The Deets on Crystals with Colleen McCann

In our latest Purely Summer Magazine, I paired up my favorite colorful breakfasts with crystals to match for a “Purely Good Vibes Breakfast”. Crystals are believed to benefit the energy balance of the body relating to and enhancing various energy centers/chakras. I have been so intrigued by crystals lately and have started incorporating them in my daily life (especially at the breakfast table).

To find out more about these powerful gems, I went to the EXPERT, Colleen McCann and asked some questions about crystals for beginners.

Colleen McCann, founder of Style Rituals, is a certified shamanic energy medicine practitioner who has incredible insight into both the scientific and mystical aspects of crystals. She really knows her stuff when it comes to choosing crystals and what each one’s function is. So read on to find out how you can start incorporating crystals in your daily life.

What started your interest and passion for crystals?

My very first introduction to crystals was the rock tumbler I got from Santa Claus at age 7. It came with jewelry hardware to make necklaces & keychains.

Why are crystals so powerful?

This is where science and mysticism cross paths. Crystals are millions of years old and were forged during the earliest part of the earth’s formation. Crystals can be viewed as a timeless database of knowledge, because they retain all the information they have ever been exposed to. Crystals absorb information be it an earthquake or the experience of an ancient ceremony. Crystals can energetically pass information to anyone that comes into contact with them. Scientifically, crystals are the most orderly structure that exists in nature, meaning they have the lowest amount of entropy (a measurement of disorder). Crystals are structured in such a way that they respond to the inputs of all different energies around them, so they oscillate, emitting specific vibratory frequencies. The way they are balanced, the frequencies they emit, and their ability to store a tremendous amount of information makes crystals essential to modern technologies; hence explaining why crystals are in satellites, computers, TVs & cell phones. People have been attracted to crystals since the dawn of time for divination practices, healing rituals, burial rites, spiritual connection, and as decoration to connote power. Our ancestors intuitively knew that when worn, the energies of the stones would interact with the human electromagnetic field to bring about energetic changes.

For the crystal starter:

How do I select a crystal?

You don’t pick the crystal, the crystal picks you. Every crystal has a different capability so it depends on what you’re trying to achieve. Certain stones are best used to heal the body or aid in tapping into a person’s intuition, while other stones are used in technology or to work on emotional issues. The crystal that is yours will speak to you. You may get a body sensation like the following: the stone may get hot in your hand, tingles into your arm, or feeling a third-eye buzz. You may also just know or feel that it is a good fit. Trust your intuition when a stone is yours.

How do I use crystals?

For millennia, crystals have been used to heal and enhance physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance. Crystals can be used for sooooo many things: health conditions, meditation, gem water (do your research with this—some gems can not be used for this purpose), sacred spaces, crystal grids, bathing rituals, deodorant, skin care, space balancing, or to connote a relationship to someone or something.

Where can I buy crystals? And how to tell if they are high quality.

If you are just getting into crystals I recommend going to your local metaphysical or crystal store. I like to meet the store owners and inquire on were they get the stones and any physical history they may know about the item I’m interested in. Knowing the lineage of a crystal is much like knowing where you’re meat or eggs come from. You want farm-to-table & cruelty free, right? I inquire about where the stones come from, how they are harvested etc.

Can you tell us more about some popular crystals? (Fluorite, Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Citrine)

1. FLUORITE: Stone of clarity. PS. Don’t get it wet. It will disintegrate.
2. ROSE QUARTZ: Stone of self-love & love of others.
3. AMETHYST: Great for warding away energy vampires & addictions
4. CITRINE: Stone of business/monetary abundance & personal power.

What are your 3 essential crystals?

1. Black Obsidian
2. Clear Quartz
3. Aqua Aura Quartz

Now that we’ve got the good vibes started:

Get the recipes.