How to work with crystals and stones

A Facebook post I saw today led me to write this post. A person was asking about using crystals and stones. They were troubled that they didn't "feel" anything while they were holding stones. I'm assuming they were talking about feeling an actual physical sensation while holding the stones. When I work with the stones, I often will feel a physical sensation, often a tingling in my hands while I'm holding a stone. This doesn't always happen though. Sometimes I don't feel a physical sensation in my hands, but I get a sense of an energetic shift. Sometimes I feel a shift in my emotions, like a calming. But I've been working with crystals and stones for several years now. I've learned a lot about them and with many of my pieces I've developed a working relationship.

Here's some suggestions for if you're just starting to work with crystals and stones, or if you've been working with them for a while but still just aren't quite sure about how to use them. I'll also add that working with crystals and stones is very personal. Everyone experiences and works with them differently. There's no right or wrong way to work with them.

You might not consciously feel anything. But if you're drawn to them you're connecting on a subconscious level. Try not to worry about trying to "feel" them. Collect the ones you're drawn to, research them and their geological and metaphysical properties (through books, websites, etc), use them as you feel drawn to (maybe magick or layouts/grids, etc). You can do this even without "feeling" them but by learning about them. Maybe you'll feel them, maybe you won't. But if you're drawn to them then use them however feels appropriate to you.

Also, you may not get a physical sensation, like on your hand. But if you sit with them for a while see how they affect you in other ways. My friend Shaman taught me a method that has been quite helpful. Before you start take a moment to see how you feel, get a baseline for how you feel at that moment. It doesn't matter how you feel, just get a sense. Are you happy, mad, stressed, calm, etc.? Then hold the stone for a bit and if you need to focus on your breathing or even just look at the stone. Notice its shape, color, how it feels in your hand, texture, etc. Then check in with yourself again and see how you feel. How has that changed from your baseline when you started? Again, it doesn't matter how you felt when you started or how you feel now, per se. You want to see how you feel now, how it differs from your baseline when you started. That will give you some idea how the stone may be working for you. It can be quite personal. Not all the stones work the same for everyone. But compare how you feel after holding a stone for a while to how your baseline felt.

I also find that sometimes combining a higher energy stone with a lower energy one helps me to physically feel the lower energy one. For example, a citrine (higher energy) with a jasper (lower energy).

I mentioned in my last post how I work with crystals and stones. How I work with the stones is pretty simple. I choose a stone or multiple stones that supports what I'm doing or needing that day. This is often done intuitively based on stones that I'm drawn to. I also choose stones by looking them up in my Crystal Bible by Judy Hall. I choose one or a few stones that suit my purpose. I often do some meditation with them, which for me means sitting quietly with my eyes closed while I hold the stones and focus on my breathing or the stones themselves for a while. I allow whatever thoughts that come to come. I might set the stones on my altar or place them in a small bowl I have on my nightstand. Nothing too difficult...

If you look into working with crystals and stones you'll likely see mention of using them in "grids." A crystal grid is a layout set up for a specific purpose or intention. These often include multiple stones and multiples of a specific type of stone. There's lots of resources for grids and layouts in books and websites. You'll likely find all sorts of diagrams and geometric patterns to use. I personally tend to keep things a bit simpler. I often don't have multiples of specific stones which are often recommended for the grids. I tend to use more simplified layouts.

First, I think about my intention or purpose for a layout. It could be healing, calming, abundance, anything I might need at the time. I look over my stones and choose any I feel drawn to include. I might also look up certain stones or my intent/purpose in The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall for suggestions for what stones might suit that purpose/intent. Then I make intuitive choices from those suggestions. I have a beautiful wooden bowl that my husband gave me on my altar that I place the stones in. I arrange them in a way that is pleasing to me, but not necessarily in any specific pattern or form. I spend a few minutes thinking about my intention/purpose and what I'd like to achieve. I activate the layout by lighting a candle or playing one of my singing bowls near the stones as I think about my intent/purpose. Then I let them do their work. I put the stones away or do a new layout when it feels appropriate to do so or when my purpose has been achieved.

A quick word on cleansing stones. I believe that all stones have an energetic baseline based on the type of stone they are and the individual stone itself. The energies of the crystals and stones interacts with the energies around it and they influence each other. I believe that cleansing resets a stone back to their baseline energy. This can be important so that other energies don't interact with or interfere with the current purpose/intent you're using the stone for. Cleansing can be done in a variety of ways including, sunlight, moonlight, water, salt, smudging, breath, sound, etc. The different properties of the crystals and stones can determine which methods of cleansing are most appropriate. For example, softer stones like selenite, will dissolve with contact with water, so soaking them is inappropriate. Some stones like amethyst and citrine will fade with lots of exposure to direct sunlight.

For myself, I have a couple of preferred cleansing methods. I keep a dish of sea salt with a little bit of sage mixed in. I have a cloth or paper towel on top of the sea salt and I'll place stones on top of that. I use indirect contact with the sea salt to cleanse the stones as salt can mar the surface of some stones. I will also use my singing bowls to cleanse stones by placing the stone in the singing bowl and then playing it or playing the singing bowl next to or over the crystals and stones needing cleansing. I'll use sunlight and/or moonlight (usually the full moon) on occasion, but only for short times. It's also important to note that certain crystals and stones can act like a magnifying glass when placed in direct sunlight, potentially starting fires. So please be careful how you place your stones.

Working with crystals and stones can be very fulfilling. I use them as a regular part of my personal spiritual path.

I'm very excited that I just got a new place to display my crystals and stones. I had been using a nice but inexpensive writing desk. Unfortunately, during our move, all of the screws for the table went missing. Instead of replacing the table I opted to get a dresser. This would allow me the top to house and display my crystals and stones as well as drawers to store some of my other spirituality books and paraphernalia. Here's a picture of it all set up. Many thanks to my wonderful hubby who assembled it today.  :-)

I mentioned to my husband that the space is a bit smaller than the two TV trays I'd been using, that there wasn't much room left. His answer was "Well, then just stop buying rocks..." He wasn't surprised when I laughed in his face.  :-)  Like that's gonna happen...