Jami is a crystal shop run by a sweet couple called João and Ida Ametista. They write into The Portugal News every month and slowly but surely ease us into the deep world of crystals - giving us one sparkly stone to reflect on at a time.

Their shop, located in downtown Faro, is shut for a remodel at the moment but they hope to be back soon with even more space for more crystals.

In the meantime, you can still order their crystals online and if you would like to find out more please follow them on Facebook (@Jami - Healing Energy) or Instagram (@jami_minerals) or visit their website www.jami.pt.

We’ll let them take it from here…

Moonstone

This month we are talking about moonstone, from the feldspar group, it is a variety of the mineral albite. (It is important to note that synthetic crystals are often sold). Moonstone is white and may have black inclusions. Some have labradorescence (a blue reflection).

It helps balance feminine energy (yin). Not to be confused with feminism, all beings have yin (female) energy and yang (masculine) energy. Both energies are opposite poles, which together form the whole and balance. Yin energy is related to the moon, night, cold and serenity.

What are the benefits?

It is a crystal very connected to emotions and our most sensitive side.

In this way, this crystal conveys immense calm and tranquility, being extremely useful to deal with anxiety and stress.

It helps calm down panic attacks and protects us from our own emotions in moments we can't control.

On a physical level, it helps fertility by transmitting the yin energy necessary for fertilization and implantation of the embryo and can be combined with carnelian (yang) and shiva lingam (yin-yang) for this purpose.

It helps women to regularize their menstrual cycle.

It stimulates the pineal gland, assists in lymphatic cleansing and helps in the treatment and prevention of cancer when combined with chrysocolla and malachite.

In animals, it stimulates cognitive development, it also helps in lymphatic cleaning and in the treatment of tumours.

An excellent tip is to use the moonstone daily with us to relieve stress, we can combine it with amethyst or ametrine.

Another passion of ours and also an excellent form of healing are essential oils, obtained through steam distillation of leaves, bark, roots and flowers.

For stress we highly recommend bergamot oil, being useful to combine with the use of moonstone. We can daily put a few drops of bergamot oil in an electric diffuser or with a candle, to set our home and thus enjoy an aroma that calms the mind and soul.

We can also dilute about 60 drops in 100 ml of vegetable oil such as sweet almond oil and thus obtain a very relaxing massage oil.