Charms and Crystals > Marilyn Soriano

                                               Friday, June 27, 2008                                                   

Joy to the world

By Dinna Chan Vasquez

I’ve never been superstitious or a great believer in amulets or lucky charms. In the past, I have worn charm bracelets made of crystal partly because I have Chinese blood but mostly because I found them to be fashionable.

But since the start of the Year of the Rat on Feb. 8, I have bitten the bullet and worn perhaps a pound or two of crystal charms bracelets every day. Not only that, I also spray on a lucky scent, depending on what I want to achieve for the day: sandalwood to cleanse away bad vibes or Mandarin orange to attract business opportunities and wealth.

The “culprit” behind my change of heart is a woman named Joy Lim. Known as the “feng shui adviser to the stars,” Lim is always mentioned on TV by the likes of Kris Aquino, Boy Abunda, Ara Mina, Gelli de Belen, Carmina Villaroel, Kim Chiu and many others.

I first met Lim at her Charms & Crystals store in Dapitan days before the Year of the Pig was to end. I was still skeptical about feng shui even though my aunts and cousins and closest friends had been practicing it for years.

Lim gave me an eight-jade bracelet with clear quartz for good luck and a jade gourd bracelet for health and longevity. I have worn her bracelets since the night I met her and I can say, in more ways than just luck, that they have changed my life.

I agree that crystals are not for everyone. Some people argue that crystal therapy is really the power of suggestion. They say the placebo effect makes people feel better because they believe it is working.

Crystals are stones that have been proven to have an energetic presence and many cultures have imbued them with mystical qualities. It is also truly believed by many that crystals both have, and store, healing energies.

The charm bracelets Lim designs are based on geomancy and she combines this art with the healing and mystic properties of semi-precious stones. All stones and crystals used in Charms & Crystals jewelry are imported and carefully selected.

Lim’s approach to feng shui is really very practical and sensible. For example, she says if you are looking for a husband, don’t decorate your room in a very feminine way or use peach in your bedroom if you are already married. If you want to have a baby, it would help to put baby pictures in your room.

Lim says feng shui is simply a guide to a better life and a way of taking advantage of good luck that comes our way.

She cautions that charms and crystals are merely tools toward promoting hope and a better outlook.

“The charms and crystals are symbols and not meant to be idolized or worshipped. Feng shui is not a religion. We need to thank God as the crystals are His creation,” she adds.

Lim says charms and crystals will not bring instant miracles to our lives.

“Hard work is very important to achieving success,” she adds.

“Feng shui is an ancient practice intended to create positive life energies of chi... harmonizing our personal chi with the chi in the environment, in harmony with the natural forces of nature, which results in a healthy, happy, and prosperous life,” says Lim to describe feng shui.

Lim did not start out as a feng shui practitioner despite her Chinese ancestry.

Lim’s path to geomancy began when she bought a Buddha pendant in Hong Kong for a heartbroken friend. This was 1999. By 2001, she had met Kris Aquino.

Lim gave the TV host a frog charm, which is a “money catcher” to the Chinese.

Charms & Crystals charm bracelets are no longer just lucky items but also fashionable accessories. They are always copied but never imitated.

Lim says this is because she has most of her charms customized abroad.

“At the start, I looked for suppliers and talked to them. I wanted my charms to be lucky and to look good. I made sure the charms would be hard to copy and had my suppliers make them exclusively for me.”

Early this year, Lim introduced her own line of Lucky Fragrances to enhance good luck and eliminate the bad.

I will not go out of the house without a spritz of Lime, which dispels negativity and attracts opportunities. Sandalwood, which removes negative energy, is for spraying your bracelets with when you accidentally bring them to wakes, hospitals and funerals, while Pomelo removes bad luck. Peony is for attracting love and good people in your life. The bestseller is Mandarin, which attracts business opportunities and wealth. There are also Lucky Scents by Joy Lim All In One Perfumes.

The scents are not only lucky; they smell good, too. Pomelo is like Lacoste Touch of Pink. Lime smells so fresh and is the perfect fragrance for hot days.

The scents were originally designed for clients who want to recharge their bracelets but have no access to a Charms & Crystals outlet.

Charms & Crystals outlets are located at 22-B Dapitan St., Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City; Robinsons Galleria; SM Mall of Asia; 122 Timog corner Tomas Morato; SM Taytay and Alabang Town Center. For information, go to www.charmsandcrystals.com or call 742-2597 and 413-9112.