- Hey crystal lovers
and welcome to CCH Program Class 2,
The Metaphysics of Crystal Healing.
In this section, we're talking all about crystal shapes.
Now I wanna start off by clarifying,
we're not talking about crystal systems here,
and we're not talking about crystal formations,
things that you might've heard of,
like dows, channelers, celestials,
we're saving that for another class
called the Master Formations of Quartz.
In this class,
we're literally just talking about
all of the different shapes that crystals can be cut
or polished into.
So crystals can actually be intentionally manipulated
by tumbling them, cutting them,
or polishing them to achieve various shapes.
This actually alters the way in which the energy
is admitted from the stone,
but not the energetic qualities or the properties
of the stone itself.
So that means a rose quartz still has all the properties
of a rose quartz,
but the way that the energy comes out of that crystal
will be different depending on its shape.
Now, not all crystal healers agree with this,
but I found through over 10 years of working with crystals
that shape makes a big difference
to the way that we receive and interpret the energy
that we're experiencing.
Some healers choose to only work with rough crystals
or crystals that are in their natural state.
These are also sometimes called raw crystals.
These are crystals that are used
just how they came from the earth.
So be it a terminated point, a cluster, a geode
or just a rough chunk,
but these are all known as different types
of rough crystals.
Now some of these formations are what we'll be discussing
in the master formations of quartz class
and our advanced crystal practitioner program.
But I do wanna say that there're other healers out there
that believe that because differences exist
in the energetic vibrations of each person
receiving healing,
a considerate healer will have an assortment
of different crystal shapes
to better suit the specific needs of each individual.
I fall into this second camp,
if you couldn't figure that out yet.
I think that the way that energy changes and shifts
when a crystal is in a different shape,
really says a lot about how we can work with those energies.
And because we're each so unique
and we each have our own way of working with crystals
and perceiving energy,
I think that these different shapes
can make it really helpful for us to connect with crystals
in a deeper way.
Now, if you're a purist
and you only wanna work with rougher rock crystals,
I get it,
and that's okay.
That is your decision to make.
The important thing to know here
is there's no right or wrong,
there's only what's comfortable for you.
So let's start out by taking a look at tumbled stones.
These are smooth, rounded stones
that have been put through a process of tumbling
with abrasive materials
until they have a nice smooth surface.
When these are really tiny, they're often called chips,
or when they're really large, like fist size,
they're usually known as jumbo stones.
Now they're typically more inexpensive than a specimen piece
and they travel better than points or specimens
because they're more durable
and they're not easily breakable
unless they're made from a really soft material,
but they don't have those delicate points
that you see in a lot of clusters or specimen thesis.
These also have, in my opinion,
a more subtle energy than rough stones.
Now this isn't to say that they're weaker necessarily,
the energy is just less intense than in rough stones.
And it tends to radiate from the center outward
kind of evenly in all directions,
making it really soothing and kind of easy to assimilate.
This helps make it a really comfortable energy
for people to work with when they're new
to working with crystals
or, and many of you may identify this,
for those who are generally sensitive to outside energies
like empaths.
Now water-worn crystals are really similar
to tumbled stones energetically.
The only difference is that these
were kind of tumbled by nature.
So they don't have that high sheen glossy surface
that's exhibited by tumbled stones
that have been through a mechanical tumbling process,
but they are relatively smooth to the touch.
Think about if you've ever been walking through
a little creek or river bed
or picked up stones on the edge of a lake
to skip them across the lake,
they're nice and smooth, right?
That's from the process of water
washing over and over and over them again,
smoothing out all the edges of the stone.
So they're really similar to tumbled stones that way
and I feel like the energy moves through them
in the same way.
Now, getting back to those rough or raw stones
that I mentioned earlier,
these appear just as they were taken from the earth
and they often have rough or jagged surfaces,
but they also might display a variety of crystal formations
like points or clusters.
Rough stones with no crystals are often just called chunks.
So rough crystals are really powerful
and their energy is really direct.
It gets the job done super quickly and efficiently,
but it's important to know that these stones
might be too strong for some people,
especially empaths or highly sensitive individuals.
In this situation,
tumbled stones might be a more suitable option to work with
as they have a more gentle, subtle energy.
So you might be thinking well, Ashley, which is right,
rough stones or tumbled stones?
