Arkansas quartz crystal point coated in iron oxide, (not a Golden Healer, has not seen as acid bath – a Golden Healer has a layer of clear crystal over the iron oxide). It has Bridges and Inner Child points, Lineated Sides and a Side Kick.

IRON OXIDE - golden-yellow mineral coating occurring on lots of crystals, usually taken off with an acid bath. Sometimes has rainbow iridescence on the outer layer (like rainbows you see on oil slicks). This is referred to as “Natural Rainbow Aura”. These crystals have an Earthy and grounding energy and remind us what crystals look like in their natural state (before an acid bath).

MINERAL STILL ATTACHED - Crystals with the mineral and rust still on (and clay in some cases) tell us to "remember where you come from". It speaks to many levels and layers. Where we come from physically, what we've been through, both emotionally and physically, where we come from in our past (this life) and where we come from ultimately (Spirit) etc. These crystals give us pause to reflect on our past and contemplate the residue of the experiences we have accumulated.

BRIDGE - A Bridge is a smaller crystal (or crystals) penetrating and located partially in and partially out of a larger crystal. Bridge Crystals help to bridge between worlds. This may be the inner and outer worlds between your inner and outer Selves or between yourself and others in the physical environment in which you now live. They are helpful in any area you might imagine needing a bridge. They can help you heal and get in touch with your inner child (bridging the gap between your outer self and your inner self). They are also good for connection and perspective, bring you up out of the muck, giving you a birds-eye view of a situation. While providing connection, they also help provide boundaries. Also called Inner Child.

INNER CHILD (see also BRIDGE) - Inner Child (a type of Bridge) is a smaller crystal (or crystals) penetrating and located partially in and partially out of a larger crystal. Both names, Bridge and Inner Child, are used interchangeably. Inner Child crystals I see as much smaller and penetrating more ‘in’ than ‘out’ and they have a feeling to me of going ‘within’. Bridge or Inner Child crystals help to bridge between worlds. It may be the inner and outer worlds between your inner and outer Selves or between yourself and others in the physical environment in which you now live. Inner Child crystals can help you heal and get in touch with your inner child (bridging the gap between your outer self and your inner self).

LINEATED SIDES - Lineated Sides are horizontal striations across the sides of a point. Lineated Sides can be used like a zipper to access further knowledge within the crystal. If you have worked with your crystal for a while and feel ready for more information or feel a desire to go deeper, you can unzip the crystal to receive the next layer of information. I experience this as receiving a deeper knowing or understanding that seems to be released quietly after they are unzipped. If you drag your thumbnail down the side of a point with deep striations, you are ‘unzipping’ the crystal. To zip it back up, drag your thumb from the base back to the tip. This is like hanging up the phone after a conversation. It lets the crystal know you are ‘done for now’ and you can pick up where you left off later. I used to think that unzipping would be like opening a box and looking inside, revealing a few more items, and once you see them, that is all. It isn’t quite like this though. It is more like opening the box, looking down inside and seeing that the bottom of the box opens to infinite space. There is no end to the amount of ‘extra’ you can receive as you work with and unzip your crystal. It is literally like peeling an onion that has infinite layers. Just remember when you finish with your session to thank the crystal for its help, and zip back up until next time.

SIDE KICK - This is a name that I heard many years ago but never found in an actual book as a traditional description. However, the term fits so well, I have used it over the years but never used it as an actual name and definition (never included it in any lists). Visually, a Side Kick is a partial crystal almost melded with the main crystal. Less defined than a Dolphin, a Side Kick doesn't really have a whole shape on its own but relies on the main crystal to make up for most of its body. There is enough of a crystal there to warrant giving it a name. Like the traditional definition of a side kick (think Batman and Robin), a crystal Side Kick carries these energies: always being there to support the main crystal energetically, adds a component of assistance to the main crystal, has a 'buddy energy' or an energy of always being there for the other. A symbiotic relationship in which the main crystal takes "top billing" but where the Side Kick still plays a major role in the energy of the crystal.