Hematite is an iron-oxide mineral that is beneficial to the root chakra. It is a highly grounding stone that brings equilibrium to the physical body. It can be used to retain information from dreams and meditation while also boosting the recovery of sleep. The name Hematite comes from the Greek word for blood which is a reference to hematite’s dark red color that can be observed in mineral streak testing.
What is Hematite
Hematite is one of the most abundant rock-forming minerals on Earth. It is an iron-oxide-based mineral with a hardness of 5-6. This crystal forms within sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks globally. It is commonly mined as a source of iron ore. Most Hematite iron ore is mined in the United States, Australia, China, India, and Brazil. Hematite pigments have been in use for nearly 40,000 years by artists. Its pigments may vary from scarlet red to orange, and dark blood-red colors depending on the base material. When found in crystal shops, it is often a sleek and polished gray-silver. In the modern world, Hematite is used for radiation shielding from x-rays in radiography. Hematite constitutes jewelry polish known as “Jeweller’s Red Rouge”. Red Rouge is used to polish dull pieces of jewelry to restore luster.
Common Uses of Hematite
Metaphysically, Hematite activates the Root chakra for a heightened sense of physical security. It energetically correlates to the liver and blood within the body. It can be used to attune the lower 4 chakras to move in harmony with the physical body. Combined with Amethyst it allows for enhanced dream-meaning deciphering in recollection. Hematite’s grounding ability will allow users who enjoy lucid dreaming, or astral travel to be able to translate their higher vibration information to tangible earth-bound knowledge.
Grounding
It is common for crystal users to have a preference for higher chakra energy work due to the intrigue of “opening the third eye”. Hematite’s grounding ability will allow users who enjoy lucid dreaming or astral travel to avoid the head-spaciness that is often associated with these practices. Opening the third eye often leads the practitioner into a state of “ungroundedness” which may energetically shift the practitioner to neglect their physical self. Hematite can help to dispel and contain the ungroundedness that may be
experienced with higher vibration stones, meditation, and ritual. In this way, Hematite helps the practitioner harmonize the relationship between spirit and the physical realm.
Physical Aid
It is one of the best stones to keep on the body to enhance physical endurance and blood circulation. If you are experiencing chronic joint pain, Hematite combined with Axinite may provide you with enhanced pain relief. It is not advised to use crystals in lieu of medication, however, Root chakra stones can complement a health recovery protocol. Root chakra stones may help a user with chronic pain naturally discover ways to heal their body through knowledge of self. The user would ideally begin to research the nature of their affliction and begin to match it with therapy modalities. This is the subtle way that a crystal such as Hematite may affect a person’s physical healing alongside the energy boost it already provides.
Hematite Energy/ Qi
Energetically, Hematite’s blood-enhancing nature may benefit the body’s Wei Qi in defending itself from external invasion. Wei Qi is known as the body’s defensive Qi. This form of Qi keeps the body safe from external evils such as cold, wind, heat, dryness, dampness, and fire. Simply put, the energetics of Hematite may enhance your body’s defensive energy from the elements due to its iron-blood relationship.
As the blood is being energetically enhanced, Hematite helps to calm the practitioner’s Shen. Shen is the word for Spirit in Chinese. The Shen spirit is stored and transmitted through the blood in the body. If the blood is stagnant or in poor condition, the Shen spirit-mind will weaken. A person with weak Shen will appear as frail, dull-eyed, lethargic, in chronic pain, and with a low desire to live life. A severe case of weakened Shen may present as frequent forgetfulness and incoherence in speech. Combine Hematite with Bloodstone to begin an energetic shift in enhancing blood and Shen within the aura.
Rituals
Hematite Psychic Home Guard
Hematite makes for a fantastic protective shield around the home. Small pieces may be combined in grid sets to enhance the health of the user’s intention. Place Hematite specimens around the corners of the house and in plant pots to create an invisible shield from psychic attack. Keep a Hematite specimen near the front door to energetically ward off any potential thieves from entering the house. Combine this ritual
with a Shungite pyramid near the door or house center to strengthen the protective field. This is a fantastic opening technique to utilize if you are doing a seance, psychic channeling, remote viewing, tarot reading, or scrying in the spirit vision. Programming a room/house in this way prevents foreign psychic energy from remaining after a ritual.
