Crystals, Herbs, Reiki & Astrology is not Idolatry! (In my opinion)

I had a very negative (yet positive) experience at the Staples store recently. I say positive because the experience allowed me to brainstorm the religious/ spiritual concept of idolatry, and thus write this article. However, the experience was a difficult one to endure. But then I have to realize that everything that I attract to myself is something that I personally resonate. So I had to acknowledge and accept that my own personal energy attracted this not so pleasant encounter at Staples. But oftentimes good things emerge from what we may consider to be bad situations.

I was dealing with quite a bit of anxiety on this particular day. But I felt good because I was printing prayers from the Kabbalistic Zohar to send to my family members. I felt like I was doing a good deed. As I was paying for the prints at the check out counter, I mentioned to the lady that we're living in revelations and that it seems to be a good time to read and study some prayers. The lady didn't seem interested at all. However, the word "revelations" immediately caught the attention of a gentleman across the room.

This man was relatively young and attractive, perhaps in his thirties, and he began to talk to me... about Jesus! Being that I was raised Jewish, and more specifically being that I consider myself to be more so spiritual in nature rather than religious, I typically try not to engage in conversations about Jesus. Especially close-minded and spiritually unenlightened conversations about Jesus! I like Jesus. Really I do. I think he was awesome. But some people use Jesus and the bible as an excuse to debate and belittle other people that don't agree with their opinions and religious ideologies. This is not pleasant for me. And I definitely do not enjoy bible talk... Because first, these conversations tend to go sour pretty quickly for me. Secondly, I'm really not trying to debate. It's wasteful of my energy. And thirdly, I'm still trying to read through the Old testament and haven't even made it to the New testament yet! So I'm really not well versed in bible talk at all.

But somehow I ended up standing right in front of this guy getting lectured on how I'm going to hell if I don't accept Jesus. His energy was strong and suffocating. I was in awe, frozen, paralyzed... and unable to get many words to exit my mouth. Anything I said was immediately wrong and condemned. But yet I couldn't walk away just yet because I was stuck at the table in front of him stapling my prayers together. This man's energy was so abrasive that I looked down at my hands and saw them trembling. He was the epitome of judgment. He told me that he had died and went to hell...and that hell is very real. I could feel that his energy was on the vibration of hell. But I'm not sure that he knew it. Yet, in his mind he knew everything. And I knew nothing. He was saved and I was not.

This man even had the audacity to tell me that he knew that I was not connected to God at all. I laughed and said "Is that so?" And he said, "Yes, I can tell this about you" (or something to that effect). He was on a serious ego trip. High on the power he felt that he had over me. I thought to myself, "The man who knows everything knows nothing." But let me not stoop down to his level and start judging him. That would create two wrongs. I don't know what this man has been through and so I cannot judge his mind state. He seemed quite happy though that he found Jesus, knew the bible by heart and appeared to be one upping me in his one sided debate. He was definitely the good guy and I was the bad guy that was going to hell (from his perspective), and so he seemed to feel real good about that.

And because of this man's outright arrogance and disregard for my thoughts, opinions or feelings, he had the absolute right to judge and condemn me to hell. But... through all of this I could feel that he was really a tormented soul. He was hiding it well. But you can't hide these things from an empath. His pain ran through me. It was hard to breathe, much less think to answer all of his excruciating questions about Jesus and the bible. He was so happy to prove how much he knew and how little I knew. I must've made his day. And little did he know that he ruined mine.

Finally the topic of negative entities came up. I think he must have had many attached to him. Perhaps some were attached to me? Otherwise how would I have attracted this horrific man in the first place? I was completely rattled at this point. I told him I was very aware of negative entities. I've had quite a few terrible (yet fascinating experiences) with them. I pointed to all the energy devices and crystals around my neck and explained that I wear these to protect myself from negative energy and entities. He immediately exclaimed that my necklaces and crystals are idolatry. I said, "No they're not. These are tools that were put here to help us." He disagreed. I told him that God is in everything including him, me and the crystals I'm wearing. Again he disagreed.

So then I told him that I'm a reiki energy healer. I suppose that's idolatry too? Yes, he agreed that reiki was idolatry as well! So as an energy healer wearing crystals to protect my energy I was definitely a candidate for being condemned to hell! lol Of course, the belligerent manner in which he was treating me would be forgiven because he accepts Jesus and is saved. I'm not sure that's exactly how karma works but let him believe that for now. He may find out later that he was wrong... but who am I to say?

But this takes me to the point of this article. I realize it took me a long time to get here. I had to tell my story first. However, I believe that crystals, reiki, herbs, astrology and many other things were placed here as tools for us to use. Of course these things do not take the place of the creator, God or whatever name you wish to call the highest power. But the creator did create these things for us to use, to help us. I don't pray to or worship reiki or crystals or planets or herbs. Yes, I'm grateful for their existence and I use these tools to help me, but I also understand that there is a higher power that created these tools. This is not idolatry! This is common sense!

