The Tradition of Healing Stones

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

The practice of using stones as healing guides is an ancient one. The Egyptians were the first (as far as we know) to record the healing powers of stones. Later, noted Roman naturalist and philosopher Pliny the Elder explored stones’ medicinal properties.

Although there is no scientific basis for healing stones, they are still used cross-culturally, including in western manifestations of alternative medicine. Some Hopi Native Americans of Arizona and Hawaiian islanders embrace a tradition of healing stones. Chinese tradition honors jade as a powerful healer.

Some common healing stones and their properties include:

Traditional Jade Figurine

Jade teaches acceptance and conducts a calming energy. It helps the user become less critical of both self and others.

Lapis helps unlock energy, allowing the user to move through emotional confusion.

Rose quartz conducts a gentle energy that heals the heart (both the physical organ and the emotional center). It also guides one in self-love.

Turquoise helps guide the user in spiritual lessons encountered through mediation and dream visitations.  

Depending on the ailment, a healing stone may be applied in different manners. In some practices, the mere presence of the right stone is enough to cure an ailment. In other contexts, the stone must be placed on the afflicted area or powdered and eaten. In some cases, stones cannot touch the body at all but must rest a few inches above the skin.

Crystals play a large role in some doctrines of alternative medicine, particularly those adapted from Ayurvedic tradition. Crystals may be placed on different parts of the body to heal or unblock corresponding chakras. They may also be arranged on the body to create a healing energy grid.

Many stone users report positive results from stone healing practices and credit their stones with feeling of health and renewed energy. Critics of stone healing argue that these are merely placebo effects. In other words, the belief in stones’ healing ability is more powerful than any power the stones may have themselves, if any. Members of the medical community encourage patients to seek medical advice from more scientifically grounded sources. In fact, delaying or avoiding certain medical treatment and relying on healing stones exclusively may prove dangerous or even fatal.

As far as spiritual practice is concerned, however, stones are deemed safe and may help the practitioner feel more spiritually connected, grounded, and calm.

Quartz Healing Gem Necklace

Have you tried healing stones?

Photos: ABC Home, Black Country Museums via Flickr

Posted in alternative medicine, crystals, gem lore, healing stones, traditional

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