I had my first crystal when I was 11, and it came in the form of a rather untrendy bracelet, but it still took up residence on my wrist for many years. When my school friends asked me why I was wearing "hippy stuff" I just shrugged it off. Fast forward to now and crystals are everywhere, and I am so here for it.
When I'm not beauty writing I'm also a modern mystic and spiritual well-being guide and the ancient practice of using crystals is in my witch kit of tools and modalities. You've probably seen them all over your favourite fashion girls' and celebs' feeds. Victoria Beckham even added crystals to one of her collections, included nifty hidden pockets to place them in.
Despite their increasing prominence, it can be a bit tricky to work out where to begin and how to use these mystical tools, so I've compiled a beginner's cheat sheet to crystals, to show you how. Keep scrolling for your step-by-step guide.
1. Choosing Your Crystals
Throw out the shopping list and skip the crystal books for now. I recommend taking an intuitive approach to selecting your crystals, and allowing the ones that you need the most right now to flow into your life.
Whether you shop online or head into a crystal shop, set an intention that the crystals you need will reveal themselves to you. Then just see what you're naturally drawn to. If you like, you can hold the crystal in your non-dominant hand, sense its energy and see which ones feel good.
Then of course, you can do some research on the crystal to see what it's used for. You'll soon realise that it's exactly what you've been looking for to match with your goals or intention.
2. Cleansing Your Crystals
Crystals are magic-filled energetic powerhouses, that's why we use them. An important step of having crystals is spending time with them and keeping them from just collecting dust.
Once you've got your crystals home, you'll want to cleanse them and remove any stagnant energy they've picked up, on their journey to you. You can cleanse them under running water; a natural source like a stream is most preferable, but you can also hold the crystal under a tap.
Smoke cleansing is another great option and you can use the herbs of your choice, I often use mugwort or rosemary bundles and allow the smoke to pass over the crystals for a few moments.
With any method you choose, be sure to set an intention for the crystals to be cleansed and purified.
3. Charge Them Up
Charging your crystals is a way to add some extra magic and to give them a bit of a super boost from nature. You can add a dose of radiance to your crystals by giving them a sun or a moon bath. These methods will cleanse, charge and infuse your crystals with the powerful energy of the moon and sun.
To give your stones a sunlight bath, look out for when the sun is at its brightest and leave your crystals out on a windowsill, balcony or in a safe place in your garden for at least 4 hours. If you're using the moon, its most potent to charge your crystals overnight on a full moon or during the waxing phase.
You can repeat this whenever you feel your crystals need an energy boost or at least once a month, but don't stress it if you forget.
4. Make Your Crystals Your Besties
Sorry to disappoint you, but buying a crystal and sticking it in your bra isn't going to change your life. The transformation comes in when you work with it and connect to the energy of the crystal.
Once you've cleansed and charged your stones, have a crystal hang out sesh. Get comfortable, lie or sit down, and close your eyes. Hold the crystal of your choice in your hand, feel its energy and connect to it with each breath. Notice what you can feel and what emotions or guidance the crystal brings up.
As you continue to hold it, visualise the energy of the crystal passing through your body. Then ask the crystal to offer you support and guidance in achieving your desired intention. Keep holding the crystal in your hand, breathing deeply and feeling this energy flowing through your body for the next 5–10 minutes.
Feels good, right?
5. Set Your Intention
This is where it gets even more fun. Every crystal has a meaning or an energy its associated with. So, you might have heard about rose quartz (the pink one), this stone is all about love, relationships, self-compassion and kindness. If those areas are what you're working on right now, then that's a great one to use.
Connecting with your crystal will radically change your relationship with it and so does setting an intention. Now you've spent more time with your crystal you'll have some idea of what it can work with you on. You can also look in crystal books and websites and use the descriptions to help you with setting an intention too.
Hold your crystal in your hand and say something like, "I charge this crystal with the intention to X, in my highest and greatest good."
Fill in the blanks with your own intention and this will change depending on the crystal you're using. For example, if you've got a chunk of citrine, you might say "to bring abundance and prosperity into my life."
6. Using Crystals in Your Daily Life
Now you're all prepped and ready to use your crystals. I love using mine as personal guides, so you can keep your crystals with you, tucked in your bra, handbag or purse to remind you of the intention you set.
If you want to make the most of their aesthetic, place crystals around your home to evoke a specific feeling. You might want to add celestite or amethyst to your bedside table for a sense of calm, peace and to promote a restful night's sleep.
To take your beauty and self-care routine to the next level, indulge in a ritual bath. Theme your bath around a topic that you're working on, whether it's to boost your intuition or to de-stress, add in essential oils, dried flowers and your favourite crystals for this area of focus. Light a candle, set your intention and take a long soak.
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Up next, how to create the perfect bath routine.