The Illustrated Crystallary Guidance and Rituals from 36 Magical Gems & Minerals is an insightful read with gorgeous illustrations. A book you are sure to read again and again. This is not a Crystal encyclopedia but more of how to work with crystal for self-reflection. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Review: The Illustrated Crystallary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Magical Gems and Minerals by Maia Toll. Illustrated by Kate O'Hara.
Genre: Spirituality
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Release Date: 1st September, 2020

If you are not already aware of this wonderful series by Maia Toll then you are seriously missing out. The Illustrated Crystallary is the third book in the Wild Wisdom series. First there was The Illustrated Herbiary which explored all things plants, flowers and herbs, then came the Bestiary which delved in to the animal kingdom. Now we unearth the magick of crystals, stones and minerals.

As soon as I heard about this release I had to read it.

The format of this book is the same as its predecessors. Featuring 36 crystals/stones with an enchanting write up of their physical traits and energetic properties. Toll writes as though each stone is whispering its secrets to you. Furthermore, there are rituals and reflections that compliment each of the featured crystals.

And, Oh! The Illustrations!

You can't mention this series of books and not talk about the amazingly beautiful and vibrant illustrations by Kate O'Hara. The images are what first drew me to The Illustrated Herbiary and I can't imagine these books without them. I feel drawn to the illustrations the same way I would a stone or crystal. This is what makes the book so magickal.

Not only is this an informative and useful resource but it also works as an oracle; with each of O'Hara's illustrations featured on a deck of cards included with the book.

As I already own The Illustrated Herbiary I know that this book will also be one that I love to take from my shelf and flip through. I always keep the 'Herbiary' on hand for reference when curating spells and rituals. I feel like the 'Crystallary' is going to be just as important to my practice.

I suppose what I'm saying is I love this series of books and I can't wait to add a physical copy of The Illustrated Crystallary to my bookshelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for allowing me to read and review an E-ARC of this book.

Not Quite Sure…

Crystals, gems, and stones have fascinated me for almost as long as I can remember. I have quite a collection, purchased and gathered. So when I saw this book at one of my favorite book review sites, I had to choose it. However, I found myself somewhat disappointed by the book. As gemstones and crystals are so beautiful and complex, I was hoping for some actual photos of them. Instead, we see illustrations, some of them quite fanciful—I've never seen amber with all that cool stuff in it! The illustrations are vividly colored, but I really would have preferred some actual photos as well. This is not a technical book at all, so if you're hoping for that kind of information, the book will disappoint you. It even doesn't have what I would consider more metaphysical information about the stones, like what they mean, what they're supposed to help, or what chakras they're associated with, etc. This book appears to go along with a deck of Crystallary cards, which are depicted in the book. Thirty-six crystals are represented—I would have loved to have seen more. The organization appears random. For each crystal, you get a full-page illustration of the corresponding card, what this stone and card represent to the author, a brief ritual, and a page meant to promote reflection. Some rituals and reflections were interesting, but not all were what I would consider inspiring or would necessarily help you better connect to the stones' energy. Depending on your own personal work and study of crystals, you may or may not agree with what the author writes.

This book has great illustrations and guide you to lots of gems and mineral.

There you could read meaning behind of them, and each section of gem or mineral there's illustration of its shape.

It really is taken me back of everything in this world has meaning behind it.

If you do yoga, you can do both yoga and read this book because it will ease you and makes your mind as serene as it is.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a complimentary eARC for review purposes*

If you’ve read any of Toll’s other books, The Illustrated Bestiary and The Illustrated Herbiary, you know what to expect in this book.
There are wonderful illustrations, information on the crystals themselves and details on how to work with them. There are only 36 crystals included so you will need to look elsewhere for details of the others but I feel this is a good starting point

This book has great illustrations and some information about working with a few select crystals and their meanings. I would have preferred more information about the meanings of the crystals, and I felt the writing was a little bit clunky

This is a beautiful illustrated guide to 36 gems and minerals.

