Astrology Collectibles & Reviews

Reviews

I got the item just one day after estimated delivery, so not bad. Item looks very much like picture, but some scratch marks like made from a tool or little gouges in several places and I was expecting very smooth, as ordered this as a gift. But really minor. And on the plus side, size was very much as expected and did come in a very nice pouch with information, so I'm sure gift was appreciated. I just wish didn't have the scratches and was polished more smoothly. WOULD use vendor again because nicely wrapped, info included and nice customer service.

Reviews

This no doubt a pretty book; but it is not in my opinion a field guide or technical science book. It is my opinion then that it shouldn't be showing up in searches for field guides...which are the technical science oriented books that one would take along to identify "things" like birds, rocks, trees when taking a field trip. This looks to me to be a metaphysical or spiritual book and should be catagorized as such by Amazon. I don't think it's fair to authors of field guides (like me) to have numerous metaphysical books showing up in the ranking of field guides and offsetting the rankings.

this book covers most well-known stones as well as some not so familiar, and gives come "channeled" information which I had never heard before. Curious book, but useful.

I love this book! I own other stone reference books but none are as informative as this one. Great, easily identifiable pictures and in-depth descriptions make this one, by far, my favorite. It costs more than some of the others but is so much more extensive that this is the only one you need for everything you want to know. I wish I had bought this one first and saved the money I spent on the others!

This is an excellant book for anyone interested in gemstones. There is so much information. I bought it for myself and let a friend borrow it. She liked mine so much, she ordered one for herself! Highly recommend this book!The Book of Stones: Who They Are & What They Teach

This is the most amazing, informative stone book I have ever seen. The two authors each give a synopsis of each stone, and the pictures are just beautiful. The only down side is this book makes me want to buy every stone!

Reviews

I have the original book that Mr. Simmons published and keep it close at hand. This book covers many of the new stones that I have purchased and had to keep the description documents from the seller near by to remember the name/purpose. This book describes the new stones in his usual descriptive style. He even instructs how to use the stones. Its a very informative and good book. I recommend if you have the newer stones/crystals/minerals. Mr. Simmons does his usual wonderful job and the photos are great.

Although the format of the book is respectable (with the exception of the small text font size), Simmons' book left me with questions that do not agree with all of the first four reviewers. I don't raise question to the physical book itself and its textual commentary but to a perceived undercurrent motive intended for the self-promotion of Heaven and Earth LLC catalog of over-priced crystals. Ascension-assisting stones should with full intention be offered free to all but if that is not extended then they should be priced at a level accessible to the entire community that journeys towards an ascending existence. The only thing that I concede is priced reasonably by Simmons' is this book itself. I bought it for $16 which, even though I don't support its overall perspective, was a fair pricing. I suspect the book is sold at cost to guide the reader to the catalog......just my take. I struggle with Simmons' lists of stones that are classified as "new". I still remain undecided as to their actual effectiveness and energetic property field. I do not feel comfortable supporting his position on his "new" stones simply because he positions them as beneficial. More interaction with them is needed to understand the level of their effectiveness and their energies. For those considering this book- An overview of the chapters are: -A New Crystal Vision -The New Consciousness & the Soul of the World -What's Going on Here? -The Liquid Crystal Body Matrix -The Body of Light & The Great Crystal Sun -Crystal Meditations -Healing with the Stones -Waters of Life: Crystal Waters and Elixirs -Crystal Tools & Jewelry -The Tale of the Azez -Co-Creation & Transfiguration I don't normally cast this slant on my reviews but I want to encourage the reader to continue considering other books on stones and to not feel compelled to overspend when purchasing Gaia's gifts of crystals that continue to assist us at just the time we are in need of them most. Gaia's stones and crystals are gifts of consciousness coming to assist us and if anyone in the business of selling the stones is fully holding a consciousness field of higher good then why should the pricings exclude so many in need of them? I end by offering two books that despite all that I have read, still remain at the front of my shelves and to which I consistently refer... Two alternative reading suggestions are Judy Hall's "Crystal Bible" and Melody's "Love is in the Earth". Namaste and Inlakesh. Reclaim the fullness of your sacredness.

When I first saw this book comeout, I asked myself, "Do you really need another stone book?" Fortunately, I bought it anyway and it is a turning pointing my life! If you want to start getting some of the science blending with the spiritual regarding stones, this is a fabulous book. If you want to get to the next level of understanding and working with stones--this is a must have book. We all know the energies are changing and this book can help you enter into these new freuencies. It is well written and, as with his other stone book, the photographs are beautiful. If you're looking for the "best" book on stones, this is it!

