Updated December 3, 2017
A couple months ago I wrote a basic crash course all about crystals and how to cleanse, charge, and set them. With the Full Moon upon us today I thought it would be the perfect time to dig that baby up because, like every full moon, I will be putting mine out tonight. But today isn't just the Full Moon...Mercury goes retrograde today (December 3-22) which, as many know, can be a real whammy for communication and travel (yes, the holiday season!). Many people find that during Mercury Retrograde simple miscommunications can become much bigger issues than they otherwise would. So here are a few crystals to help you feel grounded, clear headed, and harmonious.
MERCURY RETROGRADE
Clear Quartz: Provides clarity when your mind feels foggy.
: Helps with mild emotional upset and neutralizes negative energy. It's also a great stone to keep around your electronics, which also seem to go on the fritz during retrograde. Fluorite
Black Tourmaline: A grounding crystal. Assists with protection from chaos and anxiety helping to make you feel safe and secure. Plus, it provides a shield from other people's crazed energy.
Hematite: Also a grounding crystal. It is known to pull any negative energy from the body and aids in clearing your energy field.
Amazonite: Helps to keep communication calm and not full of unnecessary emotion so that communication remains clear.
In my earlier post I included a few of my favorite crystals. Well, over the last few months I have acquired some new crystals so I figured it was time for an update, plus many of my favorites have changed. We gravitate towards the crystals that are helpful with whatever we're going through so as life changes so will some of our favorite crystals. It makes sense. right? But rather than list a bunch of crystals and their benefits I wondered, "How can I make this more valuable to you guys?" There's so much information out there and when you're starting out it can be so overwhelming/intimidating. Wouldn't it be so much more helpful to look up something you want help with (be it calming energy, attracting love, or motivation) and find a list of crystals which will support that? So, without further ado...crystals by category!
LOVE and COMMUNICATION
Rose Quartz: Considered the ultimate love stone. Cultivates love and invites love into your life.
Malachite: Cleans painful heartache to make way for new love.
Rhodochrosite: Love yourself first. By loving yourself you can invite other's to love you too. Release the past. It's also known to initiate playful, flirtatious energy--whisper a love's name three times into the stone and ask to be brought into your life. I love this stone in conjunction with Rhodonite.
Green Aventurine: Luck and love. Also increases confidence to attracts people to you.
Citrine: Stone of success. Help you to feel mpowered, confident, joyful, and sure of self.
Hematite: Grounding. Helps to prevent emotional upset if you're feeling overly sensitive.
Rhodonite: Realistic expectations with the ones we love. Heal your heart by letting go of past wrongdoings. Balances emotions when going through a hard time.
Lapis: Helps with clear communication. Brings harmony in relationships.
Apache Tear: Help to recover from grief. Holds your hand while you get back on your feet.
Amazonite: Aids in communicating true thoughts and feelings without being overly emotional. (Also good luck in gambling--which love always is!)
CALMING
Green Calcite: Promotes forgiveness of others and self.
Blue Lace Agate: Peace of mind to help relax anxiety. Calming and soothing.
Black Tourmaline: Security blanket. When overwhelmed with anxiety and fear, hold it and picture all your worries being sucked into it. Hold a piece in both hands if possible. Also protects from people's bad energy.
Blue Calcite: Calms a racing heart.
Red Jasper: Brings about harmony.
Malachite: Can act on depression by promoting tranquility and peace.
Amethyst: Helps relieve stress and anxiety by providing clarity.
Fluorite: Helps mild emotional upset.
Howlite: Inner peace. Relaxing stone helps with mental balance.
Hematite: Grounding. Keeps from being pulled into the sway of others. It's a truth stone so all nonsense will fall to the wayside.
Rhodonite: Helps with panic attacks.
ANGER and SADNESS
Amethyst: Reduces enflamed emotions and turns anger on its head.
Rose Quartz: Eliminates anger, jealousy, and resentfulness.
Howlite: Tames irritability. Stops overreactions. When in a tense situation step away and put Howlite in your palm.
Blue Lace Agate: Calms nerves and brings diplomacy. This is actually known as 'the stone of the diplomat.'
Peridot: Lessens stress, anger, and jealousy. Wearing it provides a bubble of protection.
Apache Tear: Recover from grieve. Holds your hand while you get back on your feet.
Pyrite: Promotes positive energy and is extremely helpful for melancholy and thoughts fixed on misfortune and despair. It relieves anxiety and frustration.
Green Calcite: Promotes forgiveness of others and self.
BOOST ENERGY
Yellow Calcite: Boosts intellect and energy. Increases motivation and drive.
Green calcite: Renewed sense of purpose and vitality. Desire to make positive changes.
Red calcite: Increases energy and desire to experience life. Alleviates spaciness.
