Crystal Crash Course

A Beginner’s Guide to Healing Crystals

In everyday life, we swim through the energy fields surrounding the Earth. I call this layer of energy that we live in, the "horizontal universe". Often we tap into the ambient energies of this horizontal flow as supplement or source. We may not be conscious of the quality of these "horizontal" energies. It's pretty easy to recognize their effect, though. For example, a walk on a beach may relax and refresh you. While the drive home during commute hour may leave you feeling drained and tense.

Energies that naturally nourish and sustain us are available to us in infinite supply from the "vertical universe", the cosmos above and the Earth below. Environments that are enlivening typically host some element or elements that actively mediate the vertical flow between the cosmos and Earth. For example, mountains, oceans, dolphins, fairies, trees and ancient stone monoliths.

Nature naturally synthesizes the horizontal and vertical flows. Where Nature is absent or minimized, the horizontal energies tend to build up debris and stagnate. Traditional spiritual approaches to facilitating the cleansing of horizontal energies and infusion of fresh cosmic and Earth energies are candles, incense, smudge, plants, animals, children, flowers, feathers, fountains and people who consciously work with energy.

A crystal's native and tuned vibrations influence the light as it passes through the crystal form. A crystal in our aura can imbue our aura with its resonance or absorb and transform certain energies. A crystal in a room, will uplift the energy of the space with its light as well as protect the space from discordant energies by absorbing and transforming, or repelling unwelcome energies.
Light passing through the crystal picks up and carries the energies encountered into the body of the stone.
Within the crystal matrix, the energy is transformed. Left to its own devices crystals and stones will eventually cleanse and recharge. However this takes time. If a crystal or stone is used on a regular basis to manage, absorb, transform, or cleanse energies, without sufficient intervals to cleanse itself naturally, it will build up psychic debris. Over a period of continued use, without cleansing, the stone will become saturated.

If a stone is "contaminated", light and energy passing through it will carry this contaminant into the very same flow you intended this crystal or stone to cleanse and enlighten. For this reason, it is important to cleanse and recharge companion crystals, crystals you use to hold space in a room, crystals you work with in meditation and self-healing, and crystals used in the healing of others, on a periodic basis.

Minerals may be tuned to enhance their vibration, or programmed to introduce a vibration, to benefit the purpose the stone is intended to serve. The same natural dynamics, of energy passing through the molecular lattice of the crystal or stone, will carry this resonance into the surrounding environment or into the energy field of the person working with or receiving a healing from the stone.

Caring for your crystals is easy and fun. Just follow these four simple steps:

1. Cleansing clears foreign energies and built-up toxins from the crystal matrix.
2. Recharging restores the energy levels within the crystal.
3. Activating increases sources of energy and light accessed by the crystal.
4. Dedicating your crystal is the final step of defining your intention for what you want to co-create.

Cleansing and recharging are steps you'll want to repeat periodically. You'll activate and dedicate your stone when you first receive it.

