Preface
Stone Medicine uses the rocks and minerals naturally created by the Earth for healing purposes. These substances have long offered their qualities to humanity. They have been used as raw materials to make the practical tools needed for survival and as precious adornments to denote the spiritual and secular leaders of a tribal group. We have no records that provide us with details of how our earliest ancestors might have used stones as medicine, but we know that they were used as tools in shamanic traditions to empower and heal members of the community.
The technological needs of Stone Age people were fulfilled almost exclusively by stones. Bones and shells were certainly elements of their “toolbox,” but the weight and durability of stones made them superior for the essential tasks these early people performed. We can imagine that as the ancient people worked with their stones, relying on their intuition and ingenuity to discover that the edge of a knapped obsidian blade was extremely sharp (and we now know that it has a cleaner, sharper edge than high-quality surgical steel), or that when flint was struck with a stone containing pyrite it gave off sparks to make fire, they must have also discovered other useful properties. Whatever their experience with their stone technology, it was transmitted down through the centuries from generation to generation, offering an ever-expanding base of knowledge. The wealth of knowledge and experience acquired in this way would have been a part of the world in which the earliest health practitioners began experimenting with stones, and the minerals they contain, to use as tools in healing.
This book has as its source a series of classes taught by Jeffrey C. Yuen in 2006 and 2007 on utilizing stones for healing based on classical Chinese medical principles.*1 Dr. Yuen is the eighty-eighth-generation lineage holder of the Jade Purity school of Daoism, Yu Qing Pai. This school, which dates to the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), is one of two outgrowths of the original school of Daoism, Shang Qing, which had its roots in the “high antiquity” of ancient China. Other members of Dr. Yuen’s lineage include Sun Simiao (581–682 CE, considered a “god” of Chinese medicine) and Gehong (283–343 CE, most well known for his contributions to alchemy, both internal and external, which will be discussed in greater detail in a later section). Dr. Yuen teaches from the oral tradition of his lineage as well as from the classics of Chinese medicine, which he mastered as a child under the guidance of his adoptive grandfather, the Daoist priest Yu Wen, eighty-seventh-generation lineage holder of Jade Purity.
The information included in this book is drawn from Dr. Yuen’s oral tradition; his own clinical experience; Shen Nong’s Ben Cao (Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica), the earliest documented materia medica (and itself an oral tradition ultimately compiled before 220 CE); and the writings of Li Shizhen, the great naturalist and physician of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 CE), whose Compendium of Materia Medica listed 1,892 medicinal substances, including 355 entries for minerals.
Many of the stones included in this book’s materia medica have been used in China for centuries, and practitioners have recorded their healing properties, giving us a solid base from which to work. Other stones are more recent additions to the repertoire, providing us the opportunity to do our own exploration of their therapeutic properties.
I have had the good fortune to study with Dr. Yuen since 1995. His teaching goes far beyond mere intellection. He profoundly describes the energetic workings of the body, inviting his students to engage actively in an experiential involvement with the material rather than simply learning protocols for treating particular signs and symptoms. Jeffrey has enriched the practice of Chinese medicine in the West by reintroducing knowledge that had begun to be eroded from Chinese medical practice even as far back as the twelfth century, and was further lost during the Cultural Revolution.
Like all disciplines of traditional Chinese culture, Chinese medicine is, at its root, applied philosophy. A statement in the Ling Shu, one of the earliest extant texts of Chinese medicine, is that all illness is the result of separation from Spirit, and that the superior practitioner helps guide the patient to rediscover this connection. One of Dr. Yuen’s major contributions to the field is the return of its philosophical and spiritual roots to the practice of Chinese medicine. Obviously, the goal of any medical system is to alleviate suffering, whether physical or emotional. Classical Chinese medicine additionally recognizes the spiritual component, as understood by the tradition from which the system evolved.
As I worked on the materia medica section of this book, I realized that what distinguishes this material from the many informative sources on stones that incorporate either the Western intuitive or scientific perspective is the profound philosophical principles and energetic understanding offered by Chinese medicine. I also realized that without exposure to these principles, the audience for this materia medica would be limited to practitioners who have had contact with Dr. Yuen’s teaching. Because stones have become so popular, I wanted to make the information accessible to a wider audience. Therefore, in addition to presenting the healing properties of stones, I have included a primer to introduce and contextualize the fundamental philosophic principles of Chinese medicine.
To the Professional Chinese Medical Practitioner
Professional practitioners might look askance at a modality that can be considered “new age-y” and perhaps not worthy of their attention, but stone medicine has been an integral part of Chinese medicine since its development in ancient history. To a culture steeped in observation of nature, stones and minerals were held in high regard.
