Crystals Guidebook: Your Beginners Guide to Enhance Knowledge of Crystals and Get Started with Energy Healing for Strength, Vitality, and Wellness

History and Origin of Crystals

P recious stones, which are used in the finest jewelry, are the most valuable members of the mineral kingdom today. However, there was a time in history when the worth of crystals depended on believed healing abilities rather than monetary value.

Today, when we think of healing, hospitals and individuals in white coats are a common picture in our minds. But humans have long explored methods to alleviate physical, mental, and spiritual diseases in themselves and others. Healing has a long history that dates back to the dawn of humanity. Our ancestors relied on spirit doctors, minerals, special ceremonies, and healing crystals to help them heal themselves over time.

Many factors influence the physical healing approaches and paradigms that are used. These considerations may be based on religion, socioeconomic status, and the society in which individuals live, among other things.

The usage of crystals has a long history of healing and fulfilling humankind's spiritual needs. Crystals were employed by ancient cultures throughout the globe as ornaments as well as effectively for medicine, rituals, healing, meditation, protection, offerings, and currency.

Diamonds are given as a promise of love and marriage. Sapphires are given as a sign of loyalty. Aquamarine was carried by sailors to calm the sea and assure a safe return home. Crystals have been used as symbols of power and decoration for millennia, but their use extends beyond their beauty. Crystals have a holy power, which was found in ancient societies and is being used today.

All religions have used crystals and gemstones in some way. They are mentioned in the Bible, the Koran, and several other holy scriptures. Their origin may be traced back to the breastplate of Aaron, also known as the High Priest's Breastplate, as recounted in the book of Exodus. The 4 th Heaven in the Koran is made up of Carbuncle (Garnet).

In Hinduism, the Kalpa Tree, which signifies a sacrifice to the gods, is claimed to be completely formed of precious stone, while a Buddhist scripture from the 7th century recounts a diamond throne located near the Tree of Knowledge (the neem tree under which Siddhartha meditated). A thousand Kalpa Buddhas sat on this seat. In Jainism, the Kalpa Sutra mentions Harinegamesi, the heavenly leader of the foot army, who took 14 beautiful stones, cleaned them of their inferior attributes, and retained only their best essence to help his transformations.

The Ratnapariksha of Buddhabhatta is also an old holy lapidary treatise. According to some reports, it is Hindu, however, it is most likely Buddhist. The date is unknown, although it is most likely from the 6th century. Diamonds are graded according to caste in this book and appear prominently as the king of jewels. The Sanskrit term for diamond, Vajra, is also the name for the thunderbolt of the Hindu goddess Indra, and diamonds are often connected with thunder. The ruby was likewise held in great regard. It symbolizes an inextinguishable flame and was said to protect the wearer's body and mental well-being.

As a result, it is safe to assume that humans have had an attraction for stones and crystals for as long as we have lived as a species. Talismans and amulets have been utilized since the dawn of time, yet we have no means of knowing how the first of these things were seen or employed. Many of the early compositions were organic in nature. Beads carved of mammoth ivory going back 60,000 years (Upper Palaeolithic era) have been unearthed from a cemetery in Sungir, Russia, as have modern beads crafted from the shell and fossil shark's teeth.

The Origin

Crystal magic tales are said to have originated on the ancient continent of Atlantis. Some new age practitioners claim that Atlantean crystal practices survived in Egypt, South America, and Tibet.

Evidence reveals that crystals have been used in healing for around 6000 years, dating back to the Sumerians and ancient Egyptians. The Sumerians lived in Mesopotamia, an area of western Asia that is today Iraq. The region was well-known for its extensive range of disease cures, including incantations and ceremonies, yet magical-medical methods were dreaded by Mesopotamians as witchcraft.

They weren't the only people who employed metaphysical means to ward off evil spirits and build a protective barrier around themselves. Ancient Egyptians dug for crystals and used them to manufacture jewelry. Amulets were employed to guarantee an individual's well-being.

Nowadays, crystal healing is most often connected with the Buddhist and Hindu concept of our 'Chakras' (the energy centers in our body). Regardless, different crystal healing approaches attribute different properties to different types of stones. Each crystal's influence varies based on its kind, shape, and how it has been activated and cleaned.

Crystals were employed by Egyptians for protection and health, as well as cosmetically ground lead-ore and malachite, which were used as an eye shadow. To remove all spiritual impurities, lapis lazuli was prepared into a poultice and massaged into the top of the skull. Pharaohs were known to employ stones to aid them in wisely reigning from personal belongings and garments discovered in archaeological digs.

They generally employed semi-precious stones—notably lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian, emerald, and clear quartz—in their jewelry and created burial amulets from the same jewels for protection and health. They employed chrysolite, which is today known as topaz and peridot, to overcome night terrors and to cleanse bad spirits.

The different meanings of these crystals were devised by the ancient Greeks, with the name being derived from the Greek phrase Krystallos, which means Ice. It was thought that pure quartz was water that had frozen so profoundly that it would always stay solid.

