Crystalline Creatures: Animal Centered Crystal Healing

Our kitty, P.

If you are a pet owner, you already know what an integral part a furred, feathered, finned or scaled companion can be to your daily life.  As animal guardians, we take not only responsibility for our pets, but have a strong emotional investment in their well being.  As a lifelong pet owner myself, there is almost nothing I wouldn’t do to ensure the health, happiness and overall well being of my animals.  Between sharing our space with us every day, and the emotional bond forged between human and animal- our pets form a mutual, very strong energetic connection with us, as their caretakers.  This connection is why we feel so comforted, connected and empathetic to our little companions.  Their innocent, vulnerable nature of being domestic animals has them completely dependent on us- and that is something truly profound. 

Mole with some of her crystal collection

If you’re someone who also surrounds yourself with crystals in a metaphysical/healing modality- you may find yourself asking the question: “How can I incorporate crystal energy in to my pets life?” 

In our family, we choose to adopt our animals.  If you’re someone who has been down the adoption path, you know it’s often not one pathed smoothly.  Adopted animals have previous lives and previous experiences that have shaped who they are- and to be quite honest, if they are up for adoption…in many cases their life before you was not an easy or happy one.  We’ve had the sorrows of hearing the unfortunate circumstances our babies have endured, and had the joys of seeing them heal from these experiences.  Good training, a balanced diet, patience and our constant validation to them of the love we feel towards them; we feel are the ingredients to them leading healthier, happier lives where they feel valued and cared for.  

We also have to add however, that crystals are undoubtably a part of the equation in our household.  Prior to beginning our journey of being crystal shop owners, we were emphatic collectors.  So, naturally our pets have always cohabited with crystals.  We constantly receive remarks from those who have experienced our animals from when they arrive home to when they've settled in with us that they have undoubtably made progress and adjusted quite well to their lives post adoption (and in the case of a few of our animals, their lives with us, post trauma.) We couldn't help but wonder if our own practices of incorporating crystals in to our home environment had also indirectly helped our animals. After coming to this realization, we then thought: "Look at all the benefits our animals are receiving just being in an environment with crystals.  What if we intentionally start to incorporate crystals in to their space?..."

Back to the energetic connection we share with our animals in the guardian/pet relationship.  A fundamental part of this energetic connection, like we said, is based on our desire for the highest good and well being of them as our companions.  (Some of you have heard the saying, I'm sure "I work harder, so my dog can have a better life.") This parallels the energetic work that can be done with crystals in the sense that it's all about INTENTION.  Just by putting out a "vibe" of something you want or desire, you can manifest it.  By believing "I can", so you will create.  Intention and belief increases productivity toward your "goal." So by becoming more intentional of your crystals benefiting the lives of your pets- it automatically will.  The key is to really believe in your intention and do so without doubt. Even if you don't whole heartedly believe in crystal healing/energy- just by having this strong intention of wanting better for your little companions and the crystals as conduits for their well being, they will feel your strong sense of love for them and they will feel protected and nurtured.  Part of animals feeling bonded to their owners is based on them feeling part of the "pack" or the "flock" and centers around them feeling like you're there to protect them and they quickly realize you're also there to provide for them- which alleviates a lot of their habits they've ingrained upon themselves that are trauma or situational based.  This helps them to lead a more relaxed and subsequently happy life.  

Especially when an animal has experienced being uprooted- it's my belief that even if they knew nothing but trauma or heartache, that they feel abandoned when there is a situational change that causes them to be removed from their current family/home; they feel lost when an energetic connection is severed.  They have to process the fact that they're no longer where they were and this can kind of leave them in a kind of internal emotional limbo when they don't have a family to feel an energetic connection to.  I've experienced it for myself when I was at a shelter, helping a family member look for their new companion... There was a small dog who was returned to the shelter that day.  Previously, she had been adopted from that same shelter, (the owners decided that they didn't have time for her any longer, after only 3 months...and then there was about three other excuses, all of which didn't add up) and they had returned her to the shelter.  Before knowing this, I had noticed that every time the door opened, the dog looked to it and wagged her tail...waited to see who came through the door, and then would lay back down. I got the immediate sense that she was waiting for her owners to come back.  She was in limbo, not understanding why she was where she was and was waiting for someone to come back to they could go home. She was remembering the connection that she had with the people who she had been living with and immediately realized the lack of it when it wasn't there. The whole point of me telling you this story is to support my belief that even if an animal is living in a less than ideal situation- a home where they stuck her with the energetic stigma equivalent of "You're not worth my time, there are other things more important than you." that the energetic connection animals feel towards their owners/guardians is still strong, even in less than ideal circumstances.  It is also to show the importance ad presence of this energetic connection so that you can foster it between you and your own pet.

