Stone Energies
Before we can talk about how I use various stones in layouts, we need to understand the basic energy flow within them. Cunningham ("Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic") states:
"There are two basic types of energy within stones. These two types contain all the various vibrations found in stones: those that attract love, repel negativity, and so on. These are the [projective] and the [receptive] energies."
"They are manifestations of the purest forms of the universal energies that created everything. They have many symbols. In religion, they are known as God and Goddess. In astronomy, the Sun and the Moon. In humans, male and female."
The other associations he lists are:
PROJECTIVE:
Electric, Hot, Day, Physical, Bright, Summer, Knife, Active. This energy is strong, forceful, overcomes inertia and creates movement. Projective stones are energizing and are useful for healing, protection, exorcism, intellectual powers, luck, success, will power, courage and self-confidence.
The following are the [projective] stones he lists: Banded Agate, Black Agate, Brown Agate, Red Agate, Amber, Apache Tear, Aventurine, Bloodstone, Orange Calcite, Carnelian, Cat's-eye, Citrine, Cross Stone, Quartz Crystals, Herkimer Diamonds, Rutilated Quartz, Tourmalated Quartz, Diamond, Flint, Garnet, Hematite, Mottled Jasper, Red Jasper, Lava, Mica, Obsidian, Onyx, Opal, Pipestone, Pumice, Rhodonite, Ruby, Sard, Sardonyx, Serpentine, Sphene, Spinel, Sunstone, Tiger's-eye, Topaz, Red Tourmaline and Zircon.
RECEPTIVE:
Magnetic, Cold, Night, Spiritual, Dark, Winter, Cup, Inert. This energy is soothing, calming, inward and magnetic, meditative, spiritual, wise and mystic. It creates peace. Receptive stones are soothing and de-stressing, and are related to love, wisdom, compassion, eloquence, sleep, dreams, friendship, growth, and fertility.
The following are the [receptive] stones he lists: Blue Lace Agate, Green Agate, Moss Agate, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Azurite, Beryl, Blue Calcite, Green Calcite, Pink Calcite, Celestite, Chalcedony, Chrysocolla, Chrysoprase, Coral, Cross Stone, Quartz Crystals, Blue Quartz Crystals, Green Quartz Crystals, Rose Quartz Crystals, Smoky Quartz Crystals, Emerald, Fossils, Geodes, Holey Stones, Jade, Brown Jasper, Green Jasper, Jet, Kunzite, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Marble, Moonstone, Mother-of-pearl, Olivine, Opal, Pearl, Peridot, Petrified Wood, Sapphire, Selenite, Sodalite, Sugilite, Black Tourmaline, Blue Tourmaline, Green Tourmaline, Pink Tourmaline and Turquoise.
Not all stones (even of the types listed) will definitively fit into an "either-or" category. Many stones are mixtures of two or more minerals. You will have to use your own judgement as to which category is predominant for the stone you are using.
Another way of looking at Cunningham's concept is thru the ideas of Yin and Yang. These are concepts that are central to the unique viewpoint of traditional philosophy, science, and culture in China and Japan. Yin energy would be roughly equivalent to the "receptive" energies listed. Yang would parallel the "projective" energies.
"Unlike the idea of opposites inherited by Western culture from early Greek philosophy, the opposing qualities of Yin and Yang are seen as complementary and interdependent. They both create and control each other. When Yin declines, Yang expands, and vice versa, but there are no absolutes. Nothing can be wholly Yin or wholly Yang. Each contains the seed of the other. Because everything has Yin and Yang characteristics to varying degrees, things can only be Yin or Yang relative to each other." (1)
It is believed that Ki (or Chi) is a primal force that arises from the interaction of Yin and Yang. So, it is said that all things arise from Ki, which encompasses both the material and non-material.
The stones to use for Yin and Yang would be roughly equivalent to Cunningham's list for projective and receptive. Again, you will need to discover for yourself, which stones are MORE Yin or MORE yang, depending on their composition and your feeling toward them.
In healing, ALL of the stones are used in conjunction with the energy fields already existing (in what ever condition) within the body. From the concept of Yin and Yang, you will be using the stones to balance the Ki within both the physical and the spiritual, or non-material, bodies.
In addition to the theory of Yin and Yang, the ancient Chinese invented the theory of The Five Elements. During the 1st millennium BC, they theorized that five disctinct manifestiations resulted from the transformations of Ki. Also known as Five Transformations or Five Phases, they were symbolically described as Water, Fire, Wood, Metal and Earth.
