Foundation Stones
for Crystal Healing

People often wonder just where to start when they want to work with crystals. Quite often some crystal or stone will attract you because it has healing energies or functions that you would benefit from. You might start with any number of stones, rocks and crystals.  Some rocks do contain toxic elements and should not be eaten or soaked in water that will be consumed.  These are a few suggestions for commonly avalable  stones which have energies and enthusiasm for helping with a  wide variety of purposes.   While We  initially called this section stones for beginners. These stones and crystals will continue to be important companions in all your  crystal explorations and healing work and it is probably more accurate to think of these as foundation stones.   This is by no means a complete or absolute gathering  but are some of those most people are called to work and commune with.

**Clear quartz is the work horse of the crystal universe.**
The most recommended first stone is  quartz crystal.  A clear single termination (point) quartz crystal is your basic all purpose stone. It can enhance the energy of other stones, assist with contact and communication with your High self and solar angel , increase your intuition about crystals and can also stand in for any crystal that you might need but do not have.
Clear quartz points are the all purpose stone.  Most people prefer to keep  several different quartz crystals each dedicated to one purpose rather than using  just one crystal for multiple purposes.  You may find that some of your crystals do have an all purpose mission.   You can start out with one or just a few quartz points but you probably cannot have too many.  Most crystal folk will have lots of these lovely and  powerful companions come into their lives. Tumbled clear quartz stones are also lovely companions in healing.

Rose quartz is also an absolute must have stone on my list.   Rose quartz for heart healing, inner peace, increasing the ability to give and receive love, healing,  etc..   Rose Quartz is also supportive of physical healing and pain relief and easing  fear.

Amethyst  is a  gentle, and powerful protector can be used in meditation, to calm and center, increase common sense, remove unwanted  energies, heal skeletal  disorders, for hearing problems, for sleep and for headaches calms most  people  also used to help in overcoming alcoholism, and for  psychic opening. sixth and  seventh chakra . A very useful all purpose healing crystal  and good for  meditation calms  and allows higher perception gentle,  increase common sense.

Natural Citrine (if you can find it ) for balancing and aligning chakra , mental clarity , personal power, group unity. Helps keeps the mind clear and focused,  problem solving, will power, optimism, confidence, self-discipline, digestion, reduces anxiety, fear, depression. gentle grounding, balanced stimulation  brings out creative skills. Citrine boosts physical energy and assists  with digestion and blood circulation. It helps detoxify the kidneys and liver, assists with back problems and promotes restful sleep.  It is  a money stone .  Most citrine is heat treated.

Blue Lace agate:  soothes and calms, speeds thought processes, helps one to reach high spiritual awareness and has an inspirational  effect. can provide pain relief  & help with sleep.

Carnelian: Protects against being overcome by fear and sorrow, helps physical strength, sexual   energy, love, dispels apathy,  used to treat allergies , colds, gall and kidney stones ,spine ,to heal   cuts and abrasions. a stone of vitality of value in healing, warming and energizing . Works on  the second chakra, creativity, reproduction ,stability.   lower back problems, ease arthritis, female reproductive issues, increases fertility,  encourages curiosity and enthusiasm and is sometimes used to ease the fear of death and allow acceptance of death. A motivation stone for sales people. freedom, independence, adventure  and travel.

Garnet: Invigorating, fertility, menstrual concerns, cramps ,improve circulation, devotion and  commitment. Balancing the energy field ,warmth and understanding . Can help heal  Excessive grief and provide comfort   during times of sorrow. A speedy energizer  increases energy  and tends to enhance the activity of other nearby stones.  Invigorating, fertility, use for menstrual concerns, cramps ,improve circulation, devotion and  commitment. balancing the energy field ,warmth and understanding .

Iron Pyrite: "Fool's Gold"  cleanses and strengthens, calms digestion, repels  negative energy, protective of  physical, etheric and emotional wellness, can be carried for protection while doing dangerous work, helps develop love, friendship,  strengthens  bones, helps the immune system against  infectious disease.

Moss Agate- Emotional priorities, mental priorities, colon,  circulatory, pancreas & pulses, blood sugar balance, agriculture. All purpose healing  connection with nature and forest spirits   Typically with green moss inside.

Amazonite : Helps calm the emotions and soothes the nerves, lung problems  helps the throat and heart chakra. a  blue green or turquoise colored stone   solar plexus centers, healing. throat, thyroid, nerve and brain conditions , reduce self damaging behavior, addictions, posture ,increases  clarity and insight. peace  and calm,   aligns the physical and astral bodies, a general all purpose healing stone, may help with Motor Neuron disease and other similar progressive diseases ,health maintenance, pinched nerves, spinal difficulties , for bursitis.

Aventurine, green :  Balances male female energies, activates and clears the heart, protects against ”psychic  vampires�?  heart balance,  helps easy expression of feelings,  enhances creativity,  and  pioneering spirit, unconditional love and for the heart , lungs ,muscles and emotional  healing. of “heartbreak�?  

Fluorite: brings order to chaos , impartiality, discernment and aptitude, increases ability to  concentrate ,and mental clarity,  stabilization, helps in relationships . comes in many colors integrates subtle energies to integrate with normal consciousness ,helps with coordination.

