Gazing into the depths of a crystal offers instant clarity and stillness of mind, as they provide a point of soft focus and help you to stay attentively in the present moment without judging it or needing to it to change. Crystals offer a detached perspective; they have been around for millions of years and in their terms the passing of time is merely the blink of eye. They each have unique qualities (see pages 43–91) that can assist in switching off mind chatter or compulsive thinking. They ease your anxieties, ameliorate your anger, show you how to forgive and let the past be, and so much more. They help you to be decisive when appropriate, and connect you to yourself at a very deep level.
Each crystal featured in the directory has an accompanying ‘crystal reflection’: words that seek to evoke a mental image or a feeling that instantly takes you into mindfulness. Several times each day, lightly focus your attention, just for a moment or two, on one of these crystal reflections. They are phrased in the now, rather like an affirmation or statement of intent, but there is no ‘I’ involved, no ego-based sense of self. Crystal reflections are not something you do. They are tools to hold in your mind’s eye and just be with. Try softly chanting them several times under your breath with rhythmic intent. Gazing at the crystal amplifies the effect but is not essential. To avoid your crystal reflections becoming yet another habitual response, download a random-timer app and use it to remind you at unexpected moments to practise them.
The keywords, found in the directory, encapsulate what that crystal offers to mindfulness. Use the keyword as a shortcut to discover specific properties, such as acceptance, tranquillity and the ability to let go. These keywords help you to find the crystal you need, or may flag up something you hadn’t realized you needed, such as forgiveness or tie-cutting. So often we are focused on a negative emotion – ‘overwhelmed’, ‘anxious’, ‘angry’ and so on – and we may need a reminder to turn to a positive quality instead. Keywords help here.
Selenite and Smoky Quartz together purify a space, supporting mindful living.
All crystals have a generic ability to heal – that is, to bring you back into balance – but each type also has specific properties that it brings to mindfulness. A crystal may assist at different levels, depending on its energetic vibration, helping you to, for example, recognize your spiritual self or resolve issues inhibiting mindfulness. We also each have our own individual vibration and respond to crystals in different ways. Although the crystals in this book are the closest possible to suiting everyone, another crystal might better match your vibration, especially if you already have it in your collection and so are attuned to it. Reading the descriptions of the crystals’ properties assists you to recognize exactly which one is right for you. Sometimes the crystal that you instinctively shy away from is the very one you need. As crystals work for your highest good, trust them to bring you back into energetic harmony.
In Part 1, ‘crystal referrals’ cross-reference the appropriate crystals in Part 2, and also offer alternatives in case you already have a suitable crystal that is not listed in the directory.