And the answer to this question
really lies with the individual
and it depends on what you need, you or your client.
So if you're newer to working with crystals,
or if you're really sensitive to energy,
then the soft, gentle way that energy moves
from a tumble stone might be a better fit for you.
But if you really need that energetic breakthrough,
you need something that kind of packs a punch,
then a rough or raw crystal
might be the right choice for you.
So people often ask me the question,
well, which is better though?
Like just tell me, which is better.
And even more frequently,
people associate better with more powerful.
And although I suppose that I would say rough stones
feel more powerful because of the way the energy
is emitted from them,
more powerful or more forceful,
doesn't always mean better.
Remember if you're really sensitive to energy
and you have that really forceful energy coming through,
that's not gonna feel better to you.
It's gonna feel a little overwhelming.
So in certain circumstances with empaths
and people who are new to crystals
or really sensitive to crystals,
they might feel a little overwhelmed
or a little uncomfortable with that kind of energy.
How many of you have felt that way?
Like really reach out and let me know
over in the student group,
if you've had that experience
where you started working with a crystal
and it was just a little too much.
Well, sometimes toning things down a little bit
by working with a tumbled stone, rather than a rough stone,
can help that.
So how do you ultimately choose?
How do you know whether you need that more gentle energy
or you need something a little stronger,
a little more forceful?
Well, think about why you're working with this stone.
Is it a really delicate matter?
Something like emotional healing
or are you trying to manifest prosperity
and do it really quick.
Your purpose and your intention
should always be taken into account
when you're choosing the shape to work with.
Now, finally, as always with everything in this program,
trust your intuition.
I can lead you down the right path
and I can share all this knowledge and wisdom with you,
but ultimately you have to listen to your own inner guidance
and inner knowing about what the right decision is,
whether you're making that choice for you or for a client
that you're working with.
And here's the thing,
worst case scenario,
if you don't enjoy the shape that you're working with,
you can always set it aside
and try working with something else instead.
Now, because some people will require
those more gentle vibes
and some people will need that more powerful energy
to create a bigger shift,
a considerate crystal worker will have both available.
This crystal toolkit can be built over time.
You don't have to rush out and buy multiples
of every single crystal,
making sure that you have a rough crystal
and a tumbled crystal and a pyramid and a sphere
in every single shape,
that would be insanity.
But what you can do is slowly and consciously
build a crystal toolkit.
Now let's move down to carved animal totems,
which are also known as fetishes.
Now carved animal totems
combine the attributes of the power animal,
including mythical animals,
like dragons and unicorns with the healing properties
of the stone that they are carved from.
So you should choose a curve figure made of a crystal
that either enhances and compliments
or balances the energy of the animal.
So for example,
if you wanted a carving of a bear,
because you felt really connected with the bear totem,
you might choose an Unakite carving of a bear
because Unakite, being a stone of feminine energy
and nurturing, really compliments the energy of the bear
as mother and protector
and the being associated with Ursa Major.
However, you can also choose a black obsidian carving
of this animal because obsidian,
being a stone of independence and the spirit world
and more masculinity, balances the energy
of this totem animal.
Now, because these crystals
are in the shape of an animal totem,
they are sacred and should be really treated
with a lot of respect.
Of course, all of our crystal tools
should be treated with respect,
but it's important to really honor these beings,
because we're calling on them for medicine and healing.
This is really similar to working with carved deities.
So carve deities,
again, combine the attributes of the God or Goddess
with the healing qualities of the stone.
So you might want to choose a carved figure
that again, either enhances and compliments that energy
or balances the energy.
For example, you could choose a rose quartz carving
of the Goddess Kwan Yin,
rose quartz being a stone of love and compassion.
It would really compliment the energy
of that Goddess of mercy and empathy and unconditional love.
Or you could choose a crystal
that would balance Kwan Yin's energy,
maybe something like pyrite,
being a really masculine energy
and balancing the energy of that Goddess.
And again, because these crystals
are in the shape of a deity,
they're very, very sacred
and they should be honored and respected.
And I just want to do a little show
and tell, you can see two of my personal favorites
up here in this corner.
I have a red garnet ganesha for prosperity.
So this is an example where the crystal is enhancing
and complimenting the qualities of the deity.
And then I have an epidural and pyrite carving
of the Goddess Kwan Yin.
