There is a cosmic connection between crystal structures and human lifestyles! The inner structure of a mineral can mirror the way a human conducts his or her life.
Since crystals have a consistent molecular structure and vibrational frequency, they are quite stable energies. On the other hand, we humans, are much more malleable, changeable, and fluctuate due to an infinite number of influences like the ones I mentioned above.
We are all influenced by the things around us, whether we realize it or not. Why not actively use crystals as tools to our advantage?
Knowing about crystalline structures, you can take one of two approaches to working with crystals:
- Like Heals Like
- Foreign Territory
Let’s use the mineral fluorite as an example. Fluorite has a cubic crystalline structure, so it pertains to order, routine, and structure. So using the above different approaches, two different types of people could benefit from working with fluorite.
Example 1: Like Heals Like.
A man who is already very orderly but is feeling constricted, stuck, and unable to operate in any other way can work with fluorite to help him to dissolve the blocks, fixed ideas, and small-mindedness. Since the fluorite is basically perfect and unchangeable, it will help the man integrate the shadow aspects and help emphasize the bright side of living a Cubic Lifestyle.
Example 2: Foreign Territory.
A woman who feels she severely lacks organization and structure in her life can work with fluorite to help her to be aware of suppressed feelings, where she is not acting of her own accord, and aid in rapid information processing. Since the fluorite is basically perfect and unchangeable, through the process of sympathetic resonance, it will help her to find systems that are stable but dynamic. The fluorite will bring out the perfection that is already within the person.
Bit by bit, we can use the crystal structure archetypes to bring about healing in all areas of our lives.
Read the following Crystal Lifestyle descriptions. For the “Like Heals Like” approach, if one resonates with you, look up crystals with the corresponding structures to bring yourself into balance. For the “Foreign Territory” approach, choose a crystal from the structure you would like to embody.
1. The Cubic Lifestyle
Out of the seven shapes, the cubic square is the most regular. Their key word is: structure.
Cubic people are very orderly, “under control,” and rarely leave things up to chance. Everything has its place, time is used deliberately, and schedules and routines are a few of their favorite things. Cubic people are punctual, logical, systemic and precise. They have deep feelings, but don’t lead with their emotions. Their outward appearance is consistent; they likely have a signature style (like a black t-shirt and jeans every day), and they’re more conservative than unorthodox.
Shadow: lack of flexibility, rarely spontaneous. clinginess to the familiar; resistant to change. It’s hard to roll with the punches and keep going if a well-thought-out-plan falls through. There’s also a tendency to suppress intuition and feelings. Their bad habits may include a poor diet, smoking, alcohol, or a generally unhealthy lifestyle which is a challenge to overcome because they cannot see themselves living life any other way. They can be quite polarizing– seeing this as black/white, either/or, my way or the highway.
Cubic folk can also become quite dogmatic in their beliefs, and at the extremes may have strong missionary urges to save the world, or even be willing to use violence to promote their own ideas. Anything different or “other” is a threat, and must be eradicated by any means necessary.
Lesson: Loosen up; try not to take yourself so seriously.
Cubic crystals: pyrite, fluorite
2. The Hexagonal Lifestyle
Out of the seven shapes, a hexagon is the most efficient use of space; it has the smallest perimeter in relation to the area it encloses. Their key word is: efficiency.
Hexagonal folk are focused, with direction, goals, and a great urge toward success.
Hexagonal people are very consistent, straightforward, and honest. They take the shortest, most direct path without veering off course by distractions. They hate wasting time, and can distinguish between the necessary and superfluous. They remain true to themselves, are thorough and detailed, and embody a healthy and balanced diet and exercise regime. They’re easily able to detach from emotions if they get in the way. They set goals and accomplish them; always taking things to the next level and evolving despite any obstacles. Often, however, hexagonal humans stop one step short of the top- they like to have continual, infinite goals.
Shadow: becoming one-track minded and overly fixated on a single goal.This may result in feeling hectic, impatient and stressed that there is “never enough time.” Burnout can be common. The goal accomplishment isn’t satisfying; having a goal is the default state of being. Losing yourself and ignoring your own needs and limitations.
Lesson: Remember that the path IS the goal!
Hexagonal crystals: emerald, aquamarine, pyromorphite, hematite, calcite
3. The Trigonal Lifestyle
Of the seven shapes, the triangle is the simplest geometric form. The trigonal lifestyle key word is: simplicity.
