The Power of Crystals Black Tourmaline

SA Volunteer: Ricardo Ribeiro

If you could choose just one crystal for yourself or your home, tourmaline would by far be the obvious choice. This is because it has the ability to absorb negative energy from its environment and keep it trapped within its unique, inner structure. Unlike the shiny quartzes and colourful agates this stone doesn’t beg for attention – it simply does its job with quiet confidence.

As with most other crystals, you will find tourmaline in many forms. The most common are what are known as rough – the stone in its original form, usually cut in chunks of various sizes to suit various budgets. In this form the stone will be a soft, almost dull black colour. Equally common are the more intense black examples with striations – deep ridges along the length with inclusions of mica that enhance the beauty and power of the stone.

While the rough examples are popular with purists, you will of course find polished versions in the form of bead bracelets, tumbles, spheres, wands, pyramids and much more. Some prefer the smoother finish for placing on the face or body.

You may also find tourmaline ‘mixed’ with other crystals. The most common is tourmalinated quartz. This is where a tourmaline would have formed through clear quartz. The quartz amplifies the protective and grounding qualities of the black stone which in turn adds strength to the quartz. The two components work together for enhanced results.

What are the best ways to work with this stone?

Keep a small tumble in your pocket or wear it in bracelet form so that it continues to work on your auric field throughout the day. This is ideal to stay protected against negative thoughts and psychic attacks when you are out in public. You can also keep a small piece next to you or under your pillow while you sleep. This is especially useful for releasing any negativity picked up from the interactions of the day.

Then There Are Specific Applications.

All kinds of healers and therapists prefer to have a sizeable piece nearby to shield their aura from the multitude of energies emanating from their clients. This is because the majority of their clients come to them carrying stress, anxiety, feelings of helplessness and other low emotions. A therapist could easily absorb these if not careful. Astrologers of modern times are also turning to this stone to guard against unwanted energies of heavily afflicted charts.

Traditionally, astrologers would use a kalash (copper pot) filled with rice and topped with a coconut as a means of spiritual protection. However, this is not always practical for the tech savvy jyotishis of modern times. Astro software means astrologers can read charts and do consultations on the move with their laptops or mobile phones. For these practitioners, keeping a tourmaline stone with them is practical and arguably just as effective.

Your home is your sanctuary, so it’s important to maintain the sense of peace and security. In an age of online ordering of products and meals we are visited by an increasing number of couriers in addition to friends and relatives. By placing a large chunk (1kg+) of tourmaline near the front door, this stone can be your energy guard, ensuring that toxic thoughts don’t wander in. Some households like to create a protective grid by placing a stone in the four corners around the property.

Protection is better than cure, however it is good to know that methods are available when a cure is required. I have dealt with a number of cases where a property would have been disturbed by spirits. In one case the land had been in dispute between the family members from many generations back. Here again, tourmaline is the ‘go to’ stone for drawing out the unwanted energies.

You can also use these stones as vastu remedies. Urban living often means dwelling in apartments where it is virtually impossible to have ideal room placements. Tourmaline is one of the stones that can help to alleviate doshas. The most common vastu problems arise from toilets/ bathrooms. Traditionally, toilets were kept completely outside the house, but modern plumbing has allowed for a bathroom in almost every bedroom. This is far from ideal, adding to the doshas for the home. An easy remedy is to place tourmaline in each bathroom.

As it resonates with the root chakra at the base of the spine the deep black stone banishes anxiety and wavering thoughts to bring in a sense of calm and alignment. Whether it is stress from a hectic day at work, frustration from traffic or exam anxiety, tourmaline will help you. It is especially a boon for those who tend to feel scattered or drained after visiting public places. Simply sit down with the stone in your hand, breathe deeply and feel centred in your body within 5 minutes.

This author has used tourmaline in numerous cases where the client was feeling ungrounded and spaced out. There can be many reasons for this. From traumatic shocks, foreign energy invasions or escapism. Spirituality is a vast subject with its own pitfalls. Many newcomers suddenly become enamoured with the metaphysical world, believing that they need to go out there and connect with other worlds and dimensions. The problem is that in many cases this is simply a form of escapism. The reality of their existence as a human being on earth has too many painful associations. Instead of embracing who they are and learning their lessons they feel lured by the fantasy of distant worlds.

When such people experiment with astral travel and journeying, they don’t want to come back to their harsh reality. So when they appear to wake up and come back from their ‘travels’ a part of their consciousness gets left behind. The result is someone who has very little alertness, simply going through the motions. The lights are on but no one’s home! It is at times like these that tourmaline can help to bring the person back to reality and pull their consciousness back.

