By Sonia Acone
In your crystal-learning journey, you may have come across some strange words and phrases that you may not originally have thought had anything to do with crystals, such as tetrahedron, icosahedron and Platonic solids. And here you thought you’d never need your Geometry after high school!
So, what exactly are Platonic solids? Simply put, they are solid polygons (a two-dimensional shape where all sides and angles are equal), that have flat faces and each face is the same shape and size. Plato theorized that the main elements (earth, air, fire and water) were directly related to the solids. There are five Platonic Solids: Tetrahedron - 4 faces (fire); Cube - 6 faces; Octahedron - 8 faces; Dodecahedron - 12 faces, and Icosahedron - 20 faces.
Tetrahedrons, which resemble a pyramid shape, are associated with the element of fire. Cubes are associated with earth. Octahedrons resemble a diamond shape and are linked to the element of air. Icosahedrons (made up of 20 equilateral triangles) are associated with the element of water. The last and often called the fifth element, ether, or Akasha, was named by Aristotle and is said that this is what makes up the heavens. The last Platonic solid, the Dodecahedron is associated with the element of ether.
As with the elements of earth, air, fire and water, the Platonic solids are also associated with the chakras: Tetrahedrons - Solar Plexus; Cubes - Root; Octahedrons - Heart; Dodecahedrons - Throat, and Icosahedrons - Sacral. Thus, if you wish to clear a particular chakra, you can choose a crystal that is in the shape of its corresponding Platonic solid. The Third Eye chakra is associated with Merkaba-shaped crystals and the Crown chakra relates to sphere-shaped crystals. Of course, this all up to you. Tumbled stones work just as well, but if you wanted to get a better understanding of Platonic solids and the role they play in crystal healing, you could choose your crystals accordingly.
Understand that the elements themselves correspond to different goals and intentions that you may wish to fulfill. Here is a simple breakdown:
Earth (Cube) is associated with grounding energies, fertility, abundance, success, peace and stability.
Air (Octahedron) is often associated with goals relating to communication, travel and intellectual pursuits.
Fire (Tetrahedron) is used to promote vitality, strength, courage, energy, purification, willpower and protection.
Water (Icosahedron) is associated with peace, de-stressing, compassion, love, purification, restful sleep, psychic enhancement
Akasha/Ether/Spirit (Dodecahedron) is useful for past-life issues, magic, longevity and spiritual pursuits. Crystals helpful in this category include any that are amorphous or fossilized in nature, such as Amber, Mother-of-Pearl, Copal, Fossils, Jet and Petrified Wood.
The table below breaks it down a bit easier:
|
Platonic Solid |
Element & Colors |
Chakra |
Crystal Examples |
Uses |
|
Cube |
Earth - Green, Brown, Black |
Root |
Moss Agate, Malachite, Chrysoprase, Turquoise, Jet, Black/Green Tourmalines |
Grounding, Success, Abundance, Stability, Peace, Fertility |
|
Octahedron |
Air - Yellow, Clear |
Heart |
Citrine, Ametrine, Aventurine, Jasper, Mica, Diamond |
Communication, Travel, Intellect |
|
Tetrahedron |
Fire - Red, Orange |
Solar Plexus |
Carnelian, Red Jasper, Red/GoldTiger’s Eye, Clear Quartz, Sunstone, Golden Topaz |
Vitality, Strength, Willpower, Energy, Courage, Protection |
|
Icosahedron |
Water - Blue, Purple, Grey, Pink |
Sacral |
Amethyst, Aquamarine, Azurite, Blue Lace Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Moonstone, Opal, Pink Calcite, Selenite, Tourmaline (any color) |
Peace, De-stressing, Compassion, Love, Purification, Restful sleep, Psychic enhancement |
|
Dodecahedron |
Akasha |
Throat, Third Eye, Crown |
Amber, Mother-of-Pearl, Copal, Fossils, Petrified Wood |
Past-life issues, Magic, Longevity, Spiritual pursuits |
Since the chakras are associated with certain colors as well, you may want to see this article that goes into more detail regarding crystals and color: Crystals and Color
So let’s use our Platonic solids in a real-life scenario. You are stressed-out, exhausted, and the atmosphere seems a bit stifling and dull, as if there is a weight bearing down on your environment. What you need is a bit of energy and vitality to brighten up your surroundings and yourself (even those living with you). You could place a Red Jasper or even a Clear Quartz pyramid (Tetrahedron) in the center of a table and speak your intention into the crystal such as, “This crystal pyramid will energize this home and rid it of stagnation.” You could repeat this daily if you wish.
Another example would be to place an Amethyst Icosahedron in a child’s room to encourage restful sleep, especially if they are experiencing nightmares.
As with all crystals, these are just guidelines. Use your own intuition and feelings to help you choose what works for you. I hope this gives you a simpler explanation of the Platonic solids and that your crystal journey can continue on a much smoother path.
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Simplified yet comprehensive. Thank you!???? Five star (Submitted by: Joy on January 08, 2019)
I am fascinated by the site and this article. (Submitted by: Stelmin on April 25, 2014)