This week we were going to discuss Lineated Sides and Lineated Faces. Collectively they are referred to as Lineation. To specify where the Lineation occurs, you add “side” or “face”. Because the blog post grew and grew, I have decided to break up the information. This week we’ll cover Lineated Sides and next week we’ll cover Lineated faces.
Lineation is simply lines or striations on the sides or faces of crystals. The sides of crystals which have been polished won’t have any lineation and it’s a great indicator whether or not a crystal has been mechanically polished.
LINEATED SIDES
Lineated Sides are horizontal striations across the sides of a point. They will be perpendicular to the base and termination. Without exception, nearly every natural crystal will have Lineation on the sides in varying degrees of depth and spacing. Because it is so common, normally I don’t mention Lineated sides in a crystal description unless it is especially noticeable.
The striated sides are a good starting point if you have an atypical crystal and are having trouble determining top from bottom and sides from faces. Examples of atypical crystals would include Elestial crystals, crystals which are only partially complete (such as pieces of crystals or broken points) or crystals with many Imprints. Begin by looking for the parts of the crystal which have horizontal striations. Those are the sides. Now you have an orientation to your crystal and you can proceed from there.
Lineation on sides varies in depth from light, which you really can’t feel at all, but can see when the glare of a light shines just right, to deeper, almost grooved lines which are very easily felt. Sometimes they are very close together as in the image above, and sometimes they are spaced farther apart as in the image below. I call the Lineation which is further apart “stepped” because it looks a little like stair steps.
Here is an excerpt from Understanding the Crystal People, on Lineated sides:
Lineation on some points can be used like a zipper. If you drag your thumbnail down the side of a point with deep striations (one stroke, from top to bottom), you are “unzipping” the crystal. Unzipping enables you to access information within the crystal. To zip it back up, turn the point upside down (point down) and drag your thumb from the base to the tip (you’re still zipping from top to bottom directionally). While it seems silly to flip the crystal on its head to zip up its zipper; the top-to-bottom zipping action feels more consistent and deliberate. I have always turned the point upside down and moved my thumb from north to south but it is important that you do what works best for you.
I have not personally noticed anything immediately spectacular happen when I “unzip” a crystal; I do notice a slight “opening” or deeper access, but it isn’t startling or pronounced, it seems to be more generalizaed and subtle. I don’t think it is absolutely necessary (meaning I don’t think you will be unable to connect fully with your crystal if you don’t unzip it), but is possible that you can access deeper levels of understanding by doing so. Try it out and see what works best for you!
The crystal with deeper grooves or Lineation which you can feel are the kind you may like to try unzipping. As I already mentioned, unzipping crystals may help you to access further knowledge within the crystal. I experience this as receiving a deeper knowing or understanding that seems to be released quietly after they are unzipped. It also gives the crystal a signal that you are willing and ready to obtain deeper access. While I don’t experience a massive shift or greatly noticeable change when unzipping a crystal, you might! Try it out and see what you experience.
So this brings us to the end of my discussion of Lineated Sides. I hope you have enjoyed it! Next week we’ll continue the discussion about Lineation with Lineated Faces.
Here is a recap of the past posts featuring the metaphysical configurations and links to where you might find these various crystal configurations if you decided you might like to work with them:
LINEATED SIDE CRYSTAL (To Access Deeper Understanding) purchase Lineated Side crystal read blog post
LASER WAND (For Extremely Precise Energy Direction) purchase Laser Wand read blog post
ISIS FACE (Connect with Goddess Energy) purchase Isis Face crystal read blog post
INCLUSIONS (Minerals Trapped Within Crystal During Growth) purchase Included crystal read blog post
KEYS and IMPRINTS (Answers to questions and Adapt During Growth) purchase Key purchase Imprint read blog post
GROWTH INTERFERENCE (A Lesson in Adaptation) purchase GROWTH INTERFERENCE read blog post
GOLDEN HEALERS (for healing applications) purchase GOLDEN HEALER read blog post
GENERATOR or MERLIN CRYSTALS (For precise, direct, focused energy) purchase GENERATOR or MERLIN read blog post
FEMININE, MASCULINE & YIN/YANG CRYSTALS (An anatomy lesson) purchase FEMININE purchase MASCULINE purchase YIN/YANG read blog post
FAIRY FROST & MIRROR FRACTURES (To connect us to Nature Spirits and to care for Mother Earth) purchase FAIRY FROST crystal read blog post
FADEN CRYSTALS (For astral travel or connecting) purchase FADEN crystal read blog post
E.T. CRYSTALS (Access otherworldly beings or boost distant healing) purchase E.T. crystal read blog post
ETCHED CRYSTALS and SACRED SIGILS (Surface features with special energies.) purchase ETCHED crystal purchase SIGIL crystal read blog post
EMPATHIC CRYSTALS (To bring out and amplify compassionate feelings.) purchase EMPATHIC crystal read blog post
ELESTIAL or ELESTIATED CRYSTAL (To connect with angelic energies.) purchase ELESTIAL crystal read blog post
EIGHT-SIDED FACE / GROUNDING CRYSTALS (Any time you need to refocus and ground.) purchase EIGHT-SIDED FACE or GROUNDING crystal read blog post
DRUSY (To assist with ideas or thought forms ready to spring forth and grow such as thoughts or dreams, desires or wishes.) purchase DRUSY read blog post
DOW or TRANS-CHANNELER CRYSTALS (For divine balance, and a connection with the self and Universal Truth.) Note: Dow crystals are rare, and I don’t always have very many of them. Sometimes the ones I have are Dow by count (7-3-7-3-7-3) but have one large 7-sided face (present as a Channeler) or two large 7-sided faces and one small 7 (present as a Transmitter). If you order one, I will let you know at time of purchase what I have available. purchase DOW or TRANS-CHANNELER crystal read blog post
DOUBLE TERMINATED CRYSTALS (Useful in any application in which you want the energy to flow in both directions) purchase DOUBLE TERMINATED crystal read blog post
DOLPHIN CRYSTAL (To encourage teaching in a loving, fun, joyful way, or alternately, to assist one to enjoy learning) read blog post
CURVED CRYSTAL (To assist with flexibility “go with the flow” or to cleanse or brush your aura) purchase CURVED crystal read blog post
CLUSTER CRYSTAL (Raise the vibration in an environment or to assist with group dynamics) purchase crystal CLUSTER read blog post
CATHEDRAL or LIGHTBRARY CRYSTAL (Raise your vibrational frequency or access Akashic Records) purchase CATHEDRAL or LIGHTBRARY crystal read blog post
CHANNELER or CHANNELING CRYSTAL (To access higher wisdom, guides, other-world beings) purchase CHANNELER crystal read blog post
BRIDGE or INNER CHILD CRYSTAL (To help Bridge between worlds or help to access your innermost self) purchase BRIDGE or purchase INNER CHILD read blog post
BARNACLE QUARTZ CRYSTAL (Wise energy; ‘new souls’ attracted to ‘old soul’ energy) purchase BARNACLE read blog post
See you next week for Lineated Faces.
