Crystals: Not Just Another Pretty Rock
Crystals were recognized as powerful by humans as we evolved across the globe and though like any other form of matter they are an arrangement of atomic particles, they have widespread uses whether that be industrial or spiritual.
History of Crystal Use
Crystals have been used as metaphysical aids for thousands of years. Ancient Sumerians used crystals as an integral part of their magical practice. Paleolithic grave sites contained crystals and caches of crystals have been uncovered at archeological sites. Egyptians used crystals for their aesthetic value and for both healing and protective properties.
We can thanks the ancient Greeks for some of the names of crystals like amethyst, which was thought to help with hangovers and means not intoxicate. The Ancient Greeks thought that quartz was water that has frozen to the point it would not melt again and called it krystallos meaning ice. Jade was a valued stone from Asia to Central America, to Australia for its metaphysical properties linked to kidneys and good fortune. Romans used crystals for manifestation, protection, to signify ownership, and for health. Roman soldiers carried tiger’s eye into battle as a protective talisman.
Ayurvedic medicine in India recognizes the healing power of crystal. First nations tribes have used various gemstones as jewelry and talismans, such as agate, turquoise, and red jasper. Clearly humans have valued crystals for millennia, but what makes a crystal a crystal?
Crystal Composition
Like every single other bit of matter on this planet, crystals are composed from the same elements that form the stars that dot the night sky. Crystals are matter, and all matter is made from atoms, when those atoms are arranged in a regular grid pattern they form a crystal whether salt or quartz. A crystal’s properties are dependent on how those atoms are organized. A classic example is diamonds versus graphite, both made of only carbon but the arrangement of the atoms makes diamonds hard and graphite soft.
Crystals can form in a few ways, for example one of my personal favorite stones, amethyst, forms when solution of silicon dioxide with traces of iron gets trapped in a lava bubble. As the water evaporates, amethyst forms in a geode. Now crystals require something to form on, a nucleus, also called a seed crystal. Crystals are more than just pretty rocks though and have modern and some not as modern applications.
Modern Use of Crystals
There are numerous industrial uses for crystals. In the late 1800’s the piezoelectric effect was discovered and naturally occurs in crystal such as quartz, topaz, and tourmaline. This effect is the name for the nature of these crystals to generate an electrical field when mechanical pressure is added and helped further fields such as biomechanics, clinical medicine, and futuristic energies.
Many are familiar with diamond drill bits putting their density to practical use. Watches use colorless sapphire as scratch resistant glass, synthetic rubies for bearings, and quartz controls the time. We can also thank quartz for silicon chips which have a laundry list of uses. Rubies are used in red light lasers which has a role in devices from CD players to microsurgery. Crystals contribute to our spirituality in a practical sense too.
Metaphysical Use of Crystals
Long before we recognized any sort of industrial role crystal could play human intuition recognized a metaphysical function. There can be no doubt to the aesthetic value of crystals in a home, they are beautiful and contribute to decor effortlessly but can help imbue positive energy into your space using intuitive placement or even sacred geometry. Meditation has numerous benefits, mentally and physically and crystals make an excellent focal point to align one’s intent.
Wearing or carrying crystals associated with a particular chakra or astrological sign, pairing crystals with aromatherapy, uses crystals to enhance your calm, or help you feel more centered, just to name a few ways to use crystals to promote healing. Crystal pendulums and runes are used as divination elements. Everything in the universe has its own energy and vibration and crystals can act as conduits and tools to tap into their specific energy for your benefit.
“In a crystal we have clear evidence of the existence of a formative life principle, and though we cannot understand the life of a crystal, it is nonetheless a living being. ”
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