Tiger's eye: Provides confident, radiant, friendly energy to help get you out there.
Pyrite: Positive energy.
Carnelian: An action stone, aids in motivation.
MOVING FORWARD
Rhodochrosite: Love yourself first. My loving yourself you can invite love.
Chysocolla: Godess stone. Provides wisdom. Helps to speak clearly and with loving intentions.
Red Jasper: Motivation to chase your dreams
Amazonite: This will give you the courage to put your big girl pants on and make shit happen!
Carnelian: Stimulates passion to move forward and achieve your dreams.
Rhodonite: Forgiving yourself or others.
Citrine: Helps to release your fears and self-limiting thought patterns.
TRAVEL
Amethyst: Provides protection when exploring by repelling negative energy. It's also stress relieving.
Malachite: Provides protection when flying. I alllllways fly with malachite.
Labradorite: The stone of destiny! You will find 'coincidences' begin to happen because you are being aligned with your destiny. This stone wants you to explore and protects you on the journey. Opens your intuition to meet the right people along the journey.
Rhodonite: An emotionally balancing stone perfect to prevent bickering when traveling with others.
WRITING and CREATIVITY
(must have for bloggers!)
Amethyst: Invites inspiration.
Citrine: Boosts confidence (good for when you're writing those pitches but are already feeling discouraged because of rejections!) Also good for when writing on a deadline.
Tiger's Eye: Good for writer's block.
Carnelian: Removes blocked creative energy.
Red Jasper: Motivation to chase your dreams. Stimulates imagination and transforms ideas into action.
Green aventurine: Provides inspiration, fresh start, and new ideas.
Labradorite: Free thinking. Put it on your third eye and meditate for ideas when you're feeling a lack of inspiration.
Lapis: Helps activate the higher mind and enhances intellectual ability--memory and truth.
Blue Lace Agate: Enhances ability to communicate what is in your mind and heart. Perfect for those heartfelt pieces.
INTUITION
Selenite: Connecting with higher powers. The Divine connects through Selenite to deliver messages.
Clear Quartz: Brings clarity to the mind so your soul can listen.
Malachite: Enhances the development of spiritual insight and intuition.
Fluorite: Protective and stabilizing, increases intuition and connection to spirit.
Amethyst: Place on crown while meditating to help increase intuition.
Rhodochrosite: Will provide you connection to your bloodline/deceased family.
Howlite: Connection to spirit. Sleep with it under your pillow when you feel you really need direction.
Lapis: Activating the higher mind and enhancing intellectual ability.
Labradorite: Awakens your intuition when traveling to meet the right people along your journey.
PROTECTION
Tiger's Eye: Deflects negative energy.
Black Tourmaline: Absorbs negative energy. If it has Micah chips it sends the energy back to the person!
Pyrite: Deflects harm and danger.
Labradorite: Protects from being hated on and gossiped about! It can't make it stop, but it will protect you while you ride out what is their pain.
ABUNDANCE
Citrine: The Merchant Stone. A magnet for money! Brings about success and will make you feel empowered, confident, joyful, and sure of self.
Green Aventurine: Good luck stone. Also considered the Stone of Opportunity.
Pyrite: Abundance in the future and good decision making.
Amazonite: Good luck in gambling!
Malachite: Helps you to attract honest people, aiding in avoiding people you shouldn't do business with.
FORMER POST BEGINS
There last couple months have been bonkers!
I've had changes in apartments, jobs, and timezones! Hell, even my hair went from long with roots, back to short platinum, then to pink! Over the last couple weeks I have been doing quite a bit of unexpected traveling. Now, don't get me wrong. I love to travel. But multiple trips, all with different weather, plus my pup...and don't even get me started on my inability to sleep. Needless to say mama is exhausted, ready for a deep moisturizing mask, in serious need of some acupuncture, and wants to sleep for like 20 hours straight. Self care is most important during stressful times, yet it's then that it's most difficult to maintain.
To those who know me, I come across as a total extrovert. People assume I'm the type who is energized by the company of others. What many people don't know is that I require some serious alone time in order to recharge. Everyone's form of self-care is different. Some people swear by yoga, running, or taking a bath in order to feel good. I can do all of the above but it won't mean squat if I haven't had just a little bit of time to myself.
Over the last five years I have really grown to love crystals (don't even go there with the, 'omg...you're so LA...' 5 years ago was pre-LA). I find their benefits endless and really enjoy using them during meditation. Oh...in case you're like, 'wait. I thought you were traveling?' Yeah...like 10 pounds of one of my suitcases was crystals. My carry-on of course--I wouldn't dare risk losing them! Anyway, we might as well get this out of the way right now--this is a judgment free zone. If you're someone who can't stand ridiculousness, this is not the place for you. Back to my story. Given the full moon is upon us I will be recharging my crystals. I happened to be talking to my cousin about this process last week and thought I'd share it.
