AN INTRODUCTION TO CRYSTAL HEALING
and Basic Guide to Choosing Crystals for Beginners
What gives individual stones their characteristics?
Different stones have different energetic properties. For example, a
Tigers Eye can aid those seeking clarity
Lapis Lazuli is said to expand our awareness and help us attune to our intuition.
Rose Quartz is calming and sometimes referred to as the stone of gentle love.
A lot of website and books will list the various stones with their meanings which are simply interpretations of the energy each crystal carries.
With a little practise and intuition, anyone can interpret the immediate characteristics of a stone. Of course you can read the definitions in books however, it is important to form your own opinions.
Most Common Crystal Shapes
Single terminated wands
These have a single point at one end and a rough or rounded edge at the other. They are used widely in healing, cleansing and meditation and as jewellery.
Chunks
Chunks are crystals without notable facets. They can be good for enriching a rooms atmosphere, for holding during meditation or simply carrying in your pocket.
Clusters
Clusters consist of a group of small crystals that have naturally grown joined together. Clusters can be excellent for enriching a living environment or workplace. Depending upon their properties they can cleanse, invigorate or calm an atmosphere.
Cut crystals
Cut crystals are crystals that have been cut and polished into shapes such as pyramids, wands or spheres, which can make them very attractive. If they are well-cut the energy of the stone can be maintained and sometimes amplified.
Tumblestones
Tumblestones are small stones, rocks or crystals that have been tumbled over each other many times with increasingly finer abrasive until the sides become smooth and shiny. Many people like to carry crystal tumblestones around in their pocket to keep the energy of the stone with them throughout the day.
How do I choose a crystal?
You do not need to know the exact properties of every stone in order to buy one, although this may help. It is more important to be receptive and allow yourself to be drawn to a stone that will have meaning for you. If you are in a shop simply stand in front of a group of crystals, close your eyes and relax, and when you open them choose the one you feel most drawn to.
When purchasing stones online, browse through the pictures of the various crystals and note which section most appeals to you. You may find yourself excited by the picture of a particular crystal, with a powerful urge to touch and feel it. If you feel that you very much want that crystal to be a part of your life, it is likely that on some level it has something to offer you. You may feel drawn to a rose quartz crystal because you need something in your life that can help you develop a love of yourself.
If you don't feel drawn to any stones the first time you may need to acknowledge that the time isn't right. If you buy crystals purely because that is what you set out to do then your crystals may lack meaning, and you are essentially starting a rock collection. There is nothing wrong with collecting rocks, but this site is more concerned with using crystals to assist personal development. If nothing strongly appeals to you, accept that the time is not right and come back on another day.
Healing with crystals
Different crystals have different energies and properties, and between them can affect mental, physical, spiritual and emotional aspects of ourselves. Simply holding the right crystal at the right time can bring about a change in our attitude and well-being. You don't necessarily need to look up the meaning each time you do this. Over time you may acquire a number of crystals - just take hold of the one you feel drawn to.
The right crystal can affect the energy of an environment, and the energy it holds can influence you whether you simply hold it in your hand or place it by your bed or on the mantelpiece. Crystal healers use their knowledge of the stones and of the patient in the healing process. There are various methods of healing with crystals, such as placing crystals on and around a person while they are lying down, or using a wand or point to focus love, energy and intent on the other person in a way that relates specifically to their ailment and needs.
So where should a novice start? There are some choices of crystal healing stones that are particularly suited to the beginner because their healing energies are easier to ‘tap into’ than other stones.
The subject of Crystal Healing is far to vast for us to go into depth, however, the aim here is to offer a few tips for beginners which will allow you to get started and explore the subject further.
Purchasing the First Few Crystals
Depending on your supplier and the types of crystals you want, getting a crystal collection together can get very expensive. It is therefore a good idea when starting out to have a few stones that are multi-purpose – think of them as all rounders.
Cleansing and attuning crystals
You will need to learn how to cleanse and ‘programme’ your crystals as they can pick up subtle energies drawn from people or the environment which will cloak their healing powers. Cleansing crystals is not difficult but should be done every time you use them. There are a few stones that never require cleansing and can be excellent for the beginner for this reason – Citrine and Kyanite are two such stones.
Dedicating your crystals to the purpose you require them for is also important.
Crystals will affect the environment they are placed in, even if only on a very subtle level. Place them around your rooms or alternatively put them under your pillow or wear them. You do not have to buy crystal jewellery specifically but can just carry your stones in a pocket.
As a beginner you are bound to feel extremely bogged down at times but the benefits gained from crystals, as an aid to healing on all levels, really are enormous and worth the effort it will take initially.
If you still feel lost with all the information available then try talking to the owner of your local store, dedicated to selling crystals. The people who run these stores are often extremely knowledgeable and extremely gifted healers and will be more than happy to guide a beginner looking to choose his first crystals. If purchasing crystals online, don't be afraid to contact the store to ask them for help or there are many groups on Facebook and Twitter full of people who will be able to point you in the right direction or recommend further reading.
We put our article together with the help of information on the Holistic Shop & Out of Stress Websites - We have included the links below
The Most Common Crystals for Beginners
AMETHYST – this beautiful purple healing stone is one of the most common and therefore easily obtained: even quite large chunks can be very cheap. Amethyst can work on many levels – calming the mind, offering protection,lending powerful healing properties, offering focus and direction, dispelling anger and anxiety, strengthening the immune system, giving pain relief for physical and emotional problems and the list goes on.
ROSE QUARTZ – another common and cheap crystal healing stone for the beginner. All spiritual journeys must start with learning self love and acceptance and this is an excellent stone for helping you achieve that. Self-love is not, as many think, about choosing to be selfish and self obsessed. It is about accepting and making the most of all that you are: recognising the beauty that lies within and acknowledging the shadow parts. Only then can you truly give to others. Rose quartz is the stone of unconditional love, drawing off negative energies and replacing them with positive ones. There is no better emotional healer than Rose Quartz.
CLEAR QUARTZ – completing the trilogy of 3 cheap and easily obtainable stones. It is a master healer and can be used in the healing of any condition. Clear Quartz, Amethyst and Rose Quartz are such all rounders between them that, even if you should never get another stone, you will have a powerful and adaptable collection right there.
PIETERSITE – a wonderful stone when you are just starting out as it is gentle and welcoming and allows even the inexperienced to tap into its gifts. Just holding Pietersite in your hand can suddenly flood you with joy and calm. An excellent stone for those needing a pick-me-up or energy boost.
RAINBOW SELECTION – it is always a good idea for the beginner to have one of each of the following colours of healing stone: red/brown, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet/purple, clear. These colors correspond to each of the chakras. As it is so often imbalances within our chakras that cause emotional and physical problems then a crystal healing stone that stimulates each of them is a good starting point.
1.) Red/brown stones (base chakra) – Carnelian, Tiger’s Eye, Jasper, Red Calcite, Garnet, Ruby,
2.) Smokey Quartz
3.) Orange stones (sacral chakra) – Rhodochrosite, Fire Opal, Orange Jade, Amber
4.) Yellow stones (solar plexus chakra) – Citrine, Sunstone, Golden Topaz, Jasper
5.) Green stones ( heart chakra) – Jade, Moss Agate, Green Tourmaline, Malachite
6.) Blue stones (throat chakra) – Pietersite, Larimar, Chrysocolla, Blue Lace Agate, Sodalite
7.) Purple stones (third eye) – Amethyst, Ametrine, Fluorite
8.) Purple/ clear stones (crown chakra) – Clear Quartz, Herkimer Diamond, Calcite, Rutilated Quartz, Selenite
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