I particularly love the beauty of our natural world, especially in the form of stones, rocks, gems, and crystals. These things have been used to decorate the human person and our household wares for eons. Sometimes, we even find them in our churches, and their purpose is to decorate and honor those items which hold the holy things, such as the body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in the chalice and on the other objects on the altar of our church during mass.
The above picture is of a chalice that was the property of my 30th Great Grandaunt, daughter of my 31st Great Grandfather, Ferdinand I "The Great" King of Leon. Her brother, Alfonso, was my 30th great grandfather. How I wish I had inherited THIS particular family jewel. It was purported to have been constructed of the cup from which Christ drank, and another cup, both made of semi-precious onyx stone, gold and gems. It was in the possession of the Basilica of San Isidoro in Leon for a thousand years before authors Margarita Torres and Jose Ortega widely advertised in their book the possibility that this chalice was actually THE Holy Grail.
In 2014, when Torres and Ortega aired their suspicion, it caused a considerable uproar. Most authorities dismiss the claim, and there are another 200 or more supposed "Holy Grails" scattered across Europe.
No matter WHO was the original owner of the chalice and its pieces, it is an incredible work of art that begs to be viewed, not only for the sake of its beauty and the value of its compositions, but because of the spiritual implications. Would you not be drawn to something used by Christ himself during the famous Last Supper? Would you be accused of a novel idea if you thought that by touching it some special energy may be conveyed to you? No one could blame you.
When I used to go hiking - long before my disabilities permanently felled me, I would frequently return home from a trek with my pockets heavy with stones. I often would decorate the windowsill - typically encircling the potted plants that grace the sill. I have some natural obsidian, quartz crystals, rose quartz, jade, and several other varieties. 20 years ago, I made a visit to a field of petrified wood in a special area of New Mexico famous for these stones. I wear turquoise stones in my earrings, and the tree sap that became stone from the work of time has been turned into beads that I have made into a chaplet for Our Blessed Mother of 7 Sorrows. Perhaps some of these things carry a meaning, but it is a meaning that my mind has attached to them. They have no self-determined power of their own, and there is no monarch of the stones that rules them!
Lately I see a lot of natter on Facebook among Catholics convinced of themselves about how "crystals" being kept in the home opens up the residents to "demonic possession." It strikes me as odd that confirmed Catholics would impute such power to a natural object, regardless of whether or not the person in possession of the crystals actually USED them for divination or any other mystical purpose.
The fact is that these crystals are beautiful and they have always attracted humans because we DELIGHT in beautiful things. Wouldn't it be lovely if they could magnify prayers and some kind of good mojo? They probably DO, in the sense that everything on which we train our minds will radiate meaning for us. It's a self-perpetuating, circular condition. If these little beauties somehow help us to perpetuate the dominance of the seven deadly sins in our life, I can see a demon entering into our lives through them. For instance, if we love the jewels so much that we STEAL them?
In the end, these are inanimate objects that rely upon us for whatever meaning, by some stretch of the imagination, they can be thought to possess.
If you are unfamiliar with the line of thought with regard to the power of crystals, check out the link below this photo from the blog "How Stuff Works" and you'll get a glimpse into the cosmic poo-poo regarding the power of stones!
There are similar ideas being passed around about yoga exercises. Priests who claim expert status on Catholicism are opining about Hindu yoga exercises while not having anywhere near the expert status in that other religion that they have with their own. Some of these priests are telling people that yoga exercises are tantamount to the worship of "demons" and that if you do these exercises you will be POSSESSED. Apparently, yoga stretches are more powerful than Catholicism, in their minds. It's ludicrous - especially since the Hindu yogas consist of at least 4 separate, entirely different paths of thought and practice which are too complex to give explanation here but, broadly speaking, Hindu yogas consist of Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Raja Yoga (the yogas of wisdom, action (service), love and self-control.) Those yoga stretches that you do in class form part of a practice originally part of the Raja Yoga path. Divorced from the religious element, they are simply bodily movements that stretch the muscles, and that's about it.
The above picture is from the article "10 Yoga Poses to Ease Lower Back Pain" by Eve Lynn Chrust, CPT - for Women's Health Magazine. Notice it is not a religious magazine, but a health publication. Take a look at the clothes she is wearing. Pretty much what you would expect when you go to the gym for your daily exercise session, right? This woman pictured here is not bowing to Satan. She's trying to stretch her muscles.
These priests are claiming that if you do the stretches, even without any of the religious background or the mantras (Sanscrit utterances) or even knowing anything about the religion, that by simply taking the pose you are welcoming devils into yourself. Preposterous.
It isn't that I am not a believer in the devil and demons and all the fallen angels of Catholicism. There is some level in which this is all true. Whether the Devil is real in a concrete sense and has a demonic body and a will and a spirit is less important than whether or not I am in concert with evil in my actions and beliefs. Satan is reputed to be the father of all lies, for instance, and I know that when I am confronted with a liar, I am confronted with Satan in some sense. But he has no power over the unwilling. Sin has no power over the unwilling. It cannot force itself on a person. In order for a demon to possess you, your mind and will must be in concert with sin.
If my mind is deliberately tending to righteousness, peace and blessedness and I am determined to avoid sin at all cost, I am pretty sure that those crystals that I pocketed during a hike and which rest now on the windowsill in the kitchen are NOT some magic portal into Satan's realm! When I do those stretching exercises that are good for discouraging the blood clots that have come on me since I had Covid, I am pretty sure it isn't an invitation for Satan to take up residence in my knees (although it sometimes feels as if he is already tormenting me in all my joints!)
Spiritual progress is an inside job. It isn't something that is done TO us, and superstition is the brainchild of the indolent. It takes effort to avoid sin and positively do good and be good. The only way that the demons can take hold of you is if you disobey the commandments and make no effort to keep yourselves sinless. It has nothing to do with crystals or stretching exercises.
I'm not suggesting that you don't take care with these things. I'm just saying that they have no power on their own. It is the disposition of your mind, will, and intentions that matters. They should be trained upon your Catholic faith and not the philosophies of other paths.
Silver Rose
Copyright 2024