Insights into the body’s meridians evolved from studying the veins of minerals in the Earth. By the time of the Han dynasty, highly refined iron was being made into acupuncture needles. In a discussion of modalities appropriate to different regions of the country, the Su Wen, another of the earliest extant texts, suggests that the best treatment modality for people living in the eastern part of China was acupuncture with stone needles.
During the last several decades, the Chinese have researched the use of minerals in managing endemic diseases such as esophageal cancer and goiter. One method they have used is to place stones into remote village wells. A stone that has shown great efficacy in the treatment of qiye, a condition involving the inability to swallow, is jiangshi, a concretion from the Loess Plateau and a stone mentioned by the great Daoist physician Liu Wansu (1120–1200) of the Jin-Yuan period.*2
Many minerals still occupy an important place in the modern herbal pharmacy—for example, gypsum/shi gao, talcum/hua shi, magnetite/ci shi, and calcite/han shui shi, among others. Stones began to fall behind herbal therapy in popularity during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 CE). This was partly due to abuses by so-called “alchemists” peddling pills laced with toxic minerals, promising longevity but delivering illness or early death. A further decline in the popularity of stones as medicine occurred because of their relative expense and lack of availability to the common people. Today the opposite is true. High-quality herbs are becoming more expensive and difficult to obtain, and there exists the possibility of increased regulation of herbs and nutritional supplements. At the same time, stones are becoming more popular. Good-quality stone beaded jewelry is easily available at street fairs. The “industry” brings stones from all over the planet to local gem and mineral shows, raw from the mine or polished and shaped. True, some specimens are extremely expensive, but most of the small, tumbled stones used as medicine are very affordable. And there’s no expiration date—they last forever!
With regard to the explanations of energetic concepts and Chinese medical principles, I ask the indulgence of experienced practitioners. These explanations are included to help laypeople or professionals in other disciplines access and utilize this information.
To the Layperson
A full discussion of Chinese medical theory is not in the scope of this book. I have included the primer (part 1) to introduce fundamental philosophical principles and basic paradigms of classical Chinese medicine in order to give the reader some familiarity with the concepts and terminology used in the materia medica (part 3). My rule for the primer: if a concept is mentioned in the materia medica, it must be included in the primer.
The underlying philosophy of Chinese medicine recognizes that all physical manifestation emerges from a spiritual, nonphysical dimension. The Chinese medical terms used to describe the influences on our life and health are often very common, mundane words. Throughout this book the reader will encounter a capitalized form of familiar words such as Wind, Damp, Cold, Heat, Lung, Liver, Blood, and so forth. The capitalized terms are an attempt to convey philosophical concepts that communicate meaning beyond the mere physical; these concepts will be further described as the discussion unfolds. For example, when an organ name is capitalized, it refers to the broad philosophical function of that organ as it is understood in classical Chinese medicine; when the name is lowercased, the reference is solely to the organ’s physiological functioning as understood in Western medicine.
Where specific acupuncture points are listed, I have given a general anatomical location. Stones are bigger than needles, after all, and precise placement is not so critical. Many books and websites give point locations; you may want to reference those for more detailed information. While I have used Chinese medical language in the “Functions and Uses” sections in parts 2 and 3, common Western terms for symptoms and conditions often associated with the Chinese medical language are also included.
One of the biggest challenges new students encounter when they start studying with Dr. Yuen is that there doesn’t seem to be a beginning or an end to the material. We just keep spiraling around, gathering more and more breadth and depth of information and understanding. One of the challenges encountered in the writing of this book has been the question of where to start. I have tried to bring the same spiraling approach to my compiling of the information. Early mentions of concepts may seem too brief, too lacking in detail, but these concepts will be fleshed out in greater detail later in the text, hopefully encouraging deeper insight into the material.
Given that the Chinese medical information contained in this book comes almost exclusively from Dr. Yuen’s teaching, very few formal references are included here. Because my intention for this book is that it be relatively popular in approach, I have chosen not to clutter the text with many references related to the Western biological, geological, and mineralogical information presented. Most of this information is widely accepted and easily available. My sources are included in the references section.
Why Stones?
The field of Chinese medicine includes eight branches, or modalities of treatment: acupuncture; massage; herbal medicine; dietary therapy; exercise, as in taiji and qigong; meditation; geomancy/fengshui; and moxibustion (warming points with the herb mugwort/Artemesia vulgaris/ai ye, known as moxa). With so many modalities commonly in use, why add stones to the mix?
Stones can be used as an adjunct with all of these modalities. They can be placed on acupuncture points, used as tools to massage areas of the body, or warmed with the heat of moxa or a far-infrared lamp. Their mineral content gives them a role in dietary therapy. Based on treatment strategies developed by traditions of herbal medicine, stones can be combined as a formula and soaked in water to drink as an elixir. They can be used in fengshui as sculptures or ornaments in areas of our environment to emphasize and remind us of our intention to resolve the life issues that confront us. In qigong practice appropriate stones can help generate fluids and circulate energy; used during meditation they can help us to focus the mind.