The [Shang Shu], a text from this period, describes their qualities: "That which soaks and descends (Water) is salty, that which blazes upwards (Fire) is bitter, that which can be bent and straightened (wood) is sour, that which can be moulded and become hard (Metal) is pungent, that which permists sowing and reaping (Earth) is sweet."
The Five Elements were also associated with the seasons, colors, sounds, mythical animals, grains, and many other things and events. Following is a minor list: (1)
NATURE: Wood DIRECTION: East SEASON: Spring CLIMATE: Wind CYCLIC STAGE: Birth COLOR: Green FLAVOR: Sour YIN ORGAN: Liver YANG ORGAN: Gall Bladder SENSE ORGAN: Eyes SENSE: Sight BODY TISSUE: Ligaments & Tendons MANIFESTATION: Nails FLUID: Tears SOUND: Shouting EMOTION: Anger SPIRITUAL ASPECT: Ethereal Soul
NATURE: Fire DIRECTION: South SEASON: Summer CLIMATE: Heat CYCLIC STAGE: Growth COLOR: Red FLAVOR: Bitter YIN ORGAN: Heart YANG ORGAN: Small Intestine SENSE ORGAN: Tongue SENSE: Speech BODY TISSUE: Blood Vessels MANIFESTATION: Face (Complexion) FLUID: Sweat SOUND: Laughing EMOTION: Joy SPIRITUAL ASPECT: Mind
NATURE: Earth DIRECTION: Center SEASON: Transition CLIMATE: Dampness CYCLIC STAGE: Ripening COLOR: Yellow FLAVOR: Sweet YIN ORGAN: Speen YANG ORGAN: Stomach SENSE ORGAN: Mouth SENSE: Taste BODY TISSUE: Muscles (Flesh) MANIFESTATION: Lips FLUID: Saliva SOUND: Singing EMOTION: Pensiveness/Worry SPIRITUAL ASPECT: Intellect
NATURE: Metal DIRECTION: West SEASON: Autumn CLIMATE: Dryness CYCLIC STAGE: Harvest COLOR: White FLAVOR: Pungent YIN ORGAN: Lungs YANG ORGAN: Large Intestine SENSE ORGAN: Nose SENSE: Smell BODY TISSUE: Skin MANIFESTATION: Body Hair FLUID: Mucus SOUND: Weeping EMOTION: Grief SPIRITUAL ASPECT: Corporeal Soul
NATURE: Water DIRECTION: North SEASON: Winter CLIMATE: Cold CYCLIC STAGE: Storing COLOR: Black/Blue FLAVOR: Salty YIN ORGAN: Kidneys YANG ORGAN: Bladder SENSE ORGAN: Ears SENSE: Hearing BODY TISSUE: Bones MANIFESTATION: Head Hair FLUID: Urine SOUND: Groaning EMOTION: Fear SPIRITUAL ASPECT: Will
So, how does this system relate to stones? To begin with, if you are going to use the Chinese Meridian System of energy flows, rather than the Chakras, you might want to coordinate your stones according to the colors on the list above. In addition, you can use the appropriate stones for the organs and senses and coordinate them with the other aspects.
For those of you who've studied Native American systems, you may see some correlations between the Five Elements and the Native American Medicine Wheel.
A final corelation between stones and healing systems that I give you to consider is that of the Native American Medicine Wheel. The full Medicine Wheel consists of 36 "positions", a center, an "inner wheel", four "spokes" and an "outer wheel". Each position can be represented by a mineral, a plant, an animal and a color.
