The bell above the door twinkled, and Helen looked up from her book. She quietly watched the girl enter the shop, noticing her bowed head and hunched shoulders. Helen felt a nudge of Knowing, that this girl in particular she needed to help. She glanced over at Sebastian, who was snoozing on the counter. “Watch the register, Seb,” she said, and the cat flicked his tail in acceptance.
Helen drifted slowly toward the girl, who had been standing near the crystals for a minute, as if transfixed.
“Hello,” Helen said softly, “welcome in. Is there anything I can help you find?”
The girl jumped at Helen’s voice, and Helen felt a wave of anxiety crash over her. She braced herself, and let the energy tell her about the girl. This girl was so overwhelmed with her life, with school, with family, with work, that she was falling apart. Helen had seen so many like her come through lately. What was it about the current state of the world that had all the young people so miserable and wrung out? They were supposed to be in their prime, living life freely, with joy.
“Um, no, I’m fine. I should probably go, anyway,” the girl mumbled, turning to leave. But Helen caught the look of longing she gave the crystal display as she turned.
“Do you have any crystals yourself, or are you a new practitioner?” Helen asked, trying to keep the girl here. To help her. The girl turned back.
“What? Oh, no, I don’t have any crystals. I- no, it’s stupid. I-” The girl couldn’t even get a sentence out.
Helen took a step forward, and the girl flinched. What had happened to this poor person? Helen’s heart broke for her.
“Well, I could help you get started, if you’d like.”
The girl looked from her to the crystals, then nodded slowly.
Helen took that as a good sign, and directed her attention to the crystals as well. “Now, which ones speak to you? Which crystals are you drawn to? Which can you almost feel in your hand right now?”
The girl looked startled. “What? You aren’t going to, just, tell me which ones I need? There’s not like, a starter pack or something?”
Helen smiled softly. “There is, but I usually encourage people to select their own crystals. The crystals often know what we need more than we do.”
The girl stared at her for a moment, then looked back at the crystals, her cheeks slightly pink.
“I- I don’t know…” she stammered.
“Yes, you do,” Helen said, reassuringly. “The crystals that want to work with you are speaking to you. You just need to listen.”
The girl frowned, then reached out slowly and picked up a piece of citrine. The yellow crystal fit snugly in her hand, and her frown lessened slightly.
“A wise choice. Citrine will help you bring in positive energy, and it doesn’t need to be cleansed as other stones do,” Helen murmured.
The girl flashed her a quick, small smile, then went back to the crystals. Her hand reached out again, brushing over some small pink stones. She picked one up, tentatively, then put it quickly back. She seemed to hesitate, then reached back into the small basket, searching for something. Finally she pulled back, a small rose quartz in her palm. She seemed to weigh it in her hand, waiting for something. She reached out, as if to put it back, but stopped herself.
“What is this one?” she asked, and Helen was pleased to hear that some of the nerves had left her voice.
“Rose quartz. The stone of love,” she smiled as the girl blushed, and her hand inched closer to the basket. “It’s not just for finding love with another, although it helps with that as well. It is also a stone associated with self-love, self-compassion. Something we all need these days, right?”
The girl nodded, and tightened her hold on the rose quartz. She looked around once more, and took a few steps closer to get a better look at the rest of the crystals. Her hand darted out, and she picked up a piece of tiger’s eye, which winked at her with its rich brown stripes.
“Tiger’s eye,” Helen supplied, “a stone for prosperity. You have a good eye. This combination will help you see the world in a more positive way, will open you up to experiences and people, and love and security will follow.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “Really? Just with these three little rocks?”
“Not just, there will be some work on your end involved. But if you work with these crystals, keep them close, meditate on their energy, their meaning, you can start making positive change in your life,” Helen said, smiling as a light flickered back to life in the girl’s eyes. The girl asked questions as they walked to the register, and Helen was happy to answer them as she processed the transaction. The girl thanked her, pet Sebastian lightly on the head, and turned to leave the store. As she reached the door, she paused.
“Thank you,” she said, and Helen felt the intensity behind the words. The girl smiled, a real, happy smile, and walked out into the sunlight.
“Well,” Sebastian said, as he readjusted his position on the counter. “That seemed to go well. I’ll never understand why they are all so gloomy when they come in here.”
“Well, Seb, you are a cat. You don’t have the same expectations weighing on you as they do. This world isn’t friendly to the young or the sensitive anymore,” Helen said with a sigh, her eyes still on the door.
“Was it ever?” Sebastian shot back, licking his paws absentmindedly. Helen grimaced at his words, but couldn’t refute his point.
© The Lightning Tower, 2020