I was recently asked how I go about choosing crystals for my mandalas and I decided to write about it.
Am I Choosing Crystals for Mandalas or do the Crystals Choose Themselves?
I’m never really sure if it’s me choosing the stones or if it’s the stones coming forward to me. Maybe it’s a bit of both. I kind of fell into using the crystals with mandalas as I had never planned on them turning into the second ingredient for my mandalas.
When I had started out drawing mandalas, I had already had the idea for digital coloring pages. I even shared this with my teacher at the time to pursue so I never thought I’d follow that breadcrumb.
How I draw them today, I’d never have seen that developing. This is probably a good thing because if you had told me then, I’d have not believed that crystals and mandalas could work so well together.
How I Choose the Crystals
Before I draw, I meditate. This has always been step 1 for me and you can read more about how I draw Oracle Mandalas here.
I always ask what stone to draw when it comes to my mandalas, and if I don’t know what to stone to use, it will come to my mind during meditation.
Other times in the middle of doing something silly like showering or watching TV, then I will get a “download” and I just know what stone to use. This is how my first Crystal Mandala was born. I was watching The L Word and Malachite popped into my head with the idea of drawing it as a crystal mandala.
I have had instances where I just drew for no reason at all and once I’ve completed the sketch, I have known what stone is going to work well with the drawing. Here, a lot of my research and work with crystals come into play because they’re an aspect of my life interwoven into all that I do.
While I am completing a mandala, most of the time, I will know what stone to draw next. It will pop into my mind and then remain there. Weeks can go by and the stone sticks in my mind. It kind of serves as a reminder that this is one to go with, so I do. If I don’t know, I do the meditation as mentioned above.
In Conclusion
Many know by now that crystals really can complement almost every avenue of your life and journey. Mandalas are no different.
There is no secret to working with crystals, except to use them with honest intentions. If you listen to them, they’ll share the “secrets” with you. That is what I do: listen, then draw. I’m simply sharing what they share with me.