If you’ve ever visited your local crystal shop or spent time Googling crystals, its highly likely that you’ve been down a rabbit hole of trying to figure out which exact crystal(s) you need in your life. Scattered all across the internet, you can read thousands of healing properties/meanings given to these beautiful pieces of earth candy, but once you’ve read about 10 of them, they all start to blur together, leaving you feeling like you need each and every one in your collection. Sadly, this is where I believe the crystal community does a disservice to those turning to crystals in hopes of improving their lives in some way big or small.

 

There are so many resources out there claiming that crystals have the ability to heal physical ailments and transform your life. We've all seen the trend on TikTok claiming that moldavite will flip your entire world upside down or magically bring your twin flame back into the picture. When I first started my journey into crystals and spiritual healing, I relied on these properties to draw in whatever energies they were known for. Green aventurine for money? Yes please! Black tourmaline to keep the f*ck boys away? I'll take five! I have been working with crystals for the past seven years and I can say from experience that I haven't had a crystal do any magical healing in my life nor summon up a person from my past.

 

When you really think about it, someone had to write the information you read about a crystal. Where did they source that info from? Take it a step further, where did that source get the information from? It would be foolish to believe that there is some primary source putting this information out and all these blogs, websites, crystal sellers, etc. aren't adding a little flair to the information they share with their audience/customers. Am I making sense? A lot of this information has been recycled around the internet and no one can source exactly where the information originated.

 

It is my belief that crystal meanings are theoretically based on how crystals have been used in past generations and civilizations. There is nothing wrong with choosing to believe what you read because it's all rooted in good intentions; however, it can get tricky if you spend money on crystals, expect something specific from them, and then it doesn't happen. At this point you'll either give up on whatever you were manifesting entirely, or tuck the crystals away in your closet, writing them off as pretty little pieces of b.s., or both.

 

If you've been drawn to crystals, there is a good chance that you're trying to bring about some sort of change or improvement for your present and future life. That being said, I always suggest not getting hung up on crystal meanings/properties. Besides, if most of that information were true, I think the entire world would be flocking to crystals and there wouldn't be a need for therapists, doctors, and coaches.

 

Well wtf, Kelsey! Then why should I even spend my money on crystals if you're saying they don't work? If I still want them, how do I know which ones are good for me?

 

To answer the first question, there are so many other ways crystals can add value to your life. Later, I'll share a few of the ways I experience crystals to improve my quality of life so that you have realistic expectations going into your new journey.

 

As for knowing which ones are good for you, it's all about what you're attracted to and what makes sense for your life. Spirituality is all about getting in tune with your intuition and trusting that your spiritual connection with your God or higher power is strong enough to guide you to exactly what you need in your life. This could be as simple as your favorite color is blue, blue makes you happy, so you only want blue crystals. Then go ahead and get a blue crystal! If you like sparkles and rainbows, there are tons of druzy and flashy crystals waiting to be found by you! Maybe you have an amazing memory that keeps popping up in your head of your family camping trip and you want to keep it top of mind to get you through some tumultuous times you know are coming, then moss agate or petrified wood might be good options because they resemble nature. Go with what catches your eye and is within your budget. Would you buy an ugly, depressing houseplant because someone said if you put it by your front door it'll ward off evil spirits, or would you buy the beautiful bouquet of roses that make you feel warm and fuzzy in the morning while you sip your coffee and stare at the arrangement? I'd hope you do the latter. When choosing a crystal, I always say, "take what resonates and leave what doesn't."

 

Awareness and Intention

I like to think of a spiritual journey more-so as a self-improvement journey. When I turned to crystals, I was looking to manifest purpose in my life after the loss of my spouse and relocating to a new city. I also wanted quality friendships, better health in the form of a workout routine and healthy eating, and more money.

 

When I picked up the basic crystals known for these desires like rose quartz (heart healing and love), citrine (friendships and abundance), orange calcite (creativity and motivation) and green aventurine (luck and wealth), it wasn't long before I realized that in order to actually achieve these things, I needed to DO. THE. WORK.

