Crystal Healing Information

Crystal Healing Information

One of the most daunting tasks that can face the beginning Crystal Healer
would have to be how to choose which stones are the right ones for you.

One of the questions I am asked most often would be "How does one go about
choosing the crystal or stone that is best suited to me?" Quite often,
stones will be chosen for you and presented to you as a gift by someone
else. Many times that person will tell you "When I saw it, I thought of you
immediately and just knew I had to get it for you." Well, the stone 'spoke'
to that person... it is in this same manner that you would choose your own.
You select the crystals that 'speak' to you.

To do this, you begin by quickly scanning over the stones to see if any of
them appeal to you more so than the others. The ones that catch your eye are
'speaking' to you and should be separated out and placed in front of you.
Next, you should carefully examine each of the stones and pick out the ones
that exhibit any of the following characteristics:
- a hot or cold sensation in the palm of your hand
- a buzzing or vibrating sensation anywhere in your body
- a mild or somewhat pleasant feeling of loss of equilibrium
- an altered state of awareness
- a positive emotional response such as involuntary smiling or laughter with
no apparent cause
- a sense of contentment or well being
- a sense that something is trying to communicate with you

Not all stones will exhibit the above characteristics... some may look
ordinary or even plain ugly. Yet, your hand or eye just seems to be drawn to
it. Trust your intuition where crystals are concerned, your subconscious is
better attuned to the individual vibrational frequencies of the stones. Most
often I have found that the first stone I touched was, in fact, the one I
ended up choosing. Even if I took another, I would find myself drawn back
again and again to my original selection.

Stones to avoid would be those that exhibit any of the the following
characteristics:
- a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain in the head
- triggers a negative emotional response such as anxiety, grief or anger
- an inability to focus the eyes properly on the stone... wherein it seems
as though your eyes slide off the crystal or vision becomes blurred
- the activation of the senses in a manner that disturbs or is unpleasant...
such as a foul taste in the mouth or an uncomfortable itching in the skin.
- a pressure to the chest or difficulty breathing...

Asthmatics especially take note. It is possible for a negative or damaged
stone to trigger an attack. I am severely asthmatic and speak from
experience. As far as first aid in such a situation... you should hold a
fist sized cluster of small quartz crystals to your face and breathe deeply,
stick your face above a sinkful of of cold running water, or kick your shoes
and socks off and walk around barefoot for five minutes. All of these will
increase your intake of negative ions and allow you to process the oxygen
from the air more efficiently.

Another method that is quite good for choosing stones involves the use of a
pendulum. Now, while there are a good number of "professional" style
pendulum for sale, I have actually found that, for choosing the appropriate
crystals for myself or another person, nothing works as well as the Silver
Dragon pendant that I have worn about my neck for the past several years.
Truly, any pendant can serve as a pendulum provided it is one that you wear
upon your person and is thus steeped in your personal vibratory resonance.
It is best if the chosen item has a fairly well defined bottom end, such as
my dragon's downward pointing tail, which will allow you to gauge the swing
direction with more ease.

Generally I have found that Silver, being a feminine moon oriented metal,
works best for women while Gold, a masculine sun oriented metal, performs
best for men... This is not, however, written in stone... as with choosing
the stones themselves, it is best to surrender to the urging of your
intuition. Once you have chosen your pendulum, whatever it be, you will want
to perform a small test. Hold the chain of the pendulum so that about five
to eight inches dangle beneath your fingers, your arm raised to shoulder
level and your elbow bent to a forty-five degree angle. You must ensure
that you keep your wrist relaxed but straight. Hold the pendulum chain
lightly between your thumb and index finger and take three nice slow deep
breaths.

Either mentally or aloud, whichever is more comfortable to you, ask the
pendulum to show you "yes"... after a few moments the pendulum will swing in
a specific direction. After making note of the direction of swing, stop the
pendulum with your other hand and allow it to hang motionless for a few
seconds. Now you repeat the previous exercise, this time asking to be shown
"no"... again making note of the direction that the pendulum moves. I would
suggest for you to do this exercise several times in a row, alternating
between asking for "yes" and "no", so as to be quite direction indicates
which answer. Once you are certain of your directions, you will then be able
to utilize the pendulum to chose your crystals.

This method is most useful I have found when choosing stones for a specific
purpose or for someone else... you would begin by holding the pendulum above
each crystal one at a time. Ask whether this stone is the right one for your
purpose or for the person for whom you are selecting it, then observe the
results. Sometimes, the pendulum will indicate more than one crystal as
being appropriate... in such a case, unless there are monetary restrictions
( the rarer crystals can be quite expensive), I would suggest taking all of
them. In a situation where the cost of buying more than one or two of the
crystals is prohibitive, I would suggest that you chose the one for which
the pendulum reacted the most strongly.

