Book Review: The Beginner's Guide to Crystal Healing by Ashley Leavy

Title: The Beginner's Guide to Crystal Healing

Author: Ashley Leavy
Genre: Spirituality - Energy Healing - Crystals
Publisher: New Shoe Press - Copyright 2022
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Read: November 9, 2022
Disclaimer: I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Discover 100 of the most empowering crystals for promoting spiritual balance, protection, and healing. 

The Beginner’s Guide to Crystal Healing, adapted from Ashley Leavy’s Crystals for Energy Healing, offers the perfect amount of information for the budding crystal enthusiast, including a range of crystals and their natural attributes, legendary powers, and holistic benefits along with information on each crystal’s specific energy and how the channel it for protection and healing. 

This essential guide features beautiful photography of every stone for clear identification as well as charts and illustrations detailing the basics of crystals for chakras, energy, and psychic healing. You will gain an essential understanding of crystals and how to use them, and help finding the right crystals for your own needs, as you explore: 

*Crystal basics, including what they are, how they work, and some of the common ways to use them 

*How to choose, cleanse, and dedicate your crystals 

*How to incorporate crystal healing into your daily routine, including affirmations, chakra balancing, crystal grids, and meditations 

*A crystal directory divided into three sections by purpose (emotional healing, spiritual healing and guidance, and shielding and protection) that helps you select the right crystals for each situation and use them effectively 

Protect your energy-body, change your mindset, and balance your emotions with this easy-to-use crystal guide.

Review: First, let me begin by saying I love crystals and stones. I have them placed all over my house, and every year, my husband and I travel to a gem & mineral show that's held around the same time as my birthday so I can add to my collection. So when I say I've read a lot of books on crystals and how they can be used for healing, wellness, and magic, I mean I've truly read a lot of books. 

Now, with that said, I can honestly tell you that Leavy's The Beginner's Guide to Crystal Healing is one of the best I've come across in recent years. The book is written in a plain manner that is both engaging and informative. Leavy takes the time in the beginning of the book to explain what crystals are, how they naturally form, how they've been used over time for everything from healing to magic to simple decor. 

The book is divided into three main sections dealing with the basics, crystal healing, and a crystal sourcebook that's further broken down into three subsections dealing with crystals for emotional healing, crystals for spiritual healing, and crystals for shielding and protection. I really like this layout for the sourcebook because while most books list stone and crystals in alphabetical order like an encyclopedia it can often been hard to find the right information in a hurry. If you're an energy worker, such as a Reiki practitioner or empath, then you know there are times when you need critical information at your fingertips. Although the sourcebook provided here is not exhaustive, it does cover many of the most commonly used crystals used in healing.

In addition to an easily searched sourcebook, "The Basics" of crystals are discussed with topics such as the history of crystal healing, ways of using healing crystals, sensing energies and selecting crystals, as well as how to properly cleanse and maintain your crystals. I especially like Leavy's suggestion to begin a crystal healing journal. This is a fabulous idea for someone who is just starting out because it allows you to see how your relationship with crystals grows over time, what works for you, what doesn't work, and how you're progressing. Leavy also addresses shapes and colors for crystals and how these can affect the energy. This isn't a topic I've personally seen covered in too many books and found it to be a welcomed addition here.

The section for crystal healing includes topics on how to get started, incorporating crystals into your personal and sacred spaces, and combining crystals with positive affirmations as well as exercises for including crystals in meditation. The exercises are simple and yet so effective for helping to open the senses to working with crystal energies. Again, this is an often overlooked topic in some books and an overly complicated one in others. I appreciate Leavy's deft touch at balancing between information, effectiveness, and ease. 

Overall, The Beginner's Guide to Crystal Healing is a great source book for anyone who is interested in learning the basics of crystal healing. Even seasoned energy workers will find helpful information and exercises to enhance their relationship with crystals.