The Table of Contents list out each gem or mineral, as well as a hint as to how to use it, such as "Labradorite: Recharge Your Destiny". Each section offers numerous uses for each gem or mineral.

The artwork is exquisite! This will make a wonderful reference book.

I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
I love all the three books from Maia Toll, and the illustrations of Kate O’Hara are so beautiful in all three. This is a really nice crystal book with oracle cards, it goes a little bit deeper, spirituality level what i like, it mostly have those main crystals that people usually work with, and I especially like that they put the salt in it too. So i recommend this book if you need a beautifully illustrated crystal book with oracle cards that write more on a spiritual level, than about the crystal itself. To be honest i miss a little part at least where they mention the properties of the crystals, like what they used for, which chakras are they good for, etc. But i understand that this book is about the cards and what they mean and other interesting things which is nice! Overall i like this book and i recommend for crystal and oracle card lovers who likes to use a beautiful book with their readings!

When you come across books with titles like this, it can usually go one of two ways: purely scientific OR a book about symbolism and using the subject of the book, with some science thrown in. In this case, it is the latter, and I appreciate that. If you have read The Illustrated Herbiary by Maia Toll, you will have an idea about what is in The Illustrated Crystallary. This isn't a book solely about the science of each crystal; it's about how to use them in your own world: "This book will introduce you to the stones' medicine so you can begin to recognize their harmonies for yourself...Use this book for inspiration and confirmation." Toll begins the book with an introduction to crystals and the science behind them, and then branches out into the more esoteric use of crystals. Rather than finding a pretty stone and setting it on a shelf, she asks the reader to find communion with the stone, to meditate on it, to include it in free writing, and bring it into your life. She then describes 36 crystals, minerals, and gems (she does give an explanation of the difference, which I appreciated!) with descriptions of each stone from the Mohs hardness scale to the usage of each stone, rituals you can complete with the stone, and exercises you can do if the stone speaks to you. This is all accompanied by the same gorgeous illustrations seen in her other books. I really enjoyed this book. I know a lot of people think using crystals are nonsense, and they do have a bad reputation, but if you're interested in learning about the structure of them, how to use them in your life, or you just enjoy beautiful illustrations, I highly recommend this book. I would suggest buying this as a physical book as the illustrations are not at their best on a phone in kindle format.

The artwork in this book is so beautiful. I collect tarot cards and I plan on adding this to my collection when it comes out.

The illustrated Crystallary is a lovely book with beautiful illustrations, I liked the feel and design of it but unfortunately the writing just wasn’t for me.

“You can always find your way home, turquoise assures. And she should know; she has travelled by caravan across the Silk Road and assorted royalty on the byways between life and death”

I know some people will definitely appreciate these words and the way this book is written, but I expected it to be more of a straight forward crystal dictionary as such.

I’ve given 2.5 stars because of the illustrations and layout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just like Toll's Illustrated Herbiary, this book is both informative and gorgeous. The illustrations are breathtaking and I love the information and rituals throughout. I will hands down purchase this for friends!

I liked the books because the crystals interest me a lot. The author gave us few ideas how to use crystals (meditation, dreams, etc.) but also gave us rituals where we can use them, aside telling us more about them.

This book is written like a meditation. It draws the reader in, explains softly why its important, and guides the reader towards a more peaceful and fulfilled existence. For each type of crystal there is an introduction, a ritual, and a reflection. The writing is extraordinary. The illustrations are stunning. This is a great first book about cyrstals or a reminder of the depth of crystals for those who are more experienced. The Illustrated Crystallary does a great job of helping the reader cultivate a sense of connection, inner knowing, and spiritual strength. It would also be a gorgeous coffee table book.

