Crystals can help us with certain aspects of our lives. People have used green stones to help attract financial prosperity.

In generally, People use crystals in some ways as follows:

• They have been used in industry for decades (as many minerals have been).
• Many people have used crystals as healing tools. They can be carried in ones pocket, placed on the body as a stone layout, or used in an elixir. (Not all minerals are safe to make elixirs out of.)
• Healing crystals are given as gifts to people who are ill.
• People also use healing crystals for protection or to bring prosperity to ones life.
• Many people like crystals strictly for their beauty and use them as decorative stones.
• Some use crystals in Feng Shui, especially in China.
• Others are staunch collectors of fine or rare crystal specimens.
• And some buy fine crystals as investments.

For just about any aspect of your life that you want to heal, or enhance, there is probably a stone that can help. What if you are looking for a stone to help with a physical ailment? Here are some basic guidelines to help you choose a crystal or mineral to help with a particular health issue.

Crystals have been used in healing for centuries. From a simple headache cure to a strengthening elixir, crystals can bring harmony, health, balance and even prosperity. Different crystals have different energies, and come in all shapes and sizes, which can be confusing when trying to choose crystals for the first time.

Spending time browsing a well stocked, friendly crystal retailer is the first step in finding appropriate crystals to use.

Crystal Energy

The best way to decide whether a crystal is right for you is to “feel” its energy. Hold the crystal in your energy receptive hand (usually the left) and take note of how the crystal makes you feel. Do you feel a pleasant tingling sensation? Does the energy feel light and happy, or dense and unpleasant? Pick crystals that feel right for you and give off high vibration energy.

Use Your Intuition

A crystal that is meant for you will often make itself known, perhaps by catching your eye above all the others, or giving you a sense of “knowing” when you hold it. If you find yourself in a crystal store or at a crystal fair, you may find yourself surrounded by numerous crystal choices. How do you choose just the right stone? The first, and best, thing you can do is to allow your body and your inner knowing to guide you to the perfect stone. Just walk around and see what you are attracted to. If you are looking on the Internet, you can use the same process. Look through the various pages of crystal and minerals and see what catches your eye. Usually what you are drawn to is what you need. Then you need to trust what your intuition is telling you, and sometimes that is the hardest part. But trust yourself, you know what you need.

But what if your intuition is attracted to a stone, but your eyes find it less than appealing? Your body may be drawn to the particular mineral that stone is made of. Perhaps there is another piece of that same mineral that you will like better. For example, say you find yourself attracted to citrine (yellow/golden quartz) but you aren’t 100% happy with the particular stone you first picked up. It may be too big, too small, out of your price range or maybe you just don’t like the way it looks. You can look for other crystals that are citrine. Or maybe citrine in a different form, like a tumbled stone would be more appealing. Perhaps a pyramid shape, or a sphere would work. Sometimes our bodies need a particular mineral (like citrine) in whatever form, so looking through different forms of the same mineral is OK. And sometimes we are called to work with one particular stone or crystal, no matter what. You just can’t seem to take your eyes off it. Or you can’t put it down. Then you need to trust that is the stone for you.

What is the Purpose of Your Crystal?

The way in which you intend to use your crystal will have bearing on the type and shape of crystal you buy. Here are a few starting points.

Crystal Shapes

Crystals come in many forms. Pick according to what you want to use the crystal for. Use a small tumble stone if you are going to be putting the crystal on the forehead or carrying it around with you. For focused healing, choose a larger crystal with a point. If the crystal is going to be held a lot, a palm stone shape might be most suitable.

Crystals in Chakra Healing

If you are using the crystals to balance the chakras, then color is important. Each chakra is represented by a particular color and crystals are chosen accordingly – red for the base chakra, orange for the sacral chakra, yellow for the solar plexus chakra, green for the heart chakra, blue for the throat chakra, indigo for the third-eye chakra, and white or purple for the crown chakra.

The Properties of Crystals

If you wish to use the crystal for a specific healing purpose, then you will need to research the properties of different crystals. Invest in (or loan) a good encyclopedia of crystals, which contains clear pictures and lists the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual properties of each stone. Crystals each have different energies, which can help heal on different levels. Most will have multiple uses, and can range from cures for headaches, arthritis, procrastination or depression, to insomnia, lack of abundance, or attuning to the higher realms of Spirit.

Crystals in the Home

Crystals can also be placed around the home, to increase vibration frequency and clear away negative energy. For this purpose, you would need to buy larger stones, possibly in their rougher, natural form. Again, research the different properties and make your selection accordingly.

Always remember, however, that alternative therapies such as crystal healing are not a substitute for proper medical care in the case of serious illness or injury.