Stumbling into the world of crystals and the metaphysical is an exciting and fascinating new journey! It can also be a little overwhelming and I am frequently asked, "Where do I start?" First and foremost, let's cover what crystals are and how exactly do they work. Then we will take a look at which crystals are the best for beginners.

Crystals are minerals formed in the earths crust through a phase called crystallization. Scientifically, they are a solid whose atoms are arranged in an extremely well-organized molecular structure, with a repeating pattern. I personally find it fascinating that nature can grow such beautiful, colorful minerals! Metaphysically, each crystal holds a certain vibration. Some have a slow, steady vibration, like agates. Some have an intense, high vibration, like danburite. Each crystal is unique in its vibration and the energy it holds. For this reason, a good first step to choosing which crystal to work with is to ask yourself what intention you are attempting to hold. If you are looking to relax and dispel anxiety, crystals with a calming energy are a good choice. Calming crystals include amethyst, lepidolite, lithium quartz, howlite, blue calcite, aquamarine and blue lace agate. You'll notice a color similarity here. Light purple and light blue are often correspondent with calming energies. Grounding and protective crystals are going to correspond with your root chakra and the colors black and red. Some examples of grounding crystals are black tourmaline, smoky quartz, obsidian, hematite, and red jasper. 

Knowing some basic correspondences between your Chakra systems and crystals will help tremendously! Chakras are energy centers in your body that correspond to specific nerve bundles and internal organs. The word Chakra is Sanskrit for "wheel". They are believed to be spinning disks of energy within the body. There are numerous chakra centers all over your entire body. We are just going to briefly cover the 7 main chakra centers. Your root chakra or base chakra is located at the base of your spine. It's associated with feeling safe and grounded. The mantra for the root chakra is "I am safe." The color of the root chakra is red. Your sacral chakra is located about two inches below your belly button. It is associated with creativity, reproduction, and sexuality. The mantra for the sacral chakra is "I create" and its color is orange. Your solar plexus chakra is located about 2 inches above your belly button and its known as your personal power center. This is where we generate our independence. The mantra for the solar plexus chakra is " I am strong" and its color is yellow. The heart chakra is located in the middle of your chest, by your heart. It is associated with love, both self love and love for others. The mantra for the heart chakra is "I am loved" and the color is green. Your throat chakra is located at your throat. It is associated with speaking your truth. This means freely expressing your self and speaking your boundaries. The mantra for the throat chakra is "I am expressive" and its color is blue. The third eye chakra is located at your brow line, in between your eyes. It is associated with intuition and inner knowing. This is the chakra we are working with during meditation. To see without seeing. The mantra for the third eye is "I see" and its colors are indigo and purple. The crown chakra is located at the top of our head. This is our connection to the Divine. The mantra for the crown chakra is "I am Divine" and its color is clear. When you are working with crystals, just by looking at the color, you can get a quick feel for the type of energy it holds. For example, if you see an orange crystal you can expect it to hold energies for creativity.

We know each crystal holds its own unique vibration. So how exactly do we work them? The idea is that by working with tools that have the vibrations we are attempting to achieve, we will personally begin to vibrate in sync with that tool. It is important to note that we are all full of magic. We all have the ability to achieve what our hearts desire through our words, actions, and hard work. Sometimes it helps to have a tool to remind ourselves of the energy we intend to keep and the vibration we are intending to reach. At the end of the day, they are just tools. We hold the power. It is counter productive to carry carnelian and blue apatite to help achieve weight loss then decide to eat large amounts of junk food. We still need to physically put in the work! That being said, crystals are wonderful tools to help us manifest our intentions into reality.

There are numerous ways to work with crystals. The simplest, yet extremely effective, way is to hold them. Just sit and hold your crystal. Feel its vibration infuse your aura. You could hold them while you meditate on your intention. Place them in your lap while you work on a project. Get that physical contact! You can put them in your purse or in your pocket and carry them on you throughout the day. Stop and take a moment to reach in that pocket and feel your stone. Be reminded of its energy and your purpose. If you're carrying those stones for weight loss and someone offers you chocolate cake, stop and grab your stones, remember your intention, and politely refuse. Another great way to use your crystals, is to create a crystal grid. Crystal grids are an amazing tool to help you sit and really focus on your intention and build up your energy to manifest it. You can watch our video on how to set up and activate crystal grids on YouTube. Crystal Grids- What are they and how do you activate them Setting up an altar is another way to help raise energy. You can set up your altar with crystals and other tools you feel called to use. This creates a space where you can really harness the energy for your intention. Be mindful to visit your altar space andila tap into that energy. 

Now to the big question, what crystals are the best to start with? These would be my top 5 picks for first crystals. Selenite is a great beginner crystal. It is high vibrational but not too intense. This crown chakra crystal is known to draw in Divine White Light, so much so that negativity cannot stand to be in its presence. Selenite is named after the Moon Goddess Selene. It creates a safe, uplifting environment. Selenite is best used to clear blockages and densities in the energy field, and to direct high-frequency energy into the body to stimulate physical healing. This is one crystal I personally have all over my home! Amethyst is another great choice. This popular crystal is not only beautiful, it carries peaceful, calming, serene energies. It helps to dispel nightmares and bad habits. Amethyst is known as the sober stone, helping to overcome addictions of all kinds. Black tourmaline is a wonderful protection stone to start with. It pairs perfectly with selenite. It is extremely grounding. It also helps to create an auric shield against negative energies. Rose quartz is another great stone with a nice gentle energy. It is known as the stone of universal love. This heart chakra crystal helps to promote self love and love for others. Finally, I would say agates. There are numerous different types and colors of agate but they all carry a low, steady vibration. The use of agates date back as far as Babylon and across almost every civilization. Agate encourages stability, composure, security, and maturity. It has a warm and protective energy.

Contrary to popular belief, I think clear quartz and obsidian would not be good choices for a first crystal. Clear quartz is an incredible stone to work with. It is known as the master healer. It is also known as an amplifier of energy. It can amplify the energy of other stones as well as your personal energy. This can be great if you are in a good mindset or in a good mood. However, if you are angry, upset, anxious, or depressed, quartz can amplify those feelings within you if you are actively working with it in that moment. Therefore, I feel quartz needs to be used with care. Obsidian is extremely protective, physically and energetically. It also acts as a mirror. Reflecting to you, your deepest secrets and shadows. It is a powerful shamanic stone that helps heal shadow aspects of ourselves. However, it can be very brutal and direct. If you are not prepared to face your shadows, working with this stone can lead to depression and icky feelings. If you are just starting with shadow work, gold sheen, rainbow sheen, silver sheen, mahogany, and snowflake obsidian and much gentler to work with. Shadow season is just around the bend and that will be one of my next blogs! Another crystal that is extremely high vibrational and should be used with caution by beginners is moldavite, along with the rest of the synergy 12 stones. The synergy 12 stones are all very high vibrational stones that help to accelerate spiritual ascension. The synergy 12 stones include moldavite, petalite, azeztulite, brookite, danburite, natrolite, phenacite, scolecite, satyaloka quartz, tanzanite, herderite, and Tibetan tektite. 

As always, I implore you to follow your intuition and do as you feel guided. If you feel a strong pull to sodalite, get a piece of sodalite as your first crystal. This article is meant to be an introduction to how crystals work and offer guidance. If something doesn't feel right, don't force it to fit! I truly believe all crystals go exactly where they are meant to go. I also believe we feel attracted to the crystals that we need in that moment. I hope you enjoy your spiritual journey and wish you many blessings!