On the obtainment and use of crystals and gemstones (1 Viewer)

[KarlaSM]

When I created the first version of my personal healing manual, I was very excited to witness and experience the efficiency of meditations using crystals and how much my soul aspects and guides have been teaching me about their properties. On the other hand, along with energy fragments associated to timelines in which crystals have played an important part on this process as well as the simple interest in collecting them and their usefulness in the creation of new technologies, this knowledge lead me to a very dramatic discovery.​

It is something we all in general know to some degree but we just don't ponder on the magnitude of the problem and the impact in the present and future of our planet. There is a big ethical dilemma in purchasing crystals even though so far I have not found a material that accelerates the process of removing, integrating and healing the life force in our auric field and etheric body as perfectly as crystals. I will explain the properties of other materials that can be easily used as well for this process though, as other alternatives in future articles.

Throughout history, people have appreciated the precious minerals and gemstones that can be found on Earth in her mountains, caves, soil and even underneath her surface as they are indeed among the most mysterious and astonishing creations we can find, not only because of their physical beauty, but also because of their symmetric forms and patterns and durability. Such properties make them perfect energy conductors.

Unfortunately, mining activity has lead to very devastating effects on several regions in our planet, as well as deplorable conditions for thousands of human beings.

Understanding this cycle started for me at home as a series of unfortunate events. While not all of them are 100% associated to this topic, much of it is related. I will narrate first the series of incidents and create the connections to provide you with information for your consideration as currently, there are so many people around the globe who are collectors of crystals and gemstones in great proportions and do not discriminate where they purchase them and from which regions of our planet where these crystals and gemstones taken.

The Events
In 2012 I bought a few small plants to use them for several purposes. Among those, natural remedies for simple ailments, incense, candles, elaboration of natural oils in the future, tea and spice for foods. They all died except two of a heavy plague caused initially by a fungus. This one began to spread further into the leaves and small branches until they covered most of them. I tried many natural fertilizers and up to this day I am conducting some experiments on the only one that survived as many insights through soul retrieval and research are still coming to the surface. Other topics associated to the case of these plants will be published very soon.

Shortly after, a beautiful aqua aura piece, which has been my favorite for a while, shattered into small points, clusters and pieces one night when I was holding it. I looked for another one online, as I decided what to do with the remaining ones. As I looked for some new pieces, I saw many beautiful ones from Africa, and felt very uneasy as it reminded me of two issues: mine exploitation at the time of the Sumerian civilization in the same region, as well as the current situation of extreme poverty in the whole continent in general.

My broken aqua aura quartz

After I payed for some new pieces, things began complicating with the timing of the whole transaction, until it became a real pain. Meanwhile, more information was being provided through several means. The end result of research, both internal and through external sources is that, during the recent years, as the art of healing through alternative means has been booming, the demand for crystals has increased as well, along with the number of collectors. The latter practice in particular, on the long run can contribute greatly to environmental disaster in many regions of our beautiful planet. Reasons are exposed in greater detail in the following sections, along with many suggestions for a more responsible use of crystals as well as the connection to the incidents described above.

Environmental, Social and Economical Impact of Mining Activity
According to the African Mining Vision Organization the adverse environmental and social impacts of mining are1:

-Mining can radically alter the natural environment by stripping away the ground, and it can add chemicals and other toxic substances
to rivers and wells. Mining, particularly opencast mining, is invariably associated with deforestation, soil erosion, land degradation, air pollution and ecosystem disruption.

-The effects of mining extend beyond the mine itself: farming and fishing and the lived environment around the mines are all changed. Environmental impacts thus become economic and social issues as livelihoods are disrupted.

-Adverse social impacts can include displacement of communities and disruption of livelihoods as mines are opened up, land use is changed and new people arrive.

-Increased poverty through damage to subsistence agriculture.

- Increased internal inequalities within communities between those who benefit directly from the mine and those who do not.