Now that you have selected your stone and brought it home, it is most
important that you cleanse it. It has passed through many hands between the
time it was harvested and it arrived with you... and each of those hands
have left their vibrational influences, as an imprint, upon it. Cleansing
then becomes quite important as some of those imprints can be of a negative
nature and would then influence the work you would be doing with the
crystal. Further, working with the stone can also load it down with unwanted
energies... Thus it is well advised to establish a monthly routine of
cleansing and recharging... best done on the full moon.

Cleansing
There are several methods that can be used for this purpose:

The easiest method is also the one that I prefer for most crystals, it is
the cold water bath. Place the crystal into a bowl in the sink and turn on
the cold tap... allow the water to run over the stone and fill the bowl.
Leave the water running just slightly for about five minutes. At the end of
that time, remove the crystal and dry.

Certain stones will, however, dissolve or otherwise be harmed by direct
exposure to fresh water... these include :
Amber, amazonite, ammonite, apophyllite, calcite, copper, coral, desert
rose, dioptase, flint, fluorite, gold, granite, graphite, gypsum, iron, jet,
lapis lazuli, lodestone, malachite, mother-of-pearl, pearl, pyrite, silver,
sodalite, tiger's eye, tiger's iron, and turquoise.
These crystals ought to be placed beside the sink, the faucet turned up so
that a relatively strong stream of water issues forth... though not so
strong that the water splashes up onto the stones... and the time ought to
be extended to fifteen minutes from the original five.

When I'm healing, I do not always have access to a tap. At these times,
there is an alternate method that I utilize... this involves placing the
stone atop a large crystal cluster or within a large geode. This will
cleanse the stone within a matter of five minutes but does necessitate the
cleansing of the cluster or geode once the opportunity presents itself, as
it works by absorbing the vibrational imprint from the target crystal.

Another method would be to set the crystal out in direct sunlight for a
period of three days. Though not as quick as the first method... this has
the added benefit of simultaneously recharging the stone while it cleanses
it. The only problem with this method is the sun's bleaching effect which
can cause certain crystals, such as amethyst, to fade in color. If such an
event occurs, soak the stone in glycerin for a couple of days... then rinse
well and dry. The glycerin, which is a vegetable based oil, is quite good
at restoring a stone's color... I have had some very good results using it
with amethyst.

First Aid for Troubled Crystals
Every once in a while you will come across a "Troubled" stone... one that is
negatively charged, or "sick"... these would be the crystals that generate
any or all of the symptoms that I mentioned in the "choose your stones"
section under the heading of "stones to avoid". After you have been working
with crystals for a few years, and have built up a personal immunity to
their energies, you may wish to try to heal these stones. Some have been
improperly harvested, forcibly programmed, or improperly used.

I have come across a crystal which had been involved in a murder, that may
sound far-fetched to the more skeptical among you but I assure you that it
is quite true. Though this Quartz was a particularly beautiful piece to look
at, the negative effects of it's experience was immediately felt by all in
the store when it was unwrapped. The two women who owned the store, and who
had been the best of friends for over 30 years, began to bicker rather
nastily over imagined slights on the part of the other. A toddler, who had
been sitting peacefully in her stroller, began to scream... her face as white
as a sheet, as though frightened out of her wits. And those others in the
place who were crystal sensitive became ill, complaining of violent
headaches and difficulty breathing. And yet, as soon as the crystal was
rewrapped and returned to its box, it all stopped... the illness passed and
breathing became easier, the child calmed immediately, and the two women
could not understand why they had been quarreling.

The piece was bought by a friend of mine who decided, and rightly so, that
this was a stone that needed to be taken out of circulation. It was taken
home, where a debate ensued as to what was to be done with the thing. We
each took a turn at holding it after a routine cleansing was performed,
attempting to discern what was the matter with it and to see if it could be
attuned to. Two impressions were a common theme to all of us, the first
being that the crystal had been used a a centerpiece in a love triangle that
had ended in murder... absorbing much of the negative and violent energy it
had been exposed to, and that the stone itself was unhappy with it's current
state. As a result of our all comparing our information after the last of us
had replaced the stone in its box, it was decided that a more extensive and
thorough cleansing was needed. We resolved that we would try to affect a
healing for this stone.

