Astrid Carvel - 9 July

THE LITTLE BOOK OF CRYSTALS

Copyright Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2019

Text by Hannah Adams and Anna Martin

All rights reserved.

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NOTHING CAN DIM THE LIGHT THAT SHINES FROM WITHIN.

MAYA ANGELOU

INTRODUCTION

Crystals have a mystical, eternal quality and have long been treasured for their beauty. They can refract light, and often have both a translucency and opacity. For thousands of years, they have been prized for their physical and spiritual healing properties. In almost every culture and civilization around the world, crystals of all shapes, colours and sizes have been used in religious rituals, as ornamentation or as talismans of good fortune. Small wonder then that today many of us seem so drawn to these precious and mysterious stones; our fascination with crystals is part of a vast and extensive legacy.

Scratch away the surface and the science behind crystals speaks volumes. All natural crystals vibrate with energy, and for this reason they are used in engineering, from lasers to watches. When these vibrations are used for healing, they have the effect of balancing the energies in the body, allowing for physical, mental or emotional healing. Chinese holistic therapies, in which crystals are integral, describe a system of seven chakras, or energy centres, which are located at the crown of the

head, the brow (third eye), throat, heart, stomach (solar plexus), the lower abdomen (or sacral chakra) and the base of the spine (root). By pairing crystals to these chakra points, energies in the body can be unblocked, which not only benefits your general well-being but also alleviates physical ailments.

This guide explains the unique properties of over 40 of the most common crystals and how to experience their healing benefits, from helping with general aches and pains to more specific things, such as finding your inner voice or improving sleep quality.

WHY ARE CRYSTALS SO POPULAR IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY?

Crystals have always been sought-after objects but they seem more prevalent nowadays, thanks to the rise in popularity of various spiritual and healing practices, including modern white witchcraft.

Many millennials and generation Zs who perhaps have lost interest in traditional faiths but want to follow a spiritual and metaphysical path that touches upon multiple faiths and ancient practices are choosing shamanism and crystal healing for a restorative experience to help them deal with the stresses of modern life. You can now purchase a rose quartz heart to help heal heartbreak, a crystal-infused face oil to spritz away stress and crystal wands to safely disperse harmful emissions from your electrical gadgets, for example.

The indefinable magical energy that crystals contain has given them an almost mystical status. While some sceptics believe that they have a placebo effect, its hard to ignore the factual evidence about the energy that they contain (see pages 167).

One of the best things about crystals is that they are easy to come by. You will find a shop selling them in almost every town nowadays, and they are affordable (nothing more than a few pounds or dollars for a small piece of rose quartz or tigers eye, for example), which means you can build a collection of healing stones for very little outlay. They are also beautiful objects to have around the house, as they catch the light and bring extra sparkle and calming energies to any room.

A TIMELINE OF CRYSTAL HISTORY

Our fascination with crystals goes back thousands of years heres a snapshot of how we have used and benefitted from them throughout history.

25,000 years BC There are amulets and talismans in Britain from the Upper Palaeolithic era, many of which are made with Baltic amber (formed over 45 million years ago from tree resin). The use of this gemstone in both jewellery and charms suggests that it was valued for its beauty as well as protective properties.

14,000 years BC Dating back to the Upper Palaeolithic era, jet beads, bracelets and necklaces have been unearthed in burial grounds near Thayngen, Switzerland, and in caves in Belgium. The talismanic properties of the beads made them an appropriate grave offering for the dead in early civilization.

45002000 BC The first recorded references to the use of crystals were likely from the Ancient Sumerians, who are said to have used gemstones in magic formulas. Magical texts took the form of incantations and describe ritualistic practices performed by these ancient peoples, largely to ward off evil spirits and bad omens in their communities.

3100330 BC Ancient Egyptians used crystals, such as lapis lazuli, carnelian, turquoise, clear quartz and emerald, in their amulets and jewellery for health and protection. The dead were buried with a piece of quartz on their forehead to safely guide them to the afterlife, and a necklace of rubies over the heart was intended to bring love into ones life. They also used lapis lazuli and malachite as eye make-up, as shown in their murals and tomb paintings.

15001000 BC In the span of some five hundred years, four sacred Hindu texts were composed, collectively named the Vedas: Rig-Veda (for recitation), Yajur-Veda (for liturgy), Sama-Veda (for chanting) and Atharva-Veda (magic formulas). These texts discuss the use of different crystals to treat certain medical ailments, as well as their specific properties it is said, for example, that emerald will bring good luck. Ayurvedic medicine is based on these Vedic texts and is still used today as an alternative therapy.

800600 BC In Ancient Greece, crystals were used by soldiers and sailors alike to seek protection from battle and forces of nature. The Greeks gave names to these crystals, many of which we still use today; the word crystal itself comes from the Greek word for ice, as it was thought that a crystal was simply permanently frozen water.