In the Who What Wear UK offices, you'll find us talking about all matter of topics. Sure, we're naturally drawn to the trending must-haves of the season and the latest skincare products. But we also love to talk about the slightly more mysterious stuff in the well-being space. Holistic treatments, wellness practices and our zodiac signs are often topics of conversation in the office. No matter each person's stance on the treatments and practices, there's no denying that it gets the office talking.
One topic that recently came up is crystals. Crystal healing is possibly one of the most divisive wellness topics that you can strike up in a conversation, with people typically sitting in one of three camps: the ones who roll their eyes and think it's a load of BS, the ones who believe there's something in it but don't fully understand it, and the ones who totally swear by it.
Me? I sit in the middle camp. I don't know a huge amount about crystals, but I have friends who are more knowledgable on the topic and swear by it. I've always been drawn to alternative therapies, and even though I'm naturally drawn to the science and hard facts in my line of work as a beauty editor, I try to stay open-minded.
So as part of our foray into trying new wellness treatments and experiences on Who What Wear, I took along our in-house crystal cynic, branded content editor Rebecca Rhys-Evans, to come along with me, a self-proclaimed crystal-curious beauty editor, to a crystal healing session for the first time. With our opposing perspectives, we made our way to visit expert crystal healer Emma Lucy Knowles for an introduction to crystals to find out what crystals are all about and, crucially, does crystal healing work? Read on for both our accounts on the experience. Spoiler alert: We learnt a lot.
The Crystal-Cynic Editor: Rebecca Rhys-Evans, Branded Content Editor
During the crystal session, we closed our eyes and waved our hands over the selection of crystals. We then felt a tingle or pull towards the ones that spoke to us.
My POV before crystal healing: I’m going to be straight with you—I came into this very sceptical of crystals. I didn’t know much (read: anything) about crystals and have always found myself a little dismissive of the things associated with them—sound baths, silence retreats, burning sage, moon water (google it), and reading my zodiac sign have never really appealed to me. When someone says "blocked chakras,” I quite literally run for the hills.
Maybe it’s the journalist in me always searching for truth (unlikely) or maybe it’s because I’m a Gemini (apparently with a Mercury rising, if that means anything?). Either way, it’s not personal—I’m cynical about most things in life. Whilst I think the stones themselves can be beautiful and love the nostalgic kitschy element to this culture (think Mystic Meg, The Craft, etc.), its popularity in the last 10 years—especially on social media—has always undermined its authenticity for me. "Dress like your horoscope” and jewellery that you buy to "bring good vibes” has often left me wondering, Is it really truth, or is it just trend?
All this being said, however, I’m very open-minded, and though I didn’t believe in it, there was a real part of me that really wanted to. I have many friends both in and out of work that are big crystal believers, so I was so excited to have the opportunity to meet Knowles, who is well-known in the crystal healing game.
Rebecca Rhys-Evans's line-up of crystals that she was drawn to.
My Crystal Healing Experience: When we met Knowles—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—she had really great energy. She was warm, welcoming and kind, which made us feel at ease, but she was also fun, the kind of person you’d want to be sat next to at a dinner party. She led us to her appointment room. I won’t call it the crystal room, because there were crystals everywhere, including outside, welcoming us in the door and up the stairs. There was a sense of tranquillity in every space.
Sat on the floor together, along with an array of crystals spread out in front of us, the first thing we had to do was to select three or four crystals that spoke to us. Naturally, the ones we liked the look of were the ones we chose. I didn’t feel a sense of magnetism or sudden pull to any of them; I actually picked one because I thought it would make a great kitchen countertop. But so far so good. I was on board.
Then it got interesting. Knowles told us to make an energy ball (bear with me here) by rubbing our hands together then pulling them apart slowly and bringing them back in. This is where my cynical side stepped in, but of course, I persevered. She said to stop when we felt "a thickness, almost a brick of energy between [our] hands,” which she explained was our aura. I couldn’t believe it, but I could feel it. From here, with eyes closed, we slowly moved one hand over the crystals, the other hand on our hearts, and recited the mantra: "What do I want? What do I need?” in our minds. Knowles said we would feel a pull in some places, perhaps a tingle over certain crystals. Just as she said I would, I felt it, and strongly. There was a sensation or weight below my hand, quite specifically (and perhaps appropriately) below my middle finger.
