The New Age & Crystal Healing
Living on the West Coast has given me the deep privilege of learning from countless Indigenous teachers over the years. My work has taken me to remote Indigenous communities across Canada, the United States, Central America, Australia, and South America. One lesson would repeat itself over and over during those travels; many traditional cultures see the world through a relationship-based perspective rather than one built on separation. Mountains, rivers, plants, and animals all have stories, meanings, and symbolic significance. From Native Hawaiian culture I learned about the deep history and knowledge embodied by particular fishing spots or mountains. In Australia I heard fascinating stories about individual songs living inside every tree. And from Indigenous peoples in Mexico, I learned that even stones have relationships and spirits. My point isn’t that every culture thinks about earth elements the same way. They don’t, every culture has their own unique relationship with the earth and spiritual traditions. What stuck with me from every teacher was a broader understanding of relationship. This lesson would ultimately change how I viewed New Age spirituality and crystal healing. Whether you believe crystals have scientifically measurable energy properties or primarily serve a symbolic role in meditation and self-reflection, crystals can serve as powerful tools of meaning. Millions of people worldwide turn to crystals as a source of comfort, reflection, or personal growth. I’ve held them in my pocket during every big life transition since my grandmother introduced me to the wonderful world of geodes as a child. They’ve been a constant.
I want to begin by saying that New Age crystal healing is not geology, nor is it medicine. Geological sciences may study crystals as naturally-occurring minerals that take shape over millions of years under intense heat, pressure, or chemical reactions. Medicine looks towards scientific evidence when determining effective treatments. Crystal healing is neither. Spirituality and symbolism are difficult concepts to study under traditional empirical models. By their nature, spirituality deals with questions of meaning rather than material process. That’s not to say scientists have tried to study crystals haven’t tried. To date, no scientific studies have proven that crystals have unique healing properties outside of what we can understand through physics and chemistry. Any perceived benefits are likely due to expectancy, relaxation, meditation, or placebo effects. Crystal healing exists within the spiritual and symbolic beliefs commonly associated with New Age culture. As such, it’s important to evaluate crystals using a philosophical framework rather than expecting medicine or geology to provide the answers you’re looking for.
Everything Within The Universe is Interconnected
If there’s one common theme you’ll find through all my articles on spirituality, it’s the belief that everything is connected. Every person, creature, rock, mountain, river, or tree participates in a larger web of existence. When you look at the world through the lens of interconnectedness, many things become symbols for larger natural processes. New Age spirituality draws influence from nearly every spiritual tradition on the planet, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Western esotericism, Hermeticism, countless flavours of Indigenous wisdom, and so much more. You’ll notice that I list off a bunch of different belief systems there, and it’s important to understand that while New Age spirituality can learn from these traditions, it does not directly originate from any of them. Despite their differences, New Age spirituality often emphasises ancient teachings around interconnectedness, balance, and personal spiritual practice. Crystals are beautiful creations of the natural world that simply exist. Plants grow in accordance with sunlight and the elements. Birds migrate and mate according to ancient patterns beyond our own comprehension. Animals hunt and roam across vast and precious landscapes. And crystals grow into beautifully complex geometric shapes based purely on atomic structure and time. The orderly geometric shapes that make up every crystal have fascinated humans for millennia. This appreciation for crystals symbology e.g., balance, beauty, geometric shapes, growth over time, is why they’re so often used in meditation and New Age healing.
Crystals As Tangible Symbols for Abstract Intentions
It’s no surprise that crystals became so popular. They allow us to hold tangible symbols that remind us of our more abstract intentions. We all use physical objects to remind us of invisible concepts. Wedding rings symbolise devotion. Flags represent community identity. Even religious traditions use candles, rosaries, prayer books, and special garments to heighten attention and focus. Crystals act as tangible symbols that encourage us to reflect upon the intentions we hold within our hearts. While I learned about stones and minerals from every Indigenous community I visited, I only saw one community practise something similar to crystal healing as described within modern New Age culture. It’s important to understand that there is no such thing as one Indigenous belief system. The Indigenous peoples of North America, for example, consist of hundreds of unique nations each with their own spiritual beliefs and traditions. Certain communities might have regarded stones or crystals as special because they were found in abundance near cultural sites or featured prominently in stories passed down through generations. Some nations used minerals for practical reasons like medicine or cooking. Many used stones or minerals for spiritual ceremonies or artwork. What I’m getting at is that although crystals appear in many Indigenous cultures, you will not find something that directly correlates to New Age crystal healing. Crystal healing as we know it today is not based on any one culture’s traditions. It is a mixture of spiritual influences that coincidentally overlap with some of the same symbols you’ll find in Indigenous and ancient culture.
