A Course in Crystals:
Rocking Out On Light & Color

By Joysprite - The Crystal Lady

When I started collecting stones I started with small ones. It didn't take me long to fill a shelf with small stones that would fit into my hand. I enjoyed the energy and look of the smaller stones, and I could reach out and choose whichever ones felt right to hold when I would sit down to meditate. I had a habit of putting like colors together, for the most part, which I found to be a visually pleasing form of display. As my collection grew they stretched out across the top of my old secretary, a rainbow of little stones and crystals.

One day I was playing with the stones I had put into these little groups of color, and I suddenly had a thought about why I had done this. I was a Reiki practitioner, a healing facilitator, and one of the things that energy facilitators do is work with chakra centers, the energy centers of the body. Those centers resonate to certain colors of light vibration. It occurred to me that I had unconsciously put together a set of healing stones that were grouped according to chakra colors, white, violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Plus I had a selection of smoky quartz, some black obsidian, and a lovely range of pink stones. In the past I had experimented on myself with a set of seven tumbled chakra-colored stones, but at that time I had not given any thought to experimenting with a wide variety of colored stones. Suddenly I had a beautiful range of different colors and types of stones and crystals that were perfectly suited for healing facilitation and teaching. I immediately placed the majority of them into a very special box so that they could be transported easily. That box became the healing box that I continue to use today.

Because I wanted to understand crystal healing better and learn how to do it properly, I got busy and read several books on crystal healing. What I discovered was that everyone has his or her own theory on how healing crystals should be chosen and when and where they should be used. It didn't take long for me to make the decision that I should take what resonated and leave the rest. Also, as I have continued to experiment with my healing box full of colored stones and crystals, I have come to some of my own conclusions about healing facilitation with crystals.

Many healing facilitators agree that certain stones have energetic qualities that are useful with different chakras. It is also common that these stones frequently turn out to be a similar color to the chakra center that they are supposed to have a beneficial effect on. This makes sense if one takes into account the meanings and uses of color in healing. What I believe may be the case is that crystals and stones can heal in more than one way. Not only do they each have their own special form of healing energy, but they also have a color, which, when reflected and absorbed by the body, has another energetic effect. As an artist I have always had an interest in the use and effect of color as pigment. As a healing facilitator I have became interested in the effects of color in the form of light, whether shined directly or reflected off of a stone.

Our eyes see color as reflected light waves/vibrations. When we look at an object we see the color vibration of light that is reflected back from the object. All the other colors' vibrations are absorbed. For example, when we see the brown bark and the green leaves on a tree, the brown bark absorbs other color vibrations and reflects back the mix of colors that comprise brown. The green leaves absorb other color vibrations, including the colors that make brown, but they reflect back the green vibration. So what we see is the reflected colors or mixtures of reflected color vibrations of light. We tend to think of white as not being any color, and in terms of pigment it isn't. But white light is made up of all colors of the spectrum. We see black when all the color vibrations of light are absorbed by the object we are looking at.

So our eyes receive lots of light and color every day. Our bodies receive it too, and they do their own reflecting back of color vibrations. In order to remain healthy it is important to absorb a bit of all of the spectrum of light. When we are deprived of certain color vibrations we can have emotional and physical reactions that cause depression, anxiety, anger, or illness. Because of this, some companies have changed the lighting in their offices so that their employees receive the majority of the color spectrum each day. The result is happier, healthier, and more productive workers. Sometimes large amounts of a specific color vibration can be used to create a desired effect. Some fast food restaurants use lots of yellow in the dining areas in order to stimulate people to eat fast and leave. Absorbing lots of red light can help one prepare for high-energy sports. Blue foods curb the appetite. It is clear that we are affected emotionally, and sometimes physically, by our body's reaction to color.

Since stones and crystals can reflect color vibrations one can choose and work with stones that reflect colors resonant with the chakra centers of the body. The color vibrations reflected from stones and crystals can also be used on other appropriate parts of the body to enhance healing and emotional well being. The inherent energy of the stone and the energy of its reflected color vibration create its energetic signature. This opens up the light-reflecting and energetic qualities of stones and crystals to some new areas of experimentation, such as using colored gemstones in massage, or placing colored stones on acupuncture points.

The darkest stones, such as dark smoky quartz, black obsidian, apache tears, and black tourmaline, are very much our friends when it comes to healing work. Not only do dark and black stones absorb the color vibrations of light, they also help the body to release discordant energy by drawing it away and absorbing it. Many of these stones are also known to improve grounding, protect one from discordant energies, absorb infection and help one to release and let go of attitudes and behaviors that no longer serve the person's highest good. I consider them to be the vacuum cleaners of the body and important tools in crystal healing work.