So kind of balancing out that really feminine energy
with something a little bit more grounded and masculine.
There are also tons of carved symbols,
probably more than I could ever hope to cover in one class.
But some of the most common are heart, stars, moons,
flowers, angels, and Yoni, and Pinnell.
Now these carved symbols also combine the attributes
of the symbol with the healing properties of the stone.
So a heart is obviously associated something like love,
compassion, and friendship.
So think about that when you're choosing
your carved heart stone
or a moon is about manifestation,
intuition or balance and flow.
So something that might be appropriate for a moon
could be labradorite or moonstone or even amethyst.
So really think these things through
when you're choosing your symbols,
what does this symbol represent?
And what does the type of crystal represent?
And do these energies work together for your intention?
Now, in case you're unsure what a pimmel is,
a pimmel, I believe, comes from the German word for penis.
It is a phallic symbol.
It represents divine masculine,
the ability to provide and protection.
And it compliments the energy of the Yoni,
which is the divine feminine energy,
receiving and nurturing.
Usually you find these two working together
in balance and harmony.
Next we have spheres
or more commonly known as crystal balls.
The energy of a sphere, because of its round shape,
is complete and endless.
And because of this crystal balls
have been known to enhance intuition.
That endlessness, that feeling of completion
and energy of completion that they bring,
allows you to connect yourself, your spirit,
with the ever expanding universe.
So these are great for stimulating intuition
and they've been used in the art of crystallomancy,
which is a form of scrying divination for millennia.
Now the energy of the sphere,
again, represents that wholeness and infinite possibility,
things that are available for you to tap into.
And they send this energy in all directions,
similar to a tumbled stone,
but they're even more balanced because they are perfect.
Now spheres can also be used as massage tools,
but you should only do this
if you're a licensed massage therapist.
But if you are, these are amazing tools
because the sphere actually does a lot of the work for you
taking some of this drain off of your fingers,
hands and risks.
Here's an interesting shape
that you may not be familiar with.
It's called a flame.
I really started seeing these flame shapes
hit the crystal market about 10 or so years ago.
Now this shape is made by carving a stone
into a spiraling flame,
usually with a flat cut base so that they stand upright.
Sometimes the flames are really symmetrical,
like the one you see in this picture,
all these little swirls are kind of equal size going around,
but sometimes they're a lot more freeform
and they really do represent organic fire.
Now, crystals in this shape connect with the fire element
and they assist with transformation of all types.
That's one of the big themes of the fire element.
They also force you to really dig deep
and call upon your inner strength, motivation
and determination.
So they're excellent to work with
when you need a little resilience,
when you need help bouncing back from something
or persevering.
Next, we have bowls.
Now some stones are carved into bowl shapes,
and these can be used as offering bowls on an altar
and your sacred space,
or they can be used for charging other crystals and stones,
or if they're safe and non-toxic,
you can add a little bit of water
for a really quick gem elixir.
Now, alternatively,
these stones can be carved into goblets or vases
or other things and used relatively the same way.
And here you see one of my favorite selenite charging bowls
with a few of my little crystals
and one of my favorite ocean jasper pendants.
I love having this on my bedside table
because at the end of the day,
I just pop any crystals from my pockets,
any of my jewelry, right in that bowl
and the next day they're ready to go.
We're gonna talk a little bit more about that
in the section about crystal cleansing.
The next shape I wanna talk about are palm stones.
These are also sometimes called touchstones
or pillow stones.
On occasion, they can also be called soothing stones,
but soothing stone is also a term applied to worry stones,
so using that term can make it a little bit confusing.
Palm stones, in my opinion,
are the crystal workers best friend.
They're relatively flat shape,
lets you use them on the body really easily
for crystal layouts without having to worry
about them rolling off, like you do with a tumbled stone.
They're nice and smooth and flat.
So once you place them,
they pretty much stay put.
This flat smooth rounded shape
also works well for a pocket stone.
I don't know about you,
but my jeans have the tiniest little pockets in them.
And whenever I try and cram too many crystals in there,
they come popping out whenever I move around too much.
So these flat palm stones work great as a pocket stone
because they're nice and flat.
They don't go squeezing out the side of your jeans pocket.
They're also a lot more comfortable in your broth
than a bulky tumbled stone.
Now these are usually a bit larger
than your average tumbled stone in size,
but their smooth shape is really pleasing to the hand.
They're great to hold making them the perfect companion
for a great crystal meditation.
Now that brings us to worry stones,
which are also called thumb stones,
or again, sometimes soothing stones.
Now these are similar to palm stones,
except one side is kind of scooped out.
There's a little divot or indentation
making one side convex and the other side concave in shape.
They're most commonly oval shaped,
but sometimes you see them more in some freeform shapes.
Worry stones are used to help relieve anxiety and stress.
And I can speak from experience,
these are really helpful
if you struggle with these things in your life.
In the practice of reflexology,
the pad of the thumb corresponds to the brain.
So by squeezing or rubbing that worry stone,
pressure is applied to this reflex point, this area,
and this helps assist with relief of stress and anxiety
and worry.
So this is a great tool
if this is something you struggle with
and these also make really lovely gifts.
So if you're trying to get someone in your life
into crystals,
a worry stone is a pretty easy way
to kind of sneak them a little bit of good energy.
Cabochons are also somewhat similar in shape.
So they're relatively flat,
but they have a domed top and a flat bottom.
And this is because of how they're set in jewelry.
So these are most commonly used by jewelers,
especially for crystals that don't facet well.
So faceted stones are usually reserved for things
that are more transparent or translucent
and catch the light really well.
Think about a diamond ring.
You wouldn't see that in a cabochon shape.
Cabochons are also a lot easier to create,
especially from a lot of the soft stones
that don't hold up well to cutting,
but what's really interesting is that this shape
is frequently associated with prosperity
and especially with protection,
since it kind of resembles a shield.
The overall shape is most often round or oval,
but they can also be square or rectangular
or teardrop shaped or even a freeform.
Now think about this idea of the shield though.
When humans started wearing jewelry, thousands of years ago,
these stones were thought to have energy,
just like we think of them today.
Sometimes they were a display of wealth or power,
but sometimes they were worn as talismans
or ambulance, commonly for protection.
So think about that.
They were polished into these smooth flat shapes,
almost shield like, to guard the body,
to protect the wearer of the stone.
And all these years later,
we still use the shape and jewelry today.
That brings us to faceted stones.
Now, like I mentioned,
faceting is usually reserved for precious
and semi-precious gems that have good transparency
and that will really catch the light.
Fascinating is what makes diamonds sparkle.
So some special faceted shapes even have their own names
like the Emerald Cut or the Princess Cut,
to describe that cut shape.
Now stones in this shape are associated
with finding your own inner brilliance,
your own inner shine and letting that light shine out.
So here you can see an example of a ring
with some faceted stones.
This one contains a pink tourmaline and some diamonds.
And this piece here is Emerald with diamond.
And you can see because these are transparent stones,
they let that light shine in
and in the faceting really enhances the appearance
of the crystal.
Now let's talk about this confusing term, towers.
Towers, also called pillars,
refer to any flat bottomed standing stone.
So to avoid confusion,
you should be more specific when possible.
Do you really mean a generator or an obelisk,
which we'll talk about in a little bit.
Those would technically be towers
because they have a flat bottom and they stand upright,
but they are really specific shapes.
So I like to use the word tower to describe standing shapes
that don't fall into these other categories.
For example, rough selenite is often made into a tower shape
by cutting one end to form a flat base.
Now, in selenites case,
these are sometimes called skyscrapers or castles,
but that's not really an official term.
Now here's another interesting shape
that's pretty unique to selenite,
the spiral or unicorn horn,
as it sometimes lovingly called.
These are a special form of tower.
Remember flat base stands upright,
but it's been carved into a twisted spiral shape.
And these are almost exclusively made of selenite.
I would go as far as to say
they are exclusively made of selenite
because I've never seen them carved out of any other stone,
but these are great for sending and receiving energy,
especially for distance healing,
that energy spirals out or spirals in
depending on your intention.
And some crystal workers also use them
to help connect to the energy of unicorns as a totem
or power animal.
Now let's talk about obelisks.
Obelisks are another form of tower
because they have that plat base and they stand upright,
but they have a really specific shape.
Obelisks are foresight and towers with smooth tapered sides,
topped with pure middle faces.
So there's that nice little pyramid right on top.
They were common to ancient Egyptian architecture
and were often seen in pairs,
flanking the entrances to temples
and other important buildings.
