A beginners guide to crystals and their uses

What are Crystals?

Crystals can occur naturally or they can be grown, you can find them in your garden or in some instances they can be worth more than your house so with so much variation, where do you even start?

Crystals can be classed as precious or semiprecious with precious covering the big 4, diamonds, emeralds rubies and sapphires. For now, we’re going to focus on semi-precious stones with a quartz base and agates. 

Quartz

Quartz is the broad term for crystals formed from silicon and oxygen. When they form in nature, the presence of other chemicals and minerals can change the colour and presentation of the crystal, for example, the presence of iron can cause iron ions to replace some of the silicon ions and turn quartz into amethyst.

Agates

Agates tend to form within rocks and as you can see they often have both agate and crystal layers, they are beautiful to look at and come in a wide range of colours. As the layers form you get striations of colour which in stones is often referred to as lace.

What are crystals used for?

Crystals have been used for millennia for jewellery and ceremonial purposes. Quartz can be electrically oscillated and used in clocks and watches, a process which makes the clock at least an order of magnitude more accurate than a mechanical clock!

In holistic therapies, crystals are used for meditation, protection, and energy balancing – please see my video about working with energy for more information about using crystals with energy fields and my video on scrying with a crystal ball for more on meditation and hypnogogic states.

How do they work?

Well, this is the big question. A sceptic will say they don’t and a believer will say they do. Throughout history, there have been some wild and wacky claims made about the properties of crystals although none of them have ever been scientifically proven, for example, in a study in 2001 by Dr Chris French, a psychologist at the University of London, where participants meditated using crystals and plastic replicas it was shown that the participants couldn’t tell the difference between the two materials. Can amethyst really cure a hangover? No, probably not, but does wine taste different when drunk from a crystal glass as opposed to a glass glass? In my experience, yes. Does food taste different when eaten from a gold spoon rather than a stainless steel one. Yes, as proven in 2012 by Betina Piqueras-Fiszman et al. The properties of one material over another can affect the human experience of eating and drinking.

I’m not here to challenge or debate anyone’s beliefs and many so-called old wives’ tales have been proven correct and to have rational scientific explanations see my post on omens and auguries for more information, so just because there is no evidence available yet doesn’t mean that there isn’t something deeper going on. Personally, I’m a big believer in the placebo effect and I believe that by carefully selecting a crystal, caring for it and using it as a focal point for manifestation we give ourselves a tangible item to act as an external manifestation of our psychological desires and thereby imbue it with a power that is as individual as we are. I’ve also had experiences when working with crystals and energy fields that defy rational explanation so I’m very open to the idea that they have metaphysical properties that are currently not known or understood. I’m not going to talk about any claimed physical health benefits of crystals because honestly I think that’s dangerous, crystals and holistic therapies have a very undervalued place in modern healthcare but they’re not going to cure cancer, if you’re sick, see a suitably qualified healthcare practitioner. 

Sourcing your crystals

Hopefully, you now feel a bit more confident about walking into a store and picking out some crystals. Trust your instinct and select the stone that feels right to you. Lots of places offer starter sets of chakra stones which are a great value way to begin to incorporate crystals into your life. Alternatively you can head over to the shop section of this site and get a starter pack of the ten crystals described below. They are all cleansed in running water and blessed under a full moon before being packed up ready for you to use.

Charging your crystals

Before you use your crystals, it is recommended that you cleanse them, both for hygiene and healing purposes. With the exception of lapis lazuli, all the crystals I mention on this page can be cleansed in water and left to dry in sunlight on a windowsill. Some people believe that charging your crystals under a full moon can increase their power, to do this, on the night of a full moon, cleanse your crystals in running water and place them somewhere that they can be exposed to the rays of the moon overnight.

Meditating with crystals

Focusing on the properties and healing qualities of a crystal is a great base for meditation. Place the crystal in your hand and begin by focusing on the feel of it, its weight and warmth, and see its healing power radiating from it to enclose and protect you. Know that when you carry this crystal with you, you are still protected by its unique power. For a full guided crystal meditation please see my YouTube channel.

Rose Quartz

Rose quartz can be clear, almost like pink glass or more commonly milky. Its documented use goes back millennia, ancient Egyptians are believed to have used it in face masks to rejuvenate the skin and today we often use rose quartz in facial rollers and gua shar stones. 

It is known as the stone of unconditional love and some claim it can help with relationship problems, inspire compassion and induce feelings of calm. It is associated with the heart chakra.

Aventurine

Aventurine is typically green in colour but can also be orange, blue, brown or yellow. It’s another form of quartz which is characterised by its lovely shimmer, this is caused by microscopic holes.

It is thought to help achieve emotional balance, reduce stress and help with anxiety. Being green it is also associated with growth and creativity. Like rose quartz, it is associated with the heart chakra.

Jasper

Jasper is a quartz crystal with a high iron content. It is typically red-orange but may also be brown, yellow or green.

It Is believed to be grounding and nurturing and has been called the blood of Mother Earth. Others claim it is beneficial for invigorating one’s romantic life and clearing the chakras. It is associated with the root or base chakra.

Blue Lace Agate

Blue lace agate is blue, the clue is in the name. The darker the colour the deeper the depths it has been mined from. 

Blue lace agate is believed to be great for improving communication and to help you self soothe. It is also believed to reduce selfishness and make more measured responses to situations. It is associated with the throat chakra.

Orange Carnelian

Carnelian and its darker, harder sibling sard are orange in colour and can be translucent or opaque.

Carnelian is believed to be connected to the feminine divinity and represents warmth, strength and courage. Some claim it can encourage acceptance of the cycle of life and death and is therefore useful when grieving. It is associated with the sacral chakra.

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli has been used for centuries as the pigment ultramarine. It is usually marbled with pyrite and calcite giving it a beautiful multicolour tone. 

This crystal is believed to be useful in improving intellectual and spiritual capabilities as well as encouraging self-knowledge, objectivity and creativity. It is associated with the third eye chakra.

Amethyst

As mentioned earlier, this is a quartz crystal which has been coloured with iron and has a distinctive purple colour. 

It is believed to be a very protective crystal, protecting the user from psychic attack, calming anger and improving psychic ability. It is associated with the crown or third eye chakra.

Moonstone

Moonstone, or hecatolite (from the goddess Hecate) is a pearly opalescent stone and one of my favourites. The romans believed the stone was derived from the solidified rays of the moon and more recently Lalique extensively featured moonstone in his jewellery. 

It is believed to be the stone of new beginnings and inner growth and promotes stability, inspiration and success. It is associated with the crown chakra.

Tigers Eye

Tigers eye is a red-brown stone with a very distinctive lustre. 

It is believed to be an energising and invigorating stone which helps to balance emotional well-being and release inner reserves of strength. It is associated with the solar plexus chakra.

Hematite

My absolute favourite, this is a black-grey stone which is electrically conductive and harder than pure iron. 

It is believed to be strengthening and grounding and provides a balance between the various aspects of ourselves. It is also claimed to improve concentration.

While there is little scientific evidence of the benefits of magnets on joint pain; I can state from personal experience that wearing hematite rings makes a huge difference to the rheumatoid arthritis in my hands. When I’ve forgotten to put them back on my pain levels increase rapidly, it’s usually the pain that reminds me to put them back on. It might be a placebo effect but if it reduces the amount of pain relief I have to take it can only be a good thing.

Images used

Most of the images used on this site are free to use, but some have been taken from other sources, if you believe I have used a copyrighted image without permission please contact me at ladyvictoriatarot@gmail.com