People tend to recognize that a crystal may be helpful at a particular time by using this simple stone-check: Do you feel a flow of energy coming from the crystal or a heightened sense of well-being when you hold it? If the answer to either of these is “yes “, it’s likely that you’ve been drawn to a stone that may be helpful.

As human energy beings, our relationship with the mineral kingdom is truly foundational and far deeper than most of us consciously recognize. Our own physical foundation, our physical body, is composed of minerals. We rely on the Earth’s minerals to provide essential nourishment and physical support for us, just as they support all living beings on this planet. As members of a living, dynamic planetary community, we are in constant interaction with our Nature co-creators including the mineral kingdom. Their energetic vibrations broadcast frequencies that may affect us on other levels of our being from the emotional to the spiritual, contributing positively to our greater health, balance, growth and experience of well-being. In homes, offices and other spaces, their energetic presence can contribute to the healthy, nourishing qualities of our environments, supporting all those who come into contact with them—regardless of whether these individuals are consciously aware that crystals are present. Even greater, direct assistance from our crystal co-creators is possible when we make the conscious decision to partner with them intentionally. Not all people, however, gravitate to working with crystals intentionally or find working with them helpful or enjoyable at a particular time. For some, partnering with them may become a life-long collaboration, while others may choose to partner with them at a particular time, or not all. Intentionally co-creating with the mineral kingdom is but one of many healing partnerships available to us.

There are no absolute rules about crystal care, but I believe that honouring the mineral kingdom through respectful care is very important for these reasons: It is our way of respecting them as living energy beings. It honours the reciprocal, co-creative relationship we have with them. It is our way of expressing gratitude for their generosity. It supports their own greater health and well-being by helping them to be in their most nourished, refined state. Like all living energies, crystals do respond positively to the energy of our intentions and actions. Respectful care can be as basic as maintaining a respectful intention as we store and work with them, or as extensive as regularly cleaning, nourishing or “charging” (energizing) them when we sense their energy becoming less vibrant or “juicy”. Depending upon their specific qualities and care needs, crystals respond positively to the nourishment of other healing co-creators of Nature: the Earth, sun and moonlight, water, plants, etc. Considering a stone’s particular needs is important because all do not respond to similar care in the same way. Some stones may fade if placed in direct sunlight, crack if placed outdoors in cold weather, disintegrate if placed in water, or scratch if cleaned with salt. Because stones vary in hardness, softer ones respond best to delicate treatment.