A guide from a self-taught, crystal obsessed Momma
Over the last few years, there has been a huge surge in the popularity of what my dad would call “The Woo Woo”, ha ha! Things like alternative healing, new age practices, witchy apothecaries, energy healing, metaphysical items, plant and herb based medicine/products etc. One of the big categories in this realm is crystals! Shops selling crystals for their metaphysical and healing properties are popping up all over the place, whether it’s a brick and mortar store or an online boutique and society is EATING IT UP! So what’s the deal with all these rocks? Is their “magic” real, or is this just the latest fad we humans latch on to to magically fix everything wrong in our lives? Can a little rock really make a difference?
I have always been drawn to crystals and rocks, since I was a young child. I remember collecting rocks everywhere I went and I even put on “Rock Sales” during summer break to try and earn some extra cash. No lemonade stands for me, I was all about the pretty rocks! I also remember a trip to Washington D.C. when I was around 10 years old and being in total awe when we went to the Natural History Museum and got to see their exhibit of crystals and gemstones! I was OBSESSED! Now at this time, I had no idea that crystals and rocks boasted all sorts of properties, both physical and metaphysical. I’ve always “felt” things with rocks, that is why I am drawn to them, but I didn’t really know much about it until a few years ago when I started to really get into my crystal collecting and knowledge.
Crystals are definitely powerful objects and have been used throughout history for their “magic”. They each have their own energy and properties and can be a great addition to any spiritual or healing practice. But sadly, they are not a miracle to magically fix everything that is wrong in your life ha ha! When people ask me how crystals could help them, I make sure to emphasize that fact and make it clear that crystals are just an amplifier to actually doing the nitty gritty work to better yourself and create the life you want to live. You also have to be open and willing to receive the healing and support that crystals can provide.
I started revisiting my love for rocks a few years ago. I can’t even remember what prompted it, possibly a visit to a crystal shop on a family vacation, but I became a little obsessed and haven’t looked back. I’ve always felt connected to a more earthy/witchy/new age type of spirituality and after experiencing a significant loss and going through the madness with COVID, I was searching for new ways to connect to my higher self and help me on my healing journey. I started looking into it more, researching different types of crystals and what they were good for, reading books about them and of course, creating my personal collection! One of my favorite sayings is, “There’s a crystal for that!” because it’s so true!
Crystals have a lot of properties that you can explore when you find one that speaks to you! Like all things on this planet, crystals have energy, and their energy is actually very stable and unchanging and each type has it’s own unique frequency and energy field which gives them special properties. We can use this stable energy to bring harmony and healing to our own unstable human energy. Crystals have a few different properties depending on the variety. For the most part, crystals have:
Physical Healing Properties
Mental/Emotional Healing Properties
Metaphysical Healing Properties
Zodiac Association
Chakra Balancing Abilities
Physical properties tend to have direct correlation to the physical body. For example, citrine is said to support thyroid function. Mental/Emotional properties are definitely linked to things more centered in the mind’s thoughts and feelings. Sticking with citrine, it is said to help release anger and tension while boosting self-esteem and confidence. Metaphysical properties have a lot to do with energy and are often linked to the chakra system. Citrine is connected to both the solar plexus chakra and the sacral chakra. The solar plexus helps us stay grounded in our own power and the sacral is where passion and creativity live, so citrine is said to support these chakras and realign them. Most crystals also have connections to zodiac signs and birth months, i.e. birth stones. Citrine is a great stone for Aries and Libras, while it is the birth stone for the month of November.
After saying all that, have I convinced you to join me in my crystal obsession?
Well, how do you get started, you might ask? My advice and suggestion is to find
a great crystal shop in your area and just go experience it! One of my favorite things is going into a shop with no plan and just seeing what feels good or what calls out to me! This is how I discovered my absolute favorite crystal, Labradorite! I had never heard of it or seen it before, and I kept being drawn back to the section with all the labradorite pieces. There are also definitely some great starter crystals that everyone should have in their collection. My starter list would include:
Quartz of any kind (regular, smoky, rose)
Amethyst
Tiger’s Eye
Selenite
Tourmaline
Carnelian
These would be great to get as a bunch of tumbles to start (small, polished pieces) and then you could see which ones feel the best to you to later invest in some statement pieces like large spheres, free forms, towers, or flames! I am a sucker for a beautiful sphere on a gorgeous decorative stand.
Now that you have some crystals in your collection, what the heck do you do with them? You can use your crystals during meditation or intention setting. You can use them during tarot or oracle card readings. You can place them on certain points of your body to absorb the healing properties. You can display them around your house because they are beautiful and radiate their energy into your home (sacred space).
You can wear them as jewelry or keep a few in your bra for the day to keep receiving their energy. I have a labradorite macrame hanger that hangs from my rearview mirror in my car. I have a tumble keychain on my keys. The possibilities are endless! Now that I have an extensive collection, one of my favorite things is to gift certain crystals to my friends and loved ones, educating them on why I chose that specific crystal to benefit them. Gifting is my love language anyway and this just creates such a personal feeling where they can truly see the thought that I put behind intuitively choosing a crystal specific for them.
Another thing about crystals when you are using them in your life practice is that you need to cleanse them and recharge them. Why you ask? Crystals hold on to the energy that they are exposed to and sometimes that is not a good thing! There are a few different practices to care for and recharge them.
Natural Light/Moon Energy-although it is very talked about to set your crystals out during certain lunar cycles, crystals can always benefit from the light from the moon and sun. You don’t want them out during the heat of the sun though, so placing them at nightfall and bringing them back inside in the morning is suggested.
Using other crystals-there are types of crystals that are specifically for cleansing, the most known one being selenite. Place your crystals near or touching a piece of selenite for the benefits. They even have selenite bowls and charging plates specifically for this purpose.
Sound Healing-Sound healing is such a powerful tool! You can use a bell, a singing bowl, a tuning fork, or even chanting over your crystals to bring back their healing frequencies. At Purposeful Living some people bring in their crystals to leave for about a month to collect all the good vibrations from all the sacred instruments!
Whatever cleansing practice speaks to you is great! The stones should feel lighter and look brighter after cleansing!
I had a friend ask if there were any apps to help identify, log and learn more about your crystal collection. There are a few, but a lot of them use a subscription service for the more in depth usage. I have not personally used any of these but let me know if you find something you love! You can check out:
I also have many favorite crystal stores, the first two are local in Reno, NV. The other crystal links I provided are online and ship anywhere in the US and Canada as far as I know!
Well, I hope this could give you readers a little insight into using crystals in your life and healing practices. I am in NO WAY an expert, this is just a little smidge of the things I love and have learned in my own practice! I hope you can find what speaks to you and to your practice, as it is a very personal journey!
Thank you for reading!
Megan has been a client, volunteer, student, and blogger for Purposeful Living for almost ten years. She is a woman of many talents. Please check out her personal blog here: