When I was 11 or 12 my grandmother took me to a very cluttered metaphysical shop hidden somewhere between Fort Worth & Dallas, Texas. I hail from a lineage of Chilean curanderas (or healing women), so pit stops to new age shops were not out of the ordinary. However, this particular shopping trip was anything but ordinary.

My grandmother–a lover of crystals and rocks of all shapes and sizes, decided that it was time to buy me my first stone. She asked me to look into the glass case near the cash register and pick out my favorite crystal. It didn’t take me long to choose the type of stone I liked. “The round ones in the corner.” I said. The round stones were crystal quartz spheres less than one inch in diameter. The lady behind the counter told me to choose which of the spheres I felt I needed the most.

I really didn’t know how to answer. I thought I wanted one, but then was drawn to another, so the lady said, “Let me make it easier for you. Pick your very favorite two of the bunch.” I did so and afterwards the clerk put one sphere into each of my palms saying, “OK. Go take a peek around the store. Forget about the crystals in your hands. You’ll know which one is meant for you, trust me.”

With that I started wandering about the store. I remember looking at animal totem books and tarot decks. Everything in the store fascinated me. I wanted it all. I continued to peruse the store until after about ten minutes when I suddenly felt a strong electric shock rush through my palm. It was strong enough to make me gasp. I immediately looked at the clerk and said, “What did you do? Are you trying to play a trick on me?” Everyone in the shop looked at me like I was crazy. The woman responded very calmly, “What are you talking about?” I responded, “You must have some sort of a remote control back there–you’ve messed around with the crystals, right?” She just looked at me like I was insane saying, “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. There are no remote controls. They are just crystals miss.” She then gave me a little wink and then said, “It looks like the crystal chose you.”

A Colorful Path to Healing

I brought my crystal home that night and have been a crystal enthusiast ever since. After that day I learned that different types of crystals contain different healing properties. The type of healing that crystals bring is sometimes physical, but more often people benefit from crystals emotionally, spiritually and mentally. The crystal type and color are often closely related to what types of healing properties they contain. For instance pink and green stones such as rose quartz and jade are great for healing emotional issues and relate to the heart chakra, which is the “green chakra.” Yellow stones are typically related to the solar plexus chakra, which is known to be yellow. Citrine is a common stone used to heal solar plexus related issues such as problems with self-confidence and personal power.

Crystal Pulsations

I also learned that I am amongst a small percentage of people that can feel the “pulse” of crystals. I have, however, tested most of my friends and am always amazed when they too can feel a crystal’s natural rhythm. So, it might be more common than people think.

A crystal’s pulse feels like electricity emanating from the crystal into your hand. Sometimes the crystal’s energy can feel hot or cold and often the energy can feel like it is shooting up through your arm or migrating. Other times the sensation is localized–resonating in one very specific area of your body–most likely an area that needs healing. The best time to feel a crystal pulse is after cleansing your crystals in the light of a full moon. To do this you simply set your crystals near a window and leave the blinds open during the night.

Choosing your Crystals

Knowing a bit about crystal traditional healing uses and crystal pulsations is really helpful in picking out crystals, but my favorite method is the method I used the night my first crystal chose me.

To try it yourself–walk around a crystal shop and just choose whatever crystals stick out to you. If you feel a pulse from any particular crystals that’s a great sign that that crystal might contain a healing property that you need. Small electric shock sensations, heat, coolness, and feelings of peace and calm are also great indicators of a crystal match. Some people might even experience a tingling in a particular chakra–especially the third eye chakra. If you don’t feel anything–don’t fret! Pick out a couple of crystals you really love for any reason. My best tip is don’t over-think it. Don’t even read the informational cards that are sometimes provided, but be sure to jot down what kind of crystals you bought so you won’t forget. When you get home and read more about your crystals online you’ll probably find that they are the perfect remedy for whatever you are going through.

Cleansing Crystals

Aside from moonlight cleansing you can also cleanse crystals in sunlight, bury your crystals in the earth or sea salt, submerge them in water (including bathwater), use white light visualization techniques, or burn sage near them. It’s very important to cleanse crystals after purchasing them, because crystals absorb energy and there is no way to know what kind of energy they may have absorbed from the shop you bought them from or even where they were before they ended up there.

Meditation and Other Uses for Crystals

There is no best way to use crystals as what certain types can offer vary from stone to stone and from day to day depending on your own energy and needs. Crystals can be carried around in your pocket to clear energy or protect you, they can be used in meditation to help achieve certain goals–increased intuition, better focus, more peace and calm, etc and they can be used for manifestation. One of my favorite ways to use crystals in manifestation is to create a crystal grid by making a grid out of crystals that I feel resonate with my energy and what I am trying to manifest. I’ll cover how to build a grid in a future article… stay tuned!

How You Can Learn More

The best way to learn about crystals is to establish your own relationship with crystals. Start by purchasing 3-5 crystals that are very different from one another and study the way they make you feel, if they have pulsations (and what kind), and what type of images they bring up when you meditate with them. There’s really no wrong way to go about starting a crystal collection and it can be quite addicting. Between my crystal shopping adventures, my grandmother’s hand-me-down stones and mineral gifts from friends I now own well over a hundred stones and counting. Even if you’re a skeptic or will never feel a crystal pulse it still doesn’t hurt to have a few crystals to around. The worst-case scenario is that you’ll have a really pretty object hanging out in your room secretly healing you.