HEALING CRYSTALS: Essential Knowledge For Beginners
The term “crystal” describes a solid geometric crystalline formation developed naturally within the Earth — they’re essentially crystalline minerals. New age beliefs suggest they have magical properties due to their vibrational frequencies.
With over 60 percent of adults in the United States lending credence to at least one new age philosophy, it’s no surprise that healing crystals have become a multi-billion dollar industry. Today, crystals play an integral role in Feng Shui, spirituality, healing rituals, meditation routines, and magical workings. So, what exactly are crystals, and how can you use them in Feng Shui and your daily life?
Healing Crystals: What You Need To Know
Unlike rocks, crystal formations are isolated, not part of an aggregation like rocks. They have symmetrical faces representing their internal structure and naturally form in organic geometric shapes. Crystals develop deep within the Earth, so those looking to sell crystals must either mine them or purchase from a supplier who does.
People use crystals in various new age practices, including:
- Meditation with crystals,
- Feng Shui and Home Design with crystals
- Healing with crystals
- Magical Workings with crystals
- Using crystals for protection against negative energy
Quality new age crystals are highly sought after. Millions of people believe in their power, so they wear, display, or keep the crystals near them to bring positive changes in their lives and keep negativity at bay. In meditation practices and magical workings, people believe that the vibrations of crystals provide a power boost to their rituals.
Not everyone is convinced of these “stones’” magical powers, but it’s a fact that crystals emit vibrations — everything vibrates. According to Milwaukee Area Technical College, as matter vibrates, it can transport energy away from molecules. As that energy moves away, it causes other forms of matter to vibrate. This is essentially the basis of the belief surrounding crystals — that their vibrations can subtly change or affect our own to provide beneficial life improvements.
History of Healing Crystals
The popularity of crystals for health has increased substantially over the past decade, but “magical” crystals are nothing new. In fact, the origins date back as far as Mesopotamia, with rose quartz being a popular stone, dating back to 7000 BC.
Hundreds of cultures have used crystals in various ways. Pliny the Elder, a historian in ancient Rome, wrote one of the oldest records of crystals. He wrote down several different crystals, their physical properties, and where they came from.
Ancient Egyptians, too, believed in the magical powers of crystals. They were mined and fashioned into jewelry, talismans, and amulets for protection. Jasper and carnelian were commonly used in ancient Egypt.
Popular Types of Healing Crystals
Worldwide, there are tens of thousands of tons of crystals mined every year. Below is a chart compiling some of the most popular healing crystals and their properties and associations within the new age industry:
Amethyst
- Cleansing
- Calming
- Intuition
Mined in Zambia, Brazil, Uruguay, South Korea, Russia, United States and Southern India.
Garnet
- Strength
- Balance
- Transforms Negativity
Mined in Sri Lanka, China, South Africa, Madagascar, India, Brazil, and the USA.
Rose Quartz
- Passion
- Love
- Emotional Healing
Mined in Brazil, Mozambique, South Africa, India, and Madagascar, and the USA.
Selenite
- Creativity
- Decision Making
- Inspiration
Mined in Brazil, Mozambique, South Africa, India, Madagascar and the USA.
Moonstone
- Wisdom
- Healing
- Feminine
Mined in Southern India, Sri Lanka, India, Brazil, Mexico and Madagascar.
Jasper
- Grounding
- Stamina
- Connection with the Earth
Occurs world-wide, mainly mined in India, Madagascar, Australia, Russia, Egypt, South Africa, and the United States.
Obsidian
- Shielding
- Banishing
- Dreamwork
Mined in the United States, Mexico, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Greece and Canada.
Tiger Eye
- Clarity
- Strength
- Self-Confidence
Mined in South Africa and Australia.
Topaz
- Abundance
- Meditation
- Success
Mined in Brazil, Australia, China, Germany, Mexico, USA, Pakistan, Russia and Zimbabwe.
How Healing Crystals Work
The human body’s central nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and various nerve centers. These important bodily systems use electrical signals to function. Each nerve center vibrates at a specific frequency. It’s believed that by using crystals, you can promote healing in the body by manipulating these frequencies.
But do crystals really provide healing?
