Without a doubt my favorite song on this album would be the opener, the soothing (at least to me), head-drowning, and impressively dark ‘Depression, Part I’, which is a beautiful example of ambient/abstract/droning black metal guitarwork, and which features, for me, the most moving melodies on the entire record. This entire song is put together perfectly, and as it cycles through its different sections I am always impressed by its ability to project an atmosphere of isolation, misanthropy and…a forsaken melancholy. What’s especially interesting is the creative ending guitar section starting at 10:03 and ending at 11:21 – this is basically just a minute of guitars, free from all restrictions, reaching out and stretching forth to harmonize with each other in a storm of distortion. Impressive. Many people, I am sure, would find this song disturbing (both its sound and its lyrics), but for me it is pure uninterrupted bliss…

This is officially Abyssic Hate’s first album (there were a number of tapes released before this), and although it includes material from an earlier date in this band’s progression and so doesn’t exactly refer to what Shane may be doing now, it makes me look forward to hearing more of his music, and I wish him luck…I believe that this band, like so many other one-man bands in the history of black metal, really has something original to say and has invented an original method for doing so…let’s hope that Abyssic Hate’s future lives up to the promise of this initial outpouring. This record is highly recommended.

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When a person receives acupuncture, a tiny needle is inserted into an area where an energy blockage has occurred. Likewise, practitioners who incorporated crystals and gemstones into their healing practices may place a stone on an area that they sense has a blockage, or they may instruct a client to hold a stone. Either way, the concept holds that the vibrational pattern of the stone may help to move and align blocked or displaced energy.

We can apply this process to both the physical body and the ethereal body. For example, when you work with a stone, you may have a sudden sense of clarity or realization about the contributing factors of an illness or condition (mental or physical). These realizations are important and should be noted and further considered after you’re finished working with the stone.

You can use stones many ways in your everyday life. Place them on your nightstand or on your computer or desk; hold the stone in your hand or place it on your body. Cabochons are stones cut to make the bottom flat and are useful for energy workers and massage therapists, because unlike a round tumbled stone, they will not roll off of a person’s body during a session.

Many reference books list the healing properties of specific stones on both a physical and emotional level. These books are valuable tools, especially if you are just beginning to explore the energy of stones and are not sure where to start. One of the most effective ways to choose a stone is to pick up the first one that you are attracted to. Hold it for a few minutes and then look up the meaning in a reference book and see if you related to it. More often than not you will. I have a friend who loved Tiger-eye as a child and collected pieces of it without having any conscious knowledge of its healing qualities. Years later my friend looked up the qualities of Tiger-eye and realized that as a child he had “needed” the stone, and still does.

You may have been attracted to a certain stone because of the color and have worn it in pieces of jewelry for many years. If you have always worn opals or another stone, try looking up its properties in a reference book. It may surprise you to discover that the properties can be applied to your healing needs. Books provide only guidelines and you may be attracted to a stone for a reason that does not match the books. This is fine; ignore the book and trust your feelings. It can take time to notice the effects a stone may have on your energy field. Be patient and realize the energy is there even if it takes you a while to become aware of it.

People often become very excited when they first realize the strength of energy that a stone can produce. They become interested in learning more and want to share what they know with others. I have been asked how to become “certified” to work with stones. My response is that there is no such thing. If your understanding or knowledge of stones helps someone else heal, you are a small part of the process. Many courses offer “certification” and are taught by individuals considered to be leaders in understanding and identifying gemstone energy. While I also teach and encourage others to take classes, “gemstone healing certification” carries no legal weight or recognition and no teacher should claim otherwise.

Individuals working with gemstones should never get involved in diagnosing illnesses or suggesting that clients stop taking prescribed medication in favor of using a particular stone. This sounds like common sense, but I have heard individuals giving “helpful” advice that sounds too much like a diagnosis and that is not appropriate.

I hope that recent interest in alternative and complementary therapies will lead more people to crystal and gemstone work. With time, this often-dismissed method of facilitating healing on all levels may gain credibility and be more accessible to the people who really need it. In the meantime, I encourage you to try it and see how it can work for you.

