Do you love crystals? Curious about ancestral altars? If so, you’ll enjoy this episode of the Breathe Love & Magic podcast with my guest Leslie McAllister, owner of Ceremonial Shop in Pittsburgh, PA.
Crystal lover, witch and tarot reader
Leslie shied away from being called a crystal expert and insisted that she is still a student. He sure knows a lot about rocks though – like a ton of knowledge!
I started by asking her about her favorite stone and she answered right away – selenite! Here’s why. It first got its name and is associated with it The Greek goddess Selini, which is the personification of the moon. She is the triple goddess of the full moon and the divine mother. Leslie feels that the moon is her base.
Intensely programmable due to all its layers, the structure is thin but strong. The stone works great for clearing energy and acts like a telephone cord to talk to your celestial friends above.
For Leslie, it is calming, energizing, cleansing and great for charging. You can get lost in its multifaceted formation. The natural shape is long bars but it can be cut, shaped and polished. Selenite is a self-cleansing stone, but whatever you do, never put it in water – it melts!
Personally, I use it like a wand to clear my energy field, running under my body keeping two inches away. Additionally, I place my jewelry and other crystals on top so they can be cleaned.
(We’ll touch on crystal grids and ancestor altars soon, so hang in there.)
Tanzanite, merlinite and kyanite with ruby
For me, tanzanite is my favorite gemstone. This bluish purple color that is kind of a scarf kind of sends me off. Tanzanite is a facilitator of higher consciousness and stimulates your intuition and perception. The stone also helps to detoxify the body, never mind that it’s amazing!
Of course, I have many other favorites like Merlinite which seems to come as two different stones. The one I like best is dendritic opal but there is also indigo gabbro.
Leslie regards this stone as a profound storm force. Think of Merlin and other great wizards like Gandalf or Dumbledore and the idea of light, dark and balance.
Other stones we mentioned are kyanite and ruby which we both adore. It’s wonderful and the combination helps you connect with your higher self and speak your truth from the heart.
Herkimer Diamonds, Bumblebee Jasper and Labradorite
Then there are Herkimer diamonds which are high quality pure quartz. I have one that is palm size and Leslie mentioned the desert diamonds are similar. This stone is a powerful ally to increase spiritual energy and open your third eye.
Also, a huge favorite of mine is jasper with its orange, yellow, white and black bands that help you connect with joy and happiness. Next in favorites is labradorite – can’t have too much of this stone filled with bright blue/green color flashes. Beautiful!
Leslie said that moonstone and larvikite are like labradorite in that they are all part of the feldspar family. These stones create a sense of magic and make you look within. Labradorite is a gentle opening for your journey to spiritual awareness, helping you to see the visible and the invisible.
Clearing and working with crystals
Leslie talked about working with pointed crystals and how the energy flows out of the point. She can point it to something she wants to manifest or a part of her body for healing.
Orbs are amazing because they emit energy in 360 degrees. Palm stones are soothing and calming and fit comfortably in your hand.
He does a lot of altar work in the bath and creates a crystal grid which is a formation that uses a lot of stones. (Information about ancestral altars to come!)
It also holds similar stones together like blue stones for communication. In working with crystals, you want to have the right relationship with them, saying that this is the work we are going to do together.
You use a stone if you treat it like a piece of art, leave it on a shelf and don’t work on it. It is a pity! Crystals can be cleaned and programmed like computer chips – they like to retain information.
Leslie advises to bond with your stone and keep it with you. Sleep with it, carry it in your pocket, put it in your bathroom. Put it on your nightstand. Take it in the car wherever you go. This is practical magic. You make a deal with the stone to cooperate.
Get in touch with your stones
Ask your stone, what do you want to do? Listen and let it inform you. Then take it to your work altar and create a grid with it.
For example, working with pyrite or citrine which are high manifestation stones good for financial growth and stability, prosperity and joy. Write your intention and place your stone on it. Place 1/2″ clear energy enhancing quartz points around it in a circle – there you can create crystal grids that are easy to do.
Leslie allows her stones, intuition, ancestors and guides to speak to her about the steps to take. Trusting the crystal and her intuition is how she does it that is truly organic and perhaps not so traditional. But she loves doing this and has great results.
Ancestor Altars & Crystal Altars
Okay, here’s how to set up your ancestor altar. Start with framed photos of your ancestors on the altar. However, make sure there are no pictures of people still living, as this messes with the energy.
Then include elements that represent each of the four elements and directions. A glass of water (west) is an offering and represents the element of water. Crystals represent the element of earth (north). A feather works for the element of air (east) and a candle for fire (south).
Placement is important for the ancestor altar. Find a place in the living room or kitchen because your ancestors want to be in the middle of things. That’s why your public living spaces are perfect – the natural places you’d congregate.
I also have a heart for love and card that I wrote. And this is where I say thank you. I literally stand in front of the photos and look at each ancestor going back to my great-grandparents and thank them for their DNA, their intelligence, their problem-solving ability, and their intelligence. I am grateful for their love, support and guidance as well.
Leslie suggested asking your ancestral altar, what do you need me to heal? I am at your disposal. I thought this was amazing – great idea! It can be happy, gratitude, healing or you can do shadow work and many more.
This magical woman also makes sure to call upon the ancestors who have healed themselves, opening the gate to those who have already healed and truly ascend. This is how you work for the highest good of all concerned.
We also talked about crystal altars, charging and cleansing your crystals during different phases of the moon, how to trust your intuition about stones, and more.
You’ll have to listen to the episode to hear the rest of this sparkling crystal conversation. Last but not least, Leslie thanked Vanessa, who is a wonderful Soul Guide and Business Coach for connecting us. You can listen to Vanessa’s fantastic interview here – it’s one of my favourites!
BIO – Leslie McAllister
Leslie McAllister is the owner of Ceremonial in Pittsburgh, PA.
A longtime witch and tarot reader, Leslie opened the shop in March 2016 with the vision of building connection through ritual and intention. As a reader, teacher and facilitator, Leslie continues to grow, expand and learn through community at the new ceremonial studio, Ceremonial Treehouse.
As an intuitive and guide, Leslie has grown a worldwide clientele and won the trust of many through her openness, warmth and kindness. As a practicing ethicist, she works to create a grounded space of intention while also working to cultivate lasting bonds. Honoring her ancestral path and the lineage of readers, she continues to tread her path with dedication and devotion.
Website and Social Media
Free for too long, Ronnie wanted to find love. She put her personal development skills and spiritual path to work, dating 30 men in 15 months to meet her adorable husband Paul. Discovering it keys to event and average dating agefounded It’s Never Too Late to help smart, successful women find love or live a dynamic and magical life. Ronnie Ann Ryan, MBA, CCC, is a certified life coach who has helped 1,000’s of midlife women with her Love & Magical Life Coach services. She is his hostess Breathe Love & Magic podcast and has been featured on NBC, ABC and Fox News, NPR, BBC, eHarmony, MSN.com and Connecticut Magazine among others. Ronnie is also the author of 6 books available at Amazon.