Gem of a Woman

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"These gems have life in them: their colours speak, say what words fail of.”
- George Eliot

Perhaps, these words best describe Abhijita Kulshrestha, director and senior astro-gemologist, Gemstone universe. A certified NLP practitioner from NFNLP, Florida, an accredited jewellery professional from Gemological Institute of America and Planetary Gemologists Association (Thailand), she is among the few practicing certified women Vedic astrologers.

Abhijita grew up in a charming neighbourhood of Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh. “There was, and always will remain, an active connect with nature. My schooling was in a convent that would close down for the winter. I used to have ample time to walk around the forested hills and valleys, discover quaint little shrines and savour the mythical tales as well as the Ruskin Bond-ish local stories that usually float freely in the hill towns.

And when there is little company and distraction, one is indoctrinated early into meditation without really knowing it is ‘meditation’. In a way, a person who grows up with lots of nature around, is quite comfortable being by oneself,” she says. Armed with a masters degree in mass communication and journalism, she credits her hostel life for her ability to think independently and interdependently.

Her first summer job was as a content writer at a firm in Chandigarh. “It didn’t end with that summer though and I continued working and studying simultaneously. Since then, the journey has taken me to several places – from freelance writing and copywriting to research and teaching at MICA, Ahmedabad, and now the practice of astrology and gemology.” However, being an astro-gemologist was not a coincidence and was meant to be her destiny. “My family is deeply spiritual and even the family I married into is religious. Interactions with my guru, my own experience with planetary gems and possibly a subconscious calling, all culminated on this path where this knowledge became a huge raison d’être.”

The career choices were driven by a desire to bring about a positive change and contribute to society. “My practice of astrology and planetary gemology revealed that I could do this in a powerful manner, revolutionising one life at a time. I meet people who are hunting for answers and directions in a world where no one else is obligated to reveal. I help them see their challenges as well as their strong points and aid progress in life,” she says. Naturally, her experiences are very personal and more often than not, cannot be described in words. “When you work with pure intent, the divine works through you and many times it feels as though I am a medium and there is another greater power speaking through me.”

Bringing back the deep insights that can touch a life to heal, nurture and rectify, Abhijita combines her diverse experiences to bring alive the precepts and bring about lasting changes in the lives of people she meets. “It is very interesting to see clients transform over a period of time – from being shy and stammering to actively discussing marriage and potential career move abroad; from having a conservative stance to exulting in discovery of their professional potential; from being crushed inside personal mental prisons to living a better life; those gifted going from good to great!”she says talking about intense personal revolutions.

It is also interesting to meet and connect with other healers, lightworkers and alternative-life practitioners. “The best part is to work with dazzling, pure and powerful natural gemstones – of how gem therapy can work out the knots from complicated situations,’ she adds. The soft-spoken Abhijita merges her knowledge of stars, planets, gems and the intrinsic nature of the person to derive a solution that is uniquely suited to the individual.

A complete family person, she is also an interloper – a soul that likes to travel through the mysteries of the universe. “I love to read, enjoy intellectually-
stimulating conversations and I always advocate that there is something to learn from every single person you meet. I have two sons who give me some of the greatest lessons from time to time. My husband is my biggest source of strength,” she maintains. What is in store in future then? “The future holds the outcome of what you choose to do in the now,” she says.

Holistic and lasting changes, Abhijita insists, can be brought about only when you tune into your own higher power and absorb and energise yourself with the cosmic energy that is meant for you. Any ordinary life becomes extraordinary, once it finds its purpose. Her advice to young women who are about to start their career is simple: “Discover your own power as a woman and go right ahead. Don’t try to become a man, even though people tell you it is a man’s world! Your strength lies in being true to yourself.”