CRYSTAL HEALING BY ZENA

SYMBOLIC AND MYTHICAL CRYSTAL MEANINGS

BY PENNY PARKER

TWENTY KEY CRYSTALS.

AGATE.

Named after a river in Southern Sicily.

COLOURS     Cryptocrystalline quartz;  distinctive banded patterns and colours which vary according to different impurities.  Many different forms, e.g.  moss agate, fire agate, and blue- laced agate.
SPECIAL NOTE:     Often dyed to enhance colour.
HISTORICAL USE:     Thought to guarantee plentiful crops, cure insomnia, ward off skin diseases.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Stabilizing;  balancing;  enhances self-esteem;  calms body and mind;  promotes inner peace;  assists physical and emotional security.

CHAKRAS:        BASE AND THROAT.

AMETHYST

From Greek, amethystos, meaning "unintoxicating".

COLOURS:        Quartz family, pale lavender to deep violet.
SPECIAL NOTE:        Dichroic ( two different shades according to angle viewed. )
HISTORICAL USE:        In Ancient Greece and Rome wine was drunk from cups of carved amethyst because it was believed to cure drunkenness and bring general sobering.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Calming;   cleansing;  transformational;  promotes spiritual awareness and contentment;  excellent for meditation;  aids sleep;  absorbs negativity;  combats atmospheric pollution.

CHAKRAS:        THIRD EYE AND THE CROWN.

AQUAMARINE

From Latin, aqua marina, meaning "sea water".

COLOURS:        Beryl family;  various shades of blue or green.
SPECIAL NOTE:        Usually heat-treated to produce the more popular deep-blue colour;  dichroic.
HISTORICAL USE:        Amulets worn for protection and good luck by sailors and fishermen.  Recommended for head and neck problems.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Mental clarity;  self-expression;  "stone of courage".  eases fear and phobias;  calming;  stress reducing;  enhances creativity;  protects against pollutants.

CHAKRA;       THROAT.

AVENTURINE QUARTZ

From Italian, per avventura, meaning "by accident" (given same name as accidentally produced glass of similar appearance).

COLOURS:        Quartz family;  yellowy-brown to bluish-green, depending on inclusions.
SPECIAL NOTE:        Easy to confuse with aventurine feldspar ( sunstone), amazonite, and jade.  Look for inclusions, which give it a sparkly appearance.
HISTORICAL USE:        Said to encourage Lady Luck to call, particularly with regard to money.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES;        All-purpose healing stone;  promotes physical, mental, and emotional well-being;  enhances personal creativity and originality;  stress-relieving;  soothing.

CHAKRAS;       SACRAL,  SOLAR PLEXUS AND THE HEART.

BLOODSTONE  ( HELIOTROPE. )

COLOURS:        Cryptocrystalline quartz (chalcedony);  always opaque, dark green spotted with red ( iron oxides) resembling drops of blood, hence the name.
HISTORICAL USE:        Considered a stone to aid clairvoyance, especially foretelling of extremes of weather.  Said to check hemorrhages.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Detoxifying;  purifying ( particularly with regard to blood);  strengthening;  improves talents and abilities;  enhances decision-making insight.

CHAKRA:        BASE.

CARNELIAN

From Latin, carne, meaning "flesh".

COLOURS:        Cryptocrystalline quartz (chalcedony);  always translucent, reddish-brown.
HISTORICAL USE:        Recommended for blood disorders, to calm anger and inflammation in connection with its red colour.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Focusing;  motivational;  stimulating;  dispels apathy;  increases physical energy and personal power;  engenders compassion;  encourages present-moment awareness.

CHAKRAS:        SACRAL. ALTER MAJOR  ( part of "NEW AGE" expanded chakra system, located in nasal area).

CELESTITE

From Latin, caelestis, meaning "heavenly".

COLOURS:        Colourless, pale blue, milky white, orange and yellow.
SPECIAL NOTE:        Extremely soft and fragile.
HISTORICAL USE:        Used by Bengali priests to colour flames  ( produced by the element strontium)  and impress or frighten followers.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Revitalizing;  awakens spirituality;  elevating;  regenerative;  ensures fluency in communication;  useful for dream recall.

CHAKRAS:        THROAT AND CROWN.

CITRINE

From Latin, citrus, -pale greenish-yellow colour.

