I'm amazed this isn't already a topic, or maybe it has sunk deep into the depths of the catacombs. I'm wondering how others feel about the use of crystals in their craft/path/working or whatever you want to call it.
When I was starting out I was a bit of a crystal hoarder. In fact, I still have boxes of stones stored neatly by colour in my witchy wardrobe. I used to love the idea that those pretty little chunks of quartz could affect my physical and spiritual bodies and promote healing, or channel and enhance my magical work.
As time went by I started to learn about the harmful ways that these stones are extracted from the earth and this made me feel uncomfortable when working with them. It was almost as though they started to feel 'dead' to me. Like there was no special energy in them at all.
I all but stopped using them with a few exceptions. I have a citrine quartz near where I study, and there are a few clear quartz shards on a shelf in the living-room. For meditating and connecting to the earth element, I started using regular rocks that I either found or acquired. I guess there was also a feeling that crystals were a little 'new agey' and maybe I felt that regular rocks were more earthy and pagan ...whatever that means.
Yet while rethinking my path lately, I came by stories from 10-15 years ago that reminded me of how seemingly powerful working with crystals could be. Then while studying druidism and Celtic spirituality it seems that crystals pop up fairly often. Indeed, a lot of ancient civilisations held crystals in high regard. When I'm meditating I feel like I want to be holding something in my hands, like when I used to meditate with crystals. It's all making me want to start exploring them again, but I still can't shake the feeling of unease about using them.
How do others feel about using crystals? Do you regularly work with crystals yourself? How do you reconcile the fact that they've been extracted, often aggressively, from their rightful place within the earth's crust? Do you feel they have a special spiritual energy or do you believe their power comes from their unique molecular structure?
When I was starting out I was a bit of a crystal hoarder. In fact, I still have boxes of stones stored neatly by colour in my witchy wardrobe. I used to love the idea that those pretty little chunks of quartz could affect my physical and spiritual bodies and promote healing, or channel and enhance my magical work.
As time went by I started to learn about the harmful ways that these stones are extracted from the earth and this made me feel uncomfortable when working with them. It was almost as though they started to feel 'dead' to me. Like there was no special energy in them at all.
I all but stopped using them with a few exceptions. I have a citrine quartz near where I study, and there are a few clear quartz shards on a shelf in the living-room. For meditating and connecting to the earth element, I started using regular rocks that I either found or acquired. I guess there was also a feeling that crystals were a little 'new agey' and maybe I felt that regular rocks were more earthy and pagan ...whatever that means.
Yet while rethinking my path lately, I came by stories from 10-15 years ago that reminded me of how seemingly powerful working with crystals could be. Then while studying druidism and Celtic spirituality it seems that crystals pop up fairly often. Indeed, a lot of ancient civilisations held crystals in high regard. When I'm meditating I feel like I want to be holding something in my hands, like when I used to meditate with crystals. It's all making me want to start exploring them again, but I still can't shake the feeling of unease about using them.
How do others feel about using crystals? Do you regularly work with crystals yourself? How do you reconcile the fact that they've been extracted, often aggressively, from their rightful place within the earth's crust? Do you feel they have a special spiritual energy or do you believe their power comes from their unique molecular structure?
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