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Crystal Energy
THE MINERAL KINGDOM PROVIDES US WITH some of the most potent tools for magick, transformation, and healing. Rocks, crystals, gemstones, fossils, and minerals evoke their unique energetic connection to primordial Earth—a time that existed before the first appearance of humankind. These minerals are timeless beings, masters of crystalline perfection whose consummate composition and precise structure are the foundation of their energy and effects.
THE BASIS OF CRYSTAL ENERGY
To understand what influences a crystal’s energy we first need to examine energy in general. You have probably come across the idea that the world of form that we see and experience on a daily basis isn’t quite as solid as it seems. All matter is comprised of minuscule particles that are in constant motion. Most of these tiny particles are made of even tinier particles. These little bits of matter are in continual flux, and what we perceive as solid is mostly empty space. More interesting still, when the tiniest, most basic units of matter (and energy) are examined, they can be either particles or waves; recently they have been observed as both at once!
This means that packets of energy like photons, the fundamental unit of light, as well as other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum can exist as matter and have a measurable mass as a particle, or they can be pure energy—waveforms that have no mass. All matter produces fields of energy called electromagnetic fields, or EMFs, which are generated by their component vibrating particles. EMFs and other forms of energy are measured by their frequency and their amplitude. Frequency is akin to a station on your radio; it’s the state of being that something is tuned to. Amplitude is the volume of the energy field. These electromagnetic fields expand in all directions simultaneously at the speed of light. They theoretically expand infinitely into space, but they are usually undetectable beyond a certain distance; this distance depends on the amplitude of the signal produced by the field.
When two such energy fields come into contact with each other they exchange information. You’ve probably felt the effects of this when someone walks into a room. Some people radiate so much joy that you can’t help but smile, while others are capable of spreading their foul moods just as easily. This happens as a result of a process called entrainment, wherein one energy field syncs with another. Entrainment is a function of amplitude rather than frequency, as the field with the greater amplitude—which is to say the louder volume—draws the other field into resonance with it. No matter what station you’ve set your etheric dial to, unless the amplitude is appreciably high, your energies can easily be offset by those around you.
Why do we as crystal collectors, healers, and magick-makers care about particles and waves and energy fields? In short, because there are tangible, measurable energies produced by every piece of matter in the universe—from you, to this book you are reading, to the gecko on the wall, to the stars. This of course includes crystals. Each energy field is unique; it is influenced by its chemical composition, its physical structure, and other factors. In living organisms we refer to these resonant fields of energy as the aura, the L-field, or the biomagnetic sheath. Living systems have highly variable vibratory signatures in their energy fields. This is because our thoughts, feelings, diet, location, pathology, and other factors fluctuate from moment to moment. Whenever there is discord in body, mind, or spirit, there is also disharmony represented in the energy field around us.
Crystals, on the other hand, produce energy fields that are clear, consistent, and highly ordered. This is a direct reflection of the inner perfection embodied in the mineral kingdom as a whole. The hallmark of crystallinity is order, which can be felt on all levels. Highly coherent energy fields such as those produced by crystals naturally have greater amplitudes. They can therefore entrain the lesser fields they encounter, thereby transforming disharmony into perfection. It is the innate perfection of crystals that provides their physical, optical, mechanical, and energetic properties, each of which has a corresponding spiritual effect.
SOME HELPFUL TERMS
Although many people use the terms crystal, stone, and rock interchangeably, they each denote something different. Here are some brief explanations of these and related words:
FIVE ESSENTIAL CRYSTAL FUNCTIONS
Because of their inherent order, crystals have certain unique physical, chemical, optical, and mechanical attributes. These properties are generally indicative of how crystals interact with energy as a whole. Crystals of all varieties are
• Oscillators
• Harmonizers
• Prisms and lenses
• Translators
• Recorders
As oscillators, crystals are able to send and receive precise signals. Quartz has a long history of being connected to crystal radio sets, and it is used as an oscillator in timepieces. It maintains a clear signal that can be transmitted, received, and translated across many media. Crystals of other minerals are equally capable of performing these duties; all crystal lattices act like fractal antennae, thereby making them ideal tools for broadcasting the message or intent you desire.
In their role as harmonizers, crystalline materials work primarily to cohere energy or information. Quartz, for example, is an excellent polarizing medium. This means that as light passes through it, the photons are arranged in perfect order so that the waves of both the electric and magnetic frequencies (as light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum) of every photon are perfectly aligned with one another. Coherence is the greatest gift that crystals offer; it confers similar order, regularity, and precision to various energies, such as our thoughts and feelings. A secondary function of cohering energy is amplification; when all the components of an energy field are marching in step, the amplitude is increased. This is why quartz and other crystals are thought to amplify the energy of your intent.
