Every guide we have written, in one place. These are the practical ones — what a thing is made of, how it behaves, what goes wrong with it, and what to check before you buy. No claims we cannot stand behind.
Crystals by intention
Choosing a stone for a reason rather than a shape.
Candles
Wax, wicks and burn time — and what the colours actually mean.
Unscented candlesPlain wax is the harder thing to make. What you are paying for when there is no fragrance.Spell candlesWhere the colour correspondences came from, and how long a four-inch taper really burns.Jar candlesContainer wax versus pillar wax, why the jar cracks, and how to get the jar back.Zodiac candlesA modern idea with no ancient list behind it — made well, and worth saying so.Soy votive candlesA votive is a shape, not a scent. Why it needs a holder and what happens without one.
Incense, smoke and resin
What you are actually burning, and why it keeps going out.
Palo santoHow to light it, why it self-extinguishes, and the endangered tree people confuse it with.Smudge sticksThe word, the plant, and the honest version of where the practice comes from.Incense conesBurn times, solid versus backflow, and the three reasons yours keeps going out.Backflow burnersHow the smoke falls, why it needs a hollow cone, and what draughts do to it.Resin incenseCharcoal discs, frankincense grades, and what “amber resin” really is.
Crystals by shape
Same stone, different cut — and what the shape is for.
Selenite bowls and platesWhat they are used for, and the one thing that ruins a selenite surface for good.Selenite wands and towersSizes, handling, and why selenite scratches with a fingernail.Crystal wandsSingle point, double terminated, massage wand — what each shape is actually for.Crystal and selenite lampsBulb wattage, heat, and which stones glow well lit from inside.OrgoniteResin, metal and quartz. What it is made of, and where the idea came from.Gemstone treesHow the wire is wound, what holds them up, and how chip size changes the look.Spheres and obelisksHow a sphere is cut, why size jumps in price, and what to look for in the polish.Crystal balls and standsGlass versus quartz, how to tell them apart, and the sunlight warning that matters.Tumble stonesHow the tumbling works, why sizes vary so much, and what a “pack” actually contains.
Tarot, oracle and altar
Decks, boxes and the things that sit beside them.
What's in a tarot deckAll 78 cards named and explained, how the four suits work, and what changes between decks.Oracle cardsHow they differ from tarot, why there are no fixed rules, and what to look for in a deck.Tarot boxesDeck sizes, fit, and why the box your deck came in gives out first.Altar bells and tingshaWhat the sound is for, how tingsha are struck, and how to tell a good pair.108 bead malaWhat the number means, how to use one, and what the guru bead is doing there.
Bath and body
What is in it, what it stains, and how to use it.
Crystal water bottlesHow the sealed chamber works, and which stones must never touch water.Bath bombsThe fizz explained, what actually stains a bath, and what is inside one.Soap loavesBuying by the slab, and why cold process soap needs weeks of curing.Soap flowersWhat they are made of, and whether you can genuinely wash with them.Massage oils and rollersCarrier oils, safe dilution, and why a cold gemstone roller feels the way it does.
Gifts
Buying for someone whose practice you do not share.
Longer reads from the journal
Same spirit, more room to argue the point.
How to choose a singing bowl you cannot hear firstBuying an instrument by post, when the whole point of it is the sound.A steel tongue drum has no wrong notesWhy the tuning makes it playable by someone who has never played anything.How to choose your first tarot deckRider–Waite, Marseille, or something modern — and what changes with each.Sticks or cones — which should you buyBurn time, smoke volume and the mess each one makes.The five crystals worth owning firstA short, unsentimental starting set, and why these five.Five tests you can do at homeDyed, glass, reconstituted or real — how to check without a lab.What water, salt and sunlight do to stonesThe cleansing advice that will quietly destroy some of your collection.Masala, dipped or resinThree completely different products sold under one word.Why your backflow burner is not workingAlmost always one of four things, and all four are fixable.Palo santo is not endangeredThe IUCN listing people cite is for a different tree entirely.
Looking for a single stone rather than a shape? Crystal meanings covers 37 of them individually. Not sure where to start at all? Try the crystal quiz or the gift finder. All articles live in the journal.