Have you been looking to deepen your knowledge of how to incorporate crystals, gemstones, and rocks into your everyday life and spiritual practice? There are so many wonderful uses for these precious gifts from the earth. In this beyond beginner’s book, I delve into many different ways you can put the power of crystals to work for you. From gemstone essences and crystal alignments to charm bags and crystal grids, you will discover a way to personalize your use of crystals to focus your intentions and support your positive affirmations. For now, let’s take a look at the use of crystals, past and present, which provides the foundation for our work with these sparkling treasures.
Historical Use of Gemstones
The stories and lore associated with the use of crystals and gemstones throughout the ages are wide and varied. The use of crystals in jewelry and cosmetics dates back to the Sumerians of ancient Babylonia and the ancient Egyptians. Gemstones and crystals also played a part in the daily and religious lives of other ancient people from Mexico, Greece, and China. In biblical lore, the breastplate of Aaron, the high priest of the Israelites, contained a different gemstone for each of the twelve tribes of Israel: carnelian, chrysolite, emerald, turquoise, sapphire, amethyst, jacinth, agate, clear quartz, beryl, lapis lazuli, and jasper.
Many of the associated uses of gemstones that were established over the millennia include luck, protection, abundance, wisdom, and more. Citrine, for example, came to be known as the “merchant’s stone” for its ability to manifest sales and abundance. Likewise, amethyst became dubbed as the “sobriety stone” because bearers of the stone were believed to have greater willpower. Green aventurine earned the nickname “shamrock of the gemstone kingdom” for bringing good luck and great fortune to those who wore it. However, the earliest uses of crystals likely extend even farther back than folklore. As soon as humankind began making tools and trinkets, it is likely they incorporated crystals and gemstones into them for various purposes. Notably, amulets have been used for protection and good luck since our earliest recorded history. While an amulet can be made of virtually any material, crystals bring the added benefit of their positive associations and intentions.
The Christian visionary and mystic Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) was well known for the application of crystals, tinctures, and herbs into natural healing. She believed that crystals, through the energy of water and fire, complemented other healing methods and had a blessing inherent within them for relieving symptoms of illness and treating disease as part as a holistic approach to healing. This mystic, who later became a Roman Catholic saint, was able to see that a crystal’s properties could help restore health and balance. Another saint, Albertus Magnus (c. 1200–1280) was a scholar and a philosopher who later became known as the Universal Doctor. His knowledge included natural science, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, astronomy, and metaphysics. Drawing on his own observations, he wrote extensively about the natural properties of stones and used crystals as remedies.
Each of the stones themselves has a rich history of use. For example, the stone chalcedony (kal-said-knee) is named for the ancient seaport of Chalcedon in Asia Minor. Cylinder seals made of this stone date back to 2500 BC. Historically, chalcedony was sacred to the Roman goddess Diana. Because of its ancient roots, we know that blue chalcedony specifically allows us to tap into the power and innate wisdom of our ancestors. Copper, meanwhile, has been used for a variety of purposes for more than ten thousand years. Although it is generally an orange-gold shade, it also carries the vibrations of blue and green. The nature and properties of this metal increase our ability to tap into the cosmos to garner wisdom, knowledge, and surprising information, which can be applied to a spiritual practice of meditation, prayer, and/or contemplation. Due to its use as money, copper can encourage prosperous thinking, activating an ability to attract wealth and abundance. Copper also has a notable history of helping ease arthritis and similar diseases and imbalances.
Jade is another good example. Due to its strong association with ancient China, this is the perfect stone for connecting more deeply with Eastern philosophies and cultures for spiritual development. Revered, too, by the Mayan culture, jade is a beneficial stone in rituals and ceremonies, or as an altar piece for prayer and meditation.
Crystal Use in Modern Times
Crystallography, the scientific study of the properties and structure of crystals, has provided humanity with enormous benefits. In discovering how to work with and manipulate the properties of crystals, scientists have made technological advancements that have brought us helpful devices such as radio, liquid crystal display (LCD), digital electronic circuitry, microphones, musical instruments, sonar, ultrasounds, and mobile phones. Synthetic gemstones, specifically rubies, have been used in “solid state” lasers; they are actually called ruby lasers.
