I have been working with crystals all my life both for healing and scrying. I instinctively wear one each day, intuitively place several on a client’s birth chart when doing a past life reading to bring about karmic healing - or on a client if I see them face to face; or I hold one for a few moments to energise it and then send it wherever it is needed. My home always has crystals around because they feel good to me, and many are programmed to help other people, or the world. But it wasn’t until I wrote the first edition of The Crystal Bible ten years ago that I appreciated quite what I’d been intuitively doing for so long, how many crystals there are, and the enormous range of healing possibilities they encompass (and there are now so many more that I’ve had to write volume 2!). Researching Crystal Prescriptions a few years later took me back to the use of gemstones for healing in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and beyond. For my M.A. in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology I tracked the origins of the use of crystals some five thousand years ago and their connections with the gods and planets. It truly is an ancient science: the oldest crystal healing prescription I found was Bloodstone, Carnelian and Green Aventurine for cleansing and restoring the kidneys and liver: exactly what a crystal healer might use today. Indeed, Bloodstone and Carnelian are two of the oldest known, continuously used healing stones.

Rather than telling you how to do crystal healing (which needs a properly structured course of study), I’d like to share with you some crystals and techniques that I find particularly useful.

If you are surrounded by good vibrations your health and wellbeing are assured and crystals have always been revered for putting out good vibes and for protecting the wearer or the space they are in. I believe that intuitively choosing a crystal is the best way of all of selecting exactly the right stone and for placing it on or around your body. I keep a selection cleansed and ready to wear. Each morning I glance casually at them, if one attracts my attention, I wear it. And feel better for so doing. 

 I often wear a beautiful piece of Shattuckite with Ajoite. This rare stone protects against subtle ill-wishing, connects me to higher levels of being, and offsets the effects of mobile phone and Tetra masts as well as computers. It can be difficult to get hold of and a quartz such as Smoky, Tourmalinated or Rutilated (Angel Hair) can work just as well. If you, like me, are sensitive to mobile phone emanations, then taping a piece of Black Tourmaline or Smoky Quartz onto the phone works wonders as it re-integrates your auric field. Black Tourmaline, Smoky Quartz and Amethyst are excellent for turning back ill-wishing or jealousy, and are highly protective when worn around the neck – and, traditionally, Amethyst has the added attraction of warding off inebriation. If you want to keep your energy clear at all times, a Quartz or Charoite crystal can be used to ‘comb’ all around your body about a foot out. It absorbs negative energy, repairs weak spots in your biomagnetic field, and re-energies your whole body. A long Quartz point is also useful for cleaning your chakras, simply spiral it out from the chakra, cleanse it under running water or with a proprietory crystal cleanser, and then spiral in again in the opposite direction (some people are adamant that there is a right and wrong direction for this but I find it best to do what feels right).

A Labradorite crystal with its unexpected scintillating flash of blue is a wonderful energy protector that also pulls in spiritual power. It is an excellent stone for healers and those who work with other people to wear around your neck as it enhances intuition whilst preventing taking on other people’s problems or negative thoughts or energy. 

Crystals can be placed over chakras or directly over organs, or laid out around the body to create a healing grid. If your crystal has a point, placing it point facing outwards draws negative energy away from the body, and point facing in draws energy into the body.

If you feel stressed out and need to relax, lying with crystals on your chakras does the trick. It cleanses and re-energizes each chakra, balancing them; helping you to relax and bringing about a sense of well being and good health. You can use the traditional colour correspondences with the chakras by placing a stone of an appropriate colour on the chakra (see table), or intuitively choose your own colours. You can also place 7 Amethyst points (point facing in) around your body to help you relax with a Smoky Quartz point down at your feet to draw off negative energy; and one on your third eye is very helpful if you have a headache, as is Azurite or Lapis Lazuli. Many people who are opening up psychically experience pressure in the third eye and an Apophyllite pyramid or Labradorite placed over the third eye helps it to open and relieves the pressure.

Following the break up of a long relationship a few years ago, my heart felt somewhat battered and the crystal I found most soothing was Rose Quartz. In a channelled message of hope and healing I was told not to let bitterness enter my heart. Rose Quartz gently melted the resentment I was feeling and healed the abuse of trust, lifting away the bitterness and bringing forgiveness in its place. For many months I wore a protective Rose Quartz pendant over my heart and slept with a piece under my pillow to protect my dreams (my ex partner was trying to invade my space). To heal further, in meditation I would travel the whorls and labyrinths of Rhodochrosite as I attuned the divine love at its heart. I also used Rose Quartz in a ritual to take back my heart from the careless hands to which it had been entrusted. When my heart felt whole again, I used Green Aventurine, Dioptase and Rose Quartz to reactivate my higher heart chakra, the place of compassion and unconditional love. These days I wear the rare and beautiful stone Tugtupite from Greenland to keep my higher heart chakra functioning at its best. 

Rose Quartz is also the stone to use if you want to attract more love into your life. Place the largest piece you can find by your bed, and put one in the relationship corner of your house too – this is the farthest right corner from the front door. If you can find a crystal that has two equal sized crystals side by side on a common base place this here too. Many Candle Quartzes can be found in twin formations that spring from a joint base and they are excellent for this purpose as they symbolise mutual support and loving interdependence. It will attract a twin flame into your life: a twin flame being a soulmate without the karma or the hassle. Something we all need in our life!