So there is an association with ancient Egypt
and the wisdom and energy of that culture.
But obelisks are also representative of creation,
new beginnings, wisdom, and remembrance.
Next, we have freeforms.
Now, freeform, you'll see applied
to a few different kinds of shapes,
but they do come in two main varieties.
The first is a smooth, organic shape.
I guess you could technically call it a tower
if it were a little bit taller and skinnier,
often with a flat base.
So that's like the blue calcite piece that you see here.
It's not an egg, it's not an oval,
it's not anything in particular,
it's just a freeform.
It's cut and polished based on
however this particular mineral cutter a lapidary
chose to shape it,
but it does have that flat bottom
so that it kind of stands nicely.
Now the second variety of freeform
is that chunky kind of randomly faceted shape.
And these are usually small to medium size.
So here you can see our root elated quartz
and you can see one in the little facets.
Every little phase on this stone is a facet.
So it's not a tumbled stone.
It's not a palm stone.
It's not necessarily a rough chunk.
It's a faceted freeform.
So the mood standing variety
can be used as an energy accumulator
drawing energy into a space.
And these are especially useful
when placed in your sacred space or your healing arch room
and they're great beneath your healing table.
And the second variety,
the faceted freeform shape
can be used just like any other tumbled stone
or rough stone.
So you can use them in meditation,
for crystal grid work, crystal healing layouts
and really anything else you can think of.
Now here's a really cool one.
These are called seer stones.
Now these have many, many names.
They also go by the name River Bed Quartz
because on one side, the kind of rougher side,
they look almost like a water worn crystal,
dragon eggs or emu eggs, pretty weird names.
These stones go through a pretty intense process
in order to come into creation.
First, rough pieces of stone are lightly tumbled
to remove any rough edges and form a rounded shape.
Then once the stones are smooth,
they're sandblasted to give the outside
a really foggy gritty appearance.
These pieces are then sliced in half
and that cut surface is polished
to a really smooth glossy finish,
almost like a window pane.
So the result is a window like face
and in fact, some people call these window crystals
or windows stones
and the rough outer surface creates sort of a backdrop
to the window,
so that when you look into that smooth polished, shiny face,
that backdrop is behind it.
And what happens is when you use them as scrying tools
in divination, you actually see into the depths
of the crystal.
Now, unlike a crystal ball
where you might actually look straight through it
to other things behind the crystal ball in the room,
the seer stone,
because of that sandblasted exterior,
keeps your gaze into the interior of the crystal,
which is really pretty cool.
These are usually pretty inexpensive
and they are great beginners tools for scrying divination.
Now they're most commonly seen in these three varieties,
plus a couple others,
Clear Quartz, Amethyst and Rose Quartz.
I've also seen them in Smoky Quartz
and believe it or not, a labradorite.
I have never seen them in citrine
and I haven't seen them in any other varieties of stone,
up to this point,
but I'm always curious and intrigued
when I do come across them.
I even found one once a clear quartz one
that had a beautiful phantom inside.
Next, let's talk about the pyramid shape.
Now pyramids have been around
for thousands and thousands of years.
And again, have a little bit of an association
with the ancient Egyptians.
These have a flat base with four sides.
So if you have something with three sides,
technically that's a tetrahedron
which we'll get to in just a minute.
Pyramids have to have a square base.
So four sided face, all sides of equal length
and then they joined to form a point at the top.
Now for thousands of years,
they've been known to amplify energy and intention.
So they make great tools for distance healing
and also for manifesting.
Pyramids can also be used to energize the chakra centers.
So there are these great pyramid chakra sets
you can find online.
I think we also have them at Mimosa
and they also make great tools for meditation
and ascension work.
They've also been known to enhance prosperity energy
because of their connection with manifestation
and for transmitting negative energy into positive energy,
which is one of the reasons that they're used
for crystal charging.
Now, this is a pretty neat shape.
Slabs, which are also called plates or slices
are made when a thin slice is cut
out of a larger piece of stone.
Slabs can be used for cleansing or charging
other crystals or stones.
So all you have to do in order to use a slab
for cleansing or charging,
is set your crystals or your jewelry on top of them.
Really similar to that selenite bowl
that I showed you earlier
and in fact, here's a picture of a selenite plate
that I have with some of my jewelry on top of it.
