Crystals

I decided it was time to share a little of my love of crystals. I’ve literally got hundreds of them sitting around my house … almost every horizontal surface (except the floor and kitchen table/counters) of the house has crystals on it. Most of the time they sit there, happily sending out their soothing energies, but we do put them to specific use from time to time. In addition to the spheres, clusters, pyramids, and other shapes we have here, I work beads made from these crystals into jewelry, car charms, window hangings, and other baubles. I’ve also infused water with crystal energies to help with a variety of ailments.

For those not very familiar with crystals, I thought it would be nice to list some of their properties that I find useful. I’ll add to the list when I have the time and inclination, but for now, here’s a decent start. 😉

Some commonly available crystals

Amber: while it’s technically fossilized tree sap and not a “true crystal”, amber is still very useful for those of us who make use of the energies of stones. One of the best grounding stones around, amber is able to ground energies from just about anywhere. It’s also a very protective stone and can modify negative energies into positive, to allow self healing. I combine amber with black tourmaline and turquoise to deflect negative energies away from me.
Amethyst: probably one of the most well known crystals around. Amethyst has been used for thousands of years as a tranquilizer, to relieve headaches, and overcome addictions. It’s a very useful stone for meditation helping to calm the mind and enhancing the ability to shift to a higher state of consciousness as well as promoting Universal love.
Ametrine: a combination of amethyst and citrine, ametrine helps achieve balance. It brings harmony to us by helping to combine energies that seem to be at odds. It allows us to balance perception with action and helps with thinking things through.
Aqua Aura Quartz: clear quartz that has a layer of gold bonded to the crystal, aqua aura is a highly energetic stone despite being created in a laboratory. It helps dispel negative energies we are holding onto and heals holes in our aura. It aids one in communicating truth from the heart and helps us fulfill our highest potential.
Aventurine: an extremely positive stone, aventurine disperses negative energies and is good for deflecting electromagnetic energy radiating from electronic equipment. It helps integrate the intellectual and emotional parts of the brain and helps us feel happy and whole.
Black Tourmaline (Schorl): this stone is unique because it never needs to be cleansed and it deals with negative energies by deflecting them instead of absorbing or changing those energies. This is a very powerful stone but it can be temperamental … there aren’t many stones I combine it with because it just doesn’t like to be around many of the other stones I use.
Bloodstone: another stone very good at grounding energies. Bloodstone cleanses the blood of impurities and helps the body to heal itself. It helps clear the mind and can give a little added boost when we are over-tired. I find this to be an excellent companion while driving and have a dangly piece I made with bloodstone hanging from my rear view mirror.
Blue Lace Agate: this is one of my favorites! It’s such a calming and peaceful stone that when wearing it one can’t help but feel at peace with the world. It’s very good at helping to dissolve anger or festering negative thoughts and gently allows us to find our voice when dealing with others.
Brecciated Jasper: all jaspers are protective and this one is no different. Brecciated jasper contains hematite in its matrix which helps us to maintain emotional clarity and stability to help us stay grounded.
Calcite: a very positive and active stone, calcite helps to clear stagnant energies from our environment as well as our bodies. It’s an uplifting stone helping us overcome a lack of motivation or laziness. It helps to clear the chakras, especially when coordinating specific calcite colors with the individual chakras. (calcites come in a variety of colors, each behaving subtly differently than its cousins … I’ll add some info on the different colors in the future)
Carnelian: a high energy stone that helps to stimulate the creative juices. Carnelian helps to motivate us while also providing stability.
Chalcedony: a very calm stone that helps to bring harmony to the individual as well as groups of people. Chalcedony soothes and relaxes the mind and helps us to find joy. (as with some of the other stones, chalcedony comes in multiple colors which I’ll come back to in detail later)
Citrine: another very strongly protective stone, citrine is also very energizing. It helps to increase an individual’s self confidence and helps us to learn to let go of destructive habits. It helps align the energetic body with our physical body making us feel “whole”.
Dendritic Agate: a stabilizing stone that has a happy, earthy “feel” to it. This stone helps us stay grounded and connected to the physical world as well as aiding the blood and nerve systems in staying healthy.
Dumortierite: a high vibration stone, yet it is calming. Dumortierite helps build self-confidence and in dealing with reality. It’s also helpful when dealing with spirit guides or past life issues.
Emerald: an inspiring stone that helps us to be patient, calm, and loving when dealing with others. It can help to get rid of negative emotions and helps us to see the truth.
Flourite: a strongly protective stone that helps us to integrate just about anything. Flourite helps to stabilize all aspects of our mind and body. It helps to overcome illusions or fixed ideas and to see the truth in situations and ourselves. (another stone that comes in a variety of colors and I’ll add more on those later)
Garnet: there are a large number of garnet types, but in general garnets are a stone of love and commitment. It helps to balance our energy and supports either a passionate or peaceful mood depending on what is appropriate. It helps us to let go of what no longer serves us, allowing acceptance and integration of new thoughts and actions.
Green Tourmaline: a compassionate stone that helps us to practice patience and find constructive solutions to problems. It is an excellent healing stone and helps to quiet the mind and get rid of fear.
Hematite: extremely protective and an excellent grounding stone. Hematite helps us to see new possibilities as well as aiding us in learning from mistakes. It helps to keep the energetic body firmly grounded to the physical body.
Howlite: an excellent stone for meditation, howlite calms the mind. It’s also good for insomnia and letting go of anger or rage. It helps with solidifying desire into realistic ambition and to see the way toward achieving those ambitions.
Iolite: a mystical stone that is wonderful for gaining insight into oneself, situations, and the universal consciousness. Iolite is an excellent stone for meditation or aiding visualization and developing intuition.
Jade: in the East, jade is believed to signify that one has obtained wisdom through tranquil thought. It brings harmony to the self or a relationship, is a symbol of purity, and is thought by some to bring good luck.