Crystals have long shared a relationship with light, as evidenced by their role as prisms and lenses. Light passing through prisms is broken into its components, revealing the full spectrum from which it is formed. Lenses reflect, and they also refract, albeit by bending the light onto a specific area of focus. Continuing with the optical imagery, crystals can illumine our internal world by reflecting our inner landscape and providing understanding by refracting its makeup to us. Crystals are tools of focus, just as a lens can focus a beam of light onto a single point. It’s worth noting that spiritually a crystal does not need to be transparent to offer these benefits, which are derived by the interaction between the crystal (and its lattice) with subtle energy, rather than with visible light.
Translation is the function most often described in metaphysical books on crystals, although usually erroneously. This oft-cited mechanism in quartz and a handful of other minerals is called piezoelectricity, which occurs as an electrical charge is created when the crystal’s lattice is bent or otherwise deformed under mechanical stress. Piezoelectricity, along with pyroelectricity (generating electricity from heat) and several optical phenomena like thermoluminescence and fluorescence, are all forms of transduction, wherein one type of energy or information is converted—i.e., translated—into another. Crystalline materials can similarly translate our ideas and intentions into the requisite frequencies to manifest healing, transformation, deeper connection to Source, or anything else we desire.
Finally, the crystal lattices of rocks and minerals enable them to record energy and information. In this case, it is imperfection that provides this mechanism, as tiny flaws in the crystal lattice leave gaps for electrons, photons, and other particles to become temporarily trapped. These open spaces, called lattice defects, are responsible for a crystal’s ability to store information. Since nature is always perfectly imperfect (or maybe that should be imperfectly perfect), all rocks and minerals contain these defects. Thus ancient stones keep a record of what they have witnessed, and crystal healers can program their tools by imprinting a specific intention within the lattice defects. Regular cleansing clears unnecessary or disharmonious patterns that may be encountered and subsequently stored in a stone in the course of an ordinary day.
While the mechanisms described above are general qualities shared by all crystalline materials, the individual effects of different crystals and stones are determined by their composition, crystal system, morphology, diaphaneity, specific gravity, hardness, and other physical and optical properties. To a lesser extent, color also affects the energy of a rock or mineral, although color is generally the result of composition and/or structure. Factors like mass, purity, shape, and color can also influence the unique personalities of individual specimens, thereby engendering two examples of the same mineral that are radically different tools.
Crystalline materials such as rocks, minerals, and the crystals in your body naturally perform their roles as oscillators, harmonizers, prisms and lenses, translators, and recorders in any given moment. Conscious direction and an intentional partnership with the stone are necessary to direct the focus of the minerals you are harnessing for any outcome.
THE ENERGETIC SIGNATURES OF STONES
Human beings have been in relationship with the mineral kingdom since prehistory. Our Paleolithic ancestors fashioned the very first tools and ornaments from stone, and from that point on humans have been attributing symbolic and energetic significance to rocks and minerals, with the most beautiful and unusual stones receiving the greatest spiritual value. As a result of this partnering with humankind, the mineral kingdom has accrued various magickal correspondences that serve to explain and guide our work with crystals and gemstones. For example, since antiquity, gems have been assigned different astrological rulers. The symbolism of these correspondences may vary from one culture and spiritual tradition to the next, but overall these associations point to the deeper messages contained within the stones themselves. For instance, magnetite is not considered to have a Mars energy because it originates from the Red Planet but because its symbolism, and therefore its energy, is overtly Martian: energizing, mobilizing, and attracted to metals in a way that represents the ambition and drive of Mars. Likewise, moonstone doesn’t come from the moon, but it does convey lunar symbolism through its color and optical properties. Thus a stone may earn its astrological affinity based on its appearance and composition. Similarly, a stone’s astrological association may suggest its application. A Saturnian stone such as calcite might be used to promote healthy bones and teeth, as this planet governs these aspects of the human body. Likewise, you might turn to a lunar stone such as selenite or moonstone to increase your intuition or to connect more deeply to a mother or child.
A stone’s esoteric and healing properties often derive from what is known as the doctrine of signatures, which is an aspect of the spiritual axiom “As above, so below.” The doctrine was initially proposed by Swiss physician, esotericist, and astrologer Paracelsus (1493–1541) and expanded by German philosopher and mystic Jakob Böhme (1575–1624), who wrote that God marked objects with a sign or “signature” indicating their purpose. Many herbalists are familiar with this concept, wherein a kidney-shaped herb may help the kidneys, or an herb with a flower that resembles a human eye can be used to treat eye conditions. This same idea has been applied to stones. In the mineral kingdom, we see stones like tiger’s eye, so named for its resemblance to the big cat’s eyes, relating to vision and sight, both in the literal and metaphorical senses.