How to Cleanse your Crystals

Crystals, gemstones, and minerals can be cleansed by several easy methods. Use your awareness to guide you in selecting the depth, method, and duration of cleansing. Combine and repeat techniques until you're satisfied.
If your crystal is a devic temple or fairy crystal, you may wish to consult with the beings in the crystal first and together select the cleansing technique.
Thorough cleansing: These methods are ideal for any crystal used in transformational healing work and responsible for managing sacred space.
Water: Crystal, glass or non-metallic bowl, water, and non-iodized sea salt (approximately 1-2 tablespoons of salt per gallon of water, dissolved).
Soak your crystals in solution for 24-48 hours. You may use tap water. Water from natural sources is excellent for crystal cleansing. If you have rain water, or water from a spring, stream, or sacred source, you can add these to the solution or use in place of tap water. Sunlight and moonlight are beneficial in combination with this method.
When the water becomes dingy or murky, check to see if your stones are cleansed. This is often the case. If not, create a fresh solution and continue to bathe your stone.
If the stones you are cleansing are water soluble, rinse your stones in running water!
Salt: Lay crystals on a bed of rock salt or pack the crystals in rock salt to purify the crystal's energetic matrix for 24-48 hours. This is a convenient technique to use for personal crystals worn as jewelry and for boji stones.
Check your crystals frequently when using this method to make sure they like it. If they don't, remove them immediately!
Sand or Soil: Bury your crystals in sand, garden soil, natural loam, or clay. It is preferable to bury your crystals in the Earth, so that they have the opportunity to feels the Earth's resonance. This method is slow and gentle. Duration ranges from 24 hours to several days or even months. Obviously the longer the crystal is buried, the deeper the cleanse.
Protect your crystals from weathering when using this method.
Light cleansing: These methods are suitable for "tidying-up" companion crystals, crystals used in meditation, and personal crystals worn as jewelry or carried in pockets.
Running Water: Crystals love running water. Hold your crystal under the tap and allow cold water to flow over it. As you do so, visualize all dark and dense energies dissolving and washing away. If you're at a beach or near a stream, allow the water to flow over your stones. Then air-dry them naturally in gentle sunlight. Keep a firm grip on your crystals during this process and don't leave them where they can be swept away by the tide!
Smudge: The smoke of sacred herbs such as sage, cedar, and lavender may be used to cleanse the lattice and energy field of crystals. This is an excellent process before and after ceremony.
Breath: With your crystal held in your hands, begin by breathing slowly and centering yourself. Focus on your crystal, take a long slow breath, and pause while focusing. Raise your crystal and exhale with a burst, visualizing and feeling static and ambient energies spontaneously releasing from the crystal's light matrix. Repeat until you are satisfied (or light-headed.
Energy: There are several methods for channeling energy to cleanse the energy field of your stones. Begin by centering yourself, breathing deeply, and relaxing. Hold your crystal in both hands and visualize the flow of energy. Draw the energy from the Universe (or from your favorite vertical Source). Visualize beams of light energy streaming towards your crystal. You may channel the light through your hands (via your crown and heart chakra) into the crystal, or you can visualize the beams of light entering the crystal directly from all around it. Following are suggested energy sources, however, as always, allow your intuition to be your guide.
Energies from the cosmos and the Earth
Gold energy, the energy of divine compassion
Clear light, the pure energy of creation
Reiki energy (Level I cleanses & charges; Level II activates)

Nature's miracle cleanse:
Lightning: Positive ions have been scientifically proven to have a deleterious effect on us and our environment. Positive ions encourage the growth of bacteria and mold, disturb brain waves, and contribute to deteriorating health.
The negative ion, however, is beneficial to our health. Negative ions are generated by candles, a natural wood fire in the fireplace, the smoke of sacred herbs (sage and cedar), the ocean and large healthy bodies of water in motion (such as the Great Lakes), deciduous and coniferous forests, and electrical storms.
Next time your weather offers you lightening, take your crystals outdoors and set them out in the rain for a lightening bath!

How to Recharge your Crystals

As crystals absorb and transform energies to infuse light and diffuse negativity, their energy levels may be depleted. Recharge your crystals, gemstones and minerals with fresh energy from a "vertical" source to replenish and restore their light matrix.
Sunlight: An hour or more of sunlight will charge most crystals. Sunlight is terrific for clear quartz. After a sunbath on your windowsill, your clear quartz crystals will be noticeably brighter. Dark, opaque stones like black tourmaline and obsidian can also be recharged by this method. This is an excellent technique for quickly energizing personal stones.

Moonlight: Moonlight is a gentle and penetrating method for recharging your stones. The light of the full moon is desirable, being brightest, but the light of any phase will serve. Amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, smoky quartz, moonstone, calcite, celestite, kunzite, aquamarine, and other light or pastel colored stones are revitalized in moonlight. This is a gentle technique for regenerating personal stones overnight.

Quartz Cluster: Clusters of quartz crystals are known for cleansing and recharging themselves. I have cleansed mine, however, and ended up with some pretty murky water afterwards! Given that the cluster you've chosen as your recharging cluster is clean and charged itself, clusters are terrific for recharging other crystals. To do so, simply rest the crystal on top of the cluster for 24 hours. If you're worried about chips & scratches, put the crystal in a pouch or wrap it in a bit of natural fabric such as silk or cotton.

