Here are some new talismans that I will have for sale at craft shows in December!
Check here for more pictures and  here for show details.

Athame (ritual knife) with copper wire, black tourmaline, hematite and unidentified feather.

BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!

I am working away making all kinds of sparkly, pretty and magical things for three upcoming artisan shows Opal Owl is participating in this December!

Come Check out our wares at The Wandering Winter Craft Show Sunday December 5th,  11AM to 4PM at the legion on 201 Niagara St(at King St W) and Sunday December 19th  10AM to 4PM at the Gladstone Hotel, 2nd Floor, 1214 Queen Street West (at Dufferin)

We will also be doing the 401 Artistans Marketplace this year for 4 days starting Thursday  Dec 9th until Sunday Dec 12th (TH-SA 11am -8pm, SU 11am-6pm) 401 Richmond Street  West (at Spadina)

And if you can't make the shows selected talisman ornaments will be available  for sale at Wonderworks in Toronto!

Check out some of the newly completed talisman ornaments here!

Often people ask me for more information or to recommend further reading on the chakra system. Recently I've been reading  the book Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith which was written over 20 years ago.  Her later book Eastern Body Western Mind is a great resource also and one I reference often in my practice. While the chakra system they reference is a bit different than the one I use in my Crystal Resonance Therapy Practice  I would highly recommend Wheels of Life as a thorough introduction to the chakra system. Both of these books are great!

I also just came across this podcast with Anodea Judith speaking on the chakra system.

I recently completed this wand and thought I would share it with you as it has a different feel than many of my talismans. I have a real facination and affinity with trees and a VERY abundant collection of branches I have gathered from my travels within and outside of the city. I never take branches from trees that are living but rather seize the opportunity of collecting fallen branches as gifts from the trees :)

This other worldly wand is over the top measuring in at just over three feet long!

The shaft of this magical wand is a  magical elm branch collected by the artist in a little-known grove within the heart of the big city. The handle is carefully wrapped in crimson ribbon topped with a golden colored hummingbird fetish with faux ruby eyes and dappled crystalline body. This fantastical wand is lovingly adorned with dangling beads of carnelian and coral, pinecones and stars, crosses and sparkly faux diamonds.

This is a delicate piece to be used for special occasions or even displayed year round on the wall.

The energy of this crimson beauty is many; the hummingbird imparts joy and adds a delicate breeze, the element of wind. Carnelian, a fire element stone, stirs passion and awakens the fire within, coral stimulates intuition and creativity while quieting the emotions and creating peace.


Elm trees carry the energy of intuition as well and they are favorite tree of the wood elves, this wand will help you to attune to these more ethereal beings. Elm helps you to hear your inner call with magical work and to become attuned to the Nature Realm.

materials: elm branch, red ribbon, carnelian, coral and agate beads, various metal baubles.

Email me at leslie@opalowl.ca  if you want more information, are interested in purchasing this wand or are interested in ordering a custom-made wand.

As promised this post will continue on revealing my smithsonite and hemimorphite explorations! I gave some background in the Gemboree Adventure post about the trace element zinc that is present both these stones, now I will touch on some of the energetic experiences and information I have gotten from working with and researching these lovely crystals.

hemimorphite specimen purchased at the Bancroft Gemboree

My first experience with the hemimorphite was when it “came” into a session energetically right onto the heart chakra, it seemed to nestle right in there (Sometimes if a stone is not in the room with me during a session and I get the intuition to use it I will bring it in energetically rather than leave the room to go get it). This all happened before I meditated with it myself, which I found very interesting… I took this as a sign that this particular piece was the first one I would work with and share with you. While all stones of a particular type will share energetic properties ultimately each individual stone has its own signature.

