Healing With Crystals

A crystal is made up of minerals which become crystalline through atoms and ions arraigned in geometrically precise patterns. The most common crystal is the quartz, or clear, pointed crystal which became popular in the mid-late eighties, when crystal and metaphysics shops sprang up all over the U.S.
Crystals were popular long before the U.S. tried to commercialize the heck out of them, though.

Archeologists discovered crystals in graves during excavations in Europe, Middle East, Russia, and Africa. These crystal were dozens of different gems, consisting of amber jewelry, lapis, turquoise, and garnet carvings of goddesses. They were placed in the graves so that they were thought to have been used in the funeral rites as protection and totems, for some were carved in the shapes of animals and birds, intended to escort the departed into the next life.

In the Boyne Valley of Ireland is the solar temple, New grange. It is older than the Egyptian pyramids, and constructed so that the sun would align with the seventy foot long entranceway during the Winter solstice. The roof was made entirely of white quartz crystals and was probably a spectacular sight on the morning of December 21st.

In Egypt, Lapis was considered to be a stone reserved for royalty; it was ground and rubbed into the brow of the pharaohs, to drive out spiritual impurity. Malachite was used to ornate the crowns of the pharaohs-it would help them rule wisely because it helped with eyesight! Their scared scarabs were carved from every precious and semi-precious gemstone and crystal available.

The Mayans made mirrors from pyrite, and obsidian was used to make the sacrificial knives used to cut out the still beating heart from captive enemies. They also believed that if you followed a rainbow to its end, you would not find a pot of gold, but turquoise, which provided a bridge between heaven and earth.

As far as the use for alternative medicine goes, Mayan Indians used crystals for diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and believed that a good person's soul would go into crystals upon death, and become the energy used to heal others. A comforting thought, actually, for you to live on as healing energy.
A crystal's energy is made up of vibrations, and since a human is basically also made from vibration, energy and water, the use of a crystal to heal or reset energy is as old as mankind and found in every culture. The very sight of them awakens our senses, and to gaze and meditate upon them is thought to help restore balance and liven the sick and apathetic.

The belief is that energy is held blocked in our bodies-the energy needed for prosperity, love, and basic health, when the crystals are placed on these points of our body which represent the different levels of consciousness and areas of the body-see charkas-the quartz or other crystal will realign and improve the energy in this area of the body.

For instance, say you have a tummy ache, or better yet, on going sour stomach problems. The proper quartz placed on the lower abdomen will help restore the energy to this area. The crystal has to be charged first, however.
Austrian crystals are man made crystals which enhance the spectrum when light shines through them. The simplest way to charge your medicine crystals before use is to lay them in the spot where the sunlight from the Austrian crystal hits the floor. This will fill the crystal with energy and "charge" it for use. You can then have your patient lay down on their back and, with the help of a charka and crystal chart, lay the appropriate crystal on the appropriate position on the patient's body, and Meditating through the procedure and soft chanting of affirmations help the healing process along.