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The Crystal Workshop: A Journey into the Healing Power of Crystals
In this complete guide to the fundamentals of crystal healing, author and healer Azalea Lee offers an entirely new and comprehensive approach to working with metaphysical stones. Instead of focusing on a few individual crystals and their properties, she shows the reader how to select, cleanse, charge, and work with crystals of all kinds, and how to connect with their powerful healing energies. And, just as significantly, she shares a series of simple exercises to help readers develop their own deep intuition when it comes to working with the stones. Exquisite photographs of over one hundred unique crystal specimens will inspire the journey, with page after page celebrating each crystal’s unique natural beauty.
- GenresNonfictionSpirituality
429 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2020
38 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 18, 2020
I didn’t expect to read this cover to cover, since it has a bunch of beautiful full-page photos and looks more like a coffee table book, but once I started I found that I just wanted to keep picking it up! It was strangely soothing to read, and somehow always grounded me into the present when I spent time with it. If you’re curious about crystals, I’d recommend this book because it focuses on building your own personal relationship with intuition and nature, and discourages the consumeristic “buy citrine to manifest money and then never think about it again” approach.
February 3, 2021
I really liked this book, with a few important caveats. First, I think that it was an excellent alternative to crystal dictionaries that just give meanings of hundreds of crystals without much background. It goes much more into the theory and practice of working with crystals and provides exercises for the reader to form their own connections with the crystals rather than relying on other people's interpretations of them. Plus, the photos of crystals inside are stunning as an added bonus.
My caveats have to do with some offhand remarks, but ones that have impact and definitely tarnished my relationship with the book. In the first chapter, "Why Crystals Are Important," Lee makes the statement that,
"As human beings we have been putting a significant amount of energy into heart-centered healing. We are far more accepting and compassionate of other human beings who are different from us than we have ever been in our history's past. Now that we can easily communicate and hear firsthand stories from our brothers and sisters all over the world, we are better able to understand their lives without being hindered by the racism, sexism, and the classism of the past."
I winced when reading this. Though this is all nice to say and aspire to, racism, sexism, classism and other forms of systemic oppression are definitely not something "of the past," and saying so invalidates the experiences of thousands of people worldwide and in America (where I am as well as the author) who continue to suffer under oppression. Unfortunately, the worldwide connectedness that comes from globalization does not magically make oppression go away through understanding. It is much deeper than that. And statements like these are harmful because they make privileged people feel better, feel like they have done all there is to do for "the oppressed" and that they have no responsibility for continuing to fight against these systems. This is not to discredit the great civil rights advances fought for by marginalized folks, but to call racism, sexism, classism etc "over" or "of the past" feels simply irresponsible.
I am making a "big deal" out of this one offhand comment because this is a recurring issue in the general witchcraft/New Age/spiritual community that needs addressing. And remnants of racial/cultural blindness show up elsewhere in the book in more subtle ways. For example, for many, chakras are considered a closed practice for those who are converted to Hinduism/Buddhism, and some people consider those religions closed. Unfortunately the use of chakras in conjunction with crystal healing is very common, so this isn't exactly widely known information. In addition, I wanted to speak to Lee's part on smudging, in the chapter in cleansing and charging crystals. I do appreciate that she emphasizes using local plants instead of just opting for sage, sweetgrass and palo santo. I also appreciate that she recommends working with Indigenous groups in the area when sourcing plants. However, general consensus from Indigenous groups is for non-Native people to not use the word "smudging" as it refers to a specific Indigenous ceremony and that "smoke cleansing" is a perfectly acceptable replacement when speaking about burning herbs, keeping in mind that buying sacred Indigenous plants like white sage and palo santo is very harmful to Indigenous communities, as the capitalism involved inherently abuses the plants' harvesting and use.
In all, I mention this not out of derision of Lee's work, but in the importance of holding our community accountable. In all, I found this book knowledgeable and very useful, but with missteps that are unfortunately common in metaphysical writing that are important to address.
My caveats have to do with some offhand remarks, but ones that have impact and definitely tarnished my relationship with the book. In the first chapter, "Why Crystals Are Important," Lee makes the statement that,
"As human beings we have been putting a significant amount of energy into heart-centered healing. We are far more accepting and compassionate of other human beings who are different from us than we have ever been in our history's past. Now that we can easily communicate and hear firsthand stories from our brothers and sisters all over the world, we are better able to understand their lives without being hindered by the racism, sexism, and the classism of the past."