Once the person has come back to reality, it is important to follow up with more work to prevent the need to escape. This is where tourmaline’s ability to balance the brain functions and ‘rewire’ neural pathways is extremely useful. It allows the person to embrace their ground reality and to realise that there is a reason they have taken this birth in this form and under these circumstances.

The stone can use its unique structure to draw out old, negative thoughts from the mind. We often acquire beliefs through our experiences that may not actually be true. Facts are different from perception. Once cleared, space is created for positive, empowering thoughts.

Similarly, people can have a tendency to hold on to emotions from the past. Guilt, regret, fear and the like act as self-created obstacles to realising one’s potential. Furthermore, these emotions act as magnets for attracting more experiences that resonate with those emotions. Left unchecked, a few stressful experiences can soon spiral into dark episodes of depression. Tourmaline can work wonders for the mind by extracting these trapped emotions, thereby enabling you to feel better and attract more meaningful interactions.

Remarkable results have been observed in sessions for people feeling stressed out or anxious. The usual method would be to have the person lie down and to place these black stones on and around the body. You then link the stones energetically to create a healing grid. Let the person relax for 15 to 20 minutes either through some guided meditation or gentle music. It is amazing to see how quickly one can feel calm and almost forget about their daily grind. The same method can work for releasing foreign energies, though this is best combined with other healing methods such as Reiki or hypnotherapy.

Over the long term, continuing to work with tourmaline can help you to overcome the roots of stress, anxiety and psychosomatic body issues. After all, most diseases of the body actually stem from unresolved issues in the mind.

On a physical level, tourmaline can work on the brain, spine and immune system. Experienced healers have seen clients feel relieved of migraines, back pain and fevers.

The best thing about working with stones for healing is that there are no hard and fast rules. Allow the intuition to guide you and will see yourself applying crystals in the most creative ways. Tourmaline can be used for spine issues by having the client lie down and placing the stones along their back. You can choose the size and number of stones as you wish.

Though healers may use crystals for a variety of mental and physical disorders, these should not replace appropriate medical advice. Think of them as your helpers on an energy level.

These stones are also fundamental in chakra healing. In such cases we use a specially made wand but any long piece can do the job. Again, the client is lying down and the wand is moved in a series of strokes above the body to open up the aura. This enables the healer to scan the chakras for diagnosis and healing.

While crystals of various forms have been in use since ancient times, they are efficient in dealing with modern phenomena. For example, we now live among increasing electromagnetic radiation, radio waves and WiFi. This electric ‘smog’ can be especially disturbing for sensitive people. Tourmaline is your ally in helping to transmute the external frequencies into earth energy.

Even after years of working with these stones, this author continues to get surprised with their novel applications. Recently it was discovered how tourmaline can be effective in purifying the water of small ponds and aquariums.

Looking after your tourmaline is easy. Simply keep it in sunlight and it will be as good as new. The solar rays will cleanse the stone of all the energies it absorbed. The best thing is you can leave it in the sun for as long as you like. Once a week is fine, but if you are using it actively for energy work or sessions then it’s best to cleanse it more frequently. A rinse with water is ideal for small tumbles and bracelets.

Beware Of Fakes!

Demand for crystals has been rising over the years, causing pressure on suppliers. Unfortunately, this also attracts unscrupulous practices. At times black agate is sold as tourmaline since it is more readily available and cheaper to source. It can be more difficult to distinguish when polished. The key is to remember that genuine tourmaline will feel softer to the touch. Also, even when polished it has more of a matte appearance in contrast to the shiny finish of agates and obsidians.

In some cases, you may find completely synthetic materials being sold as crystals. With some experience you will be able to identify the fakes just by the feel in your hand. Those who work with energy such as Reiki or Pranic healers will find this easier to do.

People who work with crystals often like to create grids. These are arrangements of stones placed in patterns for various objectives such as distant healing or manifesting. While clear quartz are popular for their directional abilities, tourmalines are often used to add stability and grounding to the grid. I often use tourmaline in grids for distant healing of all kinds of problems from depression to surgeries.

Clear Quartz

One of the most abundant crystals is quartz. Also known as rock crystal, these are formed over thousands of years from deep within the earth’s crust. The high pressures and heat make these one of the highest energy materials found on the planet. While quartz is found in a wide range of colours from smoky brown to strawberry pink, it is the clear variety that is the most common. What it lacks in colour and texture, it more than makes up for with its purity of function.

