In 2006, at the end of two weeks of swimming with dolphins from boats, two friends and I went to Kealakekua Bay where people can wade out and swim with dolphins who come in to swim with people.  We waded out and, just as promised, the dolphins came in and engaged us in play that lasted for an hour and a half!

I was exhilarated, of course, and even immediately afterward, I was unable to tell what all went on, though I could remember a few different circlings by the dolphins and games played with picking up and dropping leaves, but that’s all.  An hour and a half had gone by, and we had treaded water, waiting, for a very short time.  So, what else went on?  I don’t know.  But I was quite exhilarated afterward.

Dropped off at our hotel, I went into the gift shop for a look-around.  In a jewelry case, I saw a necklace that immediately jumped out at me as the necklace I’d been looking for for years – though I don’t usually go shop for things like this, just usually wait for things important to come to me serendipitously.  And this felt like the serendipity I was waiting for.  So, it was a huge shock when I put the necklace on and felt my heart clench in pain.  I took it off, and the pain went away.  I drew it close to me again, to test it, and my heart hurt again.

I’d seen a book on Crystal Healing on another shelf in the store, so I checked the necklace tag and read that the pendant stone was a green tourmaline.  Borrowing the book from the shelf, I read that the tourmaline “heals the heart”!  My friend responded to my confusion by suggesting that the healing would take some time, and perhaps I should not put the necklace on until I’d slept with it near my bed for a while, then only wear it for short periods and eventually work up to wearing it all the time.

This was beyond my understanding – I’d never been “into” crystals or stones – but it sounded intriguing, and I trusted my attraction to this necklace, particularly because I was feeling so high from the dolphin experience and was trusting that I was still in some state of heightened awareness.  I also bought the book on Crystal Healing, and bought a deck of Angel Cards, and gifts for family.

Back in my hotel room, I found myself too exhausted to even look at the Angel Cards, which I’d opened, so I lay them along with the necklace beside the bed and lay down to sleep.  Immediately, I felt a being with me and saw/felt a bright fluttering like glistening angel wings in my aura.  The sense of another being so near me, and so benevolent and loving, was a surprise, but very welcome.  One of the things I learned with the other participants in the dolphin swim weeks was that everyone else had more confidence than I did in dealing with spiritual beings, for instance, they would ask the being’s name.

For the first time, I asked, “Who are you?” and got an immediate answer:  Ariel.

I’m so embarrassed to say that I was disappointed.  It sounded like a name I’d heard before, and my rational mind thought that perhaps I’d pulled it from my deep unconscious, and because of this I should probably always doubt that it was not conjured from subconscious realms.  I fell asleep quickly.

When I awoke, I looked through the cards and found Ariel:  She is the angel associated with all living things, but particularly with the ocean and animals of the ocean.  She works with those who protect the Earth – which I’d been doing as an environmental activist since 1986 – and now I’d just swum in an altered state of conscious in her primary realm that morning.  I was astounded and grateful.

That evening, after dinner, I was wandering by myself when the leader of the dolphin swim seminar, Joan Ocean, came up to me and asked me how was my day.  I’d been wondering whether to tell anyone, and decided then to tell her, “I saw Ariel today.”

“Oh, isn’t she bright and sparkly!” Joan exclaimed – astounding me again, as I’d had some idea that all of our spiritual experiences were unique and individual.  I realized that was a silly idea that spiritual reality wouldn’t have consistency.  No, it’s reality, and it will have consistency.  And my experience of Ariel having identical traits to Ariel as experienced by Joan corrected my silly assumption.  (So much rational-mind interference!)

Over the next few weeks, I slowly worked up to wearing the tourmaline necklace and felt that I was truly healing my heart.

A few years later, another necklace came into my life, and I quit wearing the tourmaline as much, then didn’t wear it at all for a few years.

I remembered it recently because my heart problems have returned, so got it out and wore it a bit one day.  The second day, I put it on again and left it on, even when I found myself feeling extremely tired, and my heart hurting a bit; I didn’t make the connection to the necklace!

I had re-joined the gym where I work out (Curves – with hydraulic equipment, so we don’t have to worry about setting weights, and just have computerized lights indicating our strength compared to previous days), but couldn’t do anything with my usual energy.  I  walked very slowly between the machines.  At home, I put on a video in the afternoon (which I never do) and lay on the sofa with my eyes closed, unable to even respond to my partner when he asked if he should cancel our music practice that evening.

Suddenly I remembered the necklace and took it off.  Immediately, I had my energy back!  I got up, stretched, and got productive again and even sang a bit that evening – in between writing, which I was more inclined to do.

If I hadn’t had my first experience with the necklace, I might think it was cursed or something!  As it is, I think the tourmaline stirs things up in the heart, which can be part of healing; and maybe it opens the heart chakra, which can be dangerous if conditions aren’t right.  I’ll be meditating on this, hoping to learn.

For now, I’ve set the necklace on my altar for cleansing, and I’ll test it again later.

My learning:  there are many, many energies interacting in this world.  We have lots to learn.