Crystals EXPLAINED with Yliana Castell
Seems like everyone has crystals these days.. even random hotel gift shops…but are they real? Do they work? How do you use them?
Being part of the spiritual community you're almost expected to know about EVERY tool, mechanism, school of practice, etc... but that's impossible…so I sat down with my friend and certified crystal healer, Yliana Castell, and talked about how to use crystals, how to tell the real from the fake, her favorite crystals to work with and so much more.
How did you get into crystals?
I feel like when I was a little girl and like most kids I LOVED crystals and still do. Most people think they are just “rocks” but I feel that kids can feel them. So I remember being into them when I was little. My first crystal bracelet I got was in the 5th or 6th grade and it was a tigers eye. It clearly left an impression that I still remember. As an adult how I came back to them was I went to a psychic fair and it was in the spring of 2017. A card reader was pulling for me and said that I am meant to work with crystals. I thought how generic is that right of all things to say. I quickly checked my ego and said ok I will work on connecting to them. So of course there were crystals at this fair and I went to the counter I was drawn to the most and spirit spoke. I tell all my clients that are called to crystals to go about it this way as well when starting.
Take a deep anchoring breath and Just look at them, don't read the names or the descriptions just look at them. What is your EYE drawn to and I don't mean the two on your face. The crystal or crystals your eye keeps catching and not because it's pretty but you are just drawn to it, that's the one. Get it, ask for the name and write it down. When you get home cleanse and get quiet with it. Place it on your heart head or your hands and meditate with it. Let it speak to you and tell you what it is used for, or just what feelings do you feel when connecting. Then write it down. Now you can google or Pinterest (my fave) to see what the meaning is or how to use it and just see how it resonates. So long answer I started there. Since then I have become a certified crystal healer and built quite the collection of crystals.
How do you use them?
I use them in crystal healing sessions where I intuitively choose crystals to place on who is there for their session and activate the energy and attune it to them for healing. There are certain crystal protocols as well that can be used. For example if you have kidney stones or bronchitis there are crystals and placements on the body that align with healing those ailments. I wear them, I bathe with ones that are safe to be in water, I have a crystal water bottle to help attune to the frequency of the crystals and drink the frequency. I have my clients intuitively pick their own at the beginning of their sessions and learn about them.
What are your favorites? And why?
Nuummite is one of my faves for deep healing and shadow work. If it's hidden it WILL bring it out.
Apophyllite is another that I love to clear my channel.
Citrine to clear out our solar plexus. A Lot of people think of manifestation, and while yes, how can you call in what you want when you are storing outdated things in your energy body. So I love it to clear the solar plexus and release what is in our bodies “hard drive.”
Charoite feels like the wise high priestess energy. It is deeply healing and helps in connecting to oneself and our intuition.
Scolecite I instantly hear Sean Pauls “ Just GIve Me The Light” lol. This is paired beautifully with Nuummite. One is the dark and this the light. This is a crystal of pure light activation.
Bloodstone if I need to remember who the fuck I am. Plain and simple this is all about coming back to the very passion driven part of YOU.
Smoky quartz gives me detox and support. If I am going through it you will find me with a very large smoky quartz in my bed or bath. It is super soothing and grounding, all while removing what is no longer serving me for my greatest and highest good.
Black tourmaline protects and defends. Everyone needs a black tourmaline to balance out the energy around themselves or their homes.
What are your top three that you like to use during a session with a client?
I have a massive Amethyst that sits on my desk between me and my client. I call her the Queen, she literally has her own crown even. But she is used to help balance the emotions and bring tender peace to the space. She is truly so soothing. Under my client couch I have a black obsidian pyramid to really ground and draw out anything not serving their energy, it's also great for shadow work. I have a celestite on my desk I use to invite our angels and guides into each session.
What are some crystals you would recommend for someone suffering from anxiety, self limiting beliefs or creative block?
