|
|
School of the Wise
Home } Sundancer's Writings } Basic Beliefs } Magick } Sabbats/Wheel of the Year }
Candle/Color Correspondences } Crystals, Gems & Stones } Deities } Divination }
Element(al)s/Directions } Esbats/Moon Magick & Lore } FAQ's } Healing }
Incense, Oils & Aromatherapy } Laws, Rules & Ordains } Rituals } Spells }
Tools } Spiritual Articles by Others } Links
Lesson 18: Gems, Herbs and Healing Society as a whole is no longer taught to understand the true power of the environment, and the things that surround us. We are taught that the Earth is here merely for us to use as we please. If you are new to Wicca, or have just never really considered the sanctity of the Earth, this lesson is very important for you. It is my personal belief that the living articles around us have powers that we have just begun to understand. There is a wealth of information to be learned, and benefits to be gained, if we will only take the time to understand them. I also firmly believe, that these living beings require some faith, and even respect, before they will work to their full potential. The gems and herbs that Silver discusses in this chapter are living things. They give off energy, they take in energy, in their own forms. And the Native American and Shamans teach that they have their own being. This being the case, I think it is fair to assume that we will not be able to utilize this power if we do not first understand it, and secondly respect it.
The understanding comes from studying what others have to say, and experimentation. But the true respect is more of an ingrained sense of kinship with the various energy forms around us. And that, in my opinion, is the key to allowing these gems and herbs to have their full effect in our lives.
On page 205 Silver points out that "the Native AMerican believes that ll parts of the Universe are sacred. To use the benefits of the Universe, one must become part of it to understand it. This should be true for the Witch, as well." It only stands to reason that until we cease thinking of ourselves as better than our surroundings, we won't be able to fully utilize the potential that these life forces have made available to us.
Enough of the preaching, but hopefully you see the point I'm trying to make here.
The Properties of Rocks
Throughout the ages, there was no debating whether or not rocks had a life energy. It was only with the "advancement" of man did this become questioned. It was once an understood fact that these gifts were indeed full of energy and ability. Fortunately, we are beginning to once again understand Gem Power.Rocks are categorized as precious and semi-precious. As Silver mentions the only real distinction is their supply and their demand. Many of the rocks mentioned in this chapter are semi-precious and should not cost an arm and a leg to obtain.
Gem Energy
These gems can aide us in many different ways. They can be used in an action format, such as in healing. They can also be used more passively such as an aide in meditation. This works through the gems energies literally being absorbed into our body, and thus their individual properties begin to flow through us.Silver then goes on to discuss the possible side affects, or overloads, that can occur. Make no doubt about it, these are real symptoms. The only logical explanation I can come up with is that when absorbing the stone's energies, you are actually mixing two types of energy. Quite frankly, sometimes it goes together like oil and water. They just don't mix. If you start to experience adverse reactions, stop working with that particular stone, or family of stone's, for a time. Don't give up completely yet, just take a break. Maybe your energies were a bit off that day, and that kind of caused the imbalance. Maybe your sub-conscious was protecting you in it's sometimes overly dramatic fashion. You may find that when you return to that stone it works like a charm.
Silver then points out a nice easy way to recall what the stone's properties are. Obviously all the stone's have a color. If you forget what that particular stone is meant to do, refer to your color chart. Generally it will help guide you in the right direction.
On a personal note, don't let yourself be so caught up in what a particular stone is "supposed" to be used for. How do you think people came up with these "property" lists anyway? Through experimentation and trial and error. But, what works for some may not work for you. If you feel the need to try a stone for a reason other than what is listed in the book, by all means do so. You may be amazed at the result. We Wiccans must always be ready to think outside the box.
Using Gems and Stones
The first thing that should be done after finding that perfect stone, is to cleanse and consecrate it. This can be done very simply, by placing it under running water, or in the window so the sun and moon energies can reach it. Or you may want to use something more elaborate, such as a complete Ritual. Either way is fine, so long as you do something. Remember, these stones not only give off energy, they also take in energy. You have no clue who may have been "playing" with that stone before you got it. Better to be safe than sorry.Using Gems is simply a matter of a little thought and creativity. Get them out of your sacred circle, and into your daily life. If you are having a problem, consult your research and your intuition and pick a stone that will help. It's rather silly to leave all this knowledge in our spiritual realm, and not bring it into our physical one.
Silver provides us with an excellent resource on pages 208 - 211. I'm not going to repeat what she has her, but I do urge you to read through the properties she has listed. She concludes by saying that "the best way to familiarize yourself with gems and stones is to work with them yourself." Hmmmm...
