“Judy was an amazing friend”
She was a teacher, a guide, someone to share laughs with, someone who could be blatantly honest (which I like in a friend), someone I truly respected and one I deeply cherished. It’s hard to write in the past tense, “was”, because she still feels much more like “is”.
I only met Judy in May of 2016 but she was one of those very special people that you feel you have known all of your life! A person who might well come along only once in your lifetime, and that’s if you were lucky!
When people would ask me what Judy was like when I returned home to Canada, I would say “she was like meeting your grandmother”, a phrase I had to quickly correct (though I never told this to Judy) to say “she was like meeting your sister”, as Judy was only 11 years older than I. Guess she hardly qualified as my ‘grandmother’! But there was that feeling of closeness, of connection.
It all began when I shared with Jeni, Judy’s daughter, that my husband Mark and I were coming to England. Jeni and I had become really good friends after I ordered a crystal or three from Angel Additions, Judy’s site at the time that Jeni managed. Jeni and I would chat about this order and that which soon branched out to this interest or that. Jeni shared with me that she herself loved to read and I told her that if that was the case she must read Phil Rickman’s Merrily Watkins series! Jeni told me her Mum, Judy Hall, also liked that series.
Shortly after that, Jeni told me Judy wanted me to have her personal email. Me? Judy wanted to know if it would be alright if she joined Mark and I in our search for Ledwardine, the imaginary city in Phil’s books as she had always wanted to take in some of the sacred sites mentioned, but hadn’t wanted to do it alone. But if Mark would drive, she’d arrange the tour. Imagine my excitement!
Would it be OK? If Judy Hall, renowned author and crystal expert joined us!
Someone whose books on crystals inspired and guided my crystal work! I was delighted beyond words! How could ‘the little girl’ from a small farming community in Wisconsin, USA who collected rocks and small tumbled crystals be meeting thee Judy Hall!
We met in the restaurant at the Bishop’s Palace in Ross-on-Wye that mid-May evening at 6:33 pm. (We were 3 minutes late!) Judy was the only one in the room. She stood up, gave me a wonderful hug, and firmly placed a piece of Flint in my hand saying she had heard that I needed grounding! Judy was warm, gracious, down to earth and had a contagious laugh!
That night, after dinner, we took a walk. Judy spied a crystal shop (of course she did!). She had mentioned that I needed to be wearing Labradorite and we would be popping in the next morning to find one! Case closed! So we waited for the shop to open and in we went.
The shopkeeper was lovely. She would ask ‘do you need help’? And Judy would assure her we were fine. This went on for some time. Next she asked ‘do you need more information on that crystal?
I have an amazing book right here.’And she handed Judy “The Crystal Bible”. I just smiled! And Judy with all the grace in the world simply said to her, ‘would you like me to sign it for you’? The shopkeeper stood for a moment a bit puzzled and Judy said, ‘I wrote it.’
Can you imagine the excitement of the shopkeeper! She had only been open for a couple of weeks! By the time we left and journeyed up the high street to do a bit more shopping, every shopkeeper knew about Judy! Never once was there any ego as she was recognised, only her down-to-earthiness. Judy was simply Judy! And that says a lot about her.
Probably the most memorable time spent with Judy was at Crystal Dragon Mountain, a place she so named, in Wales. We spent the day mining for crystals!! What an experience! Two nights later she and I along with Mark sat in our room sorting through pounds and pounds of crystals, the finest of all we mined, to bring back to Canada.
.jpeg)
The largest weighed 26 pounds and happened to be in the shape of a Dragon!
All in all we carried well over 100 pounds of crystals back to Canada, leaving for England with 2 suitcases and returning with 4!
She recognised me as a Crystal Master, and when I said ‘who me?’she said ‘well I think you are, don’t you!’.
Never, ever will I forget that day and time spent on the Mountain. It was truly life changing! When I told that to Judy not long before she passed her reply was, “I’m glad.”
We had a lot of fun on that magical tour in search of Ledwardine. And made a lifetime of memories. We also met the author, Phil Rickman, at the Murder and Mayhem Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye; someone who Judy always wanted to meet too!
Our last day together was at the stone circles at Avebury. I had spent all I was going to spend and more during our almost 3 weeks in England, but into the gift shop we went. I was looking for something for a special friend here in Canada. Finding what I needed, I was standing at the counter waiting to pay for my purchase when my eyes were drawn to a cabinet with the most amazing Preseli Bluestone dragons inside! One especially ‘whispered’ to me. So I had to have someone open the locked cabinet, didn’t I?
My husband lovingly cautioned me as to how much I had already spent, but I had to hold that dragon! As I tuned into its energy, Judy kept raising and lowering my right arm.
Unbenounced to me, she was muscle testing me. All I was focused on was the dragon, the rather hefty price tag and how would I pay the hydro bill when I got home. Finally Judy looked at Mark and then at me and said,’I don’t know who’s going to pay the hydro bill but Linda isn’t leaving England without that Dragon’! Linda didn’t!!
Many phone calls followed that visit, more so toward the end of Judy’s journey here this lifetime. More memories. More teachings. An ever deepening friendship. An ever growing respect for a truly incomparable Lady. Ever growing gratitude having known her, even for an incredibly short time. I will miss her more than I can say. But I promised her I would be happy for her once she was free and could journey on.
At the end of my phone conversations with Judy, I would say “Much love Judy” and she would reply, “And to you. Bye for now”. (She always included Mark as well in those closing words.) So too now I will close by saying,
“Much love Judy. Bye for now.” And too that I would add :-
“But just for now”
“We will see each other again one day!”
“Sail on my friend, sail on.”
Linda
Honouring Judy Hall's Legacy
I am honoured to present Judy Hall's crystal collection on my website. It is a collaboration that I hold dear to my heart, and I am humbled to be entrusted with preserving and sharing the legacy of such an esteemed figure in the crystal community.
Come and explore the transformative power of Judy Hall's crystals. Let them guide you on your personal journey of self-discovery, healing, and spiritual growth. Together, let us celebrate and embrace the remarkable legacy of Judy Hall, forever shining through these extraordinary crystals.
Click on the link below to see the collection:-