Crystal Clear - Reflections on Extraordinary Talismans for Everyday Life

Zusatztext “ Crystal Clear is a book for anyone seeking meaning and comfort in their life. The essay topics range from virginity to success, and while Jaya Saxena's writing feels personal and intimate, it's also relatable and clarifying. I don't know a single thing about crystals, but I do know a thing or two about trying to make sense of the confusion and tragedy and joy of life. I can't think of a better book for the moment.”—Scaachi Koul of Buzzfeed “One of the most fascinating and unique books I’ve seen in a long time. Beautifully written, exquisitely researched, and filled with penetrating insight into the pretty rocks that can mean exactly as much as we want them to, and so much more. Saxena surprises you at every turn.”—Nicole Cliffe “A collection of thunderously well-researched and generously human works." —LitHub Informationen zum Autor Jaya Saxena is the co-author of Basic Witches (Quirk, 2017) and a staff writer at Eater. Her work has appeared in many outlets, including the New York Times, Buzzfeed, GQ , ELLE , Electric Literature, Catapult, the Daily Dot, The Toast, and more. She lives in New York City with her partner. Klappentext From amethyst to obsidian, Basic Witches author Jaya Saxena explores the multi-faceted meanings and history behind eleven popular crystals in this poignant and relatable essay collection. Highly prized for their beauty, crystals can take the shape of jewelry, household objects, and an array of self-care products. But it's the ideas they stand for that draw people to their raw forms. Like astrology, tarot, and modern witchcraft, crystals help practitioners understand themselves and the wider world around them. In this sharply observed collection of essays, Jaya Saxena reflects on-and challenges-the ideas associated with eleven popular stones, including unconditional love (rose quartz), happiness and success (citrine), balance (amethyst), self-care (black tourmaline), purity (pearl), imposter syndrome (pyrite), toxic positivity (carnelian), change (opals), traditional concepts of marriage (diamonds), presentation versus identity (obsidian), and death (amber). The result is a gorgeously written and deeply personal book about how we assign meaning and power to crystals in order to give meaning and power to our lives. Leseprobe Introduction When you think of marble you probably think of it in its most basic, everyday forms: as a countertop, a kitchen backsplash, or a floor if you frequent slightly more luxe apartments. It’s a material that’s considered opulent but also recedes into the background. Even at the Taj Mahal, it’s not the marble itself that people marvel at; it’s the way it’s carved and inlaid—and the fact that there’s just so much of it. Marble is luxurious but it’s also durable; as much at home in a cathedral or a palace as it is in a hardware catalog. In other words: marble is nothing special.      But the California Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park, a living structure of marble and calcite, will make you feel like an alien on your own planet. As I stood outside the cave on a midsummer day, looking at the spiderwebbed gate that led to the cavern’s tunnels, I felt a breeze thirty degrees cooler emanate from the entrance, touching my cheek like a ghost beckoning me inside. My partner, Matt, and I were there for a discovery tour, conducted only with flashlights. Over the course of a million years, water had been inching its way across a solid piece of marble inside a mountain, dissolving it bit by bit, sculpting entire rooms in its wake. It’s a magnificent natural structure; the supernatural need not apply.      I was never interested in crystals in a metaphysical or spiritual way. I was always drawn to their reality—their solidity. In a childhood diary, I bragged about my rock collection; pyrite, marble, raw emerald, and smoky quartz ...

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Jaya Saxena
• Editore: Quirk Books
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Copertina rigida
• Pubblicazione: 31.12.2020
• EAN: 9781683692034
• ISBN: 978-1-68369-203-4
• Pagine: 224
• Dimensioni: 147 mm x 197 mm x 23 mm
• Categorie: Guide e manuali > Spiritualità > Esoterismo; Saggistica > Psicologia, esoterismo, spiritualità, antroposofia