Stone Medicine in China
The knowledge of using stones and rocks as healing agents goes back thousands of years. In China, stones were held in high regard and were an integral part of their ancient medicinal practices. Stones were originally as important as herbs, but of course, when you purchase a stone it lasts a lifetime – there is no expiration date!
Herbs need to be continually purchased, so due to economic factors, herbs gained importance and stone medicine faded into the background. The ancient knowledge of stone medicine was further destroyed by Mao who started classifying patterns of symptoms into a simple quick fix system, like western medicine.
The field of Chinese medicine actually includes eight branches of treatment: acupuncture, massage, herbal medicine, dietary therapy, exercise (taiji and qigong), geomancy, moxibustion, and Feng Shui. The Chinese found that stones could be successfully used in conjunction with any of these modalities.
Jeffry Yuen, an 88th lineage holder of the Jade Purity School of Taoism has been orally transmitting the ancient knowledge of stone medicine, in conjunction with the above modalities for many years. He stresses that rocks are living, evolving entities and that their density and solidity bring greater permanence in healing than herbs. He also teaches that there is more stabilization in energetic intentions and therapies with stones, than in any other modalities.
Today, besides using gems and stones for healing, we can also use them for protection from our toxic environment. Marcel Vogel, the brilliant IBM researcher, who had 100 patents under his name, discovered that smokey quartz could absorb and remove toxic energy from nuclear radioactive elements. In its formation, smoky quartz receives its black or brown coloration from its exposure to radioactive elements. It is not however radioactive itself and is not harmful to humans. After the Chernobyl disaster, Vogel realized that smoky quartz, because of its natural affinity for radioactive emissions, could help people protect themselves from harmful nuclear radiation emissions. When he placed a piece of smoky quartz between the source of radiation and a geiger counter, the geiger counter’s reading went down to zero!
Another protective stone is shungite which is an unique mineral estimated to be about 3 billion years old that was brought to earth by an ancient meteorite. It contains almost the entire periodic table of elements and is found in only one place on earth – Shunga, Russia. It’s uniqueness is that it is composed of fullerenes. and is the fourth state of carbon. it offers protection against the perils It is has been found to protect against manmade electromagnetic radiation and to increase the immune system strength of plants, animal and humans. The influence of EM radiation is modified by transforming the radiation into biocompatible elements (right handed torsion fields.) It does not get saturated, nor does it take a negative charge. It also conducts electricity.
Shungite has many other unique properties like it’s ability to purify water. It removes almost all organic compounds, including bacteria and other microbes, nitrates, heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, chlorine, fluoride and volatile organics. (see store)
The Chinese found jewelry to be the perfect way to bring the healing energy of stones into our fields. The type of stone, the place it touches the body and what metal, if any, is used, is important. In the book “Stone Medicine” by Leslie Franks, she gives detailed information from Master Jeffry Yuen’s classes about the affects of jewelry on our bodies. Following is some of her wise advise.
To use stone jewelry therapeutically, it is best if the stone touches the skin directly, so it can interact with the warmth of the body. When wearing a necklace, it is important to consider the length – the acupuncture point it is activating (in the West, this would be interpreted as the chakra it is touching) If the necklace is encircling the neck, it touches the acupuncture point that affects our sensory organs and can be looked at as changing our perception o the world. For example, The Chinese found that a short pearl necklace can help alleviate dryness in the eyes. If the necklace touches the center of the chest, it can affect what the Chinese call “the central altar” and a influence the emotions. Blue chalcedony and moonstone, for example, nourish hormonal yin deficiency and qi deficiency, while lapis lazuli nourishes the blood at this point.
For rings, it is important to consider both the finger and hand (left or right) as different organs are affected. Leslie Franks states that, “the thumb is for balancing or regulating, the index and middle fingers attract energies needed for resolution of a situation or condition, the fourth and fifth fingers are about affirmations and acceptance. For example, the thumb is associated with the lung channel and the index finger with the large intestine channel. Rings worn on these fingers will affect respiratory or digestive issues. The Little finger is associated with the heart, the ring finger with the triple heater and the middle finger with the pericardium. Rings on these fingers will affect issues manifesting in the chest and emotional conditions.”
I have several Jeffry Yuen lectures on tape and in these he goes into the affects of different metals on the body. Gold tonifies or nourishes and replenishes qi, while silver disperses energy. This means gold will make the stone’s energies stronger and silver will weaken and help one to let go of unneeded energies.
Leslie Franks states, “Gold tonifies and is best for the ring and fifth finger to strengthen the function of the related channels and since silver disperses, it is best for the index and middle finger to support letting go.”
As I said before, this is a vast and fascinating field of study! I have given only a cursory glimpse into some of the valuable ancient wisdom of “stone medicine.”
