Crystal Resonance: Combining Gemstones, Essential Oils, & Flower Essences for Enhanced Well-Being, by Kerry Nelson Selman
Llewellyn Worldwid , 978-0-7387-4394-3, 275 pp. (incl. glossary, bibliography, and index), 2015
Kerry Nelson Selman has channeled the power of three, as Crystal Resonance‘s subtitle says, by “combining gemstones, essential oils, and flower essences for enhanced well-being.” After experimenting with them herself for years to see what worked, she discovered “synergistic combinations” that complement and magnify each of the substance’s individual healing abilities.
A guide to the chakras and the energy body; explanations of how crystals, essential oils and flower essences work; and suggestions on connecting with higher beings begins the discussion. Selman goes on to describe how she came to find the combinations and how she brings them all together in a daily practice.
Then 13 combinations are presented, with one chapter for each crystal: amethyst, aquamarine, black tourmaline, carnelian, citrine, clear quartz, fluorite, green aventurine, moonstone, red jasper, rose quartz, selenite, and tiger iron. She names and explains the essential oils and flower essences to be used with each crystal, then pairs the combination with an archangel whose energy will enhance it. Three meditations are given — one to connect with the crystal’s synergistic energy, one meditation with affirmations, and one to connect with the archangel, spirit guides, and teachers. Several reference tables, a summary of meditation affirmations, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index end the book.
I found the explanations for the qualities of the crystals, essential oils and flower essences very useful. While I’m very familiar with crystal properties, I’m not well-informed about the other two components. Selman seemed to anticipate readers’ gaps in knowledge and tells them what they need to know to make an informed choice regarding which combination to work with; perfect for those who prefer intellectual decisions. She herself lays out the crystals and uses a pendulum to intuitively choose a synergistic combination to work with each day.
As I read through the chapters, wondering which combination I might try, each one seemed more applicable to my life than the one before. I quickly found that I was incapable of making an intellectual decision, as the choices were rich and overwhelming. The author’s advice is to work with no more than two at a time; as major issues are resolved, minor ones will disappear as well, she writes.
Selman also includes personal stories throughout: how she serendipitously discovered a crystal to work with to heal a wound, how she stumbled upon a synergistic combination at just the right time to solve a problem, how a combination has facilitated learning life lessons. She is a naturopath and practitioner of herbal, crystal, and energy medicine, and writes, “Life can and should be simple — but, as I so often acknowledge with clients, simple does not always feel easy.”1
It’s evident that this book was written to help readers overcome struggles in their lives, whether on the material, emotional, mental or spiritual planes. For instance, black tourmaline is well known as a protecting and grounding crystal, but also
…takes us deep inside ourselves…facilitates understanding and forgiveness of self and others…Victimhood is banished, and then understanding, tolerance, compassion, kindness to self and others, and a sense of abundance and prosperity, are all embraced.2
Black tourmaline is paired with lemon essential oil, which “cleanses, detoxifies, refreshes, stimulates, and rebalances our thoughts and emotions… helps with anger, despair, discouragement… and unhelpful thoughts that only serve to bog us down.”3 Selman tells us that Willow Bach Flower and Kapok Bush Australian Bush Flower essences are the ones to use with black tourmaline and lemon. (She lives in New South Wales, Australia, so Australian Bush Flower essences are common there, and they can be purchased in North America from online stores.)
Raziel is the archangel with the highest resonance to the black tourmaline combination. He “brings the wizard-like energy of the Divine that helps us see that life can truly be magical and that we have all the resources that we need, and infinite choice, in any and every moment.”4
Selman writes that using this synergistic combination with the meditations “has supported even my deepest look within the shadows, and my willingness to explore has brought an equally deep appreciation of the magic of manifestation and the wonder of life.”5
Indeed, that can be said of Crystal Resonance as well. As I read it, it seemed to cast its own spell; I grew more eager to use its guidance to explore and heal myself, release my struggles, and thus make myself more available to a richness of life that I might now be missing.
