The holidays are here, and with them the joy and stress of giving gifts. With obligations to offer family gifts, teacher gifts, holiday gifts, hostess gifts and more, it can all become overwhelming, especially for those trying to lead a more intentional life and give personal gifts from the heart.

It is at this time that intentional gifts—items infused with love, hope, abundance, creativity and other positive intentions—seem like a great idea. The giver can choose an item that is filled with their wish for the receiver while giving something useful, beautiful and thoughtful. Do these work? The answer is simply complicated.

Science has shown us that everything is made up of atoms. Atoms vibrate; this means everything we can touch has its own vibration. Take, for instance, a rose quartz. The atoms that make up a rose quartz vibrate at a rate called a frequency. Everything made of matter has its own unique frequency. Donald L. Cronin, Ph.D., professor emeritus of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, conducted fundamental research on energy dissipation in dynamic systems and applied research for the automotive industry. He specializes in vibrations and consulted for NASA and Ford on the effects of vibrations on rockets and vehicles.

Cronin was asked if stones, such as a rose quartz, could have their own vibration. “On a sub-microscopic level, matter may be pictured as a virtual framework—a force field—within which atoms are trapped like flies in a spider web,” he says. “So constrained, they buzz and buzz— little vibrating things. Our ultimate clock these days bases its infallible accuracy on the vibration of atoms. On a larger scale, crystals can be made to vibrate at frequencies controlled by their shape and size. Think of the crystal sets of early day radios. The crystals responded to electromagnetic waves transmitted through the air by vibrating themselves with sufficient energy to produce audible sound. So that answers the question of the capability of the vibration of inanimate objects. A rose quartz crystal can have a vibratory signal,” Cronin states.

He says scientifically there is not enough credible evidence to support that people are able to pick up on the vibrations of an object, or send energy into an object. But he continues “Is that a yes or a no? It’s neither.”

Knowing everything has its own vibration—and there is a lack of scientific proof that humans can feel that vibration—how do we know intentional items like Reiki-charged candles or crystals or energy-charged feathers work?

Sierra North, owner of Muktinath Holistic Center in Monroe, offers an explanation. She says for centuries man has been able to feel the vibrations around him and some are more sensitive than others. Through experimentation and meditation over time, people have discerned which vibrations affect different emotions, help in healing, and align to the energy centers in the body—known as the etheric or chakra system.

In the case of stones or crystals, the color of the item typically corresponds with the colors associated with a specific chakra or energy center. Green and pink are associated with the heart chakra; therefore, rose quartz (pink) and jade (green) are two of the gemstones associated with healing that chakra, explains North.

Like all other items, candles, feathers and oils contain their own vibrational signal. The wax the candle is made with, the oils it is scented with and the wick that runs through it all have a vibration. Vibration itself is neutral; it is then the work of the crafter to set the intention for that item.

By setting an intention, the maker of the item will hold an energetic vibration, North says. Let’s use the example of love again. The trained can tap into the energy of love and infuse that energy into the candle. Think of tuning in a radio to a different channel or frequency. The frequency exists outside the radio and, if trained, we can tap into that energy and tune an item into that frequency. The theory exists that it can be done with other items and frequencies.

There is still debate in the scientific arena regarding the plausibility of emotional energy affecting items. However, as some scientists are trying to debunk it, others are trying to prove the theory. Perhaps it is a mystery that is not to be known so to cause faith and deepen beliefs while encouraging conversation and exploration.

While intentional items like the feathers found in North’s Muktinath Holistic Center have been tuned to the frequency of love or abundance, there is also an expectation that the owner or receiver will take part in the intention by saying a prayer or setting the intention specifically for what they want or need.

“I set a general intention of love,” says North. “So I use Reiki energy to channel the vibration of love into the feathers. For this, I use goose feathers in pairs as geese mate for life; I’m setting the general intention for the person who gets these to find their true love and life partner. I also include a prayer that instructs them to further set the intention for their life. They can be as vague or specific as to what they want. It’s the setting of intention that counts.”

North, a former wildlife rehabilitator, uses both goose and turkey feathers as intentional items. All are dropped feathers found in nature, and North cautions that The Migratory Bird Treaty Act needs to be physically and spiritually respected. We must be careful about the types of feathers we are purchasing, using or giving, she states.

Deana Paqua, of Embody the Sacred in Ridgefield and New Milford, is a teacher of holistic health, shamanic healer, Reiki master and ordained minister who creates her own line of spiritually-blessed, gemstone-charged, and essential oil-infused clearing and blessing sprays. Originally created for her own use, many of Paqua’s clients have become loyal customers after using the sprays and experiencing positive results. These include corporate employees using the sprays to create a more uplifting work environment, healing arts practitioners who use them in their own offices and healing centers, and others using them to calm children, experience better sleep or even help sell their homes.

“I first created my sprays because I had a need to help clients clear their own energy and bring in a positive intention for themselves. I also use them to clear the energy in my office without burning sage or incense, since I work in a holistic psychotherapy practice in an office building, where creating smoke would not be appropriate,” Paqua explains. “I also use them when performing home and space clearings and blessings. So the sprays were born partly out of practicality and partly out of divine inspiration.”

Paqua’s sprays include a line of over a dozen different themes and intentions, to support clearing heavy and stuck energy while bringing in more positive energy and abundance. These sprays are hand-crafted one bottle at a time and contain natural ingredients without synthetic fragrances or chemicals. They contain essential oils, gem essences, holy water, and are blessed by shamanic ceremony, Reiki, energy channeling and prayers particular to each blend. Some of the most popular include Archangel Michael Clearing and Protection Spray, Archangel Raphael Healing and Blessing Spray, and a Sage and Peppermint Clearing and Blessing Spray.

When selecting gifts infused with energy or intention, like candles, jewelry, stones and a wide variety of others items, it is up to the giver and the users to be open to the vibrations coming from the items to choose the one that speaks to them. North suggests looking with our energy or heart instead of our eyes. Upon finding an item that “feels” perfect for us or a loved one, ask if it includes a written intentional prayer or saying that goes along with it. In that way the owner has the opportunity to customize and enhance the original intention of the item. Then, like many things this holiday season, belief does the rest.

Sheri Hatfield is a freelance writer and co-founder of an emerging children’s museum in Shelton. Connect with her at [email protected].

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Where to Find Intentional Gift Items

There are many stores in our area offering intentional items and other products for purchase. These include:

Crystal Visions
1 Rt 37 East, Ste 2, Sherman • 860-210-9897 • CrystalVisionsCT.com

Mother Earth Gallery
449 Danbury Rd, New Milford • 203-775-6272 • MotherEarthCrystals.com

Happy Rainbows
11 CT-39 #4, Sherman • 860-355-4959

Talisman
150 Main St, Monroe • 203-261-0047 • TalismanCT.com

Lantern House Center for Seraphic Living
154 Danbury Rd, Wilton • 203-529-1219 • LanternHouseLiving.com

Touch of Sedona
252 Main St, Ridgefield • 203-438-7146 • TouchofSedonaRidgefield.com