Here is an article I picked up at the Pagan News website, and I think it somewhat goes along with what I just wrote. Interesting point of view, and mine exactly.
blessings
Disease of Denominationalism By Rev. Terry Power June-26-2006
Are we pagans doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past?
By Rev. Terry Power
I have been noticing a dangerous trend in the general pagan and Wiccan communities of late. And it is one that seriously needs to be addressed. When I became truly active in the pagan community some years ago, I began discussing this topic. I have written on it in the past as well. But recent events demonstrate to me that it is time to visit the topic again.
That trend, as you've probably guessed from the title, is the rise of denominational divides among pagans and Wiccans of various stripes. As a member of the clergy of the Correllian Nativist Church, one that is founded on principles of pagan unity, I am appalled by the idea that pagans, after all we have been through, can actually accuse someone of being "wrong".
In the old days, when we hid from persecution, we were just happy for company. We didn't care about the details of the beliefs of the people sharing our hiding spot. We were just glad we weren't alone.
Out of that situation, several large pagan churches emerged. I will only mention the one I belong to by name. My fear is that any list would be incomplete and hurt someone through my ignorance. But again, we shared ideas and professed unity and loyalty and mutual respect to one another.
But now, I see the disease has entered our communities. That is why I urges our members to read these words and act.
Having been a student of the history of the Christian Church (hereafter referred to as "the Church") is see certain parallels in the actions of contemporary pagans and the 2000 year history of the Church.
At this point, someone is probably standing up and screaming, "Objection.... Relevance!" At which point I would ask the judge (you, the reader, in this case) for a bit of latitude. I promise to demonstrate the relevance before we finish.
In the early years of the Church, its members were persecuted. They were often tortured and put to death for their faith. There were already differences of opinion in the Church within Biblical times. Peter and Paul debated several issues hotly. But there was still a sense of unity and community. The basic tenets of the early Church were few and broad. Once a person was initiated (baptized and/or confirmed), they were members of the community. They banded together from need and sought community rather than differences.
In spite of their differences, the Church grew and spread across the Mediterranean region of the world. Members continued to hide their faith from their neighbors and the authorities. They practiced and shared their faith in secret and they continued to seek the solace of fellows of the faith.
Over the next hundred or so years, however, the persecution slackened. Neighbors and government officials began to understand the new faith. It wasn't yet accepted, but it was decreasingly rejected out of hand. It slowly, but surely, was managing to find a place in open society.
With the easing of persecution, open exchange began. The members began to notice differences in the way others practiced this new faith. These differences were slight and meaningless; but the differences were noticed nonetheless. At this early stage of life, the body was still weak and open to infection.
Then, something remarkable happened. The mother of the emperor of the Roman Empire converted to this new faith. Suddenly, the whole thing took on a new color. The Emperor Constantine officially allowed the Church to practice in public. In time, he went so far as to make it the official religion of the empire.
And that's when it happened. That's when the attitude of inclusion began to be replaced by one of exclusion. The Church had caught a disease that had splintered Judaism and several previous religions over the years - denominationalism had infected the Church.
Like many diseases, the early stages are subtle and hardly noticed by those infected. The first symptoms of this particular disease are the establishment of a budding orthodoxy and the silencing of the voices of those on the "fringe." In our historical model, this was done with the Council of Bishops at Nicea. Granted, all that group managed to do, in the early stages of the disease, was establish a hierarchy within the Church and to exclude the voices of the Essenes and Gnostics by labeling them "heretics." But the damage was done. And even then, the disease caused a break within the church between the Eastern and the Western Churches.
However small, and seemingly insignificant, these measures appear; the Church was clearly infected and the stage was set for a plague that would last for the next thousand or so years.
As the disease progresses, three things occur fairly quickly: First, the established orthodoxy becomes more and more dogmatic and more and more hierarchical; second, a missionary zeal rises within the infected body; and third, the persecution once directed from outside is redirected inward. We will look at each of these separately for a moment.
As the Church gained prominence in Southern Europe, it became more dogmatic. More and more, the "fringe" voices were silenced in favor of the growing orthodox views of the increasingly powerful central leadership. The debates begun in Jerusalem between Peter and Paul were ended with a "winner takes all" kind of attitude.
During the "missionary zeal" phase of the disease, the body is convinced of the "rightness" of its beliefs and the inherent "wrongness" of everything else. This leads members to proselytize, sometimes forcefully, anyone whose views or religious beliefs differ in any way from the new and growing orthodoxy.
Finally, the persecutions of the past are directed inward. During this "inquisition" phase, the disease is so ingrained in the body that it turns on itself in a vain attempt at homogony. The thought police of the time take the dogma of the leadership and use it as a litmus test for every member of the body. If anyone (even their own members) differs on any salient point, they are tortured or killed to remove the "heretical" voices and "purify" the faith.
These three phases continued, unchecked, for nearly a thousand years, until the disease actually broke the body into multiple parts. At this point, we have entered the alleged "reformation" phase of the disease. And it grows quickly and frighteningly from here.
During the reformation phase, the body splinters into any number of separate and independent parts. Each of these newly formed parts now progresses through the previous three phases of a growing dogma, missionary zeal, and inquisition. For another four hundred years (give or take), the Church continued to splinter into increasingly smaller and smaller groups. Each touted the rightness of their dogma while believing the others were doomed to their eternal punishment in some sort of celestial blast furnace.
We now enter the late Twentieth Century with the very real threat of open warfare among people that allege to follow the same basic religious theory. A growing number of members of all these groups look around in horror and recognize the disease for what it is. They realize there is a need for treatment of the body and they begin their search.
Over time, they found a treatment. They called the treatment "ecumenicalism". Through the use of ecumenicalism, the members of various smaller groups of the Church sought to find a core faith and let the petty differences that led to the infestation be seen as "personal paths" that were acceptable within the broad framework of the core faith.
Many of you have by now realized how closely we pagans are related to this frightening story of plague and destruction. Many are even looking back over this story and trying to determine which phase is now infecting our community.
GOOD!
That is the entire point of this history lesson. We need to look at this story as a lesson. We need to apply the treatment now. If we see the infection for what it is and treat it now, we might avoid two thousand years of similar death, torture, horror, and destruction.
You may also have noticed I never used the word "cure." That's because there is no cure for this disease. As humans, we are all carriers. Within our egos, this germ grows with our individual need to be "right." If we allow the germ to grow without treatment, our internal needs become externalized and we perceive differences as "wrong."
This brings us to the key point of the ecumenical treatment of denominationalism - WE ARE ALL "RIGHT"!
Each one of us carries our own spark of the divine within us. We are all called into a personal relationship with the Divine. Whatever path we take or whatever labels we use; we are all obligated - in fact, we are hardwired - to find this relationship. It is at the very core of our nature.
We are not, however, obligated (or allowed) to choose anyone else's path for them. As teachers, many of us accept responsibility for assisting others in finding their own personal paths; but we can never choose their path for them. We can guide, and teach, and even prod our students into the mysteries of our faith. But we can NEVER choose another person's path for them. All we can ever hope, or indeed desire, to do is show them the first few steps. The rest, they must ultimately take on their own.
At this point, I could continue this sermon on ecumenicalism vs. denominationalism until I become a cure for insomnia. But I won't!
I will, instead, leave it to YOU - the reader - to look around on your own. I will call on each person to look within themselves and at our community. Do YOU see these diseased attitudes growing? And if your answer is "yes", what will YOU do to help treat them?
Or, are we pagans doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past?
I have some information below on Wicca/Witchcraft, and as it shows, because there are so many ideas that pop into ones head when the term 'witch' or 'Wicca' is mentioned, one never knows where they are coming from, either the witch/wiccan or the person one is talking to.
So what is a person to do? Stop using the term? Or does one have to explain oneself every time you use the words?
Many who are now on the pagan /or witch/or wiccan path came out of various other religions and many from Christianity, for various reasons . Some of those reasons are, that they are escaping 'religion' and looking for a more spiritual , or a more mystical , or more magical path, escaping 'dogma', and escaping 'doctrines' or 'fundie ism' and after searching for a spiritual home ,come to paganism and or witchcraft/wicca. But what do we find here on this path? Sometimes the same things from which we have escaped from! Like some blog post and witch websites, I have read from some self imposed Witch Police who tells others that they can't be a witch and ' ' something else, that you can not have a blended path of 2 religions. Or you can only do this or that as a witch, or you must follow this trad. or this trad is the only authentic witchcraft tradition. Lo and behold what do we have here a Pagan fundie? A witch doctrine? What we have here is people revealing their ignorance. From the information I have below these Witch police are having trouble with not understanding where the other person is coming from, and there fore pass judgement and criticizes the other for gross blasphemy of the laws of witchdom. Apparently these self appointed witch police do not know their history. Witches or Wiccans, or Pagans have a long history of living on a blended path combining witchcraft with Catholic beliefs, or witchcraft with Christianity, there has always been many throughout history that has done this, it is not a new idea, it has been around since the beginning. All peoples of all faiths have always borrowed from other belief paths if it helped them practice their own particular path. There is not a 'pure' religion on the face of Mother Earth, and never will be in this age. All religions were invented and started by humans,shocked! it is true!
