Do you love crystals? How many do you own? If you reading this then it's safe to say you have at least 1 crystal. But how many is enough?
In just a few short years, thanks to celebrity endorsements, crystals have risen from a niche new-age interest to being firmly embedded in the mainstream consciousness 🙌. From crystals in beauty products, jewelry, and fashion, to healing - we can't seem to get enough of them.
💎 We are drawn to crystals to help harness the energy of the earth. But have you considered the more they are mined, the more that earth is suffering 😔. Taking something by force, destructively, has an effect. Crystals are archetypal pure frequencies, nature’s perfect geometric tuning forks 🔮. Imagine the shock waves of explosions having no impact as the crystal is mined.
Many crystals, like tourmaline, amethyst, quartz, and citrine, used to manifest abundance and prosperity are found in gold, copper, or cobalt mines. Considering the location of Mother Earth's chakra there is a belief that certain crystal deposits are located in these regions because Mother Earth is bringing the crystal properties to these locations - it's needed for the population.
Now, this may upset retailers promoting their crystals as ethically sourced. But due to the size of the supply chain, unless a retailer has mined and processed the crystal personally it's a statement that cannot be guaranteed. Even publicly traded mines do not have to report profits from by-products like crystals. And we haven't addressed the business that cutting and polishing the stones.
Much like diamonds, crystal mining is an industry buried in conflict. There are issues around sustainability: crystals are a non-renewable resource. There are issues around labor: most jobs are low-paid, unsafe, and sometimes performed by underage workers. And there is an issue around accountability: the industry is unregulated, allowing exploitation to go unchecked.
🌍 Mining of any kind has environmental impacts. Whether it's for coal, crystals, or copper. Reports cite children as young as 7 years old mining crystals like smokey quartz and citrine in the Congo, and the Taliban earns up to $20m p.a from Afghanistan’s lapis mines.
💎 Until retailers are required to prove responsible sourcing and reveal their supply chains, crystal consumers must acknowledge they’re participating in practices that are having a devastating environmental and social impact. No amount of sage can get rid of the bad vibes that come from human exploitation and environmental destruction.
🙏 It's time to consider your crystal collection - whether you have enough? Focus on the collective energy of the planet's resources rather than individual needs. After all, the benefits of crystals can be obtained through metaphysical energy work. Let's be mindful of our crystal use and make conscious choices to preserve the environment and humanity 💚.