Slices can also be used as the base for crystal grids.
I've seen a lot of people do this with agate slices
and they can be used in crystal healing layouts.
They're nice and flat, just similar to a palm stone.
So they stay on the body and tend not to roll off.
You can even do some really creative things
in your crystal layouts,
where you place a slab on the body
and crystals on top of that slab, to layer the energy.
Now here's a shape that might be new to you.
This is called a Vogel Wand.
Now Vogel cut crystals are typically cut from crystals
in the quartz family.
Clear quartz, amethyst, smoky quartz, rose quartz
and citrine, which are either cut into wands
with multiple faceted sides, like you see here,
or into triangle shapes.
Now the wands are always double terminated
and they have flat sides in multiples of 12.
And this is what's really important here.
So you'll see one with 12 sides or 24 sides.
This piece here shows a 24 sided Vogel Wand
and the triangles are composed of a backside
and a front side with four triangular facets on each side,
so that when you look through,
it creates kind of a star of David shape.
If you wanna see what this looks like,
do a Google image search for Vogel triangle.
They're really pretty cool.
Now Marcel Vogel, who worked for IBM for many years
in the scientific community,
was also a huge proponent and advocate for crystal healing.
And he did some amazing work with crystals
and through his work,
he determined that a crystal's energy
was strongest and most directly focused
when it had been cut into these specific formations.
Therefore, Vogel cut crystals are typically used
for very intense healing work,
including shamonic work, psychic surgery
and pronic crystal healing.
And we'll talk more about Marcel Vogel
in our history of crystal healing class
in the advanced crystal practitioner program.
That leads us to our next shape, eggs and Yoni eggs.
So this shape has been known for its connection to fertility
for thousands of years,
it's representative of new life and new beginnings.
You can also use the small end of an egg,
like an acupressure tool to release energy
from the physical body
when you use it at the trigger points.
Make sure that you are a licensed acupressure professional
if you're going to try this technique.
Now the sides of the egg, however,
so here's the end you would use for those trigger points,
but the sides of the egg here can be used to scan the aura
and detect energy imbalances within the body.
So to do this, you just hold the egg horizontally
over the body and pass it from head to toe, back and forth.
Now this helps amplify any subtle energy
that you might be picking up on,
so you can kind of interpret and determine
what's happening in the energy field.
It's just like regular scanning,
which we'll talk about in another class in this program,
but the energy is amplified.
So you can really pick up on it a little bit easier.
Now, the egg shape emits a soft, gentle energy,
similar to a tumbled stone
and the eggs also work well for crystal massage,
just like crystal spheres.
Now there's a very special type of egg called a Yoni egg
and these have definitely gained popularity
over the past few years.
These are an egg that usually has a hole
drilled all the way through one end
with a little string tied around it,
although not always,
and they are inserted into the vagina
and they're used to enhance sensuality, sexual energy
and maintain vaginal strength and health.
Now there's a lot of debate
around whether or not Yoni eggs are legit
in what they claim to do
and whether or not they're truly safe for people.
There have been some unsafe practices reported,
and then there have been some practices
that people have great results from.
So all I can say is if you're going to experiment
with a Yoni egg,
be sure you go to a trusted source on the matter.
Our next shape are lingams.
Now, these are all those shapes stones
that are associated with Lord Shiva, a Hindu deity.
And there are some times seen as phallic symbols,
representative of masculine energy,
but more commonly they're just seen as symbols
or signs of universal source energy,
or they're just spiritual icons representing Shiva.
They're revered in Shaivism
and were first discussed in the Mahabharata.
Now there are several different types of lingams
and you may not know this,
the banalinga or the most common.
That's the one that you see here on the right.
And these are formed in the Narmada River.
Sailalinga, on the other hand,
are those carved from other types of stones,
like the one you see right here.
This one is carved from azurite and malachite.
There's also spatikalinga,
which are those that are made from quartz specifically
and ratnalinga,
which are those carved from very precious stones.
Now we cannot have a discussion about crystal shapes
without talking about the platonic solids.
Now these are the five traditional polyhedral shapes,
common to sacred geometry.
And they were first written about by Plato,
which is who they're named after.
That's why they're called the platonic solids
and they're associated with the four classical elements
and the fifth element of energy or spirit,
sometimes called ether.