I believe that the Witch Police and the Fundie Christian have the same delusions, because they are working from a false concept. The Witch police believe all Christians believe the same as most Conservative /fundie Christians, and All fundie Christians believe witchcraft is the same and that they are like 7-11 of the definitions noted below. Because they both are ignorant of what the true definitions are on both of these paths, and until both these groups wake up to their misconceptions ,their ignorance will go to seed and continue to spring up all over the place.
For one thing, no one has the right to tell any one how to or what to believe, unless you are following a particular tradition or denomination , and then one must adhere to the primary 'doctrines' of that particular denomination or tradition in order to be called by its name, but for everyone else who are following some other branch of the belief, it is up to the individual to decide what they choose to believe.
In order to call oneself a witch or wiccan there are primary beliefs that one must adhere to in order to be one, but after you meet that basic criteria, you are free to add to ones path what you so desire, unless you follow a particular tradition and then you must meet their criteria , but once you meet that you are again free to add what you will. The same holds true for Christianity, there are basic primary beliefs one must adhere to in order to be called 'Christian' then if one is in a denomination then one must adhere and meet the criteria for that , then once you meet those requirements you are free to add what you will. So my point my dear Witch Police, or Christian Police, until you know where the other person is coming from, leave alone and let live, if that person is in your trad, or denomination and then are not following the basic criteria, then yes speak up, but if they are not in your trad, be wise, and remain quiet........it will do the world a whole heap of good.
blessings,
There is no consensus within the Wiccan community about the precise meaning of "Witch" and "Witchcraft." The most popular usages are:
"Wicca" and "Witchcraft" mean the same thing and are synonyms and can be used interchangeably.
"Wicca" refers to a recently created Earth-centered religion that is partly based on ancient Celtic deities, symbols and seasonal days of celebration. "Witchcraft" refers to a different Pagan spiritual path: a group of traditional practices, often passed down from parents to child.
"Witchcraft" is the religion of "Wicca."
Witch:a follower of Witchcraft. It has so many conflicting meanings that it should be used with great care (or perhaps never at all) in public, in order to avoid confusion. 18 common meanings are:
A Gothic Satanist; a worshiper of Satan who, during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, was believed to use black magic to harm others, by involving the aid of Satan and his demons. They didn't exist then and don't exist now.
A Wiccan; a follower of Wicca, a recently created, benign, Neopagan religion which is largely based on the some of the symbols, deities, seasonal days of celebration of an ancient European Celtic religion. Wiccans are prohibited from using magic to harm others; they do not believe in the existence of Satan or demons.
A woman of such incredible beauty that she bewitches others.
A woman of incredible ugliness; a hag.
A person who practices benign Magick to influence the world through rituals.
A magician with unusual knowledge who can apparently perform miracles during ceremonial magic rituals.
In ancient Native American usage and the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament): an evil person who secretly uses evil sorcery (black magic) to intentionally harm others.
In the Christian Scriptures (New Testament): a criminal who murders people by administering poisons.
A follower of modern-day Religious Satanism. They recognizing Satan as a virile pre-Christian, pagan principle, but do not believe in his existence as a living entity.
A wizard who inhabits an alternative world of fantasy and magic, filled with good and evil people with magical powers, flying broomsticks, invisibility cloaks, dragons, talking animals, magical quills, etc. e.g. Harry PotterTM books.
A person, usually a woman, who was born with supernatural abilities and is capable of performing miracles by waving a wand, wiggling their nose, etc. This is often seen in TV programs, like Bewitched or Charmed. They don't exist either.
Followers of a group of Caribbean religions which combine elements of tribal African religions with Christianity; e.g. Santeria and Vodun.
In some African Aboriginal religions, a person who unknowingly has supernatural powers capable of hurting others. Witch doctors attempt to counteract these evil energies.
An expert, as in: "She is a witch of a writer."
A person who uses a forked stick or other instrument to locate sources of underground material -- typically water.
