In Focus Crystals: Your Personal Guide

In Focus #2

by Bernice Cockram

In Focus Crystals is your guide to the most popular crystals and their qualities, complete with a set of 7 crystal grid recipe cards. 

Feeling creatively or spiritually blocked or have trouble sleeping? Perhaps you are suffering from a physical ailment? Regardless of what may be plaguing you, the innate power within crystals can have tremendous healing effects. 

With explanations of each of the stones and a summary of their qualities, In Focus Crystals is your all-in-one resource to get your life on track. The seven crystal grid recipe cards provide a custom grid to place specific crystals to remedy almost every ailment.

The In Focus series applies a modern approach to teaching the classic body, mind, and spirit subjects, using expert authors in their respective fields and featuring relevant visual material to smartly and purposely illustrate key topics within each subject. As a bonus, each book is packaged with index cards and/or a poster, to give readers a quick, go-to reference guide containing the most important information on the subject, for easy practice and retention.
 
 

Genres: Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Metaphysics, Paganism, Magic, New Age

160 pages, Hardcover

Published July 31, 2018

Reviews

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read ten whole pages of this book before putting it aside for over a month. Why? Nothing to do with the book's contents but because to read something dedicated to a spiritual topic requires me to be in a similar mind-frame. This is something I have recently been struggling with. I still wasn't enthused to pick the book up but seeing it lingering on my 'currently reading' shelf was giving me enough anxiety that I finally did so, anyway. And, what can I say? I was hooked!

It takes a pretty special read to pull me from my mental state and transform it, by the art of its words alone. But this book did just that. The pages were gorgeously decorated and each topic was covered briefly enough to not bog me down with a multitude of facts but with enough coverage to let me understand the concept entirely. I felt it enhanced my understanding of the hows and whys of crystals whilst also giving me plenty of exercises to take away, and that I can now carry out with a full understanding of the details behind the magic.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Bernice Cockram, and the publisher, Wellfleet Press, for this opportunity.

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is both an excellent starter book for any one with an interest in crystals but also a great reminder to others about the powers of crystals and what they can do for us. 

There is a mass of information here in easy to digest chapters and lots of beautiful pictures to accompany everything. I really enjoyed going back to basics and reading this. Highly recommended

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is ideal if you want to learn how to use crystals. There are detailed instructions on how to use crystals, how to cleanse and charge them, which crystal works best with which chakra, how to use your aura, how to use a crystal net, etc. There is also a picture guide to crystals of different colours and their properties.

It is all explained in this small book which I would recommend to beginners and advanced practitioners of crystal work - I intentionally didn't write crystal healers, because it is not all healing work that is done with crystals.

[Gretchen McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up as a starter book since I’m new to crystals, and I’ve found it brought me a lot of clarity!

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally a good book, some of the advice matches previous sources I’ve read and some doesn’t (mainly which crystal does what). A little too casually written so it doesn’t feel like an authoritarive must-have, but overall handy with a wide variety of useful advice and techniques. Still would recommend to have in your arsenal.

[Sosanna Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reviewing a few books from the "In Focus" series from Wellfleet Press. The first is called In Focus Crystals - Your Personal Guide by Bernice Cockram.
Release Date - July 31, 2018

Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an atheist witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need for a deity. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 12 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts nearly 400,000 views.

To begin, this book is very well made. The cover is sturdy and the stitching is really nice. I like the smooth feel and the neatly packed double sided grid cards included in the book.

This book is loaded with tables and grids. If you're looking for something that will bring together an assortment of crystal work, this book is for you. There are sections on dowsing, working with Chakras, working with auras and much much more.

The crystal images are rich and the descriptions are included in table and photo format. There is a section on crystal colors which I found really helpful in identifying what I was working with.

