Sacred Stones October 2012 Crystal of the Month: Howlite By Larry Bassett Background: Howlite is a relatively recently discovered crystal. It was first discovered in a gypsum quarry near Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1868. The odd and irregular shapes of howlite were a nuisance to the miners because they had to be hand separated from the gypsum. The miners alerted Henry How about the stone. Henry was a chemist, geologist, and a mineralogist. Henry analyzed and named the new crystal silico-boro-calcite. It was again described later that year in the geological literature by James D. Dana and he named it after Henry How. Howlite is mined in Los Angeles, Inyo, and San Bernardino counties in California, and in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia. There are also reports of howlite now being mined in Africa. Howlite can potentially be found in any sea water evaporative deposit. Most of the howlite on the market comes from California and large nodules up to 100 pounds can be found. Howlite is a snow white, to an almost ivory colored mineral with fine gray to almost black web-like lines or blotches. Be aware that howlite is often dyed green to be sold as turquoise, blue as lapis lazuli or sodalite, and even red as red coral. It resembles turquoise and close inspection should reveal the difference. I find it incredulous that it could be sold as aventurine, lapis lazuli, sodalite, or red coral. Others sell the natural forms of howlite as white turquoise, white buffalo turquoise, or white buffalo stone. Howlite is said to be a stone of memory, knowledge, and progress. It also is a stone of self-awareness, and it aids one to reveal their inner person. Howlite is very calming to the body and the overactive mind. It improves ones emotional state, builds character, and a sense of decency. Howlite reinforces desirable personal attributes such as tact, reasoning, patience, observation, and discernment. One of its greatest attributes is that it dispels anger, rage, resentfulness, and selfishness. Howlite removes stress and creates a sense of calmness. 1
Howlite helps the body relax because it releases muscle tension. Howlite cleanses the aura as it purifies the blood. Some use howlite to stimulate lucid dreaming or to help them remember their dreams. It is said to stimulate creativity and even facilitate astral travel. Howlite is to me a stone of introspection. It is said to be a stone associated with the past, allowing you to access past lives when you put a piece on your third eye. It is said to be a portal when you focus your gaze on a piece of howlite. It can transport you to another time or dimensional realm. Howlite also cuts the ties that old emotions have to present life experiences. It is a stone for releasing old patterns of behavior and their associated emotions. I see howlite as a stone that facilitates a strong spiritual presence and a profound state of well-being. It is an amazing crystal and one of the best bargains on the crystal market. Why I Love This Stone: The physical properties and metaphysical effects of howlite, as you have read, are well beyond soothing and pain relieving. I find it puts me into a meditative state. Howlite is a very gentle stone and the second best stone for removing pain. Pale green serpentine from South Africa, named infinite, is the best pain remover. Howlite works extremely well and it removes pain a little slower than infinite. The cost benefit is infinite is outrageously priced and howlite is reasonably priced. The infinite on the market today is often every color other than the powerful pale green and in my experience the other colors are less effective in removing pain than the original find. Considering the pain removing benefits versus the cost, howlite is the best bargain on the crystal market. Another amazing benefit is the ability of howlite to remove deep seated anger and rage. To me, this is as more amazing than the other benefits of howlite. Howlite also motivates people by fostering ambitions and it aids them in achieving their goal. It teaches one to be patient as it raises awareness. It facilitates calm communication. Howlite is often thought of as a crystal of modesty and understatement. It has profound effects when it facilitates people again becoming themselves. It cleanses the aura, purifies the blood, and strengthens soft tissue. Howlite is a stone of attunement, allowing you to connect and align you with your Higher Self and guides. Howlite is a stone that removes brain fog so people remember the daily details. Howlite is probably my favorite stone because it facilitates the body to heal itself and it dramatically beneficially helps people to change. Composition: Howlite is a calcium boro-silicate hydroxide. It occurs in evaporite deposits of sea water and what is left when the water is gone, is usually gypsum and anhydrite. The chemical formula is Ca 2 B 5 SiO 9 (OH) 5. The molecular weight is 391.32. The breakdown is 20.48% calcium with 28.66% CaO, 7.18% silicon with 15.35% SiO 2, boron 13.81% with 44.48% B 2 O 3, 1.29% hydrogen with 11.51% H 2 O and 57.24% as oxygen. Howlite 2
nodules look like cauliflower and these crystals are found embedded in gypsum and anhydrite. It is rarely found as a six sided crystal and these minute crystals have been found only in Tick Canyon, California, and at Iona, Nova Scotia, Canada. The small (up to one millimeter) six sided crystals of howlite have a hardness of 6. Physical Properties: Howlite is a monoclinicic crystal. This means the three dimensional lattice has two angles intersecting obliquely and they are parallel to the third. This gives it an irregular shape and often it resembles the top of a cauliflower plant. Howlite has a porous texture and it is easily dyed. Howlite has a hardness of 2.5 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale. It is a very brittle crystal that will streak white. The luster is dull to sub-vitreous (porcelaneous) and some say earthy (dull). It accepts a nice polish. Because it has a monoclinic crystal structure it has no cleavage and it will fracture conchoidal to uneven. The specific gravity is 2.5 to 2.6, and it has a density of 2.8. It will sometimes fluoresce blue, yellowish white, to an off white under shortwave Ultra Violet light. Howlite must be kept away from acids, solvents, strong sunlight, and rough handling. Howlite dissolves in hydrochloric acid without bubbling. It is associated with anhydrite, clays, colemanite, gypsum, and ulexite. Experiences: Howlite is the very reasonably priced pain reliever. My sister plus quite a number of friends and former students wear howlite 24 