Lighter, Brighter, and Better

The Benefits of Working with Crystals

From agates to zoisite, the number of crystals on today's market can seem overwhelming. So can all of the powers attributed to all of those crystals.

Are you lonely? Grab yourself a rose quartz. Do your knees hurt? Try carrying some calcite along when you take a walk. Do you want to try your luck in Vegas? Don't forget your green aventurine.

No matter what ails you or what goal you have in sight, it seems that someone can recommend a crystal to cure all your ills or bring you good fortune. You could spend years reading and studying the encyclopedic books that have been written to describe the various metaphysical properties of crystals, stone by stone. And while it's true that individual crystals do have their own strengths, a surprising number of benefits can be attributed to all crystals. You don't have to memorize long lists of properties and associations to work with crystals-and you don't have to choose crystals based on anything in a book.

In fact, you will find that a long list of features and benefits can be assigned to every crystal-which makes choosing a stone for your own needs a lot less daunting.

The following properties apply to every crystal on earth:

-All crystals can help you balance your body, mind, and spirit.

-All crystals can receive and store energy. All crystals can also amplify that energy, focus it, and transmit it to others, at least to one degree or another.

-All crystals can make you feel safe and shielded from negative energy, and they can even help you feel more energetic yourself. There's nothing like plugging into a crystal for a few minutes to help you recharge your spiritual batteries.

-All crystals are grounding, because they originate deep within the womb of Mother Earth-which means that you can't get any closer to the ground than a crystal.

-All crystals, because they come from deep inside the earth, can help you tap into your own inner wisdom. Metaphorically speaking, all crystals can help you mine your buried reserves of energy and strength, and they can help you uncover your hidden talents.

-All crystals can help you calm and center your emotions so that you can pursue better health, better sleep, better thoughts, and better emotional well-being. Simply having crystals prominently displayed in your home or office can help create a more tranquil environment. At night, gazing into a crystal can help you relax, get to sleep faster, and enjoy a more restful night.

-All crystals can also help you develop a richer, more rewarding dream life, with happier dreams and better dream recall.

-All crystals can boost your confidence and self-esteem as amulets, talismans, or lucky charms.

-All crystals can be used as tools for insight and meditation; after all, there is a reason people have been gazing into crystal balls for centuries.

-All crystals can help you communicate with God and your higher self. A crystal's geometrically perfect structure and design are compelling evidence that God works with a plan. That connection to the divine can help you discover your destiny and feel more hopeful and optimistic about the future.

-All crystals can help you be more creative. When you combine your appreciation for beauty with an admiration of crystalline structure and symmetry, you will actually integrate the intuitive and rational sides of your mind-your logical left brain and your creative right brain.

-All crystals can help you develop your logical ability and analytical skills. Studying the mathematics of crystal formation will help you appreciate harmony, order, precision, and organization.

-All crystals can even inspire you to become more methodical, systematic, and self-disciplined. Your memory and willpower will improve, and you will have an easier time setting new goals for your life.

-All crystals can help you clarify your thoughts, and in the process, communicate them to other people. As you become better at expressing yourself, you will be better able to hold your ground in an argument and defend yourself from verbal attacks. You will become more assertive and more self-confident.

-All crystals can help you with your relationships. When you give crystals as gifts, they can help other people feel loved and appreciated. When you share your love of crystals with other people, the crystals can help you connect. Crystals are conversation pieces, if nothing else-but they can also help you coordinate your efforts, discover a rapport with others, and develop a sense of faithfulness and loyalty.

---All crystals can help you draw luck and good fortune into your life. Crystals can serve as beacons of energy and tangible reminders of what you would like to attract. In the process, they can help you make better decisions about your relationships, your finances, and your health.

-All crystals can help you feel rich. Surrounding yourself with glittering crystals and stones is one way to experience wealth, to get used to the sensation of owning beautiful things, and to start manifesting other material wealth, as well.

-All crystals, with their scintillating shimmer and shine, can even rub off on your personality-and help you feel brighter and more beautiful.

-All crystals can offer insight into your destiny. They all can serve as touchstones and reminders of the life you have lived so far . . . or other lives you've had in the past. Their connection to history can help you reflect on your past and plan for your future.

-All crystals-because they are so ancient-can help you recognize that life goes on, even in the face of crisis and change. In so doing, crystals can help you make both major and minor transitions more gracefully. As you move through those transitions, crystals can help you recognize cause and effect, be more conscious of your own actions, be more aware of your effect on other people, and be more aware of outside influences that are playing a role in your behavior and decision-making process. As a result, crystals can help you turn your experience into wisdom. Working with crystals can help you mature, develop your own innate leadership ability, and use your power wisely.In short, all crystals are great healers and metaphysical tools. All you need to get started is to find the right crystals for you.

Getting Started

How to Use this Book

If you're reading this book, it's probably because something about crystals fascinates you. Maybe it's their beauty. Maybe it's how they feel in your hand. Maybe it's the sensations and impressions you get when you hold them, or maybe you simply like having them around because you know they're mystical . . . you're just not sure what you're supposed to do with them.

This book will give you practical advice and guidance on collecting crystals, understanding crystals, and working with crystals, whether you are a beginner or you have been admiring the shiny minerals for years.

Start by gathering whatever crystals, gemstones, and rocks you already have. With any luck, you may even have a few specimens from the "Top Twenty" recommended crystals in the next chapter. You can choose additional stones from the descriptions later in this guide.

One by one, you should learn to identify every crystal in your collection and get to know what each crystal in your collection has to offer you. You can use this book to read the brief description of each crystal, along with their properties and traditional associations and applications. You can also refer to a standard field guide to rocks and minerals.

You should also augment your reading with a guidebook of your own: simply start a notebook or journal to record your experiences along the way. It doesn't need to be particularly long or complicated endeavor. Simply date each entry, record which crystals you've worked with, and jot a few notes about your experiences. Over time, your crystals journal will become a virtual treasure chest of information about the gems and stones in your collection.

As you go, you'll not only learn what crystals can do in the hands of a skilled practitioner-you'll learn what crystals can do for you.

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