How Crystals Shine

Introduction Scarcely a day goes by when I don’t meet someone who is interested in the strong and ancient powers of crystals. There are hundreds of books out on the market that deal with crystals. Their authors write in detail about healing elements of crystals and their various mystical properties -- but they forget one important thing: the user’s perspective. As a result, the process of learning to use crystals can be intimidating, to say the least, for someone who is new to the subject. The purpose of this book is to open up the “secret society” of crystal users, and show those who are not aware of this world how sexy, creative and easy the use of crystals can be for millions of people. In order to do that, I want to tell you my own story, and the stories of others whom I have interviewed about how the magic of crystals has touched their lives. I’ve included many interviews with people whose lives, like mine, have been touched by the power of crystal. Some of their stories are short, and some are long. Some of these people are renowned experts in the field of crystal healing, and some are average people just like you or me. But the common thread is that all of them have let crystals come into their lives and touch them for the better. I want to let them speak to you as testimonials, so you can read the true stories of people who have felt the light of crystal energy in their own words. You’ll see how crystals touch everyone in ways that are common to everyone, and in ways that are unique to each experiencer. But no matter what, they are always powerful. I hope that you enjoy making a connection to the history of crystals and the people who love to use them just as much as I have enjoyed guiding you on the journey. “If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” Dr. Nikola Tesla, 1942. History - Crystals through Time If you are new to the world of crystals and gems, then you might not know that they are considered among the healing wonders of the world. And in fact, knowledge of the healing powers of crystals is far from new. Crystals have been used for their mystical, beneficial properties since the ancient world. And we don’t have to look far to find evidence for that. Crystals are mentioned in the Bible over ten times. And it’s clear that the ancient people of Biblical times were aware of the power of crystals and stones. Just take, for example, how the book of Revelation describes the properties of New Jerusalem, God’s heavenly city. New Jerusalem, the Bible says, “shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. " Clearly, the power of these stones and crystals is held very close to God. Indeed, the book of Exodus described a breastplate worn by a Levitical high priest as containing twelve stones, each engraved with one of the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. “The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl,” it said. “The second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; the third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst; the fourth row was topaz, onyx and jasper.” Crystals or gemstones have been used throughout history not just by common people, but by kings and queens. Egyptian queens such as Hatshepsut and Cleopatra were historically known to add them to their attire and makeup. In their society, crystals were used by ancient astrologers, diviners and priests, and were revered for their power and beauty. Stones were used in ancient Egypt at least as early as 3000 B.C.E. Amulets and talismans were cut from agate, lapis lazuli, carnelian and turquoise. It has been speculated that the pyramids were capped with crystals to channel cosmic forces into the center of the geometric structures. The Egyptians pulverized gems and mixed them with liquid to drink as a healing elixir. These remedies were prescribed by matching colors to maladies that ancient patients might suffer. For instance, a jaundiced Egyptian might drink yellow beryl. Bloodstones helped those who were bleeding, and lapis those with blue joints from poor circulation. But the ancient Egyptian sages also used crystals in ways more familiar to us. A papyrus from 1600 B.C.E. shows how to use beads of lapis lazuli, malachite, and red jasper for healing. Worn as a necklace, they caused diseases to vanish when they passed through the stones. But the wisdom of the ancients was not restricted only to Egypt -- and neither was the restorative power of crystal healing. Almost everyone has heard of crystal skulls, but many people think of them as a purely fictional invention, perhaps created for Indiana Jones movies. What you might not realize is that crystal skulls are real artifacts, and that many incredible and even miraculous powers have been attributed to them. Crystal skulls are often beautiful and immaculately-carved objects that many claim originated with the ancient Aztec or Maya civilizations. Some have speculated that the skulls may even have been created with the help of ancient extraterrestrial visitors. If that is true, could it mean that aliens thousands of years ago wanted to gift us with the power of crystal healing? There is certainly something otherworldly about the feeling of well-being that can come from their use. Whether extraterrestrials deserve the credit or not, it’s certainly true that the use of crystals and gemstones for their healing and magical powers spread far and wide across the ancient world. I want to share with you an excerpt from an article I found about the history of lapidary (the shaping of crystals and gemstones) written by Gerald Wykoff, CSM GG for the International Gem Society: Gem cutting, or lapidary, most certainly got its start as an offshoot of mundane everyday activities. A stone may have fallen into a fire where the heat caused it to break or flake. Perhaps a sharp edge resulted. Certainly, flint and other hard stones possess sharp edges, but a blade-like cutting edge on a newly flaked piece of rock suggested some very interesting possibilities. In prehistoric times, man hammered tools from stone, presumably smacking one stone against another. He scratched and chiseled out symbols and primitive writings on hard rock and cave walls – and gradually learned the great secret: some stones are harder than others and therefore they are more capable of inflicting scratches on other less hard stones. From this very basic understanding, drilling and bruting became possible. Drilling, one of the first of the lapidary arts, traces its roots back almost 1,000,000 years ago. Primitive peoples learned that rocks could be broken or fractured. The breakage provided random fragments, but ultimately experimentation demonstrated that breakage could also be achieved with some semblance of control. This same knowledge of relative hardness led to bruting, the shaping of a gem specimen by rubbing one mineral against another har