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While there isn’t any hardcore evidence to prove that crystals have a profound healing effect on the body or mind, some studies show that those who use them do experience positive changes. Science, however, chalks this up to the placebo effect. Interestingly, there is evidence to suggest that the lattice structure of crystals may host some power.
In 2018, scientists discovered that using superconducting crystals manipulated energy flow in computers. They’re using this information to enhance technology and potentially create better, high-speed processors. The changes that occur take place subtly, on a subatomic level, so who’s to say that subtle changes couldn’t happen within our own bodies when healing crystals also have this lattice structure?
Think about it. There are therapies today that we couldn’t have even fathomed centuries, or even only decades ago, such as neurotechnology to treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy; and light therapies to treat skin conditions, seasonal affective disorder and even cancer.
Hopefully, one day, we can come closer to finding out more about crystals from a scientific standpoint. That way, we can use them more effectively.
Ways To Use Healing Crystals
Those interested in new age ideology or simply curious about crystals can use them in multiple different ways. Here are several ideas for you to try:
Create Healing Crystal “Potions”
Crystal potions, more accurately known as crystal elixirs, are made using only water and crystals. To create an elixir, simply fill a glass jar (with a lid) with water. Drop your crystal of choice into the jar (ensure that it’s not water-soluble) and screw the lid on tightly.
On a night with a full moon, set the jar outdoors under the moonlight. It’s believed that the power of the full moon consecrates the water, absorbing the energy of the crystal.
The next morning, remove the crystal from the water. You can then use the water in rituals, such as skincare, magical workings, or even pour it into your bath water.
**Make certain to check the safety of the minerals contained within your crystals of choice.** Some crystals can be toxic such as Cinnabar which has high concentrations of Mercury. Here is a comprehensive list of gems, crystals and minerals with their associated toxicity risks from the International Gem Society.
A good alternative is to use a water bottle that have the gems contained within glass – they will still imprint their healing vibration into your water, but your risk of contamination is limited.
Boost the Power of Other Healing Crystals
Most people work with multiple crystals. Using them together is a great way to “boost” the power of each. However, not all crystals work well together. So, choose crystals with similar properties and place them in a strategic energy pattern.
For example, rose quartz works well with rhodonite, as they’re both pink in hue and have associations with love and passion. Amethyst also works well with rhodonite and rose quartz and may enhance their vibrations.
Arrange the crystals in a symmetrical pattern and use them during meditation or magical workings. For example, write your intentions on a sheet of parchment paper and place it within the center of the crystals. Meditate on your intentions, attuning to the power of the crystals.
Create a Sacred Space With Feng Shui and Healing Crystals
You don’t need an entire room dedicated to spiritual practices or crystals. Instead, you can use Feng Shui in conjunction with crystals to create a sacred space. At its simplest, you can choose between crystals that produce Yin Chi, or for a more masculine vibration, choose Yang producing crystals.
In Feng Shui, the Lo Shu, or Bagua represents the fundamental principles of reality. People all over the world use a Bagua map to enhance the energies within their homes. The image below shows each of these fundamental principles from the Black Hat or Life Aspirations Feng Shui school with their corresponding color, properties, Lo Shu number and Element:
Using the Bagua map as a guide, you could for example:
- Life Path/Career Section – You could use a dark stone associated with courage or purpose. Black tourmaline is a good choice, as it provides grounding, safety, and a sense of security. Tourmaline helps protect from competition and negative electromagnetic fields and comes in many colors, not only black.
- Health Center – Depending on your ailment, you could use Calcite for bloodpressure, or Sunstone with Agate and Sodalite to alleviate stress and anxiety.
- Wealth and Abundance Section – Everyone knows that Citrine is the most popular wealth crystal, but you can use Amethyst to balance work and home life, or combine Citrine with Tiger Eye to give you confidence and strength to create your own abundance.
By arranging your rooms in this way, you’re essentially turning your home into a crystal grid. Crystals used for Feng Shui without considering any other Feng Shui schools may have a negative impact on your life.
**SPECIAL NOTE FOR 2023 Year of the Yin Water Rabbit: The Flying Stars has the 5 Earth disaster star in the Northwest. This means that using the Northwest for Travel as shown in the basic black hat Bagua above will have negative side effects. It is preferable that you use several schools of Feng Shui in conjunction with each other.
