Selecting the Right Crystal
In this section, we’re going to talk about selecting the right crystal for your purpose.
This basically comes down to choosing the appropriate size and shape for the job.
Before we get started, though, let’s go over a few fundamentals.
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Size: I hear this question all the time; “When working with crystals, does size matter?” Let me answer this way: Maybe, but bigger is not always better. Larger crystals, generally (there are many exceptions) broadcast more loudly than their
smaller counterparts. But louder doesn’t necessarily mean better.
When working with crystals, it is much more important to harmonize the
vibration with what you’re doing as well as being crystal clear (pun intended) about
your intent. Being really loud all the time will not usually get you better results, especially
if the message being shouted is muddled, chaotic or unintelligible (as would likely be
the case with a poor quality crystal or an intention that is not clear).
An example of when a larger crystal might be needed would be if you and a group of people wanted to do some healing for the planet, or for a hurricane-damaged area in
your city, etc. Using a larger crystal in this instance would be appropriate because you need something that can handle a lot of input and energy.
You will see that many of the crystals I sell on this website are not that large at all.
The reason is because the difference between a 3 inch and a 6 inch tower on a crystal
grid, power-wise, is just not that significant (and may knock the harmony of the
combined pieces out of whack). But the price difference between those two sizes
can be exorbitant.
Having said that, you do need to have something larger than a tumbled stone as your focus crystal. I see pictures of this all the time out on the web (see picture below) and think, “No wonder things are not working for them”. More on this in the later section about picking the right stone for the job and in the section on grids.
To reiterate, the quality is a much bigger factor than size (which is why I carry mostly
grade “A” stones in the store). In my opinion, if someone is telling you that you must
use a larger crystal, it’s because they’re trying to sell you a larger crystal (which,
of course, costs more).
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Shape: After having spent years viewing and reading websites on the topic
of crystals, being in countless brick-and-mortar crystal shops, taking crystal classes, watching You Tube videos about crystals, and reading dozens and dozens of books
on crystals, it seems to me that most people don’t think much about the shape of the crystal, other than their personal preference/aesthetic.
And that continues to amaze me. Shape absolutely matters. The shape you choose
should match the purpose or intent as much as anything else. When you look at the structure of crystals and how different shapes funnel or send out energy (or don’t send
out energy), you start to realize just how important the shape is. In addition, there are practical issues that must be considered in some cases.
Let’s take a brief look at some of the more common crystal shapes you can find,
and how they disseminate energy. Then in the next section, we’ll look at
specific activities and the crystals that are most suited to them.
Clusters: Crystal clusters are groupings of the same kind of crystal (or some-
times 2 or 3 kinds as is the case with Apophyllite clusters) all joined
together into one mass. Some clusters, like geodes, have a base of rock or
agate that the crystals are growing out of, while others are just all the crystal.
Clusters are typically uncut and unpolished, meaning they came out of the ground
this way (although there are instances where the vendor polishes and sometimes cuts some of the points to make broken pieces more pointy and shiny).
Clusters can be pretty powerful because all the individual crystals are part of a larger community working together towards the same goal. However, the crystals tend
to point in all different directions. With geodes, some of the crystals may be pointing
to the other side of the geode rather than “out”. Thus the energy is being sent out
in all different directions (or not “out” at all). For some activities where direction is
not an issue, that is perfectly fine. But it can hinder the process if, for example,
you need a single straight beam of energy.
Towers, obelisks, and generators: All of these types of crystals are usually cut and polished to the desired shape. While some crystals like Clear Quartz may grow more
or less in this shape, they almost never have a flat bottom. So they must be ground
or cut so they stand on their own. In other instances, the points may have been damaged or are not perfect points, so they will be cut and polished to make the
point more pronounced. And in yet other cases, such as with Rose Quartz,
it is rare to find the stone growing in crystal-shaped (pointy) formations.
In these shapes, the energy moves along the length of the crystal and out through
the point in a straight, focused beam.
Towers and generators are usually 6 sided, while obelisks are 4 sided.
Points: Points are basically a smaller version of a tower or generator. However,
a point may or may not have a flat bottom; may be natural or cut and polished;
and may be what we call double terminated (again, possibly natural, possibly
cut and polished) which means there is a point at both ends.
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The points in the picture below are natural (not cut and polished).
Single terminated points will send energy along the length and out the point just
like towers and generators. Double terminated points (points at both ends) can send energy in both directions.
Tumbled stones: These are the shiny, polished stones you find at
many crystal shops; both on the web and brick-and-mortar stores. They come in
a variety of shapes and sizes (but are seldom more than a couple of inches
in diameter).
These stones can be any shape, and usually have soft edges due to the
tumbling action.
Tumbled stones tend to emit energy from all sides like a sphere or egg, but
with less consistency (because of the irregular shape).
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Larger tumbled stones are called palm stones or gallets because they are the
perfect size to be carried or held in your hand.
Rough stones: Rough stones are just that; rough, uncut, unpolished, and
often with sharp edges. These are how many types of stones come out of the
ground. The smaller versions of these are what you put into the stone tumbler
to get tumblies. Like tumbled stones, these also come in a variety of
shapes and sizes.
How the energy disseminates from a rough stone really depends on its shape
and points. If it’s fairly smooth and round, the energy will behave
similarly to a sphere or egg or a tumbled stone. However, if there are points,
the energy is probably going out of those points, but in differing quantities
and directions.
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An additional factor to consider when working with rough stones is the edges and points. They can be quite sharp, and capable of cutting skin and clothing. Not the
safest thing to carry around on your person.
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Other common shapes include spheres and eggs, pyramids, cubes, and free forms.
In all cases, look at the piece and consider how the energy is flowing through the stone. Then think about your purpose. Does the flow of energy match what you're wanting to accomplish?
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You may get to the other side of the lake by using just one broken paddle, but it's going to be slow going and the trip is certainly going to be a bit rough. Using the
right tool for the job makes a huge amount of difference in how successful your endeavor will be in the end.
Now that we’ve discussed size and shape, let’s move on to the specific activities
one might engage in with crystals and the stones best suited to each activity.
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