Review: Crystal Basics

Review: Crystal Basics December 23, 2019

Crystal Basics Nicholas Pearson

Nicholas Pearson’s Crystal Basics: The Energetic, Healing, and Spiritual Power of 200 Gemstones  has taken the throne of being the best beginner crystal book ever written in my opinion. This book is the one that really should have been named The Crystal Bible and has pretty much everything you could ever want or need to start working with crystals. Despite the subtitle of the book, the 200 stones are not even what is so amazing about this book. This book covers so many things not covered in books or pieces that are spread out amongst other books. Pearson, who has a background in geology, combines that with his metaphysical work to show how the two intertwine – something pretty revolutionary for the subject of crystals.

For example, in Crystal Basics he goes over the formation process of crystals, mineral composition, the Mohs scale of hardness, color, Diaphaneity, pleochroism, cleavage, luminescence and the seven crystal system of cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, trigonal, hexagonal, monoclinic, and triclinic and explains how that relates to the metaphysical properties of crystals without abandoning the animistic aspect of consciousness within the stone itself! He has taken all this science, weaved it with spirit, and presents it in a manner that is so easy to understand that anyone will be able to grasp what he’s teaching despite the intimidating sounding geology jargon.

This, however, is not the entire scope of Crystal Basics. Pearson opens by explaining energy and how it operates within ourselves and the world, which includes the energy body and how those energies interact and affect each other. He provides great insight into building your own collection with methods to determine if a crystal is right for you or not—along with great tips for storing your stones properly. He then shows several methods of cleansing, dedicating, bonding with, programming, activating and deactivating your crystals. He then goes through meditation techniques that range from beginner to advanced to work with your crystal with your psychic faculties alone. 

But it doesn’t stop there. Crystal Basics shows how to make crystal elixirs (along with some recipes), how to make crystal grids and activate them (along with some templates), how to use crystal layouts for healing, and how to use them for cleansing, protecting, and several energy techniques like recharging yourself, clearing your aura, combing your aura, cutting cords, and extracting thoughtforms – all crucial psychic hygiene practices that anyone engaging in energy work should be performing in some manner.

After that, we have the directory of 200 of the most common stones and crystals you are most likely to come across and work with. The book concludes with an appendix of three indexes for easy to use reference for stones and their healing properties sorted by physical healing, psychological healing, spiritual healing. If there was one book on crystals that you should own, it’s hands down Crystal Basics regardless of how experienced you are or are not with working with them. This will most likely always be my recommendations for new readers. Oh. Did I mention the book is fully colored on every page and full of photos and illustrations? Because it is. 

 

About Mat Auryn
Mat Auryn is a witch, professional psychic, and occult teacher throughout the New England. He is the author of 'Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide To Meditation, Magick, and Manifestation'. He is a High Priest in the Sacred Fires Tradition of Witchcraft. As a psychic witch, Mat has had the honor and privilege of studying under some of the most prominent witchcraft teachers, elders, and witchcraft traditions. He runs the blog For Puck’s Sake on Patheos Pagan, is a content creator for Modern Witch, has a column in Witches & Pagans Magazine entitled 'Extra-Sensory Witchcraft', and a column in Horns Magazine. He has been featured in various magazines, radio shows, podcasts, books, anthologies, and other periodicals. You can read more about the author here.

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