GARNETS are the stone for a busy journo constantly dealing with people, Ancient Earth’s Belinda Johnson says as I gaze at her stock of rocks, fossilised fish, shells and crystals.

“Talking to a lot of people can be draining,” she says, summing me up with an eye practised at matching people with rocks.

Garnet balances chakras and energises: “And will help with many ailments,” she says.

She steers me away from a couple of displays, including a beautiful soft blue/grey celestite, saying they are not for me, something she does for many customers, even knocking back sales on occasion.

“We give honest advice; if people ask we intuitively find what they need for themselves.”

Customers come in for a variety of reasons, from avid rock collectors to new-agers, to small children drawn to the beauty of the rocks: “Our customers are 3 to 80…[and] teachers are giving them instead of stickers.”

The Fremantle shop is sister to one in Broome, and caught short when a manager left suddenly Ms Johnson’s business and life partner Sage Serong, holds the fort up north. But she flies down for a week a month to conduct crystal healing, including chakra balancing, house and business clearing, life and spiritual coaching – even animal healing.

Rescued dogs in the Kimberley are often traumatised and Ms Serong works with many: “It’s beautiful to see the result, which is why Sage does what she does.”

A full body healing involves lying on a bed over a matrix of different crystals.

“People believe in wifi which is energy but they can’t grasp the concept of a crystal vibrating with energy,” Ms Johnson sighs at the sceptics.

The hands-off therapy is said to heal on a cellular level and to remove old patterning and life baggage.

“Laying on the bed people can feel a wave going over them or a tingle or heat,” Ms Johnson says.

For more information go to ancientearth.com.au, call 9430 9497 or drop in to 30 High Street, Fremantle, Belinda is happy talk about her passion, rocks and crystals.

by JENNY D’ANGER