We all love to marvel at the perfect symmetry, deep jewel tones, and vibrations coming from crystals, but how do they actually work and what are the best ways to use them?
All natural crystals are formed by the Earth and undergo a transformation from liquid to solid. As the solidification process takes place the atoms begin to arrange themselves in a three dimensional highly organized fashion; forming what is called crystal lattices. The lattices are what we visually perceive as the geometry/shape of a crystal. When the crystal is growing, the lattices repeat and repeat for as long as the conditions for growth allow.
On a molecular level this makes crystals extremely solid and stable in their formation and vibration. For more practical purposes, the atomic structure of certain crystals make them excellent transmitters of energy which is why there are quartz crystals in every smart phone, as well as most modern watches, clocks, and radio transmitters — they allow signals to be transmitted without as much interference.
It’s no surprise that we have discovered so many uses for quartz, as it is the second most abundant mineral compound on Earth! In addition to this quartz (aka silicon dioxide) is piezoelectric, which means it generates electric charges when pressure is applied.
This is as basic of a definition as I can give of these more left-brain principles, since I am in no way a scientist or chemist. If you feel so inclined, please begin an exploration of some of the terms mentioned here for a deeper understanding.
There have been studies done on crystals to determine if they “work” or not. In summation, scientists have attributed the sensations people feel when holding crystals to the placebo effect. They concluded that people’s belief that the crystal they held had some type of power or healing property created the felt sensations.
The placebo effect is a more neutral term for the Law of Attraction. Central to the Law of Attraction is the belief that what you focus on becomes. Suppose we know that the molecular organization of crystals is so organized and consistent that crystals can grow to mammoth sizes. In that case, it’s not a far leap to assume that their Life Force Energy is constant when untampered.
Our energy as humans is anything but constant, and is largely contingent upon many stimuli and variables. If we believe or think that the crystal is a physical anchor of a solid vibration of what we are trying to gather in larger quantities, the Law of Attraction would say that the crystal is indeed acting as a point of focus and attraction for our desires to become manifest.
Looking at crystal energy through the lens of The Law of Attraction could very well be the reason why, in the New Age community, we have attached so many meanings and uses to so many different minerals and crystals; Or perhaps the exact science to determine the effectiveness of crystals has yet to be invented. Either way I want to emphasize that no crystal alone is going to save you or heal you. Healing is complex, never ending, and takes a multitude of things and approaches to even feel like there’s progress being made.
What is most important in everyone’s healing journey is your state of mind; what you think is what you become and what is. If you believe crystals help you, then by all means continue to use crystals for emotional healing. Just know that if tomorrow all your crystals were taken away, you would still be able to heal yourself. This is the true power of the Law of Attraction, and the true power that we all possess.
With all that intellectualizing being said, let’s dive into some of the more esoteric and spiritual components of crystals. As someone who has hundreds of crystals and has used them in hundreds if not thousands of healings on myself and others, I’ve come to find that some general rules of thumb can be applied.
My favorite way to use crystals is for meditation because in this focused state of observance, I can feel the sensations the crystals have on my subtle body and aura. Please note that everyone has their own experiences with crystals, and sometimes they won’t resonate with you.
For example, it’s common knowledge that rose quartz is a great crystal for attracting romance. However maybe you’re someone who needs to have better boundaries in your intimate relationships, so actually a stone like pyrite or citrine would be better to aid in you learning this lesson.
Sometimes crystals will “give you nothing” or not feel pleasant at all upon first contact. It might even take a bit of practicing Presence for you to be able to feel anything while holding a crystal.
I use to work at a huge crystal store in Los Angeles a few years ago, and for the longest time had an aversion to lemurian quartz. It would sometimes give me headaches if it was too close to me! But sure enough almost a year later I picked up a large lemurian wand and had the most delightful sensation surge through my body — I immediately purchased it to take home.
This was a visceral lesson of one of the general rules of thumb about quartz crystals; they are amplifiers. This means they turn up the volume of whatever energy they’re around. If you feel anxious or are having intense dreams/visions when quartz is around, try swapping it out for something like selenite or tourmaline. Selenite has a cleansing energetic effect, and tourmalines absorb frequencies.