A woman who is not submissive to her husband.
A general "snarl" word for a nasty, vicious person, typically female.
A follower of any religion other than Christianity (e.g. of Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Native American Spirituality, etc.).
Evil sorcery in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament):
English versions of the Bible sometimes translate the Hebrew word m'khashepah or m'khasephin theHebrew Scriptures as Witch or Wizard. For example:
Exodus 22:18: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." (KJV)
Deuteronomy 18:10-11: "There shall not be found among you anyone ....that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." (KJV)
The Hebrew words M'khashepah and m'khasephmeans an evil sorceress or sorcerer; a person who uses spoken spells in secret to harm or kill other people. They were greatly feared by the ancient Israelites because they believed that there was no protective measures that a person could take against such curses.
Poisoners in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament):
Galatians 5:19-20 includes a list of "acts of the sinful nature", or "works of the flesh. One of these is, in the original Greek, "pharmakia." The English word "pharmacy" is derived from it. "Pharmakia" is the practice of preparing poisonous potions in secret, to harm or kill other people. This is often mistranslated as witchcraft in some English versions of the Bible. Other versions translate it as: sorcery, magic, magical arts, spiritism, and "participate in demonic activities."
Confusion reigns when people try to link together two of these unrelated forms of witchcraft. This most often happens when:
Some conservative Christians link together Bible Witchcraft, Gothic Satanism, Wicca, and the imaginary witchcraft of the Harry Potter books as a single, forbidden entity. As described above, the witchcraft of the Bible and of Wicca are exact opposites in many ways. Gothic Satanism and imaginary witchcraft do not exist.
Symbols are shorthand for our perceptions in life. As a Pagan,the symbol of the quartered Circle, the Wheel of the Year is our way of interpreting life passages that takes us through the important aspects of our physical, mental and spiritual growth as we journey on our Earth/Nature, centered/focused path. The Sabbats and Esbats, mark the time-lines of our individual lives. The Seasons as they cycle around us every year are sacred and serve as the Great Model, and framework that symbolically represents the longer cycle of our personal journey in this life. So this connection of the Wheel of the Year with our lives helps us to understand and bring into perspective these same patterns, and cycles and will give us a broader perspective in order to understand the patterns in our own lives and the lives of other. This broader perspective helps us understand that we are all related, Mother Earth and all her offspring, be they plant, animal and human , we are all here and interconnected in ways that we have yet to understand. By understanding the cycles of nature, the seasons and of the phases Grandmother moon, and how they are but a mirror and reflection of our own lives will help us to anticipate and prepare for changes that will come into our own lives as well. Births,childhood, maturity, and dying and all the in between things that happen within each season of our lives. It helps us not to get broadsided by events that seemingly happen out of the blue,but by knowing that although each season and phase of the moon seem the same, each year , we know what can be generally expected within each season , we also know that there is also great variation within them as well, thus showing us to always expect the unexpected.Each turn of the wheel prepares us for life, Spring shows us new beginnings, and how they bud and are brought forth into this plane of existence, thus we see that we too are capable of bringing forth into this plain of existence new life be it a child, a new project, a new craft, a new idea and so forth. But within the season of Spring are the times of strong weather patterns that bring tornado and severe thunderstorms but out of this extreme fluctuations of power, life emerges , and so it prepares us to weather our own times when violent storms of change occur in our lives as well. Summer shows us every year how rapidly things grow, how abundant life can be, but also shows us that storms can arise suddenly in nature as it will in our own life, but even so , out of the storms, flowers will bring forth their blooms,plant life is made that much more richer because of it, a lesson we must always remember while we are weathering the storms that unexpectantly arise in our own life.The lesson of the oak tells us that it is the constant breeze and light flowing winds that has made her strong and able to handle most anything because of the constant buffeting by the wind, the tree is forced to dig her roots deeper in order to withstand, so that when the big storms of life come she is rooted and grounded deep within her Mother the Earth and more able to stand firm against the greater storms assault. The season of Autumn, the rich colors that are brought forth out of no where as Mother Earth paints upon her canvas, the seeds are maturing, the plants bring forth their bounty only to succumb to the nip of frost and cold which brings on death and decay.This season shows us that we can bring forth color and beauty in our lives, that we can harvest our dreams, and that some dreams will drop off only to succumb to death, we know that it will happen for nature prepares us each year. Winter comes with it's cold blast, with snow and ice crystals that sparkle in the air as the wind picks up crystals and swirls them around so that they dance in the light of the sun. The quiet,is almost deafening, when no sounds can be heard in nature within the dead of winter, a time when we can finally hear without the distractions of life all around. Winter a time of slumber and solitude, again prepares us for times when nothing is happening ,so it would seem in our lives, but we know that is really not so, for beneath the surface change is taking place and although we can not see it, we know it is happening in our lives because Winter has shown that it is so.