In the very back of the book is an envelope with double-sided grid cards. These cards are the size of the book itself and offer some common grids such as Tree of Life and then a new one for me Icosahedron. Grids are a way of taking a crystals energy and focusing it on a specific goal or desire. Each stone added to the grid apply their specific energy to your goal bringing it to fruition

Just a few of the tables in this book include Crystal Meanings, the magic square, birthstones, chakra stones, zodiac and numerology. Over all this book is a great resource for novice and professional alike. The quick reference index at the back makes it a great reference book. I believe this book is a great addition to any metaphysical library.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed looking through this book. Easy read but I probably should purchase a copy to keep on hand for references. I believe the earth has energy and I think we ourselves have energy. Let’s focus on sharing good energy with others!!

[Selma · Rating 4 out of 5]

reaaally informative. didn't know there was so much to crystals--charging, cleansing, dedicating. liked it!

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

tl;dr I was underwhelmed, was expecting more. It was a very surface level book, lacking a lot of personal touch and historical context that I think could've added a lot of depth and purpose to the book. It was okay, still had interesting or useful information, but it's just not a book I'd go out of my way to recommend to anyone.

Not tl;dr:

For context, I am approaching this more from a secular perspective, and the contents of this book are spiritual in nature. However my review was not impacted by my differing beliefs.

The book covers quite a bit of information in working with crystals in general, but also techniques and advice for specific practices, like working with chakras, grids, zodiac, and meditation. There is quite a bit on color, with a list of crystals in the back that gives you a bit more info on what various individual crystals are good for. As well as information on charging and cleansing crystals. I liked that there were warnings included of how to best take care of your crystals, as sunlight, water, or other things could damage them.

I did appreciate that for the most part, this wasn't a "you have to buy everything" type of book. The author states several times that you can use any crystal you have, it's about the intentions you put into it. Or if you have clear quartz, for example, that that crystal can be a stand-in for any other.

I do wish it leaned more in the direction of not needing so much stuff though, as there was a lot of pressure to have a pendulum, with no real mention of how anything can be a pendulum and that you don't need to go out and buy one, as well as how certain rituals required specific shapes and amounts of crystals. I am trying to be respectful of those who practice pagan rituals (though this author seemed to lean towards wiccan practices, with the concern of magic coming back to affect you negatively if you misuse it; that isn't standard for all pagan religions), but the metaphysical/pagan communities do have a growing issue of consumerism. And I don't love promotion of that. Granted, this was rather light on 'necessities', so nevertheless, it was good enough there.

I do wish there had been some information about the history of crystals and their use. I think that could've helped the opening feel more natural and smooth, and get a feel for the various cultures and peoples that discovered and utilized these stones.

The visuals went along very well with the text, and I liked several things were labeled so it was easier to follow along with what was being discussed. I also liked the bit of variety, with discussing a Chinese historical use case of 'The Magic Square' with crystals. Again, I felt it lacking historical context that would've made me feel more connected to the culture that used this system.

For an author that speaks about how much crystals mean to them, and gives examples of how they use them, it was a little...weird to have the author never talk about their personal experiences of the results of using them. Just, "I use(d) them for this." ...and that's the end of the story. Did their life improve? Did things change? How did they change? Were they happy about this? Like what happened? It makes it feel a bit jarring to read, as each introduction of their use is just cut off with no conclusion.

Though it is clear that the author had a lot more information they wanted to include, but couldn't due to word count restraints, so perhaps that was a part of it. Still, some things could've been sacrificed to help make the stories more personal and relatable. It would've given more purpose to the whole book to read stories of how crystals have benefited people, rather than only just how you /could/ use them. I saw another review mention how much of the book is, "this crystal is good for x" without going into detail into the history of the magical properties.

Again, it just makes this book feel like it's lacking substance and depth. I know this "In Focus" series is supposed to be introductory, but I would imagine the historical context of these topics is related to beginners to those topics. So that was disappointing to me. I didn't see how this book really differed from reading various articles online about what crystals to use for what or how to use crystal grids.

There were a few mistakes in this book with stone pictures not matching with their names (like halite having the same image as moonstone, and moonstone's image being rainbow moonstone).

It was okay, I was hoping for more, honestly. I still encountered things I hadn't known or heard of before, but I can't find myself wanting to recommend this book to anyone passionate about crystals or wanting to learn about them.