"Clearing" Your Pet

If you're someone who believes in the practice of "clearing" your personal energy field, be it with selenite, sage, incense, Palo Santo, etc.- then it won't come as a surprise that the same thought and practice should be applied where your pets are concerned.  Due to this intense energetic connection that they share with us, our animals also take on a lot of energy from us.  Think about how you pet your dog or cat after you've come home from a stressful day- while it's wonderful and they seem completely willing to help us de-stress, we're still petting/interacting with them when we are experiencing heavy or even negative energy from the day.  Animals can also pick up any stagnant energy that has not been cleared in their environment.  Stagnant energy likes to hang out near the floor, and in places like corners or under the bed.  It seems to almost collect there and our furry friends who roam around the house (like dogs and cats) are directly at its level being closer to the ground making them essentially more exposed to this type of energy.

I have a couple of preferred ways to clear our animals and our space.

Being bird owners, burning sage or Palo Santo can prove problematic to their health (our dog also has allergy issues which contributes to an awful little reverse sneeze so burning things is a no go for us!) To clear our space in an area where the animals frequent, we utilize clearing sprays. We have used many over time, and you usually can find some at your local metaphysical shop or from herbalists on platforms such as Instagram.  For the most part, clearing sprays accomplish everything that burning sage or Palo Santo would (and often the sprays incorporate one of these in to its ingredients) with the added benefits of the smell dissipating quickly and not leaving the room smoky. I don't recommend spraying your animal directly as each spray is different and some herbs/oils incorporated in to these sprays may not be topically friendly to your pets, but also the scent of the spray (if any) could be irritating to your animal- remember most animals have a better sense of smell than humans.  By spraying them directly, it could inadvertently irritate your little one, which is no good- but even more so when you're specifically doing this to better your animal!

In terms of clearing the pets themselves- one of my favorite ways to do so is Selenite.  If you have a raw piece of Selenite, you can run it over your animal without even touching them with the intention in mind of clearing them. (Note:  I say this for the raw Selenite because if you've ever held Selenite, you know that pieces can flake off and it can be quite rough for little sensitive animals.) Another Selenite option is if it's a dog or cat, you can use a polished Selenite palm stone or heart to pet them with.  Simply run it along your pets back like you would normally pet them.  Be sure to never let your animals lick or ingest Selenite (or any other crystals for that matter!)

Now, on to incorporating crystal in to your animal's life...

As we talked about in the beginning of this blog post with our own animals- when pets and crystals share a household, it appears that animals benefit simply from their presence.  So rest easy knowing just that.

Depending on your personal involvement and comfort level of working with crystals in a metaphysical capacity, you can also evolve to having crystals in your animals' space in a more intentional way.

Placing Crystals In Their Energy Field With Intention

Jumping off of crystals just being in the home, you can start as simply as placing a crystal in a specific part of the environment for a purpose. Giving it a "job" if you will.  Placing it in a certain area for a purpose and not "just because."

Butter 

However, intentionally placing crystals around an animal that lives in a cage such as a bird, reptile or small mammal can prove difficult.  There are some creative ways around this though...

