystal Muse: Everyday Rituals to Tune into the Real You. We spoke with them about how we can look to incorporate crystals into our lives.
Heather and Timmi, how did you come to work together?
Heather: Timmi and I have been best friends since the single digits. We go way back. That’s not to say that we didn’t take very different paths in our early adult lives, though. After college, Timmi went off to work in the high-powered garment industry, and I was selling high-end real-estate. Unbeknownst to her, and everyone else in my life, I had become interested in crystals. Interested isn’t really the right word. Obsessed, is more like it. Timmi was intrigued by my new-found interest and she wanted to know more about this journey I was on. Years later, after I’d been traveling the world researching crystal healing and kind of wondering what to do with all the information I’d learned, it hit me. I started making crystal jewelry. I made 10 identical necklaces combining my knowledge of Feng Shui and crystals. I called it the Prosperity Necklace. It incorporated jade beads and three Chinese coins tied with red string. I gave it to 10 of my friends — Timmi being one of them, since I knew she would be honest with me — asked them to wear it for 10 days and to let me know what happened. Every single one of them came back with some sort of shift in prosperity. After that, everyone wanted to get their hands on one of these necklaces, but I had one problem — I didn't know how to produce product. That's where Timmi and her business know-how entered the picture.
Timmi: I got a small production team together, and we literally started selling product out of the trunks of our cars. Soon word spread to the Hollywood A-listers about this prosperity-bringing necklace. We were ushered into Hollywood parties to sell our "energy beads." It's like we were doing energy deals with the most influential and successful people, giving them a competitive edge. From there, we began to create more products for other intentions to grow our offerings. And that's how we got our start!
Heather, you came to using crystals first. Describe your journey of discovery.
Thirty years ago, when I was selling luxury real estate in Southern California, I seemingly “had it all.” I was young, I had a successful career, a house by the beach, and a loving community of family and friends, but I had this nagging feeling that something wasn’t right; that there was something else I needed. One day, I stumbled into a store that was filled with all sorts of odd and intriguing trinkets. A violet stone caught my eye. The owner of the store encouraged me to pick it up and hold it. At the time, I didn’t know that it was an amethyst or what healing properties an amethyst was said to have. All I knew was that it was pretty and that I felt calm as I held it. That was when I started to take on a double life. By day, I continued to sell real estate, and then at night I’d retreat back to that store so I could pour through all the crystals. I had this overwhelming desire to learn more about them and how they were used in holistic healing. Finally, I couldn’t deny it any more. I decided to take a leap of faith and quit my job. I used the money I'd saved from selling homes and traveled the world to study with indigenous healers, shamans, and medicine people.
Timmi, you describe yourself as a skeptic, how were you convinced of the power of crystals.
Heather had a powerful connection with crystals right away, but for me it didn’t happen until much later – only a handful of years ago. I was going through a stressful situation with one of my sons. As a mother, you’re so inclined to be a source of support for everyone around you, that it can be difficult to admit you need support for yourself. I had been trying hard not to breakdown or give into emotion. It wasn’t until I walked into a room where I had crystals, that I finally started to cry. I hadn’t allowed myself to cry throughout the entire experience, and for some reason, surrounded by those crystals, I felt it was okay to let go. It ended up being the support and release that I needed to carry on. That was truly the breakthrough moment with crystals for me.
For people that need hard facts, is there an explanation as to how cystals work?
Heather: Crystals aren’t magic. That’s one misconception that I think is important to reiterate. If anyone is expecting a piece of pyrite to magically produce a pile of cash in their living room, it’s just not going to happen. Crystals are energy tools. You can use them to cleanse, amplify and shift your energy, so that you’re more aligned with your goals. You still need to put in work to manifest your intentions, but crystals will partner with your energy to ensure that you mental and spiritually stay on track. It may seem odd to some that we use quartz crystal to set our intentions with ourselves, but they may not realize how vital quartz crystal is to the programming of their electronics. Locals in Karelia, Russia were using the carbon-dense stone, shungite, to purify their water, centuries before we began using active charcoal carbon to do the same in our modern day water filters. It’s great to be skeptical, but it’s also to your own benefit to listen to what your intuition is telling you.
What was your motivations for publishing this book?
Timmi: We wanted to write a crystal healing book that we’d never seen on the market – one that was filled with stories.
Heather: Exactly. There are troves of books talking about what each crystal does, but none that discuss how to use those crystals to transform your life. I hope that by sharing these rituals, people at every stage of their journey with crystals are able to find the information they need to inspire a breakthrough. If it hadn’t been for all those healers on my travels who shared their knowledge with me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. This is my way of paying it forward.
What can people expect to learn from this book?
Timmi: We basically wanted to share our experiences with the different challenges of life, and explain how these crystal rituals guided us toward a better place.
Heather: There’s everything from rituals for attracting love and prosperity, to rituals for cleansing the home and relieving stress. We don’t shy away from anything in this book. I even discuss how I was able to use crystals to help me through fertility issues and a miscarriage. Not all parts of life are pretty, but those moments are when we most need a stable energy that we can hold onto. These crystal rituals for every walk of life can provide you with that spiritual support.
What can crystals help you with?
Heather: Crystals can help you with anything you are struggling through in life. Not because the crystal can magically cure it, but because taking the time to sit down and reflect with the energy of crystals allows you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself. The strength to overcome situations is within each of us, but we have to tap into that power. Crystals are a tool to help to focus our energy.
What should people look for when choosing crystals?
Heather: It’s not about looking. When selecting a crystal, it’s all about listening to your intuition, and trusting that you know what energy is right for you in that moment. If you’re in a crystal shop, or even you’re looking online, pay attention to what crystal you’re most drawn to. That’s the crystal you need.
We have an interactive “Crystal Test” on our website that demonstrates just that! Click here to find out more..
How should you care for your crystal?
Timmi: It’s important to cleanse and recharge your crystals. Just like our own energy, the energy of crystals can become dull or muddied overtime if it’s not probably cared for. Placing it in the sun to charge every once in awhile for several hours is an easy way to charge your crystal. A great way to purify your crystal, as well as your spirit and space, is to immerse it in the smoke of sage.
What is the one crystal people that people can immediately adopt?
Heather: Selenite! Timmi and I both love this stone and always recommend it. It helps ground the spirit, while also infusing you with positive vibes. So whether you need to release anxiety or reenergize the spirit, selenite is your stone.
Timmi: Let’s just say that there’s a reason why we have this stone in every room of our office!
Energy Muse: Everyday Rituals To Tune Into The Real You is available to purchase here https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Muse-Everyday-Rituals-Tune/dp/1401952380
For information https://www.energymuse.com/