Photo: Tumble-polished malachite, by w. Carter, Wikimedia
Tumbling rocks is a deceptive art. It feels chaotic, it looks chaotic, in goes rough, uncertain and sharp, out come treasures. Tumbling rocks takes care. It requires a balanced weight of varied sized rocks, not too big, not too small. You need the right medium or grit, paired with the right amount of time to bring the best from those rocks. In the end, the outer layer is worn away, and sharp edges softened, Each additional step requires a different compound and a little less time. In the end, depending on what material you’re working with, you’re left with polished tumbled stones with rounded edges and comparatively brilliant color.
If you’re polishing on sanding wheels, the first wheel is the most abrasive. It cuts down on saw sharpened ends with hardly any effort. It’s where we create shape and start revealing color. The secondary wheel is less abrasive, refines shapes and evens out the abrasions from the first wheel. Next we use the rubber backed wheels which can take pressure and smooth the shape and take out the scratches from the previous wheels. It’s here the real color and depth are revealed. The polishing wheels refine the look and feel of the stone bringing out the natural reflective nature of whatever your working with.
Lately the world feels like it’s in a perpetual state of chaos. The people are divided and scattered, the violence ramping up and our sisters are still going missing. The seemingly unstoppable search for oil and the desecration of sacred spaces no longer newsworthy in light of newer atrocities. It’s a strange space to exist in. And yet the old ones watch. They still get up and make their coffee, tend their gardens and keep on moving. Because the only thing more vulnerable than a chaotic world is a chaotic mind. And they know that this is not the end. In reality it’s just the beginning. We can make the best of the abrasive reality we live in by reshaping ourselves and guiding our choices so we become the most excellent version of ourselves. It’s not a time to hide, but a time to show up and become.
