Many crystals have names that correspond to the uses commonly attributed to them.

For example, Celestite, with it's light blue heavenly sparkle, is a stone that some people like to use during meditation because it is believed to facilitate a connection with heavenly realms.

Over the centuries, bloodstone has been believed to fortify the blood, or strengthen the circulatory system.

A favorite of ours at Hemlock & Vine is apatite. But it's not just for it's glorious blue color - a common use for this stone is to aid in achieving goals, and we are all about crushing our goals here. If weightloss is on your list of goals, this stone is purported to help with that, and to decrease appetite (hunger), too. We won't claim that apatite is the Next Big Thing in weight loss, and we can't make any claims in that area, but we still love it anyway!

There are more metaphysical associations for crystals than one can possibly remember, but there are several books on the topic, and we even carry flash cards to help you learn about these fascinating stones and minerals. Additionally, Hemlock & Vine's YouTube channel and Facebook page also posta educational videos and articles on the subject. If you would like to learn more, be sure to follow us for more interesting crystal tidbits!

Another way to explore the different uses of crystals is through their perceived influence over our chakras, or the centers of physical or spiritual energy within the human body. This is a concept which stems from early Hindu traditions and has modern-day correspondences that are still recognized in yoga, tarot, astrology and homeopathic practices as well.

Each chakra is represented by a color: red for the root chakra, or Muladhara, which is located at the base of the spine; orange for the sacral chakra, or Svadhishthana; yellow for the naval chakra, or Manipura; green for the heart chakra, or Anahata; blue for the throat chakra, or Vishuddha; indigo for the third eye, or Ajna; and violet for the crown chakra, or Sahasrara.

It is generally accepted that the color of a stone or crystal signifies which chakra it will work to harmonize. For example, green stones like green jade or fuchsite are typically believed to work for the betterment of the heart chakra, and violet or purple stones, such as amethyst or lepidolite, are good for the crown chakra. That is not to say, however, that a stone's color-matching chakra is the only chakra to benefit from its use; in fact, lepidolite, although it is usually a shade of lavender or purple, may also be associated with the third eye and heart chakra as well.

When a new client sits down at my table for a tarot reading, there's a fairly common question that many ask, "What does my future hold?" That's a valid question; I think we're all curious about how things might turn out.

But have you ever considered a reading to understand more about yourself? Not the future version of you, but the one who is sitting in front of their phone or computer screen right now?

Consider the cards as a sort of magnifying lens. They have an uncanny ability to point out all of the things about ourselves that we don't necessarily want to see. And in shadow work, this can be a valuable tool.

Shadow work, in case you are wondering, is an increasingly popular form of self-analysis conducted with the goal of integrating repressed, or "darker" aspects of ourselves into the "whole" - or, what we may deem a more holistically healthy and self-accepting version of self.

The goal is to arrive at a place where we can accept who we are, to "Know Thyself" as the very words carved into stone at the entrance to Apollo’s temple at Delphi in Greece once stated.

So I ask, how well do you truly know yourself? Book a reading today to begin your own journey of self-discovery.