Now the tetrahedron has four triangular faces and six edges,
and is associated with the fire element.
The cube has six square faces and 12 edges,
and is associated with the earth element.
The octahedron connects to the air element.
The dodecahedron connects to ether or spirit
and the icosahedron connects to the water element.
So I do have a bonus handout for you
to help you really understand the intricacies
of the platonic solids.
So let's take a look at that together now.
This is your paper craft, platonic solids bonus handout.
This is a really fun activity.
Now, like I mentioned, there are five platonic solids.
You can see those five shapes right here
and in this really fun project,
you'll actually be creating your own set of platonic solids
so that you can study them
and learn a little bit more about their geometry.
So you can see here on each page,
there's a little paper craft item for you to cut out
and create your own three-dimensional representation
of that platonic solid shape.
It just requires a pair of scissors
and a little bit of glue.
Now you can see at the bottom here,
there's a diagram for which one you're actually creating,
and it will show you the number of corners, edges,
and faces on each shape,
which is pretty fun.
So this is a great little chart to keep around,
but also creating these solids
will actually help you locate all of these different things.
So we have our tetrahedron, our cube,
the octahedron, dodecahedron,
and finally the icosahedron.
So I hope you have fun putting these together
and seeing what they're all about.
If you do this project,
I would love for you to take a quick snap
and post it in the student Facebook group.
Now we can't talk about the five platonic solids
without taking it a step further
and talking about the Merkaba.
This is a 24 sided shape,
that's kind of like a three-dimensional star of David.
It has one tetrahedron pointing upward
and one tetrahedron pointing downward,
and they're kind of layered over each other.
So it's the coming together of spirit
and the physical world,
or as above, so below.
It's also connected with the idea of spiritual ascension
and growth.
Now there's some information floating around out there
that breaks down the word, Mer ka ba
to mean light, spirit, body.
And it's said that this comes from Hebrew
and some sources say, it's the Egyptian in origin.
Now I took this to one of my friends at the university
who's in the linguistics department
and they told me that this is actually not true
and that this is not a translation of what this word means.
So if you read that about Merkabas out there,
although it sounds really cool,
it's not actually based on fact.
Now here's a shape
that you probably are definitely familiar with, generators.
So these crystals can be identified by six sides
of equal size.
Remember in lesson one,
we learned that these are the sides of the crystal
and six faces of equal sides.
Remember, these are the faces of the crystal
that join together in a perfect point.
So all of the faces are connected at one point.
And although a true generator looks like this
and all of the sides and faces are equal,
a lot of times crystals of unequal proportions
are substituted for the same purpose.
And I have to be honest,
I haven't found much difference.
It doesn't really seem to matter
if all the crystal faces come perfectly together or not.
I think that it probably does make things work
a little more quickly and a little bit more smoothly
and cleanly,
but in my opinion,
if you have that nice upright little point or tower,
you come pretty close.
These crystals can be used to draw energy into a space
and help ground that energy
or to harness and direct and focus channel healing energy,
particularly in distance healing.
They also work to enhance group cooperation
and get everybody motivated
and working toward one common goal.
They also work especially well
when used in the center of a crystal grid.
And that's why you commonly see generators
in the center of a crystal grid,
because of that ability to harness and draw in
and accumulate energy.
Now these crystals can be natural,
but it's rare that you find one
that's perfectly symmetrical like this.
More often than not,
they are cut and polished into these generators.
And sometimes they're just called points.
Now let's take a look at massage wands
or reflexology and acupressure wands.
So these are stones that have been carved
into a wand like shape, so long and thin
and massage wands have rounded ends
that are used on the skin to relieve tension from muscles.
So you can see this Rose quartz piece with the fluoride cap.
This is a twisted massage wand.
So is this one here.
This one is soda light.
And then this one here is rainbow fluorite.
Now these are twisted.
This one is mostly smooth,
but it does have a few flat faces on the side,
but the ends are still both rounded.
So these would be ideal for a massage.
You don't want something too pointy for a massage wand.
Do you want it to be nice and rounded and smooth.
Reflexology wands on the other hand,
have points at one or both ends,
but they're typically not super, super sharp.
They can be, but you don't want them to pierce the skin.
So ideally they shouldn't be that kind of sharp.
And they're used on reflex points throughout the body.