Within the seasons of our lives ,because we have been given the gifts of the lessons of the Wheel, when applied these lessons from nature, will give us a chance to re examine the issues of each of our life stages which are already behind us, and better able to integrate these lessons of the past with better and new insights for our future seasons. We do not need to go blindly into our future , not knowing what will befall us, if we are observant and can apply these teachings into our lives every season as time dances in and out through out the year , we will never have to cry 'why is this happening to me?' We will know that there is a time and a season for all things whether in nature or our lives and that this is what we call LIFE.
We know within each season of change that some years, there are sometimes long periods of weather patterns, that seem to drag on and on, and we wonder , when will this end, be it a heat wave, a cold snap, rainy and wet times, drought,we know that every year one or more of these times happen, we also know that within our own lives that this holds true as well, so when we are weathering a long season of drought and nothing is happening in our lives, we know not to despair for this too will pass, nothing last forever, and by knowing these things we are more prepared to handle the season of change in our own lives, and may be able to spend our time being more productive within them instead of wondering what is going on, and crying woe is me.
By having the great symbolic meanings and teachings of Mother Nature, of the Wheel of the Year, and the Esbats each cycle of the Moon, we have been given a valuable and wonderful gift from our Source, our Creator to help and enable us to live our lives productively, fully, and expectantly and abundantly .
We have not been left in the dark as to what and how things work, for we have been given the patterns of nature to guide us on our journey as we travel the wheel of life as we journey around the Sun.We have been given many teachers in our life, we have not been left orphaned and alone, for our teachers are always present each and every day, night and year. May we honor our teachers, Father Sun , Grandmother Moon, and our Mother the Earth for they are always with us to give us their light as we journey on the path.
I am not what one would say a 'magickal' witch, I am just a simple country witch that utilizes the gifts of Mother "Earth for my healing and well being. As a practical country witch that is on the road more times than not, the use of stones, and crystals, herbs, and tarot ,is pretty much the extent of my 'workings'. Because these items are not big I can take them along for the ride, so that I will have them when I have a need for them, and now a days it seems I need them everyday. The gentle healing energy I get from my stones have been a constant help for me. I have many types of stones and crystals that I can wear as jewelry that makes it easier for me to have access to their gentle healing energies through out my day. The articles that I have posted from Over the Rainbow website, is a fantastic sight to learn many of the things you need to know in order to help in many areas of ones life, and I hope they can be of use to you all. I know that in order to really find out what kind of energy a stone or crystal has, it is my experience that by keeping that particular stone on ones person and being aware of whats going on , inside of self while you do, that sooner or later you will know what a stones energy is for you personally. I have found for instance when I wear my malachite jewelry that it is best for me not to do so prior to my period/moon time, because it wants to help me bring up areas of my life that I need to work on, and at that time of the month their power is overwhelming for me and I wind up depressed over what issues come bubbling up, so I have learned that there is about a week period during the month that I do not want to wear that particular stone, any other time I have no problems with it and I am more able to work through those issues , and I am very thankful for their assistance at those times. I have some crystals that are excellent pain relievers and I use their assistance when my arthritis and Fibromyalgia flare up, and from experience they really do take the pain away when placed on the spot that hurts, I dearly love those healers and I am thankful to Mother Earth and Father Great Spirit for the gifts that they have given us to help us on our journeys.
I have found a wonderful way to clear, and balancing my chakras since doing it on my self the way most books tell you to do is a bit difficult for me, what I do is this and find it works wonderfully, I hold the appropriate chakra stone in my left hand starting from the base chakra first, then I move upwards when I am through with each chakra, and with my right hand I use my pendulum and I first see if it needs anything done by asking 'is this chakra ok? and then wait for my yes or no, if not I then balance it by saying ' I am now balancing it' and my pendulum will go in a circle, when it stops I then ask that chakra 'spend' in the direction that is best for me. My pendulum will either spin to right or the left. and I wait until it quits spinning in that direction .and each chakra will then spend opposite of the last chakra that was done there after.This method has always worked for me and I find I do indeed feel better after I am through.