Specifically for anxiety Lepidolite, hands down. It actually has lithium in it which was used back in the day to help with mood stabilizing and mania. With anxiety there is build up of overthinking causing it so clear quartz on the upper chakras to clear out overthinking.Rainbow Calcite is great for stress, it reminds me of a beach vacation. Sunstone will truly uplift the spirit. Bloodstone reminds me of Xena the warrior princess, ain't nothing blocking her! Orange crystals will help inspire creativity as it supports the sacral chakra where we house our creative energy.
What are the different ways we can incorporate crystals in our everyday lives?
When clients start out with crystals I encourage them to place their crystals on a dresser or end table and each day pick one they are drawn to and connect with it. Feel into the support it is offering. Wearing them is great just make sure you have a selenite slab or something to lay them on to charge between wears.
What’s the best way to recharge crystals? How often? And why is it so important to recharge and/or cleanse them? Is recharging and cleansing the same thing?
Crystals like us carry energy so it is important to have proper spiritual hygiene for ourselves and our tools. I use selenite to lay them on or at least touch certain ones daily. I use palo santo or sage after each use of crystals. I find that crystals like the energy of palo santo more than sage in my opinion. The full moon is optimal cleansing, if you haven't been keeping up with after every use cleansing then use the moon. If you can put them directly on the earth under a full moon that is the ultimate cleanse. Avoid full moon cleansing when it is an eclipse as eclipse energy is unstable. If you are the only person handling your crystals then a full moon cleansing is really all you need. I am working with them daily and they are handled by more than just me so that is why there is more cleansing involved.
How can you tell a real from a fake crystal? What should we look out for?
This is such a good question and there are so many crystals that get faked. I even consider man made crystals fake but I know others do not but I will list a couple popular ones. So crystals I see for sale alot that are most likely 99% fake are “Super 7” also known as Melody Stone. This is a stone that is so incredibly rare that the mine no longer exists; it is literally under water. Now there is auralite 23 that used to be labeled as super 7 but unfortunately it is not super 7. I see a lot of Red Cap Amethyst sold as well for super 7. So if you have a “Super 7” you more than likely do not, it's like a willy wonka golden ticket kinda thing and people made fake tickets. Next is the popular moldavite. I am not a huge tik tok person and I started getting ALOT of questions about moldavite a couple years ago. Which let me tell you that crystal can literally put you on your ass so I was curious as to why it was so popular…Tik Tok. I did a live in my facebook group Divine Soulful Healing because it is so strong and I felt like a lot of people would be misusing it and two because it is not easy to come by. At least real ones it is very easy to turn glass into moldavite. Malachite is another. I see a lot of fakes, turquoise and Aura Crystals. The man made ones I usually don't work with are Howlite, goldstone and heat treated citrine. Beads can be faked the easiest, and how I check is by scratching where the hole is to see if color comes off or if the string is dyed. I feel like a good way to tell if something is faked is if it looks too perfect, and I mean super vibrant colors and symmetrical lines. Most crystals that are high quality and somewhat hard to come by are not cheap by any means.
Do you have any tips when we go shopping for crystals? Where should I buy them?
Ground yourself before and after! When you ground yourself you won't feel so overwhelmed. Also set an intention of finding what your mind,body, or spirit needs. The crystals will feel that intention and illuminate what you need.
Do you have a preferred vendor that you trust?
I try to really feel into a shop and the integrity of a shop. One shop that I hands down love and trust is The Lunar Fae Shop on etsy. I have personally seen how Evangeline shops for her crystal babies and have seen how she nurtures them till they go on to their forever homes. She is a Reiki Master so everything comes cleansed and charged ready for you to attune yourself to it. She also started the Earth Gifting Project which is incredible, you can check out her insta pages. So I do buy most of my crystals from her. For me it is important that the energy exchange is in the highest vibrational exchange possible.
Insta: @thelunarfaeshop
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheLunarFae
Can we contact you for crystal advice?
Absolutely! I love to guide and mentor anywhere I can. I have a list of services I offer and I love connecting with others.
You can message me through my website:
Any last thoughts or advice?
Intention is so important and powerful. Be respectful of these precious gems of the earth and always give so much gratitude for having such a special piece of Mama Earth to help with your healing, your business or decorate your home.
ABOUT YLIANA CASTELL: