What I Experienced on My First Visit to a Healing Crystal Store

I grew up in a household where the only gemstones celebrated were diamonds, emeralds, pearls, and rubies. Apart from these highly popular stones, I wasn't aware of the others that were used for not only fashion, but as a healing alternative to medicine, among other things. As I navigate through our modern society, I've discovered an array of precious stones that are used for many different areas of our lives. Take for instance, quartz, "a mineral composed of silicon and oxygen atoms." It can be found in different parts of the world in places like Brazil, Russia, Morocco and Namibia and it comes in different colors too, it's also used in the production of watches and clocks. Quartz is known to have healing properties and the ability to extend protection to its owners from negative energies. If you're like me, a skeptic, then this all may sound like mumbo jumbo to you. Regardless, many people swear by what it can do and recently, I became a believer.

While going through my Instagram a few weeks ago, I came across one of Gabourey Sidibe’s pictures showcasing her crystals, where she mentioned that "Mercury is in retrograde and I don't have time for..." Immediately it caught my attention because these stones were not only magnificent, but they could possibly hold special abilities. I began to research healing crystals and an array of information and testimonials showed up, so I wanted to see for myself just how accurate the information was. I researched and researched, and even spoke with a few people about their beliefs and opinions of these powerful stones. Each person had something positive to say and so, my curiosity lead me to a crystal store in a quaint town in upstate New York. After my many efforts trying to convince my partner that visiting the store is no different from going to a clothing store, he finally agreed to take me crystal shopping.

We gassed up and headed to Wurtsboro, NY to the Crystal Connection store in hopes of landing that special negativity busting rock! After driving for about two hours, we got into town and immediately noticed the calmness in the air, the peacefulness you feel when you're outside of NYC, but more so, the kind that comes from having a crystal store in an old church, on the Main Street. (Thank you, Gabourey because this awesome journey would not have been possible without you.) We parked, made our way to the little yellow church and upon arrival, found a plethora of beautiful semi-precious stones. The owner called it a "candy store for adults." I was amazed and highly intrigued at what the store and these crystals had to offer. I must add that it was rather overwhelming at times for both my partner and I. We were encouraged to feel the crystals and their vibrations before making the decision to purchase it. Anyway, I pretty much checked out every crystal in the store and bought the ones I aesthetically connected with.

When we finally made it to the checkout counter, I wanted to know if the owner felt certain vibrations from the rocks and from us because my head felt like it wanted to explode, and I assume that he too, must feel something from working there for so many hours. Well, he did confirm that he felt a tingle in the back of his head, which signaled to him that someone was "stuck in their head" and another was more in tune with their body, more specifically, their stomach. He was right! My partner lives in his head more than 90 percent of the time and I consider myself to be highly intuitive and present. We looked at each other, smiled and left the store. When we got back into the car, the feeling we got from being around the crystals amazed us both, and he was incredibly freaked out by the thought of someone reading him so accurately. He was now officially curious about the things he's heard about crystals and wanted to know more about them, as well as the supposed gift the owner might've had.

He headed back to store, armed with questions this time. As I awaited his return, I continued to feel the serenity I felt when we first got into town and now I was convinced that the crystals played a role. I played around with my crystals, speaking of my intentions and hoping that these precious stones would connect with me, cleansing my aura. Anyway, my partner returned to the car and excitedly expressed his experience. Apparently, he must've drilled the owner into showing proof that these stones are indeed powerful. When I asked about his time in there, he explained that the owner asked him to stand one leg, holding out his arms while he tugged at him. He lost balance the first time he pulled on him and after holding a black tourmaline in one hand, still standing on one leg, my partner was completely grounded. Although he's still skeptical and doesn't agree with the thought of people giving power to an inanimate object, he was extremely impressed. Overall, it was a great experience for the both of us.

When we got home, I decided to research the meaning and properties of the stones I bought and was pleasantly surprised by one particular stone, Epidote. It had this interesting shape and color, so after playing around with it for a little while, I decided to get it along with red and green calcite, pink kunzite, green fluorite, Colombian Lemurian, pink opal, magnetite, blue and black kyanite, raw ruby and pyrite. Prior to going to the Crystal Connection, I made a list of stones I'd like to get, but epidote was not on my list, so when I began my research and saw that it was used to "treat disorders of the thyroid and nervous system," I took it as a sign because it was not on my list and my OB/GYN suspects that I may have thyroid issues. By now you're probably thinking that I'm getting a bit too far ahead, but I can reassure you that I was both incredibly floored and overwhelmed at the same time. Sure, it could've been coincidental, but given what I now know about crystals, I rebuke that notion.

Modern crystal healing philosophy is based on Asian cultural concepts, especially the life energy Chinese concept and the Buddhist and Hindu concept of chakras. 

I was fascinated with the promising healing properties of crystals. So, I tried to find some relevant information about the healing crystals or gemstones online. According to a trusted source, healing crystals may induce a placebo effect, which is powerful and real.

I remember my cousin telling me about using moonstone to alleviate stomach problems. She has a beautiful white moonstone necklace pendant, suspended on a silver chain she wears to safeguard her gut health, especially when dining outdoors.

Black tourmaline, on the other hand, is thought to help improve blood circulation, detoxification, weight loss, and the immune system. I saw this post on social media and find this crystal quite interesting.

I also read online that celestite is good for sleep because this crystal calms the body and mind, perfect for insomniacs. It's practical to keep such a beautiful blue stone for a healing and a peaceful night of sleep. My mother gave my older sister black onyx when she went to college. This stone is thought to maintain happiness, transforming negative energy to positive.

I'm still not 100 percent convinced though, that these gems have special healing properties, however, based on my experience so far, I'm keeping an open mind to the possibility. This article isn't to make you a believer in crystals, but merely sharing my thoughts and experience with you. A celebrity opened my mind to it; I spent time researching and eventually made the call to visit the Crystal Connection store to further explore the power of crystals. It was an eye-opening experience and I would recommend a visit to anyone interested in starting his or her own Crystal collection. In addition to the ones purchased at the store, I also have most of the quartz family, agate, tiger's eye, red jasper, apache tears, bloodstone, jet, onyx, tourmaline, jade, aquamarine, lapis lazuli, peridot, septarian, garnet, aventurine, obsidian, and carnelian. If you can't make it to the Crystal store, amazon.com has a wide array, so I'm sure you'll be able to pick some up. Again, I am not advocating for these crystals, however, if you're a believer then it's all you. Happy Crystal shopping!