With herbs , i just grow alot of them and when I am home I just water and care for them and touch their leaves and take a deep breath in of there aroma and essence, I have been healed many times by just doing that. One time my back was out so bad, I was in so much pain, I could barely walk and straighten my back, when I got home my hubby helped me to where my herbs were, (in containers and pots) and I just started tending to them, clipping dead leaves off, transplanting some , watering and feeding them, and oh what an aroma they were releasing , they all smelled so wonderful and strong that day! and by the time I was done, I was healed, no pain and I could straighten up, I was so overwhelmed by the loving healing they gave me and this was all done with out any magickal mumbo jumbo, I just cried with tears of gratitude and Thanksgiving for the gift I had been given that day.
I usually go to my health food store and purchase herbs already in capsule and pill form for what I need since I don't have the time to do that. And I buy what vitamins I am needing and these I take with me in my 'medicine bag' I carry an assortment so I won't be caught off guard on the road. I usually take, garlic, turmeric, echinacea and golden-seal, vitamin. C, tea tree oil, cranberry,oil of oregano, olive leaf oil, vinegar capsules, these are for infections and viruses and the like, plus what other vitamins I take for my health issues at the time.
Tarot cards , I have 2 main decks I take with me, Universal Rider Waite, and a combination of 2 decks that I have picked out of Cosmic tarot, and Gypsy deck, I picked each card that was the best for what the card meant, and it has turned out to be a wonderful deck to use. I use tarot mainly for spiritual purposes and meditations and sometimes affirmations.
So you see I am a practical practising witch, and I leave the magick for those that can do that , I just don't go for to much ceremony and ritual and keeping track of the time of day and week, and all the special words needed. I just use what I need, with intent and purpose with gratitude and Thanksgiving. I follow the seasons and the moons which guide my thinking and meditation focus for those times, I decorate house and altar accordingly, and I like to keep my other blog theme to look like each turn of the wheel that I am in. It is just the way I live and think , it is a part of me , it is who I am. As a double Taurus, everything must be practical . Any thing I have even decorations must have a practical use for, other than just taking up valuable space, my drums I put on wall, but I also bang on them, my turtle bag hangs on wall but I also wear it, some of my large stones are on display but I also use them when I need their help, my besoms are out in open and stand guard by my fireplace but I also use them to cleanse the aura of the house.. my snapping turtle shell/shield is on my outter door of my office ,it is nice to look at but it guards my sacred space as well....etc..
So there you have in a nut or turtle shell a little peek into the world of a practical country witch.
One of the nicest aspects of crystals is that they are color-coordinated with the energy centers called the chakras. We've provided this in-depth guide to help make working with crystals and the chakras easier.
Please note that our chakra descriptions focus on imbalances. If what you read doesn't apply to you that chakra is most likely in balance. However, it does no harm to place an appropriate stone on each chakra while meditating. This helps to provide overall balance for the aura.
You may notice that some crystals relate to more than one chakra. Tiger's eye, for instance, as a grounding stone, relates to the first chakra. Because of its golden hue and its connection to manifesting goals it can be used as a third-chakra stone as well.
The same is true of essential oils. Rose and Jasmine, for example, relate to love on the physical, emotional, and spiritual levels, thus connecting to the second, fourth, and seventh chakras.
If you are looking for in-depth information about the chakras and the opportunity to discover your own imbalances and how to correct them please read about our Chakra Course and see a Sample Lesson.
When a stone's name is underlined you can click on the name to read an article about it.
Human Energy Systems
In Sanskrit chakra means "wheel," and those who can see them describe chakras as spinning wheels of light. They are found in the aura, an electromagnetic force field which surrounds every living being. The energy of the aura is that of our thoughts and feelings, and the chakras concentrate and coordinate the flow of these energies in and from the physical body.
We who use healing modalities based on subtle energy (flower essences, crystals, Reiki) believe that illness first manifests in the realm of thought and feelings. Stress is an excellent example. The mind says, "I'm doing too much; I'm under pressure." This message translates into the emotional feeling of being burdened. On both levels resistance creates energetic blockages form, as mind and emotions try to close up against what is perceived as a negative experience.
If the mind and emotions continue to create resistance the blockage will eventually assume physical proportions, lodging in whichever physical area is most vulnerable.
