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Crystals are experiencing a surprising resurgence. Here's everything you need to know
If you haven’t noticed it yet, crystals are experiencing a surprising resurgence.
No longer just part of the trappings of a more woowoo-inclined demographic, these colorful rocks are now in people’s home as part of the décor, on every influencer’s wrist as part of their daily arm candy, and on every beauty brand’s list of must-buys. Think: quartz, jade, and crystal rollers.
“There has been a tremendous interest and acceptance for crystals and everything ‘New Age’ (crystals, energy, astrology, etc.) over the past few years,” confirms Monica Morales, a crystal collector and lover, astrologer and energy healer.
She is the founder of Astrology Philippines Learning and Support Facebook group and owns online shop, @om.mnl which deals in earth-mined and healing crystals.
“The acceptance of crystals has been unparalleled,” she adds. “If we look back a few years, a good number would have perceived crystals as some hullabaloo, finding no interest in them. This has changed. Now, almost everyone has taken interest in crystals, may it be just for the aesthetics or more popularly for its metaphysical properties and benefits.”
Locally, the number of crystal shops online alone has been a marker of people’s interest in these stones. “We started our business when there were only three or four crystal sellers on Instagram and now there are over 20,” says Jenn Simons of @woowoo_ritualgoods, an online shop that creates bespoke intention kits to help people manifest their energetic desires. “They even sell them as bracelets in fully booked, which [tells us] it has permeated the mainstream.”
What started out as a very niche market, mostly linked to specialty shops run by Chinese sellers in Binondo has now taken over the internet, as millennials and younger folks turn to these stones as elixirs.
While tucking a pebble-sized rose quartz into your pocket may not instigate world peace, having something physical to (literally) hold on to when you’re going through a rough patch may act as a placebo—something to make you feel better, regardless of its metaphysical properties.
Whether you believe that magical, soul-soothing vibrations are emanating from the black tourmaline bracelet around your wrist or not, you’re at least given something—some medicine—to tell you that everything’s going to be okay.
Crystals — at least those used for “healing” and are currently super popular — are essentially solid substances that are mined from the earth. They have been used as healing tools by the Sumerians and ancient Egyptians for 6000 years.
Ancient healing practices typically turn to the earth for medicine—think of shamans and their use of herbs and plants, or yogis who recommend “earthing” as a way to reconnect to the planet in order to bring about a sense of “grounding”—a literal connection to the ground .
It is in the same vein that crystals are believed by healers to provide a grounding energy that helps us reconnect to our natural state. Symbolically, the practice of grounding or anchoring to the earth is meant to spark the feeling that we’ve got our two feet on the ground—stable, secure, and unflappable.
But there is no real science behind crystal healing. All people lean on are ancient beliefs and practices. Viewing crystals through the lens of Western medicine will not yield any evidence that it actually works, but those open to Eastern philosophies will most likely latch onto the purported healing properties of these stones.
“Crystals are programmable, they have memory, they store energy,” explains Monica. “They are living beings, formed over millions of years. Each type of crystal has its own metaphysical properties, which can amplify your own energy and intentions. It is how you and your crystals’ energies synergize that makes room for the manifestation of your intentions.”
There are different ways to cleans or program your stone—from placing them in a Tibetan singing bowl to setting them under the light of a Full or New Moon, to rinsing them in water, or just meditating with them.
“As a healer, I mainly use crystals to help my clients relax, release energies, or remove blockages from their physical and energetic bodies,” says Michelle Calasanz of The Crystal Rose Room, a Theta Healer, and Reiki and Millennium Method practitioner.
Michelle uses crystals in her personal life in everything from meditation to decorating her home, explaining that crystals are a pretty way to help you clear your own space. They encompass a whole rainbow of colors, after all, making it a gateway drug into the wellness world for those who are aesthetically inclined.
Lauren Aletta, Australian modern day mystic and human explorer, in her book “Into the Woods” (now published as “The Seasonal Soul: A Mystic’s Guide to Inner Transformation”) identifies the following stones and their properties:
- Amethyst. For protection, intuition, consciousness expansion, and release.
- Aventurine. For vitality, growth, confidence, release.
- Carnelian. For courage, creativity, confidence, sexuality, action.
- Citrine. For manifestation, creativity, mental clarity, personal will.
- Fluorite. For clarity and mental enhancement, decision-making, clearing and cleansing.
- Labradorite. For magic, protection, inner vision, shamanism, purpose.
- Rose Quartz. For love, healing, releasing worry and fear, divine connection.
- Smoky Quartz. For protection, grounding, manifestation, clearing, insight.
- Black Tourmaline. For purification, protection, insight and higher wisdom.
“There are really no rules to using crystals,” says Monica. “I do not believe that bawal or malas exists in crystals. You always go by intuition. I’ve heard some say do not mix one particular crystal with another. There is no hard and fast rule.”
What’s important, she says, is to check your intentions for each crystal. “If the intentions contradict each other—like one crystal for calming and another for energizing and you wear them together, then that is a no-no. Common sense and intuition to guide you are my only rules.”
“As for the belief that you cannot let others touch your crystals, that makes sense when we consider energy,” she adds. If there is physical interaction between a person who emanates negative energy and a crystal, and you take that crystal home with you, you may believe that the energy is transferred to the object.
Crystal users, however, often practice “cleansing and clearing” to ward off any bad juju (ie, bad feelings they get upon one person touching something they own).
By running crystals under water or exposing them to the light of the moon, playing a singing bowl around them, you are using natural elements and vibrations to recalibrate your stone. “If you have a strong connection with your crystals you can command it not to allow others’ energies to interfere or be absorbed by it,” says Monica.
She recommends Full Moon bathing to cleanse and energize your stones, while the New Moon on the calendar is used to set intentions. If you are privy to astrology and “cosmic weather,” then checking the planetary influences going on can also give you hints and clues as to when to cleanse your crystals.
According to Michelle, Hematite and Quartz are her two go-to’s. “Quartz is the absolute universal stone, and honestly, it's all anyone really needs. Because I see a lot of clients, I like to keep a Hematite in my pocket to help me block any negative energies and to release any that I may have absorbed.”
Because crystals have become so popular and trendy these days, you will find them priced in the thousands in many mall-based shops. Online stores tend to price lower, while the stalls that proliferate Quiapo’s underground crystal scene sell them for extremely cheap.
So how do you know where to go?
According to Michelle, it’s best to know who is selling them, or at least get a recommendation from someone you trust. She advises to check weight, when shopping for crystals IRL.
“Even small crystals carry weight,” she says. “If they're too light or too clear, they’re fake. I've seen a lot of my clients show me their crystal bracelets, only to find out they’re plastic.
No matter your view on crystals—whether they’re pretty rock pieces to put on display, or actual healing tools that can change your life, you’ll be able to find a place for them in your life. “They are an unobtrusive and easy tool to add intention and mindfulness to your life,” says Jenn.
That could mean being mindful of the space around you and how you can improve it, or it can also mean being aware of the energy you put out into the world and how it can affect everyone else around you.
So pick up a stone that appeals to you—or don’t. But if you’re looking to infuse your life with some wellness, good juju, and high vibes, it probably won’t hurt to carry a pretty little good luck charm in your pocket. — LA, GMA News
