The Inner Beauty Bible: Mindful rituals to nourish your soul. Laurey Simmons

doesn’t mean they don’t occur.

      As crystals are able to maintain their vibrational frequency, they’re better than any other substance in the known physical universe at transmitting energy forms in a specific direction. This is why Quartz crystal is the standard material used to ensure watches keep time, and why silicon chips (silicon is a crystal) are used in computers. We can best understand the importance of crystals and their stability if we consider how unstable the human body is, which is changing all the time. It’s known that every seven years, most cells in your body are replaced. Even in our own experience, we can see how quickly physical attributes like our skin, and invisible attributes like our thoughts and feelings, change from moment to moment.

      So it’s really amazing that we have these beautiful objects from Mother Earth that, because they’re so stable, can help us very changeable humans to do amazing things like keep time and communicate vast amounts of information via our computers.

       ‘Crystals are better than any other substance in the known physical universe at transmitting energy forms in a specific direction.’

       How Crystals Heal

       ‘Crystals are the eyes, the ears, the nose and the mouth of the Earth, which uses them to see, to hear, to smell and to taste. It is also through them that it communicates with its other brothers and sisters, with the planets in the solar system. Each crystal taken from the earth maintains its contact with the heart of the earth.’

       Luc Bourgault

      Beauty is itself a powerful form of healing. When I’m feeling out of sorts or a little run down, I’ll often go and treat myself to a bunch of sweet-smelling flowers like hyacinths, roses or freesias. I place them in my view and just let their beauty uplift me throughout the day. And crystals are, in my mind, some of the most beautiful objects in the world.

      But beyond their natural beauty, crystals have been known and used for their magical healing powers for thousands of years. So how do crystals heal? Well, like so many healing tools and medicines, we’re not 100 per cent sure. There are, however, some explanations that make a lot of sense to me. Remember that crystals have a consistent molecular structure which makes them really good at keeping time? When we humans are in harmony, all parts of us (thoughts, feelings, cells, organs) are working together to support each other: our inner world is like one big happy family. On one level, crystals heal because, through their highly consistent molecular structure, they bring inconsistent energies back into harmony. When you come into contact with a crystal, you become synchronized with that crystal’s specific signature frequency. This bringing back into harmony is known as ‘entrainment’.

      To understand entrainment, I like to think about walking down a very busy street: there are car horns honking, machines drilling, people shouting, the air is full of pollution. My heart starts beating faster, and my system gets tense as it ‘entrains’ to this chaotic scene. On the other hand, if I go home from this scene, light some candles, play some relaxing music and create a nice bath ritual for myself, then my heart slows down and my body relaxes, as my system entrains to the different vibrations. We actually entrain to rhythms all the time, although we’re usually not aware of this process. There are many examples of entrainment in nature, such as fireflies that entrain to each other so that their flashes of light happen in a perfect harmony. And it’s usually the weaker, more chaotic, less stable vibration that will entrain to the stronger, more consistent, more stable vibration. This is why crystals are so amazing: because they’re so consistent, their vibration so stable, we naturally entrain to them. Alongside this, crystals support our intentions. Once we have used a particular crystal in a ritual or even if we’ve just been sitting with it, it then serves as an energetically charged and beautiful reminder of the intention we have set.

      During my time spent with Native and South American wisdom-keepers, my eyes were opened to a deeper understanding of how crystals heal us. My teachers shared with me that the stones they worked with contained the spiritual energy of the place they came from. In Andean wisdom, some of the most powerful energies or spirits are associated with the sacred mountains (apus). When a person is on pilgrimage around one of their sacred mountains, a stone or crystal might call out to them. This stone (khuya) will contain the highly charged energy of that particular mountain’s spirit. This energy can then be taken with a person in the form of the stone, and that stone will be used for healing.

      So, how can you incorporate the healing energies of crystals into your home and everyday life in a way that will help your Inner Beauty unfold? A good way to start is by adding a few crystals to your sacred space. Overleaf, you’ll find an overview of some of the main crystals. As you continue to read through this book, you’ll find different rituals that use crystals in different ways. For example, here is a ritual related to sleep, which involves placing certain crystals in your bedroom. Another great way of connecting with the healing energy of crystals in your everyday life is wearing crystals in jewellery. I have a collection of different crystal necklaces that I choose depending on which energies I want to connect with that day. You can also carry crystals around with you in your pocket or close to your body. In the Andean tradition, people carry their crystals and stones in a special cloth along with other sacred items, and this whole bundle is called a mesa. (More on this here.)

      People often ask me, ‘How do I know what is the best crystal for me?’ The best advice I can give is to trust your intuition. Go with what speaks to your heart, what feels right. When you’re looking at crystals you might be attracted to a specific one visually. When you hold a crystal, you might feel a certain connection. Pay close attention when holding a crystal to whether it gives you a certain positive feeling on the inside. I often think that crystals pick us rather than us picking them.

      Overview of Some of the Main Crystals

       Rose Quartz

      Rose Quartz is a beautiful pink stone belonging to the Quartz family. It’s known as the stone of love and is associated with the heart, radiating calming energies of compassion and nurture. Rose Quartz is like the soft pink rose, opening its petals to reveal its heart and true beauty. In ancient Egypt, women would add powdered Rose Quartz to their beauty creams, believing it would bring them eternal beauty and youthfulness. Later in this book, I’ll share some beauty tips with you that include Rose Quartz to spice up your normal beauty routine. I love what Joy Gardner says of Rose Quartz, ‘For those who have been hurt in love, Rose Quartz is the Divine Mother who rocks you in her arms whilst she exudes unconditional love.’