Different Crystals = Different Energies
Different types of crystals are often used for different purposes. In New Age culture, amethyst represents spiritual awareness and calmness. Clear quartz is associated with clarity, setting intentions, and amplification. Citrine represents abundance and optimism. Rose quartz symbolises compassion. Black tourmaline is used for protection. Where do these associations come from? That depends on who you ask. Some people follow historical traditions regarding crystal properties. Others rely more heavily on colour symbolism. Modern practitioners may be informed simply by trial and error or unique personal experiences. All of these perspectives are valid. Since colours often inform the way we understand particular crystals, it’s worth exploring what different colours symbolise. In Western culture, the colour pink is naturally associated with love, kindness, and affection. Purple represents wisdom, spirituality, and patience. Green symbolises growth and renewal. Black often refers to boundaries and ground energy. The connection between colours and healing comes from new age spirituality, ancient traditions, and every culture in between. To believe crystals can heal you would probably need to believe in some level of spirituality.
Setting Intention With Your Crystals
When setting intentions with your crystals, you’re effectively creating a mini ritual that allows you to slow down, pay attention, and reflect. From a scientific perspective, you could think of this practice as inserting regular mindful meditation into your daily life. Some people prefer to meditate while holding their crystal. You can sit comfortably while holding your crystal and bring your attention to your breath, gratitude, or a present life challenge. Allow your mind to relax into the symbolic qualities that the crystal represents. Intentions can also include colour associations with other metaphysical symbols. Many people like to connect crystals to the astrological chart or specific chakras. For example, you might use specific crystals during each hour of the moon phase based on zodiac signs. Or you might assign each of the seven primary chakras with a crystal that symbolically represents the properties you wish to balance. Colour correspondences can also be used to link crystals to particular astrological signs. Within many traditions, crystals are assigned to each zodiac sign based on colour correspondences. Again, there’s nothing scientifically proven about these connections. They’re spiritual metaphors that allow individuals to create unique systems of practice.
Crystal Healing & Scientific Studies
There are currently no scientific studies that prove crystals have unique healing properties. If crystals did somehow heal people from a physical or empirical standpoint, you would think scientific studies would have caught onto it by now. Medicine and crystal healing exist in different domains. Scientific studies around crystals have typically fallen into the category of alternative medicine. These studies generally conclude that any perceived benefits to crystals are due to expectancy, relaxation, meditation, or placebo effects. Crystals don’t have to heal us to provide incredible benefit. Many people benefit from practicing with crystals as one part of a balanced approach to self-care. Crystals can be used alongside medical advice from professionals, therapy, meditation, time outdoors, healthy relationships, and other tools that encourage holistic wellbeing.
Honouring Transitions With Stones
If you’ve ever sat by the ocean long enough, you’ll notice there’s something comforting about watching the waves. Humans are naturally comforted by repetitive patterns and consistent energies. Water flowing across the earth. Trees growing towards the sun. Seasons changing year after year. I often find that people turn to stones during big life transitions. Grief. Breakups. Career changes. Times of illness or self-reflection. Stones can provide a tangible symbol to honour your personal journey. Our brains are hardwired to find comfort in patterns and symbolism. Anthropologists suggest that many of our rituals began as a way of working through uncertainty and change. When we create rituals, we are paying homage to life’s complexities by bringing mindful awareness and intention to an action. The ethics of crystal mining has come up a few times in conversations with my readers. There’s no denying that many large-scale crystal mining operations have had negative impacts on the environment. As more people discover crystals, I believe these conversations will become more nuanced. If we look to nature to heal us, then protecting our earth becomes deeply connected to that belief. My favourite part about crystals is how they gently remind me to slow down. Notice the intentions you hold within your heart. Cultivate gratitude for the simple blessings in life. Try to bring your whole authentic self to each moment, one day at a time.