Some help for a beginner

So I'm pretty new to all this, and I was wondering if someone would be willing to help me get a gist of what kinds of stones I should look into.

I've always been a very spiritual person. I recently started doing some research into crystals. The only thing is that I don't really know where to start.

Is there one stone that's good to start with, or a couple? Or should I just go for what appeals to me? And with that, should I go off of the power it's said to have or go for stones that visually appeal to me?

Thanks for any and all help :)

[danilav]

I've always gone for the ones I've been attracted to - whether it's appearance or from descriptions of their power. More often than not it's been appearance, but lately when I've been trying to achieve certain things I've selected the stones that are purported to lend a hand. The crystals you need/feel connected to usually end up choosing you, so I say go shopping with an open mind and, at the very least, take note of the ones that stand out to you.

That being said, any kind of quartz, citrine, amethyst, obsidian, bloodstone, and moonstone are the ones that I find myself using the most, and they're very good to have in a collection.

Depending on your spirituality and desire to get in touch with/deepen that, I would recommend kyanite (blue is the best for this), celestite, angelite, and bustamite off the top of my head.

Good luck and if you have any more questions don't be afraid to ask! Beginning with crystals can seem very daunting but it's also very rewarding.

[alexa_summer]

I feel the best energy using quartz and celestite. The crystals choose you though so just go where you feel the most drawn to.

[Albalida]

Go for what appeals to you. If you're going to use it for decoration, go for what looks pretty. If you're going to work with it spiritually, go for what feels right and feels empowering to you.

If you don't know where to begin, I would recommend a starter lapidary collection... only because that's what I started with, these tiny egg samples that were meant for grade schoolers who might begin to collect rocks as a hobby, for science. It had a sample of grey hematite (which became my favorite for spiritual stuff), one of rose quartz, one of lapis lazuli, one of something that might have been chalcedony or adventurine, a banded agate, and more. They were tiny samples, but enough for me to get a feel for them. Those, and science museum gift shops, might also come more cheaply than what you'd get at a New Age store. Mind you, they might not be awake or clean.

That said, some New Age crystal healing booklets might also come with a "starter kit" or random stones jumbled together.

Otherwise, if you have the time, perhaps just browse New Age stores and Feng Shui stores with all your eyes open and your feelers out. You don't have to buy them, but you would get a good feel for what you like. That's why I like to hang around my favorite Feng Shui store, because... they know what they're doing. Once they figured out I wasn't going to steal anything, they let me play with whatever crystals caught my interest while in the store, because they cleanse it with a singing bowl before I (or anyone else) buys it.

I hope this helps!

Should the crystal, if in a pendant, have its original angular crystal point (such as a single flake of amethyst) or does it not matter if its been milled shaped ?
Does it lose any of its power by being mechanically worked ?

Uma Silbey, who wrote the first crystal reference book I ever read, described natural points as having a laser-like projection of energy, while manmade or polished points have a softer energy.

The good news is that people often use stones that have been worked by human hands in some way. Faceted gems and cabochons, stone beads, spheres, wands, polished or carved shapes, tumblestones (which are often the byproduct of having carved a larger stone into a different shape)... all of these are examples of stones that have been reshaped by human hands. People have used stones of these types right alongside the ones which were not altered after being taken from the ground.

One important consideration is how a given stone resonates with YOU. This is because your own energies matter just as much as the stone's energies, when it comes to working with stones. So if you feel that a particular stone will be powerful for you, that's a sign that your energies will mesh extremely well with its energies; at that point, whether it's a natural or human-altered stone is less of a concern. Sometimes, we are drawn to particular stones because their energies are just what we need at a given moment. So be as alert to that situation just as much as to the form of the stone itself.

[Belle]

Hi MorosePeregrine (what a great name)

So -- before you choose a crystal -- think what are you looking for. I'm a great random shopper and I see them in a shop and they are all sooooo pretty!

But take a step back. Don't be like Belle and buy everyone in store and then can't remember about it.

Think what you want. Are you looking for grounding? Are you looking for something happy, are you looking for a medititave crystal? Or balancing?

Different crystals have different properties.

That said, the best crystal I probably ever bought was a random purchase, I was passing a stand and I saw some pyranite (I think) and that said it attracted money. Aha I thought. There was also some wickedly expensive looking lumps of lead - said to come from a meteor in Mexico. Out of curiousity I picked a piece up and instantly I felt connected right with the core of the earht. It was so powerful, I felt that I might not walk. Needless to say I handed over my credit card and that crystal became mine. It is ugly and one of my trusted treasures and whilst I haven't had the same experience since, I think a catalyst to ground me was enacted.

When I first started collecting and working with crystals, I bought amethyst and I bought a lot of clear and rose quartz. If you have a crystal shop near by, I would go by your intuition feeling. Whatever you are drawn to, buy it!