In this case the stone I am talking about is this lovely sea blue horseshoe shaped piece. When I researched the blue variety of hemimorphite specifically it was said to be linked to the heart chakra and then when I meditated with this particular piece boy oh boy did that confirm the heart chakra connection. I immediately felt this stone in my heart; it caused a couple of palpitations that manifested as a quick clearing of some energetic debris that was just ready to be released. As the meditation went on the energy moved into my throat and again felt quite cleansing, in this case soothing as well. Then to my surprise it moved right up into my third eye, where I experienced this feeling of expansion and again clearing. It had a real watery quality to it, but again the way the energy moved and felt it also could be a storm element stone. In this case I will say its both water and storm. After the meditation I experienced intense energy moving throughout my body, clearing away debris right down to my base chakra, it made me feel like I really needed to stretch and move. This was an amazing cleansing and ultimately energizing crystal encounter, Several hours later I can feel the impact and I look forward to watching things unfold over the next 24 hours!

smithsonite specimans purchased at the Bancroft Gemboree

The first piece of smithsonite I bought was this lovely lavender pink piece (the stone on the right side of the picture), it felt so soft, gentle and loving when I first picked it up and even though pink as a colour throws me off a little I new this delicate yet powerful healing energy was seriously needed at this time. A friend later told me about how smithsonite enhances the psychic connection between the healer and client if both are holding a piece during a session. This of course for me is very useful information to have! Thanks Silla!

The meditation I just did with this wonderful specimen confirmed my first instinct that it is a very loving and gentle energy. Like the hemimorphite the energy was felt immediately in my heart chakra but the way it felt was very different than the hemimorphites quick agility and no nonsense kind of clearing. This piece of smithsonite went directly to the heart but with a very gentle, compassionate and soft energy that moved from the heart to the upper heart area tenderly releasing old grief and heartache. All this time it was a very soft energy, it was still intense but it was more fluid, no question this is a water element stone. When thinking of how I could aptly describe its energy I had images of little fluffy clouds (almost angelic but not wind energy), wisps of pastel vapor in water, almost milky in texture come to mind. A sensation that describes the energy is the feeling of tall seaweed swaying back and forth in a subtle current of an almost still lake.

This past month I went to the 47^th Annual Gemboree Rock and mineral show in Bancroft Ontario, apparently the largest gem show in Ontario. It was held, small town Ontario style, in two arenas with a mini bus shuttle between. Oh the smell of arenas and the mini school bus transported me to my youth, a truly special experience in small town living. I spent two days at the show the first day just  surveying, feeling out the place, the stones the sellers and of course the prices. There was something for everyone really, jewelry sculptures, mineral specimens of all sizes, shapes and prices. It was overwhelming to say the least. I bought a couple of things but in the end decided to sleep on it to see what stones were calling out to me the loudest, what did I truly need at this time and what was lacking from my collection that my clients would benefit from.

August 2010 Newsletter

The Power of Peridot
When you initiate your healing journey in most modalities, your first session is often the start of an ongoing process. While in certain instances one session is enough to work through a particular issue, most clients benefit from regular ongoing energetic work. Energy work is cumulative and results happen over time, just like the cumulative effects of an exercise program.

My role as a Crystal Resonance Therapist and Reiki Practitioner is to act as your facilitator, to guide and support you on your healing journey. You lead the show and I support you through the process of personal empowerment, self-growth and resolving and releasing energetic patterns of past traumas. The beauty of this work is that only the things that you are ready to work through will ever come up in a session. Often clients have worked through issues via talk therapy, but don’t feel fully resolved with them at some level. This often happens when we are still retaining or holding these patterns in our energy bodies. Crystal Resonance Therapy and Reiki can clear these energetic patterns and assist you releasing them, providing relief and ultimately helping to shift deeply ingrained patterns.

I am offering a 2-for-1 opportunity, so that you can experience the cumulative effects of this kind of healing process firsthand. I recommend that you have the 2 sessions no more that 2 weeks apart, which will allow for time to integrate the last session and to have momentum to build upon. Book your initial session during the month of August to receive this 2-for-1 special.

Have a wonderful month!

Leslie Peters
- Reiki Practitioner and certified Crystal Resonance Therapist

Peridot image courtesy of Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com

