Hematite

MarLynS

I'm sorry if this has been discussed before.

Me, I'm new to using crystals.

I'm finding that if my mood is anxious, then having a hematite crystal in my pocket seems to help. If my mood is level and I'm feeling calm and relatively happy then I seem to slip into sadness and a black mood if I carry my crystal. An example.

This happened yesterday. We went out to our local thrift store. There were a lot of people there. Lots of different energies. In particular there was one little angry boy who was having a tantrum. He was trying to hit and bite and was screaming bloody murder. He was so loud that most everyone there seemed to be affected.

After we came home I slipped into this sad emotional place and told my husband about a trivial thing that happened 45 years ago. I put the crystal away and my mood flipped again. I had the crystal in my pocket for several hours.

Now I'm an introverted "feeler" (Myers-Briggs) and sometimes deal with mild depression and some anxiety, but not to the point where treatment has ever been required.

Anyone here have any comments or experiences about using hematite that they care to share?
 

shelikes2read

Hematite is a very grounding stone, and it's often used to help protect against exactly the kinds of energy that we are exposed to when there is a tantrum or other disturbance in progress. I feel sorry for the boy and for his parents/caretakers, especially if his emotions max out like that on a regular basis. It must be hard on them all.

You might want to give the hematite some cleansing treatment after going through such a jarring experience. Keep it out of salt water, as hematite is a form of iron oxide. But some sunlight should help brighten it up. You can also look through the "cleansing with sound" thread for some links to cleansing tones you can play back. In particular, 528 Hz is a pitch that's used for cleansing and lightwork, and it's easy to find online. Taking some action to knock out that unwanted energy will be helpful.

Speaking of sunlight, it is a known serotonin booster, as is exercise. So if you create a routine for yourself that includes a daily dose of sunlight and some physical activity (fortunately, this doesn't have to be Olympic-training levels of exertion), you will be able to stave off some of those bouts of low-level depression. One thing to avoid is giving in to carb cravings, which depression can cause. Carbohydrates boost serotonin temporarily, making us feel better, but then the serotonin level comes crashing down and we feel just as bad as before, if not worse.

I hope this helps. :)
 

MarLynS

Hematite is a very grounding stone, and it's often used to help protect against exactly the kinds of energy that we are exposed to when there is a tantrum or other disturbance in progress. I hope this helps. :)

Thanks for the info on cleansing with sound. I hadn't heard of that before, but had read about some of the other cleansing methods.

Yes, I felt for the mother as well. It must be horrible to cope with a situation like that on a regular basis. It was ugly. And I got the distinct feeling that this was not an isolated incident.

And, I do already follow your tips for healthy living. :)

I'm a member of the over 50 crowd, generally work out about 7 hours a week ... weights, walking, biking, and water running and core exercises. Use a light box, take my vitamins, maintain a healthy weight, no smoking / very moderate booze consumption etc., etc. All those things are very important and make a big difference in how I feel.

I'm generally feeling OK in general lately, but don't really know whether having the hematite on me played into my emotional reaction after being around the energies. It was quite an abrupt flip into the mood and then back out again. Strange.
 

Hiding in Shadows

It sounds to me like you don't need hematite right now. It is a strong grounding stone, which many people can benefit from. If you are a naturally grounding person, or suffer from something like depression, a lighter or higher energy stone may work better. Perhaps a red jasper or carnelian would suit you better? They both have a perky energy that might pull you up a bit. I myself have had trouble with hematite. It just drags me down and I can't take much of it. If you feel you need a grounding stone, tiger eye or red jasper may help. They are very gentle, but still work well. It just sounds like the hematite affects you too much.
 

MarLynS

It sounds to me like you don't need hematite right now. It is a strong grounding stone, which many people can benefit from. If you are a naturally grounding person, or suffer from something like depression, a lighter or higher energy stone may work better. Perhaps a red jasper or carnelian would suit you better? They both have a perky energy that might pull you up a bit. I myself have had trouble with hematite. It just drags me down and I can't take much of it. If you feel you need a grounding stone, tiger eye or red jasper may help. They are very gentle, but still work well. It just sounds like the hematite affects you too much.

That's what I was feeling. It was as if the hematite was overwhelming me. Not sure but I think so.

I do have some jasper and carnelian as well. Will try those as well as the hematite again. This is all very interesting!

:)
 

stonesatiety

I am also a naturally grounded person. My challenge was to lighten up! The first grounder that came to me was black tourmaline. Hematite did not attract me at all. I shrugged at all the people who loved shiny, metallic, polished hematite. Tourmaline felt lighter, while still grounding strongly, perfect for me.

Next came Obsidian: black, rainbow, different sheen colors, etc. Obsidian is volcanic glass that feels more fluid to me next to tourmaline's slighly grainy feel, energetically speaking.

Then I saw some crystallized hematite with clear quartz laserwands. I loved it immediately and still have those small clusters before the computer monitor and around the house. Crystallized hematite feels much lighter to me, but is not durable for carry.

Then one day digging around in piles of forgotten stones behind a local rock shop, I found a black chunk somebody had tossed out. It was chipped on one side, revealing a sparkly interior, and sparkled from its black and rusted surface. I really liked the stone, which turned out to be hematite! It has what still looks to me like a paw print on top (it looks like a small flat-topped mountain.) One side has crystallized a bit more over the years and it now shines brightly. Stones often change on their own, especially when living in a loving environment. I brought a small desert rose (selenite) home that felt good with the stone, and it still sits atop the hematite years later. Energetically, hematite feels solid to me, just solid.

It sounds as if other grounding stones may be best for now, but hematite may return one day, as it did for me. I recommend trusting what comes first to you. We tend to doubt, which distorts the message. Have fun!
 

MarLynS

I am also a naturally grounded person. My challenge was to lighten up!

Ha! Yes, I am a serious person who needs to lighten up a bit too.

:)

The first stone that I acquired was that shiny chunk of hematite. I happened to go into a new shop in our small town. I had just been to a "healthy living / weight loss and maintenance" ladies group that I attend. Everyone had been talking at once. I was hungry. The owner of the shop and I started chatting. I started vibrating. The owner gave me the hematite to hold and I promptly stopped vibrating. Coincidence? I bought the hematite. :)

Today I went to the ladies group meeting. I had been asked to take photographs there, so I spent about two hours in the "hen house" / cackle energy. It drains me. Instead of my hematite, I took a piece of red jasper that I like. Plus, I took a shot of a Bach Flower Remedy that has a history of helping me.

After the meeting my husband and I went shopping. We went to Wal*Mart and the grocery store and other places. Everywhere we went it was busy. Easter shoppers. The kind of energy that increases my (and my husband's) anxiety levels.

I stayed calm through the meeting and after. Grounded. I exchanged smiles with some of the strangers when we were out and about doing errands.

Maybe the hematite is overpowering for me right now and the red jasper was what I needed today.

Thanks everybody.

:)
 

Hemera

This thread has been added to our Crystal Study Group Index
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=175866

(ETA: If there are observations you want to add about a particular crystal in the Crystal Study Group you are always welcome to revive any of the threads in there.)
 

singerofpeace

Black Tourmaline in Quartz

Just adding my two cents :) I also agree that Black Tourmaline may be awesome for you, especially because of its helpfulness in converting negative energy into positive. I might suggest, however, my favorite variety of it- inside clear quartz crystal! Tourmalated/Tourmalined/Tourmalinated Quartz (I've seen it go by all of those names) takes all the awesomeness of the grounding, negative-to-positive energies of the Black Tourmaline and multiplies it with the magnifying energies of the quartz. It is also beautiful, and shouldn't be terribly expensive! Enjoy!
 

shelikes2read

That reminds me of one other source of black tourmaline: Dalmatian Jasper. That is a white or light-colored Jasper stone full of Black Tourmaline rods; when the stone is cut and polished, the rods cause a black spotted pattern on the stone's surface.

That might be yet another alternative if you're in search of a grounding or protective stone, but find Hematite too potent.