Crystal Healing History: How Far Back Does This Ancient Practice Go?
Posted by GR0
Crystal healing history is far older and more complex than people think. While crystal healing may seem like a “new age” thing, civilizations have used it for centuries to help with physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental concerns.
When used correctly, crystals can be incredibly powerful tools, and the knowledge gained from knowing the history behind crystal healing is irreplaceable. Home of Chiji has the information you need to start your own crystal healing practice and use it the most effectively.
How Far Back Does Crystal Healing History Go?
One of the more difficult parts of history is tracing back a specific cultural phenomenon to a single moment in time. Like most other parts of history, crystal healing may originate in more than one country around the same period of time.
To help trace the history back as far as possible, we must rely on historical artifacts and documents. Perhaps the first historical references that discuss the use of crystals can be found with the ancient Sumerians in Mesopotamia, who used crystals in their magical formulas. There are also baltic amber pendants that can be traced back 60,000 years.
However, the first civilization with the most recorded history is the ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians used crystals in nearly every facet of their lives and they were one of the first to use crystals cosmetically (ground up as eyeshadow, for instance).
However, their use of crystals in various forms of healing is what really sets them apart. Lapis lazuli, emerald, carnelian, clear quartz, and turquoise made frequent appearances in the lore found in ancient Egypt.
The ancient Greeks were also proficient crystal healers. They were some of the first to assign specific meanings to crystals and use them accordingly. An excellent example of this is amethyst, which they used in amulets designed to help prevent hangovers and drunkenness. The word amethyst actually translates from an ancient Greek word for “not drunken.” In ancient Greece, both sailors and warriors also carried crystals for protection, especially hematite (which they associated with the god of war, Ares).
The other early adopters of crystal healing were the Chinese. They mainly used jade, but in various ways—as armor, jewelry, talismans, musical instruments, masks, and specifically for healing the kidneys.
When Did Modern Crystal Healing History Start?
It’s interesting to learn about ancient crystal healing history, but when did the more modern uses that we know today begin to gain popularity?
Modern crystal healing history started to pick up steam in the late 1970s and early 80s, around the same time as “new-age” culture. Unlike ancient civilizations, which revered crystals as part of their religious practices, crystal healing today can be done entirely outside any religious context.
This makes the use of crystals far more accessible to everyone and not tied to any specific dogma. It also ties in nicely with the renewed focus and interest in astrology that comes hand in hand with the new age movement.
Much of modern-day crystal healing history incorporates the knowledge passed down from ancient practices without the religious context. The only thing that has changed from how our ancestors practiced and how we practice today is that we have greater access to technology. That technology makes it far easier to purchase stones and find information about how to use them.
Starting a Crystal Healing Practice at Home
Has the beautiful and diverse crystal healing history convinced you to start your own practice? There are many advantages to bringing the healing arts to your home, and starting your journey is far easier than you may think!
The first and most fundamental question you need to ask yourself is: why? Is there a specific issue that is drawing you to crystal healing? Are you looking for help with love, protection, positivity, etc.?
The answer to this question can help guide you toward the best crystals for your unique needs and goals. If you are interested in crystal healing as a more general practice, there are options for that too. Don’t worry; it isn’t a requirement that you have a specific goal in mind.
Once your answer is clarified, you can start picking out crystals. We have a variety of targeted crystal sets, for instance, that can help you get started without having to worry about picking out specific stones. If you’re looking for a single stone to start, we’d suggest clear quartz as quartz crystals are some of the most multi-use, neutral stones out there.
It isn’t necessary to have any specific areas or tools to start crystal healing, either. Just a quiet space where you can go and focus is enough. Most crystal healing is done during meditation, as we’ll discuss in a moment, or designed to be carried with you and work actively.
Use Meditation To Connect With Your Stones
Before you try crystal healing, you must learn how to connect with your stones. While each stone has documented uses, everyone connects differently with them. What works for you might not be what works for someone else, and figuring that out can be incredibly beneficial.
One of the best ways to do this is by using meditation. In fact, meditation can be a beneficial healing practice all on its own. It helps you to connect more deeply and intimately with your own body and gives you a way to learn how to focus on the present (known as mindfulness).
When you use meditation as a way to connect with your stones, what you’ll be doing is tapping into their specific vibrations. Each stone resonates at its own, unique frequency. When you can “hear” that frequency, it can help you feel out the best use for that stone. Don’t be stuck behind conventional thinking about the stones; follow what feels right for you. There is inherent wisdom in going with your gut.
For this type of meditation, simply sit in your quiet space with your stone. It is best to work with one at a time in each session, with days in between, so that you can take it all in. Hold your stone in your hand and sit in a comfortable position.
Take the time to feel that stone, both physically and mentally. When you’re done, write everything down in a notebook. You may even find you have dreams with more information during this process, which is just one more way our higher-level mind tries to communicate with us.
Crystal Healing Therapy
Once you better understand yourself and the crystals you have chosen to use, it’s time to use them in crystal healing therapy. Crystal healing therapy can address a wide variety of issues and isn’t just meant to help with one specific type of problem (physical or spiritual, for example). Using crystals this way can help you with nearly any problem you can think of, and there are uses catered to all different kinds of healing.
For beginners, a great place to start is with your chakras. The chakra system consists of seven different chakras, or energy centers, positioning up and down the spine. Each chakra is responsible for specific body systems as well as emotional states.
When they are open and functioning appropriately, the areas they control are unlikely to experience issues. However, if they become blocked or cloudy, you may notice problems in those specific areas.
Meditation can be helpful in this regard as well. If you’re experiencing issues, perform a total body scan to help narrow down which (if any) chakras seem to be blocked. Start at the top of your head and scan slowly down, stopping at each chakra. If you’re unfamiliar with where these are, here is a quick overview from the bottom up:
- Root chakra: the tailbone
- Sacral chakra: the base of the spine
- Solar plexus chakra: mid-back
- Heart chakra: mid-chest
- Throat chakra: the throat
- Third eye chakra: the middle of the forehead
- Crown chakra: the top of the head
If you identify any blocks or even a chakra that just feels “cloudy,” take the time to try and mentally clear it out. All it takes is to focus on that specific area and envision the chakra as clear and open. If it is thoroughly blocked, it may take more than one session. You can also use stones that correlate to the specific chakra and lay on your back with the stone positioned over the area.
In Summary
Crystal healing history isn’t just present in textbooks. The information documented by our ancestors, no matter what culture or civilization they came from, has been passed down and adjusted to fit our modern practices.
This history is still in use in today’s crystal healing, although our uses for those stones may have changed slightly. However, the power and feeling inherent with crystal healing are just as potent and beneficial as it always has been.
If you’re ready to set out on your own crystal healing path, Home of Chiji is here to help. We have a wide variety of crystal-based tools and sets, each accessible even for the novice. We’d love to be part of your healing journey!
Sources:
Meditation: In Depth | NCCIH (nih.gov)
Chakra Basics: Learn What Chakras are and their Energetic Properties | IARP (iarp.org)
