Connecting with Crystals: Crystal Wisdom and Stone Healing for Body, Mind, and Spirit

By Laurelle Rethke

A beautiful full-color guide to 250 healing crystals

Crystals have been used for millennia for physical and psychic healing, and this book shows you how to harness their energy and power in your everyday life. With a simple, easy-to-understand description and a full-color photo for each crystal, Laurelle Rethke's Connecting with Crystals is a handy reference and a beautiful object for anyone interested in the ancient art of crystal healing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jan 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781250272140

Laurelle Rethke

Laurelle Rethke has been using nature’s medicine for more than 25 years. Founder of 5 Sense Healing and The Faerie Den in New York City, she is a teacher, speaker, and vibrational healing therapist who believes our relationship with the natural world is key to connecting us to the Divine within ourselves. As a master of crystology and an energy healer, Laurelle seeks to empower others to be their most connected, present, and aligned self—for when we are individually at our most whole, so is the world.

Book preview

PART 1

WELCOMING CRYSTALS INTO YOUR LIFE

WHY CRYSTALS?

Beyond their sheer beauty, crystals are one of nature’s most potent healers and contain the essential components for creating life. As the first physical formations on Earth, they provided the elements needed for the waters to cleanse, for molecules to intermingle, and for plants to grow. Without rocks, we wouldn’t have clean water to drink, nutritious food to eat, or the medicine that comes from plants. Many of the minerals within rocks and crystals are the same minerals found throughout our bodies. When we reconnect to the core of the Earth through crystals, we reconnect with the primordial nature within us—to a time when everything was in balance for our minds, bodies, and spirits and we felt deeply connected to the Earth and each other.

Although crystal wisdom is new to many, it has been used for millennia to bring healing, luck, protection, and peace. Documented in depth by revered cultures and healing systems (like Ayurveda, classical Chinese medicine, the ancient Egyptians, and the Sumerians), these touchstones have been worn as amulets, used in meditation and ceremony, taken internally as elixirs or mineral medicine, and placed on the body. The ancients understood that crystals hold power and wisdom within them that opens us to the innate power and wisdom within us.

The Power of Crystal Energy

Crystals emit measurable energy, just as we do, and biological life wouldn’t exist without them. With the science of mineral evolution now being explored, they are even beginning to be contemplated as a form of life themselves, known to evolve just as we do. Indigenous cultures of the world, more fully immersed in nature on a daily basis, seem to hold a similar belief in the consciousness of stones (as in all things). European alchemists, too, saw the One in everything and understood the relationship between the mineral kingdom and creation.

When we take all this in, it’s not such a leap to consider that crystals are alive, with their own form of healing consciousness that lies beyond our fullest comprehension. The metaphysical or healing properties of a stone are based on the actual physical components within it. These properties give us clues to how the stone will work for us. Through their mineral content, crystalline structure, color vibration, and scientifically measured frequencies, they have a unique way of leading us to wellness for our whole being. When we are in resonance with them, we are in resonance with the Earth and all that exists. It’s a holistic healing approach desired by many today that affects us at our deepest essence.

Embracing Healing and Wisdom

Creating a sacred relationship with stones assists us in healing dis-ease, expanding our awareness, and evolving. Stones are physical tools that can restructure the body, balance the emotions, purify the mind, and boost energy. Crystals assist us in coming to a fuller understanding of ourselves, our place in the world, and the Divine expressing itself through each of us. They empower us to be our most balanced, present, and connected selves—able to manifest what we choose our reality to be. The geometry, vibration, and colors within them elevate our consciousness and help us to strengthen our resolve, love ourselves more fully, connect with all that is beyond the physical, and to be truly open to the magic of life. Plus, they’re mesmerizing, feel good, and are fun to explore! Although the guidance in this book will introduce you to crystals, your relationship will grow in unfathomable ways when you begin to work with them—for only in working with them will you be able to really open to their subtle energies and your own intuitive wisdom.

COMING TO TERMS WITH CRYSTALS

There are slight differences between what a crystal healing enthusiast would call a crystal and how a geologist or mineralogist might define them. Many crystal healers will use the terms crystals, stones, rocks, gems, and minerals interchangeably, regardless of their technical designation. Healers also tend to call anything with some transparency a crystal, and those with little to no transparency a rock or stone. This book will do this as well moving forward, but here are more technical definitions for clarity.

MINERALS form the rocks, sands, and soils of the Earth. Composed of one or more elements from the periodic table, minerals are naturally occurring and inorganic (not originating from an animal or a plant). Each mineral has a specific chemical composition arranged within a crystalline structure, also known as a crystal lattice. All minerals are crystalline, and therefore all are considered crystals.

CRYSTALS are any solids that have a crystalline lattice, which is a three-dimensional structure of symmetrically repeating patterns. Unlike minerals, some crystals may contain organic matter and they do not need to be naturally occurring. Although crystals do not always show fully developed crystalline faces on the outside, the full pattern exists on the internal level.