-Economic dependency making local communities vulnerable when the mines closes or scale down its operations.

Historical Background
Ancient Sumeria, Egypt and the Current Situation in Africa and Afghanistan

Our goal in using Earth resources shall always be to keep a balance, but as in so many other areas, the balance in mining activity was long time ago lost. We can remember how in times when Sumeria was flourishing, mining activity was very important. Especially the extraction of gold and gemstones.

"When Johan first introduced me to the ancient stone ruins of southern Africa, I had no idea of the incredible discoveries we would make in the year or two that followed. The photographs, artifacts and evidence we have accumulated points unquestionably to a lost and never-before-seen civilization that predates all others — not by just a few hundred years, or a few thousand years… but many thousands of years. These discoveries are so staggering that they will not be easily digested by the mainstream historical and archaeological fraternity, as we have already experienced. It will require a complete paradigm shift in how we view our human history. “ — Tellinger

“The thousands of ancient gold mines discovered over the past 500 years, points to a vanished civilization that lived and dug for gold in this part of the world for thousands of years,” says Tellinger. “And if this is in fact the cradle of humankind, we may be looking at the activities of the oldest civilization on Earth.”

“I see myself as a fairly open-minded chap but I will admit that it took me well over a year for the penny to drop, and for me to realise that we are actually dealing with the oldest structures ever built by humans on Earth. The main reason for this is that we have been taught that nothing of significance has ever come from southern Africa. That the powerful civilizations all emerged in Sumeria and Egypt and other places. We are told that until the settlement of the BANTU people from the north, which was supposed to have started sometime in the 12th century AD, this part of the world was filled by hunter gatherers and so-called Bushmen, who did not make any major contributions in technology or civilization.” — Tellinger

It would seem that humans have always valued gold. It is even mentioned in the Bible, describing the Garden of Eden’s rivers:

Genesis 2:11 — The name of the first [river] is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

South Africa is known as the largest gold producing country of the world. The largest gold producing area of the world is Witwatersrand, the same region where the ancient metropolis is found. In fact nearby Johannesburg, one of the best known cities of South Africa, is also named “Egoli” which means the city of gold.2

Since then, Africa has been considered one of the places in the world where the most precious metals, minerals and gemstones can be found.

According to Rebecca A. Adler, Marius Claassen, Linda Godfrey, and Anthony R. Turton3:

The first recorded accounts of such disputes can be traced to Sumeria around 3000 BC, although water resources continue to underlie disputes. Due to the continent’s geography and climate, as well as its severe poverty, Africa’s variable and unreliable resources have contributed to numerous conflicts, predominantly water, agriculture, and livestock. Subsequent conflicts between European settlers over access to mineral resources in South Africa magnified problems within the water sector, typified by the blatant use of government policies during the apartheid era to favor the mining industry at the expense of the population majority.

Going back to the ancient Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations, there are many interesting connections to the current mining activity in Afghanistan and political and economical interests being moved in the Middle Eastern region.

Mining in Afghanistan is controlled by the Ministry of Mines and Industry, which is headquartered in Kabul with regional offices in other parts of the country. Afghanistan has over 1400 mineral fields, containing barite, chromite, coal, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, natural gas, petroleum, precious and semiprecious stones, salt, sulfur, talc, zinc among many other minerals. Gemstones include high-quality emerald, lapis lazuli, red garnet and ruby. It is believed that among other things the country holds $3 trillion in untapped mineral deposits.4

The current lands of Egypt and Middle East have in common the desertification of the soil, water scarcity and social unrest.