I have been reading and collecting books on the spiritual aspects of the mineral kingdom for quite some time, and few really encompass the holistic vision and evolutionary pretense for which this book aims. Robert Simmons obviously undertook a vast amount of research in order to provide for us a new text for co-creating with crystals and opening to our spiritual potential. Unlike other texts, this is not a "such-and-such-stone-heals-this-condition" kind of book. It is a book that recounts personal experience with sixty-two varieties of gem materials useful for expanding our spiritual potential as human beings and transforming the world around us. Simmons recounts his personal meditations with the stones, such that readers may be able to experience them, and also provides basic mineralogical descriptions, the background/history/folklore behind each stone present, and it's potential as a stone for attuning us to higher levels. Every entry is accompanied by a quick-reference of its qualities, elemental associations, more than one photo of each stone, and a personal message directly from that particular crystalline being (reminiscent of Virtue and Lukomski's book or those by the Twintreess). The preparatory chapters leading to the compendium of stones are likely worth the price of the book alone. Simmons dissects the myths and legends surrounding stones in order to interpret them in a manner relevant to our time. He provides insight into the crystalline nature of biological systems and how they may interact with the mineral kingdom, and he also provides information about how to apply crystals within different methodologies, from creating crystal elixirs, to wearing jewelry and working with energy tools and grids. I'd love to give this book five stars; it is exquisitely photographed and is a great companion to either (or both) editions of the Book of Stones. However, there are a few drawbacks. Many of the energy tools, jewelry pieces, and crystal grids are very elaborate and not very well explained. This makes it difficult to recreate them on one's own. The reader is often referred to seek further information, and thus consider purchasing, these tools directly from the author's company. The grids are beautiful and complex to look at, but with relatively small illustrations and only a brief list of the components, it is likely a challenge to recreate them precisely. Also, of the more than sixty stones included therein, more than one quarter of them are names given to them by Heaven and Earth (the name of the author's business), or are trade names that do NOT reflect the composition, origin, or structure of the mineral truthfully. One example is the lengthy entry on Azeztulite, a spiritual name reflecting special spiritual properties applied to otherwise common quartz. Since the advent of its discovery, there are multiple varieties of Azeztulite available, all of it sourced ultimately from Heaven and Earth Distributing for a frequently exorbitant price. Simmons even goes so far as to suggest that since more quartz, even the common igneous and metamorphic rocks presented in this book as rare gems, is elevating its frequency to become Azeztulite it might be possible that one day ALL quartz may do so. If this is the case, then what necessitates a special name and high cost? As a mineralogist, this concept of renaming common materials can be upsetting, especially when taken within the context of quartz being among the most common of all materials in the Earth's crust. Aside from the challenges presented in this text, it is a beautiful and inspiring work. I found myself surprised by some of the minerals chosen from this work. Many old classics to collectors of minerals are really coming into their own within spiritual contexts now. There are plenty of newer additions to our toolkits coming to light as well, showing us that the Earth Mother is looking out for us.

This book lists both stones and the gems you'd buy in jewelry. It is more informative than others I have read. All color pictures help you identify your stones acurately. It is a thick and heavy book not good for reading on the train, definietly a desk book for me. Well worth the investment.

Reviews

This was sent immediately and was received in a couple days. in good condition too

This book is THE definitive guide to working magic with crystals and gemstones. Cunningham presents a whole curriculum of working with stones and their meanings in this all-in-one reference "field guide". The first few chapters cover the basics of stones and metals and gives a bit of magical background. He also shares how he collected some of his information and provides some tips for becoming a seasoned rock collector. Cunningham then dives headfirst into the practical uses for stones and metals. First he explains how to buy stones and how to get the best deals, from haggling in swap meets to store purchases. An appendix in the back of the book lists a few select places to purchase stones. He also suggests ways to interact with stones by in how one selects, attunes and cleanses them. There is even a chapter devoted to divination and another on spells. The exercises are fun to do and do not require lots of pagan wisdom or background training. One could base an entire magical practice just on this book alone. The rest of the book explores the different crystals, gems and metals. Cunningham divides these sections into two chapters. One contains crystals and gemstones, and the other has the metals. The sections are alphabetized by the rock's and metal's common names. For example, to find information on Bloodstones, you'd look the stone up with that familiar name. Cunningham also references the folk names of each item. Each entry contains a list of stones and their associations to planets, colors, days, etc. followed by a quick summary of power associations. All this information is used to match the best stone or metal with what you intend to use it for. After these quick summaries, Cunningham goes into great detail and depth with his explanations on the magic and background lore of each. The center of the book contains a colorful guide displaying "best" examples of some of the stones. I found this color-inset useful as I was reading through the text and trying to grasp a mental image of what each and every stone looked like. A quick Reference Table follows these chapters summarizing all the book's information. Not all stones are covered in this book. Not all stones have the same information either. However, Cunningham does try to thoroughly cover each stone he does list with as much information about it as he can. Some stone lore includes ideas for healing with the stones; some include simple spells one can do with the stone. The book focuses solely on naturally occurring stones and metals; it does not cover man-made or dyed stones (like the Goldstone). I believe that this book should be included in the library of anyone who is interested in the spiritual aspects of stones and metals--as the information contained is some of the best and most practical information on using stones and metals in magic on the market. I also believe that the lore and stories Cunningham provides for the stones also makes this book fun to read by anyone, not just pagans or witches.

Another, winner from Scott Cunningham. Full of information on it's titled subject. Not only of what types of crystal's and gem's but there meaning and colors and what the color's meaning as well.

If you want to know about crystals, gems and metal magic, turn to Scott Cunningham. He has put together another well written and informative reference book that you will use often. My only disappointment is that it did not have more pictures of the various crystals ad gemstones available, until I discovered that you really do need to find a reputable gemstone supplier that can provide alot of that information as crystals and gemstones are like everything else in nature, unique in every way...

This review is specifically of the Kindle edition of the book. I've had a paper edition for ages, and decided to get it on Kindle as an experiment in moving some of my reference texts over to that format. Sadly, the Kindle edition leaves something to be desired. It does have a working table of contents, which will do for someone who wants to read the book cover to cover or refer to chapters focused on regular text. However, more than half of the book is in encyclopedia form - and since the encyclopedic section is all in one chapter and the work has not been indexed, there is effectively no way to jump to a particular stone or metal! This makes it difficult to impossible to use as a reference, unless one were to go through and set all the bookmarks for oneself - and there are limits even to that, because the Kindle doesn't want more than one bookmark to a page, and since some entries are very short, this means that not every entry can be separately marked. If this is typical of how Llewellyn books are being translated for Kindle, I am going to be very hesistant to get any of the other books that are reference-type, which is going to eliminate lots of encylcopedias and spellbooks. And since that's a lot of what Llewellyn offers in Witchcraft - well, oops. It's too bad.