Even this day, three years later, the crystal still is undergoing
cleansing... and has not been used for any type of work. It has much
improved in this time, it had been quite dark in color and cloudy inside
when it was purchased... leading the observer to believe that it was some
variety of female smoky quartz... Now it's color has lightened immensely
and it has become quite transparent, recognizable now as a male clear
quartz. It's "personality" too has undergone quite a change... though it
still gives off mild negative energies, it is no where near the violent
intensity that it once possessed. It is quite likely that, in another two
years or so, the cleansing treatments that it has been undergoing will no
longer be necessary and my friend will be able to move on to working to
re-energize it.

Though I strongly suggest that the beginner crystal worker not involve
him/herself with a troubled stone, as these types of damaged crystals can
have a strong influence on one's personal energy. Every once in a while you
may indeed come across one you feel the need to try and heal. For this
purpose there are three methods that can be used... and in some instances,
such as the one described above, you will wish to use all of them.

The first method is for lightly to moderately damaged stones and requires
Sea Salt... not the commercial chemical sodium you buy in the grocery
store... actual sea salt is usually available at your local health food
store, anywhere where they specialize in carrying organic foods and herbal
supplements. Keeping in mind the restrictions of certain stones regarding
water, place the stone upright in a jar that will hold roughly three times
its volume. Next, fill the jar with the sea salt right up to within an inch
of the top and then slowly add water until the salt is completely saturated.
Top up the salt to compensate for any that has dissolved, put the lid on it
and place the jar in a window that will allow it to be exposed to both the
sun and the moon's light leaving it undisturbed for three weeks.

For those stones that ought not be exposed to water, repeat all the above
directions with the exception of the addition of the water, and make certain
you fill the jar completely with salt... Then increase the length of time
the jar is left in the window to nine weeks. At the end of that time, remove
the crystal from the jar and spend some time with it... trust your
intuition, if it seems that the stone is still troubled then either repeat
the procedure or move on to one of the others.

This second method is for moderately to seriously damaged crystals. For this
you will want a mesh bag with a secure drawstring and be willing to travel a
wee bit. First you need a wilderness location where you can find a stream or
brook. I would suggest being prepared to hike a ways, to ensure a remote
area where few others may be drawn. If dealing with a stone that ought not
get wet... place it first into a jar or other sealable container, then
reinforce the seal by coating the seam of the lid with wax... do take pains
to ensure that the seal is waterproof, testing it in the sink or the tub
beforehand, then wrap the jar in several layers of cheesecloth. When you
reach your chosen location, place the crystal or jar into the mesh bag and
tie the drawstring securely closed.

Next you will want to find a number of goodly sized rocks that you can use
to anchor the bag... submerge the bag in a spot in the stream or brook where
you feel relatively certain that it will remain undisturbed and place the
anchor stones various points around the jar but on the mesh of the bag. When
you feel secure that the bag is not going to work itself loose, you will
then leave it in the water for three months... six months for those stones
that are not actually in direct contact with the water. At the end of that
time, as with the first procedure, remove the bag from the water and examine
the crystal... if you feel that the stone is not sufficiently cleared then
either replace it ... or move on to one of the other methods, using you
sense of the severity of the stone's damage to guide you as to which to
choose.

The final method is for severely damaged crystals. For this one you will
want a similar wilderness location, though this one ought to be forested, and a
small garden spade... the hand held one that is used for planting flowers
into a garden will suffice. A similar willingness to hike and a fair hand
with a map is also beneficial. As with above, ensure that any crystal that
ought not get wet is securely sealed into a waterproof container. Travel to
a spot where you feel that few folk come to, being careful of course not to
get lost, then... trusting your intuition to guide you to the right place,
you will want to bury the stone or jar in the earth at the foot of one of
the trees. Oak is best, though any of the druidic chieftains will suffice...
these would include the Alder, Ash, Hazel, Vine, Ivy, Blackthorn, Furze,
Yew, a Grove of any kind, or Beech. It is advised for you to ask the tree's
permission before digging and always leave a gift to show the tree that you
appreciate it's willingness to assist... this can consist of a little bit of
organic compost or fertilizer, a specially chosen crystal, or even a few
strands of your own hair.

Once you have received permission, given your gift, and buried the stone or
jar... you will want to leave a mark of some kind, I would suggest a small
cairn of rocks arranged in such a way that you will recognize them when you
return, and to mark the place's location on the map... including the route
you used to get there. Then you will return home and forget that the stone
even exists for a minimum of a year... year and a half for one in a jar. At
the end of that time, make the trek back to that spot with your little spade
and another gift for the tree. As with above, after you unearth the damaged
stone, let your senses tell you if it needs to be reburied... and if this is
the case then again ask permission first and present your gift.