The purpose of chakra balancing is to dissolve blockages before they become physical (although it can also be helpful with physical conditions. Crystals, being symmetrical in their molecular structure, radiate energy in a consistent and steady manner. When they're used in chakra balancing they can help to reestablish a healing, creative flow.
Each chakra has a color, and usually stones of corresponding colors are placed there. (If you are familiar with the chakras you will note that we use some modifications. We use the system developed by Katrina Raphaell, author of the Crystal Trilogy.)
Chakra
Location
Function
Color
First
Feet to base of spine
Grounding
Black, brown, red
Second
Genital area
Sexuality
Red, orange
Third
Abdominal area
Personal power
Yellow
Solar Plexus
Diaphragm
Emotional release
Coral, yellow-green
Fourth
Heart
Love, healing
Pink, green
Fifth
Ear, nose, throat
Communication
Blue
Sixth
Brow
Inner wisdom
Dark blue, purple
Seventh
Crown of head
Oneness
White
If you feel moved to put a different colored stone on any of these chakras please do. The above are guidelines only.
First Chakra (Feet to base of spine)
The first chakra represents our relationship with our physical bodies and with the material world. It grounds us in physical existence. When balanced, its energy helps us to blend the physical and spiritual, and to eliminate that which is no longer needed for growth. We enjoy physical existence. When unbalanced, we may be afraid of life, feel like victims, withdraw from physical reality, or operate in our own interests only. Physical symptoms can include any difficulties with feet, legs, or lower back.
Stones associated with the first chakra:
Black tourmaline: This is a protective stone when you feel threatened at the survival level.
Hematite: This stone helps you to set protective boundaries when you feel as if others are intruding into your private space.
Smoky quartz, the lightest of the dark stones, helps to blend the energies of the first and seventh chakras.
Tiger's eye helps you to feel secure about physical existence.
Any of these stones may be placed at the base of the spine or at the feet.
Second Chakra (just above the pelvic bone)
This chakra is most directly related to energy flow, as expressed in the flow of blood, and especially with the energies of sexuality and creativity. It is also deeply connected to the five physical senses.
When it is unblocked people feel fully alive, energetic, spontaneous, guilt-free. and in full appreciation of their bodies. When it is unbalanced reproductive organ diseases, joint stiffness, and various blood disorders may result.
Stones associated with the second chakra:
Bloodstone can stimulate energy.
Carnelian is associated with creativity and decision-making.
Red jasper helps to connect us to the flowing energies of the earth.
Ruby, the stone of passion, enhances sensory awareness.
Ruby in Zoisite is a way to benefit from ruby's energy in a grounding form.
Third Chakra (navel and solar plexus area)
This is the chakra of physical and material power, with an emphasis on mastery in the physical realm, especially the ability to manifest one's hopes and dreams. It relates to expressing one's unique individuality in the physical world.
When it is unblocked people feel self-confident, have a clear sense of purpose, and pursue dreams which others would consider impossible. Imbalances appear as lack of self-confidence, insecurity about money or other physical things, and may also express itself in terms of being aggressive or using one's power to dominate others. Physical symptoms are usually digestive.
Stones associated with the third chakra:
Aragonite has a calming and stabilizing effect, especially on emotions such as anger and stress.
Citrine is the stone most related to manifesting abundance and to the balanced use of will.
Golden calcite helps to integrate new energies and beliefs areas related to personal empowerment, such as relationships and business.
Malachite releases congestion in the solar plexus, and aids creativity.
Rhodochrosite assists in deep breathing, thus helping to relieve anxiety and tension.
Rutilated quartz helps to add enhanced creating energy to our dreams.
Pyrite helps us to come up with creative ideas which can help bring abundance in our lives.
Tiger's eye helps to teach us good timing in terms of when to act on a dream.
Unakite Unakite helps us to understand the mental and emotional sources for it. It is also believed to help release conditions which have been inhibiting personal growth.
The Fourth Chakra (heart area)
This chakra relates to love and emotional well-being. When it is unblocked we give love unconditionally and attract to ourselves those people who give us an abundance of love. When it is blocked we feel the lack of love in our lives as keenly as those with third-chakra blockages feel a lack of material security. Heart conditions are the most common physical symptoms.
Stones associated with the fourth chakra:
Aventurine is the stone most related to physical health and heart balancing.
Emerald relates most directly to the spiritual aspects of love.
Green calcite Eases old, limiting beliefs (especially those based on fear) from the mind so that new ideas can flourish.