For example, I have always been a fan of crystal towers for our birds.  Them being birds, its not only difficult but inadvisable for safety reasons to have crystals inside of their main environment, their cage.  Domain restrictions aside, most of our birds' cages are on stands, which creates an empty space between the bottom of the cage and the floor.  So you know where my brain automatically went: "I can put a crystal there!"  Towers emit their energetic properties through their polished terminations.  My intention was to have the energy of the stone emit in to the birds' environment without physically having them touch it or have it in their cage- and towers seemed to fit that purpose perfectly.  We brought home a cockatiel named Butter some time ago. (She was from my days when I was an Agriculture Science teacher. She was dropped off at the farm sanctuary to be incorporated in to our program and it was apparent from the get go that she not only was nippy but extremely anxious. Two strikes against her in regards to joining the program.) I made the decision to work with her in our home versus at work to quell her anxieties and work on handling.  The idea for placing the tower below the cage came about after she arrived.  I wanted her to feel safe, nurtured and loved.  When our dog Mole came home from the shelter, I placed a Rose Quartz tower that I have had since childhood by her bed for the same intentions I was holding for Butter, so I figured why not put the same tower near Butter.  Out of sheer practicality. under the cage it went and it served its purpose quite well! (It's now a tradition for any new animal that we bring home to have some time near the Rose Quartz tower 😊) Crystal towers (or even other polished pieces such as spheres which emit their energies 360 degrees in the environment in which they are places) can be used for any of your animals- such as outside of a hamster's or lizard's cage.  If you're struggling to figure out which crystal's energies would best suit your pet- you can always use clear quartz.  Clear quartz is "programmable" both scientifically and with intention.  Hold the tower in your two hands, thinking about whatever intention you have for your little one.  For example: "I hope for my dog to feel loved and have good health."  Remember, your intention is key! Think of how wonderful you feel when a friend or loved one sends you well wishes- essentially you're doing the same for your animal. You can also find larger towers (for your larger animals like dogs and cats) of various materials to place in your animal's environment, near their bed for example.  My rule of thumb for this is finding a place for the tower that is not obtrusive to your pet- obviously make sure it can't fall on them should they brush up against it, etc.  You know your pets best as their owners, and will be able to make a good judgement call based on your knowledge of your pet for an appropriate size.

Collar/Cage Charms

Another way to have crystals a little closer to your animals is by creating a charm for them.  (This works great for a dog or cat and you can attach it right to their harness or collar.  For animals who don't wear collars, you can attach the charm to their cage or on the wall or near their cage with something like a "command hook" which can be found online on places like Amazon or many stores like Walmart or Target.) For this, you will need to find some genuine crystal/stone beads that you like the energetic properties of based on what needs you're looking to address for your animal.  String them on some wire and attach them to a lobster clasp and clip it right on to their collar!  For example, Mole has some issues when it comes to going out in public.  She feels anxious when she's around people she doesn't know, and really struggles when people approach her (which inevitably happens when you're carrying around an adorable four pound dog.)  I have a collar charm for her that has protective, relaxing vibes as well as stones that facilitate animal communication so that as her owner, I can better understand her needs and what I can do for her as her owner, should she become stressed out in public.  It also has the added bonus of an adorable little collar charm! You can easily make these yourself once you've procured the crystal beads that you wish to use and a quick trip to a craft store for the clasp and wire.  Make sure there are no pointy parts exposed of the wire that could scratch your pet and also take notice when your animal is wearing them that it doesn't become  loose or break (especially if your pet has a tendency to put things in their mouth!)

"Palmstone Pets"

Another simple way to have your pets benefit from crystal energy is "Palmstone Pets."

I'm of the opinion that palmstones are the perfect size/shape for working with most animals- especially dogs and cats.  For the most part (though there are exceptions based on the size of the palmstone and the size of the animal in question) they're a good size in the sense that you can safely work with your pet with them and not worry about them putting it in their mouth. (Though, I can not stress how important it is to supervise your pets where crystals are concerned.  No one wants to find out later that poor Fido chipped a tooth on a palmstone or any other number of undesirables.)

Mole getting ready for "Palmstone Pets" with her Lepidolite,
Rose Quartz, and Mookite Palm stones.