COLOURS:        Quartz family;  yellow-brown.
SPECIAL NOTE:        Most "citrine" sold in shops is heat-treated amethyst-check suppliers.
HISTORICAL USE:        One of the "merchant's stones" believed to help accumulate and maintain wealth if kept in cash box or purse.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        "Group" stone that positively influences family, business, friendships, etc.;  encourages openness;  optimistic;  dispels fear;  promotes physical endurance and mental clarity;  cleansing;  supports emotional maturity.

CHAKRAS:        SACRAL AND THE SOLAR PLEXUS.

FLUORITE

From Latin, fluor, meaning "to flow".

COLOURS:        Wide range of colours, including-violet, green, yellow, blue, pink and purple.
SPECIAL NOTE:        Soft, easily scratched;  fluorescent.
HISTORICAL USE:        Believed to benefit teeth and bones when taken as an elixir.  Also said to relieve symptoms of kidney disease.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Protective;  energizing;  grounding;  releases negativity and emotional "blockages";  calming;  promotes mental advancement;  good for meditation.

CHAKRA:        THIRD EYE.

HEMATITE

From Greek, haima, meaning blood.

COLOURS:        Dark grey to black;  metallic lustre.
HISTORICAL USE:        Believed to confer invulnerability in battle and achieve a favourable response to any petition.  Recommended for blood disorders and protection against excessive blood loss.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Grounding;  "stone for the mind";  balances yin-yang;  reduces excess body heat;  transform negativity.

CHAKRAS:        BASE AND THE THROAT.

JADE

Name given to two distinct minerals:  Nephrite from Greek, nephros meaning kidney, and Jadeite from Spanish, piedra de ijada, meaning "stone for the loins", both alluding to the ancient belief that jade could cure kidney stones.

COLOURS:        NEPHRITE       Dark green to cream.
                         JADEITE          Range of colours including green, pink, red, blue, black and orange.
SPECIAL NOTE:        Nephrite more common than jadeite;  sometimes dyed to improve colour.
HISTORICAL USE:        Revered by many civilizations from China to New Zealand.  The symbol of the heart in Ancient Egypt and Central America, where a piece of jade was placed in or near the body of dead nobles to symbolize their new heart.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Regulates heart beat;  increases vitality;  encourages harmony;  puts things into perspective;  inspires wisdom;  prolongs life;  protective;  aids dream work.

CHAKRAS:        HEART AND CROWN.

LAPIS LAZULI

From Latin, lapis, meaning "stone" and Arabic, azul, meaning "blue".

COLOURS:        Distinctive blue rock with flecks of gold or white from pyrite or calcite inclusions.
HISTORICAL USE:        Said to protect against spirits of darkness as its colour symbolized the heavens.  Amulets of lapis lazuli believed to convey protective powers in Ancient Egypt.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Spiritual awakening;  mental clarity;  protects against depression;  aids self-expression;  enhances artistic endeavours;  encourages expansiveness;  boosts immune system.

CHAKRAS:        THROAT AND THE THIRD EYE.

MALACHITE

From Greek, malache, meaning "mallow leaf".

COLOURS:        Always green with characteristic banding.
HISTORICAL USE:        Considered a particularly valuable talisman for children.  Would protect wearer from falls and warn them of impending danger by breaking into several pieces.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Soothing;  calming;  promotes inner peace and compassion;  balances physical body;  anti-depressant;  excellent for meditation and dream work;  cleansing;  amplifies current mood.

CHAKRAS:        SOLAR PLEXUS AND THE HEART.

MOONSTONE

COLOURS:        Feldspar group, opalescent with blue or white sheen, usually colourless, white or silver.
HISTORICAL USE:        If placed in the mouth when the moon is full this stone was believed to help lovers find out what lay in store for them in the future.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Calms emotion;  balances oversensitivity;  opens up one's feminine side;  heightens intuition and receptivity;  aids awareness of subconscious feelings;  assists hormonal equilibrium during menstrual cycle.

CHAKRAS:        SACRAL AND THE HEART.

ROCK CRYSTAL 

(CLEAR QUARTZ)

From Greek,  krystallos,  "ice".

COLOUR:        Quartz family, colourless, transparent.
HISTORICAL USE:        A popular "fetish" of the Cherokee,  who believed it gave them greater power in hunting and divination.  Also used to quench thirst in Ancient Greece and Rome, where quartz was believed to be unmeltable ice.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        "The Master Crystal";  most versatile of all crystals;  symbol of balance and purity;  aids meditation;  amplifies effects of other crystals.

CHAKRAS:        ALL CHAKRAS, PARTICULARLY THE CROWN.