Stones of the Center Circle:
STONE #: 1 NAME OF STONE: Creator ELEMENT: All or Any MINERAL: All or Any PLANT: All or Any ANIMAL: All or Any COLOR: All or Any
STONE #: 2 NAME OF STONE: Earth Mother ELEMENT: Earth MINERAL: Clay PLANT: Corn, Beans, Squash ANIMAL: Tortoise COLOR: Forest Green
STONE #: 3 NAME OF STONE: Father Sun ELEMENT: Fire & Air MINERAL: Geode PLANT: Sunflower ANIMAL: Lizard COLOR: Sky Blue
STONE #: 4 NAME OF STONE: Grandmother Moon ELEMENT: Water MINERAL: Moonstone PLANT: Mugwort ANIMAL: Loon COLOR: Silver/White
STONE #: 5 NAME OF STONE: Turtle Clan ELEMENT: Earth MINERAL: Petrified Wood PLANT: Cattails ANIMAL: Turtle COLOR: Green/Brown
STONE #: 6 NAME OF STONE: Frog Clan ELEMENT: Water MINERAL: River Rock PLANT: Algae ANIMAL: Frog COLOR: Blue/Green
STONE #: 7 NAME OF STONE: Thunderbird Clan ELEMENT: Fire MINERAL: Lava Rock PLANT: Fireweed ANIMAL: Thunderbird COLOR: Red
STONE #: 8 NAME OF STONE: Butterfly Clan ELEMENT: Air MINERAL: Azurite PLANT: Butterfly Weed ANIMAL: Butterfly COLOR: Translucent w/Blue
Stones of the Spirit Keepers:
STONE #: 9 NAME OF STONE: Waboose (North) ELEMENT: Earth MINERAL: Alabaster PLANT: Sweetgrass ANIMAL: White Buffalo COLOR: White SEASON: Winter TIME OF DAY: Midnight TIME OF LIFE: Elder & Newborn
STONE #: 10 NAME OF STONE: Wabun (East) ELEMENT: Air MINERAL: Pipestone PLANT: Tobacco ANIMAL: Golden Eagle COLOR: Gold & Red SEASON: Spring TIME OF DAY: Dawn TIME OF LIFE: Child
STONE #: 11 NAME OF STONE: Shawnodese (South) ELEMENT: Water MINERAL: Serpentine PLANT: Sagebrush ANIMAL: Coyote COLOR: Yellow & Green SEASON: Summer TIME OF DAY: Midday TIME OF LIFE: Adolescent & Young Adult
STONE #: 12 NAME OF STONE: Mudjekeewis (West) ELEMENT: Fire MINERAL: Soapstone PLANT: Cedar ANIMAL: Grizzly Bear COLOR: Blue & Black SEASON: Autumn TIME OF DAY: Twilight TIME OF LIFE: Adult
Stones representing the seasonal (monthly) moons are the outer circle of the wheel. Their corelations are:
STONE #: 13 DATES: Dec. 22 - Jan. 19 NAME OF MOON: Earth Renewal MINERAL: Quartz PLANT: Birch ANIMAL: Snow Goose COLOR: White SPIRIT KEEPER: Waboose COMPLEMENT: Flicker ELEMENTAL CLAN: Turtle
STONE #: 14 DATES: Jan. 20 - Feb. 18 NAME OF MOON: Rest & Cleansing MINERAL: Silver PLANT: Quaking Aspen ANIMAL: Otter COLOR: Silver SPIRIT KEEPER: Waboose COMPLEMENT: Sturgeon ELEMENTAL CLAN: Butterfly
STONE #: 15 DATES: Feb. 19 - March 20 NAME OF MOON: Big Winds MINERAL: Turquoise PLANT: Plantain ANIMAL: Cougar COLOR: Turquoise SPIRIT KEEPER: Waboose COMPLEMENT: Brown Bear ELEMENTAL CLAN: Frog
STONE #: 16 DATES: March 21 - April 19 NAME OF MOON: Budding Trees MINERAL: Fire Opal PLANT: Dandelion ANIMAL: Red Hawk COLOR: Yellow SPIRIT KEEPER: Wabun COMPLEMENT: Raven ELEMENTAL CLAN: Thunderbird
STONE #: 17 DATES: April 20 - May 20 NAME OF MOON: Frogs Return MINERAL: Chrysocolla PLANT: Blue Camas ANIMAL: Beaver COLOR: Blue SPIRIT KEEPER: Wabun COMPLEMENT: Snake ELEMENTAL CLAN: Turtle
STONE #: 18 DATES: May 21 - June 20 NAME OF MOON: Cornplanting MINERAL: Moss Agate PLANT: Yarrow ANIMAL: Cougar COLOR: White & Green SPIRIT KEEPER: Wabun COMPLEMENT: Elk ELEMENTAL CLAN: Butterfly
STONE #: 19 DATES: June 21 - July 22 NAME OF MOON: Strong Sun MINERAL: Carnelian Agate PLANT: Wild Rose ANIMAL: Flicker COLOR: Pink SPIRIT KEEPER: Shawnodese COMPLEMENT: Snow Goose ELEMENTAL CLAN: Frog