The last mining boom in Afghanistan was over 2,000 years ago in the era of Alexander the Great, when gold, silver and precious stones were routinely mined. Geologists have known of the extent of the mineral wealth for over a century, as a result of surveys done by the British and Russians. An American company was offered a mining concession over the entire country in the 1930s but turned it down. Despite this historical knowledge, global interest was only really boosted in 2010 when the Pentagon commissioned a report from the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Historical mining concentrated mostly on precious stone production, with some of the oldest known mines in the world believed to have been established in Afghanistan. Lapis lazuli was being mined in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan as early as the 8000 BC.[7] In ancient Egypt, lapis lazuli was a favorite stone for amulets and ornaments such as scarabs and was used in Egypt's pyramids;[8] it was also used in ancient Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians for seals and at neolithic burials in Mehrgarh. During the height of the Indus valley civilization in about 2000 BC, the Harappan colony now known as Shortugai was established near the lapis mines.[9][9] Lapis jewelry has been found at excavations of the Predynastic Egyptian site Naqada (3300–3100 BC), and powdered lapis was used as eyeshadow by Cleopatra.[9] In ancient Mesopotamia, Lapis artifacts can be found in great abundance, with many notable examples having been excavated at the Royal Cemetery of Ur (2600-2500 BC).5

The Current Situation in South America
Not only has mining throughout history caused severe desertification, social unrest, poverty, and environmental degradation in other forms in general in those previously mentioned regions, but also some areas in South America6:

Peru

More than 40 communities with at least 500 families have been devastated by pollution from the Caudalosa mine after a dam near Peru’s Escalera River collapsed last June. The dam’s failure sent over 500 tons of hazardous waste into the River and its tributaries. The poisoning of these waters has threatened the existence of the communities who depend on them to sustain their main economic activities: farming and fishing. No environmental clean‑up has occurred despite numerous calls for action from community leaders.

Bolivia

In April 2009, the multinational Korea Resource Corporation made an agreement with a Bolivian state-owned company to exploit new copper deposits through an open-pit mining operation for a period of 30 years. The agreement was made without consulting the Ayamara Pakajaqi indigenous people who own the affected territory or even conducting an environmental impact assessment.

Colombia

The U.S.-owned Muriel Mining Company has built a mine within the sacred territory of the Embera people, on the border of the Choco and Antioquia departments in Colombia. This was done without any consultation with the indigenous community.

“The community was not sufficiently informed about the project, the consequences and its impact,” said Javier Sanches Reyes of the Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia (ONIC). “Since the beginning they have been opposed to the execution of this project by this company.”

According to ONIC, there have been forced displacements, the territory has been militarized, and leaders who have spoken out about these human rights violations have become targets of harassment. Specifically, the right to free, prior and informed consent has been violated, as well as the right to territory and the right to life.

Can we keep the balance?
As mentioned in the first paragraphs of this article, the most efficient tool we can use to accelerate the process of soul retrieval with our guides is one or more crystals. I had been wondering though, if for so many years we, the awakened people whohave been buying them, in either small or large quantities, how can we assist our beloved Earth in restoring her balance, if for so long her crust has been damaged as consequence of the extraction of her treasures and in turn has had severe consequences for several communities?

I would only suggest at this point, to stop buying crystals if we already have a few we can use, and mostly, if we plan to buy more, to avoid buying the ones that are extracted from regions such as Africa, the Middle East, South America, regions in North America that have experienced severe desertification and many other threatened regions. If you notice, so many of these regions also have in common severe social and economic conditions for their inhabitants.

While trying to solve the problem of the plagued pots, I understood that one of the reasons why plagues affect certain areas, like forests and crops is because the soil has lost so many of its minerals that plants grow unable to create their own immune system due to the lack of such minerals. Eventually the soil becomes unproductive and along with water scarcity, desertification is the end result in the long run.

My dear friend Maryann Rada, suggests some very simple ways in which we can all contribute greatly:

-Grid our cities by placing the crystals in some strategic points when we no longer plan to use them.

-Create some crystal swaps with friends and family.

-Place them in pots where we can grow plants.

If we can repair our auras, activate our DNA and heal our etheric, mental, emotional and physical bodies, the need to use crystals will be reduced to a minimum in our healing practices in the future, and we can proceed then to use them responsibly for other purposes.

