If you have found yourself drawn to the spiritual path and more specifically the world of crystals, then it can be pretty overwhelming to learn about all the crystals and knowing exactly which one to choose. With this quick guide, I wanted to provide a short list of what I consider to be excellent beginner crystals.
Now, choosing your first crystals can be an exciting step into the world of crystal healing and energy work, but there are so many so choose from. In this list I will add some known correspondences, but I will always suggest you listen to your own intuition in terms of magickal work. For instance; if Citrine for you resonates more with Aries, then follow that inner guidance. The known correspondences are tried and tested by many, but that doesn’t mean that this is how it makes sense to you.
Now, let’s dive in.
Here are the five crystals that are – in my opinion – a solid base for new travellers:
Amethyst
Amethyst is known for its calming energy, it helps with stress relief and peaceful sleep. It’s also used for enhancing intuition and spiritual growth, and I tend to use it the most with chakra work, more specifically the Crown Chakra.
Correspondences: Jupiter, Neptune, Sagittarius and Pisces, Water element, Wheel of Fortune in Tarot.
Clear Quartz
Often called the “master healer,” clear quartz amplifies energy and intentions. It can be programmed for any purpose, making it a versatile crystal for beginners in theory – because you’d need to known the ways of programming and as a beginner, maybe this is not in your tool box yet. If you are a beginner, I would advice to lean on the properties inherent in the clear quartz and then you can always expand later on.
Correspondences: Mercury, Gemini, Air element, The Magician in Tarot
Rose Quartz
This gentle pink stone is the crystal of unconditional love. It encourages self-love, emotional healing, and harmony in relationships. I sometimes call it the crystal of motherly love – that completely unconditional love, that seems sown into the fabric of DNA. Many people also place this crystal in front of electrical devices to protect from electrical signals.
Correspondences: Venus, Libra, Air and Water element, The Empress in Tarot
Black Tourmaline
One of my personal favorites. It’s great for protection and helps shield against negative energies and promotes grounding and stability. I use my black tourmalines in securing my home energetically and in various rituals, where I wish to protect my intention from outside harm or disturbance.
Correspondences: Pluto, Scorpio, Water element, The Death and The Judgement in Tarot.
Citrine
Many people connect this to money spells and great exams. It’s widely known as the stone of abundance and attracts prosperity and positivity, while also boosting confidence and creativity. I personally do not work with money magic, but citrine is often present in my chakra work around the Solar Plexus chakra, in themes around confidence and assertion.
Correspondences: The Sun, Leo, Fire element and The Sun and The Strength in Tarot.
How to choose and connect to crystals
I believe that starting with these crystals will be a really well rounded foundation and will help you explore their unique energies, as they relate to you.
If you as a beginner explore any crystal shop, there may be hundreds of different crystals to choose from – and personally I have my own favorites, that are not even mentioned here. But they became my favorites as I learned to navigate crystals and sense into their energies, as they related to me.
I want to dwell on this sentence a bit; “as they relate to me”. Like with correspondences, crystals have their over time tried and tested properties, but you may find that the nuances differ a bit in your personal practise. Let me offer an example:
In terms of chakra work, there are seven official crystals that are mostly connected to each chakra. Green Aventurine is paired with the Heart chakra and in the beginning, I struggled immensely with this connection. One day, I decided to use a deep dark green Moss Agate, and that became the break through. Through the Moss Agate I could suddenly feel connected to and sense my Heart chakra, where previously it had felt stiff and immovable.
So, if you want to make amplifications to a good health spell or connect with your Crown chakra and you feel stuck with the Clear Quartz, don’t be afraid to be curious and open your heart to alternatives.
If you have a good, well stocked crystal shop in town, then try this out:
Before you enter the shop, sense into the ritual and the specific intention, you wish to add a crystal to. Walk into the shop with the intention “I wish to be shown a crystal, that can help with [insert ritual/spell/intention]”. From the second you enter the shop, pay close attention to which direction or which shelves are calling to you. Allow your intuition to guide you. On your journey around the store, there may be a few crystals that pulls on your attention. It’s okay to choose 2 or 3, if you can afford it, and then you can get to know them better at home. But if it’s above your budget, then have the crystals in front of you and re-center the intention from when you entered the store.
Incase this doesn’t help and you still feel in doubt, maybe ask the shop owner. Just be aware that not all crystal sellers are in tune with crystal energies – some actually sell them, just because they think they are pretty or because they found a niche, where they could earn money. So, in all cases, unless your crystal seller has the expertise, I will die on the hill, that your intuition is the best advisor.
So if you can’t afford all, choose one for now, and make a note of the names of the others – then you can come back and purchase them another time if necessary. This is actually another tool – because if there is one of the crystals where you feel it would be a tremendous loss if that crystal where gone next time, that may be your intuition insisting on this specific specimen.
The necessary information
One last thing I will add – and it will not be a pleasant message:
Crystals are dug up from the ground, in many cases from unethical labour. I myself got really infatuated with crystals and bought many – but as I have learned and grown, I have become very aware and conscious about this fact about the crystal industry. There are, unfortunately, many grifters outthere and some (not few) knowingly or unknowingly sell fake crystals.
A pretty good sign is if the seller can tell you where the crystals are from. Otherwise, ask them or investigate their website: do they seem like they look into their suppliers?
It’s a tough call, especially as a beginner – and you can only do your best.
One very last advice, now that I have mentioned clear quartz in this list; some sellers confuse clear quartz with white calcite. White calcite is often sold as open fragments of a stone, where the outer layer is light beige in colour. Some sellers sell these as clear quartz clusters – which they are not. Clear quartz clusters have a very different look to them so keep your eyes open.
That is all for now – enjoy your crystal journey, my friend.
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