How to Start Your Beginner's Crystal Toolbox
If you have been trying to start a basic crystal toolbox for a while, you have probably found tons of "prescribed" lists of crystals you "must have". You've been doing research and by now you have either bought a lot of stuff or you still don't know where to start.
My approach is different. It is based on the combination of experience and structured learning. When I say learning, I mean both on this subject and knowing yourself.
What is your approach to learning? Is it methodical or intuitive? Can it be both? Sure! But most important, it must be fun! One way or the other, by now you have a pretty good idea of how you sense energy and what you are drawn to. This is a key part of your learning as it applies to whatever modality of energy healing you choose to cultivate and practice. Let's use that to start your crystal toolbox.
Let's start with the senses
Most of the dense energy forms that surround us are detected or noted by our physical senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Through our body parts equipped to sense a certain frequency range, we receive and process information about the physicality that surrounds us. We learn and we remember. In the metaphysical aspect, there is another in non-physical form for every physical sense we have.
Most of us are attracted to things and experiences by their visual appeal. Through those sensors called eyes, we absorb light, colors, shapes, dimensions, and the associated contrast (the variety) to each one of these signals. Through hearing, we experience the mechanical and sound vibration (yes, though we don't "see it", sound is physical) in all the frequencies the human ear can tune in. These energies become more dense when we experience the physicality of the other senses: touch, taste, and smell.
If you are a "visual" person, you'll start picking on color and shape. Then, based on that preference, I'd recommend the following for each color group below. Buy as many as you'd like or at minimum, in groups of three of each type of crystal.
Crystals by color energy/groups
Black - My personal favorite and what I consider a building block is black tourmaline. Check out this article No matter what other stones you like, you must get black tourmaline.
Red - From the bright reds to the deep tones, you can start with red jasper, red jade, amber, and garnet.
Orange - Plenty to choose from within the jaspers, amber, carnelian and agate. If you did your exercise sensing energy, and are looking for a pick-me-up, either carnelian or amber will do.
Yellow - Again, jaspers. What a generous crystal! You can get yellow jasper, yellow calcite, amber and golden tiger's eye if you like the beautiful color contrast of the brown and gold bands.
Green - Green aventurine, amazonite, green jade, calcite, chrysoprase and green moss agate. Though one of my favorites, if you are a beginner, let's save malachite for later.
Teal, Aqua and Light Blues - Turquoise, blue lace agate, blue chalcedony, blue amazonite, angelite and celestite.
Blue, Indigo - Look no further: my all-time favorite lapis lazuli. You can also check out sodalite, blue aventurine, agate, and blue apatite.
Purple - Lepidolite, tanzanite, purple fluorite, and sugilite.
Whites, clear - White calcedony, howlite, and selenite (keep it dry!)
Crystals by Energy Signals/Centers
To complement the color groups above and start your crystal combinations, let's see what kind of energy signal you receive from your other senses both physical and metaphysical. Remember, that energy signal can be a thought, an inspiration, an emotion, a physical sensation, a memory or a call to action.
If that energy was manifested as a strong emotion or feeling we start with the heart. Those are green and pink stones but also check on your reaction. Calm, peace, and relaxation typically come from the light blue stones: blue lace agate, amazonites, and chalcedony. Here's where you can combine the energies of green and blue.
A memory, an image, or an impression of recorded events accompanied by strong visuals, we are receiving in our sixth chakra. Deep blue and indigo stones stimulate this interaction: sodalite and lapis lazuli.
Sounds, melodies, voices...are they in your head? A bit tricky as the impulse reaction would be six chakra or third eye and they might be but communication is in the throat chakra. Think of ENT (ears, nose, and throat). So is the sense of smell so when we recall a memory, watch out for this type. Here is where you combine the light and dark blues.
A call for action. The impulse and the confidence to act on it comes from the solar plexus, so a yellow stone triggered it. This is the fun part because we've been working on ourselves so far and feel the impulse to act on those signals and work with or influence others. Combine solar plexus chakra (yellow) crystals when pursuing your action: lapis lazuli to speak confidently and truthfully, chrysocolla and chrysoprase to speak from the heart, fluorite or amethyst for mental clarity.
A couple of clarifications
Since this is a beginner's crystal toolbox, I purposely left out the quartz family but that doesn't mean you should not get them if you want to. Just check out my other article, Quartz, Quartz, Quartz! before you start adding the master healers to the mix.
And lastly, a word of caution: Make sure you get your crystals from reputable stores or dealers. If you are set to buy turquoise or sugilite, please know these are rare. In some instances, you will be offered dyed howlite or African jasper instead of turquoise.
What else do I need in my crystal toolbox?
Now you have crystals you'll need a couple of basic tools to add to your crystal toolbox:
A pendulum - This is a basic communication and to me a "diagnostic" tool. You can buy a pendulum from your local metaphysical store (I prefer this method best) or online. If you rather wait for an opportunity to buy in person you can always make one! Yes, all you need is a solid chain and a piece of metal or crystals of reasonable weight. My first pendulum was a quartz pendant from a choker necklace that broke. Since then, I have acquired several...
Bags or boxes to store your crystals - If you get crystals in rough cut, you want to keep them separate from the tumbled ones to prevent scratching. You might also want to store them by color. Please, make sure you get nice quality fabric bags - no plastic, please!
Smudging or cleansing kit - To some, this is the most important tool in the crystal toolbox. A very popular method to clear energy from your crystals after you work with them is white sage and palo santo smudge it.
If you are like me and cannot take strong scents, I use black tourmaline. Just have the crystals rest on them. After some period of time (I do mine overnight), I do an energy check with the pendulum. I take the crystals and place the pendulum on top of them and check for the Yes or No answer the pendulum has been programmed to.