They gave crystals a variety of qualities, and many of the names we use now have Greek origins. Because of the red coloration generated when it oxidizes, the term ‘Hematite’ is derived from the ancient Greek word for blood. Hematite is an iron mineral, and iron was connected with Aries, the god of battle, by the ancient Greeks. Hematite was rubbed on the bodies of Greek troops to help them in battle and shield them from their adversaries.

Amethyst is a classic precious stone with a history dating back to ancient Greece. After considerable amounts of amethyst were discovered in Brazil and Uruguay in the first part of the 19th century, it was categorized as semi-precious. The addition of the phrase semi-precious to the English language coincides with the discovery of new amethysts.

Amethyst is derived from the Greek word for not intoxicate, so you can probably imagine what this therapeutic stone was used for. Amethyst was worn as an amulet to help with hangovers or to avoid drunkenness.

Because of its rich purple color, amethyst is connected with Bacchus, the Greek god of wine. This stone was often cut into large drinking containers for water and wine. Wearing amethyst was thought to help ensure loyalty by Roman matrons. Cleopatra is claimed to have worn an amethyst ring etched with the figure of Maend (a Persian deity revered for his wisdom and love).

Even in Chinese societies, jade was a highly treasured stone that was portrayed in the shape of musical instruments. And approximately 1000 years ago, Chinese monarchs were occasionally buried in jade armor.

Jade was highly treasured in ancient China because it was thought that since jade artifacts lasted so long, they were associated with immortality. They think that jade brings good luck, purity, and increased wisdom. Jade is still prominent today, and it was included in the Olympic medals from the 2008 games in Beijing. Chinese emperors were occasionally buried in jade armor, and tombs with jade masks have been discovered in Mexico during the same time period. More recently (250 years ago), the Maoris of New Zealand wore jade pendants signifying ancestor spirits that were handed down via the male line. Green stones are still considered fortunate in certain regions of New Zealand today.

Healing stones and jewels also have long been used in Ayurvedic medicine. ‘Jyotish’ is a Vedic astrological system that once included Ayurveda. Physical, mental, and spiritual disorders were treated by Jyotish astrologers based on the patient's astrological chart. Each planet was associated with a stone based in part on color. The stones were supposed to filter out or neutralize the effects of the planets and were so worn for protection on the body.

Kings of ancient India gathered high-quality stones to defend themselves from danger. Early astrological books, initially written in Sanskrit and reaching back to 400 B.C., include observations about the capabilities of certain stones. A trauma would need the use of a certain crystal to 'counteract the bad impact.' Wearing talismans and amulets around the neck was a medicinal practice. To get the intended look, certain stones are employed.

There is a wealth of information in Vedic writings on the importance of crystals in India. The Garuda Purana and Graha-Gocara Jyautisha are two religious writings that explain where crystals originate from and their distinct meaning. In the genesis narrative of ayurvedic crystal healing procedures, the Vedic demon Vala plays a significant part.

The significance of each stone is heightened by its location on the demon's body. These stones are assigned to their respective chakras in Ayurvedic traditions, where they are invoked for their therapeutic effects.

Tibetan exiles who studied and practiced Buddhism utilized the stones as Malas (or prayer beads in the shape of necklaces and bracelets) in meditation. Young Hindus and Sikhs equally agreed that their moms and grandparents still prescribed healing crystals when they needed protection, physiological healing, or heart repair.

Many Indians are still using this age-old method to solve their difficulties. People still resort to this age-old technique of crystal healing combined with meditation when contemporary treatment does not work or is too costly. It seems to reason that crystal healing traditions would endure in India since they are profoundly established in Hinduism and Indian culture. Young Indians carry these habits to the West, while young Western visitors witness these customs in India and bring them home.

This was just a short history of crystals, but it provides us a glimpse into the importance of crystals and their usage throughout human history in a variety of ways, including healing and protection. Crystals have recently been employed in medicinal procedures with remarkable results. Their

metaphysical structure vibrates and resonates with our psyche.

Crystals in New Age

The usage of healing crystals increased as the globe progressed into the 20th century. There was a minor decrease in the usage of healing crystals in the early 1900s.

However, as the century progressed and the advent of New Age culture ignited to life in the 1970s and 1980s, healing crystals saw their own rebirth, gaining in popularity as people relied on the various old traditions and beliefs.

With the rise of the New Age culture in the 1980s, the usage of crystals and gemstones started to re-emerge as a therapeutic approach. Much of the practice was based on historic traditions, with additional knowledge obtained via experimenting and channeling. Crystals were popularized by books written by Katrina Rafaell in the 1980s and Melody and Michael Gienger in the 1990s.

During this period, crystal therapy arose as a method of mending physical, mental, and spiritual problems, and it is still commonly practiced today.

There are now a plethora of publications on the topic, and crystals are routinely featured in magazine and newspaper articles. Crystal healing transcended religious and spiritual borders. It is no longer seen as an alternative cultural phenomenon, but as a respectable and more mainstream complimentary treatment, and