Beginners Guide To Crystals
So, you’ve taken an interest in crystals, welcome to the club! Crystals are amazing creations of the Earth that have fascinated people since the dawn of time.
So, you’ve taken an interest in crystals, welcome to the club! Crystals are amazing creations of the Earth that have fascinated people since the dawn of time. For as long as people have been around, we have found crystals to be useful tools in either day to day life (like Obsidian pointed arrowheads), find meaning in our higher selves (with crystals like Clear Quartz), or even make-up (made of ground up Lapis Lazuli)! There is no right way or wrong way to use crystals…which to be honest can make it seem even more daunting to step into a practice that is thousands of years old. Having said that, don’t worry; whether you’re just looking for a pretty piece of home décor or looking to tap into your spiritual side I am happy to walk you through your first steps into the world of crystals!
Growing up I had an interesting relationship with crystals, and I didn’t even realise it yet. As a small person I was pretty nerdy, I used to get bullied a lot for being academic and larger than my peers. I found sanctuary from my harassers in books. There were two types of books that really fascinated me the most and they were to be honest, polar opposites; I loved fantasy books and science books. In my fantasy books, I would read of fantastic adventures, exploring other worlds, tapping into your own power. In my science books, I loved to read about geology, rocks and minerals and all the varying types of building blocks that made up crystals. It was only natural that I was drawn go “crystal hunting” with my parents. I would collect them, study them, and classify them. I didn’t understand it at the time, but these crystals held so much energy to me. As I grew older, I ended up going into the scientific field, eventually became a science teacher and shared my love of geology (and other scientific subjects) with my students. In my free time, my partner and I would go “crystal hunting” around Perth. Even as an adult I was drawn to crystals of all different shapes, sizes and uses. As I collected and researched I began to use crystals less and less for display or scientific collection, but more for their spiritual and energetic attributes. This eventually led me to opening my own crystal showroom to share my love of the other side of crystals, the energetic and manifesting side!
Owning a crystal showroom really increased my knowledge of crystals and their meanings; it also pointed out to me that there are sooooo many different types of crystals, where do you even begin!? In this blog post I’m going to: walk you through some of the crystals that I think are most accessible and easy to work with, going to let you in on a couple of different, super easy, ways that you can work with these crystals, and what “cleansing and charging” your crystals means and varying methods that I recommend. Now I’d like to say, there is no such thing as “beginner crystals”, because if you’re drawn to a crystal (really interested in it for some reason) than chances are that’s the crystal you need in your life right now. The crystals I am going to be recommending in this blog post are just some of the most common crystals that people go to first.
The first crystal on my list is honestly the most underrated crystal of all time, which BAFFLES me because it is the best crystal for everything. That crystal being Clear Quartz! Unlike most other crystals which have particular energetic meaning, Clear Quartz is the jack-of-all-trades stone because it is known for latching onto whatever intentions you set to it. In addition to acting like a chameleon and changing to whatever vibe you’re after, it is also known for its amplification of energies. It essentially acts like a booster when you pair it with another crystal. Clear Quartz helps us see things clearly, boost energy and productivity, and focus on WHATEVER intentions we set for ourselves. Even from purely an aesthetic prospective Clear Quartz looks great in any space. Do not shove Clear Quartz out of your mind, just because she seems basic, she’s the queen!
Now of QUARTZ I’m going to mention everyone’s first love when it comes to crystals. Rose Quartz. Rose Quartz is a beautiful pink crystal that represents and hold affinity for love. This is love of all kinds including friendship love, romantic love, pet love, family love, self love, ect. It is a crystal that is all about sending and receiving loving vibes. This stone is especially helpful for moments when we feel a need for love and acceptance. Personally, this crystal is one that I carry around with me the most. Some days, I struggle with body image and self acceptance, so I carry it around with me to remind me that it is ok to love myself. Other days, I carry it around with me to remind me to act and speak from a place of love, even if my patience or caffeine levels are low!
Sticking with the Quartz based family, I am going to talk about a crystal that almost everyone has owned at some point in their life. Amethyst is a purple stone and by far the most popular stone that we have in our showroom. It is often referred to as the “dreamer’s stone”; it holds this nickname for many different reasons. This stone is often used to calm the mind and body down allowing people feel at ease and reduce stress and anxiety. It is also often attributed to helping people sleep (you know, because they are much calmer). People who work with Amethyst often describe having more vivid dreams that are easier to recall. In addition to all that Amethyst is also known to be a “manifestation stone” or a crystal that provides you energy to bring your dream and goals into reality. My favourite way to use this crystal is to have it by my bedside table, ready to lull me into a peaceful, dream filled sleep.
