How to Use a Crystal: 50 Practical Rituals and Spiritual Activities for Inspiration and Well-Being

By Richard Webster

A World of Possibilities with Just One Stone

All you need is one crystal to deepen your magical practice and reach your goals. Bestselling author Richard Webster presents an accessible and inspiring guide filled with practical rituals and spiritual activities that can be performed with a single stone.

Discover how to choose, cleanse, and energize your crystal. Once you've prepared your chosen crystal, you can explore fifty ways to use it: attract love, control stress, bless your home, enhance creativity, deal with regrets, communicate with spirit guides, recall past lives, make crystal elixirs, find forgiveness, and much more. How to Use a Crystal is the ideal guide to greater health and happiness through crystal work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
• Release date: Nov 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9780738756929

Richard Webster

Richard Webster (New Zealand) is the bestselling author of more than one hundred books. Richard has appeared on several radio and television programs in the US and abroad, including guest spots on WMAQ-TV (Chicago), KTLA-TV (Los Angeles), and KSTW-TV (Seattle). He travels regularly, lecturing and conducting workshops on a variety of metaphysical subjects. His bestselling titles include Spirit Guides & Angel Guardians and Creative Visualization for Beginners. Learn more at Psychic.co.nz.

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INTRODUCTION

Every now and again, people ask me what they can do with a crystal. Usually the question comes from someone who’s been given a crystal or happened to buy one, but occasionally I get asked this question by people who’ve been involved with crystals for many years.

I used to suggest that they spend time with their crystal, get to know it, and then ask it how it wants to be used. I could see in their faces that this wasn’t particularly helpful, and I was forced to come up with a better reply.

Now when people ask me what they can do with their crystal, I ask them what they would like to do with it. Some people have a clear answer, and I can help them get started with whatever it happens to be. Most people aren’t sure, and I recite a list of possibilities: Health, love, money, creativity, spiritual growth, forgiveness, luck, and your home.

Usually that’s enough to get people started, and I feel just as excited as they are when they decide what they’re going to do.

This book developed from that list of possibilities. There are fifty suggestions here, and I hope you’ll find some that appeal to you.

All you need is one crystal.

Part 1

Some Crystal Basics

1

CRYSTALS AND GEMSTONES

There is so much to learn about the stones we admire and love. Here we will take a look at the differences between crystals and gemstones, as well as their historical and modern uses. I will also share a bit about how I was first introduced to their gifts and how we can make use of the wonderful energy they have to share.

Historical Use

Throughout history, people have been fascinated with crystals and gemstones. Because of their beauty, they were probably originally worn for decorative purposes, but it wouldn’t have taken long for people to discover their spiritual aspects, as crystals can provide serenity and peace of mind. Using crystals for divination and healing would have been a logical extension of this.

Because crystals have always been valuable, people of influence wore them as symbols of power and authority. It’s recorded in the book of Exodus that Aaron, the High Priest of Israel, wore a twelve-jeweled breastplate. One of the jewels was an amethyst. Today, bishops in the Catholic Church usually have an amethyst in their episcopal rings. A king’s crown is bedecked with precious gemstones to help him rule wisely and to demonstrate his supremacy. Stones and crystals were also valued by the ancient Sumerians, Mesopotamians, and Egyptians. A 7,500-year-old gold and turquoise bracelet was found adorning the mummy of an ancient Egyptian queen (Knuth 1999, 1).

The first serious study of crystals appeared in about 300 BCE. This was called On Stones, and was written by Theophrastus, a student of Aristotle. Scientific study of crystals began in 1546, when Georgius Agricola published his De Natura Fossilium. Ten years later, De Re Metallica was posthumously published, and it was used by the mining industry for more than two hundred years. In 1837, James Dwight Dana (1813-1895), an American scientist, suggested a system of mineral classification based on structure and chemical makeup in his book System of Mineralogy.

Crystals have always been valued in North and South America for spiritual and healing qualities. The Mayans used obsidian to make ceremonial knives and ancient Mexicans formed mirrors from pyrite.

Crystals have also been revered in India for thousands of years. The system of placing crystals on chakras began here, and they also used them to help remedy negative aspects in people’s horoscopes.

Numerous legends have been created about crystals. One I particularly like was the belief of early Christians that crystal quartz was originally holy water from heaven that was transformed into ice as it traveled to earth. Angels petrified the ice to prevent it from melting, so it could be used to protect and look after all of humanity. Interestingly, the word crystal comes from krýstallos, a Greek word meaning ice. Thousands of years ago, people thought that crystals were made of ice that had frozen so hard that it would never melt. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) wrote that a violently contracting coldness forms the rock crystal in the same way as ice (Glazer 2016, ii). The ancient Greeks believed that all quartz crystals were fragments of the crystal of truth that Hercules dropped to earth from Mount Olympus.

