Crystals have been in the lime-light ever since celebrities such as Shirley
Mcleane and Cher have come out of the closet and admitted they were
"New-Agers".  However, along with this public scrutiny, has also been a
whole bunch of misconceptions.  The most common of which is that a person
just wears a crystal like jewelry or carries it and it works like some kind
of instant stage-magic or prestidigitation.  This, of course, is not the
case.  To get the full effect of "Crystal Power" in your life means, as
with so much else, that you must put into it what you take out of it.  So
here are a few simple guidelines for those of you who plan on taking this
subject seriously.

1.  Selecting your Crystal

To select a Crystal is not atll that much different from selecting a pet or
a work of art.  When you go into the store to purchase your crystal - or any
other stone used in healing or Psychic work - just pick the one that "calls"
to you.  Handle the various stones and place them, one by one, in your
receptive hand.  (the one that is not your dominant hand; if you are
right-handed or ambi-dextrous, your receptive hand is your left.  If you are
completely left-handed your receptive hand is your right.)  The stone that
is right FOR YOU will "pull" you to it.  This may not be the stone that looks
the clearest or the most impressive, either.  Our societies materialistic
values and our conditioning to accept them must not enter into our decision,
which is very hard for most of us at first.  Our first tendency is to judge
the stone -as we always judge ourselves and everything else in a constant
stream of thoughts- by what we have been conditioned to believe is "good" or
"bad".

If the piece you are choosing is for a specific purpose; i.e. for healing,
or to enhance your psychic abilities, or for meditation; it will help if
you keep that purpose in mind while you are selecting the stone.  An
interesting phenomena often happens to people who are just going into the
gem and mineral healing or psychic work.  Most people start off with clear
quartz, because it has the most applications.  They go into a store or a
gem show to purchase a clear quartz and find themselves drawn to all kinds
of other "rocks" (as the collectors call them) too.  Many times they bring
a bag of various mineral specimens home with them.  Later they look up the
stones in one of the many reference books on this subject, only to find the
stones they were drawn to are exactly the ones they need to deal with
issues or illnesses that they need to work on.

The very first thing you need to do when you first get a crystal is to
"clear it" from the imbalanced energies of anyone else who has touched it.
Crystals "work" because of their piezoelectrical field.  Researchers in
Kirlian photography and other subjects have long shown us that the body is
surrounded by a field of electro-magnetic energies, which psychics call
the AURA. People who have studied this subject tell us that Crystals help
us by attuning their piezoelectrical charge to the charge of our auras.
So we must first remove the charges from the stone that come from other's
handling of it.
 
 

This is done by leaving the stone in sea-salt (available at almost any
health-food store) for 3 days.  The only time you will have to use this
technique - which is drastic - to cleanse the stone is when you first
buation.

The reason I say the technique is drastic is because it erases ALL of your
energy from the stone too, so the stone has to be rebonded.  (explained
later) This piezoelectrical effect of the stone is the same reason that
quartz is useful in making computers, telephones, watches, and in other
electronic devices.

2.  the regular maintenance of your stone

The regular care and maintenance of your stone is really quite simple. First
of all a gentler method of clearing the piece should be used at least once a
week and after any uses in either physical or inner
(mental/emotional/spiritual) healing work.  This can be done in several
ways.

First of all, you can run it under COOL - no extremes of temperature
PLEASE - water in your sink for several minutes, while visualizing
(intensely imagining in vivid detail, from a meditative or extremely relaxed
state) all imbalanced energies leaving it.  You can also leave it in mugwort
(an herb) for 2-3 days buried it in carefully.  You can also place it in a
flowerpot with an african violet plane, but you should know that if it has
been used to heal any severe plant will die.lear any serious imbalance of
energy, there is a good chance the

The stones should also be re-charged about once a month or after every use.
For other stones, direct sunlight is not such a good idea as it can fade the
can get the reflected energy of the sun by placing them in the moonlight
during the waxing of the moon.  (from one day after the new moon through the
night of the full moon)  They can also be charged by surrounding them in a
circle of quartz points that have been charged by the sun, with the points of
the crystals facing inward toward the stones being charged.  Another method
is to purchase an amethyst or quartz cluster and place the stones on it.  A
cluster is a specimen with several individual crystals on it.  To re-charge
the stones it.  Oh, and if you charge the stone by a circle of crystals, be
sure they have been cleared and charged themselves before using them to
charge anything else. The circle should consist of at least 4 points, but 8
is best.  These stones used for charging do NOT have to be large at all.

