Lingam

Healing, Vitality, Power, Communication with Divine, Clarity, Focus,

Potentiality, Grounding, New Beginnings
The most common derivation of the word lingam is taken from the Sanskrit
word Linga which means mark or symbol. In the case of a shiva lingam, it
would be literally taken as a symbol of Shiva, with Shiva being representative
of Divine Energy.
History
All traditional lingams come from only one place in the entire world, the
Narmada River in India, at Onkar, Mandhata, which is one of the countrys
seven sacred holy sites. In this sacred place, lingams wash up on the banks
of the river or are carefully brought up from the riverbed. India has a long,
dry period, and it is at this time, when the river is at its lowest, that the
nearby residents go out to the banks of the Narmada and gently pull the
stones from their resting places. The lingams are then polished by hand,
using methods in accordance with Vedic tradition. Many believe that the
lingams are already sacred when they are pulled from the river, but also that
the energy given to each lingam during polishing makes it extra special.
Since 2008, true traditional lingams as weve come to know them have
become a rarity. The Sardar Sarovar Dam was built on the Narmada River,
flooding much of the region the lingams come from, effectively placing the
true lingams out of reach under many feet of water. As a result of this, most
lingams harvested in the last six years or so have actually come from a
mountain nearby.
At Origin Stones, we secured an old shipment of true, traditional lingams
which had been shipped from India and warehoused in Tucson since before
2006. We have brought these incredible stones to our facility, and are able to
offer our customers and collectors access to 124 lingams from before the
Sardar Sarovar Dam flooded the lingam riverbeds.

Lingams are made of cryptocrystalline quartz plus whatever impurities or

minerals they pick up during their time in the river. Cryptocrystalline quartz
is a type of quartz where the crystals are too small to be seen with the naked
eye. Other varieties of cryptocrystalline quartz include chalcedony, carnelian,
jasper, and agate.

Historically, the original meaning behind the shiva lingam is quite different

from what is commonly believed in the modern west. In the West, many have
come to the belief that the lingam is a phallic symbol, or representative of
Shivas phallus. This has no bearing in the ancient Hindu practice of lingam
worship. In the earliest days, the lingam was a symbol, a representative of
Divine Energy. This Divine Energy is the unformed universal creative energy,
or the primordial energy from which all things spring. I have never seen the
spiritual nature of the lingam explained as completely as S. Sabaratna
Mudaliyar does in his 1913 lecture. In brief, the lingam is representative of
the two stages of creation, Nadha (the first stage, which means sound, or
name), and Bhindhu (the second stage, which means form). The first stage,
Nadha, is symbolized by a line, and the Bhindu stage is symbolized by a disk.
So with the markings on the lingam, we see the representative embodiment
of the evolution from the first stage of creation to the second.

Other reports say that the lingam is sacred to Shiva and tie together the
markings on the lingam with the marking on Shivas forehead. It is also
written in the Linga Purana that the first lingam, the very first, the highest of
all lingams has no color or texture or smell, etc. It is said to be an
embodiment of Nature itself. From this, some traditionalists will use a clear
quartz lingam for their symbol of Supreme Divinity.

On a completely different and fun note, if youve ever seen the movie
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the sacred Sankara stone that Indy
saves is said to be a lingam.
Spiritual Attributes
For every person born, there is a lingam specially meant for that individual.
Think of it as if your soul, at the time of birth, was imprinted on a specific
lingam. If you do not yet have a lingam, your lingam is out there, just waiting
for you to find it. There are many types of lingams to experience when
choosing the one that is meant for you some lingams are traditional in that
they consist of gray and brown cryptocrystalline quartz and come from the
Narmada River, and others are lingam-shaped gemstones which bring a
whole new level of energy to the lingam. For purposes of spiritual growth,
both are excellent. We carry both traditional lingams and gemmy lingams.
Many people collect lingams and fill their home and work environment with
their very special, revitalizing energy.
Lingams are said to hold an indescribable power. For some, the lingam is a
connection between themselves and God, a vessel to facilitate
communication with the Divine. It is said to help the mind focus and to

greatly improve concentration, both excellent qualities when meditating with

a lingam. It is a stone of potentiality.

Sources state that lingams resonate with the energies of all five elements:
fire, earth, water, air and ether. This greatly boosts its healing capacity, and it
can clear blockages and activate the entire chakra system. Similarly, in India,
some lingams are associated with individual elements, for example lingams
that are associated with light, or fire, or the sun. Lingams are said to boost
vitality, and indeed, just being near one is enough to feel the incredible
energy coming from these mysterious stones. Because of their embodiment
of the Divine potential, this stone is helpful in assisting one with creating new
paths or patterns in their life.

Meditating or sitting with a shiva lingam is said to expand ones mind and
bring about a state of peace. It is said to be a storehouse of Shakti energy,
and is believed to stimulate kundalini energy. It clears blockages in the
etheric body and the chakras, and its energy spreads love, wisdom and
steadies the heart.

Anecdotally, people report many different physical responses to meditating

(or just being near) with a lingam. Most people can feel the energy of the
lingam without even going into a meditative state. This is a very powerful
stone, and would serve one best if treated as the sacred stone that it is.