Rock the House

While taking my sister around town, we stopped by one of my favorite places on our way to get coffee. This little, cute, new agey store is right around the corner from the coffee shop I used to manage, and the owner is this super sweet lady who always has the best crystals and gemstones in town. 

Digging through a little bowl of hidden treasures, my sister found little points of smoky citrine. I’d never heard of this gemstone before, and knew right away that I needed to have one to keep on my keyboard. At the advice of a friend many years ago, I’ve been keeping a piece of smoky quartz on my keyboard to boost my writing, creativity, confidence, and to prevent writer’s block. These days I cleanse it on my altar between semesters or when I’m on holiday or break, and keep it up on my keyboard when school is in session or when I’m working on something creative (which is most of the time, to be honest.) I’ve really come to enjoy having a piece of smoky quartz around me. It’s a calm, steady, grounding, and gently enlightening stone, at least in my experience with it over the years.

Citrine has always been one of my favorites. I have a lovely citrine necklace that was gifted to me back when I lived in West Texas. It’s a sterling silver flower with five petals and a large, glowing citrine stone in the middle. Back when I was a Baby Pagan in the Bible Belt of West Texas, I’d wear it rather than wearing a pentacle. (five petals, five points… and isn’t a flower a lot like a star, anyway?) These days I don’t wear it as often as I used to, but I love wearing the citrine when I need something bright, happy, uplifting, and invigorating. A good piece of citrine is so warm and inviting and solar. It has almost buttery quality about it, and I particularly love it during June and December – that is, during the summer and winter solstices.

When we moved into this new home in August I knew I needed to set aside a special place for a household altar, since this new place doesn’t have a mantle like the old house did. And while establishing this new household I also felt strongly drawn to Ganesha, probably due to his ties to family, community, and loyalty (as well as marking new beginnings). So I went to my favorite little new agey store because aside from crystals, she always has great statuary from India. I found the household a little golden Ganesha, and for some reason was drawn to these large, beautiful citrine points. So bright! So happy! So our Golden Ganesha sits on the household altar near our hearth/focus/chimenea, along with a few other stones.

Right now my keyboard smoky quartz and brand new smoky citrine are sitting with Ganesha and getting some good energy before I start my fourth and final semester of graduate school. Ganesha is also helpful in terms of the mind, study, and intellect, and he brings blessings to busy students. (like me!)

I read that many citrine pieces are actually just amethyst or smoky quartz that has been heat-treated to enhance the lovely golden yellow color. So it makes sense that smoky quartz and citrine would work well together and have complimentary qualities. 

In addition to the qualities of smoky quartz and citrine individually, smoky citrine is said to be a stone of transformation, helping with transitions and gaining access to deeper self-knowledge and intuition. It is smooth and gentle and kind. It takes negative and unwanted energy and transforms it into something that can be useful and positive. 

These all sound like great energies to bring into my life, especially when I return to school later in January. But most of all, I’m just excited to have something so lovely to decorate my working space!