Lithotherapy
The term lithotherapy originates from the Greek words “lithos,” meaning stone, and “therapeia,” meaning care. It refers to the art of healing through stones.
This holistic healing method uses stones and crystals to interact with all levels of being. Every living being and matter is energy. These energies reflect our physical, mental, and emotional states. When we change our emotions, we alter the vibrational frequency of our emotional state. Minerals possess strong energy with distinct characteristics based on their composition and crystallization. Their subtle and stable energy is used in lithotherapy to influence our vibrational frequency and improve our overall state of being. These energy flows are absorbed and transmitted through chakras and meridians.
Lithotherapy is not a form of medicine and does not cure diseases.
Its History in Brief
The energetic virtues of stones have been known for at least 3 million years. The earliest account comes from the Nippur tablets in Mesopotamia, which document the use of minerals alongside plants in traditional medicine. The Egyptians ingested powdered Lapis-Lazuli as a medicinal treatment and were the first to study the symbolism of stone colors and the art of placing them on the body. The Aztecs revered stones and wore them as jewelry to address various ailments. In acupuncture, the Chinese enhanced the energetic power of their needles by adding a stone bead selected for its vibrational properties.
More recently, the term “lithotherapy” emerged in the second half of the twentieth century. Medium Edgar Cayce was the first to draw attention to the healing properties of minerals, discussing the curative power of crystals. Subsequently, through the New Age movement of the 1960s and 1970s, lithotherapy developed as a form of alternative and complementary medicine.
Benefits
There are hundreds of documented stones and crystals, making it possible to address all physical, mental, or emotional ailments in our animals. Additionally, combining multiple stones and crystals can enhance their effects.
Who is it for?
This therapy is suitable for all animals that are comfortable with human contact, whether for chakra scanning, wearing a stone, or drinking a mineral elixir. It is crucial to ensure that your animal does not have any intolerance to certain minerals.
Contraindications
There are essentially none, except for potential intolerances to certain minerals and the risk of the animal licking or swallowing stones if placed under its bedding.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of toxic stones that should not be ingested by animals (or humans): Anglesite, Cerussite, Chalcanthite, Cinnabar, Crocoite, Erythrite, Galena, Nickeline, Proustite, Realgar, Sulfur, Stibnite, Vanadinite, Wulfenite, Zircon…