Introduction
People have always been fascinated by crystals. Since prehistoric hunters and gatherers first discovered quartz shining in a riverbed or flint glistening on a hillside, men and women have sought to incorporate crystals into their lives—both as objects of beauty, and as tools for the body, mind, and spirit.
Our early ancestors found innovative ways to craft stones and crystals into tools like knives, arrowheads, and fish hooks. While we no longer carve axes or chisels out of stone, we still depend on crystals as much as they ever did—and perhaps even more.
In fact, we rely on crystals more than any civilization in history. Like prehistoric people, we occasionally use crystals to start fires—we’ve simply updated the process, with relatively low-tech butane lighters. We also rely on crystals in building and manufacturing, and we have made them a main component of our communications equipment. Without crystals, our technology and our society would grind to a halt.
So, unlike our primitive ancestors, we don’t simply pick up stones and crystals where we find them. Instead, we continually devise new techniques to discover new crystals, and we dig farther than ever to reach them. When we can’t mine the crystals we need, we grow flawless specimens in a lab.
And just as early civilizations used crystals for divination, crystals still connect many of us to the divine.
Crystals certainly offer evidence of an intelligent creator—they are structured according to precise mathematical rules, and they adhere to clearly defined geometric patterns. For many, crystals offer tangible proof of God’s perfection and God’s plan.
Yet every crystal is unique, with properties and characteristics as varied as human beings. Crystals might even serve as a metaphor for human development. They are gestated deep within the earth, forced to grow under intense pressure, and made beautiful by extremes of time and temperature. And just like us, their interactions with the elements give them depth, and their flaws give them character.
In recent years, a number of spiritual practitioners have promoted the use of stones and crystals, particularly for healing. Crystals can be used for meditation, divination, and self-development.
This book will introduce you to the mystical world of crystals and give you the information you need to make crystals a part of your everyday life.