How to Select a Mineral/Crystal Article
The first step for either avenue is clarity of intent. Are you looking for a stone for you or someone else? Is there a specific reason why you desire this stone? Take a very conscious moment and clarify your intent in your own mind.
Now, I'll outline the intellectual method, which I call "the hard way" because it takes a bit of concrete work to manifest. Once you've completed the first step in the paragraph above, pick up your favorite crystal book and turn to the index. Try to find a reference to the qualities that you want in your stone. Once you find it, look up each of the pages listed, read about the stone on that page, and decide whether or not this is the stone for you. Melody's Crystal and Mineral Encyclopedia has an incredible and detailed index, for example there are 75 listings under "decision-making". As you can see this process could take a bit of effort.
There is another book by Judy Hall, Crystal Prescriptions, which alphabetically lists the quality and then the stones that work for this issue. This is a mighty handy pocket guide, which you can order at our online store. It is not nearly as extensive as Melody's work however.
Before I embark upon intuitive stone selection, I'd like to discuss the four avenues through which intuition arises. They are visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and direct cognition. The first three avenues relate to physical senses, but also can be over and beyond physicality. For example, you may perceive an unusual glow or sparkle within a stone; you may here a gentle whisper of guidance when you see a certain stone; you many feel an energy, heat, calm, altered state of consciousness, etc. when you hold a stone. The last avenue, direct cognition, is that you just "know" you have selected the perfect stone that you were seeking. Neither of these avenues is better than another, and often times you will use some combination of these during the selecting process.
Now, ground yourself completely by feeling the edges of your body and what your body is connect to (clothing, chair, floor, for example). As in the intellectual method, take a very conscious moment and clarify your intent for this stone in you own mind. If it involves another person, tune into their energy and your good intention for them. Then in a very relaxed and easy manner, begin to browse the shop you are in - be it physical or online - becoming open to what stones "call to you". You need not be consciously thinking about the avenues of intuition and which one works best for you. Just allow yourself to recognize an attraction or pull that's drawing you into a stone.
If you are drawn to more than one stone, take a little break and reground yourself. Then "be" with each stone individually and see which one is the strongest. You may then try a combination of the stones to see if this better suites your need. Those of you, who are strongly kinesthetic, need not be afraid of an online stone purchase. With a little practice you can coordinate your eyes and your feelings to direct you to the perfect stone. Also, most metaphysical stone websites will allow you to return the stone if doesn't feel right once you receive it.
Now continue the fun by reading about the stone in your favorite crystal book. You will have far more connection with the written words about this stone once you have gone through the intuitive process. If your book does not list the specific qualities you were looking for, don't worry about it. Your intuition regarding you is far greater than what anyone else could ever tell you about or write about. You will often be guided to causal issues that are related to the condition you are seeking support for. For example, high blood pressure in a particular person could have resulted from a specific cause that is supported by the stone that is intuitively selected, but not by one that is listed as a stone that is good for high blood pressure. Finally, remember when a loving heart embarks upon a crystalline cure, there can be not mistakes. Enjoy!
- Karen Kuk-Nagle