Cleansing
First, your crystals need to be cleansed. Crystals assume the energy of the people who hold them or the environment they're in so it's good to purify them on a regular basis. It needn't be said, but I will anyway, mine are negative AF right now. Poor things. There are all different ways to cleanse crystals--salt, water, the sun or moon--and most people feel connected to a particular method. Given that stones are made up of all different properties it's important to be mindful that not all cleansing techniques are suitable for all crystals. For example, some stones should not be immersed in water. Personally, I like to cleanse mine in the sun for 30 minutes--anything longer can be damaging to some stones. While I lay them out I have a ritual of playing meditative music and thinking about my intentions for them. Then I take the remainder of the time to breath, relax, and think about the things that are no longer serving me that I want to release during the upcoming full moon. This can be negative thoughts that are holding you back, something you don't need, or an aspect of yourself you have outgrown. This month I need a whole dossier! I then bring them back inside.
Charging under the Moon
On the evening of the Full Moon, after sunset, I bring my crystals outside. As we know, crystals are affected by their environment. The moon is the most powerful source to re-tune them to their essential, unaltered state. As I lay each one down I recall one of the things I'd like to release. This can be a beautiful ritual announcing to yourself and the Universe that you are ready to let go, and making way for new opportunities to enter your life. My list is pretty long this month so I'll probably bring a candle out as well, write down what I'd like to release, and burn the thing to truly let it all go. After sunrise I bring the crystals inside.
Programming with Intentions
Now that you've brought all your crystals back in the house you should program them with your intentions. To me this is arguably the most important step so that they are connected to my energy and have focus. When I use them I want them to have a purposeful connection to me. For example, I will hold my Birds Eye Jasper (photo below)--a stone of change--and set it with the intention of moving forward with creativity. My Green Calcite I will set to aid in grounding and centering while I go through big transitions. When it was given to me the person said, 'This too shall pass.' I always meditate on that with this stone.
Below are a few of my favorite crystals. This, of course, is a very brief description of what I like about each of them. This isn't even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their meaning or how they can be used for their physically or emotional purposes but at least gives a brief idea how I use them. Are any of you into crystals? What are your favorites?
Selenite
Of all my crystals I think I connect most with selenite. After you begin working with crystals you will find one that just feels different when you hold it. To me that is selenite. Its vibration radiates through me. I suffer from a lot of anxiety and find selenite incredibly peaceful and calming. What's also wonderful about selenite is it can cleanse/clear other stones. When I use crystals in bed at night I will then rest them overnight on the selenite wand once I'm done to cleanse them.
Rose Quartz
One of the first stones everyone should get for its unconditional love. It is said to open your heart to any kind of love--whether that be self, family, platonic, unconditional, or romantic. It's believed to heal a broken heart, attract love, or boost an existing relationship. Sometimes (and I'm not alone in doing this) I even sleep with it under my pillow!
Rhodochrosite
When my heart was at its most broken years ago I carried rhodochrosite on me at all times. It has an amazing ability to break negative emotional patterns by bringing on calmness. So when you're obsessing...this is your stone! I truly felt more self confident that I had control over my emotions, rather than the other way around...which I think for many of us can be a huge struggle after a breakup. The same can be said if you suffer from any level of anxiety, you will feel more mental clarity and emotional stability.
Chrysocolla
This is such a special stone to me because of its meaning and how I acquired it. It is considered a teaching stone of wise women and empowerment of feminine energies. It was gifted to me by a beautifully intuitive woman I had met ten minutes prior (shoutout Spellbound Sky in LA)--she just thought I'd need it, and she was absolutely right! Because of its teaching properties it is a stone of communication and emphasizes the power our words have. It may aid in choosing the right words to help others with their emotional healing, motivating you to always speak with compassion. Because it is a Goddess stone I consider it an honor to have received it from another woman. I have in turn gifted it to other women as a reminder that genuine power can best be expressed through gentleness, especially with ourselves.
Birds Eye Jasper
My newest, this will be my first time working with this stone. I happened to stop in a random town in Arizona two weeks ago and stumbled upon a crystal shop. I truly believe our intuition guides us if we let it. Whenever I'm looking at crystals I always take note of what I'm first drawn to. I immediately researched this stone's meaning. Birds Eye Jasper is known to be a stone of change, guiding you towards your inner calling. It pushes us forward and prepares us to make things happen--activating our deepest potential to fulfill our goals and see projects through. I couldn't believe it!! I had finally finished making my blog a week prior, but hadn't launched it yet out of fear. This stone was exactly what I needed at exactly the right time! Coincidence? I think not.