What makes crystal different to ordinary rock is the organised geometrical structure as opposed to scattered. This alignment is what gives crystals the ability to direct and amplify energy towards whoever works with them.

Ancient civilisations from Lemuria to Egypt have recorded evidence of using these crystals for all kinds of purposes from healing physical ailments to seeing the future. One of the most fascinating qualities of these ‘beings’ is memory power. It is believed that they store information from the time of their creation. Crystal workers of modern times make use of this ability by programming them for various intentions from healing to manifestation. They simply connect with the crystal by holding it in their hand and stating their objective. Some even meditate with these to access the stored memories for learning insights about the distant past. Lemurian quartz is known for containing libraries of data about the lost civilisation that it is named after. It contains lateral grooves along its facets which apparently can be rubbed to reveal the information. They are the hard drives of the crystal world.

Healers love to use clear quartz because it can amplify energy. Energy practitioners such as Reiki masters often use this crystal to enhance the intensity of the healing powers. It can be placed on the body in the form of small tumbles or held in the hand in the form of a wand or point. As the energy passes through the crystal, it is amplified and focused. Its high vibration yet earthy quality allows it to resonate with all the major chakras for cleansing and purification. This adds to its versatility and master healer quality.

Therapists of various modalities have observed the difference when healing with crystals. In some cases the client themselves are fascinated with the feeling of vibration and energy just after 10 minutes.

Clear quartz works amazingly well with hypnotherapy too. The crystal seems to help the subject to connect with the subconscious mind in order to regress to the core memories from earlier in the current or past life. It also aids in bringing clarity for higher spiritual awareness. This is very important as in some cases, the client’s own doubts can cloud the session.

The purity of quartz enables one to connect directly with higher frequencies. This makes it an ideal companion for astral travellers and those who like to communicate with spirit guides.

We have read tales of mystics peering through crystal balls to see the future. In modern times we do have clairvoyants who are indeed able to enhance their visions by gazing at a crystal ball. Quartz is most commonly used for this purpose.

Many who venture into the world of crystals will come across quartz quite early. Later, the allure of the wide spectrum of stones from Lapis Lazulis to Tiger’s Eyes and Amethysts are too much to resist. However, you will always return to quartz as its power lies in its simplicity.

The most popular application is in grids. You will often see pointed quartz around the patterns to direct the flow of energy between other stones. Even the World Peace Crystal Grid, located in the North and South poles among other locations, consists of clear quartz. The programmability and ability to store and amplify energy makes this the preferred choice.

It is also popular with vastu practitioners. You may have seen them in the shape of faceted spheres hanging in locations where the energy needs uplifting due to a dosha. Whereas tourmaline is used for absorbing negative energy, quartz is employed for converting negativity to a higher frequency.

On a mental level, this crystal is ideal to use for manifesting, setting intentions and giving clarity of purpose. It raises your consciousness allowing you to see life from a higher perspective.

Physically, quartz can be used for healing all kinds of ailments, especially those of the psychosomatic variety. Its ability to clear blockages removes dense, negative energy from the aura, the domain of the mind to allow prana to flow more freely through the chakras to the body. This clearing of energy facilitates the removal of toxins from the body.

Primarily this crystal will work on the immune system and blood circulation while enabling reoxygenation at the cell level. It works on the basics of the body functions for more holistic healing rather than focus on specific symptoms. The inherent cooling nature gives it an anti-inflammatory quality, ideal for alleviating arthritis and swelling.

The beauty of clear quartz is that it can be ‘programmed’ for virtually any objective you desire. Simply keep your intention in mind while you hold it. That itself is the key with all crystals. You need to connect with them regularly. Leaving them lying around to gather dust will cause them to remain in a dormant state, with no effect.

Ensure you find an authentic example. Most crystals will feel cool to the touch. You can also feel a subtle sensation when you hold it, giving you a sense of connection. Artificial pieces tend to be plastic and so they will feel warm with no vibration whatsoever.

Keep Your Crystal Clean & Energised.

As with most translucent varieties, quartz should not be kept in direct sunlight for long durations. 15 minutes in a bowl of water is fine in indirect light. A quick rinse under running water is ideal for regular cleansing. Keeping crystals out on a full moon night is one of the most favoured methods for re-energising.

While not technically living beings, crystals can be a valuable companion for the mind, body and soul. Try one and see for yourself.