Is it important to know the difference between a rock and a crystal?
My answer is yes. For healing purposes, a crystal can be used according to three main characteristics: shape, colour and attributes; while a rock has only two: colour and attributes.

What are rocks?

Rock is a natural substance composed of minerals fused together into an indeterminate shape or size. The minerals that compose rocks may or may not have been formed all at the same time.
The term ‘stone’ is usually used to define a small size rock.

Can rocks be used in Crystal Healing? Of course! Think of of Lapis Lazuli, Serpentine, Preseli Bluestone, etc. these are all amazing healers.

So what are crystals?

Crystals, instead, are solid materials whose atoms are arranged in regular internal and external patterns. These patterns are identifiable with a microscope but also by the characteristic orientation of their external faces. For example we know that quartz is hexagonal, pyrite or fluorite cubic, etc.

This means that several varieties of minerals form a rock but crystals are always identifiable by the purity of their composition. Crystals in their pure shape are easily identifiable because of their regularity but if they experience less than ideal conditions during growth they tend to assume different shapes, called ‘habits’. These habits are usually easy to identify.

When crystals grow in their ideal shape they can adopt only seven regular configurations (some say eight if you include ‘amorphous crystals’ such as amber, obsidian or opal). These are:

– Cubic: great when we need to organise things clearly and practically;
– Tetragonal: useful for balancing and transforming energies;
– Orthorhombic: these clear unnecessary energy patterns and unwanted energies;
– Trigonal: optimal to balance a lack of energy;
– Hexagonal: focusing healing in the area of need;
– Monoclinic: these have a pulsing directional cleansing;
– Triclinic: they harmonise polarities where there is loss of balance.

Each configuration or pattern has intrinsic qualities that belong to all the crystals in that configuration or family. These could be helpful in focusing on or improving a particular area of our life.

Curious to know what crystals can do for you? Have a look at my in studio or online sessions.

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