Transcripts
We have these guardians of our
souls, these local medicines,
Speaker:these beings wherever you are that
actually want to help you make these
Speaker:microadjustments, help you
align to your path again.
Speaker:Hello and welcome back to
Remember Why You're Here,
Speaker:a podcast for seekers and sensitives
where you can relax, receive,
Speaker:reconnect to yourself, and remember
the most important thing of all,
Speaker:why you're here. I'm Asia
Suler, author, Earth Intuitive,
Speaker:teacher. And in this episode today,
Speaker:I want to talk about one of my favorite
and most prolific medicines on the whole
Speaker:planet. And that medicine is stones.
Speaker:So my journey into healing
really began in a lot
Speaker:of ways with the plants,
Speaker:but at the same time in my late teens,
Speaker:early 20s that I was falling
in love with the plants,
Speaker:I was also falling in love with stones.
Speaker:At the time I just was tickled
to find a beautiful stone,
Speaker:to lay my body on giant
boulders in the woods,
Speaker:to just be with the mineral realm.
I did not know that stone
Speaker:medicine is actually a really
ancient form of medicine.
Speaker:So stone medicine,
Speaker:the concept of stone medicine arises
directly out of this bedrock belief of
Speaker:humanity that we call animism,
Speaker:this idea that everything on the
planet is alive and animated by its own
Speaker:consciousness, its own
sentience, and its own medicine.
Speaker:That's why I say everything is medicine
and so are you because we carry medicine
Speaker:as well.
Speaker:And stones are some of the most
ancient medicine beings on the
Speaker:planet. If you think about it,
Speaker:stones reach all the way back
to the formation of our planet.
Speaker:They are record keepers.
Speaker:They remember millions
of years of history.
Speaker:And we know that stone medicine has
actually been used for healing in many
Speaker:different cultures throughout time from
ancient China and Egypt to the Greeks
Speaker:and the Celts all the way to the
Roman and Central American empires and
Speaker:indigenous societies throughout Australia
and North America. Stone medicine
Speaker:even stretches beyond homo
sapiens in humanity itself.
Speaker:We know that we have found quartz
crystals that were intentionally
Speaker:gathered all the way back
to the ancestors that
Speaker:predate homo sapiens all the way
back to the lower paleolithic.
Speaker:So we have been working with
and drawn to stones for a long,
Speaker:long time.
Speaker:Stones and crystals are mentioned in
many ancient religious and medical texts,
Speaker:including the Bible, the
Hindu Vedas, the Quran,
Speaker:and the divine farmers from China.
Speaker:The oldest known written reference to
stone medicine comes from hieroglyphic
Speaker:papyrus dating back to 2000 BC.
In Chinese medicine in particular,
Speaker:stones are considered to be able
to work on the deepest level of
Speaker:our being.
Speaker:So this level of our being that's
called the Yuan that is characterized
Speaker:by our unconscious, our dreams.
Speaker:This is the place where symbols
and instinct and divination lives.
Speaker:It's where ancestral patterns are.
And this is really where our soul growth
Speaker:emanates. So the yuan level will
bring us into the deep, deep.
Speaker:It will bring us into past
lives, karmic imbalances,
Speaker:the divine blueprint of our lifetime,
and the fulfillment of our destiny.
Speaker:And so from a Chinese
medicine's perspective, stones
work, they go that deep.
Speaker:And it's because if you think about this,
stone medicine is ancient. It is deep.
Speaker:Stones reside the deepest places
in the earth. They are permanent.
Speaker:They work on things that feel
like they're fixed inside of us,
Speaker:that feel as solid as
stone. They can go there.
Speaker:They can help us slowly orient to this
Speaker:place of spirit within us and help
us create alchemy in our lives.
Speaker:I mean, truly stones are created by
alchemical processes on the earth.
Speaker:And so stone medicine is something I
love to turn to when I'm really working
Speaker:on subtle emotional spiritual levels.
And
Speaker:I've been thinking a lot about stone
medicine recently as we are in this month
Speaker:right now of what I talked about in the
intuitive reading as this month of micro
Speaker:adjustments so that we can
really get ourselves aligned
Speaker:with our paths and the runway that is
bringing us through the rest of this year
Speaker:really feels like there's an opportunity
this month to just click in and
Speaker:align a little bit more with
what our destiny really is.
Speaker:And so I've been working
with stones a lot in my
Speaker:meditations and it just felt
like the right time to revisit
Speaker:this recording from several years ago
about how to work with local stones.
Speaker:So we've got a little
bit of a bedrock here,
Speaker:a basis of understanding why
stone medicine is actually so
Speaker:deep,
Speaker:so ancient and so effective at working
on the deep layers of our being. And
Speaker:now I want to talk about how to actually
work with the stones that are around
Speaker:you right now because oftentimes
when we start getting into
Speaker:the realm of stone medicine
in the stone world,
Speaker:we start feeling like we need to get
the fanciest crystals from further away,
Speaker:the biggest crystals, whatever it is.
