A guide to alternative healing in Atlanta

Tools of the trade: Stone healing

Julie Ann Travis’s services include energy extractions, death rites, oracle readings, and space or land “clearings” of bad vibes

It’s not just kooky New Agers who believe in the power of crystals. These days “stone healing”—which is said to be thousands of years old, spanning many cultures—receives ringing endorsements from celebrities like Katy Perry and Victoria Beckham. From a scientific perspective, the idea that rocks can heal ailments is not exactly credible. But if you’re feeling particularly open-minded, you may wish to call on shamanic practitioner Julie Ann Travis of Stoneflower Healing. Her services, which involve placing crystals on the body and around a space, include energy extractions (removing negative energy), death rites, oracle readings, and space or land “clearings” of said bad vibes. See some of her tools of the trade below.

Mesa: A medicine bundle (like a portable kit) of stones called Kuyas, said to be connected to the healing energies of the Andean shamans

Rattle: Like the child’s toy (Travis’s is made from a gourd), shaken to move stagnant energies

Drum: When played at different volumes and tempos, said to bring about rhythmic healing and connection to the earth

Spirit Water: A blend of tinctured medicinal herbs for purifying a space

Sage: A plant ignited to refresh a space and clear out old energy

Minerals: Travis works with a vast array of crystals and stones, including quartz, tourmaline, obsidian, and amber. —Caroline Cox

Photographs by Ben Rollins