Trigonal people are uncomplicated, constant and tranquil. They may embody the phrase: “don’t work harder; work smarter!” They prefer minimal efforts for maximum results. They’re more likely to be negligent than ambitious, and like to let things come to them. Trigonal folk have all the time in the world; why rush? One thing at a time. They’re patient, and pragmatic, and very skilled at simplifying procedures. Trigonal folk avoid conflicts and maintain peace.
Shadow: Superficiality. Laziness, and being lax can lead to health problems. Trigonal people may establish a quiet type of egotism where only their own well-being and interests matter the most. Instead of seeing others as human beings, other people are relegated to roles: clients, customers, salespeople, bosses, subordinates, patients, and so on. At the extremes, a trigonal person can become indifferent or apathetic; instead of living fully, they’re just functioning.
Lesson: Recognize how everyone is important and contributes to the whole.
Trigonal crystals: clear quartz, amethyst, citrine, dolomite
4. The Tetragonal Lifestyle
The rectangle might resemble the square, but that is where the similarities end. The tetragonal lifestyle key word is: duality.
Those living a tetragonal lifestyle appear to always be certain, put together and under control (like the cubic life), but on the inside they are incredibly spontaneous. They love the new and unknown. They love making plans, but have no problems scrapping the whole thing and doing something different, because they feel like it. The tetragonal person has a great capacity for personal development because they are not attached, but others may interpret it as unpredictable. The tetragonal person can talk their way into or out of anything and explain and justify their choices, even if deep down the answer was simply, “because I felt like it.”
They embody the dual nature in several ways: their moods can change and they can cover up their true feelings to deal with an outward situation effectively. Their outward appearance is used to not only make a statement about themselves, but to impart a certain image to others. They can change their whole dynamic with a quick appearance change, such as a new wardrobe, hairstyle, or even rapidly fluctuating weight. They use their appearance to influence how others see them, whether it’s as powerful, wealthy, provocative, demure, or whatever.
Shadow: the tetragonal mutability can lead to living a double life, or being host to so many personality facades that they don’t even know who they are themselves. They may keep little secrets and become dishonest just to maintain their personas. Their public face is much different than who they are when they’re alone at night.
Rock bottom is when one has to confess or a secret is discovered. The tendency for them in that moment is to build a new facade or explain away their choices, but if that fails, everything collapses. The tetragonal person loses their self-confidence and feels ashamed and inferior; forgetting their positive achievements. They may even wage war on the person or thing that exposed them, and plot revenge.
Lesson: trust that you are worthy just as you are.
Tetragonal Crystals: rutile, pyrolucite, zircon
5. The Rhombic Lifestyle
A rhombus is also similar to a square, and like the tetrahedron, the rhombic lifestyle also appears to outsiders as a condition in which everything appears to be in order.
For those living a rhombic lifestyle, life flows along like a tranquil river; winding, peaceful, and going with the flow. All is well and in order and without any special events, until suddenly it isn’t. “Out of nowhere,” they end a relationship, quit their job, move to a new place, get married, or just start a new life. Their life rhythm follows the pattern of normalcy for a long time, then suddenly makes a drastic change. Their strong points are thoroughness and meticulousness. They mightn’t come up with the great ideas, but can work with focus to see the manifestation come through. They mightn’t live in the limelight as the leader, but prefer the background, and are a great team player.
Shadow: losing oneself in the midst of just being a regular supporting character. The spontaneous breaks and changes come from a sudden awareness of the inner emptiness and a feeling that you haven’t been living your own life for a very long time. Then BAM! But making drastic changes out of the blue can lead to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
These instances of realization can only be rectified by going into the root cause of the problem. Otherwise, you make a big life change but subconsciously are attracting the same circumstances: the same old dependencies in new clothes.
Lesson: promote your own life, strengthen your own interests, reclaim your own sense of identity.
Rhombic crystals: garnet, aragonite, topaz
6. The Monoclinic Lifestyle
A parallelogram appears to be right on the tipping point. The monoclinic lifestyle’s key word is: changeability.
The monoclinic lifestyle is one of regular ups and downs. Life is ever-changing, so these natives are unlikely to commit to future plans. They’ll say, “Let’s meet after sundown” instead of 6:30 p.m. You resonate with the phrase: “life is what happens while we’re making plans.” They prefer to operate prudently and with consistency, but are quite spontaneous. They consider both sides of the equation when making decisions, and can torment themselves by seeing the pros and cons of every option.
Shadow: self-doubt and inconsistency. Instability can be detrimental, and health can fluctuate rapidly, as they don’t eat or sleep with regularity. Monoclinic people are easily influenced and may find their self-worth wasting away as doubts affect their ability to make decisions and function. The pile of potential projects grows larger and seems insurmountable.