Another caveat about crystals in general and their energetic effects; use your intuition when it comes to carrying crystals on you when you’re out in public. They can amplify your own energy and make everyone want to talk to you or focus on you. Sometimes this is desired and sometimes it’s not, so be smart about it.
One of the most popular spiritual uses for crystals is psychic protection. My top recommendation for that is labradorite or black tourmaline. I’ve found for myself recently that black tourmaline is a bit too grounding and heavy, but it served me for years when I needed that frequency in my life. Again, this is why using your intuition first and intellect second with crystals is so important. Even saying that those two crystals are most effective for psychic protection could be misinformation depending on the person and situation.
The best way to determine what a crystal is good for is to hold it in your hand and take a few conscious breaths — this is what I mean by practicing Presence. Where do you feel the sensation in your body? Is it heavy and intense or is it light and airy? Does it have a cooling or warming effect?
When I worked at the crystal store, people would ask me daily what’s the best crystal for this or that, and sometimes facetiously I would say, “You tell me! Go hold one and find out!” Though that may sound counterintuitive, I promise you it’s the most efficient. When children would walk into the store they would let their intuition and innate pleasure guide them to the right crystal.
I never had a child over-think their own joy and ask my opinion about what’s best for them. Maybe we can learn something from the children who are still so in touch with their own joy and what makes them feel good, that they don’t need to ask a second opinion on what will make them happy.
One last use for crystals that have become popular in the last few years is using them for sexual pleasure. From yoni eggs to dildos and more, the possibilities are endless. There’s a whole movement of people, especially women & femmes finding deep healing from using crystals as sexual toys. The most common being a profound intimacy and knowledge of self gained through masturbation or inner self exploration, literally.
Crystal sex toys in partnerships are also popular, but be sure you are cleansing your sexy-time crystals. This means literally washing them with soap and water like you would any other sex toy, and also bringing your awareness to the idea that crystals are sentient beings.
They attract, absorb, and hold on to energy just like everything else; so maybe you’ll enjoy entertaining the idea of having crystals only you touch and no one else, as well as crystals that you don’t mind sharing with others. This is especially vital if you are a healer or are using crystals in healing sessions with others.
There are many ways on how to cleanse a crystal. I like to remember the four elements: water, fire, air, earth. The fastest way to cleanse a crystal is to use the air & fire combination and burn a cleansing herb or wood like palo santo, rosemary, cedar, or sage to name just a few.
Hold the crystal over the smoke for several moments and repeat a cleansing affirmation to yourself or out-loud. For a more ritualistic cleanse you can place your crystals in water during the full moon. I like to leave mine in the water for a whole day allowing them daylight and nighttime energy.
Adding a pinch of salt to the water for an added cleanse is also recommended; As salt water conducts electricity and can help to cleanse and charge the crystals. You don’t have to wait till a full moon to use the water element. However, just as the full moon raises the tides of the ocean, it has the same gravitational pull on all water on the planet, including the water within your body.
Please note that some crystals like selenite, angelite, and metallic compounds do not like prolonged time with water — they will either become rough and brittle or they’ll rust. Lastly you can return the crystal to the Earth if you feel it needs deep rest. For this method I like to leave the crystal in the ground for a few days to a week.
I also recommend crystals that break significantly or shatter to be returned to the Earth and not used anymore. Say thank you for the service it provided, and release it with abundance.
Below you will find some book recommendations for further readings on the ins and outs of the mineral kingdom. Happy learning!
The Crystal Bible series by Judy Hall
Love Is In The Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals series by Melody
Edgar Cayce Guide to Gemstones, Minerals, Metals and More by Shelley Kaehr, Ph.D
As a basic rule, cleanse your space and all crystals with sacred herbs and clean your altar and space as much as possible. Try a crystal healing kit like our Crystal Cleansing Ritual Kit for these exact purposes, as it has almost everything you will need.
Have your own Spellwork Sunday ritual? Tag @jsouthernstudio and #spellworksundays in your Instagram post for a chance to be featured!
Camille Langston is a Reiki Master teacher in Usui Shiki Ryoho technique, psychic medium, tarot reader, musician, and actor living in Los Angeles, California. Read her bio here.
Read more on astrology, horoscopes, occultism, magick & ritual on our blog, Esoteric Insights!
Looking for somewhere to start? Read Magick: An Introduction to Magick Tools and Alternative Spirituality.