Using Healing Crystals For Flying Stars Feng Shui
In this school of Feng Shui, a Flying Stars chart is calculated based on the facing direction and age of the house. All of the numbers are associated with one of the Five Elements and you have to find a balance between the competing energies. One of the types of Feng Shui cures commonly used in this system are crystals, whether to support Earth, boost Metal, drain Fire or control Water.
In the Flying Stars system you could:
- Help the 8 Earth but avoid helping the 2 and 5 Earths. Use wealth crystals such as Citrine if the 8 is an annual or in the “water” position. Use grounding and healing crystals such as Agate and Black Tourmaline if the 8 is in the “mountain” position.
- Boost the 6 Metal, but do not boost the 7 Metal. To boost career you could use Tiger Eye. To boost health for the “Father” which Qian represents, you could use Carnelian for calmness and inner strength.
- Only use Earth as a bridging Element between the 6 Metal and 9 Fire stars. Period 9 will be fully active in 2024, so there are only limited circumstances that you would drain it’s Chi.
- Only control the Water Element if it is having a negative impact such as a toilet located in an 8 wealth star position. In this case you could use a large uncut piece of Smoky Quartz, but make sure it’s pointing away from the house and not towards a bed.
Click here to learn more about using crystals for your Feng Shui.
Healing Crystals For BaZi Four Pillars Chinese Astrology
While each of the Zodiac signs has it’s best crystal to use, you can go a step further and look at your full BaZi chart and your Day Master. This can get complicated, especially when you can view your astrology chart from a Solar or Lunar perspective.
For Solar BaZi Four Pillars, the astrology charts generally needing Earth Element are –
- Weak Earth, look for crystals that bring self-confidence such as Carnelian and Sunstone.
- Weak Metal, look for crystals that attract helpers such as Amethyst and Sodalite.
- Strong Fire, look for crystals that boost creativity such as Apatite and Aquamarine.
- Strong Wood, look for crystals that promote wealth and prosperity such as Citrine and Aventurine.
- Strong Water, look for crystals that bring grounding and help boost authority such as Hematite and Azurite.
Click here to find out the best crystals for each Chinese Zodiac sign.
How To Cleanse Healing Crystals
Before working with crystals, you must know how to care for them. It’s believed that crystals absorb energies around us, including the bad ones. So, whether you find, purchase, or are gifted a crystal, if it’s come into contact with negativity, it could potentially transfer that energy to you. As such, you must cleanse your crystals upon obtaining them and every time before use.
Full Moon Crystal Cleansing
Place the crystal in a bowl and set it out in the full moonlight. Leave it there until the moon begins its waning phase the next night to release any negative energies.
Incense and Essential Oil Cleansing
White Sage, Sweetgrass, and other dried herbs can cleanse crystals. Just burn the incense, blow out the flame, and pass the crystals through the smoke several times before placing them back into their designated spot. You can also try cleansing essential oils such as Peppermint or Tea Tree Oil, but dilute them before use.
Burial Cleansing
You can even cleanse crystals using the power of Mother Earth. Put the crystals in a transparent glass jar with a lid. Bury the jar in the ground for a night or two.
Water Cleansing
Before using water on your crystals, ensure that the crystals you’re using aren’t water-soluble. When you’re ready, hold the crystals in running water from a river, creek, or small stream to cleanse them. Alternatively, you can make your own consecrated water by placing a jar of water outside on the night of a full moon. Then, use that water to cleanse your crystals.
No matter which method you prefer, you can ensure that these cleaning procedures allow you to work with a clean slate and no residual energies.
Natural vs. Fake Crystals
Gemologists use spectra testing to determine whether a gem is genuine or fake. However, it’s unlikely that you have a spectra testing tool sitting around your home. So, aside from visiting a professional gemologist, there are other ways to determine if you’re dealing with counterfeit crystals or the real deal.
Here’s how to know if your healing crystals are fake:
Check the Price of Your Healing Crystals
Crystals, like rare gemstones, vary in cost depending on the type of crystal, its size, quality and structure. Before going out and spending your hard-earned cash on these precious stones, do some research on the source of your crystal. Understand the current going rate for the healing crystals you’re looking to purchase.