July 2010 Newsletter

 image courtesy of Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com  

Amber: The Element of Fire 
With summer officially in full swing, my first sunburn of the season, the
Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland on our heals and the 30-year
anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the element of fire
has been heavy on my mind. Fire is a force of destruction, as well as
the element that gives us the passion to create and manifest. Fire is
movement of energy, a necessary force in healing, cleansing,
manifestation and of letting go. Some fire element stones include
carnelian, sunstone and malachite. One that I have been drawn to using
a lot lately is amber, while not a fire element stone (it's an earth
element), and while technically not a stone at all (it's actually
fossilized botanical resins), it to me embodies the element of the sun
in physical form. It is warming and soothing like the rays of the sun,
but simultaneously connects us to the plants and trees from which it
comes. It is a stone that enhances physical vitality, giving us access
to the energy of the sun even on the darkest days. If you have amber,
be it jewellery or a raw piece, I urge you pull it out of the closet or
jewellery box its in, slip it into your pocket, onto your wrist or into
your environment allowing the rays of purification to cleanse your
body, mind, spirit and space.
Opal Owl: July Special
COMPLIMENTARY CUSTOM BLENDED GEM ELIXIR FOR CLIENTS WHO BOOK IN JULY
Opal Owl is now offering custom-made gem elixirs. Gem elixirs are energetic
support tools that assist you in continuing your healing work after and
in between Crystal Resonance Therapy™ sessions. These elixirs are
essentially distilled water and gel silica that has been brought into
resonance with particular crystals and energetic frequencies, to assist
you in maintaining a specific vibration or frequency in between
sessions, further facilitating, aiding and empowering you through your
healing process. The general dosage is 3 drops three times a day, but I
always instruct clients more specifically when preparing their
particular blend. 

This is a question I have been asked on a number of occasions and I believe it could be answered in many different ways by many different people...

For me an alter is a sacred space where I put meaningful  objects and items to reflect upon. These objects include pictures, natural found items like sticks and stones, messages or information, essentially things to remind me of who I am and of the things that are important to me. Things that speak to my spirit and to my heart, offerings to my higher self, source energy and to my guides along the way.

I have many altars, I have permanent altars that face the cardinal directions and I meditate in front of them according to my intuitive sense. I also create temporary altars wherever I go. When I travel I collect things from where I am as well as things I have brought so I have a sacred space on the road, which also reminds me of car altars, oh the things that can line the dashboard. Even in my bathroom the old built in soap holder is now the housing for a small bathroom altar.

There are as many different kinds of altars as there are people, try googling or looking on flickr really its quite fascinating! There are completely ornate high mass church altars, altars found on the sides of roads and then lovely little kitchen altars. Altars speak so much about their creators...look around perhaps you have an altar and you didn't even know it ;)


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above is production still (shot by Leslie Peters) for the peice Neverman's Land by Tristan R Whiston

Here is a recent commissioned talisman made as as a gift!  I took some pictures so I could share some of this process with you!

The base is a silver collectors spoon with a ram on the handle. The spoon is adorned with sparkly emerald and lime green colored jewels and a glimmering enamel fish fetish.

The owner remarked that it was "glam" and its true! I felt this when making the piece that she had some inner sparkle to be revealed.

The Ram signifies the seeking of new beginnings, spoons are akin to the tarot suit the cups and represent the element of water and the emotions. The colour green speaks to growth healing and abundance. Overall this talisman indicated a move into new realms, into the light, the readiness to shine with full brilliance. Glam indeed :)

I have just finished putting up most of the documentation pictures and descriptions from my exhibition last year at the Fleishman Gallery (Wonder Works) in Toronto called talismans for the home. They are all for sale unless they say Sold and I also make custom talismans based on your needs!

If you haven't read it yet check out this interview with me about the exhibition and process of making the talismans as well.

This recent find in Mexico is absolutely incredible. The crystal cave is filled with Selenite crystals so huge it truly baffles my mind, apparently the largest crystals ever discovered. This one is for all the crystal size queens out there...You know who you are!

What could be better to start off the OpalOwl blog than to feature an overview of FAQ related to crystals and crystal healing? Why reinvent the wheel when my teacher and founder of the Crystalis Institute and Crystal Resonance Therapy has an excellent radio show that deals with this very topic!




Naisha Asihan is an expert on the subject of Crystals and Healing and this episode called Crystal Theory 2 - Crystal FAQ's.

"Does size matter? Does polishing a crystal hurt or change its energy? How important is color in crystal healing? When a stone breaks, can it still be used? These and other frequently asked crystal questions will be addressed in this must-listen 1 hour show! Naisha will be pulling out the stops (as usual) in sorting out folklore from fact and offering her opinions on the subjects of crystals and crystal healing."