I winced when reading this. Though this is all nice to say and aspire to, racism, sexism, classism and other forms of systemic oppression are definitely not something "of the past," and saying so invalidates the experiences of thousands of people worldwide and in America (where I am as well as the author) who continue to suffer under oppression. Unfortunately, the worldwide connectedness that comes from globalization does not magically make oppression go away through understanding. It is much deeper than that. And statements like these are harmful because they make privileged people feel better, feel like they have done all there is to do for "the oppressed" and that they have no responsibility for continuing to fight against these systems. This is not to discredit the great civil rights advances fought for by marginalized folks, but to call racism, sexism, classism etc "over" or "of the past" feels simply irresponsible.
I am making a "big deal" out of this one offhand comment because this is a recurring issue in the general witchcraft/New Age/spiritual community that needs addressing. And remnants of racial/cultural blindness show up elsewhere in the book in more subtle ways. For example, for many, chakras are considered a closed practice for those who are converted to Hinduism/Buddhism, and some people consider those religions closed. Unfortunately the use of chakras in conjunction with crystal healing is very common, so this isn't exactly widely known information. In addition, I wanted to speak to Lee's part on smudging, in the chapter in cleansing and charging crystals. I do appreciate that she emphasizes using local plants instead of just opting for sage, sweetgrass and palo santo. I also appreciate that she recommends working with Indigenous groups in the area when sourcing plants. However, general consensus from Indigenous groups is for non-Native people to not use the word "smudging" as it refers to a specific Indigenous ceremony and that "smoke cleansing" is a perfectly acceptable replacement when speaking about burning herbs, keeping in mind that buying sacred Indigenous plants like white sage and palo santo is very harmful to Indigenous communities, as the capitalism involved inherently abuses the plants' harvesting and use.
In all, I mention this not out of derision of Lee's work, but in the importance of holding our community accountable. In all, I found this book knowledgeable and very useful, but with missteps that are unfortunately common in metaphysical writing that are important to address.
August 17, 2020
"The Crystal Workshop: A Journey Into the Healing Power of Crystals" by Azalea Lee (2020) is a deeply informative and gorgeously curated book for those curious - and those who have just begun - to learn how to connect with the mineral world at the level of metaphysical healing. Lee admirably and honestly lays bare the essential structural components that must be harnessed within the practitioner (such as a keen and developed intuition) in order to skillfully work with crystals in a beneficial way. Not only does Lee present her philosophies on the art of crystal healing, she provides straightforward yet lab-like workshop exercises for the reader to determine, on his or her own, if they are ready to continue into a genuine relationship with the crystals in order to, ultimately, reach a pure metaphysical level of understanding them.
Not all will resonant with Lee's approach, but I believe many will (as I did). Because Lee masterfully writes about the crystals holistically (even giving us the complex chemical structures of some), a micro and macro comprehension of the crystal world is presented. And because the book is artful, with glossed, thicker paper and HQ digital photos, there is a quality to the publication which lends itself to be read as blend of science and art, and proves itself to really be just that and not a mimicry of an already flashy and stylistic commodity form.
Readers will learn how crystals relate to the Earth, how they are mined, the importance of their ancient histories, how their compounds react to the electrical and vibrational energies around them, how their compounds are unique to each "family" of crystal (such as quartz, which is cylindrical like DNA), and more. But Lee explains this in a way that is digestible and which does not overwhelm. Lee leads each step of the way at a steady pace, even seeming to "look back" to see if you still are following; the teaching style of the writing is as if you were being privately tutored (it is very intimate in style).
The beautiful minimalistic photos boost the text, and perfectly selected quotes from great minds like Nikola Tesla and William Shakespeare grace the pages, offering additional guidance into the importance of crystal healing in the world today. The more I immersed myself in the book and its exercises, the more I realized how much Lee's approach resonated with me, perhaps because the sharpness of the care and intention provided within its pages (something I've been seeking in various ways throughout my life). How wonderful for me that Lee's specialized teaching fell into the subject of crystals, a material that has been in and out of my life in ways where they have been treated as poorly as roadside trash and, alternately, in ways superficially idolized. "The Crystal Workshop" finally gives the crystal world the seriousness that I always felt this fantastic phenomenon deserves.
