The Gaia Guide to Healing Crystals and Gemstones
Healing crystals used to personify New Age fringe, but in recent years they have crossed over into the mainstream. Google searches for “crystal healing” have increased by 40 percent in the last four years, fueled by celebrity endorsements from the likes of Adele, David Beckham, Katy Perry, and Miranda Kerr. You can even purchase crystal décor items at Target. Riding the public’s increasing appetite for all things wellness, the crystal fixation has infiltrated industries such as beauty and everyday home goods.
Talismans and amulets are nothing new. The ancient Egyptians wore amulets of precious stones as protection from evil spirits; ancient Chinese civilizations have associated jade with healing since the Neolithic period; and the Greek word for amethyst means “not drunk” — the stone was believed to inhibit intoxication in those who wore it.
How does crystal healing work?
Despite the growing acceptance, how crystals actually work is a little fuzzy. The basic idea behind crystal healing is that crystals carry certain energies that can positively impact our own. Similar to magnets, crystals and gems use energy to attract or repel. When you place certain stones over certain parts of your body, they interact with your individual energy fields, also known as chakras. Your energy transforms, vibrates, pulses, moves and shifts in accordance with the properties and energetic signature of the crystal.
Crystal fans claim they bring everything from peace and happiness to stress relief and headache prevention. Scientifically speaking, there’s no proof to back claims like these up. But regardless of whether crystals harness the placebo effect or have mechanisms not measurable by science, they serve as a potent focal point. If nothing else, use crystals as a tool to help you pause, tune in and realize you are connected to the earth and something bigger than yourself.
Want to get started? Here’s a brief guide to tapping into the power of healing gems and minerals.
Set your intention:
It also helps to identify a particular problem or challenge you’re currently facing.
What aspect of your life do you want guidance with? Do you want your heart to feel open? Or do you feel like you would like better boundaries? Feel into what seems out of balance and trust your intuition to come up with what is most significant for you at this time.
Choose your stone:
Intention is key, but there’s also something to be said for recognizing which crystals you naturally gravitate toward. Pay attention to the color of the stone—color, a powerful healing modality in its own right, holds important clues about the stone’s energetic vibration. Chakras, symbolic of our sacred energy centers within, have been linked to the healing properties of specific gemstones for time immemorial. You can start exploring the myriad ways crystals can heal with our guide to stones that correspond to each of the chakras.
L to R: Hematite, Bloodstone, Citrine, Rose Quartz, Turquoise, Azurite, Amethyst.
Hematite (first chakra) Color: Reddish-black — Healing properties: protects, grounds and heals
Bloodstone (second chakra) Color: Dark green speckled with red, blood-like inclusions — Healing properties: Transmutes, clears emotional negativity
Citrine (third chakra) — Color: Medium deep shade of golden yellow — Healing properties: Positivity, luck and success
Rose Quartz (fourth chakra) Color: Pale pink — Healing properties: Attracts and anchors love
Turquoise (fifth chakra) Color: Mixture of pale blue and green — Healing properties: balances spiritual energy and brings wisdom
Azurite (sixth chakra) Color: Deep blue — Healing properties: Opens third eye an intuition
Amethyst (seventh chakra) Color: light to dark purple — Healing properties: Purifies the mind and facilitates connection to the divine
- Clear the energy: Since stones retain energy, it’s important to clear the stone before and after each use. Clearing a stone can be done in multiple ways. Soak it overnight in a salt bath, with a cup of cold water mixed with sea salt or Epsom salt. Or leave the stone out overnight in moonlight. You can also smudge it with sage, a cleansing herb, or sweetgrass, a sweet-smelling energy cleansing herb.
- Charge the stone: This step is to program the stone with your healing intention. The best way to do this is through physical contact. Hold the stone, wear it on your body, or simply pray over it, asking for it to be prepared for your highest potential.
- Put your stone to use: There are so many ways to work with your stone. You can hold it while meditating or place it on a specific part of your body that corresponds to the stone’s properties.Wear it as an amulet or as jewelry. Put it next to your bed or under your pillow while you sleep so that it can influence your subconscious mind. Place them in your home or car to set the energy of the space.Crystals serve as nimble conduits for the subtle energies that are in us and around us. Compact meditation portals, they are constant reminders to enquire within for healing.
To learn more about how crystals work, watch the Healing Gemstones episode of Open Minds with James Tyberonn:
About the Author
7 ailments that healing crystals can treat
Crystals are more than just an aesthetic decoration. These gems are believed to bring healing in a variety of ways, for all sorts of ailments. You can use crystals for mental clarity, focus, concentration, and just about any other general ailment.
But how exactly does one use crystals for healing? Practitioners advise placing them on specific points of the body to bring relief, sweeping a crystal pendulum or wand over the body in a healing technique, and carrying or wearing a crystal that resonates with a specific physical condition.
All of these are suggestions to go about healing. Because everyone’s bodies are different, you can try what works best for yourself and your loved ones to gently improve the condition.
The kinds of crystals to use for each ailment are listed below; be sure to care for the stones properly!
Crystals for Mental Clarity
Quartz is the crystal you’re looking for if concentration is what you’re aiming to improve, as it’s properties are thought to be ideal for mental clarity. Carnelian which also belongs to the quartz family, is a great alternative as it’s thought to enhance concentration, while clearing lethargic energy and extraneous thought.
