Wellness

Set Your Intentions With This Beginner’s Guide To Crystals

By Ranyhyn Laine
23rd Mar 2021

a table filled with a variety of crystals

Maybe you’ve got a piece of rose quartz sitting on your bedroom dresser collecting dust. Maybe you’ve been eyeing up an amethyst geode for a while now. Or maybe you just want to bring some positive vibes into your life, and you’re not sure how. For all of the above, and then some, we’re here to give you the lowdown on all things crystals—what to buy, how to use them, and whether you really need to charge them naked under the light of a full moon. 

Because we thought some expert knowledge was required here, we asked Dylan MacIntyre, one of the co-owners of Perth’s Crystal & Stone, for some tips and advice. An ex-science teacher turned crystal purveyor and self-declared owner of a ‘sh*t tonne of crystals’, Dylan started using crystals as a teen, and never looked back—you’ll never find him without a stone in his pocket. Unlike a lot of crystal stores and sites, Crystal & Stone is less ‘woo woo’ and more ‘woo hoo!’—so if you are just dipping your toe in the water and don’t want to be judged for picking your crystal shape based on ‘grammability, this is place for you (seriously, have a browse of their Instagram). 

Thanks to Dylan, we’ve answered every burning question you have about crystals. Now all you have to do is start your collection. 

First things first—how exactly do crystals work? 

Crystals act as a type of conduit for your intentions and energy—they’re kind of like handy little reminders of our goals that we can either carry around with us or keep in places we see often. Crystals can be incredibly powerful, if you know how to use them, because they carry a particular intention that can keep you aligned with a particular goal, whether that is to reduce anxiety, attract confidence, focus on self-love or simply protect your vibes from all the negative Karens out there. 

How do you choose what crystals to buy?

There’s like 3000 kinds of crystals out there—we totally get it if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Dylan suggests starting with whichever crystal you’re drawn to, even if you just think it has a really unique pattern—nine times out of ten it will be the crystal you didn’t know you needed in your life. However, you can also choose your stones based on vibes and intentions—Crystal & Stone even (shameless plug alert) allow you to shop by ‘vibe’ on their site. Need some creativity? Try Green Aventurine. Feeling anxious? Try Hematoid. They’ve also got beginner crystal kits if you really want to take all the work out of (you’re already zen, we like that)—they’re the gateway purchase to a lifelong crystal addiction. 

an amethyst geode

Once you've got them—what the heck do you do with them? 

Short answer? It depends. Long answer? Here goes: The main way crystal addicts use their crystals is usually to set an intention with them, and then carry them with them. Dylan says, “I personally like to meditate with mine in the morning and then carry them around with me for if I ever need a refresher of my intention for the day. Right now I’m carrying *pulls an orange stone out of pocket* a bumble bee jasper crystal. So this one is all about productivity and working hard, setting intentions and goal smashing. So when I need to be super productive and I carry it around with me, it’s purposeful. It reminds me of my intention.”

There’s plenty of other ways you can use your crystals however. You can display them around your home, matching crystal vibes to a particular room. For example, amethyst is associated with calming, assisting with sleep and bringing on dreams, so it makes sense to have it in your bedroom. Bonus, as Dylan says, “they still have an intention behind them, but they also look cute AF.” You can also create what’s called crystal grids—huge displays of crystals in different shapes that are meant to have certain intentions, like abundance, luck or love.  

a hand holding slab of aqua crystal

Is it better to carry crystals with you, or leave them at home?

Again, it depends. If, like Dylan, you have s sh*t tonne of crystals, you’ll probably do both. Crystals like rose quartz, which is great for a bit of self-love, are best carried in your pocket, but that gigantic amethyst geode you bought because it looks incred (and you know, helps with better sleep), is best left on your bedside table. You can even get what’s called a worry stone, which is kind of like a fidget spinner for crystal addicts—a circular stone with an indent for your thumb that you can fidget with. 

Pebbles, clusters, pillars and geodes—what crystal cut is the best? 

In terms of strength and power, there’s no finish that’s better than others—so if you’re all about the raw, natural look, you do you, and same for those who prefer a polished stone. Size and cut does matter, however—if you want to generate enough energy for a room, you’ll want a larger crystal, and some cuts, like pillars, are designed to point energy up and out, filling up the space, while a point, for example, is a great size and shape for your office or desk (something for not throwing your laptop out the window, maybe?). Meanwhile a smaller, pebble-sized stone is just the right size and energy level for your pocket. Just remember to take it out before you do laundry.

a large crystal pillar

How do you charge your crystals? 

And do we have to do it naked under a full moon? Thankfully, Dylan says no. “I like to think of crystals as a microfibre cloth—over the day it picks up all this negativity, so at the end of the day you’re going to need to charge them back up with positive energy. My preferred way is to use selenite, another crystal that actually charges and cleanses them. So I have a little selenite plate on my bedside table and at the end of the night, I’ll plug in my phone, I’ll plug in my watch and I’ll plug in my crystals on the plate and then I leave them overnight.” Consider it the lazy person’s charging method.

Turns out though, moonlight is an option for charging your crystals—you can remain fully clothed, however. Just pop your crystals somewhere where there is direct moonlight on them and leave them overnight. A full moon is usually best, as that’s when the moon has the most power, but a waxing or waning moon may be better depending on the crystal and its intention. When it’s waxing, you should charge crystals with intentions like growth and abundance, while a waning moon is better for crystals intended to take something away, like stress or nightmares. 

What’s the go with crystal water bottles? 

Uh, don’t do it. Turns out, crystals in your water bottle is a terrible idea, and Crystal & Stone have explained why here

If you want to combine your new found crystal collection with a bit of manifesting, we’ve got a guide for that too

Image credit: Crystal & Stone

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