Similarly to how I described petting your animal with the Selenite, can be applied with palmstones or gallets of various materials.  Again, find a crystal that fits the energetic needs of what you're looking to address with your pet, and make a little crystal collection for your pet!  Mole struggles to sleep restfully (she has horrible night terrors) and has some anxiety issues left over from her previous life before she was a part of our family.. Sometimes at night I will pet her with her Lepidolite palmstone to soothe her before bedtime and she seems to be in pure bliss (probably the combination of the calming, anxiety quelling energies of the Lepidolite and the overall petting!) Some favorites that come to mind of general, accessible palmstones that you may want to consider for your pet are Amazonite, Agate, Rose Quartz, Shungite, Smoky Quartz and you of course can use a clear quartz to program similarly to the CQ towers previously mentioned.

Being At Their Level

Having crystals at their level

Mole and her Lithium Included
Quartz Point

This applies specifically to dogs, cats and any other animals you may have roaming around.  With them being close to the ground most of their day, you want to ensure that the energies of the crystals you want them to benefit from are within their energy field.  The towers next to the beds is a wonderful idea (again use your judgement to determine size and location based on your individual pet.) Something great to consider having "at their level" is geodes.  Geodes act like energetic vacuums, bringing in the energy around them in to their "mouth", cleansing this energy, and resubmitting it to the environment.  You'd be shocked at how often we find our kitty P, sitting in front of a geode.She seems to just be drawn to it- like she's wanting to cleanse her energy field.  Some other great crystals to have at your pets' level is Shungite for protection and purification and Amazonite for protection against EMFs (animals are just as susceptible, if not more so due to their vulnerable nature, to EMFs.)  Dogs particularly seem to be attracted to stones and crystals with protective qualities like Smoky Quartz- I'd like to think that this is because dogs view themselves as protectors to their humans.  In my mind, they're drawn to it because of their nature of being protectors and almost like they recognize that familiar energy. Mole is often attracted to Lithium Included Quartz, however we don't have any towers large enough to keep near her space.  She has three larger sized Lithium Included Quartz points that we keep on a shelf for her, and when she sits on the couch we will bring them over for her to sit with. This is an example of how you can have a crystal at your pet's level but also in a supervised/controlled way so that you're not having them consistently on the floor, if you're concerned about breakage.

Letting Your Pets Choose For Themselves

Have you ever heard someone say that you're instinctually attracted to the crystals from which you will benefit most from vibrationally?  Essentially the thought behind this is that you will be automatically be attracted to certain crystals based on your needs at the time. If you feel compelled to carry around a certain crystal or wear a particular piece of crystal jewelry, or see a crystal for sale that you feel like you absolutely need in your life- this school of thought attributes your choices to your subconscious telling your conscious self that you're in need of something that crystal has to offer vibrationally.  So why not apply the same logic where your pets are concerned! If your pet seems particularly attracted to a certain kind of stone, then figure out a way to incorporate it more intentionally in to their environment.  If it's a stone or crystal that may not be safe for your animal to be interacting with (ex: raw/unpolished Malachite) then try and find them a tower, sphere, palm stone or larger polished piece for them to safely interact with.

I hope if nothing else, if you're someone who is looking to incorporate crystal energies and healing in to the lives of your pets, that this blog post gets you thinking!  Be creative but also be intuitive with how you choose to bring crystals in to the lives of your pets.  If you think something is good for your pet or that your pet will benefit from you placing a certain crystal in a particular place (and it's safe to do so of course) then DO IT!

If you take anything away from this blog post, I wish it to be CONNECTION and INTENTION.

Your intention is everything to your animal, with crystals and outside of crystals.  & having a strong energetic connection with your animal will guide you in making decisions for their highest good and highest healing.

Quick Reference Of Crystals to Consider Using When Beginning Your Crystal Healing Journey With Your Pets:

Calming Energies (helpful with animals who experience anxiety or hyperactivity)- Lithium included quartz, Lepidolite, Aquamarine

Protective Energies- Shungite, Smoky Quartz, (from EMFs specifically) Amazonite, Amethyst, Flourite

Balance (great for dogs/cats who can be moody)- Agate

Rescue Animals- Angelite, Rose Quartz, Celestite, Carnelian (stability), Chlorite (removes unwanted energy implants), Moonstone (new beginnings)

Lemurian Quartz- Remember if it's a Clear Quartz Lemurian, it's programmable!

Cleansing Energies- Selenite (preferably polished), Calcite