Maybe it’s just the people I hang out with, but it seems like everyone's using crystals! Are they really a panacea for everything that you feel could be wrong/imbalanced/out of harmony in your life?
Well, yes and also, no.
Every type of crystal, just like every plant species has its own spiritual message, as well as specific ways to use them. (And yes, putting certain crystals in your bra is actually a great way to use them, but choose wisely and get the tumbled version. You’ll thank me later!)
Here are my top five favourite crystals and practical ways to use them:
1. Amethyst
This crystal type has special significance to every major culture throughout history. Tibetan monks use amethyst prayer beads, in India amethyst is dedicated to Buddha, and the legendary healer Hidegrad Von Bingen used it to heal the skin and protect against snake bites. Fast-forwarding a few centuries, and I see it used most effectively to protect against the modern plague of stress.
Think of amethyst as the great harmonizer, it calms nerves, anxiety and soothes impatience. You can’t really go wrong with having this stone, in any form in your home or work environment. It doesn't matter which area of your home you put it in, it will do good anywhere, but I recommend putting it in your bedroom to help you let go of the day and fall asleep.
Its important to note that amethyst does need to be cleansed from time to time. Just as you need to dust the corners of your home, you need to cleanse the energy of your crystals. In order to cleanse your crystals, you can spray them with holy water, smudge them, or simply run them under cold water with the intention to cleanse them. Certain crystals don’t need to be cleansed (citrine for example) but make sure you cleanse your amethyst on the regular.
2. Quartz
There are many many different types of quartz crystals, but let’s just go ahead and cover the standard clear rock crystal that you’ve likely seen in jewelry or in a crystal shop. What makes these so special?
Well, allow me to get a little bit nerdy here for a quick moment. Remember this part, cause it’s important and I’m going to come back to it: quartz is amazing at amplifying, focusing, storing, transferring and transforming energy. Because of these abilities quartz crystals get used in all sorts of industrial applications (computer processors, time-keeping mechanisms etc.) Super cool, right?
Ok, one more amazing aspect of quartz you need to understand is quartz actually generates its own electromagnetic field (called a pizeoelctric field). The polarity, or charge, of this quartz-generated electric field actually changes when the crystal is exposed to heat, pressure, or, drum roll please…when you hold it in your hand! That’s right, quartz's electrical polarity changes when you touch it. What that means is that quartz directly responds to your energy field. The tip of the crystal is almost always positively charged, meaning that it is receiving energy. When you touch it, it instantly shifts to become negatively charged and is now transmitting energy to your field.
What kind of energy is it transmitting? Well, remember I said that quartz will focus, store, transfer or transform energy? That energy or information that gets transmitted to you depends on you! What is your intention? How are you directing your thoughts? Who did you receive the crystal from? Has it been activated? All crystals, including quartz are a life form, so tune into them to feel what they have to say.
This is a really important step when you’re choosing any crystal. Use you intuition. If a crystal doesn't feel good when you pick it up, pay attention to that. There are dowsing methods and kinesthetic testing practices you can use to select your crystals, but intuition is always your best guide.
Ok, enough of that. How to use your quartz crystal? I like to wear them. Quartz does such a good job of balancing the electromagnetic field of the body that I wear my quartz pendant whenever I’m travelling, spending time around a lot of people, or when I need to work in ungrounded (stressful) environment. The pendant I have comes from Wings Alive because all of their crystals are awakened and blessed in a special ceremony. I love it!
If you are using quartz in your home, remember it will amplify the existing energy of the space it’s in, so place it in a spot where it can pump up the good. Unlike amethyst where you’d use it to balance out disharmonious energy. An amethyst would be good to use in a bathroom; quartz crystal, not so much...you get the drift :)
3. Citrine
So pretty. This is one of my favouite crystals. People used to (and maybe still do) put pieces of citrine in their safety deposit boxes because it was known to attract wealth :)
How can a crystal do that? I think of it this way: imagine a swiftly moving river, but instead of water, envision a current of energy. This energy can be very choppy and turbulent, or it can be smooth and very fast flowing. Wealth is also a current of energy. It can flow easily, deeply and smoothly; or it can be stagnant, choppy, or sluggish.
Citrine creates the type of current that is smooth and consistently flowing. Exactly what we'd all like to experience in our finances, and in general because that type of flow will make you feel more relaxed, creative, and energized.
It's an amazing crystal to put near your computer, or in the electrical room of your house. I like to take four small pieces of tumbled (meaning the edges have been smoothed) and put one each in the four corners of a room or home. It’s one of the best stones to have in your work environment for balancing out electromagnetic stress and stimulating mental focus and endurance.
Bonus: citrine does not need to be cleansed because it is one of the few stones that doesn’t accumulate negative energies, but rather transmutes and dissipates them.
4. Rose Quartz
My girl Melody, author of Love is in the Earth, the bible on the spiritual messages of crystals says,“Rose quartz provides the message that there is no need for haste in any situation. It brings calmness and clarity to the emotions and restores the mind to harmony after chaotic or crisis situations”.
Ummm yes please! Because sometimes just getting through the day can feel like surviving a crisis! Understandably people wear this one over their heart (there’s the handy bra trick if you don’t have a pendant), but I love this stone added to your bath water. Yes, you still need to energetically cleanse rose quartz even if it’s just been in bath water. In fact, I feel this particular stone needs to be cleansed most frequently. Aim for once a week if you’re wearing it regularly or at minimum once a month.
5. Turquoise
It seems to me that you either can’t get enough of this stone, or you just not attracted to it at all. I’m gaga for it, and my western fashion wardrobe reaps the benefits.
I was at a party recently, chatting with a philosophy professor and I noticed he was wearing a turquoise ring. Whether he knew it or not, this is the absolute perfect stone for a philosopher to be wearing! (its not the Philosopher’s Stone though). It’s a stone that resonates and supports your mental body. It facilitates communication, enhances intuition and supports clear thought. You can find it all over the world. The Tibetans use it a lot, and the chiefs of many southwestern Native American nations would wear great big chunks of it to bring in clear thought and fair-minded judgements.
Go buy yourself a beautiful piece and just wear it. Buying turquoise though can be a bit tricky. It’s a really soft stone, and so ideally you’d get an intact segment rather than a piece that has been stabilized (literally been glued together). It’s one of those things; you likely get what you pay for, so remember to use your intuition, and do your homework.
Enjoy!
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