ROCKS are relatively hard combinations of one or more minerals. Forged by extreme heat, pressed together over time, or transitioning from one form to another, rocks do not have a specific chemical composition and may contain organic material (such as fossils, wood, or plants).

STONES are made of the same material as rocks yet are generally smooth (like boulders or river rocks). They can occur naturally, although many are cut, tumbled, polished, or carved by humans.

HOW CRYSTALS WORK

Physicist Nikola Tesla said, If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration. Everything is energy. Everything vibrates.

From snowflakes to mineral structures to DNA, life is interwoven with geometric patterns that reveal the vibrational foundation of physical form and our interconnectedness to the All. Crystalline lattice structures embody this perfect intelligence, each with its own unique expression and purpose. They hold a natural frequency that our bodies resonate with. We also hold this geometric aspect within us, as do all living things. However, we are highly influenced by the mind and emotions, which can in turn greatly influence the health of our physical body.

Crystals and stones hold these perfected frequencies steadily; bringing them into our energy field allows us to recalibrate to these perfect forms. This is the basis of vibrational healing.

Energy and Intention

It is the interaction with our physical and energetic bodies that truly allows crystals to work for wellness, bringing our body back to homeostasis—a place of balance and stability. This is why it feels so good to hold a crystal. Though it is subtle, our cells and fluids can sense the slight energetic shifts a crystal (or any vibrational therapy) brings in.

Along with the power of shifting our energy, we can also utilize the power of intention. IBM scientist Marcel Vogel proved through experimentation that quartz crystals can hold and amplify a person’s thoughts. Similar to how the first crystal radio sets received radio signals, crystals can hold a thought pattern or an intention and continue to repeat that pattern until the intention is changed. The trick is to keep our intentions pure, with the highest good of self and others in mind. Intention setting and affirmations with stones are powerful tools for repatterning the brain’s neural pathways to achieve a type of mind over matter state. When we are clear on what we’d like to bring into our daily lives and can hold that intention without setting too many limitations on how we will achieve it, we are able to attract these things into our lives more readily.

USING INTENTION VS. PROGRAMMING

Marcel Vogel made it his life’s work to shape quartz crystals to magnify healing, because they are able to hold a program or thought pattern. It is believed that these patterns will repeat until the program (or set intention) is cleared or replaced with a new one. While it doesn’t feel genuine to program a natural crystal in the same way a computer is programmed, asking the stones for assistance can be a powerful practice. Asking allows you to interact with a stone’s consciousness while setting an intention for the work, which can magnify its effectiveness. When you use intention in this way, it is important to maintain your intent toward your own growth and not infringe on others’ free will. If we try to influence someone else, it creates a karmic link that can negatively affect our own health. Always use an intention to maintain the highest good of all.

JUST THE PLACEBO EFFECT?

Recent studies have shown a 30 percent increase in health and happiness—sustained for months—when people are exposed to nature. Crystals are an integral part of nature. Although we may not fully comprehend the phenomenon, many who have experienced crystal healing know it’s more than just placebo. Concurrently, placebo has actually been proven to be strong medicine, producing physiological changes. When a patient believes that the medicine they’re taking will heal them or make them feel better, it often will. This speaks to the power of how the mind and body work together for healing, as well as strengthening our understanding of intention and belief. If the patient has the will to heal, and believes in the process, miraculous healing can occur. In the end, does it matter whether it’s placebo, science, or something else if it works for you?

Color, Light, and Electricity

The mineral content and crystalline structures are the basis for how crystals work, but color and light refraction are also significant. Studies have shown that we have a physiological reaction to both color and light. For example, reds, oranges, and yellows are warming and activating, while blues and purples are cooling and soothing. Greens are neutral. The pure color therapy that comes from looking at a crystal brings in a vibrational healing that can affect mood, behavior, creativity, emotions, memory, energy, libido, metabolism and appetite, our internal clock, and even the organs themselves. A general rule of thumb: use cooling colors for acute conditions or inflammation and warming colors for chronic conditions.

Additionally, some crystals, such as quartz, tourmaline, and topaz, generate energy through the pyroelectric or piezoelectric effect. With heat or pressure, an electrical charge can be created through the release of electrons. (Topaz can hold this charge for hours!) This correlates with the energy of both the body and the energy field and can magnify healing.

The more we research and discover, the more we uncover all the ways that crystals can support healing, wellness, and intention setting. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed trying to grasp the science, know that ultimately you don’t have to fully understand how a tool works to use it. One of the most wonderful things about crystal healing is that it’s intuitive—we are naturally drawn to the frequencies we need for our highest healing.

UNDERSTANDING CHAKRAS

Many alternative healing experts believe that what shows up in our physical body reflects what’s going on in our energetic body. To be in our best health, we must maintain balance and flow between our physical and energetic bodies, possess the will to be healthy, and believe in the modalities we choose for well-being. Through centering, grounding, and connecting, we can find a path to our stillness within and maintain our inner balance.