The discovery of piezoelectricity (the generation of electricity or of electric polarity by placing a crystal under stress) by Pierre and Paul-Jacques Curie in 1880 opened a doorway to today’s tech-driven smorgasbord. Most, if not all, electronic devices use the piezoelectric energy of quartz crystals. This is a type of energy that is stored in solid matter, such as a crystal, and released under mechanical stress. Quartz crystals were used in the earliest radio receivers and were at the heart of telecommunication equipment in the 1940s. Today, we know that we can tune into certain radio channels or stabilize a particular frequency to receive a broadcast. When we apply that same basic principle to our connection with the spiritual realm, we can use a quartz crystal to help us stay focused during meditation by stabilizing our frequency or to tune into cosmic forces by “turning the dial.”
The bridge between science and spirit was reaffirmed by a prolific scientist named Marcel Vogel (1917–1991). Vogel was a senior research scientist with IBM for twenty-seven years. An expert in luminescence, phosphor technology, magnetics, and liquid crystal display, Vogel developed a variety of products, including fluorescent crayons and the psychedelic colors popular in posters. He received more than one hundred patents for his inventions, including the magnetic coating for the hard disc drive. Most notably, Marcel Vogel reaffirmed the power of the mind and thoughts, and the power of love to heal and rebalance the body. Through his extensive research into the use of intention combined with the qualities of clear quartz crystals, he discovered that thought can be infused through the use of intention and the pulsed breath (forceful expulsion of the breath, which you will learn more about in CHAPTER 1) transmitted and stored within crystals. I personally studied with Vogel, during which time he demonstrated the results of his research. Vogel discovered that thoughts can be pulsed, transmitted, and stored within a crystal. With these discoveries, the use of crystals and gemstones for healing and rebalancing body, mind, and spirit became more mainstream.
Your “Beyond Beginner”
Use of Crystals and Gemstones
In this beyond beginner’s guide, I approach the study of precious and semiprecious stones from an advanced metaphysical perspective. While you’ve likely been working with stones for some time now, you will learn more ways for using gems as everyday tools in your spiritual and personal empowerment practices. In CHAPTER 1, you’ll learn about clearing and smudging your crystal collection as it continues to grow, using herbs, resins, and even smokeless alternatives.
The power of intention, positive thought, and the use of affirmations will be emphasized throughout the book and introduced to you in CHAPTER 2. You’ll garner a deeper understanding of choosing gemstones for specific intentions, from romance and money to intuition and protection. In CHAPTER 3, you will learn how to use the energy of your positive thoughts with the crystals and essential oils to amplify your intention—and how to make gemstone essences and crystal-infused aromatic mists.
Geometry will play a part in deepening your connection with the gemstone kingdom in CHAPTER 4, when you’ll learn about combining crystals in grids and crystal intention pouches to help you design your reality in all arenas of life.
In CHAPTER 5 we’ll delve into the often sought-after chakra balance and alignment experience, so you’ll know the stones to choose to realign your energy centers. This information dovetails right into your ever-evolving spiritual practice and personal awakening in CHAPTER 6 where you’ll read about and release negative energetic cords of attachment.
Gemstones that are perfect for various careers and professions are revealed in CHAPTER 7, which provides an avenue for you to gain a better understanding of yourself and people in all walks of life. In chapter 8, the matching crystal vibration for each sign of the zodiac, and the matching gemstones for the numbers 1–9 and master numbers are outlined and explained for the numerology fans.
As you move through the book’s various topics and practices, keep in mind that a stone’s qualities are pretty consistent, regardless of the specific practice you use it for, so a stone that’s listed for use with a crystal grid, for instance, will also be useful for a charm bag if the qualities described match up with your intentions. So go ahead and mix and match your stones and crystal practices!
As we have learned through science and know intuitively, there is much beyond what we can see with our eyes. It’s time to tune into that frequency and turn the page.