Tips for Getting Started

If you’re new to the world of crystals, the whole thing may seem overwhelming. The two most common questions I’m asked are where to find them and how to choose the right one. With a myriad of crystal options available and a lot of conflicting information online, it’s best to be grounded in the basics before you start.

WHERE TO GET CRYSTALS

There are many places to buy or find crystals. The two most common places to find crystals are at local metaphysical shops or through an online retailer. But you can also find them in stores offering eclectic and ethnic-inspired clothing, in vintage and antique shops, at flea markets, through street vendors, or in home décor stores. I’ve even found them in the gift shops of several airports! If you’re buying online, it’s important to first check the site’s refund policy so that if you don’t resonate with your crystal, or you question its authenticity (unfortunately, there are many fake, synthetic, or altered crystals on the market), or you simply aren’t happy with it, you can return it for a full refund. I also find it’s helpful to research who owns and operates the shop: If shop owners work with crystals for healing or mine the crystals themselves, they’re far more likely to be legitimate.

Always trust your intuition when buying crystals. You may wander into a shop looking for rose quartz but then feel drawn to rhodochrosite, or find that one piece of amethyst feels better when you hold it than another piece. Remember that we all vibrate on different frequencies, and our vibrations can change, so you may harmonize with one crystal better than someone else does, and you may feel drawn to one particular crystal one day, and then a different one the next. Crystals speak to us through our intuition and our senses, so as long as you’re willing to trust what you’re feeling or what you’re feeling drawn to, you’ll almost always find that you’ve picked the right one.

CLEARING YOUR CRYSTALS

It’s very important to clear your crystals before you start working with them so that they’re free from any energetic residue. Think of a spoon in a restaurant and how many times it’s used by different people throughout the week—you’re going to want that thing 100 percent clean before you dip it into your soup! With a few exceptions, crystals undergo a transfer of energy (usually referred to as “absorbing energy” or “transference”) whenever they’re exposed to new people or changing environments. This is not to say that all transference is necessarily a bad thing. I’ve used quartz crystals to absorb powerful healing energy from spiritual meccas like the Boynton Canyon Vortex in Sedona, Arizona, and I had a friend bring one for me to Machu Picchu during the much-prophesied spiritual ascension phase of the winter solstice of 2012. I’ve subsequently worked with that vortex energy to raise my vibration when I’m feeling down or tired, and the energy from Machu Picchu for greater spiritual awakening and expansion. In most cases, though, unless you know a crystal’s energy is pure, it’s best to always clear it before you expose yourself to its energy.

When you come in contact with a crystal, you naturally begin to attune to its energy. This essentially means that your system is familiarizing itself with the crystal’s energy and its feel, and then allowing its vibration to fuse with your own. It’s like first tasting a bowl of soup to sense its temperature and sample its taste before ingesting it. Now, if there’s E. coli in that soup, you’re going to become unwell. If you shared that soup with a friend, he’s also going to become unwell. If you attune to a crystal that’s been in contact with some harmful energy, you’re going to be taking that into your system. And if you wear a crystal while you’re angry or sick or depressed, and then pass that crystal on to another person, she’ll be taking on some of that energy you left behind.

When I worked in a popular spiritual bookshop in New York, I saw all kinds of people walk in, do all sorts of things with the crystals there (including smelling them, rubbing them in strange places, and falling asleep while holding them), then leave them there for the next unsuspecting person. To this day, even if it’s a crystal pulled straight from the Earth or given to me by a dear friend, I never, ever, work with that crystal until I’ve cleared it! This doesn’t mean that you can’t hold or touch a crystal briefly. It just means that it’s a good idea to avoid working or coming in contact with its energy for a lengthier period until you’ve cleared it. Below are some methods for clearing your crystals. Choose whichever one is most practical for you:

•    Pass them through the smoke of burning sage, copal, palo santo, or whichever natural element is sacred to your land a few times each per crystal.

•    Place them in direct full moonlight for a night, or in direct sunlight for a maximum of 5–15 minutes. (Note: Sunlight can fade the color of certain crystals, or deplete a crystal’s energy if it’s exposed for too long, so I typically do not recommend using sunlight.)

•    Use reiki or other healing modalities by holding the crystals in both your hands and channeling energy through them.

