How do you relate with a stone when you co-exist in close proximity for an extended period?

Part of Lithic Attunement Exercises

• Psychogeological drift
• Written in stone
• I’m not afraid of the dark
• To be a stone
• A pebble in my pocket
• Correspondence

Duration: From hours to weeks

Location: Wherever you are

A simple exercise to observe how your relationship to a specific stone changes over time. You don’t necessarily need to do anything with the stone, just be with it, notice and acknowledge its presence. Do this exercise on your own. If you are practicing with a group of people, you could do the exercise on your own, and share insights collectively at the conclusion.

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Find a small pebble, stone, crystal, or other mineral entity in your surroundings. Observe the stone, using all your senses. Take a few minutes to notice any sensory or emotional responses that might arise. Does it feel appropriate to keep this stone with you for a while? If not, put the stone back where you found it. Find another stone and repeat the process.

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Decide how you are going to engage with this stone, and for how long. For example, you might hold the stone in your hand for a minute every hour or once every day; meditate on its shapes and textures; put it in your pocket and carry it around with you; place it on your desk or under your pillow. Whatever you decide, the stone should remain in close proximity to you for the duration of the exercise.

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Be with the stone. Notice if and how your response to the stone changes over time. You may periodically record your observations in a medium of your choice.

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At the end of the chosen period, return to the place where you found the stone. Hold it in your hand and observe, just like at the start of the exercise. Notice what emerges — sensations, thoughts, feelings, impressions… When you are ready, return the stone to (or near) the place where you found it. Observe your reaction to this act of separation between you and the stone, and the act of reintegration between the stone and its environment.

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Reflect on your experience. Did being with the stone change over time? If so, how did your experience change? How did you relate to the stone at the beginning, middle, and end of the experience? How do you feel about being more distant from the stone? Is there still a connection, and if so, how does this connection manifest?

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