The Upside of Using Crystals No One Talks About

Maybe the title is a bit of a misnomer—we’ve talked about the good things crystals can do for us and how they serve as allies in our healing practice. Yet, lately there’s been some talk about the possibility that—maybe—we aren’t using Mama Earth’s precious crystals in a sustainable and responsible way.

As a crystal lover, lover of Gaia, and student of environmentalism—I think it’s important to talk about the upside of using crystals and how to appropriately select these gemmy beauties. Are you ready? We’re going to actively leave the fear-based phobias of, “Oh no, is there an entity in my crystal?” and “By buying this crystal am I degrading the Earth?” behind us. Okay, deep breath. Here we go.

Let’s get our learn on.

1.Yes, the Earth is dug up for our pretty crystal beauties.

Shock, gasp, horror. I can hear you now, “I have to stop buying crystals! I’m ruining the mountains, the earth, the land! What have I done?” Hold up. There is a distinct difference between mining for crystal specimens and mining for precious gems—like that diamond or sapphire engagement ring. In fact according to Hibiscus Moon’s website, “…specimen mining usually has little or no direct impact on our planet.” Can it really be? Yes, yes it can. No more so than say, as she so eloquently puts it, “erosion.”

Now, digging for those precious gems that fill the high end jewelry cases does, in some cases, require stripping the earth (i.e. strip mining) and can lead to abuse of labor laws—all to turn over those big profits. However, we need to draw a distinction between the specimen crystals that Reiki practitioners use versus precious gems and/or mining for ore.

2. Educate yourself on the crystal’s country of origin

Given the above, it is still important to understand some of the issues regarding mining of specimen crystals. There are some countries where labor laws are extremely lenient or non-existent from a human rights perspective. Any country that has lax child labor laws, works their employees for lower than a living wage, or has little to no safety regulations should be avoided, but that applies to anything—not just our crystals. So please, educate yourself before you buy and always ask, “What’s the country of origin?” If the seller can’t tell you, steer clear.

3. The art of a good smudge

When you bring a crystal into your home–whether or not you intend to use it in your personal Reiki practice—it should be cleansed. Why? To get rid of any stagnant energy and to return the crystal to its natural healing state. For example, say the first person to pluck it out of the ground was angry or it came from a home or shop frequented by worried and stressed clients. This crystal will hold this energy imprint—and if you give this energy your own fear (i.e. I believe a crystal can hold an entity. I’m sensing anger, thus it must have an angry entity!) You are feeding this vibration. So let’s not go down that road. We’re aiming to vibrate with unconditional love, remember?

Burn some sage over the crystal, put it under running water (research to see if your crystal can be exposed to water), bury it in rice, pass it through incense smoke, and/or send it Reiki. There are a myriad of ways to cleanse the stone. Afterwards, thank the crystal for its journey to you. Gratitude is key. The crystal traveled far to be with you. Acknowledge that sacrifice with love. You are its keeper in this lifetime. You won’t be its last. Honor those who have tended the crystal before you and those who will come after in your gratitude.

4. The crystal is an ally. Not a crutch. But—again—there’s a distinction.

I can hear you now, “People only use crystals if they can’t do the healing work themselves.” My response: Oh child, pull up a seat, let’s have a chat. The crystal is an ally. You work together as a team. You are co-creating healing in harmony with Spirit. The crystal has a vibration that is here to help. Sure, we can channel Reiki and not need the crystal. These are two different modalities—lest we forget. The use of the crystal aids the Reiki and the Reiki aids the crystal. You can use them independently, but don’t feel fear or shame if you want to use them together!

The crystal is something tangible to hold onto, to feel, to grasp. Let’s say a client comes in after a breakup. During the session she begins an emotional release as the SHK is drawn over her Heart chakra. Two rose quartz palm stones in her hands will give her something tangible to hold onto, to comfort her, to lend their own vibration to the healing. Do we need the crystal to achieve the healing? No. Ego says, “It must be me, the channel for Reiki–that is the sole reason for the healing!” But Spirit says, use the tools available. Reiki and crystal medicine are a lovely duo. Don’t restrict healing based on ego or dogma. Use the tools provided. Allow the healing to happen in alignment with Love.

5. A little crystal hygiene

You’ll need to keep up the saging, cleansing, and gratitude with the crystals. After each self-treatment or use with clients, the stones will require a cleansing. For the ones in your home, at least every few weeks is a good rule of thumb—if not more, if you feel called. There are some crystals that don’t hold a negative vibration. Again, educate yourself, but I’ve found even these crystals don’t mind a good smudge and renewed thanks for their hard work.

Enjoy your crystal beauties, brothers and sisters. They are our talismans, allies, and healing aids in this work. If you are called to them, follow that call. It’s all Love, when we choose to see beyond the illusion.

Sources/References:
======================================
Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy. Ethically Mined Crystals. http://hibiscusmooncrystalacademy.com/ethically-mined-crystals/

Article by Luna Ashley

Free eBook download: We’ve created an eBook with our best articles on this topic, and offer it for free to all our newsletter subscribers.

Luna Ashley is a trained hypnotherapist, Holy Fire/Usui Reiki Master Teacher, chihuahua lover, and avid gemstone collector. She started her Reiki journey nearly five years ago after a life-long struggle with epilepsy. After discovering the healing power of Reiki, she is living a quality of life that was unimaginable before. She empowers her clients to discover their own path to healing through self-transformation. She is the founder of The Sacred Way where she holds sacred space to teach and conduct healing sessions, using her clairsentient and clairvoyant abilities to give past life readings and messages from Spirit. A trained teacher, she specializes in distance learning, with a firm belief that distance should not be an obstacle to profound Reiki healing or a quality Reiki education. Find her on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/luna.ashley333 or via email at [email protected]. Visit her webpage to learn more about distance reiki training: www.thesacredway.net