Lesson: take things step by step to give you the self-esteem boost and forward momentum. Focus directly on problems; action brings experience, and experience prevents doubt. Learn to trust your feelings. Intuition brings perfection.
Monoclinic crystals: muscovite, petalite, charoite
7. The Triclinic Lifestyle
Where the parallelogram (monoclinic) has two sets of parallel lines and is always on a tipping point, the triclinic trapezoid only has one set of parallel lines. When the broad base is below and the top is narrow, the trapezoid appears rather stable and fixed, but it does need to flip upside down to fit in the area to be filled. An upside-down trapezoid looks wobbly and insecure. Both aspects are the reality of the Triclinic Lifestyle. The key word is: fluctuation.
Where the parallelogram (monoclinic) has two sets of parallel lines and is always on a tipping point, the triclinic trapezoid only has one set of parallel lines so there’s even less balance or stability. The Triclinic Lifestyle is one of regular fluctuation between two poles, and natives are volatile, spontaneous and unpredictable. Life is erratic and fated.
Those living the Triclinic Lifestyle have an interesting notion of time: it’s completely subjective. One day time flies; the next it drags endlessly. One day might be perfectly easy, but the next is a challenge from the moment they get out of bed. Triclinic folks are creative and full of ideas and inspiration, but if they aren’t grasped and written down or acted upon immediately, they’re gone.
This way of being makes planning difficult, but then they are very good at making things happen and allowing things to fall into place. They’re used to the daily ups and downs, but how one interprets them depends on their mindset: life can be an adventurous paradise or a hellish labyrinth. Unlike the monoclinic lifestyle, the triclinic one doesn’t have such trouble decision-making, and they carry it out consistently, whatever it is: a negative or positive attitude toward life.
Shadow: moodiness. Where the monoclinic mood shift is wavy, the triclinic mood shift is an extreme zigzag. Mood changes are without trigger. The negative interpretation begins with indifference; they can become apathetic as they succumb to the madness of life. They become more passive and embody victim mentality- the problem is external: other people, the system, evil forces, or whatever. One needs these imaginary enemies to justify your pitiable state. They don’t trust anyone’s intentions, even those who offer help.
Lesson: become a doer rather than a victim in your own life. Take responsibility for every aspect of life and recognize that there is no pure coincidence. Use the roller coaster of life to develop clairvoyance; listen to the signposts, and find that fate means you no harm. “Every day is a winding road. I get a little bit closer, to feeling fine.”
Triclinic crystals: amazonite, turquoise, feldspar, ulexite
8. The Amorphous Lifestyle
The key word for amorphism is versatility. The Amorphous Lifestyle embodies everything and nothing simultaneously.
Every moment is new, unique, and cannot be repeated. Once they’ve done one thing, it’s on to the next with no looking back. It’s not about change, or transformation, because those terms imply a before and after. All there is, to you, is the NOW. Does time exist? Does it matter? Amorphous people understand the notion of being present to the moment.
They feel the full spectrum of emotions, but only one at a time, and fully. They wear their heart on their sleeves without pretense or false masks. They flow in, are completely one with the feeling, and move on without attachment. Sometimes they’re out and about like a butterfly; other times they’re still and tranquil as a the flower. Either way, they embody freedom and cannot be tied down.
Shadow: if you become attached, it throws you off balance. Getting tied up in the past or future can yield depression or anxiety. The shadow side of losing the “here and now” turns into “no future,” and they can become self-destructive and apathetic.
Tool: When you’re down, understand that the deepest depth is only one of your infinite possibilities. It lasts for a moment, and you’re on to the next.
Amorphous crystals: amber, moldavite, obsidian
Learning To Work With Crystals: Choice & Possibility
Some of the descriptions above may remind you of some of the zodiac sign characteristics! Just as we all have 12 houses and all of the zodiac signs work to influence our lives, we all may embody a few characteristics of more than one of the crystal systems. They are all part of the whole, and no one lifestyle is better than another. They’re simply different ways of being, and all valid.
Each lifestyle contains two possibilities: the positive begets development and self-fulfillment, and the negative begets detriments and increasing difficulties, and the need for balance and adjustment.
Crystals don’t form in a day; learning to play an instrument doesn’t happen in a week. Working with crystals is a process that takes a lot of time and introspection. It will take a few months until the effect becomes noticeable. Then you have to put the process into practice until it has become part and parcel of your being.
It’s all a choice. We all have the potential to delve deep into the shadow aspects of ourselves, and often it needs to be experienced and unearthed to bring to the surface to integrate. By using the tools of the shadow, we can take responsibility, fully, for our lives and make the choice to embody the positive.
