Last time I described the structure of crystals. In this post, I want to dig deeper into the historical use of crystals. It is fair to say that these precious and semi-precious stones have been around as jewelry, protection and form of healing for a long time. The oldest crystal so far discovered has been dated to 4.4 billion years ago. But it would take humans a long time before they discovered this resource and even longer to use it as jewelry and for healing practices.
Crystal use throughout history
The first known recorded human use of crystals was in the Stone age. Initially, flint attached to wooden sticks was the number one hunting tool. But as soon as Obsidian, a black, glass-like gemstone formed from volcanic lava, was discovered, it quickly replaced flint as the preferred cutting tool. The Mayans in particular used it to give their spears and knives a sharp, pointed tip. Another use was that of ‘magical mirrors’. Mayan priests used mirrors made out of Obsidian to ‘look into the future’.
Another early known crystal was amber, a hardened tree resin often still containing plant life and insects. The earliest amber beads/jewelry dates back to 30,000 B.C. The Vikings saw amber as the tears of their goddess Freya and used it as a good luck talisman for lasting love and protection. Viking women embroidered battle garments of their husbands and sons with amber to give them courage and protection during battle.
In Egypt, one crystal stood out from all of the rest – Lapis lazuli, a deep blue gemstone. Its protector was Nut, the sky goddess and it was considered good for the eyesight and to protect its wearer from the ‘evil eye’ and disaster. It promoted confidence and good luck. People today still use this powerful stone to give them ‘good luck and charisma’, especially when going to interviews, auditions, and for any public speaking appearance.
Meanwhile on the other side of the world in Ancient China, crystals were paired up with astrological signs and observations of the moon and the stars. The Chinese were also the first nation to align crystals to chakras and to use needles with crystal tips for acupuncture.
The first person (who we know of) who properly compiled and described a collection of gemstones was the Greek pharmacist Dioscorides. Between 70 and 50 B.C. his book Materia Medica volume 5 describes the healing property of over 200 crystals. This work informed many of the subsequent works on crystal healing and is probably still influencing us today.
The connection between healing, protection and crystals has continued ever since. During the Middle Ages, the garments and swords of fighting knights were heavily decorated with gemstones. Additional rings, belts, and amulets provided further protection.
We all can see the beauty of crystals, but how do they actually transmit their described qualities? It is through electromagnetism. All solid particles vibrate at certain frequencies and some objects have the ability to even alter the frequency of other bodies or objects nearby. So crystals have the ability to change our own frequencies. Here is a link to an article written by Stephanie Lucas which explains a bit more.
Next time we look into how to use crystals for maximum benefit. Please click to HERE continue to part 3 of this series
Or you can watch this video on YouTube