[The Starry Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystals Your Personal Guide (In Focus) by Bernice Cockram is a beginner’s guide on healing crystals. Everything you need to know about them is included. Cockram’s explanations and descriptions are easy to understand so the reader will not be overwhelmed by the content. Cockram included information about crystals that I haven’t always seen in beginner’s guides such as the Moh’s Scale of Hardness, tips on how to create crystal healing nets for yourself and others, crystal divination using Astrology and Chinese Magic Squares, and Numerology. These were all nice touches that anyone can incorporate after reading this book. I applaud Cockram for explaining the different types of sacred geometrical patterns for crystal grids such as when you would use a flower of life grid versus a vesica pisces grid. I have not come across this type of information in a crystal book before so I thoroughly appreciated that section. The same goes for the different types of crystal systems that were also explained. Once again, most crystal books neglect to include this information so I was pleasantly surprised to read about this. My only complaint is that the author should have listed crystals that are safe and unsafe for making gem elixirs because a beginner would not necessarily know this. Since Cockram described the steps in making a gem elixir, a short list of safe and toxic crystals would have been a big help. The illustrations throughout were effective and the images of the crystals were crisp and clear. Overall a very informative and quick guide on crystals that I will surely be adding to my collection.

[Andreea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was curious about this book because I like crystals, but more as decorations and jewelry rather than in a spiritual way and I wish there was more information regarding their magical properties and maybe arguments in the favour of them other than "this crystal is good for healing" and that's it. Why? How? How do we know that?

Yes, I am a skeptic, but I am also curious to know why a certain crystal is the stone for November for example. I did enjoy learning about different crystals.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystals Your Personal Guide by Bernice Cockram is a beginner’s guide on the proper use of healing crystals. I found it the definitive guide to learning about crystals and rate it with 5 stars. This is my favorite crystal book I have encountered and plan on buying a hard copy for my regular use. This book is excellent to those looking to expand their personal crystal practice.
For those with a basic knowledge I highly recommend this book to expand your history, use and knowledge of your crystal practice. The descriptions are easy to interpret and sensibly written . I found new to me information here that has greatly expanded my use of my crystals which is thrilling to me to learn. The author has a guide here how to create crystal healing nets , do crystal divination and the use of Numerology. Each is richly described and anyone can follow along to put these into practice.
The author list different types of crystal systems that were also explained. I found this most enlightening. The illustrations throughout were beautiful and add to the enjoyment of this book . I found this a most informative teaching guide on crystals. Very well done to the author.
Thank you to the publisher, Net Galley and to the author for the opportunity to review this book. My opinion is my own. I look forward to further works by this author.

[Mona · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

"In Focus Crystals" delves into the world of crystals, their energies, and their spiritual significance.

It probably is my own fault but I went into this book expecting a more practical guide about crystals, but it turned out to be far more spiritual than I anticipated. The tone was quite unexpected for me, with the author writing as if the stones were beings with emotions, suggesting you should ask for their permission and treat them as people. While that approach might resonate with some readers, it didn’t land for me.

The focus on "feeling frequencies" also left me skeptical and detracted from what I hoped would be a more informative, down-to-earth exploration of crystals. Overall, I found the book a bit misleading since it promised more about the crystals themselves, but the spiritual angle overshadowed the practical content.

If you're deeply into the metaphysical side of crystals, this book might appeal to you. For anyone looking for a straightforward guide, though, it might not be the best choice.