One charming legend says that if you dig into the ground at the end of a rainbow you’ll find a piece of turquoise. Interestingly, Native Americans and Tibetans shared a belief that turquoise joined heaven and earth.

Modern Use

Crystals were, and still are, used as amulets and lucky charms. I wear an amulet of green jade around my neck for a variety of reasons, including protection and luck. It also reminds me every day of the friend who made it for me.

Crystals play an essential role in modern-day technology. Many things we take for granted, such as computers, cell phones, quartz watches, credit cards, laser technology, fiber-optic phone lines, solar energy, and televisions, all need crystals to make them work.

Personal Introduction to Crystals

Most people become interested in crystals by chance. Maybe they were given one or happened to see an attractive crystal and bought it because of its beauty. I was given my first quartz crystal when I was about twenty. It wasn’t beautiful to look at, but I felt relaxed and peaceful whenever I held it. I knew nothing about crystals at the time and asked other people to hold it, to see if they experienced the same sensations that I did. Some did and some didn’t.

About a year after that, I was at an airport waiting for a flight and got into conversation with a man a few years older than me. When we lined up to board the plane, he gave me a tiny crystal with a broken point. He told me it was a warrior crystal that would help me tame the warrior within and enable me to lead a good, productive life. I was embarrassed to receive this gift from a stranger, but his gift and what he told me about the crystal provided the necessary impetus for me to start studying crystals.

Since then I’ve owned hundreds of crystals. Some remain in my possession for a year or two, others I keep for decades. Sooner or later, though, I pass my crystals on to people who I think will benefit from them. However, I do still have the two unglamorous pieces of quartz crystal that started me off on this quest.

The Energy of Crystals

No matter what they look like, all quartz crystals vibrate to a phenomenon called the piezoelectric effect, which was discovered by Pierre Curie (1859-1906), a Nobel Prize–winning French physicist, and his brother Jacques. Pierre was also married to Marie Curie, the discoverer of radium. The Curie brothers found that when a crystal is placed under stress, an electric charge is produced across its surface. You can do this with your own crystal. If you hold it tightly, you’ll place it under stress and cause the electromagnetic force to act (Katzir 2006, 15-16).

The Differences between Gemstones and Crystals

People sometimes get confused about gemstones and crystals. Gemstones are beautiful and durable, and are usually used for ornamental and decorative purposes. They’re cut, faceted, polished, and placed into an item of jewelry. Conversely, a crystal is a solid substance whose molecules are arranged in a geometric pattern, with a symmetrical arrangement of faces. Every face of a crystal has its double lying parallel to it on the other side. Sugar and salt are both examples of crystals, but they’re not gemstones. Quartz is by far the most common crystal and can be found all over the world. Gemstones are usually more valuable than crystals. Most gemstones are also crystals, but there are exceptions. Amber, coral, pearl, and turquoise are gemstones, but they’re organic in origin and aren’t crystals.

The aim of this book is to give you a variety of uses for a crystal. It doesn’t matter what type of crystal it happens to be.

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2

CHOOSING YOUR CRYSTAL

If you don’t already own any crystals, the chances are high that you’ll gradually build up a collection once you start actively working with them. However, for the purposes of this book, you need only one crystal. It doesn’t matter what crystal you choose, as long as you feel it will work well with you and for you. That’s why it’s important to choose it carefully.

There are many places where you can buy crystals, such as new age stores, rock and mineral stores, lapidary (gemstone) suppliers, rock and gem shows, craft fairs, flea markets, and natural history museums. You can also buy them online, though I have never done this, as I like to examine and hold the crystal before buying it.

You may find it helpful to take a book with you when you’re searching for crystals, as not every lapidary store has staff who are interested in the spiritual or healing qualities of crystals.

It’s considered good etiquette to ask before handling other people’s crystals, even in a store. Many people dislike others handling their crystals, and you need to respect this.

There are many ways to choose a crystal, but I believe that it is the crystal that chooses you. On many occasions I’ve set out to buy a certain crystal but arrived home with something completely different, as I became attracted to a different stone. Whenever I forced myself to stick to my original plan and buy a particular stone, I was never happy with my purchase, and have sometimes returned to the store later to buy the stone that called out to me.

Choosing a crystal is much like making a friend. You probably get on with many people but have a much smaller number that you call friends. It’s more fun to work on a project with people you like than it is to work with strangers or casual acquaintances. When you find the right crystal, it will become your friend.