Crystals
perhaps no other item of this kind is as well known to be associated with Paganism and the "New Age Movement" (I hate that title lol) than the Crystal. But, that being the case, there are several things that a crystal can be used for, and I do recommend that you have one available to you.Plants and Herbs
The life energy of the herbs and plants is very similar to that of gems and stones, but much easier to observe to the human mind. My fiancé, love her with all my heart, used to constantly try and wean her plants off of water. Needless to say it didn't work well at all. We can see the growth of plants and herbs, so it should be much easier to understand and accept that they are living things, just as we are.Silver then provides us with 2 separate, yet in a way connected, lists of herbs and their uses. Again, this list is not complete, and should not be taken as "gospel" but it is an excellent starting point. Be sure and review this list carefully, as you will refer to it in your learning.
Harvesting Plants and Herbs
As you all know by now, I don't claim to be an expert on anything, but this is one area that I don't really have any experience to draw from. I'm perfectly comfortable using purchased herbs and such in my workings. My theory is that it's still the same item, just already ready for me to use. So, rather than repeating everything Silver has to say here, I'll just let you all read through this section and pick it apart as you need too.Empowering Plants
Like any other "tool" you must control the intent of the plants/herbs that you work with. By telling the plant what you require, you are in essence focusing your combined energy on one goal. It may seem a little strange at first telling the plant what it's supposed to do, but believe me, it's better to feel a little awkward than to leave the energies unfocused.
Healing
The first thing that needs to be understood when discussing healing is that it is NOT a skill that will be learned over night. Granted, some have more of a affinity for healing than others, but anyone can learn and it will take time. So don't pressure yourself to become the expert healer in a week. There's a lot to be learned, and a lot of mistakes to be made, along this road.Once you are comfortable with your healing abilities, and likely even before then, you will be sought out for assistance. It won't matter if you have never told anyone of your interest. Somehow, life just has a way of bringing these opportunities in front of us. When this happens, there are many things you need to consider before actually agreeing to help someone.
1. Are you able to help them? It's far better to be honest with yourself and the other person if you don't feel you are up to that challenge.
2. Do I have permission to help the person? This may sound odd at first, but you may be called on to help a friends friend, or something like that. I'm sorry to report that there are no concrete guidelines that say when you should and should not intervene. There are many things you will have to consider. Personally, I try not to get involved without the person in need of assistance granting me permission directly. However, there are times that's just not an option. If it's a matter of life or death, I'm going to do everything I can to help that person. Some may say that's wrong, because it may be their time to pass on. Well, quite frankly, I'm not so arrogant as to think that I can overpower death. If it's that persons time to go, than all the work I do won't matter. But, if it's not, and I don't do anything, then perhaps they will suffer needlessly.
3. How can I teach this person how to help themselves? Surely you've heard the "teach a man to fish" story. Same principle applies here. If you can help that person to help themselves, and learn how to repeat the process, you have just given them a wonderful gift. You have also helped yourself, because you won't need to be "bothered" by the same situation again over and over.
4. How can I get this person involved in the healing process? As with anything else, the more the "patient" is involved, the more successfully ow are going to be. It's important to have them help you during this process, and Silver provides some good ideas on how to do that.Now for some general "rules" of what not to do.
1. Never tell anyone you can definitely fix their problem. You can't guarantee that.
2. Never replace modern medical care. There are times when modern medicine is needed. Work with the doctor's treatment, not against it.
3. Don't resort to Magick too quickly. Perhaps all they needed was someone to listen. Or maybe they need physical assistance with food or something. Don't get your self so spiritual minded that you are no earthly good.Healing Yourself
Have you ever heard that the mechanics car never runs right, or the painter's house is chipping? Lots of times we get so caught up in our "jobs" that we don't want to transfer that knowledge to our home. Don't let that be the case here. Silver gives some wonderful suggestions of how to heal yourself. USE THEM! You aren't going to be any good to anyone else, let alone yourself, if you are ill.Healing Another
Quite honestly, this is the best description and process of healing another that I have seen. It covers everything. The key points are that the person must want to get better. The mind is a powerful thing. It can overcome many challenges, but it can also bring on many problems. Until the person wants to get better, nothing you do will change their current state. Also, be careful of pulling that dark energy into you. You can, and will if not careful, manifest some of the signs and symptoms of that persons illness if you don't take the necessary precautions. And by all means, have them follow up with their doctor. There was a time when physicians laughed at "natural healing", but more and more it's becoming acceptable.Hopefully you have learned a great deal in this lesson, there certainly was a lot of material here. Feel free to throw out your questions to the list.
Writing Assignment:
Pick one stone/gem and one plant/herb and research it. Record it's properties, tendencies, harvesting issues if you want. Whatever you find that is beneficial to you. Then describe how this new found knowledge can help you in your spiritual and physical realms.
Site design and content are property of
Web Of Shadows, copyright 2000.