•    Expose them for several minutes to sound vibration, using a singing bowl, Tibetan tingshas or bells, tuning forks, or the sound of your own voice as you sing a hymn or chant a sacred mantra.

•    Place them in a bowl of lightly sea-salted or ocean water. (Note: Some crystals can become damaged when placed in water. See “Practical Crystal Uses and Tips” for a list.) Rinse them in plain water and then let them air-dry.

•    Place crystals on top of a flat piece of selenite, amethyst, or clear quartz for a minimum of 2–4 hours.

•    Bury crystals in fresh soil or in uncooked organic brown rice for approximately 12 hours. (Note: When you’re done with the rice, compost it or scatter it in a field.)

•    You can use incense to clear crystals—but only if it is a high-grade, high-quality incense, made from a plant essence that has clearing properties, like sage, rue, frankincense, or myrrh. Otherwise, you’re literally just blowing smoke and fragrance at your stones.

•    Remember: Good crystal care also involves your jewelry! To clear the energy of crystal jewelry (both beads and in settings), you can use several of the methods above, or you can place them in the freezer overnight.

How often you need to clear your crystals depends on how often you’ve been working with them and for how long. The more you become in tune with the energy of your crystals, the more you’ll cultivate an awareness of when they need to be cleared. Here are some general guidelines:

•    Clear crystals daily if you’re wearing them all day or sleeping with them at night.

•    Clear weekly when you’re meditating with them regularly, wearing them for shorter periods, or if you have them in your workplace or car (or other high-stress zones).

•    Clear monthly if you’re using the crystals to influence the flow of energy in your home, or if you’re only using them once in a while.

•    If you have crystals in a harmonious garden space, by broad, leafy plants, or in places of positive chi (like by a gently rolling stream or cluster of trees), there’s no need to clear them because their energy is being cleared and maintained by nature.

CHARGING YOUR CRYSTALS

Just like batteries, plants, or people, crystals can get dull and tired when they’re being used a lot and aren’t getting time and energy to recharge. When they become drained of energy, they’re no longer effective; it’s like trying to drive your car on empty. I see this especially with crystals that don’t need to be cleared (see “Practical Crystal Uses and Tips” for a list), like citrine or kyanite. People assume that if they don’t need to be cleared, they don’t need to be charged, either, or they simply forget to do it. There are a lot of tired little citrines and kyanites rolling around out there! Though crystals are considered to be inanimate, I believe they have a life essence and consciousness, so they need to be treated with respect and care.

When a crystal needs to be charged, it can feel dull, lifeless, or less effective when you’re using it. You can cultivate a greater awareness of a crystal’s charge by holding it first before working with it and sensing how it feels, then comparing that sensation later on by holding it again and making a note of any difference. Through time and practice you’ll be able to tell very quickly if your crystal needs to be charged.

You may notice that the charging techniques listed below are similar to, or the same as, many clearing techniques. This is because when you bring a crystal’s essence back into its cleared and natural state, it’s able to absorb the energy vibrations that emanate from the Earth. Human beings experience this, too, which is one of the reasons that spending time in nature or in green places can be so healing and restorative for us. Use whichever method is easiest and most practical for you, and remember that a crystal needs to be cleared before it’s charged or the charging process will take longer.

•    Place your crystals in a bowl and put them outside during a rainstorm. Despite the pollutants in our rainwater, its ionic charge replenishes crystals very quickly. Leave them in the collected rainwater for a few hours, then rinse them in plain water and let them air-dry.

•    Place them in a bowl of ocean water, then rinse them in plain water and let them air-dry. (Note: I’ve lost a few good crystals when I’ve either accidentally dropped them or lost my hold on them while running them through the currents of strong ocean waves. It’s preferable to collect a bowl of ocean water and use that instead.)

•    Charge them by holding them in your dominant hand and channeling some form of healing energy into them for 5–10 minutes (for instance, using reiki, prana, or the like).

•    Expose them for several minutes to the sound vibration of a singing bowl, Tibetan tingshas or bells, tuning forks, or the sound of your own voice as you sing a hymn or chant a sacred mantra. If you are also using this method to clear your crystals, spot-check them frequently by holding them in your receptive hand (your nondominant hand) to sense if they are first cleared, then to sense when they feel fully charged by this method.

