Chrysanthemum

It is named for its resemblance to chrysanthemum flowers, and keeping the idea of a flower in mind is the most powerful way to appreciate its properties.

Sometimes we are so eager for change we force it to occur, thus setting up a chain of events which make us feel as if we're hurtling into the unknown. Then we may find ourselves applying the brakes of resistance. This start-and-stop pattern makes our life's journey a very bumpy ride.

Chrysanthemum stone helps us to experience our own passage of life in the way the petals of a flower unfold: a process in which change, rather than being unsettling and disruptive, is a flowing, harmonious journey. It also helps us to enjoy this journey by allowing us to be in the present and to appreciate the blossoming of each moment and its gifts.

When we are truly appreciative of the present we feel fulfilled, and in that state of fulfillment it is easy to see which habits, beliefs, and ways of being are not only not fulfilling us, but are actually stunting our growth. Thus, chrysanthemum stone helps us to see which withered petals of our being need to be allowed to fall to the ground. In this way we travel with a lighter burden, and obstructions towards the achievement of our personal/spiritual goals fall away.

In appreciating ourselves and our journey we also learn to appreciate others. As a perennial flower renews itself each year, so we can learn to view our relationships through fresh eyes and allow love to flower anew.