Lapis lazuli was the very first semi-precious gemstone that I had actual real-time healing experience with. It opened the door for me to the healing power of gemstones and from that day forward I have always carried a pouch of stones the color of the rainbow for healing purposes.
Crystal Beginnings
I was always drawn to crystals; even as a child I used to collect the shiny and quartz-like crystals from the neighbors’ yards and the turn-around in front of my country home. I collected so many, in fact, that I used to break my bedroom drawers with shoe boxes filled with rocks and crystals I had found. My mother, frustrated and annoyed, used to throw the stones out repeatedly, which eventually led me to give up my adoration of stones out of pure defeat—until one day in my twenties.
I traveled to India for the first time in 2001. When I reached the city of Pushkar I was overtaken by the glorious shops filled by the buckets with every color of crystal and gemstone you can imagine. There were rings, pendants, spheres, daggers, rough and raw stones, polished and carved stones, bowls, bracelets, goblets, and more. My passion began to percolate under the surface. I couldn’t deny that the stones were talking to me once again.
Choosing Stones
To begin, since I had no idea how to use the stones for healing, I bought a small book and a gemstone for each color of the rainbow—including clear quartz and black tourmaline. The blue I chose was a square piece of lapis lazuli with tiny gold flakes. It was the first blue that stood out to me, and along with the red jasper, orange carnelian, yellow citrine, green jade, and purple amethyst, I tucked the lapis lazuli into my new gemstone pouch to begin working with it.
Since I was traveling and far away from home, I thought having stones for the purpose of healing could be beneficial. It was hard to come by many herbal remedies I was familiar with, and I was not too keen on allopathic medication except for in an emergency. So I started to read the small green booklet I got in order to educate myself on each of the stones and the healing uses they were known for.
Each day I picked one of the stones to carry around with me and study. I would take it to the lake, to the restaurant, to the porch watching the sunset, and I would carry it in my pocket to play with so my energy could become familiar with its signature.
Lapis Lazuli Introduces Itself
One day I came down with a very high fever. My partner was worried that I had something like Dengue Fever, outlined in the Lonely Planet travel guide as one of the possible causes for high fevers in S.E. Asia. All I knew is that I was burning up and I recalled that one of the stones was supposed to be beneficial for alleviating fevers. I flipped through my guide to find lapis lazuli to be the most beneficial in this regard out of all the stones I possessed.
I held this small stone near me, and even placed it on my forehead. Since I had nothing else to help bring the fever down I decided to just curl up with my lapis lazuli and take an intentional nap. I spoke the words that I intended to work with this stone in order to help reduce my fever and bring me back into health and strength, and then I fell asleep.
I am not certain for how long I slept, but I do know that at some point the stone fell from my hand onto the cement floor of my guest house room. The sound of it falling woke me up and when I reached down to retrieve the stone it was burning hot. After retaking my temperature I found my fever gone, and I was back to normal. The lapis was on fire—it had obviously absorbed my fever somehow. After this I was fully convinced of the power of gemstone healing. I cleared the lapis by running saltwater over it and burying it outside in the earth overnight to remove anything negative it took on. From that point forward I was a full-fledged believer. Gemstone healing works!
Lapis Lazuli in History
In Ancient Egypt lapis lazuli was used for both healing and as a make-up. It both adorned the crowns and breast plates of royalty as well as got buried in tombs of the pharaohs to accompany them into the next life. It is thought that lapis lazuli was one of the original stones on the breastplate of Aaron mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible—referred to as sapphire. Seeing how there was no sapphire in that region of the world, but tons of lapis, it’s likely the stone was lapis lazuli instead.
Non-Physical Influences
Perhaps lapis was found so valuable by those in ancient times because it has been found to protect one against negativity and psychic attacks as it helps to ward off energy thrown at you by those who would wish to destroy you. At the same time, lapis lazuli helps to enhance the power of the word—of communication and the power to speak one’s truth. Those in positions of leadership would find this stone very potent, as it helps to open the throat chakra so that what needs to be spoken can be done so with ease.
Lapis lazuli also has the ability and vibration to support honest communication as well as strengthen the moral compass in regards to the situation at hand. Lapis not only stimulates the throat chakra, but also the creative centers in the body due to the combination of gemstone elements it takes to create this stone, which include pyrite, calcite, lazurite, and sodalite.
Physical Body Influences
Due to the dark, rich color of lapis lazuli, its influence moves upon issues of the throat, thyroid, and thymus glands in a positive and enriching way. It helps the nervous system to calm and moves congestion in the respiratory system. Because of its effects on the immune system, one could refer to lapis as the stone of longevity, so beneficial is its energy to the entire body system clear down to the marrow of the bones. By wearing lapis lazuli one is truly reminded of their divine royal heritage and the capacity of the physical body to self-regenerate and self-renew.
In ancient cultures lapis lazuli was referred to as the stone of immortality. It was believed that wearers of the stone would live forever and that death was merely a passage into another level of this life. Burying one with lapis would assure one passage into the next realm and queens would adorn themselves with lapis as a way to ward off wrinkles and stay forever youthful.
As far as basic human ailments, lapis lazuli has been found beneficial in helping:
- Depression
- Inflammation/allergies
- Vertigo
- Blood pressure
- Fevers
- Throat issues
- Insomnia
- Cleansing the organs
- Anxiety
- Immune functions
- Nervous system
- Mental clarity
- Brain balance
- Communication
- Heart conditions
- PMS/cramps
- Headaches
- Pain in general
- Infections
Revealing Inner Truths
When working with lapis lazuli it is true that it will assist you in coming into deeper contact with your personal version of truth, whatever that may be. It opens the physical body up in the way of emotional and spiritual energy, balancing the energy centers of the body and balancing out the immune functions of the physical so that the higher states of consciousness may be more easily accessed. When this occurs, yes, it is akin to waking up to a deeper level of reality. It is the equivalent of opening the third eye in order to reveal the true objectives and desires in every part of your life.
When we choose to align with lapis we are telling our bodies that we are ready to face all that which blocks us from accessing the deepest layers of our personal truths. These truths may be hidden beneath subconscious debris, ancestral patterns or physical symptoms. These truths may be behind the stories of past lives or within the constructs of distorted belief structures. Wherever our authenticity hides, using lapis lazuli over a period of time will surely help to bring the true you to the surface.
Whether facing physical body strain or spiritual growth, lapis lazuli is a fantastic stone to work with. Just simply sitting with lapis every day, in meditation or even while driving, can help the subtle bodies open to the messages and healing power of this beautiful and ancient stone.