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For the most part these kinds of therapies seemed to be the only ones doctors relied upon for symptom relief. This approach has proven beneficial for many thousands of people for decades, but there have been a number of people who, for one reason or another, cannot take medicine or utilize these other forms of therapy. This other sector of people with arthritis has looked beyond what we call conventional therapy and has explored the world of alternative therapies. In the last few years more and more attention is being focused on alternative therapies. Part of the reason for the increased interest is people who have arthritis are not realizing the results they want from the conventional forms of therapy. As patients assume more responsibility for their own healthcare, they are looking beyond conventional treatments and have a desire to incorporate all kinds of therapy into their treatment program. In this article I hope to help you understand some of these alternative treatments and how you can go about deciding whether they are something you want to add to your treatment program.

Alternative Medicine: Refers to medical practices or remedies used in place of mainstream Western medicine.

Complementary Medicine: These are therapies that are used along with or in support of mainstream Western medicine.

Western Medicine, Allopathic Medicine: Medical treatments and therapies — drugs or otherwise — accepted by U.S. mainstream medicine, taught in medical schools, prescribed by doctors and used in hospitals.

Holistic Medicine: Refers to a way of treating the patient, taking into consideration their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health when designing or planning a person’s healing process.

Integrative Medicine: This is an approach that integrates complimentary therapies into Western medical practice to individualize a person’s treatment plan.

Preventive Medicine: This medical practice focuses on educating and treating a patient to help prevent health problems from occurring, rather than treat the problem once it develops.

Unconventional Medicine: This form of therapy is described as being any treatment or therapy — drugs or otherwise — that does not fall within the conventional or Western medicine category.

One other topic, the dangers of using alternative therapy, is also important to know before we get into the specific alternative therapies. Some patients get irritated at their healthcare providers when they seem not to be at all interested in hearing about alternative therapies. As a patient, and one who likes to be the center of his/her own care, it is important that doctors keep an open mind and try to help that person understand why or why not to incorporate alternative therapies into their existing treatment plan. If a physician is not willing to do that, many times the patient will go out on their own and start using alternative therapies without disclosing that to his/her doctor. This can be a very dangerous approach to treatment, especially if the person is taking prescribed medication along with the alternative therapy. If you are one of those people who fall into this category then please read this next paragraph carefully.

There are many danger signals that all of us should be aware of when deciding whether a therapy, especially medical, is appropriate for us. Here are some claims we should question:

A salesman or practitioner who cannot disclose the secret way the treatment works. If it had a scientific base, then the information would be available to the scientific community for review and evaluation.

The claim of a cure or a miraculous breakthrough without scientific data to back it up is always something to be cautious about. Big discoveries are few in number. Most of the time when we do have one, a scientist is very cautious about claiming it as a cure.

If the only way you have heard about the treatment is on an infomercial, on the back page of magazine, over the phone or by direct mail, this should raise some question in your mind. Usually treatments that have been researched are identified in medical journals or other reputable publications.

When the only proof you have that a product works is from a number of other peoples’ statements or testimonials. A few of the people interviewed may have benefited from the product, but many may have been paid a sum of money for giving a positive testimonial. Often people giving a statement are identified only by their initials or first name, which should raise some suspicion.

If you are already taking a prescribed medication and a practitioner tells you to stop all your prescribed medication and start taking this alternative therapy, this should bring up a red flag in your mind. You should always discuss with your prescribing doctor your desire to stop or change your medication. Stopping some medications abruptly can be very dangerous to your health.

Another situation that should raise suspicion is if a practitioner tells you to severely restrict your diet. This is not merely lowering your caloric level, but eliminating whole food groups or fasting for long periods of time. If you believe that certain food groups are creating your problem the best person to contact is a registered dietitian. They can help with regulation of your dietary needs.

This one is commonly used in magazines. You need to send in your money and then they will send out the product. Many times it will be a situation where they will automatically keep sending it to you each month until you notify them to stop. You get started on this plan and they make it hard for you to cancel. Also, there is no way to monitor whether this product is helping you or what it is doing to or for you.

The provider of whatever substance you are trying should be able to provide you with some proof of why their product does what they say it does. If they cannot sight any scientific studies or other reputable means of proof that the product will do what they claim, then you should be suspicious.

The last one is not heard of too often, but it is when the prescribing practitioner tells the patient that there isn’t a need to tell the regular physician about this new treatment. Most reputable practitioners will welcome the opportunity to work right along side with a person’s regular physician.

… see Part 2