Let’s take a look at this journey.
Crystals Over the Ages
The Ancient Sumerians were the first to use crystals in magic formulations, according to historical records. In their jewelry, the Ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian, emerald, and pure quartz. They also made grave amulets out of the same gemstones.
In ancient China, jade was highly valuable, and some Chinese scripts even have jade beads mentioned in them. Jade was used to make musical instruments such as chimes, and around 1000 years ago, Chinese emperors were occasionally buried in jade armor. In Mexico, too, there are burials with jade masks from the same time period.
From the 11th century to the Renaissance, a number of medical treatises were published in Europe talking about the advantages of precious and semi-precious stones in the treatment of various illnesses. Generally, stones were used by mixing them with herbs.
All religions have used crystals and gemstones in some way. They are mentioned in the Bible, the Quran, and several other holy scriptures. The 4th Heaven in the Koran is built of a carbuncle (garnet). A diamond seat near the Tree of Knowledge is described in a Buddhist scripture from the seventh century (the neem tree under which Siddhartha meditated).
The Beginning of Crystal Healing
In 1609, Anselmus de Boot, court physician of Germany’s Rudolf II, proposed that any virtue a gemstone possesses is attributable to the presence of good or malevolent angels.
A number of intriguing tests were carried out in the early nineteenth century to demonstrate the effects of stones on persons who considered themselves to be clairvoyant. In one example, the person claimed to perceive odors and tastes as well as physical and emotional changes when touched with specific stones.
Still, it took some time for this culture to become mainstream. Crystals became popular in the Western world in the 1970s. Currently, they are on the cutting edge of beauty, health, and wellness trends.
Crystals have been reported to have physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and metaphysical qualities ranging from being broken to a broken heart. Despite many claims concerning crystals’ magical properties, they are still considered a pseudoscience, and investigations have yet to confirm that they have supernatural or healing capabilities.
Yet, crystal therapy transcends religious and spiritual views. It is no longer considered an alternative culture phenomenon, but rather an acceptable and more mainstream complementary therapy, with many universities now offering it as a course subject.