3.  Using your crystals as are our tools in our psychic work and, as in any
other object used, work by focusing the mind's powers.  To get the best use
out of them, more than just wearing them or carrying them is required.
They should be used from a state of meditation, while visualizing the goals
we wish to accomplish with them - such as healing, increased Psychic
perception, etc.

And if you are using the crystals in healing, be aware that they are NOT
meant to replace the care of a competent health professional - but many
people find them a useful adjunct to it.

I don't know of if any of my previous posts on crystals and their
various uses got through so here is a partial re-post. If there is
any interest I can continue the thread. If not I'll drop it.

NOTES ON CRYSTALS & THEIR USES
By Dan McClure

Quartz crystal is one of nature's miracles. Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
in crystalline form possesses a quality known as peizoelectricity.
When squeezed and released, there is created an oscillating
frequency which recurs at a precise rate. It is this quality of
oscillation that has made possible a great deal of modern
technology. Quartz crystals are used in all telephone, radio,
spacecraft guidance, satellite communications and computer systems.
Simply speaking, the crystal is capable of receiving, sending and
holding energy. It is uniquely a tool of communication, and as our
age is an age of communication, it might, in fact, be called the
"Age of Crystal".

In psychic terms, quartz crystal expresses identical properties,
being used as a psychic sender, receiver, and holder of various
types of energy. The crystal is usually placed in the left hand for
receiving, the right hand for sending, and either hand for holding.
The mind is focussed, as in any state of deep meditation, and mental
energy is directed into or through the crystal. Quartz crystal has
been used since ancient times and in nearly all human cultures as a
psychic tool. Its particular focus of usefulness has been as an
amplifier of energy in the work of psychic healing. Crystals have
also been used as explorative tools, held while meditating, or
placed beside the bed or under the pillow while sleeping. Many
people report increased remembrance of dreams, a sharpening of
inner vision, greater groundedness, and enhanced self-awareness by

using crystals in this way.

Crystals have traditionally been worn for any or all of the above
mentioned reasons, but, perhaps the foremost reason is simply that
of beauty. Perhaps no other stone so expresses not only the
perfection of the mineral world and mother earth, but the potential
perfection of human consciousness.

Some of the Ancients probably used some types crystals as storage
devices not unlike our modern computers. Such as the Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull investigated by
the Hewlett-Packard crystal growing labs in Santa Clara Ca in the
70's. Among other things the HP labs confirmed the skull was carved
from a single piece of quartz with a high degree of technology and
precision to get the light refracting qualities of the finished
piece. HP doubted it could reproduce the skull even with all the
modern technology available in the 70's due to the fragile nature of
quarts. Lab techs documented hearing strange sounds and seeing
strange visions in the crystal. Several of which were even
photographed! This was from no nonsense scientific types with
absolutely no interest in the crystal's mystical properties. While
at the HP labs on other business in the late 70's on other business
I saw part of the report. It made interesting reading.

The first and most important part of charging a crystal is choosing
the crystal itself.(That is another story, if you like, I can post
some of my notes on crystals & stones and their specific uses)For
most general uses, Quartz is the best one. For specific use, there
are many others. I have found that Diamonds are useful in storing
Positive energy, and Zircons for negative energy. If you have a
specific purpose in mind, please consult one of the many fine tables
of crystal affinities.

There are many, many ways Programming or charging crystals. You can
use, visualization, Ritual, meditation or any combination of the
three to charge the crystal.

By using visualization you can get a clear idea of the program that
you want for your crystal while in a meditative state put the
crystal to your forehead or third eye and project the desired
program into the crystal. Remember that the colored crystals vibrate
to the specific color that they have -- so program them accordingly.
Clear quartz crystals can be programmed for any job you wish them to
do but the colored quartz are job specific.

Using Pranayama and other forms of breath control are an alternative
method of charging crystals with energy channeled through you. Music
combined with Pranayama breath control or other forms of ritualistic
breathing are usually an asset. This can be even further enhanced by
use of incense & Ritual.

Pranayama, simply, is control of breath. Most forms amount to
hyperventilation or subventilation. The basics are; take four quick
inhalations, filling the lungs. This should be over the space of
about one and a half seconds. Then exhale in four short bursts,
again over one and a half seconds. Repeat as necessary. The first
few times this is done, I recommend you desist after about one
minute. Over the course of time, this can and should be increased,
but until you are used to the effect this gives, a shorter time is
suggested.

Now that you're in the mood, take the crystal in your right hand
(left hand for those of you who are lefties). Visualize a door within
the heart of the crystal. Until this visualization is firm and
steady, wait. Then open the door. Behind it you should see a store
of diffuse energy, which varies with the type of the crystal. Some
crystals, usually the inferior ones, have little or nothing back
here. These are generally not good to use.

Close the door, but keep it in mind. That was just to check on its
energy. Decide which energy you wish it to house. Usually only one
will be needed, such as for talismans and storage of energy for
later use, but in some cases, such as a divination tool, more is
suggested/required. DO NOT TRY THIS ON YOUR FIRST ATTEMPT! YOU WILL
FAIL! The energy you will be handling is powerful, and trying to
handle more than one world at a time is strenuous. Trying to handle
all three, plus personal and other energies, is straining to the
limit. As with all other bodily systems, an ability used beyond its
capacity will overload and break or refuse to perform, as with a man
trying to lift 300lb barbells on his first try at weight lifting.

Now, the fun part. For the three major energies, I find there are
certain ways of drawing them that are easiest on the practitioner.
For Positive energy, try it like this: Form a cone with the base
connecting to your skull in the region just between and above your
eyebrows. "suck" the energy (visualize it as you will, I use a
light, golden yellow) into the cone, then through a tube into your
brain. The visualization on this is a bit tricky, but it can be
done.

For Earth's or ground energy, visualize a "hose" going down into the
Earth from the base of your spine. This hose should ideally connect
with the center of the Earth, but some people simply cannot conceive
the distance involved with that, and can therefore not visualize it.
Go as deep as you can, with time, you should improve. I "see" this
energy as a ruddy, glowing red, as with magma. Use what works. Draw
this energy up the tube, then through your spinal column into the
brain.

Now, the Negative energy. Place the feet together (if they already
are, so much the better! It means this isn't uncomfortable for you,
as it is for me.) and visualize a siphon, with the hose connecting
to a cone connecting to your feet, about two inches in diameter, one
inch on either foot. Then, on the other end, a hose entering a
black, inky void(or whatever color you perceive negative energy to
be). One last connection: another hose running from that area of
your feet to the previously mentioned area in the skull. This aligns
nicely with the Chakra theory that the column connects all the major
power centers of ones body. If you know this system, so much the
better! Draw the energy through the siphon(sometimes visualizing the
bulb on the siphon squeezing helps) into the feet, then into the
skull, then into the brain.

Other objects you wish to draw energy from, use the door
analogy/visualization given above( for powerful things such as the
Tarot, I see it as a gate or a door. Again, whatever works for you),
and draw from your use-hand. If you plan on using that object again,
take only a token amount of energy, and DON"T FORGET TO CLOSE THE
DOOR!

Personal energy or Auric energy This varies so much with the
individual! Some people draw from their auras, some from the
Chakras, some from the Astral Body. Just use the method you feel
most comfortable with. For those of you who have no preference, or
no knowledge of such things, I use the Astral approach. I draw a bit
of the substance of the Astral body, generally the feet, into the
brain. After I finish all else, I "spread out" the Astral body to
make up for this loss. Astral bodies DO heal.

Draw the energy you need, then draw from the crystal. Take it in
your use hand again, open that door, and take out the energy, and
bring it to the brain. Generally, I use the hose again, connecting
to that spot in the skull, but this one generally runs INSIDE your
body, such as along the arm bones, then up the neck bone. Mix the
energy up. If it helps, visualize a cosmic quisinart or whatever. If
it won't mix, like oil and water, you have failed. This crystal will
not hold this energy. Give up, put back the crystals power, ground
yourself(later...), and try again later with another energy.

Once you've achieved the mix, refill the crystal. Sometimes, the
energy won't go back in. This usually means you've put too much of
the energy you're using in, and not enough of the crystal's own
energy. Bring it back to the brain, and remix. How do you refill the
crystal, you ask? Switch hands on the crystal, then visualize that
handy hose again, but this time flow backwards, through the door.
There will come a point, especially early on in your practice, that
the crystal is full when you have energy left over. Slam that door
and ground yourself(later...), don't overfill it! Doors have their
bursting point, and that's a wonderful way to destroy a good
crystal.

Ok, it's later. You've finished the job at hand but have all this
energy left! There are many ways of grounding energy, use the one
you are comfortable with(I know I keep saying that, but it bears
repeating). A simple one is simply grounding it. Take that
handy-dandy all-purpose hose again, connect it to the base of the
spine, and thence into the Earth. Flip the switch to reverse, and
push that energy out! Be careful not to drain yourself as well!