Bibiography:

1. Mining in Africa: Managing the Impacts, Bulletin 5, African Mining Vision Organization, http://www.africaminingvision.org/amv_resources/ISGbulletin5.pdf

2. Could the Annunaki Really Have Enslaved Humans for Gold Mining 200,000 Years Ago? doctorwordsworth, http://jotsc.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/could-the-annunaki-really-have-enslaved-humans-for-gold-mining-200000-years-ago/

3. Rebecca A. Adler, Marius Claassen, Linda Godfrey, and Anthony R. Turton; Water, mining, and waste: an historical and economic perspective on conflict management in South Africa, The economics of peace and security journal, 2007, http://www.ehrn.co.za/publications/download/119.pdf

4. Mining in Afghanistan, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_in_Afghanistan

5. Ibid

6. Mining Industry in South America Threatens Indigenous Communities, Indian Law Resource Center, Mining Industry in South America Threatens Indigenous Communities | Indian Law Resource Center

7. Clay Tablets, Nibiru - Planet X - the Anunnaki - Sumerian Mythology, taken from: Planet X Nibiru and the Anunnaki of Sumerian Mythology

8. Image taken from: Primitive Way to Extract Gold From the Mines of Africa, http://thesoulretrievalguide.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/primitivewaytoextractgoldfromtheminesofafrica11.jpg

 

[Lila]

Thank you for starting this much-needed conversation, KarlaSM !
It is timely for me as it is something that I have been pondering, particularly this last week.

I love that you have included some suggested steps to start with

Perhaps there is also value in getting to know your crystal sellers and asking them these harder questions in hopes of widening the ripples of conversation/awareness? It seems that we've seen how a trend of anonymity in interactions allows for an abdication of responsibility. That seems much less likely to happen in smaller, community-oriented face-to-face interactions, particularly if the initial interactions are initiated with a goal of local sovereignty in mind.
It would seem fitting if the community of folks interested in purchasing crystals were to lead an effort of this sort, wouldn't it? After all, we've seen that asking these types of questions and putting our purchase dollars where our values are can really make a difference when the food movement started asking for local, sustainable, organic, etc.

 

[KarlaSM]

Thank you for starting this much-needed conversation, KarlaSM !
It is timely for me as it is something that I have been pondering, particularly this last week.

I love that you have included some suggested steps to start with

Perhaps there is also value in getting to know your crystal sellers and asking them these harder questions in hopes of widening the ripples of conversation/awareness? It seems that we've seen how a trend of anonymity in interactions allows for an abdication of responsibility. That seems much less likely to happen in smaller, community-oriented face-to-face interactions, particularly if the initial interactions are initiated with a goal of local sovereignty in mind.
It would seem fitting if the community of folks interested in purchasing crystals were to lead an effort of this sort, wouldn't it? After all, we've seen that asking these types of questions and putting our purchase dollars where our values are can really make a difference when the food movement started asking for local, sustainable, organic, etc.

Lila thank you so much for your comments. That is a good idea, perhaps not all sellers would be open to answer these questions but I guess that we can start by asking where the crystals come from, and then as you say, we can then decide what to do with our money. As consumers we always have choices, so the less we demand certain crystals, the less supply we would have at some point.

Perhaps most people who are aware of the metaphysical properties of crystals only buy a few...but some people really tend to accumulate them, even in very large sizes without the awareness of how harmful this is for the balance of the soil and the environment in general. Without the part about mining labor force.

 

[KarlaSM]

This is the second part of this article, but I placed it in another board because of the broader topics discussed:

https://transients.info/roundtable/threads/earths-healing-and-our-connection-to-the-natural-kingdoms.1314/

 

[Kristy]

I have a degree in horticulture and what could have caused the issue with the plants was they were possibly too wet and not in a place where they were able to dry out completely and too humid as those are main factors that cause a fungus.

While I agree with the fact of being against how some crystals are removed, via slavery, and not care in the process, I also think that they are still ok to have because if they were not then we would not be able to access them as easily. I purchase everything I have through people with whom I know exactly how the process is happening, and through my own personal removal "rockhoundung." I wont buy from big box type places or even from certain countries UNLESS I know the person who is doing the collecting their self.

I create many different things with crystals but for healing efforts and my intention is pure. I know I cannot control who then gets them from me but I am a firm believer that they go to where they are needed most and even when they have done their work with us that they move on and go back to the earth or to be found by someone else.

I commend you on your research and putting up a thread that can be a very touchy subject too.

 

[KarlaSM]

Kristy thank you so much for your comments, insights and your experience with crystals. Previously I had an interesting conversation with Krena and Laron about this and they also shared some very interesting insights.

I see that there can be so many angles to this just like other major topics. I really feel that the way you, Krena, Laron and so many others use crystals is indeed perfectly fine, positive and even healing, because as you said and as I personally said to Laron and Krena you all use them for a greater good, and it ends up being like an exchange between you and Earth. There is a certain balance and harmony in these activities.

Krena does very beautiful jewelry, I could sense while seeing each piece the love in her creations.

I very much want this information to reach certain people, not to raise a bad feeling in them, but just a little awareness about this kind of balance between Earth resources and us.

I was telling Laron and Krena that what I personally witnessed many years ago were some people filling entire large rooms with crystals of all size including the biggest ones you can imagine, and they were just keeping them there, without any use. There are also other people who collect them without even knowing about healing practices, or a general interest in spirituality. But likely, those individuals would not even come across this information, precisely because of their lack of interest.

Your input helps me to write better things in the future, based more not just on my own experiences but also on what people share with me, from whom I can always learn a great deal.

Another thing that can happen while raising this issue is that even if we ourselves feel that we are doing the right thing, maybe in the event we come across a situation in which we can let others know about this issue, we could talk to people and share this information with them.

As for the plants, more than a problem with water, it was both a problem with water and most definitely lack of nutrients because I was using a very plain soil. I noticed that my lavender recovered so fast after adding the crystals and more natural nutrients to it. It really made the difference.

Blessings to you all and thank you for sharing your life experiences in relationship to your use of crystals, I always have something to learn and understand from others.

 

[Anaeika]

Thanks so much for sharing this. I am also concerned about sourcing, so your post is very helpful. Also, Kryon has a similar message of how we don't need the crystals & that we can obtain their powerful attributes by going within.

When I created the first version of my personal healing manual, I was very excited to witness and experience the efficiency of meditations using crystals and how much my soul aspects and guides have been teaching me about their properties. On the other hand, along with energy fragments associated to timelines in which crystals have played an important part on this process as well as the simple interest in collecting them and their usefulness in the creation of new technologies, this knowledge lead me to a very dramatic discovery.​

It is something we all in general know to some degree but we just don't ponder on the magnitude of the problem and the impact in the present and future of our planet. There is a big ethical dilemma in purchasing crystals even though so far I have not found a material that accelerates the process of removing, integrating and healing the life force in our auric field and etheric body as perfectly as crystals. I will explain the properties of other materials that can be easily used as well for this process though, as other alternatives in future articles.

Throughout history, people have appreciated the precious minerals and gemstones that can be found on Earth in her mountains, caves, soil and even underneath her surface as they are indeed among the most mysterious and astonishing creations we can find, not only because of their physical beauty, but also because of their symmetric forms and patterns and durability. Such properties make them perfect energy conductors.

Unfortunately, mining activity has lead to very devastating effects on several regions in our planet, as well as deplorable conditions for thousands of human beings.

Understanding this cycle started for me at home as a series of unfortunate events. While not all of them are 100% associated to this topic, much of it is related. I will narrate first the series of incidents and create the connections to provide you with information for your consideration as currently, there are so many people around the globe who are collectors of crystals and gemstones in great proportions and do not discriminate where they purchase them and from which regions of our planet where these crystals and gemstones taken.

The Events
In 2012 I bought a few small plants to use them for several purposes. Among those, natural remedies for simple ailments, incense, candles, elaboration of natural oils in the future, tea and spice for foods. They all died except two of a heavy plague caused initially by a fungus. This one began to spread further into the leaves and small branches until they covered most of them. I tried many natural fertilizers and up to this day I am conducting some experiments on the only one that survived as many insights through soul retrieval and research are still coming to the surface. Other topics associated to the case of these plants will be published very soon.

Shortly after, a beautiful aqua aura piece, which has been my favorite for a while, shattered into small points, clusters and pieces one night when I was holding it. I looked for another one online, as I decided what to do with the remaining ones. As I looked for some new pieces, I saw many beautiful ones from Africa, and felt very uneasy as it reminded me of two issues: mine exploitation at the time of the Sumerian civilization in the same region, as well as the current situation of extreme poverty in the whole continent in general.

My broken aqua aura quartz

After I payed for some new pieces, things began complicating with the timing of the whole transaction, until it became a real pain. Meanwhile, more information was being provided through several means. The end result of research, both internal and through external sources is that, during the recent years, as the art of healing through alternative means has been booming, the demand for crystals has increased as well, along with the number of collectors. The latter practice in particular, on the long run can contribute greatly to environmental disaster in many regions of our beautiful planet. Reasons are exposed in greater detail in the following sections, along with many suggestions for a more responsible use of crystals as well as the connection to the incidents described above.

Environmental, Social and Economical Impact of Mining Activity
According to the African Mining Vision Organization the adverse environmental and social impacts of mining are1:

-Mining can radically alter the natural environment by stripping away the ground, and it can add chemicals and other toxic substances
to rivers and wells. Mining, particularly opencast mining, is invariably associated with deforestation, soil erosion, land degradation, air pollution and ecosystem disruption.

-The effects of mining extend beyond the mine itself: farming and fishing and the lived environment around the mines are all changed. Environmental impacts thus become economic and social issues as livelihoods are disrupted.

-Adverse social impacts can include displacement of communities and disruption of livelihoods as mines are opened up, land use is changed and new people arrive.

-Increased poverty through damage to subsistence agriculture.

- Increased internal inequalities within communities between those who benefit directly from the mine and those who do not.

-Economic dependency making local communities vulnerable when the mines closes or scale down its operations.

Historical Background
Ancient Sumeria, Egypt and the Current Situation in Africa and Afghanistan

Our goal in using Earth resources shall always be to keep a balance, but as in so many other areas, the balance in mining activity was long time ago lost. We can remember how in times when Sumeria was flourishing, mining activity was very important. Especially the extraction of gold and gemstones.

"When Johan first introduced me to the ancient stone ruins of southern Africa, I had no idea of the incredible discoveries we would make in the year or two that followed. The photographs, artifacts and evidence we have accumulated points unquestionably to a lost and never-before-seen civilization that predates all others — not by just a few hundred years, or a few thousand years… but many thousands of years. These discoveries are so staggering that they will not be easily digested by the mainstream historical and archaeological fraternity, as we have already experienced. It will require a complete paradigm shift in how we view our human history. “ — Tellinger

“The thousands of ancient gold mines discovered over the past 500 years, points to a vanished civilization that lived and dug for gold in this part of the world for thousands of years,” says Tellinger. “And if this is in fact the cradle of humankind, we may be looking at the activities of the oldest civilization on Earth.”

“I see myself as a fairly open-minded chap but I will admit that it took me well over a year for the penny to drop, and for me to realise that we are actually dealing with the oldest structures ever built by humans on Earth. The main reason for this is that we have been taught that nothing of significance has ever come from southern Africa. That the powerful civilizations all emerged in Sumeria and Egypt and other places. We are told that until the settlement of the BANTU people from the north, which was supposed to have started sometime in the 12th century AD, this part of the world was filled by hunter gatherers and so-called Bushmen, who did not make any major contributions in technology or civilization.” — Tellinger

It would seem that humans have always valued gold. It is even mentioned in the Bible, describing the Garden of Eden’s rivers:

Genesis 2:11 — The name of the first [river] is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

South Africa is known as the largest gold producing country of the world. The largest gold producing area of the world is Witwatersrand, the same region where the ancient metropolis is found. In fact nearby Johannesburg, one of the best known cities of South Africa, is also named “Egoli” which means the city of gold.2

Since then, Africa has been considered one of the places in the world where the most precious metals, minerals and gemstones can be found.

According to Rebecca A. Adler, Marius Claassen, Linda Godfrey, and Anthony R. Turton3:

The first recorded accounts of such disputes can be traced to Sumeria around 3000 BC, although water resources continue to underlie disputes. Due to the continent’s geography and climate, as well as its severe poverty, Africa’s variable and unreliable resources have contributed to numerous conflicts, predominantly water, agriculture, and livestock. Subsequent conflicts between European settlers over access to mineral resources in South Africa magnified problems within the water sector, typified by the blatant use of government policies during the apartheid era to favor the mining industry at the expense of the population majority.

Going back to the ancient Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations, there are many interesting connections to the current mining activity in Afghanistan and political and economical interests being moved in the Middle Eastern region.

Mining in Afghanistan is controlled by the Ministry of Mines and Industry, which is headquartered in Kabul with regional offices in other parts of the country. Afghanistan has over 1400 mineral fields, containing barite, chromite, coal, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, natural gas, petroleum, precious and semiprecious stones, salt, sulfur, talc, zinc among many other minerals. Gemstones include high-quality emerald, lapis lazuli, red garnet and ruby. It is believed that among other things the country holds $3 trillion in untapped mineral deposits.4

The current lands of Egypt and Middle East have in common the desertification of the soil, water scarcity and social unrest.

The last mining boom in Afghanistan was over 2,000 years ago in the era of Alexander the Great, when gold, silver and precious stones were routinely mined. Geologists have known of the extent of the mineral wealth for over a century, as a result of surveys done by the British and Russians. An American company was offered a mining concession over the entire country in the 1930s but turned it down. Despite this historical knowledge, global interest was only really boosted in 2010 when the Pentagon commissioned a report from the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Historical mining concentrated mostly on precious stone production, with some of the oldest known mines in the world believed to have been established in Afghanistan. Lapis lazuli was being mined in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan as early as the 8000 BC.[7] In ancient Egypt, lapis lazuli was a favorite stone for amulets and ornaments such as scarabs and was used in Egypt's pyramids;[8] it was also used in ancient Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians for seals and at neolithic burials in Mehrgarh. During the height of the Indus valley civilization in about 2000 BC, the Harappan colony now known as Shortugai was established near the lapis mines.[9][9] Lapis jewelry has been found at excavations of the Predynastic Egyptian site Naqada (3300–3100 BC), and powdered lapis was used as eyeshadow by Cleopatra.[9] In ancient Mesopotamia, Lapis artifacts can be found in great abundance, with many notable examples having been excavated at the Royal Cemetery of Ur (2600-2500 BC).5

The Current Situation in South America
Not only has mining throughout history caused severe desertification, social unrest, poverty, and environmental degradation in other forms in general in those previously mentioned regions, but also some areas in South America6:

Peru

More than 40 communities with at least 500 families have been devastated by pollution from the Caudalosa mine after a dam near Peru’s Escalera River collapsed last June. The dam’s failure sent over 500 tons of hazardous waste into the River and its tributaries. The poisoning of these waters has threatened the existence of the communities who depend on them to sustain their main economic activities: farming and fishing. No environmental clean‑up has occurred despite numerous calls for action from community leaders.