How to Choose Your Specimen
Hematite Variations- How to Spot a Fake Specimen
Hematite comes in various forms and can be sold at geological shops, metaphysical shops, and tourist stops fairly commonly. Most Hematite specimens are not magnetic or powerfully so. Hematite may form with another mineral known as Magnetite; which is magnetic. If your Hematite stone is powerfully drawn to a magnet, it may be a fake man-made stone or be infused with Magnetite. Most of the Hematite fake stones come in the tumbled silver stone variety. True Hematite specimens will turn silver with various imperfections upon being tumbled. True specimens are generally able to be “streak tested” for the powder blood-red color. Tumbled Hematite is best used as a daily physical energy boost due to its durable form and convenient size. Tumbled Hematite can be placed into socks to promote healthy foot circulation.
Hematite-Inclusions-Personal Meditation Keys
Hematite may also be found included with Quartz. Hematite-Quartz specimens are typically marketed under the names of Hematoid Quartz, Harlequin Quartz, Iron Quartz, and Strawberry Quartz. All of the above names are true names for Quartz with Hematite, Iron, and other mineral inclusions with varying shades of red, and clarity. Hematite-included Quartz brings the benefit of both Hematite and Clear Quartz in one package. It brings an even stronger physical boost to the body and blood.
These specimens also unlock connections to the third eye and crown chakra due to the included quartz energy. It is also possible to find these specimens in wand or cluster form. These crystals will form in any shape that natural quartz may form into; so there is much variety to pick from. This form may also contain Record Keeper Triangles which will further activate the crown chakra energy of the stone. Utilizing Hematite-included Quartz can help to balance all 7 chakras within the user and attune the physical body with the spiritual body’s intention. These stones can be seen as a key to higher-dimensional information with a rosetta stone of grounding energy all in one.
Wearing Hematite
Hematite jewelry is best suited for necklaces, rings, and tiaras/crowns. Wearing a well-suited piece of Hematite jewelry may help you keep your body active for longer periods of time. A Hematite necklace can help a shy person find courage in asserting their needs. Having the stone lay over the heart aura would benefit in calming the Shen spirit-mind further. The Heart will begin to trust the Earth with a sense of surrender with Hematite’s help. Hematite rings are
best worn on the Left Ring finger for physical aid. The Left hand is seen as Yin, which corresponds to Hematite’s affinity for the Earth element. The Ring finger itself is a fire element, which corresponds to Hematite’s Iron content. Adorning a crown, hat, hood, or headpiece with Hematite will help to clear the mind of the wearer. Personally, I keep a tiny pea-sized Hematite inside of my cap’s hidden pocket to protect me while wearing it. The Hematite cap envelopes me in a protective aura of confidence. It’s easy to adopt a “can-do” positive attitude under Hematite’s presence. The Hematite cap helped navigate me through stressful times without losing my patience. The effect of wearing Hematite upon the Third Eye chakra feels stress relieving and calm.
How to Cleanse Hematite
Hematite specimens should be cleansed frequently as they often wane in energy after frequent use/wearing. Do not be alarmed if your Hematite feels dull or weak after a few outings, it is simply tired from protecting your aura without rest. It is safe to cleanse Hematite with water, smudging, sunlight, moonlight, and soil. Supercharge your Hematite by burying it in moist outdoor soil for 24 hours. The soil will catch both sunlight and moonlight energy to cleanse the stone. Smudging Hematite with White Sage or Palo Santo provides for a quick release of negative energy that may have attached itself to the stone. Quartz clusters and Selenite wands may also be used to cleanse a dull Hematite stone.
Additional Reading:
Hematite Geological Information
Hematite Book of Stones excerpt
Hematite Gemological Information