In this modern time, stones remind us that we are an integral part of nature. They help us reclaim our relationship to the natural rhythms of which we have lost track.
The Law of Signatures
In ancient times early practitioners experimented with stones to discover the stones’ healing properties. Practitioners relied on their observations of how and where the stones had formed, or they made associations with how the stones looked. The law of signatures is based on the belief that if we understand how a stone was created or give value to its color, luster, or shape, we can attribute to it certain qualities. For example:
The properties of stones and their therapeutic applications have been time tested. Some early attributes have proven valid, and others have not. Nevertheless, this method of observation offers a place to begin understanding how stones interact with the human body.
Therapeutic attributes that are specific to stones include the following.
Weight and Density
When we pick up a stone, the first thing we notice is that it has greater weight than other therapeutic materials typically used in medicine. The weight helps to anchor energy downward, and we might notice that we quickly feel calmer and more rooted while holding the stone. The stone is hard; it is dense. This quality gives it a resonance with the densest aspect of our bodies: our Essence, which includes our bones, marrow, and hormones.
Some of the conditions for which stones are most appropriate include hormonal imbalances, congenital disorders, DNA mutations (for example, cancer), and osteoporosis. Because their heaviness anchors energy downward, stones are useful for neurological conditions causing convulsions, seizures, or chronic spasms. Their anchoring effect also helps prevent the leakage of fluids from the body’s surface and thus addresses excessive sweating, especially hormonal sweats.
Their heavy nature also calms or settles the spirit to treat shock and acute or chronic mental disorders.
Color and the Awakening of the Senses
Even before we pick up a stone we are attracted by its color, its luster, or an interesting pattern. Something about its appearance appeals to our visual sense and awakens our curiosity. It is engaging us. The color evokes a feeling. Maybe it is the mysterious play of colors in a polished labradorite or the soothing sky blue of blue lace agate. Arousing the senses is a route to the spirit. We become immediately more present, more receptive to subtle and simple messages, when we take the time to really look at a stone or feel it in our hands. “Ah, this blue stone looks so soothing, maybe it will cool my inflamed eyes or ease this headache.”
We can use the color properties of stones in the context of the Five Elements, the chakras, or any other system with which we resonate.
Relationship to Heat and Light
As we hold the stone or place it on an area of the body, we might notice that it gets hot—hotter, even, than our hand. How can it be hotter than our hand? Is it pulling excess heat from the body and holding on to it? Or the stone itself might stay relatively cool but the skin it is touching feels warmer. How can the stone be cool but bring warmth to the skin? Is it somehow causing the body to generate heat?
Dark stones generally have the ability to absorb warmth. Heat puts stress on the molecular structure of the stone, causing it to expand and vibrate differently, thereby potentiating its effects. If the stone is placed appropriately on the body and heated with moxa or a far-infrared lamp, it will direct the warmth deeply into the energetic anatomy of the body. If a dark-colored stone is simply placed on the body but not given any external heat, it can absorb pathological Heat from the body.
Light-colored stones tend to reflect light and heat and disperse pathology away from the body.
Another property unique to stones is their relationship to light. Some stones refract light to create color. Other stones, especially transparent faceted stones, sparkle when they reflect light. Still others can magnify what we see when we look through them.
Durability and Permanence
When we consider geologic time, our own human life spans are extremely brief. It took eons for the stones we see on store shelves to form and work their way far enough up into the crust of the Earth for miners to find them. They convey this persistence in their function as healing substances. They can access our deepest layers, vibrating ever so slowly, to initiate deep, lasting change.
It is also their permanence that necessitates our great care when working with stones. They are not to be used casually, and if used incorrectly, they can actually solidify our illnesses.
Mineral Content and Crystal Structure
We may not know these aspects of stones experientially, but modern scientific equipment gives us insight into their best applications. Mineral content plays a significant role when we use stones as medicine, especially in the form of elixirs. Knowing the mineral content of particular stones helps us refine our formulas to target specific organs and hormonal systems.
We cannot discern the molecular structure of stones without a microscope, but it is their structure that gives them shape when they are broken and allows them to be cut, faceted, or polished. The shape of the stones that we see, whether in the raw state of the stone or as created by the stonecutter, also gives insight into their therapeutic function. Shape directs the movement of energy in the body to resonate with anatomical regions of the body, or to support our constitutional nature as it plays itself out over the course of our lives.
All these characteristics that are specific to stones have a particular focus on the deep levels of our being, whether physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual. Stones are a tool for healing the deepest roots of our illnesses, and for discovering insights, even while addressing more mundane concerns.