It is all too easy to lose energy to other people without really knowing why or even that it has occurred, especially if you work in the healing or counselling field. The main symptom is a feeling of weariness or slight depression, very low energy and a tugging or tweaking pain under your left armpit. I used to think that this leaching happened through the solar plexus but became aware that it happens to a greater extent through the spleen chakra located about a hand’s breadth beneath the left armpit. If you get a nagging pain there, then an energy vampire is at work. This may be a family member, partner or friend, client or work colleague. Fortunately the antidote is simple. Tape a Green Aventurine, Green Fluorite or Jade crystal over the chakra, or wear one on a long chain so that it reaches to the end of your breastbone. Remembering to disconnect from healing clients as they walk out of the door also keeps this chakra healthy and your own energy high.

Crystals are an excellent way to ensure that you are in a good space and to keep a healing room energetically clean. Unfortunately these days most of us are bombarded with unseen electromagnetic radiation, to which many people are sensitive especially those who are psychic. I live near an electricity sub-station, not my first choice of location as I’m all too aware of the potentially health depleting effects – although I have turned this around and affirm that it will energise and realign me. As soon as I moved in I gridded the whole garden with pieces of Black Tourmaline, positioning one at each corner. I then placed Amazonite, Amethyst clusters and Smoky Quartz points on the windowsills (with the points pointing away from the house to deflect the energy). The house feels energetically clear and, on dowsing, registers no adverse electromagnetic emissions. These stones are equally effective for any ‘bad vibes’ that may be affecting your home or workplace. My computer is surrounded with Fluorite and Lepidolite to further protect my energy but you could use the Smoky Quartz, Sodalite or Amethyst for this.

To keep a healing room energetically clean, place a large piece of Smoky Quartz, Calcite, Black Tourmaline or Tourmalinated Quartz in a central position and ask it to absorb negative energies. Remember to cleanse it every day. You can also grid small pieces of Black Tourmaline in each corner to keep out bad vibes or ethereal white Selenite to draw in spiritual light to assist in your work.

Before using a crystal for the first time, cleanse it, dedicate it for the highest good of yourself and everyone who comes into contact with it, then programme it to your needs. Precisely formulate what you want your crystal to do but do not limit it, say ‘this or something better’. Sit quietly and hold your crystal. Focus your attention on it. State your intention firmly and clearly – you may need to repeat several times. 

Crystals need regular cleansing and re-energising. When you purchase a crystal, it holds the energy of everyone who handled it. When you have worn or used it for awhile, especially if you’ve been using it for healing, it will need cleaning again. Most crystals can be cleansed under running water and then left in sunlight but delicate crystals can be placed in uncooked brown rice overnight (compost the rice afterwards). A quick way to clean and recharge all crystals is to put a drop of Petaltone Clear2Light on them.

Function: cleansing, protecting, stabilizing, tranquilizing, transmuting, opening. Balances all the subtle bodies and chakras, makes spiritual connections.

Organs: lungs, intestines, brain. 

Gland: pineal

Systems: endocrine, digestive, metabolic, nervous, immune, skeletal, digestive, subtle bodies.

Chakras: brow, throat and crown. 

Function: cleansing, protecting, revitalizing particularly of the blood, cleanses and realigns the lower chakras,

Organs: liver, intestines, kidneys, spleen, bladder

Gland: thymus

Systems: immune, circulation, lymphatic, metabolic

Chakras: stimulates heart and base chakras.

Function: Cooling, calming, opening, activating, nurturing.

Organs: Pancreas, brain, throat

Gland: Thyroid, parathyroid

Systems: Lymphatic, skeletal, nervous

Chakras: Throat

Function: energising, absorbing, storing, purifying, balancing, releasing and regulating energy.

Organs: all

Gland: pituitary and pineal

Systems: immune, biomagnetic sheath

Chakras: harmonizes all the chakras, aligns the subtle body and activates the higher crown.

Function: cleansing, activating, regulating, stabilizing and creating abundance.

Organs: heart, adrenals, lungs, sinuses, eyes

Gland: Thymus

Systems: mental, nervous, muscular, urogenital, connective tissue, 

Chakras: heart, spleen.

Function: energising, stimulating, cleansing, stabilizing, grounding into the present moment, bringing in abundance

Organs: reproductive, kidneys, intestines, 

Gland: adrenals

Systems: metabolic, reproductive, 

Chakras: base, sacral and spleen

Function: enhancing love, sedating, releasing, assimilating, forgiving, restoring the blood

Organs: heart, lungs, kidneys, genitals, liver

Gland: thymus, adrenals.

Systems: circulatory, lymphatic

Chakras: heart and higher heart

Function: cleansing, protecting, grounding, pain relieving. 

Organs: heart, muscles, nerves, back

Gland: none

Systems: reproductive, nervous

Chakras: earth and base

Function: regulating fluids, cooling, stabilising, releasing

Organs: vocal cords, larynx.

Gland: pineal, thyroid

Systems: lymphatic, immune, metabolic

Chakras: throat, brow.

Earth   Smoky Quartz for Grounding and protecting

Base   Red Jasper for Energising

Sacral   Orange Carnelian for Creating

Solar Plexus  Yellow Jasper for Nurturing, feeling

Heart   Green Aventurine for Healing emotional distress

Higher Heart  Rose Quartz for  Unconditional love

Throat   Blue Lace Agate for Opening communication

Brow   Sodalite for Attuning

Crown   Amethyst  for Opening intuition

Higher Crown (1)  Labradorite for Opening spiritual communication

Higher Crown (2)  Clear Quartz for Reaching enlightenment