How to Choose & Use Crystals
CHOOSING YOUR STONES
There are lots of ways to choose stones, all of which center on your gut, your intuition, or your guidance. Sometimes something will jump out at you, drawing your attention or catching your eye. It might be one you think looks pretty, interesting, or mesmerizing. The best way to select stones is to go with what calls to you. Though you may be dealing with an issue for which you are seeking a crystal to support you, sometimes your intuition can guide you to the right stone, not just one that could help. Looking up issues and lists of stones that can support can be a good start, but you should still look at and hold stones before making your final selections.
When holding new stones to discern whether it is for you or not, hold them in your left hand—this is your “receiving” hand. Try to quiet your mind and pay attention to your body and to your intuition or guidance: are you feeling a connection to the stone? Do you feel good? Do you feel ease or comfort? Do you feel uncomfortable or agitated? Do you feel nothing? Let these feelings be information as you choose your stone.
USING YOUR STONES
PLACE IN YOUR HOME
You can place stones in your home in places where they can best support. For example, amethyst is the universal calming stone and is very helpful with sleep. Putting a piece of amethyst in any room of your house will bring a sense of calm and peace. Putting a piece next to your bed or anywhere in a bedroom will bring these same feelings of calm and peace, and it will also support sleep in that space. Placement is up to your personal preference, but be mindul that some stones are more fragile than others and will not stand up to being handled frequently or roughly.
PLACE ON OR NEAR YOUR BODY
Crystals have “fixed” energy, but our bodies’ energy can change—sometimes several times a day, depending on our mood, feelings of wellness (or lack of wellness), what we eat, how much caffeine we drink, and a million other reasons, including being near, wearing, or holding a stone. Wearing your stones in the form of jewelry is one way of carrying them on your body, but you can also keep them in a pocket or tuck them in your bra. Make sure you cleanse stones you wear regularly—stones absorb energies, and uncleared stones can get “full,” causing them to break or to be hard to work with.
You can also use stones “medicinally,” to support you with acute issues. For example, if you have a stomach ache, you might lie down with a piece of amethyst, garnet, or hematite on your belly. If you have a headache, you might put a piece of shungite on your forehead for a little while.
CREATE CRYSTAL ELIXIRS AND RITUAL BATHS
Another way to use the healing aspects of crystals is to create a crystal elixir or by taking a ritual bath. By soaking certain stones in water, you can transfer their properties to the water, which can then be consumed internally or applied to your skin. WARNING: NOT ALL STONES ARE APPROPRIATE FOR CRYSTAL ELIXIRS. Some stones cannot be placed directly in water—they may rust (like hematite or tiger iron) or fall apart (like selenite or kyanite)—and others are toxic (like azurite and malachite). Do your research! Stones that are great for crystal elixirs include clear quartz, amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, smoky quartz, and shungite. You may find stones that you want make elixirs from stones that cannot be placed directly in water: to do that, place the stones NEXT TO the vessel containing the water and leave for 24 hours before using, but only apply externally. If you want to incorporate them into a ritual bath, you can use the indirect method just described to make a small amount of elixir, which you can then add to your bath water.