Different cultures may also ascribe different correspondences for the same crystal or gemstone. Emerald, for example, has long been connected to the planet Venus because, like the planet, it relates to matters of the heart. However, in ancient Vedic astrology, emerald is the principal stone of Mercury, and in the esoteric Theosophical teachings that emerged in the nineteenth century, emerald is ruled by Saturn. Each of these unique planetary signatures—Venus, Mercury, and Saturn—can be accessed through the same stone, emerald, which makes it a versatile tool for rituals, spells, and healing.
Elemental correspondences can be similarly multifaceted. Obsidian, a natural volcanic glass, is a dense stone commonly used for grounding, protection, and introspection. Its characteristic black color is due to the dense metallic elements contained within this mineral; these help account for obsidian’s earthy elemental signature. Since obsidian is birthed by volcanic activity and was once fiery, molten lava, it also conveys a strong fire association. Finally, the once-fluid nature of obsidian is an ideal representation of the element of water, while in traditional Chinese medicine black usually represents water. In this particular stone, not all these correspondences have an equal presence; for example, obsidian has a stronger fire element than it does a water element in its makeup, while earth is likely somewhere between the two.
A stone’s energetic signature may be obtained by its appearance, color, texture, composition, or morphology. Nephrite, a form of jade, has long been used for beauty, longevity, and overall health. Its crystal structure is comprised of tiny fibers of crystals that are crumpled, twisted, and woven together. This actually resembles the structure of collagen in your body—the same tissue responsible for maintaining a youthful appearance. The ancient Chinese masters certainly didn’t have the means to microscopically examine the composition of jade, but they nevertheless found a way to tap into the energy generated by jade’s structure and formation, as they used jade to rejuvenate the skin and promote beauty.
Similar and more obvious signatures exist too. Hematite, whose name derives from the Greek word for “blood,” changes from silvery gray to blood red when powdered. Like the hemoglobin that makes our blood red, this stone contains iron; it has long been used to staunch bleeding, to protect against wounding, and to bring vigor, courage, and vitality—even before the ancients knew about the common element in both blood and this stone. Apatite, one of the crystalline components of bone tissue, is a favorite among modern crystal healers for strengthening the skeletal system.
Each of these signatures lends itself to multiple applications and interpretations. As magick-makers our goal is to select the stones and crystals that best match our intentions, which is an exercise in creativity.
STONES AS ARCHETYPES
While some magickal correspondences are the direct result of certain features common to all crystals, such as the chemical, optical, physical, and mechanical properties of a rock or mineral, other correspondences have no particular scientific model to explain their function. For example, what makes copper minerals especially Venusian? Or why is obsidian so protective? The short answer is, because we believe it to be so. But why?
The idea that crystals and other stones hold different kinds of spiritual power is deeply embedded in the collective consciousness. These kinds of associations transcend location, time, language, and culture, making them truly archetypal. In contrast to the Jungian archetypes, which are mythic roles and personae dwelling solely in the collective consciousness, the archetypes of stones are the domain of mythology and anthropology, art and industry, language and religion, geology and medicine. For years I struggled to find a way to adequately describe this kind of study; I finally settled on the term ethnogeology when I wrote my first book, The Seven Archetypal Stones. It’s a word that points to the intersection of the human world and the mineral world of stone, the space where the archetypal spiritual symbols of the mineral kingdom dwell. The archetypes conveyed by crystals and gemstones are a part of our mutually agreed-on reality. We as a collective human species have always co-created with the mineral kingdom. Each time we employ a stone for healing, spellcraft, or personal transformation, we are tapping into a current of energy that has been accumulating since earliest time.
Biologist Rupert Sheldrake coined the term morphic resonance to describe the paranormal influence by which a pattern of events or behavior can facilitate subsequent occurrences of similar patterns. Although Sheldrake used this theory to explain laws of nature, it applies equally to spiritual, archetypal patterns. Over eons, the raw belief in the power of rocks and minerals has generated its own field of energy. We tap into that timeless field of potentiality each time we connect to crystals in a meaningful way. The energy we experience in ritual, meditation, or when we wear a favorite crystal isn’t merely the product of that crystal’s precise composition and perfect structure. Rather, the power we feel is the end result of a legacy older than recorded history, one passed on to you the very moment you met your first stone.
In this book we will be examining these spiritual symbols and archetypes through the lens of the Goddess in her many guises. Some of the earliest religious rites were matrifocal and goddess-centered; stones were surely part of those acts of worship. A wealth of mythical and folkloric traditions related to goddesses and gemstones survives today, and it has intersected with modern innovations in culture, the rise of Neopaganism, and heightened interest in all things related to crystals.