A Small Introduction to Crystal Healing

Crystals have been used for many thousands of years by peoples on every continent: the Cherokee and Apache nations, the Maya, Tibetans, Egyptians, Hindu Ayurvedics, and Druids are among the best-known for their use of crystals and minerals for healing, but most ancient civilizations used the power of crystals in ceremonial rites and healing.

In today’s modern world, the power of quartz (the most abundant crystal on Earth, patriarch of a larger mineral family that includes many semi-precious gemstones such as amethyst; chalcedonies including agates; and jaspers) is harnessed primarily in the field of electronics: for accurate time-keeping in watches, and in computing for microchips and screens (LCD=liquid crystal display).

If you have ever used a computer or watched television, you can thank quartz’s special piezoelectric qualities: it creates and carries an electrical charge when placed under pressure. (Incidentally, quartz is also pyroelectric, meaning that it does the same when subjected to heat.) It is no wonder, then, that these stones and their “magical” qualities were embraced by shamans and healers since time immemorial. Today, crystal healing appears less “magical” (all Westerners understand electricity at a basic level), but that makes it no less effective.

Crystal healing works of a variety of levels, but fundamentally, all are linked to vibration. Einstein proved that all matter is energy, and everything in our world vibrates at a certain frequency: for example, the Planet Earth vibrates at 194.18 Hz, and the musical note Middle C is 261.63 Hz. Light (color) vibrates at a much higher frequency: pure yellow’s is 517 THz (add 12 zeros).

Crystal healing is based on the chakra system. Thousands of years ago, Hindu sages identified 7 major energy vortices or chakras in the body running from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Chakra means “wheel” or “turning” in Sanskrit, and when an individual is healthy physically and emotionally, his or her chakras are balanced and spinning.

Chakras emit and receive energetic vibrations to and from the outside world, and also help to move life force energy—“Prana” in Sanskrit, “Chi (Qi)” in Chinese—along the body’s meridians. (Practices such as acupuncture, Shiatsu and yoga also rely on the meridian system; in simple terms, you can think of crystal healing as acupuncture without the needles!)

Each major chakra is associated with certain ideas, organs, gemstones, colors, musical notes, astrological signs, etc. If a chakra is blocked, the life force cannot flow, and discomfort—eventually disease—can occur. Crystals resonate in such a way as to be very effective in clearing (unblocking) and balancing chakras. They bring certain energies into your personal energy field (aura). When choosing which crystal you need, it is best to rely on your intuition: if a certain stone appeals to you, it is likely that you need its energy to balance you. You can always refer to the experts, but even they will tell you that your own knowing is the best way to choose which stone will serve you best on any given day.

If you check out the pages on the different chakras, you’ll discover a few of the crystals associated with each one, as well as plenty of information on what energies each chakra governs, and how to tell if your chakra is balanced for not. Elizabeth has gathered a lot of information and compiled it here for your use, so please enjoy, and leave a comment!

If you feel you need extra support for a given chakra, an excellent choice is the Ethereal Crystal Reiki placement: Elizabeth can put the stone of your choice (use the description list to choose) in the appropriate chakra–can’t do that with actual stones!–and it will stay there until you no longer need it. Because the placement occurs through intention and energetic transfer, you do not need to be local to Elizabeth. 

Have fun, and remember, it’s not self-indulgent, it’s therapeutic!