Onyx:  grounding and protection , helps align and harmonize the basic self with the High self keeping you grounded and in body while in contact with Source spiritual even while journeying,  Can help with communication with earth deva and your own consciousness of the nurturing support of the Earth.  Helps with concentration and focus on responsibilities. A very good stone for those who tend to "space out" helps with receiving intuitive guidance and interpreting its practical application helps call in needed energies for you. also used for treating health  issues involving  bone marrow , soft tissue, the feet.
Rhodenite:  is a salmon pink often with black areas works with the practical aspects of our feelings and has a greater grounding effect than other pink stones, Helps expression of  confidence , love , calms , protects against   nightmares, eases stress, heals the emotional pain of  loss , said to assist healing and acceptance of hearing problems   and enhances vocalizations such as  chanting, toning , singing ,mantras. increases optimism.
 

Rhodocrosite: often  a banded stone, helps improve self image and self worth helps mental & emotional balance,  loving stone for heart center, helps with giving and receiving love,  for loneliness,  fear, insecurities, self-forgiveness.

Jasper: Nurturing, promoting safe astral travel, stabilizes and cleans the aura Healing,  protection, endurance. Red: Protection, healing, beauty ,grounding and gently activating, Nurturing, promoting safe astral travel, stabilizes and cleans the aura Healing,  protection, endurance, healing, beauty, helps us accept  responsibility, helps us realize our life lessons, protects in situations of danger , said to help heal tissue deterioration ,disorders of the kidneys, spleen, bladder, liver and stomach. Green: Healing, sleep, compassion  Brown: Centering, grounding

  Moonstone clears emotional tensions  aids the digestive system  and fluid balance improves intuition. used for women's issues and meditation          

Obsidian: reveals the hidden .grounding,  protecting,         

Sodalite: calms the mind and allows new information to be received,  communication ,writing , logic, balances energy , enhances working of   thyroid, pituitary, lymph glands relieves  insomnia, cooling  for infections.    

Tiger's Eye:  speeds up energy flow and anchors subtle changes into the physical body. grounding , tonic, combines  sun and earth. promotes optimism, insight, personal   power, used for protection, solar plexus stone, eye problems, improves  perception,  courage, promotes  transformation and  inner knowledge. manifesting,

   Calcite:   Comes in  clear and many colors, Memory, spirituality, bone and muscle problems, amplifies and  clears the energy field, green calcite helps heal and prevent infections.amplifies energy, chakra clearing and balancing, creativity, awareness of nature, a wealth stone, healing, pain relief, mental clarity. clear optical calcite and green calcite are extremly helpful

Bloodstone: Being in the now, centering and grounding , blood disorders, detoxification.   green with red flecks for  an active balance of energy and calm ,stimulates emotionalgrowth, benefits the heart and circulation, being in the now.

Chrysocolla:  Ease heartache ,Earth healing, calming ,inner strength. PMS ,menstrual   discomfort, relieve allergies, treat  ulcers, digestive problems, arthritis ,  lungs and thyroid,  enhances the metabolism. psychic ability, prophetic dreaming, trance,  increase the ability to love, improve home life and strengthen relationships.

I also really like Malichite,  Tourquoise and Pertified wood and Turitella Agate or ammonite as part of my basic set.
There are a great  many suitable stones for beginners. Intuition should be your ultimate guide.
 
Many people begin with a chakra or rainbow set getting a selection of stones in each the seven colors of the rainbow plus black, brown and white and a metalic stone like pirite. Size or cost does not matter,  but pieces about the size of a quarter work well. They are small enough to carry and place but not so small they get lost too easily. Stones this size can be held in the hand or placed on the body for a laying on of stones healing session. They can also be used for grids and to make elixirs ( if safe for that purpose).  Some people prefer stones the size of a dime.

If you are serious about crystal work you will want a variety of quartz crystals and at least several stones of each major color family.   You can build up a nice collection gradually. There are a large variety of stones in each color one or two stones of each major color would be a good start.   When you do feel guided to work with a stone that is not traditional for a specific purpose  follow that intuition.  Use all your senses to find the stones that want to help you.

Some Suggestions  in the traditional  chakra color  order .

The suggested stones here are only a very small example of the possibilities but most of these are readily available.
  Most have  some   relatively inexpensive forms .

Red
First chakra root- Physical and survival issues*
Garnet or Ruby or Red jasper

 Black
 Hematite and Obsidian are possibilities

Orange
second chakra sacral- Emotional Issues
Carnelian, fire opal, or fire agate, Orange Calcite, Orange jasper

Yellow
3rd solar plexus- mental and will issues
Citrine, Topaz,  Amber,  Sunstone

Green
4th heart - love and spiritual issues
Malachite -Emerald, Green Calcite,  Jade,  Aventurine, Prase  ( I love Dioptaise but it can be hard to find and expensive)

 Pink
Rose Quartz , Kunzite -Pink marble, Pink calcite , Rhodenite, Rhodocrosite

Sky Blue
5th throat -communication
Blue Lace Agate, Turquoise,  Amazonite,  Aquamarine, gem silica, Lapis, Sodalite, Blue sapphire, Azurite,

Indigo or Violet
6th brow intuition
Lapis, Sodalite, Amethyst, Sugulite,  lepediolyte,   Azurite,  Kyanite

Violet or Clear
7th crown- higher spiritual understanding
Amethyst etc. Clear quartz, diamond in some systems opaque white stones are suggested quartzite white agate etc.

With a basic rainbow of stones you will have a set that will help all the main areas of body, emotion, mind. and spirit and the organs and glands and major body and aura.


With luck you can assemble a nice set of small stones inexpensively.  After this you can start to branch out over time using your intuition and paying attention to signs and information.

These stones or a similar set can also be used for simple divination using an opaque white stone as your personal indicator you ask a question and toss the entire chakra set the stones are "read" according to traditional color and chakra meanings and the way the stones fall in relationship to each other and to the personal stone.