Hematite is a mineral that is often used as a healing crystal. Its metaphysical properties offer many uses and benefits in energy healing and feng shui. You'll find hematite in jewelry, rough (natural) stones, beads, and tumbled, carved, and polished stones. You can use hematite to enhance your daily life.
Properties of Hematite
Hematite is an iron oxide mineral, so it is a magnetic, reasonably heavy stone. It is an important source of iron ore around the world. Hematite comes in shades of black and gray - usually with a strong sparkling, metallic sheen. You may also find hematite as a red stone. Additionally, there's a form of the mineral called rainbow hematite which is hematite included with a diffusion of nano-crystal impurities that create shimmering bits of colors. When polished, rainbow hematite looks like an oil slick on water.
Hematite often grows in a matrix of other minerals; it's commonly found growing in quartz, and the resulting stone is called hematoid quartz. Energetically, quartz amplifies the properties of the hematite. The hematite inclusions in the quartz may be inside of the matrix, or it may coat the outside of the quartz with a reddish-brown coating that appears similar to rust. This coating occurs naturally.
It's not uncommon to find hematite inclusions in the various types of quartz, such as citrine, amethyst, clear quartz, rose quartz, or smoky quartz. These inclusions may appear as small dots of color or large chunks of red stone inside of the quartz. The hematite may be diffuse within the quartz, giving the stone an overall reddish color, or it may be concentrated in a single area.
The name hematite is derived from the Latin term for blood, haima (as in hemoglobin). It was given this name because of the rust-red color that resembles the color of blood. Iron oxidation causes the reddish color, which is why the red hematite tends to be a rusty red as opposed to a vivid, bright red. The hematite itself is opaque and tends to have a dull to slightly shiny appearance; however, when it is in quartz, it will appear translucent because the mineral is diffuse throughout the quartz. When polished, hematite has a shiny, slick, metallic finish.
Hematite's Benefits
Hematite has a hexagonal crystalline lattice. Crystals with this lattice structure manifest, energize, and amplify energies. The main colors of hematite, red, gray, and black, are linked to the root chakra, which is associated with the energies of safety, security, grounding, standing up for oneself, and establishing healthy boundaries. Because of this, hematite can facilitate growth and change in people dealing with issues such as:
- Feeling unsafe
- Being overcautious
- Not being grounded
- Lacking personal boundaries
- An inability to stand up for oneself
- Feeling out of balance
Therefore, you can use hematite to:
- Help you feel safer or more secure
- Energize you and give you confidence to take risks
- Ground yourself
- Establish firmer boundaries
- Stand up for yourself
- Bring balance to areas of your life that are out of balance
- Absorb negative energy
How to Use Hematite
How you use hematite depends largely on what you are trying to accomplish. The primary uses are wearing hematite, meditating with it, or placing it in strategic locations where you live and work.
Use for Grounding
If your issue is not being grounded, you can wear a hematite anklet or bracelet. Someone who is not grounded may feel spacey, or they may seem absent-minded or even ditzy. Often, people who aren't grounded lose things a lot or are very forgetful.
If this sounds like you, you can also try this grounding meditation.
- Sit somewhere you won't be disturbed with both feet flat on the floor or ground, barefoot, with your back straight.
- Hold a piece of hematite in your non-dominant hand, which is your receiving hand. If you are right handed, this will be your left hand. If you are left handed, this will be your right hand.
- Close your eyes and breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth, allowing yourself to relax and focus on your breath.
- After you feel relaxed, bring your attention to the piece of hematite in your hand. Feel the energy of the hematite flow through your hand, into your arm and shoulder to your throat and then travel down your spine to your feet, which are in contact with the floor.
- Visualize the energy of the hematite pushing out through the bottom of your feet and expanding as roots into the ground.
- See the roots growing and spreading out beneath you, deeply underground.
- When you are ready, open your eyes and go about your day.
Use to Establish Boundaries
To help establish firmer boundaries, wear a hematite bracelet on the wrist of your dominant hand, or wear a hematite ring on the pinky of your dominant hand, which is your giving hand.
Create Balance
To create balance, wear a hematite bracelet on each wrist or wear a hematite necklace on a long chain that extends to below your bra line. To promote work-life balance, place a piece of hematite at your desk.
Energize
Energize your workouts by placing a piece of hematite in the corner of your yoga mat, or keep a piece in your workout space. You can also carry hematite in a pocket while you exercise. Likewise, you can put on hematite jewelry when you get up in the morning; don't wear it to sleep because it may be too energizing and will prevent a good night's sleep. Likewise, keep hematite out of your bedroom for the same reason.
Absorb Negativity
In many crystal shops, you'll find rings made entirely of hematite. These usually only cost a few dollars. You can wear these on any finger to absorb negative energy. When the ring breaks, it means it has absorbed as much negativity as it can. Bury the broken ring to return the hematite to the Earth and replace with a new ring.
Use Hematite in Feng Shui
Hematite has many uses in feng shui. With its colors and materials, it represents various feng shui elements and can be used to enhance or activate the energies associated with the five feng shui elements.
- In feng shui, crystals represent the earth element. Therefore, you can place hematite in the earth element sectors of the bagua, which are the southwest and northeast, representing marriage and partnership, and knowledge and wisdom respectively.
- Red hematite is a color associated with the fire element, and you can place hematoid quartz in the south sector of your home, which enhances the energies of fame and fortune.
- Polished black or gray hematite has a metallic sheen, which can represent the metal element. The metal element works best in the west and northwest sectors of your home, which facilitate the energy of children, and travel and mentors respectively.
- Finally, unpolished hematite is usually black or gray, and it represents the element of water. Place unpolished hematite in the north sector of your home, which supports career and business energy.
A Powerful Stone
Hematite is a powerful stone. Incorporate it into your life, home, and work spaces in order to facilitate grounding, a better sense of self, and firmer boundaries.
