

Whether you are looking for more protection in the home, more love in your spaces, or looking to attract more abundance into your life, there is a crystal for everything. Keeping crystals in the home not only elevates the aesthetic but also provides unique healing powers to your environment. Crystals and gemstones and their use of them go back thousands of years, and the wisdom of these natural gifts from Mother Earth has been passed down.
In today’s world, crystals are more widely recognized and used, and it’s important to consider which crystals do what and what is the best place to put your most precious gemstones.
Your home is one of the most, if not the most, intimate spaces in your life. Having the right energy in the home translates into your experience when you leave it, and working with crystals can help you elevate your energy. Spiritual practices like feng shui prove how valuable and healing making every space in the home intentional is. By understanding the different healing properties and benefits of certain crystals, you can enhance the energy in your home, protect your space, and attract more positive energy into your life.
Consciously work with your space and with the bounty this earth provides, and create abundance and protection in your life. Each space in the home can benefit from a certain crystal, read below to see what your space may need right now.
1.Black Tourmaline
Black Tourmaline is a must-have for any crystal collection. This is a highly sought-after stone for its protective and healing benefits. Black Tourmaline is a good stone to place by the front door or in any area of the home where you feel you need extra protection. It’s good to put it near the front door because any energy that enters the home will be immediately cleansed before it comes in, protecting your home space.
Black Tourmaline acts as an energetic sponge, and it absorbs all negative energy in the home and transmutes it into positive, which is why it’s good to have it right before you enter into a space. This crystal will need to be cleansed often, so make sure you leave it out for the night during a Full Moon every month.
2.Spirit Quartz
Spirit Quartz is unique in its healing properties because a lot of it comes from the shape of the quartz itself. Spirit Quartz is a crystal with many facets pointing in different directions, and its different crystal points send out positive energy in different directions in the home. Place this crystal in the center of your home, table, or room to make sure positive and harmonious energy is flowing through without.
Spirit Quartz elevates the room and keeps the good vibes and nurturing energy flowing. This is a stone that will open up the energy in the room, keep things exciting, and create a safe space for everyone to be their authentic and best selves.
3.Amethyst
Amethyst is another must to have in the home and any crystal collection, but it’s especially a must if you have trouble sleeping, relaxing, emotionally healing, or with addiction. Amethyst is a good stone to put in the room or meditation space, and if you are having trouble sleeping, place it under your pillow or under your bed.
Amethyst Quartz is a truly unique and healing stone and provides an energy of transmutation, spiritual growth, and support. This is a crystal that you’ll want to place in areas where you want to create a relaxing, rejuvenating, and emotionally healing vibe. Keeping Amethyst in your home is like having an air purifier; it cleanses, heals, and rejuvenates.
4.Iron Pyrite
Iron Pyrite is a good crystal to keep in the office, near the bills, or next to/in your purse. Iron Pyrite is a stone of abundance, and it also acts as a protection stone for that which you want to protect and cherish in your life. This is the type of stone you want around you if you are looking to create more wealth in your life or protect the wealth you already have.
Iron Pyrite crystal will send you in the right direction financially and will bring up new ideas to help you create abundance and attract it into your life as well. This is a good stone to help you protect your finances and assets, so keep it where you want to protect your money, on top of any contracts you need to sign, on your business cards, in your safe, etc.
5.Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz is a more obvious crystal for the home, and this is a crystal you may already have that you can use. Rose Quartz is a crystal of love and is perfect for any intimate environment. Keep this crystal in the bedroom to spice things up, or keep it in the living room space to invite more love into your world. Rose Quartz is the stone of emotional balance and harmony, and it creates peace and a harmonious atmosphere.
It not only benefits your relationships and love life, but it’s also a facilitator of self-love and confidence as well, helping you grow in your journey here. If you struggle with insecurities, place Rose Quartz in the bathroom next to your mirror for some extra love in the mornings.
6.Green Aventurine
Green Aventurine is a good stone to keep in the home because it benefits many different areas of your life. You can place Green Aventurine in the garden or backyard to help plants grow and bring luck to the garden. Green Aventurine is a stone that brings your seeds of intention to fruition. This is another crystal of abundance as well and works well near the front door or window to help bring abundance in.
Green Aventurine also enhances good health and a healthy heart, making this a beneficial stone to have anywhere in the home. Overall, this is a stone that will help you attract positive, healthy, and refreshed energy into your life. This stone calls you to your inner harmony and health.
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Originally published on October 10, 2023
Tayler Barakat is a Mystic who has studied Astrology for over a decade. She does intuitive astrology and tarot readings for people all over the world, and her work focuses on healing and empowering individuals. Follow her on Instagram @taylerbarakat_ and check out her website www.listentothevirgo.com.
Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Does hearing the phrase, “you’re such a good girl,” during sex turn you on? If so, you might have a “praise kink.” When I hear the term praise kink, the church girl in me wants to immediately play “The Lady, Her Lover and Lord” while riding reverse cowgirl. But that’s not what is meant by the term praise kink.
A “praise kink” is a sexual fetish that focuses on overt praise, exaggerated compliments, and an outpouring of verbal affection.
What Is a Praise Kink?
The concept of praise kinks isn't new, but thanks to TikTok, a lot of people are now realizing they might identify as praise kinksters. Currently, the hashtag #praisek1nk is trending with 568.9 million views, with tons of creators posting about their love for compliments and words of affirmation during sex. I, too, love a good compliment during sex. I once had a lover sing my praises about how good I was at a certain bedroom activity. His affirmations gave me WAP, but does that categorize me as having a praise kink?
How To Know if You Have a Praise Kink
Just because you love receiving praise doesn’t mean you have a praise kink. Someone with a praise kink experiences an intense level of sexual excitement from being praised or verbally affirmed by their partner during sex. You might have a praise kink if hearing your partner tell you how pretty you are makes you cum or if the thing that makes sex go from good to great is hearing your partner's thoughts about how good you are at giving head. And if, during solo play, the thing that gets you all hot and bothered is recalling the times your partner called you a good girl, it’s probably a praise kink.
Generally, a kink is a sexual activity that is needed for someone to enjoy sex. When it comes specifically to praise kinks, if you need reassurance from your partner that you're sexy, or good in bed in order to orgasm, you have a praise kink.
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Examples of Praise Kink Phrases To Try With Your Partner
If you’re new to the term and looking to explore, you probably have questions about what phrases to use. It may take a lot of communication and some trial and error to figure out what phrases work best for you and your partner. Ultimately, the best phrases to use vary from person to person and are based on what sex acts you and your partner enjoy, or what parts of their body they like complimented.
To get you started, here are some generic praise kink examples to try out with your partner:
Praise Kink Examples:
- You're such a good girl/boy.
- You're so good at [insert skill].
- You look so hot when you [insert activity].
- Your [insert body part] is irresistible.
- You taste so good. I can't get enough of you.
- You just have the perfect [body part].
- Just like that… you’re doing so good.
- Who taught you how to be so good at [something?]
While many examples of praise kink involve specific verbal affirmations, praise can also come in the form of brief words or phrases like “yes,” “keep going,” or simply a moan. No matter what type you prefer, praise kink is all about finding what feels good and exciting, and turns you and your partner on the most.
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Originally published on November 4, 2022