Bolivia

In April 2009, the multinational Korea Resource Corporation made an agreement with a Bolivian state-owned company to exploit new copper deposits through an open-pit mining operation for a period of 30 years. The agreement was made without consulting the Ayamara Pakajaqi indigenous people who own the affected territory or even conducting an environmental impact assessment.

Colombia

The U.S.-owned Muriel Mining Company has built a mine within the sacred territory of the Embera people, on the border of the Choco and Antioquia departments in Colombia. This was done without any consultation with the indigenous community.

“The community was not sufficiently informed about the project, the consequences and its impact,” said Javier Sanches Reyes of the Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia (ONIC). “Since the beginning they have been opposed to the execution of this project by this company.”

According to ONIC, there have been forced displacements, the territory has been militarized, and leaders who have spoken out about these human rights violations have become targets of harassment. Specifically, the right to free, prior and informed consent has been violated, as well as the right to territory and the right to life.

Can we keep the balance?
As mentioned in the first paragraphs of this article, the most efficient tool we can use to accelerate the process of soul retrieval with our guides is one or more crystals. I had been wondering though, if for so many years we, the awakened people whohave been buying them, in either small or large quantities, how can we assist our beloved Earth in restoring her balance, if for so long her crust has been damaged as consequence of the extraction of her treasures and in turn has had severe consequences for several communities?

I would only suggest at this point, to stop buying crystals if we already have a few we can use, and mostly, if we plan to buy more, to avoid buying the ones that are extracted from regions such as Africa, the Middle East, South America, regions in North America that have experienced severe desertification and many other threatened regions. If you notice, so many of these regions also have in common severe social and economic conditions for their inhabitants.

While trying to solve the problem of the plagued pots, I understood that one of the reasons why plagues affect certain areas, like forests and crops is because the soil has lost so many of its minerals that plants grow unable to create their own immune system due to the lack of such minerals. Eventually the soil becomes unproductive and along with water scarcity, desertification is the end result in the long run.

My dear friend Maryann Rada, suggests some very simple ways in which we can all contribute greatly:

-Grid our cities by placing the crystals in some strategic points when we no longer plan to use them.

-Create some crystal swaps with friends and family.

-Place them in pots where we can grow plants.

If we can repair our auras, activate our DNA and heal our etheric, mental, emotional and physical bodies, the need to use crystals will be reduced to a minimum in our healing practices in the future, and we can proceed then to use them responsibly for other purposes.

Bibiography:

1. Mining in Africa: Managing the Impacts, Bulletin 5, African Mining Vision Organization, http://www.africaminingvision.org/amv_resources/ISGbulletin5.pdf

2. Could the Annunaki Really Have Enslaved Humans for Gold Mining 200,000 Years Ago? doctorwordsworth, http://jotsc.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/could-the-annunaki-really-have-enslaved-humans-for-gold-mining-200000-years-ago/

3. Rebecca A. Adler, Marius Claassen, Linda Godfrey, and Anthony R. Turton; Water, mining, and waste: an historical and economic perspective on conflict management in South Africa, The economics of peace and security journal, 2007, http://www.ehrn.co.za/publications/download/119.pdf

4. Mining in Afghanistan, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_in_Afghanistan

5. Ibid

6. Mining Industry in South America Threatens Indigenous Communities, Indian Law Resource Center, Mining Industry in South America Threatens Indigenous Communities | Indian Law Resource Center

7. Clay Tablets, Nibiru - Planet X - the Anunnaki - Sumerian Mythology, taken from: Planet X Nibiru and the Anunnaki of Sumerian Mythology

8. Image taken from: Primitive Way to Extract Gold From the Mines of Africa, http://thesoulretrievalguide.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/primitivewaytoextractgoldfromtheminesofafrica11.jpg