Shungite Meaning

Shungite is an incredible stone for grounding, purification, and transformation. It teaches us how to stay in full balance, in our body, mind, heart, and spirit. Shungite asks us to release any silly beliefs about “perfection” we might hold, and instead embrace a life that simply feels Good. Shungite clears our auras and other energy fields, and helps us to stay more firmly centered in our Personal Power. It is a powerful protector against all types of negative energies as well as electromagnetic smog. Shungite is highly recommended for all healers who regularly come in direct contact with patients and clients who have dark or heavy energy.  It also helps the healer’s own personal energy stay clean and clear, so they can continue to do beautiful work.

Shungite was formed in evaporating shallow water, on top of a shelf of pure Carbon. As the water evaporated, the carbon became concentrated. It was most likely created during active rifting, when the Earth is being pulled apart due to plate tectonics. Shungite deposits can have a sedimentary structure of layered deposits, or may be found in veins after undergoing metamorphism. Occasionally it is found in mushroom shaped structures, a shape thought to have been caused by mud volcanoes. Today, the most important deposits are found near the shore of Lake Onega.

Shungite’s energy works well with its “friends” – crystal associates formed in the same geological environment.  Try it in combination with Chrysoberyl, Hematite, and Kyanite

While Shungite is well-known in Russia, it is a relatively new crystal to the rest of the metaphysical community. It isn’t included in any of the ancient or medieval lapidaries, texts that describe gemstones and their powers. It may, however, be included in some of the newest lapidaries. Shungite’s name honors the Shun’ga Area and Village, the region in which it was first scientifically described. The Shun’ga area is located on the coast of the Lake Onega, in the Republic of Karelia.

The earliest historical reference to Shungite dates back to 1706, during the reign of Peter the Great (1682-1721), who ordered Ivan Mateev to bring aspidniy stone (an older name for this stone) from its deposit to his Summer Palace. The Tsar wanted the stone placed inside his water fountains because of its reputation for healing and purification. While this is the first known reference, it is clear from the document that the stone had already been mined for some time and its properties were well known within the Russian Empire. In 1719, Peter the Great founded the first healing mineral spa in Russia, Marsial Waters, in Petrozavodsk, Karelina. This water flowed over Shungite deposits, giving the water its marvelous healing qualities. The Tsar visited the spa personally on three separate occasions and swore by its powers. Today, the original spa location has been preserved as a historical site, while nearby a new, modern spa continues to delight visitors.

According to another story, Peter the Great also ordered his soldiers to carry a piece of Shungite and use it to purify their drinking water during military campaigns. The Battle of Poltava (June 7, 1709) was a decisive victory for the Russian Army over Sweden, and marks the beginning of Imperial Russia’s rise as the most powerful nation in north-eastern Europe. Prior to the battle, the Swedish army had already been decimated by water-born infections, while the Russian army remained largely healthy. Today, modern testing has confirmed that the noble variety does indeed have anti-bacterial properties when used in an elixir, adding credence to the story.

The name “Shungite” was first used in 1879 to describe what is now known as Noble Shungite. They are 98% pure Carbon, silver colored, and is too soft and crumbling to be carved or tumbled. Today, the name Shungite is also given to Shungite-bearing rocks, including Petrovsky Shungite (70-80% Carbon, silver-colored, and can be shaped and polished) and Black Shungite (30% Carbon, pure black, and easily shaped and polished).

In 1992, Noble Shungite and Petrovsky Shungite were found to be sources for fullerene, a unique Carbon molecule, sometimes also called “Buckyballs” since they resemble a soccer/football. The only other known sources for fullerene is in lightning strikes in the upper atmosphere and from meteorites. Fullerenes seem to have existed for eons throughout the universe, leading to some speculation among astronomers that life on Earth may have originally been “seeded” by this special Carbon molecule.