It’s best not to have any preconceived ideas when you start looking for a crystal. Visit a store that sells crystals and see if one of them feels right for you. Many people choose a quartz crystal for their first stone, but you can choose any stone that appeals to you. Take your time when shopping for a crystal. You don’t have to buy one from the first place you visit, and you should not buy any stone that you have the slightest doubt about.

When you find a stone that appeals to you, feel its energy. You can do this by placing it in the palm of your left hand and covering it gently with your right palm. Focus your attention on the palms of your hands and see what thoughts, feelings, and sensations come to you. It’s a good sign if the crystal feels as if it already belongs to you. Follow your intuition. If a crystal feels right for you, it will be. Do this process with several stones before buying one.

There are other ways to hold a crystal when you’re testing it. You might choose to place the crystal in the palm of one hand and gently close the fingers of that hand over it. You might prefer to hold it between your thumb and index finger. You might even like to place it on a flat surface, with your palms facing each other, one or two inches away from the stone.

A good friend of mine chooses his crystals by standing in front of a selection of stones. He closes his eyes for a few moments and relaxes his body. When he opens his eyes, he chooses the first crystal his eyes are drawn to.

Not every crystal shop will allow you to handle their stones. When this occurs, pass your right hand over any crystals that interest you and see which ones respond to your energy. Usually you’ll experience a feeling of warmth when your hand is over a crystal that harmonizes with you. This means you’d work well with it.

If you like two stones and can’t decide which one to buy, place one of them slightly to your left and the other slightly to your right. Close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and ask yourself, Which of these stones would be better for me right now? You’ll probably feel your entire body leaning slightly in the direction of the stone that would be better for you. If you don’t feel anything, wait a few seconds and open your eyes. Don’t move. Notice the way you’re standing and sense if your body is indicating either of the stones. This process is called body dowsing, since instead of a pendulum or divining rod, you’re using your entire body to indicate the stone that would be better for you.

You can use body dowsing whenever you want to make a choice between two or more objects. When I’m looking for a book on a certain subject in a bookstore, for instance, and can’t decide which one to buy, I’ll use body dowsing to help make the right decision.

The crystal you buy doesn’t have to be perfect. Large, perfect stones may look magnificent, but they’re usually expensive. If you have a limited budget you might need to choose a stone that contains flaws or imperfections. These won’t affect anything you choose to do with the stone. In fact, you’re likely to fall in love with its flaws, as they add to the charm and personality of the stone. In addition, you may find that the flawed crystal provides better energy than the apparently perfect one.

Once you’ve chosen a stone, you’ll have to get to know it. Carrying it around with you enables you to gain rapport with it. Talk to your crystal and listen carefully for any replies. You’ll be surprised at what thoughts come into your mind when you work with crystals.

As you become familiar with your stone, you’ll be able to use it to gain energy or confidence whenever you need it. All you need to do is stroke it and silently ask for whatever it is you want. You’ll be able to use your crystal whenever you are bothered by a problem or concern. Your stone will help you remain peaceful and calm, and enable you to solve whatever it happens to be without becoming agitated or stressed.

Once you find the right crystal for you, it will protect and guide you in everything you do.

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3

LOOKING AFTER YOUR CRYSTAL

Crystals need to be treated with love and respect. One of the best ways to do this is to cleanse your crystal on a regular basis. This removes any negative energies that could be affecting it. It is especially important to cleanse your crystal when you first obtain it, as this gets rid of any energies it may have picked up before coming into your possession.

Cleansing Your Crystal

Some people refuse to let other people handle their crystals because they feel the crystals could pick up negative energy through these contacts. If this is the case, there’s also a good chance that the crystals will be picking up good energies as well. Consequently, I don’t mind if other people handle my crystals. In fact, when doing crystal readings with a number of crystals, I encourage people to touch and handle the ones they are drawn to. People are attracted to them and want to feel and hold them. I’m happy for them to do this, as it’s a simple matter to cleanse them afterward.

Crystals and gemstones need to be cleansed regularly, as they absorb all the energies, good and bad, that surround them. Stones are like batteries that absorb energy and pass it on. Cleansing eliminates all the negativity and bad vibrations that the crystal has absorbed from its environment and the people who have interacted with it. This is why crystals that are used for healing purposes need to be cleansed before and after they’re used, as any negative energy remaining in the crystal will affect its ability to heal.

When Should a Stone Be Cleansed?

You should cleanse your stone as soon as possible after you’ve bought it. This is to eliminate any negativity it may have picked up before you purchased it. You should cleanse