Ten Healing Crystals for Men
Excerpt from: A Guide to Gem and Crystal Therapy
by Karen Ryan, Crystal Energy Therapist

Crystals and gemstones have often been worn by men as jewelry, or to
decorate formal suits to signify their official or regal status in society.
In ancient times polished crystals were embedded on shields for protection
during battle. Carved crystal amulets offered protection from poisoned wine.
Gem and crystal crafting today is still almost exclusively men's work.
However, the use of precious metals and gem synthetics has slowly replaced
the use of gemstones in popular men's jewelry. The use of crystals for
healing was popularized in the tale of England's King Arthur with his
wizard, Merlin, who lived in the Crystal Cave.

If you feel awkward about wearing crystals dangling down in front of your
tie in public, and are not inclined to be an "urban shaman", here are some
suggestions:

a.. Wear your healing crystals in a medicine pouch (a pouch on a string)
and tuck it down inside your shirt. Try to select crystals that are
relatively flat, and your pouch will go unnoticed. Place your crystals
inside a small pouch and drop it into your breast pocket to help heal your
Heart.

b.. For the office or workplace, leave your stones out as decorative
objects. If anyone asks, you can say you are a collector, or you are buying
it for your kids as part of their geology class.

c.. Keep your crystals loose inside your front pants pockets, and hold
them for a while several times during the day.

d.. At night, leave the crystals next to your bed or under your pillow.
Remember to cleanse and recharge your crystals at least once a month.

I asked a number of healers (both men and women) about what they felt were
the healing issues for men. The responses are grouped as:

a.. social isolation
b.. stress-related
c.. emotional health
d.. intuition
e.. communications
f.. health issues
g.. self-esteem and power
h.. communication

I have listed a selection of ten crystals and gemstones from a group of
twenty-five which are useful in healing men and some of the men's issues
listed above.

Amethyst
A "Master Healing Crystal". Also called "the Royal Stone". Amethyst's most
noted healing quality is its ability to purify and transmute all forms of
negativity. Get a large Amethyst cryystal cluster for your home or office to
protect yourself from hostile energies around you. If anxiety causes
shortness of breath, put the cluster on or near your chest and breath slowly
for a few minutes to lessen the symptoms. Consider a large, well-set
amethyst gemstone ring to enhance your personal magnetism and to provide
mental clarity. Amethyst is also helpful for migraines, arthritic pains, and
connecting to one's spirituality for guidance.

Garnet
The "Sex Stone" - Garnet strengthens and restores physical and emotional
energy lost through constantly ensuring the protection and welfare of
others. When you feel a bit lost or abandonned in the chaos of daily life,
Garnet helps to provide the needed grounding and empowering to become more
decisive and committed to a direction. Garnet is well-known for enhancing
and regenerating one's sexuality (the physical aspects). For best effects,
tape a small half-inch piece at the Hara centre - one and one-half inches
below the navel - and wear it overnight.

Jade
A "Crystal of Tranquility". Also called "the Sport Stone", promoting agility
and swiftness. Many men from the Far East know the benefits of wearing Jade.
Some will tell you that it is for their health, and how the colour of the
Jade gets darker with good health and lighter with declining health. Jade
soothes the emotions, and provides emotional detachment and restoration
after various traumas such as minor surgery, divorce, funerals, or loss of
job. Some say it is for good luck. Jade is a stone which is easily obtained
in most city centres and can be openly worn as a pendant.

Rose Quartz
"The Love Stone" - Rose Quartz is another Master Healing Crystal that
specializes in transmuting emotional negativity at all levels. It enhances
one's ability to give and receive love, by opening the Heart chakra and
stimulating greater flexibility in communications. It mellows out a
relunctant Heart, and provides peace in relationships through harmony. Rose
Quartz is used for meditation, as it stills one's aggressive thoughts and
provides mental tranquility. It can heal a broken heart very quickly too.

Smokey Quartz
The "Emotional Balancer Crystal" - Smokey Quartz is a very specialized
crystal for negative emotional energy. This crystal is excellent for mood
swings, aggressive actions, ill temper, and generally nasty thoughts. It
grounds all kinds of negative energy. This stone is helpful for burnout,
fear of failure, reluctance to take risks, or wanting revenge, as well as
for tendancies to over-eat, smoke or drink due to stress. It helps you
accept responsibility for yourself, and to broaden your capacity for
effective communication by dissolving self-limiting perceptions.

Diamond
"The King of Crystals" - Diamond intensifies and activates one's internal
energies through its purity of vibration. The better the quality of Diamond,
the better one's own personal qualities and actions. When freely given,
Diamond power becomes activated and can be used for manifesting abundance
and increasing personal self-esteem. It is a token of one's love to another,
and both enhances and radiates the beauty of the wearer. The Diamond is also
known for invincibility, representing the life force (prana).

Hematite
"The Stress Stone" - Hematite is a versatile metallic-like crystal used for
enhancing one's logic, mathematical abilities, rational thinking and depth
of technical knowledge. It grounds creative energy to make one's thoughts
more practical and focused. As a "Stress Stone", Hematite reflects
negativity back to the sender, so you don't end up with someone else's
stress. For backache or leg cramps, use surgical tape to fix a few pieces
onto painful areas. The crystal's energy is like a magnet and effectively
draws out pain related to muscular or joint alignment problems. Hematite is
also used to reduce insomnia.

Lapis Lazuli
"The Stone of The Pharaohs" - Lapis Lazuli is well-known as a favorite stone
used in the courts of the ancient Egyptian Kings. Lapis means "stone" and
Lazuli means "blue". This deep blue stone is used for stimulating mental
strength and intellectual precision. Lapis is a consciousness elevator,
raising one's awareness to new heights and to greater expansion. It brings
feelings of success and connectedness and protection. For intuitive people,
Lapis intensifies psychic power.

Malachite
"A Man's Stone" - The deep forest green of Malachite is symbolic of the deep
healing and cleansing this stone provides. It can aid in breaking down old
patterns, whether emotional (stuck patterns of behavior) or physical
(tumors, swollen joints, muscular). Malachite promotes business
relationships and the increase of wealth by removing obstacles to one's
growth. The most important aspect of this crystal's healing ability,
however, is for the preventive health of the physical heart and liver. If
you are attracted to this crystal, chances are you have a family history of
heart-related problems and probably need a heart check-up.

Moonstone (Adularia)
"The Feminine Balancing Crystal". To soften and balance dominant male
attributes with some feminine qualities, Moonstone provides for a depth of
perception and feelings, discernment, creativity and self-expression. Other
properties of Moonstone - increases awareness and focus, releases one's
intuition, has rejuvenating qualities for the skin and hair (baldness?),
reduces water retention, and provides protection for travelers. Moonstones
increase their powers before and during the full moon, so leave them out at
night to soak up the moon's rays.