Other crystals can do wonders for the mind. For example, citrine and amber are believed to stimulate memory, Lapis lazuli is a powerful amplifier of thoughts, and Amethyst can promote mental clarity, helping you to focus on realistic goals and visualize clearly. It’s also believed to sooth the nervous system and aid neural transmission. Fluorite is also believed to balance the functioning of the brain hemispheres, and deep blue stones like Sodalite can aid communication, allowing others around you to better understand your ideas.
Sodalite – stone of the throat chakra
Crystals for Focus and Concentration
Is your energy flagging throughout the day? You’ll want to search out some red, orange, and yellow crystals to increase energy. The most stimulating and dynamic crystals are those with radiant, strong colors. Look for deep red garnet, golden amber, or golden-yellow topaz.
If it’s motivation you’re looking for, use deeper tones like Tiger’s Eye, Dark Citrine, and Jasper.
For the crystal equivalent of an energy drink, hold a clear Quartz crystal, pointed upward in each hand, and place a Citrine on the solar plexus chakra just above your diaphragm. You’ll quickly feel a sharp boost of energy to the whole system, perfect for those long work days!
Crystals for Anxiety
In this day and age there are so many stressors in our lives that can lead to worry and anxiety. Anxiety about the future, society, family, and friends. And while there are plenty of ways to mitigate that anxiety, there’s nothing better than a natural solution.
Rose quartz is a great crystal for quelling that anxiety when you find it coming on in your day-to-day. Rose quartz is thought to attract love, compassion, kindness, and harmony. Accordingly, you should wear it near the heart chakra.
Rose Quartz
If you feel like you’re experiencing a significant amount of negative energy around you that’s contributing to your anxiety, Black Tourmaline is another great stone to keep around as it’s believed to block electromagnetic frequencies (EMF), which could unknowingly be causing your anxiety. Wearing the stone or placing it around your home can provide a clear aura wherever you go.
Crystals for Depression
If you’re feeling depressed, we recommend seeing a doctor before trying to implement crystals as a solution. However, crystals can certainly supplement other forms of treatment for depression and serve as a reminder to yourself that you are actively working on forms of self-help and happiness.
Orange crystals are typically recommended for dealing with sadness and depression, as their believed to bring joy, happiness, and friendship into your life. Carnelian is one that falls into this category and also serves as an energy booster, because sadness and depression can sap your energy.
Orange Spessartine, sometimes referred to as the Garnet of the Sun is a mood booster and will promote happiness and joy. It strengthens the heart and mind encouraging an overall sense of wellbeing.
Chakra Healing
It’s thought that specifically-colored crystals can be used for chakra healing, corresponding to different chakras of the body. Place them accordingly on the body according to Dr. Divi Chandna’s chakra layout found here.
Stomach, Liver and Throat Issues
Acquire some Aquamarine for any of these problems. It’s held to help you get in touch with your spiritual being, and also used in deep meditations. Aquamarine is often associated with the thymus gland, as well as the throat chakra. You can wear it as a necklace to keep it close to these areas. It’s a solution that has been used for centuries, as the Romans used Aquamarine for diseases of the stomach, and believed it could cure liver and throat troubles.
Headaches
Crystals can help alleviate headaches, but first you must figure out what is causing the headache in the first place in order to properly address the issue.
For a tension headache, place Amethyst, Amber, or Turquoise on or around the head.
For a migraine headache, use Lapis lazuli in the same way; it’s been used for centuries to help treat debilitating headaches. Amethyst can also be placed in a healing layout on and around the head to help relieve symptoms.
Amethyst
For headaches caused by an imbalance between head energy and the solar plexus chakra, use solar plexus-balancing stones like Citrine or Moonstones. It’s important to note that these headaches are usually brought about by stress or unsuitable food, so to prevent the issue from becoming a repeating one, eat and relax accordingly.
Sleep Issues
This is a particular issue that may vary from person to person, as one crystal isn’t a treat all for everyone. Feel free to experiment and try again and again, as everyone’s sleeplessness roots vary.
If your sleeplessness could be because of tension and worry, Chrysoprase, Rose quartz, Citrine or amethyst placed by the bed or under the pillow are great tools to calm and sooth. Let your thoughts drift away as the crystals do their work.
Have digestive issues? Iron pyrite or Moonstone can be used to calm the stomach.
Even nightmares are strong contenders for sleep-deprivation! Combat them with protective stones such as Tourmaline or Smoky quartz. These gems can promote peaceful sleep; place them at the foot of the bed. You can also try labradorite, as it has a reputation for chasing away any unwelcome feelings and thoughts.
Black Tourmaline
Mind Healing
Have you noticed you experience blockages to emotional expression if you don’t take care of it? Luckily, special crystals can help — wear them or keep them close to you. You can also use them in a healing session by placing them in a specific layout.
Find stones that are green; green is a common healing color, and many green crystals can be used to help reduce mental and nervous stress. In the East, Jade is prized for its ability to calm the nervous system and to focus the mind.
Other stones to use include Rose quartz and Blue Lace Agate; you can use both for cleansing and detoxifying emotions. Opal promotes emotional balance and stability, and Amethyst works on hormone production, balancing emotional highs and lows, and to help you feel less ‘scattered’ and more in control. Amethyst can also relieve stress by reducing mental burdens and help focus on realistic goals. Amber can be used to neutralize a negative state of mind and to balance any underlying emotional and endocrine imbalance.
Is everything crystal clear? You can check out this article for more crystal information!
Want to learn more about our biological connection with crystals? Check out this video on Magnetite – the crystal in our brain:
