If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that recently my usual fashion hauls have been replaced with something a bit more niche - crystal hauls!
I've had an interest in spiritual and alternative practises for about as long as I can remember. I can't quite pinpoint where exactly it started, but my earliest memories involve watching Bewitched on TV every night as a little girl and feeling an indescribable affinity with Samantha - oh the evenings I spent trying desperately to twitch my nose and make magic happen!
My interest in witchcraft remained throughout my childhood - I taught myself to read tarot cards at the age of 12 and declared myself Wiccan as a young teen. When my peers were saving up for Fred Perry tennis dresses and listening to house music, I was spending my pocket money on candles in every imaginable color and writing out incantations in my spell book while burning incense in my bedroom and listening to Tori Amos.
The belief that there are aspects of life we can control in some way appeals deeply to my anxious brain, and the existence of mystery, beauty and wonder in the world soothes the ache in my soul that stems from the cruelty and intolerance I witness so much of.
So all of those things that most people grow out of in childhood, the things that the majority of "normal" adults would scoff at and dismiss as nonsense - I hold on to them tightly. I love to believe that there are elements at play in our world that we don't fully understand, that there are creatures and entities that exist among us that we aren't all aware of - and so I make no apologies for my undying belief in fairies and goblins regardless of how much "sense" it makes to an adult mind, or for my years spent embracing divination and mediumship in all of its forms. All lives could benefit from a little more magic, in my opinion!
Life can be so difficult, worry and stress are so prevalent for most of us - if a bit of respite can be found in the magical and mystical, I am all for it and I will believe with every fiber of my being. It isn't for everyone, but to each their own. If it brings comfort and joy, then it's working surely?
So this is where the crystals come into it! For the last decade or so I've dabbled with the law of attraction, something I've spoken about before on my blog, which in very basic terms is the belief that we can attract things into our life at will by the power of positive thought.
Since ramping up my belief and practice of the Law Of Attraction recently, I found myself reading more and more about crystals and the powerful energies that many believe they hold.
I already had a small collection of crystals which I'd picked up over the years, but the more I read about them - the more I wanted to experiment. So lately, my collection has grown. Let me show the crystals that I have around my home, and what I use them for...
How To Use Crystals
I use my crystals in various ways - around my home in combination with some Feng Shui practises, in meditation, when practicing mediumship, and lately I've also been using them for manifesting/law of attraction purposes too - trying my hand at Crystal Grids (the practice of using a combination of crystals together for a specific goal or purpose).
All crystals are said to hold different energies and vibrate at different frequencies, making each of them useful for different purposes.
I always think that the best way of selecting a crystal is to physically browse them in person wherever possible, and just see which one you feel drawn to. Your inner self will guide you to the right crystal for your needs at that moment in time.
However, if you want to use crystals for a specific purpose then that's fine too. There are plenty of crystal bibles you can buy to learn more about the energies and uses of each type of crystal, or good old Google will always bring up plenty of information too.
For example if you want to learn to be more loving towards yourself, then look up "Crystals for self love" and you'll no doubt see plenty of results (Hint: Rose quartz is the way to go for this particular need).
As I've mentioned before, there are lots of different ways you can use crystals - some people like to place them around the home, some like to keep certain money-attracting crystals in their purse, some like to pop a crystal in their bra to keep it close to their skin all day (Be careful not to use any rough or sharp crystals for this, best to use a tumble stone!).
Its a case of trying things out and seeing which way of working with crystals best suits you. Cleansing Your Crystals & Setting Intentions
When you first welcome a crystal into your life, it's advisable to cleanse it. This is because crystals are said to hold on to energy - including any negative energy from previous owners.
There are a few different ways to cleanse your crystals, such as:
*Holding them under running water or placing them into a salt water soak (Be aware that not all crystals are water friendly, some will be damaged by water and some will dissolve - this is usually the case for any crystal that ends in "-ite" such as Calcite, Celestite, Malachite etc but also applies to others such as opal, so always look up whether your crystal is water friendly first)
*Cleansing with smoke - this can be done by lighting some Palo Santo and running your crystals through the smoke
*Leaving Out In Moonlight - Although again be careful with delicate crystals that can be damaged by rain or moisture, also be aware that certain crystals such as amethyst and rose quartz can lose their color if left out in direct sunlight.
*Sound bath - this can be done using a Singing bowl close to your crystals
*Visualisation - If none of the above methods are suitable, you can cleanse your crystals by holding them in your hands and visualising a white light surrounding them, purifying and cleansing them of any negative energy they retain.
Once your crystals are cleansed, you should spend some time setting an intention for their use.
You can do this by holding the crystal, and visualising exactly what you want the crystal to help you with - you can also choose to speak your intentions for the crystal aloud if you wish, saying something such as "I programme this crystal to bring me better communication within my relationship".
You can cleanse and re-set your crystals as often as you like, I tend to do this regularly as part of my full moon ritual. A "Tour" Of My Own Favourite Crystals
Celestite
This dreamy blue crystal is not only one of my favorite simply because it is both stunning and soothing to look at, but it's also known to be a highly vibrational stone.
It's said to connect you to your guardian angels/spirit guides and aid in clairvoyance, as well as bringing calm, peace and purity into your heart. It's an instant mood lifter for me and is my go-to stone to hold during meditation or spiritual practice of any kind.
Keeping celestite in the bedroom is said to help aid restful and peaceful sleep, and bring tranquility - I keep mine by my bedside for this very reason.
Amethyst
This beautiful crystal is known for it's healing and calming properties, as well being linked to the third eye chakra (Incase you're not familiar with chakras - these are focal points on the body used in many ancient meditation practices - the third eye chakra specifically is at the brow and is said to be the gateway to higher consciousness).
I use my amethyst to balance my chakras from time to time, as well as during meditation when I want to connect with spirit or am simply in need of inner peace. I keep it above my bed.
Aragonite
These sputnik like stones are said to release negative energy, anxiety and anger from the body, and holding a piece is said to help reconnect you to the earth and ground you.
I use my aragonite in meditation when I am struggling with my anxiety or emotions, and find it very beneficial.
Rose Quartz
Probably the most well known of all the crystals, rose quartz is known to help you to see the world through rose tinted glasses. It promotes love in all of its forms - whether its attracting new romantic love into your life, refreshing an existing romance, or helping you with self love.
I keep my rose quartz on my dressing table, and use it for daily self love mantra practice and meditation.
Clear Quartz
This crystal is all about energy, light and amplification. It's fantastic for using during meditation to gain clarity on a situation, and is also known for it's powerful manifesting properties.
It's also known to amplify the properties of other crystals around it, and this is why I use it as the center point when I do crystal grid work - this is why I chose a pointed piece, as the shape lends itself to a good energy flow for a crystal grid.
Selenite
This is one of the most important and powerful crystals that a lightworker can own, and it comes in various useful forms.
A selenite wand is high up on my crystal wishlist as these can be used alongside other crystals to help activate and amplify their power and can also be used to activate a crystal grid. A selenite charging tray is another thing I'm lusting after - this allows you to place your crystals on in order for the selenite to super-charge them and their properties.
At the moment, all I have is this very pretty selenite heart - I keep it near the majority of my crystals in order to super charge their effectiveness.
Cobalt Rainbow Aura Geode
This absolutely stunning crystal is probably my favorite for it's physical beauty. It's said to aid creativity, release self limiting blocks and stimulate the imagination - for that reason I keep it in my workspace where I do my writing, to aid me in these areas.
Black Tourmaline
Known as the Bodyguard Stone, Black Tourmaline is fantastic for protection and purifying. It's an energy cleanser, and is a known protectant from the negative energies of others.
For that reason, I keep a piece of black tourmaline at the front door of our home - to protect against negative energy entering. I also keep a piece at my computer to cleanse the energy in this area.
Black Obsidian
This is known to be a very powerful protection stone, known to clear negativity and promote stability and grounding. It's known to be great for absording electromagnetic energies and so for this reason I keep a piece next to my smartphone at night while it charges.
I also use it when I'm doing readings for other people, to protect me from taking on their energies too much.
I also wear a black obsidian bracelet every day to protect me from energy vampires and the negativity of others.
Moonstone
This stone is known to aid compassion and empathy, as well as being useful in manifesting abundance.
Heulandite with peach Stilbite
This stunning combination stone is said to help center ourselves, promotes compassion and kindness, and is also said to help us feel more connected and fulfilled in motherhood as it promotes the growth of maternal love. I keep it in our living room.
Rainbow quartz
This is said to help promote positive energy and ease sadness and anxiety. Because of its shape, it's useful in cord cutting visualisation meditation practises (to free oneself of restraints/binds to people which no longer serve our best interests) which is what I tend to use it for.
Labradorite
This beautiful labradorite egg is my newest crystal and it's beauty is just breathtaking, it catches the light and glimmers in the most magical way. It's known to help in psychic pursuits such as clairvoyance and recalling past lives, so I tend to use it when I'm doing spiritual work.
Aquamarine
This beautiful stone is said to wash away stress and fear, and help to remove negative behavior patterns. It can be used to open the heart chakra during healing, and also has links to the throat chakra and for that reason is known to be very beneficial for people who suffer with their thyroid gland.
As I have had thyroid disease for the last 20 years, I use my (very small!) piece of aquamarine for exactly this purpose - it's the perfect size to place over my thyroid, so I do this once every week for 20 minutes as I meditate.
Sodalite
This is the stone of intuition, as well as helping to bring confidence and self belief. It also has strong healing properties, and is said to help ease brain fog and physical pain - this is why it's recommended for Fibromyalgia patients, and is why I wear my sodalite bracelet daily.
Lapis Lazuli
This stone is known for authenticity - helping you to be truly and authentically yourself at all times. It is also known to be of benefit for thyroid disease patients, and this is why I wear my Lapis Lazuli bracelet daily.
Peacock Ore
This very pretty stone is said to promote joy, channel happiness and generally lift the mood. I carry my piece with me in my pocket, and use it as a positivity touchstone when I feel I need it.
Crystals For Driving
I also have a little bag of crystals hanging from the rearview mirror in our car, which I chose specifically for their protection and concentration qualities...I purchased them following a little accident that Jon had a year or so ago, and I really believe that they've made a big difference!
If you fancy putting together your own bag of protecting crystals for your car, these are the ones I included in ours:
Black tourmaline - for removing negativity from others
Rose quartz - for protection against the carelessness of others
Garnet - to soothe anxiety and protect the body
Smokey quartz - to channel negativity into positivity, and relax the mind
Carnelian - For focus and protection from the evil eye
Black onyx - For staying alert
I'm adding to my crystal collection pretty regularly at the moment, and next on my wishlist are Smoky Quartz, Citrine (I do have a citrine necklace but I'd like a raw piece), Pyrite,
Honey Calcite and a Selenite wand and Charging Tray!
So there we have it, my latest hobby! Even if you don't believe in the power of crystals, it can't be denied that they are simply beautiful to behold and just having one in my hands brings me a sense of peace and calm as I admire its beauty and how it came to be - so even if all are is a placebo, can it really be a bad thing?!
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