hours a day to keep their constant pain at a manageable level. I had the chance to wear howlite when I was going through a program called Symmetry for Health and I was stretching and gaining new motion in my left leg. As a result my left hip was hurting and my knee, which had 3 surgeries, was rebelling. I put a howlite necklace on and within an hour my pain level went from an 8 out of 10 to a 2. The next day it was a 1, and after that it was only a slight discomfort. If your pain and discomfort is making you want to howl and cry, then howlite will be your answer and best friend. The experience of wearing howlite is that it balances the energy flow and infuses the body with peace and tranquility. The muscles relax and you have a sense of well-being. When working with a client on a massage table howlite will release muscular tension, eliminate physical pain, and emotional stress. The client becomes calm, relaxed, and then receptive to the other work you do. If anyone asks what stone to use for anger or rage issues, howlite is my answer. It will also remove impertinent and irreverent behaviors, and replace them with calm communication, awareness, tact, and discernment. My experience is that it removes the limitations of human life and creates the building blocks to a spiritual life. Howlite is that amazing 3
Recommended Uses: My experience is every crystal needs to work in pairs. The synergy of two howlite crystals working together is much more than one would expect. When you have a pair of crystals working, it is as if they do the work of three or more pieces. For people who have constant pain (physical or emotional), a necklace is recommended, and they should wear it constantly, even when in the shower or bath since this will cleanse the discordant energy from the crystal. For those who have minor pain, keep a piece in your pocket or wear a bracelet. Every crystal works more effectively when it touches the skin. Howlite needs to be cleansed after a few days of constant wearing to maintain its peak pain removing effectiveness. Essential Oils: Essential oils are powerful facilitators of healing. Most require dilution with a carrier oil and some are photosensitive. There are potentially very dangerous contraindications when clients are on medications, or if they have certain medical conditions. A listing of safety issues and possible contraindications can be found on our web site: www.kalasgems.com/safety.html. The properties of howlite to balance, calm, harmonize, heal, love, open, relax, as it increases positive character traits and improves memory and more. Howlite works extremely well with all essential oils. When you have amazing crystals they have the ability to facilitate healing in conjunction with any essential oil Meditations: Kathy began by holding two howlite hearts. From the first moment she was impressed with how quickly it harmonized her body. She first felt the energy in her hand and then she could feel areas as the howlite energy worked to remove discordant and trapped energy. Waves of energy began to sweep through her body from her feet to the top of her head in a slow continuous motion. There were smaller waves like from eye to eye and in other areas in need of attention. She felt the energy working on her eye muscles and other parts of her body. Her body began to relax as the pain and discomfort was removed. When she teaches, she has constant pain in her left arm and elbow. As the howlite removed the pain she left her body. She had no idea where she went when the meditation ended. I began with two howlite hearts. I had pain in my left hip and knee from yard work and the stretching exercises in the Symmetry for Health program. I was unable to relax enough sitting so I lie on the floor to get comfortable. I soon relaxed and slipped into the meditative state as the discomfort left. I put a howlite heart on my third eye to see if I would see anything in the past. I saw a few visions and then I put a howlite on my heart and the other on my solar plexus. Soon I left my body and I am unsure where I was or went. An hour soon flew by and it was a very enjoyable and relaxing meditation plus the pain and discomfort in my left hip and knee was gone. 4
Kathy had an incredible experience of holding two tumbled pieces of howlite. She had sore fingers from all her computer class preparation work. The howlite removed the discomfort and pain. It also adjusted other areas of her body as she relaxed. She slipped into a meditative state as she held the howlite. She had no visions or journeys and just enjoyed the howlite working on her body. I began by holding two tumbled pieces of howlite. I still had an issue sitting comfortably on my meditation cushion. I was surrounded by the violet flame and my left hip was adjusting as I sat there. I decided it was again easier to lie on my back on the floor. I put one piece of howlite on my left hip and the discomfort subsided as I laid there. I put the other piece of howlite on my third eye. I was watching amazing women open their hearts and step into their power. I was also asking forgiveness from people in my past who appeared before me. It was a wonderfully loving meditative experience. Miscellaneous: Howlite is easy to find in good quality and at a very reasonable price. Howlite resonates to the number 2. Howlite is beneficial for the 5 th (throat), 6 th (brow or 3 rd eye) and the 7 th (crown) chakras. Some say howlite is associated with the earth and it is also for the root chakra. Howlite is associated with the Gemini astrological sign and some say Virgo. Howlite is associated with earth and the element of water. Howlite is said to help stop cats from straying far. Howlite is useful to reassure children who are afraid of the dark. Howlite is used to ameliorate anger, anxiety, critical and selfish behaviors, rage, selfishness, rudeness, stress, tension, turbulent emotions, as well as memory issues, balancing calcium levels, bone and teeth issues, insomnia, pain, soft tissue, ulcers, heart irregularities, rashes, plus it instills calm, positive character traits, and an inner strength. Howlite makes an excellent elixir. This is perfect to sip an hour before bed. Howlite is an auric cleanser and an etheric sealer. Disclaimer: The information in this paper regarding the physical and metaphysical properties of crystals is intuitively derived. It is in no way intended to diagnose or treat any form of medical, physical, emotional, mental, psychological, spiritual or other issues. Readers are advised to view this material as speculative in nature. We recommend you determine through personal experience the power of crystals. 5