I have a friend who was advised to lie under an orange scarf when she felt physically and emotionally worn down. The light glowing through the scarf carried orange energy to all parts of her body that were covered and helped to rejuvenate and motivate her at a time when many of her inner resources were stretched to their limits. The range color vibration reflected from stones such as carnelian, orange calcite, and amber boost one emotionally in the areas of creativity, ambition, motivation and confidence. They also have a regenerative effect on body tissue and help eliminate diseases of the pancreas, spleen, and kidneys, resulting in more physical get up and go.

A powerhouse of sun energy resides in yellow light. The solar plexus chakra is the sun center of the body, the site of personal power and fire. Citrine, tiger eye and topaz are stones that reflect back the color vibration of yellow. They are useful at the solar plexus chakra to maintain and support personal power, manifestation, prosperity and attainment of higher goals. Many cash registers have a bit of citrine tucked away inside them with the intent of fostering financial prosperity. Yellow stones are also useful in moving stagnant energy, bringing in new solar energy, and balancing and harmonizing the body and emotions.

Green is most often considered to be the color of the heart chakra, though some recognize the heart chakra as pink. Both colors tend to have a calming, supportive and healing effect on the body and emotions. Green is traditionally the color of healing, and many of the green stones are considered to be wonderful healing tools. Stones like jade, malachite, aventurine and emerald send color vibrations to the body that foster universal love, increased self worth, emotional balance, enthusiasm, prosperity, and leadership. On the physical level they absorb illness and improve healthy function of the lungs, heart, kidneys, adrenal glands and the immune system.

Rhodochrosite, rhodonite and rose quartz are excellent examples of stones that reflect pink color vibrations. They are considered to be stones of unconditional love, of service to others, of emotional healing, expanded awareness, and attainment of higher aspirations. The color vibrations of these stones are thought to dissolve discordant energies and bring in angelic influences. One stone that carries the color vibrations of both green and pink stones is watermelon tourmaline, which has an inner core of pink tourmaline with an outer edge of green. A slice of watermelon tourmaline really does look like a nice slice of juicy watermelon. The color vibrations reflected by watermelon tourmaline are excellent for complete balancing of the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual bodies. It is an excellent heart healer and one of my personal favorites.

People who have blue auras are often thought to be seekers of spiritual knowledge and understanding. Blue is considered to be the color of Spirit, self expression and communication on all levels. The throat chakra is the center of the voice and it resonates with the color blue. Aquamarine, celestite, lapis lazuli and turquoise are stones that reflect blue light of varying shades and intensity. These stones are master healers that bridge the physical and the spiritual realms, attuning one to higher frequencies and providing access to sacred knowledge. Their color vibrations also assist in increasing courage, integrity, responsibility and awareness in communication. In addition to these qualities blue stones are generally helpful in aligning chakra centers and boosting the immune system.

Many people are very interested in the third eye or brow chakra because it is often thought to be the psychic center of the body. Deep purple and indigo are associated with the brow chakra and their color vibrations promote psychic power, intuition, and extraordinary understandings. Stones such as amethyst, sodalite, azurite, and fluorite are highly suited to transmitting light vibrations in attunement with third eye activity. These stones purify, harmonize, and restructure on all levels, including the physical. They transform energy to higher vibrations, raising the consciousness of the individual. The reflected color vibrations of such stones foster illumination, clarity and discernment, while assisting one in gaining sacred knowledge and understandings.

The crown chakra is thought of as the heavenly access to the human form and is often depicted as white or violet. White light contains all colors of the spectrum and provides the energetic qualities of the color vibrations of almost all stones. Quartz, cookeite, and calcite (particularly clear and light gold) are highly useful in reflecting much of the light spectrum back to the body and energy centers. Also, because quartz and translucent calcites are relatively clear, light can be transmitted through them, amplifying color vibrations as the body absorbs them. These stones are quite efficient at amplifying energy to cleanse, stabilize, balance and revitalize all energy bodies. Because the activity of such stones is so intense and full spectrum, they are excellent stones for total body healing and for treatment of terminal illness. Such stones support the body's blueprint of perfection and assist one to live in the present moment.

While there is far more to be shared about color, light and stones than can be imparted in one short article, hopefully you will have gained some information about how colored stones and crystals can be used for healing facilitation at the chakra centers as well as for other areas of the body. If you are up for a little experimentation with crystal healing, gather together your healing crystals and stones. Next month we will delve into the basics of preparing for and facilitating a crystal healing session.

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Joysprite - otherwise known as The Crystal Lady - is a Reiki Master, Crystal Healing Facilitator, NLP Practitioner and Mom of three beautiful children. Her own personal crystal path began in West Texas and is continuing in Ocean Beach, California, where she is the owner of Wisdom Crystals.

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