Nowadays, we are told to focus on so many things that we end up focusing on the things that don’t really matter to us. Fluorite, with its many beautiful colour variations from green, to purple to blue, helps us focus on the important things in our life and keep them from and centre. By focussing on the important things, we can think more positively and reduce stress at the same time. Fluorite is especially helpful for those studying or with occupations that require a high level of retention, attention to detail and organisation. When I was a teacher, I would often give Fluorite to my students when they were feeling overwhelmed, and they often found holding onto it comforting.
Often when people talk about crystals, they talk about wanting to protect themselves from bad vibes, negative energy, ill-intent, etc. It’s sadly one of the most common things I get asked for help with. Some people just wish they could put up a negativity barrier around themselves or their home and guess what there is a crystal for that. Tourmaline is a black stone that is known as THE protection crystal. Tourmaline’s energy is all about protecting intentional energy and putting up a barrier against anything negative or bad intentions. People often buy small pieces and place them by doors and windows in their home, place it in their glove box of their car or even wear or pocket it for protection on the go. We even named our little black pug Tourmaline because she’s our little positivity protector.
My last stone recommendation is Selenite. Selenite is a cleansing crystal meaning similarly to Tourmaline it helps with negative vibes, but instead of putting up a wall it cleans the energy that we carry with us. As we go about our day we pick up on energy, sometimes our own energy, but usually others energy as well. Selenite is like an industrial heavy-duty cleaner for your vibe, wiping away negative energy from you and a space. It also is one of the only crystals that “cleanses and charges” itself and can even cleanse and charge other crystals that have been used when it is touching them. I keep Selenite everywhere, its in almost every room of my house, except my bathroom because although it is beautiful it will dissolve if it makes contact with water.
Now speaking of cleansing and charging, if you’re new to the crystal world you’re probably like “wtf does that mean!?” Imagine your crystals are like a micro fibre duster that enhancing or protecting your vibes. Over time, or a really crappy day, they will start to get weighed down by dust (negative vibes, energy off other people, your own energy) and stop working. Basically, if you don’t cleanse and charge your crystals the effectiveness of your intention will eventually fade. Carrying a stone that is full of negative energy can have the opposite effect to what was desired.
Never fear there are many ways to cleanse and charge your crystals. If you’re a lazy crystal owner like me Selenite is probably the easiest way to go. You literally just set and forget it by placing your crystals on a Selenite plate, or bowl (or even with a tumble) and leave it for a time (I usually do overnight. Another extremely popular way to cleanse and charge your crystals is by placing them in the light of a full moon. This is common with crystals, and some people even say that they notice their crystals feel more powerful after a moon bath. However, if you’re like me, you might forget when the moon is or not like the weather so this one can be hit and miss. Another popular way to cleanse crystals is through smoke; personally, I also like this method because it is really quick but be cautious about what your burning; I recommend incense, dried herbs from your garden or sandalwood. Although burning things like a white sage smudge stick or Palo Santo wood are often seen in the crystal community, these are practices that have been appropriated from indigenous peoples of North and South America, so I do not recommend them. I stick to the incense! (Ha, get it, cause incense often comes in a stick)…
So now you know some of the most accessible crystals and how to keep them clean, but how do you actually use them? Well, that is kind of up to you and that is totally ok! Some people use their crystals solely as display pieces bringing in that energy to the space in the house or office. Some people wear their crystals and keep them on them to remind them of the intention they set for the day. Some people build grids or displays with their crystals to generate energy for a specific purpose. No matter what you do with your crystals make sure that it resonates with you and feels good. My favourite way to use crystals is probably the simplest. Every morning I get up and I think to myself, what do I need today? I grab a crystal with that intention: focus, self love, motivation, protection, calm, etc and I sit and meditate with that crystal for as long as I can, sometimes that’s just 5 minutes in the morning as I make my coffee. I ask myself how am I going to bring ___ intention to my day? What can I do to bring __ to my day? And then when I’m finished my little meditation, I put that crystal in my pocket or bag. Throughout the day I’ll give that crystal a little hold and reflect on how I’m doing with my intention so far. That’s it. Super easy.
Crystals should be fun, accessible and easy to use. I hope you find a crystal that you’re drawn to whether it’s one of the crystals I mentioned or one entirely different. Don’t worry you won’t hurt my feelings. This is your crystal journey, enjoy it!
Hey there, thank you for sharing your wisdom and passion for crystals with all of us! This was an easy read and even though my love of crystals is not new, I learnt so much from reading this blog!
Look forward to reading more.
Amber
Hi guys, just wanted to say thank you for bringing your amazing energy and your awesome warehouse with affordable Crystal’s for all us Crystal lovers. I know I will be a life long customer! 💜 Sarah