The staff of Eytons' Earth is dedicated to researching and exploring the use of green healing clay for use in natural and alternative medicine.  This website is a multifaceted knowledge base committed to providing the public with accurate and responsible information about the art of clay healing and pelotherapy.

  Our approach is multidimensional.  Although our site is rich in scientific investigation, the wanderer will no doubt notice that many perspectives are explored;  the religious, the spiritual, the theoretical, even the whimsical and poetic all find their proper places in the world of nature.  We believe that one cannot separate the art from the fact without losing the reality.

Healing clays such as montmorillonite, bentonite, and illite have been used for centuries in natural medicine and pelotherapy. We hope you find a fascination equal to our own when exploring the information which follows. Welcome to the world of green healing clay of the desert and pelotherpy - welcome to Eytons' Earth!

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What is Green Healing Clay?

An Introduction

One of the most common forms of green healing clay is Bentonite, an Aluminum Silicate smectite.   It often contains substantial amounts of magnesium and a wide variety of trace minerals.  Through its natural evolution, bentonite ( as well as montmorrilonite ) also selectively adsorbs an interesting variety of organic material.  A healing clay is distinguished  primarily by the "secondary" sorpted materials which both  a) maintain its natural characteristic to be precisely PH balanced ( basic/alkaline ) for the mammalian biological system AND  b) leave the clay with an incredibly dense molecular makeup which produces a self-generated negatively charged electromagnetic field upon hydration.

In some cases, the "healing clay" classification is determined due to a very specialized sorption of minerals, such as naturally occurring calcium bentonite.

In other cases, the classification is due to specialized organic material that has been naturally incorporated into the clay.  New species of fungi ( such as the fungus discovery responsible for the advent of penicillin ) have been discovered in natural clay.  Botanicals that have long since vanished off the face of the earth often occur in small traces in a natural clay.  It is an amazing mystery that such healing clays contain an endless variety of materials all of which have proven beneficial to the human body on the testing field of time.

A third classification provides for the lack of sorpted material.  Some healing clays are prized for the purity which leave the clay virtually a simple crystal matrix.  A pharmacy grade clay falls into this category, although in this case the means are achieved artificially.  This classification also takes into consideration the particle sizes ( in microns or nanometers ) of the clay particles, smaller being more beneficial.

The last classification has yet to be fully defined due to the difficulty of measuring certain quantum properties that recent scientific discoveries have uncovered.  This theory will be covered in a future section on monatomic elements.

All healing clays are specialized forms of crystal, and thus have the capability to act as transducers once properly hydrated, ie. converting light to vibration and vibration to light. The density of hydrated clay ( colloidal ), and the cumulative electromagnetic effect of the negatively charged particles, coupled with the unique shape of the particles themselves ( a very wide surface area ), go quite far in explaining the powerful effect of clays as used in natural medicine. However, researchers and scientists have yet to fully explain the direct method of action responsible for the variety of actions that clay can induce through use with the body.

No two clays acquired from different veins are completely alike. While natural clays are more effective than processed clays, industrial bentonites still share all of the beneficial activity of natural clays. However, there is reason to believe that FDA grade bentonite is too processed to act as a potent healing substance.

Through the Ages and Around the World

Bentonite, as well as other types of healing clay such as Illite, has been used by indigenous cultures since before recorded history.  Although mankind's use of this living crystal has spanned the globe, very little information has been preserved regarding specific use and methodology as used in natural health.  Indeed, the greatest lost cultures of ancient civilization gave healing clays a position of great importance in ceremonial usage - this much is known.  In some cases, evidence suggests that a scientific knowledge of its use was mastered as well.

Natives of North America utilized a wide variety of clays for healing, food/body purification, and spiritual ceremonies.  Quality clay, highly prized for trade with other tribes, formed a significant part of their culture.  Berries were often added as a dye for use as facial paint for tribal warriors.  It was used in sweat lodge ceremonies and taken with food to prevent stomach illness.  They gauged the quality of clay and categorized it according to its natural color.

The Egyptians used clay extensively in their spiritual culture.  High quality clay was the prime ingredient in their unmatched embalming process, helping to perfectly preserve mummified bodies for thousands of years.  It is safe to assume that they used it for other purposes also, yet much of what we know of their ancient culture is built from an incomplete model and therefore sadly lacking.

The Essenes ( famed authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls ) used clay as a primary modality for natural healing, aware of it's incredible power to heal a wide variety of conditions.

The Amargosians ( predecessors to the Aztecs ), the Aborigines, and natives of Mexico and South America all recognized the benefit of clays.  Modern research has shown that some cultures have greatly benefited from clays through ingestion as a natural ingredient in their water supplies.

Edgar Cayce once recommended a healing clay which proved to cure a serious eye condition which would have left the individual blinded ( the treatment worked ).

The largest clay deposit in the world is located in Bavaria, Germany.

The most famous clay comes from an immense deposit of green clay located in France, which is one reason why the French have more experience with the use of green clays than other modern/European civilizations.

The highest quality well-known clay deposits ( not necessarily for healing ) are located in India - hence the origin of the term Indian Clay ( the term itself did NOT originate from Native American use ).