Depending on how damaged the stone is, the tree may need a rest at which
point you ought to approach another one nearby to the original. From this
treatment, when your senses indicate that it is time to move on, it is
always a good idea to follow up with one or both of the previous treatments
as you are dealing with a severely traumatized crystal. Like the stone
belonging to my friend, the process of healing such a crystal is a very slow
one.

Dealing with a Dangerous Crystal
There are those stones which instinct will tell you are just plain dangerous
or hostile... or perhaps you have attempted to heal and cleanse the crystal
but to no avail. It is best to remove these stones from "circulation",
meaning that you may find yourself prompted to buy the stone for no other
reason but to prevent it from harming someone else. These types of crystals
have an uncanny ability to pick out those persons who are mentally or
emotionally imbalanced then, once they are in this person's possession, they
will act to amplify and aggravate the unfortunate victim's condition...
especially dangerous if the victim should be schizophrenic or psychotic.
You will know one of these stones from your own reactions, observing the
reactions of those who approach it ( most especially small children and
animals ), and from the reactions of any guides and guardians you may have
(who will surround you with a protective veil of golden-white light and make
their presence known to you quite forcibly)

If your intuition tells you that here is a dangerous stone or you have tried
to heal it without success... Then the only option left to you is to ensure
that it can never cause harm to anyone. This is accomplished by making a
trek to a large body of water, a lake or the ocean, or into the deep
wilderness where no others are likely to travel. Once there, either give it
to the water or bury it at least three foot deep in the earth. Then leave
the spot and forget the location... no matter the temptation, do not allow
yourself to be drawn back or second guess your original instincts where the
stone is concerned as that would be the stone itself that is trying to
prevent itself from being neutralized.

Recharging
Recharging a stone is quite easy, once you know how. Once a month on the full
moon, after your routine cleansing, simply lay all your crystals out to the
light of the moon... and leave them undisturbed for a full twenty-four
hours. Whether the sky be clear or cloudy, the outcome will be the same... a
stone that is energized and ready to work with.

A method that I use for a rapid recharge during healing involves laying the
working crystal upon a large cluster or a group of clear quartz or citrine
for ten minutes. Citrine works particularly well since, being a solar stone,
it has the ability to generate it's own energy and does not require to be
recharged or cleansed as other crystals do.

Once you have cleansed your chosen crystal, the next step is to get to know
the stone, making a connection with it that would allow both it and you to
work together most effectively. This process is called attunement and is an
essential step in preparing a new crystal for healing work. I would suggest
the implementation of a journal in which a record of observations, notes and
impressions can be kept, as these can be very helpful to refer back to at a
later date.

Find a comfortable spot in which to relax, taking the crystal with you. It
is preferable to have a light source nearby, whether it be a soft reading
lamp positioned behind you in such a manner that the light should shine upon
the stone, or a candle that you can hold the crystal up to and thus
illuminate it's interior. For solid and very opaque stones, those that light
cannot penetrate, the reading lamp is the preferable course of action. But
for the clear and slightly opaque stones such as quartzes and fluorites, I
prefer the candle method and it allows one to see deep into the crystal.
Playing a soft background music can be of immense assistance as well, with
shamanic drumming being by far the most helpful.

Once you are settled, begin to examine your stone. Turn it over in your
hands and allow yourself to notice every detail, crack and line both on the
surface and deep within. Allowing yourself to enter a light meditative
state, look for images on or within the stone. Let your imagination play
with whatever images do present themselves, making note or even drawing them
into the journal. Often a stone can reveal it's purpose in this manner, I
have a small smoky quartz laser wand (approximately three inches in length)
which possesses a peculiar crack within it quite close to the point. When I
first picked up this crystal, I was struck by how very much like a dragon in
flight this crack looked. I bought the wand and brought it home, and it has
since proven to be one of my most powerful tools both in healing and magick
works.

After a time, when it feels right to you, dim or extinguish the light and
refresh the music if need be. Recline comfortably and place the stone upon
your third eye chakra, between and slightly above the browns, and close your
eyes. Taking a few deep, cleansing breaths and allow yourself to drift into
a deeper meditative trance. Once you feel as though you are comfortably
floating, ask the crystal to tell you of itself.

