The Beginner's Guide to Healing Crystals
The mainstream is experiencing an awakening, and crystal healing and crystal therapy are finding their place among more common forms of self-care, such as yoga and green smoothies. However, crystals and their therapeutic powers have an ancient history and have been used across time and cultures for healing, protection, divination, beauty, and more — they aren’t by any means a new trend. Crystals have been used in ancient healing ceremonies for civilizations such as the Incas and Egyptians as a tool in fortune-telling via crystal balls, and they’ve even been adopted into our modern culture as birthstone jewelry and in our technology, in everything from cell phones to satellites.
HOW DO CRYSTALS WORK?
Crystals are thought to interact with our body’s energy field, our chakras, by correcting our energy according to our needs and their unique qualities. In doing so, they are said to promote spiritual, emotional, and even physical healing, clearing us of negative energy and realigning and restoring us. Crystals are used in a variety of ways — by wearing them, meditating with them, placing them around the home, holding them, or sleeping near them. Though science doesn’t back up these claims, proponents believe in their healing properties and researchers from a study on their efficacy agreed that crystals do indeed have a placebo effect. While their powers may be subjective, there’s no harm in adding them to your arsenal of wellness tools.
HOW TO SELECT YOUR CRYSTALS
There are several ways to go about selecting your crystals, and they depend firstly on whether you’ll buy them online or in-person at a specialty shop. If you plan to buy in-person, you will have the advantage of purchasing based on which crystals you’re drawn to. If you’re crystal shopping online, you can choose to get ones based on chakras you’d like to open or balance, or based on things you’d like to improve, such as symptoms, energies, or emotions. Here’s a roundup of eight healing crystals to get you started.
8 HEALING CRYSTALS AND THEIR POWERS
AMETHYST
Color: Pale to deep purple
Chakra: Third Eye, Crown
Uses: Clears negative energy; promotes healing and cleansing; and enhances spiritual awareness
CITRINE
Color: Yellow to greenish-yellow
Chakra: Solar Plexus
Uses: Activates energy; promotes regeneration; raises self-esteem; cultivates positivity, prosperity, and creativity
CLEAR QUARTZ (“THE MASTER HEALER”)
Color: Translucent to clear
Chakra: Crown
Uses: Connects you with your intuition and higher self, channels energy and focus, amplifies intention
ROSE QUARTZ
Color: Pale pink
Chakra: Heart
Uses: Promotes emotional healing and soothing, enhances love in all forms, releases stress, supports forgiveness
CELESTINE
Color: Most commonly sky blue
Chakra: Crown
Uses: Boosts your natural intuition, enhances spirituality, promotes internal peace
OBSIDIAN
Color: Most commonly black
Chakra: Root
Uses: Brings clarity to your thoughts, releases tension, absorbs negative energy, promotes healing
BLUE TOPAZ
Color: Blue
Chakra: Throat, Third Eye
Uses: Promotes truth and wisdom; unifies mind, body, and spirit; stabilizes emotions, encourages openness and honesty
OPAL
Color: A rainbow spectrum
Chakra: Third Eye
Uses: Inspires well-being and optimism, amplifies energy, intensifies emotions, stimulates creativity
In the mood for a healing practice? We recommend the Healing Sound Bath series on Alo Moves!