Crystal Wednesday: Why am I losing my Crystals?

This week's Crystal Wednesday comes to us via a question I received from a reader email.  It's actually not an uncommon question and I thought it would make for a great crystal discussion.  We're going to look at the sometimes very puzzling issue of the loss of our favorite crystals.

Hi Jess,I'm hoping you can help me sort of a problem I seem to have with amethyst crystals.  They are my favorites because I love the color purple and I have carried one for protection for years.  In the last couple of years I've had a hard time hanging on to my amethysts.  I'll have one in a pocket and I'll reach in for it and it's gone!  I don't ever recall dropping them or taking them out somewhere and they seem to just disappear.  One friend suggested that I may have a spell on me that is causing this and another thought I could be flat out cursed because one piece in my home broke a while back which she thought, since it's a stone of protection, would indicate someone cursed me.  Is that true?  Where are my crystals going and why can't I hold on to an amethyst???Blessed Be,Christine

Thank you for your question, Christine!  Believe it or not, yours isn't an uncommon situation.  There are a few things to keep in mind here.  First, each and every stone and crystal has its own energy and "personality" of sorts.  When a particular stone no longer needs to be with us, when it's come to a point of having served us as best it can, it is not at all unusual for the stone to leave us.  This can happen by doing exactly as you've described, basically disappearing into thin air when in fact you may have misplaced it or it may have fallen out of your pocket without you knowing.  This isn't anything to be terribly worried about, though it can be really frustrating, especially if a stone that we are particularly fond of leaves us.  The best thing that we can do is to honor their energy and their work they have done for us by wishing them well and hoping that whomever comes to find them next has the same level of happiness with them that we did.One of the things that I find most interesting about your particular situation is that you're specifically having difficulty with amethyst, a stone you say you've employed for protection for some time.  My first thought here is that one of the reasons you're losing this particular stone is that amethyst is no longer the right stone for protection for you.  I would suggest taking a little time to define for yourself what type of protection your looking for.  While many people use amethyst for protection, it's most often used specifically for protection on a psychic level and for protection against psychic attack and harmful energies that have been specifically directed at them.  If you're looking for a different type of protection then you may want to start trying to work with some other types of crystals more specific to the type of protection you seek.  Here are some to consider:For General/All Purpose Protection: apache tears, black obsidian, hematite, jasper, malachite, snowflake obsidian (my personal favorite for overall protection) and tiger's eye.For Protection from Evil or Negative Forces and Magick: black tourmaline, blue chalcedony, jet, and smokey quartz.For Physical Protection: agate, carnelian, fluorite and smokey quartz.For Physical Protection During Travel: amethyst, aquamarine (for water travel), garnet, malachite (for air travel), and rainbow moonstoneFor Psychic Protection: amethyst, jade, lapis lazuli, prehnite, ruby, and sugilite.For Protecting Your Aura: black tourmaline, labradorite, tiger's eyeOnce you have picked the purpose and stone be sure to cleanse the stone and then begin using it either in the home or carrying it on you for its intended purpose.  But when the stone leaves you, either try again with another of the same or see if your needs for protection have changed.  It's also possible that one particular protective stone just isn't right for your personal energy and therefore it doesn't last while another will.  Sometimes it's just a matter of trial and error even if it takes years.Now, the last thing I wanted to address was the issue of being cursed.  The fact that a piece of amethyst broke in your home does not indicate that you have been cursed, nor does the fact that you keep seeming to part ways with your other pieces of amethyst.  Not knowing the circumstances of the breaking of the piece, the conditions it was kept in and so on, it's hard to speak to the specific causes for that stone breaking.  The mind often goes to the worst possible reason for something and thinking that we have been cursed when a magickal or spiritual tool suddenly breaks or goes missing isn't an uncommon thought.  However, the chances of you being cursed and that being the reason that your amethysts have broken and gone missing is quite unlikely.  Instead I would say that the fact that this just isn't the right protective stone for you right now is more likely and it's time to experiment and explore other options.I hope this helps!  Many blessings of protection to you for the future!