Quartz Tabby: Large tabular quartz crystals are renown for charging other stones. A quartz tabby is an ideal healing companion providing a place to rest stones between applications in a single healing session. If you have a large tabular quartz crystal, rest your crystal on top of it for the length of time you sense appropriate to be recharged. Be sure to give your tabby regular care too!

Amethyst Cluster or Cave: This is probably one of the most subtle of charging techniques. Allow time for this method and engage your intuition for guidance. Try combining this technique with moonlight!

Crystal Layout: Combine this method with any of the above methods for recharging crystals. This method may also be used while cleansing crystals. Arrange several single and double-terminated clear quartz crystals around the cluster, tabby (or bowl) in which your crystal is being recharged (or cleansed), or around the crystal itself.
For example, arrange the crystals according to the four directions, east, south, west, north, otherwise known as the medicine shield. The crystals will channel fresh energy to recharge the crystal in the center. If you want to charge your crystal with a certain vibration, for example serenity or love, add crystals to the layout that foster that resonance, such as aquamarine, celestite, blue chalcedony, chrysoprase, rhodochrosite and rose quartz.

You may also tune your crystals in harmony with the resonance of a tuning fork, bell or bowl or anoint them with essential oils. The Crystal Layout method is enhanced by sunlight and moonlight.

How to Activate your Crystals

Activating your crystal increases your crystal's capacity for energy and light. When you activate your crystal, you open dormant areas of the crystal's energetic matrix and increase the light spectrum your crystal accesses.
As you utilize the techniques for activation, engage your ability to visualize the pathways of energy flowing into your crystal, then, with you intention focused on activation, see existing channels increase in capacity and new channels appear. If you have techniques that you use in meditation or higher-dimensional entities that you contact, call upon these to activate your crystal.

Many of the recharging techniques can also be used for activation. For example, sunlight, moonlight, crystal layouts, energy, and lightning. However, I feel that one of the finest catalysts for crystal activation is you!

You'll most likely activate the majority of your crystals at home. However, when you have the opportunity, take your crystal on your special journeys with you, to vortices, power points, sacred locations and special events such as lunar or solar eclipses, or spiritual gatherings, to activate new levels of light in your crystal's energy matrix.

How to Dedicate your Crystals

Dedicating your crystal is a simple process that requires only a few quiet moments and defines your intention for co-creation. Your intention, during the dedication, describes to your crystal how you want it to work with you and sets the crystal's light vibration in harmony with your intentions.
Awareness is the key. Visualize the idea of "love, light, and for the good of all" as part of your activation. Doing so will neutralize any subconscious vibrations that could influence this process.

Focus on the positive as you bond with your crystal. For example, "I affirm abundance and prosperity for myself and all beings." Or "I am ever protected by the Light. Good comes to me and good comes from me."

Adapt your affirmation for dedicating a crystal for an altar, space, communal area, garden or home. For example, "This home is ever protected by the Light. Good comes to our home and good comes from our home".

Visualize "vertical" energies from the cosmos and the Earth "beaming" into your stones when you dedicate them. You may also work with a particular type of light, for example, gold light, clear light, or Reiki energy. Gold light is a divine creative energy that's wonderful for dedicating stones because it is in harmony with the spirit in the body (the divine human) and awakens the subtle healing powers of compassion within the crystal you are dedicating.

If you have a specific job in mind for your crystal and you'd like to program this mission into the crystal, begin your dedication ceremony with your intentions identified clearly to yourself. Ask the Universe to bless the mission for which you are dedicating your crystal. Once you feel in harmony with your defined intentions, follow the steps below.

Begin your dedication by cleansing, recharging and activating your crystal. When you are ready to sit down with your crystal, choose a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Close your eyes & breathe. Center your energy and allow your attention to follow. Hold your crystal in your hands. Repeat your intention to yourself until you are clear. Project the thought of this intention into the crystal. If the crystal has a primary transmitter (3-sided) or channeling (7-sided) face, direct your attention to one of these faces. Repeat your conscious intention three times. Your crystal is now dedicated!

If you have reached till here & feel drawn towards crystals & want to learn more, the right healing crystals for you may be brought to your attention... so that they can do what they were meant to do. Enjoy your search and let your intuition guide you.

July 11, 2011