Here are three approximate values for specific crystals as of 2022:
- Amethyst – $10 to $30 per carat for high quality faceted gems. In it’s raw form prices can be as low as US$2 per carat, whereas tumbled Amethyst crystals are usually less than $1.00 each.
- Citrine – pricing is similar to Amethyst: high quality stones can fetch $10 to $30 per carat, raw unct Citrine can get high prices depending on the quality, but tumbled Citrine is also usually less than $1.00 per stone.
- Tanzanite – $50 to $350 per carat, with ultra-high quality faceted gems reaching up to $1500 per carat.
Authentic healing crystals must be mined, processed, and then shipped to the retailer. As such, the price reflects the process. For example, tanzanite is only found in Tanzania, hence its higher price tag.
Fake crystals, on the other hand, are created in laboratories. As such, manufacturers can produce thousands of “crystals” in a short time, allowing them to significantly slash the price tag.
To avoid getting scammed, research as much as possible. You don’t want to end up with a piece of dyed resin when looking for a crystal for wealth!
Examine the Shape and Texture of Your Healing Crystals
Crystals form through natural processes within the Earth. As such, it’s rare to find two crystals appearing exactly the same. So, if you come across a basket of kunzite, for example, and each stone is symmetrical and evenly colored, then you’re probably dealing with fake crystals. Even if the seller cuts and shapes the crystals, the shades and inclusions should be unique.
Additionally, most crystals have cracks, waves, lines, or other slight imperfections, but there should be no bubbles. Fake crystals can have bubbles due to issues in the laboratory. Air gets into the material, forming bubbles during the manufacturing process.
How Crystals Are Mined for the New Age Industry
Unfortunately, the power of crystals is often overshadowed by the dark truth surrounding the new age movement. Because crystals are a multi-billion dollar industry, the crystal mining process in many poorer regions of the world is causing humanity and the Earth to suffer.
Crystals are a non-renewable resource. The current mining rate is absolutely unsustainable, and because the industry is unregulated, there’s exploitation as well.
In fact, many of the crystal mining companies employ child labor and pay low wages for working in unsafe conditions. This is nothing new. Mineral extraction is commonly associated with human-rights violations.
Frighteningly, the Global Witness found that the Taliban earns over $20 million (€18.7 million) per year from selling lapis lazuli, abundant in Afghanistan’s mines.
Beware of “Ethically Mined Crystals”
The next time you set out to purchase crystals, ask the retailer where the crystals came from. Chances are, they have no idea. In fact, there’s almost no way to know where your crystals came from unless the seller visits the mine themselves to find out if and if they were ethically mined. As such, you won’t know if the crystals you purchased are supporting the destruction of the Earth or human rights violations.
It’s certainly a scary thought.
Ethical mining depends on more time, money, and resources, and the prices reflect those standards. Unfortunately, as massive commercial crystal enterprises cut their prices, it forces ethical miners to cut theirs as well — and if they can’t earn a profit, then the business goes under. So, you should expect to pay more for quality, ethically mined crystals.
It’s important to note that if you’re purchasing cheap crystals from some shady suppliers, cleansing methods may not be enough to remove the negative energy. In reality, you’re supporting a trade that hurts children, adults, and the Earth from which the crystals formed. Those who believe in magical workings are well aware that taking something through means of destruction results in negative energy.
With that said, there are a handful of sellers that practice ethical crystal mining. One of the best ways to prevent the possibility of supporting a negative trade is by mining them yourself.
Mining Your Own Crystals
Within the United States and other areas of the world, there are pay-to-dig mines. Visitors pay a small fee to explore the land and uncover their very own crystals.
Some examples of pay-to-dig mines in the US include:
- Four Peaks Amethyst Mine (Arizona)
- Blue Ridge Mountain Mining (North Carolina)
- Sweet Surrender Crystal Mines (Arkansas – temporarily closed)
- Wegner Crystal Mines (Arkansas)
In Essence
Crystals continue to make waves across the world, becoming a central part of the new age movement. However, there is a dark side to crystals (yes, there are IRL Skeksis), including the number of counterfeit sellers and the human rights and environmental violations as a result of mining. Fortunately, you can still enjoy crystals and their magical properties by ensuring that you’re obtaining ethically mined crystals, even mining them yourself.
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