Crystals are an easy, accessible, and fun way to enhance your tarot practice. Not only do they add beauty and aid with intention, they can also add clarity to your readings and spreads.
Different crystals enhance different qualities of your tarot reading, and can help ground you, add a sense of calm, and block negative or chaotic energy. You can use crystals before, during, and after your readings. Every crystal or stone brings a new dimension to your practice.
How to Choose Crystals for a Tarot Reading
Intention is a great place to start when adding crystals to your tarot practice. For example, if your intention for the day is to find clarity in a situation, choose a crystal that helps with clearing energy, like quartz. Below are the features and benefits of different crystals and how each one can bring focus and depth to your practice.
Quartz
- Strong and healing, universal in its meaning and use — it helps with all areas of the body and mind.
- Aids in clarification and can be used in any tarot reading.
- Helpful for clarity and enhancing intuition.
- Amplifies the energy of other crystals, so it can always be used to enhance and support your intention.
- Relates to all of the chakras to create balance.
Rose Quartz
- Pulls in the energy of love, harmony, and compassion.
- Cleanses and clears with love and acceptance for self and others.
- Very healing — fosters opening and vulnerability in a safe and supported way.
- Great for relationship readings, or any reading needing connection and acceptance.
- Relates to the heart chakra and can help with opening, balancing, and release.
Amethyst
- Based in connection to spirit and internal peace.
- Enhances psychic abilities and is wonderful for meditation and tapping into your intuition.
- Provides clarity and a larger understanding.
- A calming and healing presence — can be used in any reading to aid with interpretation.
- Relates to the third eye and crown chakras, increasing vibration and helping with insights.
Citrine
- Enhances energy and encourages hope and happiness.
- Relates to the sun, and helps with self-expression and creativity.
- If you need to reinvigorate your energy for a reading, citrine is the way to go.
- Enlivens and focuses on abundance and self-esteem.
- Connects to the solar plexus and crown chakras, assisting in manifestation and awakening.
Tiger's Eye
- Focuses on protection and strength.
- Aids in intuitive decisions while also grounding and promoting practicality.
- Can aid in making difficult decisions related to money or employment.
- Helps balance emotions — great for diffusing heavy emotional energy in a reading.
- Relates to the sacral and solar plexus chakras.
Selenite
- Great for clearing energy and rejuvenating spaces and people.
- Promotes clarity and concentration, and helps with awareness.
- Can be used to clear energy before or after a reading, or anytime there is negative or heavy energy.
- Placing selenite near the entrance of your home can help keep unwanted energy out of your space.
Moonstone
- Relates to feminine energy and lunar cycles.
- New beginnings and releasing old cycles are great intentions for this crystal.
- Great to use if you're having a hard time interpreting a situation or reading.
- Calming and a tool for self-reflection.
- Relieves anxiety and stress and helps balance the sacral and heart chakras.
Red Jasper
- Connects to the earth and helps with stability and foundation.
- Great for grounding in times of stress, and helps with moving forward and direction.
- Ideal for readings involving a difficult situation to unravel, or when you need strength.
- Relates to the root chakra and creates a sense of will and determination.
Choose your crystal based on the intention for the reading, current astrological events, or simply by using your intuition. Every crystal brings different power, vibration, and emotional and psychic elements to your practice.
How to Begin Your Crystal Tarot Reading
Start by focusing on your intention and needs for the day. Perhaps you're seeking clarity in a relationship, want to set a future goal, or are simply looking to check in with yourself. You can choose a crystal that matches your intention, or use one you feel drawn to intuitively.
Cleanse Your Space
If you feel called, do a cleanse before you begin to set your intention. A selenite wand or smoke cleansing is a great way to do this. I like to use sage or palo santo, but find what works for you. Cleanse the crystal you plan to use, yourself, and the room to make sure there is a clear space for intention to come through.
It's helpful to meditate on your intention with your crystal in your hand or close by. If you don't have a strong meditation practice, simply take a few deep breaths while holding your crystal and repeat your intention three times, either to yourself or aloud.
Create a Space for Your Reading
During your reading, place the crystal or crystals around your tarot card or spread to help guide your interpretation and add a grounding focus. If you're using multiple crystals, you can create a shape surrounding your spread to keep out unwanted energy — it also creates a beautiful aesthetic.
You can also place a crystal on a center card in the spread to enhance the vibration of that card. For example, during a relationship reading, you could place rose quartz on top of The Lovers card to place emphasis on that aspect of your reading.
Final Cleanse
After your reading, cleanse your cards, yourself, and your space again — especially if it was an emotionally intense process. You can use a selenite wand or a smoke cleanse. For protection, store your tarot deck with black tourmaline, obsidian, or labradorite. All of these protect against outside energy and help neutralize your cards and space.
Store Your Crystals
After your reading, store your crystals in a safe space or tarot altar so they're at hand when you need them again. Other cleansing options include water, salt water, sunlight, or sound from a singing bowl. When there's a full moon, place your crystals outside or near a window to charge and infuse them with lunar energy.
As with everything in tarot, there isn't a wrong way to use crystals. Enjoy the beauty and intricacies of each one, and have fun finding new and interesting crystals to bring into your practice.