STONE #: 20 DATES: July 23 - Aug. 22 NAME OF MOON: Ripe Berries MINERAL: Garnet & Iron PLANT: Raspberry ANIMAL: Sturgeon COLOR: Red SPIRIT KEEPER: Shawnodese COMPLEMENT: Otter ELEMENTAL CLAN: Thunderbird
STONE #: 21 DATES: Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 NAME OF MOON: Harvest MINERAL: Amethyst PLANT: Violet ANIMAL: Brown Bear COLOR: Purple SPIRIT KEEPER: Shawnodese COMPLEMENT: Cougar ELEMENTAL CLAN: Turtle
STONE #: 22 DATES: Sept. 23 - Oct. 23 NAME OF MOON: Ducks Fly MINERAL: Jasper PLANT: Mullein ANIMAL: Raven COLOR: Brown SPIRIT KEEPER: Mudjekeewis COMPLEMENT: Red Hawk ELEMENTAL CLAN: Butterfly
STONE #: 23 DATES: Oct. 24 - Nov. 21 NAME OF MOON: Freeze Up MINERAL: Copper & Malachite PLANT: Thistle ANIMAL: Snake COLOR: Orange SPIRIT KEEPER: Mudjekeewis COMPLEMENT: Beaver ELEMENTAL CLAN: Frog
STONE #: 24 DATES: Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 NAME OF MOON: Long Snows MINERAL: Obsidian PLANT: Black Spruce ANIMAL: Elk COLOR: Black SPIRIT KEEPER: Mudjekeewis COMPLEMENT: Deer ELEMENTAL CLAN: Thunderbird
The stones representing the "spokes" of the wheel are called the Spirit Paths. The corelations are:
STONE #: 25 NAME OF QUALITY: Cleansing POSITION: Outer North MINERAL: Sodalite PLANT: Echinacea ANIMAL: Raccoon COLOR: Pale Green
STONE #: 26 NAME OF QUALITY: Renewal POSITION: Middle North MINERAL: Peridote PLANT: Red Clover ANIMAL: Earthworm COLOR: Dark Green
STONE #: 27 NAME OF QUALITY: Purity POSITION: Inner North MINERAL: Herkimer Diamond PLANT: Trillium ANIMAL: Dolphin COLOR: Translucent White
STONE #: 28 NAME OF QUALITY: Clarity POSITION: Outer East MINERAL: Mica PLANT: Rosemary ANIMAL: Hummingbird COLOR: Clear
STONE #: 29 NAME OF QUALITY: Wisdom POSITION: Middle East MINERAL: Jade PLANT: Sage ANIMAL: Owl COLOR: Jade Green
STONE #: 30 NAME OF QUALITY: Illumination POSITION: Inner East MINERAL: Calcite PLANT: Wild American Ginseng ANIMAL: Firefly COLOR: Fluorescent Blue
STONE #: 31 NAME OF QUALITY: Growth POSITION: Outer South MINERAL: Fluorite PLANT: Comfrey ANIMAL: Rabbit COLOR: Violet
STONE #: 32 NAME OF QUALITY: Trust POSITION: Middle South MINERAL: Lapidilite PLANT: Borage ANIMAL: Salmon COLOR: Lavender
STONE #: 33 NAME OF QUALITY: Love POSITION: Inner South MINERAL: Rose Quartz PLANT: Hawthorne ANIMAL: Wolf COLOR: Rose
STONE #: 34 NAME OF QUALITY: Experience POSITION: Outer West MINERAL: Hematite PLANT: Olive ANIMAL: Whale COLOR: Steel Grey
STONE #: 35 NAME OF QUALITY: Introspection POSITION: Middle West MINERAL: Lapis Lazuli PLANT: Chamomile ANIMAL: Mouse COLOR: Royal Blue
STONE #: 36 NAME OF QUALITY: Strength POSITION: Inner West MINERAL: Amber PLANT: Nettle ANIMAL: Ant COLOR: Golden Yellow (2)
Generally speaking, most of the corelations listed pertain more to the Plains tribes. There are some slight differences for Pueblo peoples. I think the combinations are particularly applicable for Magicians and Shamanistic practices involving stones.
For further information, and a slightly different set of relationships, see "Earth Medicine" by Kenneth Meadows.
Bibliography
- "The Book of Shiatsu" by Paul Lundberg.
- From "Dancing with the Wheel" by Sun Bear et al.
