Every January I have a ritual. I ask my Spirit Guides to lead me to a new crystal to work with that will help to prepare me for what is to come in my life that year.
I don’t go into it looking for crystals to help me with a particular thing. For example, I don’t say ‘I want to find a crystal for love,’ though I might buy crystals for certain intentions at other times of the year. Instead, I try to go into this ritual with a blank slate and the belief that Spirit knows what I need for the year far better than me. Only after I get the crystal home do I research its qualities, and I’m often surprised at how those qualities often relate to various aspects of my life.
A few years ago I was led at the start of the year to the crystal Epidote. I purchased it and brought it home and didn’t find out until after I was diagnosed with cancer later that year that Epidote is believed to help eliminate tumors and cysts. (This is not medical advice nor is it a suggestion that you should purchase Epidote rather than see a doctor for a tumor or cyst that is worrying you. I went through traditional cancer treatment — chemo and radiation and surgery. But I am a proponent of using alternative holistic healing methods in tandem with traditional medicine.)
This year, I was led to a beautiful piece of malachite and chrysocolla. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the piece when I went to the crystal store and knew I had to have it. When I got home and looked it up, I was once again blown away by how it seemed to already know my life. I had my pancreas removed via surgery so I am diabetic. I learned that my crystal helps to regulate the pancreas (or in my case, I like to think it helps to offset the loss of my pancreas) and it also helps to control blood sugar.
Crystals for emotional healing
You don’t have to have physical ailments like I’ve had to make use of crystals. They are also believed to be helpful with emotional healing, as well. I have an example of crystal foreshadowing in this area also. One year, I was drawn to a Rhodonite crystal. I bought it and learned that it was often used by people who were nursing a broken heart. Well, when I read that I figured the crystal had it wrong; I was in a happy relationship — or so I thought. However, not long after, I experienced an unexpected breakup and that relationship was over. The crystal did indeed come in handy.
There are crystals that can help with grief, anger, and other challenging emotions. As I stated earlier, a crystal should not be used instead of traditional medical care; instead use them along with the care of a mental health professional or therapist if you’re suffering emotionally.
You may also be dealing with issues subconsciously and not even realize that they are bothering you. I’ve found that crystals are drawn to us before we consciously know we need them, which is why it is important to pay attention.
How to choose a crystal: Recognizing the call
Here’s another thing about working with crystals. Despite the title of this blog post I don’t believe you choose the crystal, but rather the crystal chooses you. The key is learning to recognize the call.
As I said earlier, sometimes you’ll want to buy a particular crystal and that’s fine. If you really want to buy rose quartz to attract a new romantic partner, by all means do so. For this post I’m talking about attracting a crystal that your Spirit Guides deem useful for you at this time. That means you have to give up all pretense of thinking you know what’s best.
Have you ever gone to get a psychic reading with questions about love only to find that the reader is picking up on aspects of your career? It might have been frustrating because that’s not what you most wanted to know, but perhaps there was some aspect of your professional life that needed your attention immediately. It’s the same with a crystal. It might not be the right timing for you to focus on love at this point and the crystal that makes itself known is likely to provide assistance in whatever your next big challenge will be.
With that said, here are some ways to connect with a crystal that may be able to help you.
Release your expectations
Don’t go into this thinking you know what crystal you need or thinking you can predict which one you’ll end up with. Also, don’t go in wishing for a crystal that works on a particular problem. Instead, try to keep an open mind and cultivate some excitement in knowing that the crystal you choose will usher in a new journey of self-discovery. (Maybe you don’t really need a new job; the Universe may want you to stay put because your boss is soon leaving and your work situation will change dramatically for the better.)
Peruse a wide selection of crystals whether in-person or online.
While I prefer to buy crystals in person, I’ve also had success being drawn to crystals online. However, make sure you have a large number of crystals to choose from. Metaphysical shops that sell crystals will often let you touch some crystals and that might help you to identify what feels right to you.
Pay attention to physical sensations.
The key is allowing your gaze to wander casually from crystal to crystal and noticing your physical reactions. Does one make you feel anxious? (That’s probably not the one you want.) Calm? (Maybe that’s the one, but keep looking to be sure.) Is there one that you can’t tear your eyes from? (That’s probably the one.) I’ve heard stories of people’s fingers tingling when they touched the right crystal for them. The epidote I bought cut me when I picked it up and left a splinter in my finger. That experience helped to convince me that that was the crystal I needed to take home with me.
Look up the crystal’s qualities and attributes after you make your decision.
The goal with this exercise — and the answer to the question ‘How to choose a crystal’ — is to select your crystal intuitively. That means you have to get your ego and conscious mind out of the way. Once you start reading about the crystal you’ll likely form opinions or make judgments that might influence your decision to take the crystal home. You might say to yourself, ‘I don’t want a crystal that’s good for creativity; I want one that will help me earn more money,’ when in reality the crystal that helps with creativity may give you the inspiration for a money-making idea.
Remember just because you let your Spirit Guides choose your crystal that doesn’t mean you can’t buy that love crystal you want too. But when you want to work with your higher self to tackle the issues that are currently the most important to your soul: Trust the Universe.