Speaker:But actually so much
medicine exists in the stones
Speaker:that already exist around
you wherever you live,
Speaker:that are already there in your environment
and the landscapes that you are
Speaker:moving through.
Speaker:And this feels really in alignment too
with our reading for this month as the
Speaker:plant that came in through the
cardpool this month was plantain.
Speaker:So plantain is ubiquitous.
It's everywhere.
Speaker:It's just one of those plants
you can find really in so many
Speaker:ecologies and climates.
Speaker:And the reminder for this month with the
intuitive reading was that the medicine
Speaker:is everywhere, that we have
these guardians of our souls,
Speaker:these local medicines,
Speaker:these beings wherever you are that
actually want to help you make these
Speaker:microadjustments,
Speaker:help you align to your path again.
So the same is true for the
Speaker:stones.
Speaker:And I wanted to revisit this recording
so you know how to work with local
Speaker:stones in your environment as
you continue to make these micro
Speaker:shifts and adjustments as you're in
the thick of it this month and really
Speaker:aligning yourself naturally with
the path that wants to bring you
Speaker:forward in life. So with that,
Speaker:let's go ahead and tune into three
ways to work with local stones.
Speaker:Stone medicine is ancient and powerful.
Speaker:In the tradition of Chinese stone
medicine that I was trained in,
Speaker:stones are thought to work on
the deepest level of our being.
Speaker:Stones work on emotional, spiritual,
Speaker:and soulful levels of healing.
Speaker:So if you want to experience healing
on the deepest level of yourself,
Speaker:stones are the medicine to turn to.
Speaker:Local medicine is powerful.
Speaker:When I was in herbal
school and in my training,
Speaker:one of the things that I learned is that
working with local medicine is actually
Speaker:so much more potent than working with
medicine that you import from elsewhere.
Speaker:And the same is true for stones.
Speaker:Local medicine creates a
direct relationship between
you and that medicine,
Speaker:which makes the healing a
thousand times more potent.
Speaker:So even though it may seem like the fancy
crystals in the crystal shop are more
Speaker:exciting to work with,
Speaker:the reality is that even the humble
stones around your home carry really
Speaker:profound medicine.
And the truth is local stones want to work
Speaker:with you.
Speaker:Humans and stones have a very ancient
relationship so I promise you the stones
Speaker:in the landscape where you live
are already calling out to you.
Speaker:So the first tip is to do research
to find out what stones are local to
Speaker:your area, what minerals
figure prominently.
Speaker:You can do geological research,
you can look up local field guides,
Speaker:but you're going to be surprised
by how many minerals and how many
Speaker:different types of stones are going to
be available in your local environment.
Speaker:Things like quartz or feldspar,
Speaker:agate or mica are very
common in the world.
Speaker:I have done a lot of rock hounding out
in the world and I've been able to gather
Speaker:all kinds of stones just from
walking around certain environments.
Speaker:Stones like garnets,
cornelian, serpentine,
Speaker:aquamarine, clear quartz, pyrite,
Speaker:tourmaline. So get your hands on a local
guide so you can at least know what to
Speaker:look for and really do some research to
figure out how does this mineral appear?
Speaker:Does it also appear in the
matrix of other stones?
Speaker:And this can help you start to recognize
that mineral when it appears in the
Speaker:stones around you. If
you live near a beach,
Speaker:you can look up to find out what
minerals the beach is made of.
Speaker:One of the most common stones
that you find in sand is quartz.
Speaker:Quartz is everywhere on this earth and
quartz is such a powerful and versatile
Speaker:stone to be working with.
Speaker:If you want to go rock hounding
and find some local stones,
Speaker:some of the best times to do it are after
a rain and to go in places where the
Speaker:water has flown. So
riverbanks, storm runoff,
Speaker:anywhere where water has flowed and new
earth has been exposed is a great place
Speaker:to find these stones.
Now all of this said,
Speaker:even if you never learn the name of any
minerals or stones in your environment,
Speaker:you can still work with stones.
Speaker:There are still stones there that want
to work with you and you don't need to
Speaker:know what their common name is.
Speaker:All you need to know is that you're
being called to be with them.
Speaker:So how do you work with
these local stones? Well,
Speaker:one of the first things I always recommend
to folks is just to have it on their
Speaker:body. So keep it in your pocket,
put it under your pillow at night.
Speaker:The more you are in physical
relationship to the stone,
Speaker:the more that medicine
will be available to you.
Speaker:You can also place that stone on an altar,
Speaker:perhaps a special consecrated place in
your home so that every time you see that
Speaker:stone,
Speaker:you're reminded of the work that you're
doing with that stone and your local
Speaker:landscape. If you've been able to identify
the stone and the minerals that are
Speaker:within it and you know that those
minerals are safe for ingestion,
Speaker:you can also make a stone elixir.