•    Put them on selenite, clear quartz, or rocks in your garden for a minimum of 2–4 hours.

•    Leave them in direct, full moonlight for a night, or in direct sunlight for 5–15 minutes. (Note: Sunlight can fade the color of certain crystals, and/or damage a crystal’s energy if it’s exposed for too long.) It’s best to place them outside rather than behind a window, as the replenishing part of the energy can be filtered by the glass. If this isn’t possible, then I recommend choosing another method.

•    Bury crystals in fresh soil or place them beside plants or in a garden for 6–12 hours. Chi collects in natural places where there’s gentle movement, so you can also place them by a running stream or trees for the same amount of time.

•    Shake the crystals vigorously in your hand for a minute. (Note: This will only do in a pinch because it won’t charge them fully, so you’ll still need to give them a proper charge later using one of the methods above.)

When or how often you’ll need to charge your crystals will depend on how much and how often you use them. The more you become in tune with your crystals, the more you’ll be able to tell when they’ve become depleted. Typically, they’ll feel dull to you, have less of a sparkle or zing when you hold them, or you’ll notice that you’re not experiencing their usual effects. Trust your intuition and, if in doubt, charge them. But I’ll give you some general guidelines for the intervals between charging, just in case:

•    Charge weekly when you’re working with crystals daily, sleeping with them at night, using them in your bathwater, or using them to make a crystal tonic.

•    Charge monthly when you’re working with crystals regularly for shorter periods, or if they’re in your workplace or car (or other high-stress areas).

•    Charge every 3–6 months if you’re using your crystals to influence the flow of energy in your home, or if you only use them once in a while.

•    If you have crystals in a harmonious garden space, by broad, leafy plants, or in places of positive chi (like by a cluster of trees), there’s no need to charge them because their energy is being charged and maintained by nature.

If crystals are left on their own to rest for a while, they’ll recharge naturally. This can take as long as a few months, depending on how much and how often they were used and whether or not they were cleared first.

STORING YOUR CRYSTALS

How you store your crystals is a matter of preference. Some people wrap them in black or red silk to help preserve their energy and keep them clear. Others keep them in boxes or on display on tabletops and shelves. You may want to keep your crystal wands separate from your tumbled stones, and place large or rough pieces in display cases.

How you want to work with your crystals can help determine where you keep them: If you’re working with them as magical tools, then having them on an altar or in a place out of reach is best. When you’re wearing them daily, it might be more practical to store them in a place where you can see them clearly and have quick access to them. When I’m doing healing work with clients, I find it most efficient to keep my crystals sorted by chakra in metal makeup kit boxes, and when traveling I wrap them individually and put them in soft makeup cases.

My home is a crystal explosion: I have them under pillows, by my bedside, on my desk, displayed on shelves, grouped in small bowls and seashells on tables, in the garden . . . . If it feels harmonious and pleasing to you, go for it. Follow your intuitive nudges. As an exercise, you can use your senses to test if where you’ve stored your crystals feels harmonious and balanced. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and then stretch your awareness outside of yourself and around your crystals. Trust what you’re feeling—if it feels good, then it’s balanced; if it doesn’t, keep experimenting.

Opinions vary when it comes to the right and wrong ways to store crystals, but if you honor your intuition and stick with what feels good to you, you’ll find what works best. This is not an exact science; our relationships with crystals and their interrelationships with each other can be influenced by myriad factors.

There are a few places I don’t place crystals: in windows, because the sunlight can damage them (with the exception of select stones I may use to filter incoming energy); in my drinking water, as they can be toxic and breed bacteria; near my dogs, because crystal energy can create discomfort for animals (especially small animals); or in spots where the crystals can influence another person’s energy without his permission. I also keep crystals I’m working with for manifestation or with specific intentions out of other people’s reach, so the crystals’ energy will stay pure for my purposes. Apart from that, I’m happiest and feel healthiest when my crystals are part of my daily life as much as possible. The more you appreciate and interact with your crystals, the more they will enhance and enrich your life.

A note on crystal décor or ornamentation: Having crystals on display in your place purely for aesthetics is fine! Crystals are beautiful works of natural art. Beautiful baubles can have their own healing impact.