So you can see a reflexology wand right here.
And this just has the point at one end.
In fact, all of these do.
And the great thing about these
is the other end could double as a massage wand
if you wanted it to.
Now, regardless of if you have a massage wand
or a reflexology wand,
they can be used similar to healing wands
for opening chakras, for directing energy and the aura.
And if use for massage or reflexology,
they should only be used by a qualified practitioner
or licensed massage therapist.
Reflexology and acupressure wands
are sometimes called pencils,
if they're cut into a hexagonal shape
and they can have a point at one or both ends.
So for example,
these here would all be called pencils
because they have this pencil like shape to them.
Now let's take a look at crystal donuts or Pi stones.
These stones are easily identified
as round donut shaped stones,
and they're typically flat like a coin,
but they have a smaller hole carved in the center.
And they're commonly worn on a cord as a necklace,
often for prosperity or health.
In Japan, they're also used
for a really special type of rejuvenating facial massage
that to combat signs of aging.
So the little stones are used on either side of the face
and fingers are placed kind of in the holes
and they're moved around the face that way.
In South America, however, these are known as Pi stones
and they're used in the many shamonic practices down there,
including the Munay Ki Rites.
Now, similar to using those little doughnuts
for facial massage,
in Chinese massage,
there are Gua Sha tools
and these scrape along the skin and muscle tissue,
and there is a variety of specialty Gua Sha tools available
to assist in this practice,
but again, they should only be used
by a qualified practitioner.
These are just a few of the shapes you can find,
but I've seen them in probably upwards of eight to 10
different styles.
Massage rollers are a little bit more commonplace
and mainstream than Gua Sha tools and Pi stones,
when it comes to crystal massage.
These rollers are really excellent
for soothing tired muscles
in the hands, feet, shoulders, or back,
but they're also used as beauty aids
by massaging the skin on the face and neck.
And massage rollers should only be used on clients
if you're a qualified massage practitioner
or licensed massage therapist.
Now hough most commonly made of jade,
these roller tools are now being produced
in some other stones.
Rose quartz I would say is the second most popular,
but I've also seen them in amethyst, green aventurine,
golden tiger eye, sodalite, black obsidian
and a few different others.
Now a very misunderstood shape is the crystal skull.
Crystal skulls are surrounded in mystery
and that definitely does them a disservice,
because there are a lot of wild claims out there about them.
Some people believe that they're ancient artifacts
that are here to help us channel information
that's been stored within them.
Others believe that they were created
or even brought to earth by aliens
to help raise the conscious vibration of the planet.
The good news is most of the legend
and aura associated with them is fairly positive,
but other people believe that these are tools for healing
and meditation, and they're meant to be personal tools.
Now, whatever you believe,
most agree that there are probably some ancient skulls
and many, many, many modern skulls.
Many people feel that the ancient skulls
each have a unique consciousness
or energy stored within them,
and that they're actually able to awaken
or activate other crystals that have been carved
into modern skull shapes.
Now, I'm not sure exactly how I feel about all that.
I try and be pretty open-minded
and I heard some interesting stories
and I've even spent some time
with some of these ancient skulls
through different teachers that I've known,
but the jury is still out, in my mind,
on whether or not these really are ancient artifacts.
There are some wild claims as to how these ancient skulls
were created without the modern day tools that we have
and there are some people out there
that have pretty good theories debunking that
and saying that really all these skulls are just modern.
I'm not exactly sure what I think,
but I think that the truth is probably a little bit closer
to the fact that these are modern made items,
but I do think that sometimes we discount the ingenuity
of ancient peoples.
And I definitely think it's possible
that some of these skulls could be ancient.
Now that brings us to our final shape,
the harmonizer.
These are large stone cylinders,
almost exclusively made of selenite.
And they're used in pairs and held in the hands
during meditation.
They're said to help ground you,
which really enhances your meditation
because you feel more connected
and they also promote healing.
They're an effective energy balancing tool
because they're held in the sending and receiving hands
while you're in this amazing place of tranquility
and stillness.
And the only place that I've really seen these available
for sale, is through our friends over at Energy Muse
and they are beautiful.
I got to set a few months ago and started working with them
and I really enjoy the energy.
That's it for this section
of the metaphysics of crystal healing class,
all about crystal shapes.
Until next time, crystal blessings.