Choosing & Getting to Know Crystals
by Donna Thomson
Crystals are wonderful gifts from nature that can bring beauty and healing into your life in a gentle way. Perhaps the best thing about crystals is that you don't need a prescription or a practitioner to be able to use them. You only need to follow your instincts. Working with your intuition and feelings can bring great satisfaction and enjoyment when selecting and using your crystals.
I find the best way to buy crystals is to let them choose me. I ignore available properties and descriptions and let my intuition work for me. You can do this too, by browsing the selections and finding the crystals or stones that draw your attention. You may be someone who likes to pick up every different type to decide which ones appeal more. Or, you may browse visually and pick up only one, or a few, that grab your attention. It is like choosing a book. You may narrow it down until you find the one most attractive to you at the time. Or, you may find the perfect crystal right at the start and decide that you don't need to look at the others at that time.
For my daughter's birthday, I took her to a crystal shop and told her she could choose her own crystal (within reason). I watched as my daughter looked over the many tumbled stones. I was surprised that she didn't feel drawn to pick up more than a couple, and when she did, she quickly put them back. She stated that there were so many to choose from, but I could tell that none of them were in fact right for her at the time. I showed her to a table with other selections of crystals in various forms. After a moment or so, she picked up a rose quartz wand, and I could tell in the way that she picked it up, that this was the crystal she would take home. No need to look further. During the course of the day, she would take it out of its paper bag, hold it for a while, then return it. It now sits on a shelf over her bed and she will spend time with it whenever she feels drawn to do so.
Children intuitively know what is right for them, even if they don't know the name of the crystal or its properties. As adults, a lot of us tend to focus too much on the 'information' and not the 'feeling'. I have decided to explore crystals as a child would, through my own intuition and interpretation. I therefore try not to read much about crystal properties, at least until after I have a feel for the crystal without preconceived ideas or expectations. I have had repeated confirmation when exploring crystals in this way.
I built up my own crystal collection rather quickly by choosing several crystals or stones at a time, until I had many I could access as needed from the comfort of my own home. I still have many that remain unexplored, as yet. Instead, I keep them in a visible place, where a particular crystal can stand out at the most relevant time.
If it is not feasible to build your own large collection, simply be guided by your needs at the time, and the right crystal will find you. You do not even have to consciously be aware of those needs. Over time, picking up a crystal here and there, you will be surprised at the collection you have created. If you don't know where to start, there are a few crystals from the quartz family that are considered the basics for anyone's crystal 'toolkit'. They are clear quartz (also known as rock quartz), amethyst, rose quartz and smoky quartz. Anything else you are drawn to will form your personal working collection of crystals. You don't have to spend a lot of money either. Tumbled stones cost only a few dollars each and are easy to carry with you. This way you should be able to build a nice collection rather quickly.
When choosing and exploring crystals, just remember to go with what you are drawn to, and have fun exploring!