Jet: another “stone” that isn’t a crystal, jet is fossilized wood (not petrified wood though) that has the appearance of coal. Jet removes negative energy from anyone or anything and must be thoroughly cleansed frequently. It helps to get rid of unreasonable fears and can aid one in their journey for enlightenment.
Kyanite: this is an awesome stone for meditation. Kyanite helps to increase our intuition and to manifest our will in the Universe. It also helps us to rid ourselves of stress and irritation.
Labradorite: one of my favorite stones, the flashy rainbows in labradorite actually deflect negative energies, preventing them from reaching a person wearing this stone. It also helps to keep one from losing their energy and can enhance intuition.
Lapis Lazuli: a happy stone that brings peace and allows us to rapidly release stress. Lapis helps with clear and objective thinking and amplifies thought patterns allowing for increased creativity.
Lepidolite: helps to overcome obsessive or depressive thought patterns. Lepidolite is a very supportive stone that stimulates intellectual and analytical thought patterns in addition to smoothing out mood swings.
Malachite: a very powerful stone that should be used with caution. Malachite can amplify both positive and negative energies. It’s very good (and can in fact be brutal) at showing what is blocking the path to growth. Use caution with raw malachite as it is toxic unless it’s been polished, and never use the direct method with this stone (even polished) if making an elixir.
Moonstone: a very calming and balancing stone. Moonstone is a wonderful intuition enhancer and an emotional healer. Rainbow moonstone has an added benefit in that it helps to repel negative energies.
Obsidian: a very unique stone, obsidian is lava that cooled so fast it turned to glass. Because it formed so rapidly, it tends to do everything quickly. It’s good for showing us things that are holding us back, including our own shortcomings. It’s a very strong stone and can be somewhat brutal when bringing things to the surface. Mahogany and Snowflake obsidians tend to work more gently so I prefer to use them when doing this sort of work and use the “plain” obsidian for protection during meditation. Rainbow obsidian, like labradorite and rainbow moonstone, deflects negative energies away from us and there are also some colored obsidians that are more rare than the varieties mentioned here.
Ocean Jasper: a calm and nurturing stone, ocean jasper (a form of orbicular jasper) is a soothing healer strongly attuned to water. This is one of my all-time favorite stones. It’s a loving stone that helps us to have greater empathy towards others while allowing us to remain objective to situations and personalities.
Onyx: a protective stone that gives strength and support when we are under physical or emotional stress. Onyx can hold onto negative energies it draws from us and our surroundings so it needs to be cleansed regularly. It’s also a stabilizing and balancing stone helping us to feel at ease where ever we are.
Peridot: a strongly cleansing stone, peridot helps us to get rid of the mental baggage that is holding us back. It helps to identify blockages so we can do the mental work necessary to get rid of them and move forward.
Pietersite: a great stone for meditation or Shamanic journey work, pietersite helps with linking the conscious mind to our true spiritual self. It helps us break down irrational or programmed beliefs that no longer serve us.
Prehnite: A strongly healing stone, prehnite is a calm and peaceful stone. It helps us to let go of things (both physical and emotional) that we no longer need and aids us in being able to trust that the Universe will provide what we need.
Rainforest Jasper (Rhyolite): this is one of my favorite jaspers, topped only by ocean jasper. It’s very connected to the earth and is a wonderful tool for grounding. It helps us to be more accepting of ourselves and to assess things objectively.
Rhodochrosite: a compassionate stone that teaches us to love in a selfless manner. It helps us to recognize painful feelings that we’ve buried so we can release them. Rhodochrosite also helps us see unhealthy patterns so we can resolve the base issues and move forward.
Rose Quartz: a calm and peaceful stone, rose quartz is the stone for teaching unconditional love. It helps to change negative emotional energies into loving energies. It helps us to be more empathetic and sensitive.
Ruby: a happy and passionate stone. Ruby is a great stone if you need a “boost” without getting hyper. It helps us to transform anger or frustration into more productive energies. It also helps with concentration and awareness.
Rutilated Quartz: (rutile in quartz) this is a very energetic stone. Not many people can wear it for long periods without feeling lightheaded or hyper. It helps to shore up the energetic body if you’re feeling “off” or “out of steam”.
Sapphire: a serene stone that helps bring peace and calm to the mind. It brings balance to the physical, emotional, energetic, and spiritual parts of ourselves. Sapphire comes in a variety of colors and each is said to impart a slightly different wisdom to us: black for intuition, blue for spiritual truth, green for vision (both inner and outer), pink for emotional wisdom, and yellow for intellect.
Seraphinite: an excellent stone for meditation. Seraphinite is a must for anyone who works with angels or the angelic energies. It shows us how to love from a pure heart.
Smoky Quartz: a terrific grounding stone (probably my favorite), smoky quartz is very attuned to earth energies, It helps us to remove negative energies, but also replaces them with more positive energies. Smoky quartz helps to smooth out communication problems and promote calmness.
Sodalite: another great stone for meditation. Sodalite helps to balance the intellectual and emotional minds. It’s an idealistic stone that seeks the truth in everything and is great for use when working in groups.
Sunstone: a light and airy but happy stone. Sunstone is good for giving “that little extra bit” needed to pull oneself up out of the doldrums. It’s optimistic energy helps us maintain an enthusiastic attitude. Do not use the direct method for making an elixir with this stone.
Tiger Eye: a very grounding and protective stone. It helps us to see the difference between what we think we want and what we really need. It’s also an efficient healer and we’ve used it to relieve pain and swelling from a broken bone. (I specifically used “we” as I suggested it to hubby for a broken toe and he was quite impressed at how well it worked)
Topaz: a great healing stone that helps to promote happiness. It directs healing energies where they need to go (even if you aren’t aware of it) while aiding the release of tension and helping us to relax.
Tourmilated Quartz: (tourmaline in quartz) another very energetic stone. It helps to “guard” the energetic body,helping to prevent picking up negative energies. It also helps prevent loss or “leakage” of our energy.
Turquoise: an excellent stone for purification. Turquoise balances the physical and spiritual bodies as well as the chakras, It removes negative energies as well as repelling them. It helps to stabilize one’s mood and promotes calm.
Unakite: a form of jasper, this is an excellent stone for removing electromagnetic gunk. I have some of this in front of every television and computer monitor I’m around. It also balances the emotional and spiritual bodies and gives off a calm energy.