Our energy field is generally seen in layers, with spiritual, mental, emotional, and etheric subtle bodies surrounding our physical form, with each layer becoming more dense as it moves toward matter. There is also a central energetic line known in medicine as the midline of the body. Additional energy vortexes, known as the chakras, are believed to exist within the physical body. Because many experts feel disease that comes into the physical body begins in the energy field first, we must resolve the emotional, mental, and spiritual imbalance in our lives.

The chakras are an excellent place to begin when bringing balance and flow to the body holistically. Left and right, front and back, lower and upper all need to be in balance, harmony, and flow for a true holistic harmony. Stress and inflammation are now noted by doctors to be two of the largest challenges to our overall health, and both are thought to be highly influenced by our thoughts and feelings. They can cause blockages and imbalance in our energetic and physical makeup. Crystals bring great physical healing to us by also addressing the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of health and healing.

Following a Chakra System

The term chakra comes from Sanskrit, meaning wheel of light or energy. Throughout yogic tradition there were many different chakra systems developed and used, but a sixteenth-century system has influenced the seven-chakra model used most widely in the West today. Linked to the meridian system, the endocrine system, the nervous system, and our physical structure, this version covers the areas of the body comprehensively. Adding one chakra below and one above brings us to nine, which is the number of completion in sacred geometry. Using nine chakras emits a strong and balanced frequency that additionally acknowledges our connection to the Earth below and the Divine above.

There are additional minor chakras all over the body, including ones often used in the hands and the feet. While it’s helpful to have a set chakra system to work with, healing comes through differently every time. Give yourself the freedom to follow what’s coming through for you in each moment.

Using Crystals with the Chakras

When it comes to placing crystals on the chakras, the simplest guide for knowing which stones to use is by color. If you’re familiar with ROYGBIV or the rainbow bridge to consciousness, you are already familiar with matching some of these colors to your chakras. Before you have a fuller understanding of all the stones and their uses, color is an easy way to start working with them. Over time, the stones will help you open more of your intuitive wisdom, giving you the confidence you need to follow your instincts more freely and move beyond simply using the stones by color. If you are already open to the more subtle energies, you may take to that aspect more quickly.

In general, crystal healing therapists leave stones on or around the body for anywhere between 10 and 60 minutes, in part varying by each person’s sensitivities. They often add energy work, sound healing, prayers, or other therapies. When working with crystals on yourself, you can follow a similar protocol. Just be sure to always use stones to assist in staying grounded in your body if you are placing more than just a few crystals. Being grounded is an important part of integrating healing and awareness into our daily lives.

If you elect to do a crystal healing on yourself or others, begin the session by calling on guides or a higher power and asking for the work to be in the highest good. You may also ask questions you’d like answers to or ask your guides and angels to assist in the healing. Close your healing time by offering gratitude for the guidance you received and asking for assistance with integration of the work.

HEALING HINTS

Selenite wands can be utilized to clear a room, a crystal, or a person. They align our physical bodies and connect us to divine guidance. Quartz will work in any way you ask it to and can be a stand-in for crystals you don't have. Using single-terminated crystals pointed toward a certain area will bring more attention there. Double-terminated points move energy in both directions. You can find more guidance on intention setting in Creating a Crystal Grid, here.

EARTH CHAKRA

Also termed the Earth Star, this point is our energetic link to understanding Earth’s rhythms and wisdom. When we are grounded and connected to the Earth, we are able to release unhealthy energy to her, manifest our needs on this physical planet, and even move higher energetically. As a physical representation of the divine feminine, she holds and supports us, providing us with our core needs of food, medicine, shelter, and nurturance. Connected to her, we are connected to universal energy and all that came before us. Once we understand our relationship to our home, we understand our connection to ourselves and the All, and life here is more joyous.

LOCATION: Around 12 inches below the feet, in line with the pelvis

CHAKRA COLOR: Brown

STONE COLORS: Brown, black, dark greens, earth tones, metals, and darker multicolored stones

STONE SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE: Ammonite, petrified wood, hematite, galena, smoky quartz, jet, flint, moss agate, black tourmaline, red or brown aragonite, obsidian, staurolite, meteorite, black kyanite, peacock ore

ROOT CHAKRA

The root chakra signifies our journey to understanding that we already have all we need, right here, right now. This is our connection to home, family, and community or tribe, as well as having our basic core needs met. Our base structure and foundation, this energy center inspires us to move forward in a safe and grounded way so we may manifest our reality in this realm and secure our potential to thrive.

LOCATION: At the perineum or base of the pelvis

CHAKRA COLOR: Red

STONE COLORS: Red, burgundy; green and black to calm and protect

STONE SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE: Garnet, red jasper, red calcite, jet, hematite in quartz, tiger iron, ruby, shiva lingam, bloodstone, moss agate, onyx, sardonyx, serpentine, red sphalerite, spinel, zincite