What are crystals? I hopped over to Horoscope.com to lend my expertise on what crystals are, what they do, why we care, and how to use them. Keep scrolling for more! xx

I am frequently approached with the question, “I’m new to this whole crystal thing – how do they work?” and my answer is simple: think of anything that exists – your body, your cat, trees, water, the stars… they are all made up of energy. Within each entity exists microscopic atoms firing off bursts of energy in all different directions, their electrons buzzing around in their own signature pattern interacting with the world around them. Now, each and every individual crystal (or compound for that matter) has its own inimitable energetic frequency, and that energy aligns in a unique way to the energy you are exuding and absorbing at any given moment. In tapping into each frequency, you connect with different stones in different ways – just as you would to different people, animals and nature. Crystals are powerful healing tools that can be used to direct, amplify, store, transmute and channel energy. 

Crystals have long been acknowledged for their influence, as they hold the capacity to heal, connect, protect, transform and manifest energy. Crystals are amazing because they are formed in nature over time from several hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago. They have survived the incredible pressure of severe storms, volcanic eruptions, ice ages, and many more natural disasters – these gems should be cherished for the true treasures they are. There is even a cave in Navajun, Spain where Pyrite forms naturally in nearly perfect cubes, which is mesmerizingly mind-bending!

Scientifically speaking, we know that energetic frequencies exist within stones – in fact, all varieties of matter contain their own unique subatomic signature in frequency. Without Quartz Crystal, we wouldn’t have the spectacular advancements in technology through its use in computers and timing devices to name just a few. Stones such as Shungite, a carbon-based mineral that was discovered in Russia, have lots of scientific backing and even published books commending it for its purification and physical cleansing properties.

Over time, crystals store an amazing amount of energy, and sometimes that energy can become dense, stagnant or heavy and needs to be cleared out from inside the stones. Through smudging, we can use sacred smoke to aid releasing pent-up energy trapped within them. I prefer burning Sage with lavender or Palo Santo to cleanse my stones, and do it as often as I feel is necessary for me. So, if I have a particularly stressful week or hectic day, I tend to cleanse my stones to release any energies that don’t serve me. This practice consists of lighting the Sage or Palo Santo bundle, blowing out the flame, and distributing the smoke over your stones while setting the intention of letting go of any unwanted energies, while pulling in positive ones.

The best way to truly tap into that energetic frequency and align with it is by meditating with each stone. Through meditation, you are heightening your conscious awareness and opening yourself up to become more receptive to the absorption of higher energetic frequencies. I found that the quickest and most memory-efficient way for me to work with stones was by choosing one at a time to meditate with twice a day for at least a week. Through this practice, I would write down experiences, breakthroughs and any other notable encounters as I worked with the stone, including any ripple effects that came days later. This also came down to what work I was wanting to do, and honing in on where I was feeling blocked. 

Usually, the different colors of crystals are oriented with a primary matching color chakra, for example Blue Lace Agate and Lapis Lazuli are primarily throat chakra stones, so I would choose something in that wheelhouse when having difficulty speaking my mind or finding my voice. Other chakras can align with multiple stones like Green Tourmaline and Pink Calcite, which both align with the heart chakra despite being different colors based on their energetic frequency similarities.

Typically, in the crystal world you can loosely divide stones into two major categories: action stones and what I like to call dreamy stones. The action stones get your butt moving, kicking procrastination and excuses out of the way, calling on you to make magic happen and go out there to accomplish goals. The dreamy stones are more introspective, transformational and benefit self-discovery, healing and nurturing that is necessary for personal evolution and spiritual growth. Through using these stones, we find we can release old patterns, forge new paths and find courage to step into a new chapter of life. Crystals have helped me tap into memories I had forgotten, past traumas I had buried, and opened doors to become vulnerable and confident to evolve into a more conscious, present person. There is real magic involved, but you need to believe it to see it.