Cleansing

When crystals are used for a specific purpose, in many cases they will need to be cleansed periodically to get rid of negative energies they’ve collected. And it’s usually a good idea to cleanse new crystals when we bring them home. This isn’t always the case though, so if it makes you feel uncomfortable thinking about cleansing a crystal, don’t worry about it … the stone may not need to be cleansed. Some stones (like black tourmaline and turquoise) never need cleansing. There are a number of ways stones can be cleansed:

• Hold the stone under running water
• Soak the stone in salt water for a little while
• Set the stone on a quartz cluster for at least a day
• Leave the stone sitting in the light of a full moon overnight
• Bury the stone for at least a week
• Smudge the stone using sage or incense

Not all of these methods are appropriate for all stones, so make sure and check if there is any question … especially with regard to water. Angelite, selenite, malachite, and sunstone should never be held under running water or soaked in salt water (or fresh water) and another method should be chosen for those stones. Ideally you can interpret what the stone wants and give it what it needs. Trust yourself … if it “feels right” it probably is.

Uses

I won’t go into the details of how to use the stones here … it’ll give me something to blog about occasionally in the future. If you want me to go over a particular use, please speak up and I’ll be happy to get a post up as soon as I can. There are also a few decent books that go into some detail as well and I’ve noted those below. So what can crystals be used for? Honestly, just about anything. Here are some of the things I do with crystals:

• As “helpers” to clear the chakras
• In a grid to charge a space for a particular purpose
• Carry them to benefit from their energy all day
• Make an elixir to drink so you can maximize the healing energies
• Wear them as jewelry
• Hang them near your doors and windows to help prevent negative energies from entering your home
• Meditate with them

Recommended Reading

The Crystal Bible and The Crystal Bible 2 by Judy Hall
The Book of Stones by Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian
Love is in the Earth by Melody and Julianne Guilbault

Posts on using crystals

• The wonderful world of crystals!
• Using crystals in jewelry
• Using Crystals to Clear the Chakras
• Crystal Elixirs
• Gridding with Crystals
• A Few More Uses for Crystals

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