 

Meaning I would have to first set the intention/goal of achieving these things and keep them top of mind everyday. Setting the crystals out where I could see them, like on my nightstand or kitchen counter, served as a reminder of these goals I set. However those goals were just scratching the surface of ways I needed to improve. What I was failing to address was my deep sense of fear. I feared putting myself out there to meet new people, feared walking into the gym thinking my body didn't belong, feared learning about healthy eating and whole food preparation. I feared I would fail and be judged by friends, family, and even complete strangers. I feared it so much that that's exactly what I manifested, failure and isolation. Eventually the crystals became a symbol of my shortcomings. Maybe I needed a crystal known to help with fear?! (LOL)

 

Nonetheless what I realized is that I needed to get to the root of my problems and I needed to challenge myself to step outside my comfort zone. I couldn't just sit back, rub my crystals, and wait for the stars to align. I had to take matters into my own hands.

 

I'll use my fear of putting myself out there to meet new people as an example. At one point in my life, I was terrified of group outings and small talk. I had a few friends who would invite me to dinners, kick backs, and a night on the town with their close circle of friends. As an Aquarius who is always living in my head and not grounded in the present, I decided to start bringing a crystal along on these adventures.

 

I pulled out my collection, chose one that was calling to me in that moment, and placed it in my pocket. Throughout the night, whenever I felt nervous or anxious around the group, I would simply reach into my pocket and hold onto the crystal. It didn't 100% fix my problem, but it served as a fidget device for my nerves and brought my awareness to my intention in the moment. That intention being wanting to make new connections. It made me think things like, "Okay Kelsey, girl. Be cool. You're doing exactly what you want to do. Be in this moment, be open to connections, and enjoy it. I am proud of you."

 

The more I accepted invitations to go out and practiced maintaining awareness of my intention, the more I started to operate in my authenticity, and slowly started peeling back my layers. Nowadays, I still carry a crystal in my pocket in similar situations, but I have way more confidence and am not concerned with what people think of me. This took years to attain and years of me stepping out of my comfort zone.

 

Perspective and Appreciation

If you've ever stood at the edge of a beach, looked out into the ocean, and had an overwhelming feeling of being just a small fleck in the world, this is the same feeling I get with crystals. Crystals are mined all over the world. Some of the biggest locations for mining are Brazil, China, Madagascar, Peru, Africa, and the United States. Miners have to go deep into the Earth, a lot of times in small spaces, to retrieve chunks of minerals. Once the materials are mined, they are shipped to factories all over the world that cut, polish, and carve them for retail distribution. Think about the crystal's journey and the amount of labor that goes into producing a small tumble that now lives on your nightstand. Many people played a part in making that happen. Each of those people have families, hopes, and dreams.

 

Think about the land in which the crystal was mined. You may not know this specific information, but in general that land (i.e., Earth) has history that past generations and civilizations walked on with all their energy, intentions, hopes, and dreams. Do you see where I am going with this? I look at crystals as humanity's heirlooms, and I treat them as such. It may seem silly to some, however, this appreciative thinking impacts other areas of my life like the food I eat, clothes I buy, projects I focus on and people I spend my time with.

 

I've developed a mindset of gratitude and whenever the ebbs and flows of life pull me away from that, I return to my crystals/altar and remind myself that life is temporary and I must make the best of it, appreciate the good things in my life, work hard to improve the bad, and continually be of service to this world so that when I leave, I will hopefully have left it a tiny bit better than when I arrived.

 

Rituals and Mood Boosters

One of the ways I stay connected to Spirit and the things I'm manifesting is through rituals. There is an abundance of rituals in books and blogs but I like to keep things simple. I have a reset ritual I perform during the first week of each month in order to evaluate how my time and efforts in previous weeks got me closer to my goals, and where I need to put my focus or challenge myself in the coming weeks. I use oracle cards to gain a little clarity, and select a handful of crystals to place around a candle I burn throughout the month as a reminder of my goals.

I have a YouTube video that details how I perform this ritual. Check it out if you're interested.

 

 

These are just three ways I like to incorporate crystals in my life. There are many more uses that exist but the real way to know what works best for you is to simply get your hands on some, set intentions, and start doing the work towards your goals.

 

Wishing you the best on your journey,

Kelsey