Let me take things one step further. This man at Staples (like many men and women) was well versed in the bible. But did you know that quite a few books have been removed from the bible? And who said that the bible has to be taken so literally anyway? According to my good friend and mentor, the Ethiopian bible explains that the wise men (who were actually wise women) brought gifts of Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh and Rose Quartz Crystals to baby Jesus. If crystals and herbs were such a sin and considered idolatry, then why were they given as gifts to Jesus when he was born?

And speaking of Jesus... wasn't he healing people with his hands? Just like reiki? Sounds quite similar actually. I recently found an article about Reiki and Christian Science. Apparently, Christian Science is very accepting of the practice of energy healing and reiki. Here's some quotes from the article: "However, the most significant of his miracles were the healings he performed. Many of these healings were done by placing his hands on the diseased. This is indicated in the New Testament, Luke 4:40 states: “When the Sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hand on each one, he healed them.”

"In Luke 7:12-15, Jesus raises a dead man by touching his coffin and in Luke 8:49-55 Jesus uses touch to return a dead girl to life. In Matthew 8:14-15, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever. In Mark 1:40-42, Luke 5:12-13, Jesus uses his hands to heal a leprotic man. Matthew 20:29-34 describes how Jesus healed two blind men by touching their eyes and in Mark 8:22-25 Jesus uses his hands to heal another blind man."

"In I Corinthians 12:4-12, Paul says about the gifts of holy spirit like speaking wisdom, knowledge and the power to heal. One of the rare spiritual gifts is healing. Christians who take directions from the scripture can very well practice reiki. In John 14:12, an important source of guidance as well as encouragement has been given for healers, something Christians should develop if they feel spiritually guided to do so: “I am telling you the truth: whoever believes in me will do what I do, he will do even greater things because I am going to the Father.” So you see... Jesus never said that energy healing was idolatry! He actually said that we can all do what he did... and heal people too! Eureka!

Now, in the First Testament, the part that I read, the Israelites were told to set up an altar to worship God. This altar along with the clothing that the priests were to wear had to be adorned with very specific metals and crystals. Once again, why would God request that the altar and the clothing be adorned with crystals if the use of crystals was idolatry? The crystals and the metals were a tool to help the people connect to God. Now, if the people were to worship the crystals and not God, then yes, that's idolatry. But using crystals to connect to God is not!

Also, the Israelites were given instructions by God to use certain herbs for incense, as well as for purification and to heal certain ailments. In fact, the old testament lists many of these herbs and what they are to be used for. How could this be idolatry? It cannot be... unless one were to pray to the herbs and forget about God. Which brings me to a very interesting point. I recently read a passage in the Zohar called "Thus Shall You Say to the House of Jacob" in Book 10 P.123-131. In this passage we learn about the power of herbs. What really caught my attention was when I read this: "If only men knew the wisdom of all that the Holy One, blessed be He, has planted in the earth, and all the power of all that which is to be found in the world, they would acknowledge the power of their master in His great wisdom. But the Holy One, blessed be he, has purposely hidden this wisdom from men in order that they do not turn from His ways by trusting in that wisdom alone, thus forgetting Him." And there you have it folks! Wisdom of herbs (crystals, energy healing, astrology, etc.)... all this has been hidden from the public so people do not forget about God and start worshipping these other things instead!

So now it makes sense why religious authoritarians would fill the hearts of Christians, Catholics, Jews, etc. with fears of idolatry. This appears to be a control mechanism to keep people in line and to make sure that God is not forgotten... and more importantly to keep people from straying from the church! Remember...religion is a business! If the congregation decides to worship something else than money is lost!! However, if you are an intelligent and intuitive person, I'm sure you would be aware of what I already know. Crystals, reiki, herbs, astrology, etc... all these things have been placed here for us to use by God, the Holy One, the universal divine spirit, the creator, whatever name you wish to give to the highest power that manifested this world. In order for these things to constitute idolatry you would have to place them before God and worship them. Like the golden calf episode in the bible! Perhaps God doesn't want a repeat of that disastrous event!

Regardless...I do not worship the planets or the stars, Reiki energy healing, crystals and/or herbs. I simply use these things to improve upon myself and to help others the way the creator intended. Fear, superstition... this is all old age of Pisces stuff. We are now entering into the Age of Aquarius...the Age of Information. In my humble opinion, it's time to open our minds and truly understand the words of God and what was intended by them. Do not allow religion to instill fear or judgment in your heart. Do not allow the words of the bible to make you feel entitled to judge and criticize everyone else. No one is perfect and yet were all perfect. Resonate love and that's what you'll manifest in your life. And don't be afraid to use the tools that the creator created for us! They were put here for a reason! Just remember and honor the highest power that created these glorious things! Have no fear! God is within you. You are one with everything!

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Jennie H is a Reiki Master Energy Healer, Co-Founder of Self Saviorz Society California Non-Profit 501(c)(3), Poet, Author and Entertainer with goals to help raise the vibration and consciousness of humanity!