I spent weeks typing up this post. I procrastinated, deleted, typed and retyped it over and over again. My reason being a topic as metaphysical as crystal therapy needed to be delivered in just the right way. This post is an expression of whom I call my "inner hippy". I couldn't let it float around as just an idea any longer so here goes...
Who is the inner hippy exactly? It is that little (or larger) part of you that draws your attention to an article like this one! The part that is captivated by a glimpse into an "unseen" world, something mystical and the possibility of magic. In fact, the inner hippy IS another way to explain the inner child, after all aren't children fascinated with magic?
Something that I've always loved are crystals, also known as semi-precious stones or gems. This started when I went on a family holiday to Broken Hill, a mining town in South Australia. On this trip my dad had given me a bag of mixed semi-precious gems, all colourful and full of quartz, amethyst, agate and the like. I still have a few of those gems, like marbles most of them were lost during the years but my trip to that town sparked a deep interest in the mineral kingdom. On the way we visited caves with stalactites, stalagmites and natural rock formations, which inspired me to start school projects on the topics. I must have known there was more to these "pretty stones" because these days my interest in them comes from a more metaphysical place. My collection has grown to be quite impressive along with my library ;)
Photographer Andrew Collins
Naracoorte Caves South Australia
Skeptics can think all they want when it comes to the "crystal healing". You certainly won't pick up a stone and "fix" yourself from heart disease nor is anyone claiming that. The kind of benefits I've noticed are far more subtle and like all good things, take their time in their manifestation. However, the use of these stones has a long history dating all the way back to beginning of mankind beginning with beads made from mammoth ivory and Baltic amber.
Historically, crystals were used in ancient Egypt, Sumaria, Greece, and Britain had used gems for jewellery, luck, protection, beauty and health. The word 'crystal' comes from the Greek word for ice, as it was believed that clear quartz was water that had frozen so deeply it would always remain solid. Amethyst means 'not drunken', and was worn as an amulet to avoid drunkenness. Hematite comes from the word for blood, because of its red colour. Jade was highly valued in ancient China and still is to this day. Crystals and gemstones have also played a part in all religions. They are mentioned throughout the Bible, and in the Koran. Amulets made with crystals were banned by the Christian church in 355 AD.
Image from beautifulplacestovisit.com
The quartz crystal structure embodies the mathematical and architectural proportion of phi- the Golden Ratio. The Great Pyramids of Giza are structured according to this ratio as is the natural world. The human body, trees, flowers, shells, fruits and animals all have these proportions, this is how science infuses with art.
Who is the inner hippy exactly? It is that little (or larger) part of you that draws your attention to an article like this one! The part that is captivated by a glimpse into an "unseen" world, something mystical and the possibility of magic. In fact, the inner hippy IS another way to explain the inner child, after all aren't children fascinated with magic?
Something that I've always loved are crystals, also known as semi-precious stones or gems. This started when I went on a family holiday to Broken Hill, a mining town in South Australia. On this trip my dad had given me a bag of mixed semi-precious gems, all colourful and full of quartz, amethyst, agate and the like. I still have a few of those gems, like marbles most of them were lost during the years but my trip to that town sparked a deep interest in the mineral kingdom. On the way we visited caves with stalactites, stalagmites and natural rock formations, which inspired me to start school projects on the topics. I must have known there was more to these "pretty stones" because these days my interest in them comes from a more metaphysical place. My collection has grown to be quite impressive along with my library ;)
Naracoorte Caves South Australia
Skeptics can think all they want when it comes to the "crystal healing". You certainly won't pick up a stone and "fix" yourself from heart disease nor is anyone claiming that. The kind of benefits I've noticed are far more subtle and like all good things, take their time in their manifestation. However, the use of these stones has a long history dating all the way back to beginning of mankind beginning with beads made from mammoth ivory and Baltic amber.
Historically, crystals were used in ancient Egypt, Sumaria, Greece, and Britain had used gems for jewellery, luck, protection, beauty and health. The word 'crystal' comes from the Greek word for ice, as it was believed that clear quartz was water that had frozen so deeply it would always remain solid. Amethyst means 'not drunken', and was worn as an amulet to avoid drunkenness. Hematite comes from the word for blood, because of its red colour. Jade was highly valued in ancient China and still is to this day. Crystals and gemstones have also played a part in all religions. They are mentioned throughout the Bible, and in the Koran. Amulets made with crystals were banned by the Christian church in 355 AD.
The quartz crystal structure embodies the mathematical and architectural proportion of phi- the Golden Ratio. The Great Pyramids of Giza are structured according to this ratio as is the natural world. The human body, trees, flowers, shells, fruits and animals all have these proportions, this is how science infuses with art.