Apart from looking pretty, I love having crystals around for the beautiful healing energy they emanate. But how to choose your precious stones? How to use them? And how can you upkeep crystals? In this blog I tell you which crystals work for me & what I do to take care of them.
My favourite crystals
My personal favourite, I own two bracelets of this stone, is the Angel Aura Quartz. It is created by bonding a natural clear Quartz crystal with a precious metal infusion of pure platinum and silver. Usually colour-enhancing of crystals lessens it’s qualities, but in this case (and as with Aqua Aura, Lavender Aura, Sunshine Aura etc.) it is a strong enhancer. Angel Aura is a strong protector and cleanser of energy. It also helps receive messages from the angelic realm and find spiritual purpose. I love working with this crystal during healings for it calms both me and the healing recipient.
This crystal is quite delicate so keep it out of direct sunlight when recharging. More about this later (:
Quite a few clients that come see me need reinforcement of their self-love. The go-to stone in these cases is usually Rose Quartz. Though I love the softness and energy of this crystal, I personally prefer the intenser love energy of Strawberry Quartz. It brings a lot of healing to the heart as well as universal love to the person working with it. It amplifies intentions of love, gratitude and generosity. And did you know that green crystals such as Malachite, Green Aventurine, Emerald, Green Kunzite, Peridote and Jade also have a positive effect on healing the heart chakra?
As a protector of my energy I have a Black Tourmaline next to my bed. When I sleep it takes care and cleanses my energetic field of any negativity that I pick up in my work during the day. It is also amazing for grounding. And it a good protector to carry with you during the day or to place on your desk at work. Another great stone for energy protection (I keep it with me during my sessions) is Labradorite. The plus side of the latter is that it is also a very spiritual stone; helping you build your intuition and psychic abilities. For protection and grounding you can also acquire a Smoky Quartz, Hematite or an Obsidian.
The all-time favourite crystal will always be the Amethyst. It is a great first-time stone, for someone who would like an introduction to crystal energy. It offers protective, cleansing energy, while improving intuition and spiritual growth. It provides energy to receive self-insights and to clear emotions related to past experiences. Plus it’s very affordable 😉
Finally I would like to give a few others an honorary mention:
Citrine for self-confidence, joy and abundance
Clear Quartz for healing, purifying, vitalising and increases the power of other crystals
Lapis Lazuli for communication, speaking up for yourself, strengthening relationships
Opalite for enlightenment, positivity, clearing the mind and relaxation
Selenite for protection and support while working spiritually, it also recharges other stones
Tiger Eye for strength, confidence, courage and to reduce tension and stress
How to work with crystals
I have a lot of bracelets with round crystal beads. I wear them on my left wrist (receiving), while the right wrist will allow you to pass on the energy (giving). Apart from that I keep a black tourmaline, pyrite (for abundance), rose quartz and a celestite (to remember my dreams better) on my bed stand. Occasionally I wear a necklace with a crystal to strengthen either my throat, heart or solar plexus chakra. Other ways to work with your crystals are to wear rings with stones or to carry them in a pouch in your pocket or in your bra (close to your heart chakra!).
When you want the crystals to work optimally you have to make sure you cleanse them before using them. It’s also good to set an intention of use.
Cleansing your crystals and setting the intention
Crystals will take up energy from everyone who comes in contact with them. Therefore be selective in who you allow to touch your crystals. You are best off doing a thorough cleansing of your stones after you buy them, and allow them to fully recharge before you start using them. When you plan to use crystals for healing, make sure you cleanse them after every client. The recharging can be done once a month. The best time for this is between the two days before and two days after the full moon.
Cleansing your gems can be done in several different ways. I have tried leaving them in salt water for seven days. It is supposedly the most thorough cleansing process. If you resonate with this practice keep in mind some stones cannot handle salt or water well! Avoid cleansing your amber, alabaster, azurite, calcite, carnelian, dioptase halite, hematite, kunzite, kyanite, labradorite/spectrolite, lepidolite, lodestone (magnetite), mica, moldavite, moonstone, opal, red coral, topaz, turquoise and ulexite with (salt) water.
Running water (sea, streams or even tap water) is also often mentioned for cleaning. A rule of thumb using water would be that the harder stones (quartz, fluorite, amethyst) are tolerant of water while softer stones (opals, carnelian, clusters of stones) are not. Also know that generally speaking crystals that end in *ite are not good for cleansing with water. Selenite will even completely dissolve!
Another way of cleansing your crystals would be by burying the stones in the earth for at least 24 hours. I do this when I am back home in the Netherlands, where the ground is a little bit more fertile and there is more plant energy in the soil. Here in Dubai, where most people live in apartments, finding ‘fresh soil’ to keep your crystals in safe overnight might be a little more of a problem.
For this reason I ‘smudge’ my crystals here in Dubai. You can burn white sage, lavender or sandalwood incense or palo santo wood. I pick up my crystals and while I take each one back and forth through the smoke I ask the Universe (Creator, God, Source, whichever way you would refer to it) to remove all negative energy from the crystals and to cleanse them NOW (important to add that last word!). Then when I feel the crystal is clean and ready, I hold the crystal in my hand and ask it to assist me with whatever intention I set. You only need to do this once, when you are preparing the crystal for its first use.
After the cleansing, your crystals need to be recharged. I leave them, on the floor, somewhere near a window but outside of direct sunlight. Some crystals change colour or overall cannot handle too much sun.
The energy for recharging is strongest around the full moon. After putting them on the floor, I ask for the sun and moon to recharge the power and strength of the crystals in the next 24 hours.
After the recharge I only smudge the stones after each client. The crystals I wear for myself I only cleanse in the above way once a month.
Finally, what to do when a crystal breaks? When you drop a crystal or it comes apart by itself, I usually return it back to Mother Earth. You can do so by burying it or dropping it into the sea, accompanied by some kind words to thank the stone for being with you and helping you. It breaks my heart sometimes! But I always remember and am grateful for the time the crystal spent with me. And I hope you enjoy the time you spend with your crystals!
Do reach out to me if you have any questions regarding crystals or if you are interested in acquiring any; I sell cleansed and pre-programmed crystals and bracelets too!