[Iza Soares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colours, shapes, types of stones, how to clean it, shapes, how to use it, Chakras, aura and a link between astrology and crystals. You can find everything in this books. If I need a single word to describe it, it definitely would be - oh, well, I don't have an english word for it that would sound as good as I want, but let's say it has everything. I think it would be good even for those how knows a little about crystals (which I totally wasn't). I know I'm going to read it again until I get everything it teaches me.
If I need a rating, it would be 4/5, but I don't like the idea of rating a non-fiction book. Which is actually funny, bc I don't ever read non-fiction. But this - and a few others - really picked my interest.
On a side note, the absence of a kindle edition really annoyed me, since I had to read it on my laptop, instead of my kindle


♥I got a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my most honest uninfluenced review♥

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a lot of the information in this book to be very useful and accurate based on what I know from my time working at a crystal shop. I’ve accumulated a lot of knowledge on my own and was curious to see if this book could tell me anything new, which it did in a few cases. I think this is a great beginner’s tool to crystals, their uses, their properties, and a few other things. I, personally, didn’t think that some of the recommended procedures were necessary. While there are a few universal truths, I think that your practice depends on yourself and your own preferences. So, I’d keep an open mind when reading this and take what resonates and leave what doesn’t. Overall, intention appears to be the most important when selecting and working with a crystal, so what works for one person might not work the same for you.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This handy little guide would be helpful for anyone interested in starting to work with crystals. It's written in a simple, clear and straight forward style. I learned some things from this book, and I'll likely find it useful going forward.
One drawback of the book is how impractical some of the practices might be for the average person. For instance, a crystal layout that is designed to require 12 black tourmaline crystals, or 10 quartz crystals etc. Although it's not impossible, I'm sure a large number of those that work with crystals simply don't collect that many of the same type.
Overall, this is a useful guide for a beginner, but not everything within it's pages will be helpful to everyone. The colorful charts, graphs, and simple writing style really help bring this guidebook to life.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Focus Crystals by Bernice Cockram

Interested in learning about the properties and uses of crystals? They are more than just stones. Their colors and abilities are discussed in this book along with which ones are best for what purpose. This book is jam packed with information to absorb that will help you understand a bit more about the subject. I believe this is a subject that may require time to fully understand and believe that I would keep it at hand when thinking about buying crystals or planning to use them. I look forward to sitting with this book, reading a bit, trying out some of the ideas and seeing what happens.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for the ARC - This is my honest review.

4 Stars

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for anyone who has an interest in Crystals. The book is written with the beginner in mind but is great for the advanced user as a refresher coarse. This is a great book to add to a collection of reference books as well. You can set down with it and read it all the way through but with all of the information packed in this book I know I personally cannot retain it all. The book gives tips and uses for a variety of crystals, the Chakras, cleaning, recharging, and so much more.

This book is part a whole series of different books in different subjects called In Focus

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com and chose to leave this review.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book on a subject I knew little about. I'm a skeptic, but when Cockram mentioned that we know crystals hold and emit energy and that's why we use quartz in watches/clocks, it opened my eyes (and mind) a bit. Great photographs of brilliantly-colored stones and gems!

*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting introduction, but a bit leaves me wanting to double check sources.
On page 75 of the copy I have the author states:
"Each chakra also has a complementary chakra (except for the heart chakra):
Base = heart
Sacral = throat
Solar Plexus= brow"

This just does not make sense to me and I would like to know why Base = Heart if the heart chakra does not have a complementary.

[Action Jackson Buth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely real easy read on stones. Now the author themselves used their own experience with crystals/stones ect, for how they affect them but also gives you a little bit of good insight on the stones themselves whether they are Tumbled raw/rough or in a obelisk form. They encourage you to find your own path with stones. All in all good basic read.

[Ella Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very educational and opened a door for so many possibilities. I am a fond collector of crystals and now I know so much more about them and can't wait to try using them to better my spirituality. Super insightful and a great read 👍🏻

[Amber Sherlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic, helpful and clear guidance on crystals and their uses. Very appealing to new age/now age. Highly recommend.

[Mrs Julie Gargett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic and easy to understand book about the used of crystals. A good book to dip into whenever needed.

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very educational and interesting read

[Megan Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely beginner's guide to crystals and learning the basics! Loved how much color was in this book and the easy-to-reference tables. I will be utilizing this often!

[Cora Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy to understand. I will definitely be keeping this book on my shelf to use as a reference.

[Caitlyn Surface · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent quick overview!

[Katie Oxenfeldt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright. It wasn’t that great, but also some good information.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and informative :)