All matter, regardless of density, vibrates. When stones are in direct contact with people, pets, plants, other stones, or electromagnetic radiation, they pick up vibratory messages. The important role of quartz crystal in technology is a clear example of a stone’s capacity to receive, store, and transmit information. Hence, when we use stones for treatment, we need to first clean them of previous influences.
Cleaning/San (to Dissipate, Discharge)
Just as rain cleanses the Earth, running water is a good method for clearing vibrational charges from a stone. The action of the running water constantly hitting the stone creates ions to purify and discharge leftover vibrations. While cleaning with running water discharges static information, the process may not fully clear the stone.
Cleansing/Qing (to Clear)
The density of stones grants them a very slow vibrational frequency, which brings a degree of permanence not only to their therapeutic effect but also to the vibrational influences that contact them. It can be difficult to discharge all the stored information. Several methods accomplish this cleansing:
· Silicon dioxide stones can be both cleansed and recharged by running alternating hot and cold water over them. The hot water disperses information; the cold water draws energy back in.
· Place the stone in the sun to “burn” the information out. Use caution with this method, because some stones change character when exposed to the sun and heat. Citrine can transform to white quartz when exposed to the sun. The rich purple of amethyst may fade if exposed to light for a long time, and clear quartz can be a fire hazard. Smoky quartz and watermelon tourmaline will also fade. Stones with therapeutic properties that nourish Yin, such as opal and moonstone, can be affected negatively by the Yang effect of light and heat from the sun.
· Place the stone in naturally sparkling mineral water. This is a good method for polished stones, but with rough stones the minerals in the water can seep in and cause an unwanted chemical reaction.
· Sea salt draws information out of stones. Sodalite responds well to sea salt, as do stones high in calcium content, such as calcite.
· Place the stone on a slab of hematite or in a glass container with many small pieces of hematite. The hematite draws the old information out. This is a particularly good method for stones used to treat Blood issues.
· Other stones known for discharging lingering vibrations are jade, amber, and pyrite. We can also use a double-terminated smoky quartz, with one termination pointed at the stone and the other side pointed toward sea salt. The smoky quartz draws out chaotic energy and deposits it in the sea salt.
· Stones that are high in water content, such as opal, require special attention. They can be completely changed with direct exposure to salt, which creates a corrosive chemical reaction; it draws water out from the stone, effectively “killing” it—for example, opal becomes chalcedony in the presence of direct exposure to salt. To avoid direct contact, place these stones in a glass container and put that container into another glass dish containing coarse sea salt. Strong sunlight and heat can also damage stones that are high in water content.
· Soft stones require caution when exposed to water. They can dissolve or change character altogether—for example, anhydrite becomes gypsum. Polished soft stones, such as selenite or septarian, will lose their gloss with prolonged exposure to water.
The process of cleansing can take from one to four hours, depending on how much use the stone has seen. Usually, cleansing for a couple of hours should be enough.
Any stone that gets hot quickly—for example amber, tektite, or citrine—needs to be cleansed or discharged frequently.
Recharging the Stone
After thorough cleaning and cleansing, the stone becomes empty (kong), and it needs to be revitalized. In general, large quartz crystals or clusters offer their polished clarity to regenerate energy.
Understanding the initial formation of the stone will help determine the best means of recharging it. (There are always exceptions. The following recommendations are general guidelines only.)
Stones from the Igneous Level
These stones were originally produced by the fire of the Earth, or magma. Obsidian can be used to recharge their internal Fire and pressure. Light can also be a recharging agent for igneous stones, which benefit from strong sunlight. Meteorites, or fire from the stars, can also be used to recharge stones formed at the igneous level. (Moldavite, because it is delicate and can break, is not in this class.)
Stones from the Metamorphic Level
These stones benefit from placement with hematite to both cleanse and recharge. Hematite gives “blood” back to the stones. Place stones on a slab of hematite overnight. You can also place many small pieces of hematite in a glass container and use the collection as a bed for the stones being recharged. (When working with stones in general, avoid having them come into contact with metal, plastic, or glazed pottery. Containers of wood, glass, or other natural materials are preferred.)
Stones from the Sedimentary Level
These stones can be charged in the pale light of dusk or dawn, but not in the strong sunlight of the day.
Pearls and coral, because they were formed in the sea, resonate with moonlight, in acknowledgment of the strong relationship between the moon and the ocean.
Please note that all recommendations for frequency of cleansing of the individual stones in the materia medica section are based on individual use. If using stones with clients, they must be cleansed between each use.
PART III
The Materia Medica
Notes on Using the Materia Medica
The Chinese medical information contained in the materia medica is compiled from personal notes from classes taught by Dr. Jeffrey C. Yuen. It must be said that not all categories pertain to every stone. Most notably, the category of “Chinese Name” appears only when a stone has historical medical significance. For stones that have no history of medical use in China, such as prehnite or Herkimer diamond, no effort has been made to discover a modern Chinese name.
Other inconsistencies may appear. Another category that is not consistently used is “Directionality/Energetic Mechanism/Channel System.” If Dr. Yuen did not include this information in the classes that form the basis of this text, and if the information cannot be reliably inferred from other qualities of the stone, the category has been excluded.
There are several groups of stones that include a variety of colors—for example, chalcedony, fluorite, garnet, and beryl. The entries for these groups of variously colored stones include one broad description for the group as a whole, followed by specific functions, uses, and methods of application for the individual colors. Once again, some category headings do not appear in the primary entries for these stones.
The “industry” of stones includes several specialties. Mineralogists and geologists have an extremely specialized vocabulary not easily understood by the layperson. Gemologists also have a vocabulary specific to their area of expertise. In this book, descriptions of crystal structure, color, and appearance use common, ordinary language, not specialized vocabularies. There is inconsistency even in Western science. The notation of chemical formulas is highly variable, and there are differing opinions about the classifications of some stones.
Stone names are influenced by the various trade specialties. In gemology, as fashions change, so can the names. For some stones, most especially the agate-jaspers, names can be quite arbitrary. The names used in the materia medica are popular names that the reader will find in the local new age shop or at a local gem and mineral show.
Concerning the descriptions of point locations, it is important to keep in mind that acupuncture points are “living”—they expand with heat and shrink with cold. While there are definite anatomical landmarks, especially around bony areas, most point locations are proportional to the individual. Descriptions of point locations in the materia medica attempt to help the lay reader quickly find the general area of the body where the point is located—for example, the inner wrist or the lower leg. Further details direct the reader closer to the actual point. Given that stones are bigger than points, if you are close in locating the point, the stone will have its effect.
One further note: Chinese medicine includes many theories and models. If these models have basis in the ancient texts and have survived the test of time, they have validity, even if they are contradictory.
Our Western minds are accustomed to clear, delineated concepts. Studying Chinese medicine requires that we cultivate a more fluid mind. This is not to say that any story we create is valid, but if we are solidly based in the Chinese philosophical principles passed down over centuries, we can cultivate a personal, experiential relationship with the material. This process allows for a certain creativity that is challenging to many people accustomed to the Western scientific model. As mentioned in chapter 1, the differences between the Western and Chinese philosophical views of life pose one of the biggest hindrances to understanding Chinese medicine. Please keep this in mind if you feel there are inconsistencies in the information presented here. Despite the lofty spiritual aspiration of seeing everyone and everything as emanations of the original “One,” we must still respect the fact that we are all unique in our perceptions; we are informed by different experiences.
A final admonition: Stones are hard, but not indestructible. Crystals with terminations are easily chipped; dropping a soft stone can easily break it. Treat them carefully.