Pros: The art in this book is so lovely, it's what originally drew me in and why I would consider purchasing it in the future. I also love the consistency in formatting. Having the format be the way it is makes it very easy to consume and great for referencing. I think this would be a really good book for anyone getting into crystals.
Cons: I wish there had been more information. It seems to jump into the crystals very quickly and the information given for each seems all over the place, there's a lot written without much being said. My biggest con, however, is the amount of culturally insensitivity in the book. The author refers to ancient Asian medicine in a very white gaze way. It would be better if there were actual references or if another person, specifically someone with this cultural background, added their connections and knowledge. The author also suggests people smudge, which is a closed indigenous practice.

The book is wonderfully illustrated, much like her other two books. I do own her other books in physical copies and I believe I will purchase this one as well in a physical copy. Personally I find the physical copy is more malleable and usable, but that could just be a personal preference. This is definitely a book to have on your alter if you've enjoyed her other books or enjoy crystals. There are prompts for journal ling and task to really dive into the specific energy of the crystal. Again the drawings in the book are gorgeous all on their own. The guides to each listed crystal is a wonderful experience and I look forward to what other items she embarks on besides Crystals, plants, and animals.

A beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written mystical book about crystals, gems, and stones. It's interesting and also encourages self-reflection.

Not very impressive, pass. While some may enjoy this type of collection, I found it too fluffy and lacking depth. Each stone has a spiritual interpretation and an accompanying ritual, which I found kind of...eh. I suppose you could say that this book wasn't for me, since the style really wasn't my cup of tea.

The beginning has a very general overview on how minerals are formed in the Earth, hardness scale, chemical components, and healing traditions. Along with that, there are some suggestions on how to use the book which involve free writing, journaling, meditating, and rituals. I did not connect with most of the text, and skimmed through.

There's a chart separating each stone by family: Beryl, Corundum, Flourite, Mica, Quartz, Topaz, and Tourmaline. Only 17 of the 36 stones are listed here, which is kind of a bummer. Beneath is a brief description that points out the differences between a crystal, mineral, and gem. I wasn't very impressed with the technical information provided in this book, sadly.

While vibrant, overall the illustrations are not the best (I'd say it's 50/50 here), and I would have preferred images of the gems and minerals as opposed to these illustrations. Personal preferences aside, the illustrations are fairly accurate depictions, at least of the ones I know of, and my personal favorites: Moonstone, Opal, Chrysocolla, Lepidolite, Garnet, Obsidian, Hematite, and Black Tourmaline. Moonstone and Opal especially, are actually quite beautifully illustrated.

Gems and Minerals included:
◆ Garden Quartz
◆ Azurite
◆ Labradorite
◆ Amber
◆ Moonstone
◆ Lapis Lazuli
◆ Howlite
◆ Emerald
◆ Sugilite
◆ Chrysocolla
◆ Amethyst
◆ Larimar
◆ Carnelian
◆ Imperial Topaz
◆ Blue Topaz
◆ Ruby
◆ Almandine Garnet
◆ Salt
◆ Lepidolite
◆ Peridot
◆ Elestial Quartz
◆ Selenite
◆ Citrine
◆ Sodalite
◆ Morganite
◆ Hematite
◆ Ammolite
◆ Turquoise
◆ Rose Quartz
◆ Black Tourmaline
◆ Precious Opal
◆ Smoky Quartz
◆ Green Fluorite
◆ Obsidian
◆ Rhodonite
◆ Clear Quartz

In closing, we're shown how to work with crystallary cards which work similarly to a blend of tarot and oracle reading. There's also a segment of resources for further study. This may be great as a gift for the beginner or as a "pretty" book for your collection, however I would not recommend this for those who seek something more substantial.

Thanks for the chance to read and review this book. Unfortunately it wasn’t quite right for me and that was more my own fault for assuming the content, I thought it would be a bit more informative. It has a nice illustration style, but was a bit pixelated in places, only slightly, but that may be due to it being a proof. I’m sure it would appeal to others but just wasn’t the right thing for me and the language didn’t sit right and I found myself skimming it.

An interesting and well written book, useful for anyone who is interested in crystal.
I liked the style of writing and the illustrations.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.