Speaker:And this is done by putting that stone
in water overnight and drinking that
Speaker:water first thing in the morning.
Speaker:If you're not absolutely sure that
that stone is safe for ingestion,
Speaker:then you can always make an energetic
elixir by simply placing that stone
Speaker:nearby, a cup of water, perhaps on
your altar or on your bedside table,
Speaker:and then just drinking that
water first thing in the morning.
Speaker:So the next tip is to work with a really
unexpected source of stone that is
Speaker:probably right around you
right now, and that's gravel.
Speaker:So often we disregard gravel, right?
Speaker:It crunches underfoot and we
don't even think about it,
Speaker:but gravel is often taken from the
heart of mountains. So this gravel,
Speaker:this stone is sacred.
Speaker:It's coming from the heart of the
earth and it's around you everywhere.
Speaker:And I have found working with gravel
can really bring a lot of healing to the
Speaker:planet because a lot of these
practices of getting gravel is highly
Speaker:extractive and intrusive.
Speaker:And so working with gravel in
a reparative process creates so
Speaker:much healing for yourself
and for the world.
Speaker:You also might notice that this
gravel has different minerals in it.
Speaker:I often find where I live that the
gravel contains quartz and mica.
Speaker:So there's a lot of
specialness to this gravel.
Speaker:And I often find that the gravel is
so happy when we are working with it,
Speaker:recognizing it and honoring
it for its medicine.
Speaker:Children also love being able
to rock hound in the gravel.
Speaker:So if you learn about some minerals
that might be in the gravel nearby you,
Speaker:you can go out with your children and
see what you can find. You'll notice that
Speaker:kids don't draw boundaries between
this is a special stone and this is an
Speaker:unspecial stone.
Speaker:Kids love all stones and they get really
intrigued to pick through the gravel in
Speaker:your driveway and find special treasures.
Speaker:So your kids will also show you
that the medicine is all around you.
Speaker:The third practice is to
find a gatekeeper stone.
Speaker:So a gatekeeper stone is a
prominent stone in your environment.
Speaker:It could be a stone that
was naturally occurring.
Speaker:It could also be a stone that was
imported or brought from elsewhere,
Speaker:but see if you can find a stone in your
local environment that seems to emanate
Speaker:power and energy.
Speaker:These gatekeeper stones are powerful
places to leave offerings and to ask to
Speaker:be in communication with the unseen world.
Speaker:Often that gatekeeper stone
literally works as a gatekeeper.
Speaker:And so if you can approach that
stone with honor and respect,
Speaker:often it will open up a
line of communication and
dialogue with the wider world
Speaker:and the landscape as a whole. I have a
gatekeeper stone on the land where I live
Speaker:and I often call in that stone and
connect to that stone before meditation,
Speaker:journey work, or channeling. And I find
it really helps not only ground me,
Speaker:but open that field of
perception to the unseen world.
Speaker:Because as I said at the
beginning of this video,
Speaker:stones have the ability to
take us to the soul level.
Speaker:And so when we work with stones,
Speaker:we are inviting healing on
this level of soul and spirit.
Speaker:If you do any of these practices, if you
end up connecting with a local stone,
Speaker:I would love to hear about it. You
could head over to my Substack.
Speaker:Remember Why You Are Here.
Speaker:I've been loving having conversations
over there around these podcast episodes.
Speaker:It's been so rich. You can also
leave me a voice message over at
Speaker:asiasuler.com/remember.
Speaker:I really get the feeling this
month that all the guardians,
Speaker:all the guides are showing up now,
Speaker:making themselves known in a
stronger way so that we can really
Speaker:orient to the openings that
are possible for us here,
Speaker:that we can stitch more of our soul to
Speaker:our existence here, to our bodies,
Speaker:that we can bring in that
guidance from that wider place
Speaker:so we can really take the next
steps in our life to open more
Speaker:fully to who we are,
Speaker:to open more fully to our gifts
here on this planet. So thank you so
Speaker:much for being a part of
this incredible ecosystem
Speaker:here on the podcast and on the Substack.
Speaker:It really just feels like we are in
this collective of medicine and I'm
Speaker:so grateful for the medicine
that you are on this planet.
Speaker:I'm so grateful for all the guides
that are showing up for us right now,
Speaker:including all of the guidance we've
received through our dreams this month.
Speaker:That's why I created the Dream
Remembrance Recipe over on the Substack.
Speaker:If you haven't checked that out yet,
Speaker:you can check that out there and tune
into the dreams that are here to guide you
Speaker:because I have absolutely have stones.
Come talk to me in my dreams as well.
Speaker:Our dreams are one of the most direct
lines we have into that Yuan level,
Speaker:that place where we can access our
soul's wisdom and healing. So thank you
Speaker:for all the ways in which you are showing
up in life. And may these guardians,
Speaker:may these guides, may these aha moments,
Speaker:readjustments and perspectives really
help you remember that most important
Speaker:thing of all why you're here.
