Can you feel the energy of a crystal as you hold it in your hand, or have you ever wondered what in the fuck people are talking about because you haven’t felt it before? You aren’t alone. Most of us aren’t exposed to the cognition that connecting with crystals is normal. In many spiritual circles crystals are referred to as “healing”. They are thought to have these metaphysical powers and be magical. What the fuck are metaphysical powers and why do crazy ladies have these stores in every town? There are many different theories as to how healing crystals actually work or whether they merely have a placebo effect. The best kind of crystal magic is building your own connection and meanings with crystals that resonate with you.

My initial personal connection with crystals was that they are very beautiful. All the hippies, parents included, carried them, and wore them for different reasons I then didn’t understand. I remember as a kid, while living in Austin Texas, my dad charging his crystals on my bedroom windowsill under the full moon. Many unconventional things tend to become normal when you have odd parents. At some point in the beginning of my own personal spiritual journey I picked up a book or two and was reminded of the names and healing properties that crystals possess.

So What Is Crystal Magic

Different crystals are obviously formed in different ways. I’m not going to go into geology or crystallography, very interesting topics, BUT every crystal has an internal repetition of atoms, thus creating a repeating pattern. Crystal formation directly correlates to its vibrational frequency. A common interpretation is that crystals vibrate at incredibly high frequencies which are aligned with certain outcomes or tangible effects in our own lives. Having crystals aligned with certain frequencies in your space or even on your body is then thought to help you physically and energetically (such as love, clarity, protection, and cleansing) align with those same desired frequencies as well.

The best kind of crystal magic comes from intending to connect with their frequencies. After finding a set of crystals that called to me, I read up on their uses and connections to my personal energy centers or Chakras. I used them in meditation, slept with them under my pillow, even used them as a part of my self-care during a bath. A connection was created, and I began feeling what I heard other people speak of. You can feel the energetic properties of crystals, and they do aid in healing, manifestation, and connection.

Crystals can serve as a physical, visual reminder of an intention you’ve set or a way of being that you want to embody. Crystals can also serve to help you feel grounded and centered. Getting grounded can look and feel a bit different for everyone but essentially, it’s about feeling supported with a clear head, open heart, and calm demeaner. When you’re feeling scattered or lost, meditating with crystals on certain points of your body or even just holding a crystal in your palms can help bring you back to center. Crystals can help clear energy blocks that occur from day-to-day life by contributing their high vibrational state to raise yours.

How to care for crystals

In order for your crystals to obtain a high vibrational state, clearing and charging crystals greatly influences their magical capabilities. Crystals can pick up lower vibrational energy from your space and other people. You can clear your crystals physically, energetically, or both. It’s definitely a good idea to cleanse your crystals when you first get them, but you should also plan to cleanse your crystals regularly, especially if they are in high traffic areas where they may be picking up a lot of other people’s energy.

Water

This method involves physically cleaning the crystal with water. Water cleansing is a powerfully intuitive method that can help wash away negative energy. Some people also use water as a source for transmission of energy from the crystals to charge our bodies. Tumbled ametrine is my favorite crystal to add to my water bottle.
Water cleansing is fine for quartz and other tumbled crystals, (i.e., clear quartz, smoky quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, or citrine), but some crystals, such as selenite or calcite, should not be submerged in water as they will crack or dissolve.

Smoke

This method involves waving smoke from incense or burning herbs around the crystals. My favorite cleansing herb is sage. This is a very traditional method of cleansing that is found in cultures all over the world and is good for removing negative and resetting things back to functioning frequencies. Smoke can also be a part of strengthening connection to your higher self by clearing any energy blocks. Smoke can be used to clear any crystal.

Moonlight

To cleanse your crystals, set them outside or on a windowsill in the moonlight. This is most commonly done on days nearest the full moon when the moon’s power is most potent. There are times, during eclipses, when this isn’t suggested but I personally love being in the full moon light, so I make sure my crystals are able to soak it up as well. The moonlight cleansing method is suitable for all crystals. Charging crystals is basically the process of programming them to align with your intentions and goals. The words cleansing and charging are sometimes used interchangeably, and you’ll often see people talk about “charging” their crystals in the moonlight. However, sometimes you might want to charge a crystal with a specific intention.

You can use crystals to help you manifest your desires, to help you communicate more clearly, or to help soothe your anxiety. You can incorporate them into your meditation, yoga, or mindful stretching and movement practice or take them with you when traveling to feel safe and energetically protected.
Crystals won’t make things change with a snap of your fingers – you do have to take the aligned actions to help you create what you want – but they can be very supportive of directing and focusing your energy and amplifying your intentions.

Popular Crystals for Crystal Magic

Clear Quartz:

The jack-of-all-trades of the crystal world. Great for cleansing spaces and removing negativity but also has a neutral energy that can be charged or programmed for essentially any intention.

Rose Quartz:

A beautiful, light pink crystal often used in jewelry. Associated with love, self-love, and the heart chakra. Great for keeping on your vanity or any space where you want to project love and compassion.

Amethyst:

A stunning, purple crystal. Associated with intuition, sleep, and dreams. Great for keeping on your nightstand to encourage psychic dreams and peaceful sleep.

Smoky Quartz:

A mysterious, dark and smoky crystal. Associated with banishing negativity and protection. Great for keeping on your desk if you have gossipy or negative coworkers.

Citrine:

A pale orange or yellow crystal. Associated with success, luck, and prosperity. Great for keeping on your desk or in your pocket when asking for a raise or starting your own business. If you see citrine that is dark or bright orange, it’s actually heat-treated amethyst. It’s fine to use, just be aware that it’s not completely natural.

Selenite:

A milky white crystal with soft, breakable layers. This crystal has a neutral energy that not only removes negativity from spaces but actually absorbs and dissipates it.

Lapis Lazuli:

A beautiful, rare blue stone from Afghanistan. Associated with clarity, communication, and spiritual wisdom. Great for wearing as jewelry or carrying in your pocket when you want to be sure to be clearly understood. Can be substituted by sodalite which has a similar energy and is less expensive.

Obsidian:

A jet black stone that’s actually volcanic glass. Associated with banishing negativity and protection. Can be used in similar ways to smoky quartz.

Black Tourmaline:

A black layered stone. Associated with psychic protection and grounding. Great for using in rituals when you will be connecting with spirits or carrying in your pocket for protection.

Moldavite:

A green stone formed by impact from a meteorite. Associated with psychic awareness, cleansing auras, and spiritual awakening. This crystal is particularly trendy but packs a powerful wallop – I recommend starting with one of the more accessible quartz crystals above.

To see our full crystal selection, click here