In the Andean shamanism, there is an ancient tradition of using stones of power. These special stones are repositories of special information, and can be used as healing tools. If you are like most people, you have probably collected pretty or unusual stones as you walked the woods or the beach. We all feel the pull of stones, even if we can’t explain our affinity for them. It is even possible that you may have a stone of power and not know it.

Here is a listing of some of the characteristics of special stones of power. Find out if you might have a Dreaming stone, a Doorway stone, or a Guardian in your home or yard:

The following are some of the recognizable physical attributes of stones of power:

A spiral or circular projection indicates both a charging stone and an extracting stone. You can “charge” people’s energy bodies by using this stone, or extract heavy energy from their energy bodies with it.

A smooth stone of any shape that is composed of obvious layers, especially circular ones, is a good meditation stone. It can also help ground and center anyone with an excess of disharmonious energy. Simply have that person hold the stone and imagine or intend that he is releasing all his negative energy into the stone, or run it through the person’s field to draw it out. Rinse the stone in water or touch it to the earth to release the negative energy from the stone when you are done working with it and before using it again.

A stone with a natural hole all the way through it is a powerful guardian and teaching stone that may hold many powerful secrets and reveal many of the mysteries of life. Use it as a dreaming stone as well, allowing a powerful dream or desire to slip through the hole into consciousness or into the manifestation in the physical.

A stone with square or rectangular lines on it is a doorway stone, and it can be used to help you shift to higher levels of awareness and refined perception, manifest new possibilities, release resistances, and allow blocked energy to move freely again.

A stone that has three almost identical markings–three protrusions, three “doorway” lines, three layers–is a three-worlds stone. It can be used to harmonize your abilities to work with the energies of the three worlds. It also represents the three stances of an Andean mystic–love, physical work and strength of will, and wisdom grounded in experience–and so can help you harmonize your abilities in these three areas of life.

A triangular stone can be a three-worlds stone or one that mystically connects you to the apus–the spirit of the sacred mountains.

A stone that has a face in it, whether human-looking or otherwise, can be a teaching stone or a guardian stone, providing very specific instruction or protection. If the stone is in the shape of an animal, insect, or bird, connect with the energies and symbolic disposition of that creature to acquire those characteristics in your own life or to transmit those qualities to others as you use the stone on them.