Once we’d selected four crystals each using this method, she read us based on what we’d chosen and what was coming through for her. My reading was mainly around work as well as my love life. Knowles’s bottom line was that I was overthinking situations, seeing negativity in my own work, and instead I should "get on with it,” have conviction and confidence. In essence, she was saying don’t sweat the small stuff.
My Verdict: Am I a complete convert? Probably not. My main takeaway—the thing that surprised me most—was how I actually felt a sensation from the crystals, that I could physically feel my aura. I didn’t expect the physicality to come so easily. I came out of the session very relaxed and fascinated to learn more, eager to meet Knowles again. It made me realise that taking time to talk about yourself, allowing moments of real introspection, whether it comes from therapy, meditation or crystal healing, is always healthy, no matter what format that is for you. Do I think crystals now have the power to heal? If you’re open to it, yes. But will you see me on a bed surrounded by £50,000 worth of rose quartz like Spencer Pratt? I doubt it. But never say never.
The Crystal-Curious Editor— Eleanor Vousden, Beauty Editor
It was then my turn to select the crystals by running my hands over them with my eyes closed and awaiting a tingle or feeling.
My POV before crystal healing: I've always been pretty open when it comes to alternative therapies. I've tried Reiki, acupuncture and reflexology before and loved the holistic side of the well-being space. I also love anything to do with horoscopes. (I'm a Cancer, in case you were wondering.) It's funny because I tend to lean more towards the science-backed skincare products when I'm writing about beauty on Who What Wear UK. But I'm becoming more and more open to the "out-there" treatments. I believe that just because something isn't backed by a research paper or fully understood doesn't mean it can't bring benefits to our well-being. That being said, my crystal knowledge is limited, so I entered the session with curiosity and an open mind.
My crystal healing experience: Knowles welcomed us into her space, and I immediately felt at ease. She had a calming presence, and I felt excited at the prospect of what we were about to experience. As Rebecca said, we sat cross-legged on the floor with a hundred or so crystals laid out before us, all different shapes, sizes and colours. As we rubbed our palms together to create our energy ball, I was worried that I'd gotten way into my head. What if I don't feel anything? I thought. But as I floated my hands over the stones, I did feel it. I could feel more awareness in my palm and a tingling in one of my fingers as I passed my hands over the crystals. It's a hard sensation to pin down, as it's different for everyone, but you can definitely feel a draw to some and not others. It took a while for me to find the ones that "spoke" to me, but Knowles encouraged us to take our time and squash any negative inner voices.
Then, she asked me to choose one final crystal that I didn't like. I scanned the bunch and chose a small, fiery red stone, and she proceeded to tell me what the crystals I had chosen said about me and the years ahead of me. Pointing to the spherical Dalmatian-like jasper crystal, she said, "You really trust everyone, but you don't fully trust yourself. Even if you don't have faith in yourself, the feeling of faith in yourself is very important." Sure, anyone might be able to read into that statement, but I personally resonated with it—and I felt quite taken aback by how well she had read me. As for the red stone I picked out that I didn't like? "The red jasper crystal that you picked out is quite a fiery stone," she said. "This is the crystal that pokes the flame." In other words, I needed to channel this stone's fiery energy more so in my life and not worry about what others might think. As she went on to explain the other crystals I had chosen, it felt like the jigsaw had come together, and she was reading me like a book. Visually, the stones I had chosen were all calm and serene hues, while the red stone stood out amongst them like a sore thumb.
After our readings, we chose two crystals to hold during a guided meditation. Holding on to the two crystals—the Dalmatian jasper crystal and a piece of broken citrine—in each of my palms, I felt a heat begin in my hands but more so in the broken piece. "The broken pieces often feel more intense," Knowles explained, saying that the raw facets have a stronger energy, while the polished crystals feel less intense.
My line-up of crystals that I had selected during our crystal healing session.
My Verdict: Am I a crystal convert? After the session with Knowles, I haven't stopped thinking about it since. So I think it's safe to say that I am a crystal convert—and I'm keen to learn more. Much like a good heart-to-heart with a close friend, I felt uplifted and motivated after my session. I came out with a renewed outlook, and I liked that the session had offered a different perspective on my mindset. It's a different approach from the pragmatic advice you might receive from a friend and feels more spiritual and encourages you to look deeper inwards. And whether it's a placebo effect or not, there's no doubt that the session had made me feel great. I'd love to book in with Knowles again to learn more and deepen my understanding.
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