Not all will resonant with Lee's approach, but I believe many will (as I did). Because Lee masterfully writes about the crystals holistically (even giving us the complex chemical structures of some), a micro and macro comprehension of the crystal world is presented. And because the book is artful, with glossed, thicker paper and HQ digital photos, there is a quality to the publication which lends itself to be read as blend of science and art, and proves itself to really be just that and not a mimicry of an already flashy and stylistic commodity form.
Readers will learn how crystals relate to the Earth, how they are mined, the importance of their ancient histories, how their compounds react to the electrical and vibrational energies around them, how their compounds are unique to each "family" of crystal (such as quartz, which is cylindrical like DNA), and more. But Lee explains this in a way that is digestible and which does not overwhelm. Lee leads each step of the way at a steady pace, even seeming to "look back" to see if you still are following; the teaching style of the writing is as if you were being privately tutored (it is very intimate in style).
The beautiful minimalistic photos boost the text, and perfectly selected quotes from great minds like Nikola Tesla and William Shakespeare grace the pages, offering additional guidance into the importance of crystal healing in the world today. The more I immersed myself in the book and its exercises, the more I realized how much Lee's approach resonated with me, perhaps because the sharpness of the care and intention provided within its pages (something I've been seeking in various ways throughout my life). How wonderful for me that Lee's specialized teaching fell into the subject of crystals, a material that has been in and out of my life in ways where they have been treated as poorly as roadside trash and, alternately, in ways superficially idolized. "The Crystal Workshop" finally gives the crystal world the seriousness that I always felt this fantastic phenomenon deserves.
November 3, 2021
The book itself wasn’t badly written or put together. It was simply not what I was hoping to have gotten.
If a person is looking into becoming a full-fledged crystal healer and look deeply within the chemical makeup and metaphysical properties of crystals as a whole, this book is for them. It’s about changing one’s entire life in a completely different spiritual manner.
I was simply looking for some information of different crystals- I think they’re fascinating and beautiful, but she really only describes three or four (albeit in great depth).
If a person is looking into becoming a full-fledged crystal healer and look deeply within the chemical makeup and metaphysical properties of crystals as a whole, this book is for them. It’s about changing one’s entire life in a completely different spiritual manner.
I was simply looking for some information of different crystals- I think they’re fascinating and beautiful, but she really only describes three or four (albeit in great depth).
March 28, 2021
At this point in my curiosity with crystals, I have read a million and one books about them but nothing will be as resonating as this book has been.
Azalea Lee breaks down myths about crystals and encourage self-discoveries through exercises scattered around the book. Not only is this book highly aesthetic but it’s also, highly educational and empowering!
If you’re serious about learning more about crystals, definitely a book to recommend.
Azalea Lee breaks down myths about crystals and encourage self-discoveries through exercises scattered around the book. Not only is this book highly aesthetic but it’s also, highly educational and empowering!
If you’re serious about learning more about crystals, definitely a book to recommend.
April 1, 2021
I'm tickled and delighted this book exists. Crystals! For healing! It's beautiful, and mind-blowing. I'm grateful for Azalea.
August 31, 2021
this book was very easy to read and stay involved! i loved participating in the exercises and i feel like i learned a lot.
March 22, 2022
I loved this book so much, I’m debating buying it!
August 27, 2023
An interesting and comprehensive narrative on the *why* behind crystals (and a really strong chapter on artificially enhanced or manipulated crystals). A good primer for crystals as well.
December 24, 2025
3.5
Beautiful picture. Interesting perspective. Cool practices.
Beautiful picture. Interesting perspective. Cool practices.
May 28, 2021
I like how the author goes in depth about the uses of each crystal instead of giving us a glossary with overused definitions. Lee also explains throughout that each crystal may have a 'set' of uses, it is determinate on how you decide to 'program' your stones. I did feel at times some of what she was alluding to was pseudoscience, trying to pass it off as actual health sciences which could be harmful to those who do not know any better. I would take all 'scientific' facts with a grain of salt and consult your doctor for any possible ailments or health related issues instead of turning to crystals. Other than that, very interesting read!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews