I am a self-proclaimed crystal girlie. Like a lot of people during the pandemic, I fell down a kind of spiritual wormhole on TikTok; manifestation, crystals, rituals, and horoscopes seem to be very in right now. If you’re sceptical of any kind of Spirituality, especially the type you see “trending” on social media, I would not blame you. I was too, and still sort of am when it comes to being *influenced* into Spirituality… I’m not a big fan of that. However, I decided to purchase my first-ever crystal amidst the Covid chaos of 2020 and I have not regretted it for a second. My interest in, and love for, crystals has only grown since.
Whether you believe in their metaphysical properties or not, they’re still pretty as heck and very cool in their own right. They have been around far longer than we have and essentially hold an ancient connection with the Earth…that’s power in itself. You should also never discount the power of the placebo effect. I’m of the strong opinion that if you believe something has power, you grant it power. And we could all do with a little extra bit of *magic* in our lives, whether it be “real” or through the delusions of our own minds. So, here’s my all-you-need-to-know guide to start delving into the beautiful world of crystals…
Moonstone
Zodiac: Scorpio. Planet: Moon. Element: Water.
Having a water sign (Miss Scorpio herself) in my big three, and being such an avid lover of the Moon, is perhaps why I feel such a strong connection to this particular crystal. Moonstone is a crystal of wisdom, maternal protection and guidance, and inner strength. She encourages new beginnings and helps regulate turbulent emotions.
I keep my Moonstone on my bedside table, as she’s also known for helping you truly tap into your intuition; manifesting messages and revelations in the form of dreams. Having the maternal and nurturing presence of this crystal near your bed can be very comforting… imagine her keeping watch over you as you drift off to sleep, and guiding you towards greater paths of understanding.
*I will be referring to certain crystals as She/He due to their feminine or masculine energies.
Amethyst
Zodiac: Virgo. Planet: Jupiter. Element: Air/Water.
This beautiful purple crystal is the crystal of calmness. Her metaphysical properties mainly include helping to relieve stress, navigating inner peace, and helping people who suffer from addictive personalities and insomnia. (Another crystal I keep on my bedside table to aid a good night’s sleep).
If you’re someone who likes to meditate (or would like to start), Amethyst is the ideal crystal. Place her near your body or hold her in your hand to help connect your awareness to the spiritual level and enhance your meditation.
Being associated with calmness, Amethyst is useful for any stressful situation. Keep it in your pocket or in your bag when you have an exam, are entering an unfamiliar social situation, or just in general when you need that extra help to balance out and be reminded that everything will be okay. She is also said to help relieve the pain of headaches if placed on your temples.
Labradorite
Planet: Uranus. Element: Water.
A crystal of Transformation. I personally adore this crystal because of its blue/green iridescence. Not only is he gorgeous to look at but Labradorite is known for enhancing intuition, motivating willpower, and strengthening faith in yourself and trust in the Universe.
Labradorite is a great crystal for Manifestation, as it encourages and amplifies a transformation of self. I see him as the Phoenix of the crystals, encouraging a great change and complete rejuvenation of the mind, body, and soul. If you’re lacking motivation or faith in your dreams manifesting, this crystal is perfect for bolstering your revolve and seeing through those manifestations. Keep on you during the day to see your everyday actions aligned with the path of your greatest goals, and encourage a powerful positive transformation.
Rose Quartz
Zodiac: Taurus. Planet: Venus. Element: Earth/Water.
If you’ve seen any crystal-featured TikToks at all, you’ve definitely come across this crystal before. She’s seemed to gain a lot of popularity over the past year, acclaimed for being the crystal of love. People were gifting their crushes Rose Quartz or hiding them in their boyfriend’s bedroom/car claiming it made them “irresistible” to their partner. And while Rose Quartz is associated with love, all of that stuff was quite frankly ridiculous. So let’s forget the ill-deserved rep that some content creators afforded to Rose Quartz, and start fresh.
Rose Quartz is indeed the crystal of Unconditional Love. Now, this could be any form of love. When gifted to a friend she helps strengthen friendships, amplifying and enduring that platonic love. She can be gifted to a partner as a gesture of enhancing and maintaining that romantic love. And she can be kept in the heart of the home, being a beacon of familial love.
But my all-time favourite? Self-love. Being associated with the Planet Venus and therefore the Goddess of love and beauty, Rose Quartz is a powerful crystal to reaffirm the beauty you see within yourself. If you’re ever in need of some self-loving, Rose Quartz is the crystal for you.
Obsidian
Obsidian is a very strong protection crystal. He shields against negativity by absorbing external negative energies, and helps calm stress and tension.
My Obsidian crystal is my little protector. He is always by my side and helps me feel a little more secure, grounded, and safe. Keep it in your pocket during the day when out and about for general protection, have it on you when entering an unsure space, keep it in your luggage when travelling, and use it when you need to diffuse a negative environment.
Selenite
The cleansing crystal. Speaking of diffusing negativity, Selenite is the ideal crystal to cleanse and purify a physical space or a situation. She can provide clarity of the mind, cleansing your own inner negativity.
Place a selenite wand/tower on your windowsill or around the borders of the space you wish to cleanse. She can also be used to cleanse other crystals if you believe your crystals are in need of a re-connection to yourself, perhaps after being handled by other people. And hold it in the palm of your hand if you need an energy of purification to disperse any negative environment or feelings.
Citrine
Planet: Jupiter. Element: Air.
Deep in your overdraft? Citrine is known as the crystal of wealth and abundance. By keeping him in your purse or bag, he can help bring about financial abundance. Citrine also has great energising power. Keep it on you during your studies or in the workplace to give you that extra boost and encourage prosperity and the accomplishment of goals.
I see Citrine as one of the most vivacious crystals, granting you a re-affirmed joy for life and re-energising your self-confidence to help you push yourself towards those paths of success and celebration.
Clear Quartz
All signs. Planet: Sun. All elements.
Clear Quartz, in my opinion, is the ultimate crystal. If you aren’t quite sure which to get as your first crystal then Clear Quartz is the one for you. He is the “master healer”, the enhancer, the amplifier. Clear Quartz amplifies energy, whether that be the energy of an environment/space/person, or the energies of other crystals. You can essentially appoint any power you want to this crystal, and it will receive it, absorb it, store it, and release it charged to the max.
You can also use Clear Quartz to “charge” other crystals. Personally, I believe crystals operate on a much higher energy and vibrational level than that of ourselves and the things around us, therefore they don’t *need* to be “charged”. They are not affected by external energies or “stains”, as they are more powerful. However, some people do like to cleanse and charge them. And I in fact like to leave my crystals out overnight under a full moon to soak up the moon’s energy. In my mind, this amplifies their energy, and as I believe they are more powerful and rejuvenated, so they are.
These are just a few of my favourite crystals and some of their metaphysical properties and suggestions for how to harness their energies. The variety of crystals out there and possibilities for using them are endless. Venture out to a local crystal shop and see what you’re drawn to. Have a search on Etsy (making sure to only purchase ethically-sourced crystals) and find some beautiful crystals all while supporting independent sellers.
You can research the properties of each crystal and even assign your own significance to each, making them even more special and powerful to you. Just have fun finding your own crystals and discovering all they can do! You’re in for a treat…