Crystal and gemstone healing has that ‘new age’ look and feel. It seems a strange thing to suggest that wearing or carrying certain stones can affect you or that a crystal healing session might do some good. But they do.
Crystals have been used as talismans, meditative tools, and for psychic work in cultures around the globe and through the ages. They were important during Roman times, with the Celts and Scots, and in the Western Hemisphere with Mayan and Aztec cultures. The wearing of gemstones and crystals on the body began to aid or enhance one’s spirituality, psychic ability, power and/or health; today most people wear these treasures for their beauty alone.
Crystals store, amplify and project energy. These properties have made them invaluable in the modern age where they have been used in crystal radio sets, watches and computers. While synthetic crystals now take the place of natural ones in technological use, the properties remain the same - they store information, amplify and direct energy.
Light
In alternative therapies, terms such as energy healing, universal source of energy, energy balancing, and so on are commonly used. In the context of healing with crystals, the energy we are referring to is an expression of ‘light’.
Light contains many colours, only a small range of which we can see with the naked eye. Yet we know that the colours in light go beyond this rainbow spectrum and some of these are visible with special instruments, such as infrared goggles, for example. Colour is the reflection, refraction and absorption of light. The colours we see are, therefore, the vibrational change caused as light reflects, refracts and/or is absorbed by an object or substance. Each colour in the spectrum has a different wavelength, its own frequency or vibrational rate.
The Energy System of the Human Body
The human energy system is fed through many distinct entry points, called chakras. While there are many of these points over the entire body, there are seven major ones: at the crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral centre (just below the belly button) and the root (perineum). Each chakra has its own vibrational energy level or frequency.
The frequency emanating from specific crystals and gemstones is related to their colour. That is why specific colours are placed at specific chakra points: the vibrational frequencies are similar.
When particular areas of the body are experiencing discomfort or dis-ease, adding a stone of an appropriate vibration can help augment the vibration of the related energy centre/chakra. When carrying a stone of a specific colour, the frequency of that stone will emanate through your aura. It works to heal those aspects of your being that require balancing. The same is true when used in a layout during a healing session.
Choosing and Using Stones
Crystals and gemstones are beautiful additions to anyone’s home or as personal adornments. Making informed choices about which ones to choose is healthy and smart! But where to start?
Start by finding a good reference book on crystals and gemstones. There are several available in the big bookstores, but you might also want to try smaller stores that specialize in these areas. All serious crystal healers have a copy of Melody’s Love is in the Earth and the series by Katrina Raphael are also excellent. My personal favourites are The Complete Illustrated Guide to Crystal Healing, by Simon Lilly and Crystal Co-Creators by Dorothy Roeder. These books will help you find information on how to use stones and details of their metaphysical properties.
The most important thing you will need to know is how to ‘clear’ your stones of unwanted energy. Stones absorb energy….and you can be sure that everyone who has handled the stones as they are mined, shipped and sold will have passed on a bit of their energy to the stones.
The easiest way to clear stones is to run them under water for a period of time with the intent in your mind that all the impure, negative energy (or dross) be cleared from the stone and flow down the drain. Other options are placing the stones in the full moonlight or in sunlight for an evening or day. Some people also bury the stones in the earth or in a pan of sea salt to drain off the impurities. Whatever suits you and your lifestyle will work best. Just remember to clear them before you begin wearing them or carrying them in your pocket and to clear them often as they clear out your own energetic system!
As a general rule of thumb, try and learn the colours which correspond to each of the seven main chakras and use that as a guide to which stone you should be carrying. By learning about the chakras, you will know what is depleted in yourself and therefore what stone could be helpful to supplement your energy.
You should also rely on your intuition. Which stone are you attracted to? Which stone feels right in your hand? It is often quite remarkable how accurate this process can be. People often choose exactly the stone they need without knowing the properties of the stone and are amazed when they ‘check it out’ in a reference book!
Author: Ruth Hawkins, Reiki Master and Crystal Healer
Karuna Reiki® Master