Green tourmaline opens the creative elements of the heart, i.e., adding an emotional depth to one's creations.
Lepidolite helps to calm the heart and relieves stress.
Malachite releases congestion in the solar plexus, and aids creativity.
Malachite-Chrysocolla blends malachite's ability with chrysocolla's gift of soothing and calming.
Pink Calcite helps to release old and hurtful emotional patterns so that the heart can be open to receive and give unconditional love.
Rose quartz is the stone for helping to create unconditional self-love.
Fifth Chakra (throat area)
This chakra governs communication and mental creativity. When it is balanced we communicate easily and effectively with others in both written and verbal form. This includes being able to constructively express anger and other emotions. When it is blocked communication is difficult to impossible, and these may be the people who say, "I'm just not creative.
In my experience there can be more physical blockages associated with the fifth chakra than with any other. These can include excessive eating and drinking (good ways to keep the throat busy while preventing communication), and a range of respiratory diseases. Teeth and gum disorders fall into this category, as well.
Stones for the fifth chakra:
Angelite helps us to communicate with angels and other nonphysical beings, as well as aiding in long-distance communication. It also helps to dissolve anger.
Aqua Aura teaches us self-expression through service to others.
Aquamarine helps us to express ourselves in a tranquil way.
Blue lace agate helps to ground our communications with a sense of what can be accomplished.
Blue Topaz Helps us to communicate fearlessly that which we know to be true, and also stimulates creativity.
Celestite helps to calm the over-active mind and teaches us how to be receptive
Chrysocolla helps one to have self-confidence in personal expression.
Larimar enables us to communicate with others that which we feel deeply in our hearts and souls.
Turquoise helps us to enroll others to help in the manifestation of our desires.
Sixth Chakra (between eyebrows)
This is the psychic center, and, when unblocked, the source of intuition, esp, and other psychic abilities. This chakra is particularly related to the fears of cultures which wish to believe only that which they can experiences with the physical senses, and blockages abound, including fear of the imagination, of dreams, and one's "irrational" intuitions. Physical symptoms of blockage may include persistent headaches, insomnia, and anxiety.
Stones associated with the sixth chakra:
Amethyst, known as nature's tranquilizer, helps in sleep and in peaceful dreams.
Azurite helps us to consciously look at old programmed beliefs and dissolve them.
Charoite helps to dissolve fears, both known and unknown.
Hawk's eye helps us to see our lives as with aerial vision.
Kyanite reminds me that everything which happens is for a purpose, and that we are ultimately in charge, and often brings to surface beliefs we have accepted as fact.
Lapis helps us to discover our hidden beliefs and bring them to the surface.
Sodalite helps in balance when one is emotionally or mentally confused.
Moss agate helps to balance the left and right sides of the brain.
The seventh chakra is our direct connection to spirit. When it is balanced we understand our relationship with the universe. We dissolve the illusion that we are separate from other humans and other forms of life. We appreciate our uniqueness and our places as parts of the whole. When it is blocked we compare ourselves to others or to internal checklists (and usually find ourselves wanting). We feel lonely, we are afraid of death. Stones associated with the seventh chakra:
Clear calcite brings spiritual understanding to problems on the earth plane.
Danburite helps us to view what happens in our lives from the soul perspective and have a feeling of calmness and serenity even when life seems very difficult.
HerkimerThis form of clear quartz is especially brilliant, and has a particular ability to dissolve chakra blockages.
Selenite
Chakra Balancing Meditation
Choose one or more stones for each chakra. You want to balance all of your chakras, even if you have a particular one to work on. Lie down and place each stone on the appropriate location. I like to hold a clear quartz point and rotate it over each stone, beginning at the first chakra.
Inhale deeply, and as you inhale imagine your breath coming up through the soles of your feet, and filling your body as it rises to the top of your head. As you exhale imagine it traveling back down your body and exiting through the soles of your feet.
After you've practiced this for a while you may want to visualize the color associated with each chakra as the breath travels through the related part of the body.
If you are working on a particular chakra, you may want to create an affirmation related to it. For example, a fourth-chakra affirmation could be "I give and receive love unconditionally." Repeat the affirmation to yourself, visualize yourself flooded with the color rose. Imagine yourself in loving situations.
You can't overdo chakra balancing, and it's a relaxing and simple way to meditate. As you continue to practice it you will find yourself more attuned to your subtle energies. You will become more aware of imbalances before they express themselves physically.