ROSE QUARTZ

COLOUR:        Always pink.
HISTORICAL USE:        Symbol of love and beauty.  Masks cut from rose quartz were used to beautify skin in Ancient Egypt.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Unconditional love  ( for ourselves and others);  peace;  good for children;  emotional support;  positive;  responsive;  heightens self-esteem;  comforting;  releases excess fluids and impurities from the body.

CHAKRAS:        BASE, SOLAR PLEXUS AND THE HEART.

SODALITE

COLOUR:        All shades of blue.
HISTORICAL USE:        Not featured in ancient writings.  May have been linked with lapis lazuli, which it loosely resembles.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Encourages objectivity and new perspectives;  balances metabolism;  aids sleep;  increases spiritual awareness;  prolongs physical endurance;  creates harmony between conscious and subconscious;  helps you "lighten up".

CHAKRA:        THROAT.

TIGER'S EYE

COLOURS:        Chatoyant quartz ( iridescent, "cat's eye effect" );  black to dark brown with fibrous inclusions of yellow and golden-brown stripes.
SPECIAL NOTE:        Other varieties of chatoyant quartz are cat's eye and hawk's eye.
HISTORICAL USE:        The chatoyant property of tiger's eye was believed to improve eyesight, prevent eye diseases, and advert the "evil eye".
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Aids concentration;  focuses energy to meet challenges;  grounding;  symbol of inner strength;  encourages optimism;  balances yin-yang energy;  enhances creativity.

CHAKRAS:        BASE AND THE SACRAL.

TURQUOISE

From French, turquoise, meaning "Turkish".

COLOURS:        Sky blue to green.
SPECIAL NOTE:        Porous  and prone to cracking and fading - may be waxed to prevent this;  care needed in the sun.
HISTORICAL USE:        Turquoise was said to darken or lighten to indicate a change in a person's health.  This gemstone is greatly affected by alterations in temperature and humidity and also responds to skin secretions like sebum and perspiration.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Clarity of communication;  encourages affinity with others;  leads to greater self-awareness and "true purpose";  eases rheumatism and arthritis.

CHAKRA:        THROAT.

WATERMELON TOURMALINE

From Sinhalese, turamali, meaning "stone attracting ash"  (relating to its pyroelectric properties).

COLOURS:        Complex borosilicate;  bi-coloured-green rim, pink centre-or vice versa.
HISTORICAL USE:        Only known since the 18th century.
ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:        Regulates hormones and metabolism;  "pulls weeds, plants seeds";  helps recovery from "heartache";  helps lighten you up;  symbolizes balance.

CHAKRA:         HEART.

GEMSTONES TO HELP YOU.

AMETHYST is good for a HEADACHE and the colour of the stone is PURPLE/WHITE.
CARNELIAN is good for STOMACHACHE and the colour of the stone is DARK BROWN.
RED JASPER is good for DIGESTION and the colour of the stone is REDDY BROWN.
AVENTURINE is good for HAIR PROBLEMS and the colour of the stone is GREEN.
WHITE HOWLITE is good for OVERWEIGHT and the colour of the stone is GREY/WHITE.
TIGER'S EYE is good for COUGHS and the colour of the stone is GOLD/BROWN/BLACK.
NEW JADE is good for SLEEPLESSNESS and the colour of the stone is DARK GREEN.
HEMATITE is good for NECK TENSION and the colour of the stone is BLACK/SILVER.
BLUE LACE AGATE is good for DEPRESSION and the colour of the stone is BLUEY/LILAC.
ROSE QUARTZ is good for LOVESICKNESS and the colour of the stone is PINK.
RAINBOW FLUORITE is good for MENTAL DISEASE and the colour of the stone is CLEAR/ORANGE.
CRYSTAL is good for SKIN IRRITATION and the colour of the stone is CLEAR.

THIS CHAPTER IS TAKEN FROM LIZ SIMPSON'S BOOK.

I do apologise for some of the colours in the stones. This cannot be helped as the colour of the stones don't match the Web colours. But a shop selling crystals will show you the colours if you chose to ask. You may be interested to read more information on this subject. I do recommend reading the book from where this chapter came from. THE BOOK OF CRYSTAL HEALING by LIZ SIMPSON. There is so much to this subject and I hope I have given you enough interest to find out more for yourself. Thank you to Liz Simpson.

ALL GRAPHICS INCLUDING PICTURE ARE BY PENNY PARKER

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