In the beginning, you may not receive much... an impression here or there...
an image or two... but as your skill with meditation and the stones improve,
it is most likely that you will find this can generate some rather vivid
visualizations. Among some of the most common images to be recorded during
an attunement meditation are scenes depicting locations... often being the
place where the crystal grew and was mined from... geometric patterns, or
beings of light... often called angels or higher vibrational beings. Other
information that can be imparted could pertain to the person from whom you
received the stone, you may hear a voice speaking in your head... be
attentive to the words as it may be important. You may see a vision of a
departed loved one, or a bright tunnel relax and go with it as you are
perfectly safe and may learn much.

You may even have the great fortune of meeting with the spirit of the stone,
the Deva. This is the crystalline intelligence that guides the stones
vibrational frequency. Often such a meeting will result in your obtaining
the crystal's name and you will find that stone becomes thrice more capable
and efficient at the work you undertake with it... be it Healing or Magickal.
The stone and yourself have now become active partners in whatever endeavor
you choose.

After a time, when you feel you have made a connection, remove the stone
from your forehead and write down in the journal every image, impression,
sound, etc., that you experienced as well as any thoughts you have on them.
Rest for a while and let your senses return to normal, avoid getting up
immediately afterwards as you may find yourself a touch lightheaded. Now
that you have attuned yourself to the crystal, and made the acquaintance of
it's deva, you will have but to ask for it's assistance in your endeavor.
It will act in your best interest and that of those people you work with it
on.

Please Note: I strongly disapprove of the current and 'popular' trend
towards "programming" a crystal to fulfill a specific purpose. To attempt
this is a mistake and can actually have an adverse effect on the crystal,
yourself and anyone upon whom you use the stone. In programming a crystal,
you attempt to exert your will upon the Deva ... a situation that I can only
describe as a form of slavery upon the crystal's free spirit, forcing it to
perform as you wish it to. Stop for a moment and consider if you would wish
to be treated in such a manner and how you would react if someone tried to
impose their will upon you. Though the crystal may perform as you wish it to
for a time, it will eventually lose it's spirit... either shattering or
disappearing completely from your possession upon the death of the Deva.
There is no way to determine ahead of time what kind of negative effect the
stone would generate if used for healing or magickal purposes, but there is
no doubt that ... in acting contrary to the rule of "Harm None", there would
be one.

Crystals grow in a wide variety of types, shapes and sizes ... each with
it's own particular properties and abilities. The most common of crystal
formations available today is the Single Terminated point. This is the type
of crystal most often found incorporated into jewelry, with a single
six sided point at one end. It's best attributes are the dispersal of
negative energy and the energizing and balancing of the chakras.

Double Terminated indicates a single crystal with a point at each end. While
it operates in a similar manner as the single point variety, this type
specializes in regulating and harmonizing the energy flow between two or
more chakras. As the energy is able to flow in two directions, it makes a
good "channel" for exchanging information or energy between two beings.

Barnacle Crystal is the term given to a single crystal which has one or more
sides upon which other smaller crystals ... or groups of crystals ... are
growing. Due to the sense of community and cooperation that such a stone
radiates, it is an excellent crystal for works involving family or group
endeavors and also serves to dispel feelings of loneliness.

Wands define a group of crystals ... often carved by man though the rare
natural ones can be found ... which are long and thin in appearance and
quite delicate. As their name implies, these crystals are used for directing
energy flow and have the capacity to amplify and channel "beams" of energy.
Useful for directing healing energy to a localized spot , or over vast
distances for distance-healings, the wand can also intensify sound and the
efficacy of other crystals used in healing work. This type of formation is
one of the the vibrational healer's most helpful allies.

Channeling Crystal is rare and difficult to find, it appears as a six-sided
crystal whose point evidences not six but seven faces. One of the faces will
be large enough to gaze into while, on the back side of the point, will be
found a face in the shape of a perfect triangle. As it's name would suggest,
this type of crystal is used to facilitate in the channeling process ...
specifically regarding the assimilation and accumulation of spirit
information.

Clusters are those crystals that are found growing together on a base,
called a matrix. These groups of crystals can be found growing either on
their own or in harmony with other varieties of stones, such as amethyst and
quartz or pyrite and quartz growing together on the same matrix. As they
grow in a group, so do they work as a team, each crystal in a cluster will
act to support and magnify the energy output of it's neighbor. This type of
formation radiates strong healing and purifying energy and thus are quite
good for cleansing purposes ... be it a room or another crystal ... and for
group work.

Phantom Crystal is a formation that is recognizable by the presence of
another crystal ... or at times a series of several ... within a host stone.
The phantom crystal itself may be a partial impression or a complete
specimen, and can be of a different mineral than the one in which it
resides. The abilities of these types of crystals are strongly influenced by
their

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