A few years ago I awoke to a dream where I saw that wearing an amethyst would be beneficial. Though I lived on the French Riviera where Cartier and Van Clef displayed windows filled with exquisite giant emeralds, rubies and diamonds, I found the necklaces and jewels beautiful, but never considered the deeper powers of stones. On the day of the dream, I walked into town and found a ring with a stone about the same shape and size of the one I’d seen in the dream. I put it on and didn’t think much more of it until bedtime. 

When I laid down and slipped into that quiet space between waking and dreams, I felt my ring finger tingle. It vibrated with a soothing, gentle energy that circulated up my arm and into my body. Surprised by the calming effect, I acquired a new respect for the power of stones. Though I’ve experimented with many since then, my favorite by far is the amethyst. At a recent workshop, the space contained a five foot high amethyst “cathedral.” The violet colored stones grow inside the earth take the form of arches with the stones pointing inward. I didn’t want to move away from the cathedral, it was so soothing.

The Swiss Alps are filled with crystals and stones. A few people have licenses to mine them. I believe one of the reasons the Alps feel so vibrant with life is because of the gem-filled mountains. All around us the earth contains crystals and mineral formations that can have positive effects. As healers and scientists begin to explore the healing properties of stones and crystals, they discover that colors and vibrations can produce effects on the body, mind and spirit. In the 5.000 year-old Vedic tradition, the navratana pendant is mounted with nine different stones with the aim of balancing the mind, body and spirit. There are also nine gem mala prayer beads that may help in meditation.

If you would like to experiment with stones, find a gem shop and scan various stones using your hand or pick them up to hold them. It’s not uncommon to feel a subtle tingling, warmth or coolness emanating from them. There’s a rainbow of colors to choose from including green malachite, golden tiger’s eye, rose quartz, turquoise, sea-blue lapis and black onyx. Pearls were said by Edgar Cayce to reduce irritation. Explore what attracts you and buy some inexpensive stones to experiment with at home or to wear on the body. This is a fun way to play with the divine in nature and discover subtle properties of the natural world that can have benefits for the body, mind and spirit. You may be inspired to make your own spiritual jewelry using stone beads and gems that appeal to you.

Bio: Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life. A visionary and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices at the Sophia Institute and other venues in the U.S. and Europe. Her mind/body/spirit articles, essays and stories appear in publications around the globe and were broadcast by BBC World Services Radio. She has spent over fifteen years practicing meditation, working with dreams and doing spiritual practices. Visit her online at http://www.awakeintheworld.com.